thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-25--How Conservative Teens Are Meme-ing And Monetizing The Political Divide

The young men who run these pages tend to describe themselves on Instagram in ways that emphasize both their age and their political valence : “ 16 year old patriot , ” “ teen Republican , ” “ 20 year old conservative , ” “ Political Teen , ” “ 15 Year Old Die Hard Trump Supporter , ” pro-Trump “ high schooler.
” Like other savvy influencers , they often appear in livestreamed videos to engage with their followers , who tend to be much older .
Those who spoke to HuffPost said their audiences consist mainly of “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accounts are minors , and HuffPost is protecting their identities as requested ( including Casey , whose name has been changed ) .
Such posts may seem like obvious hoaxes , but people still fall for them — likely in part because they look up to the influencers who share them .
One post shows a doctored tweet supposedly written by 17-year-old climate activist Greta Thunberg , which says : “ It ’ s unbelievable how offensive the Trump Campaign account @ trumpfact on Instagram can be .
They said ‘ Merry Christmas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” In a maelstrom of angry comments , people responded by calling Thunberg a “ brat , ” an “ asshole ” and “ stupid eurotrash.
” One user called for someone to “ shove something in her mouth long enough to shut her up , and give her a nice warm feeling in her throat at the end .
”

Sixteen-year-old Casey, a high school junior living in New York, has amassed more than 50,000 new Instagram followers since the start of this year. On his account, @FuriousPatriot, he churns out memes that lionize President Donald Trump and ridicule Democrats and the mainstream media. One is a manipulated image of the Democratic nominee, former Vice President Joe Biden, asleep on a lectern; another is a GIF that calls Biden’s running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), a “hoe” and simulates her performing oral sex. A third falsely accuses CNN of altering a photo to make a gunman’s skin appear lighter.
Amid the sea of memes, a new post stands out. It’s a paid promotion for a clothing brand’s fitted T-shirts, featuring an illustration of Trump dominating Biden in a wrestling match. This kind of ad, known as “sponcon,” is common on Instagram — influencers regularly score endorsement deals and earn a commission from their followers’ purchases.
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Casey doesn’t consider himself to be an influencer, and he certainly doesn’t fit the stereotype. Instagram starlets, who can earn salaries of up to six figures on the platform, are often conventionally attractive young women who grow their audiences with glamorous photos of themselves — lounging by the pool, luxury traveling, modeling lingerie — while profiting off the attention by shilling for brands.
But in recent years, the influencer marketing business model has given rise to a starkly different crop of entrepreneurial content creators — one led by young men and teenage boys like Casey. In lieu of selfies, they’ve found another niche that, with the help of Instagram’s powerful recommendation algorithm, has also proven highly effective at attracting followers (and brand deals) en masse: MAGA memes.
Casey is part of a sprawling network of ad-hungry memers reaching millions of followers. They chase growth at all costs by sharing a torrent of right-wing clickbait — often including content that crosses the line from snarky political satire to hyperpartisan misinformation and bigotry. Though they decry the “fake news” media, many accounts circulate falsehoods and conspiracy theories with roots in the far-right QAnon movement. And throughout the coronavirus pandemic, they have downplayed the crisis, demonizing public health officials and railing against face masks. They also pander to their base by demeaning prominent female Democrats — especially those of color — in crude and sexist ways.
This effort to capitalize on America’s fractured political climate, and Instagram’s amplification of inflammatory content, is working remarkably well. As Election Day looms, MAGA meme moguls are enjoying explosive surges in traffic, even earning “likes” and reposts or follows from Trump’s confidantes ― including his sons Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump. Their thriving cottage industry serves as a free propaganda operation for the president’s campaign, and highlights the role that social media platforms play in fueling political polarization by incentivizing the spread of hyperpartisan agitprop.
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“Instagram is a gold mine,” Casey told HuffPost. “And it’s only getting better.”
MAGA memers' post incendiary content to attract followers while selling ad space.
Inside Teens’ Lucrative MAGA Meme Factory
There are hundreds of sponcon-soliciting MAGA meme accounts, ranging in size from a few thousand followers to well over 1 million. Many are fan pages for Trump and members of his inner circle, such as Donald Trump Jr., White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany and Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas). Some are dedicated to trashing Biden, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and other top Democrats. But the majority purport to be partisan news and satire pages, like Casey’s. Certain terms and themes frequently appear in the usernames of such accounts; there are umpteen variations on “patriot,” “libtard,” “deplorable” and “snowflake.”
The teen MAGA memer subculture contains both true believers and opportunists ― and, sometimes, both. A staunch Republican, Casey started his account as a fun way to post about his political views, and never expected to have much of an audience. But he soon realized it could become much more.
“I saw other conservative meme pages posting ads, and I thought, ‘If I actually grow this account really big, I can do that to earn money on the side,’” the 10th grader, who also works part-time at a restaurant, told HuffPost over the phone.
“This is just a side hustle that I have. But I realized it has big potential.” - Daniel, a 21-year-old MAGA memer
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Casey began posting multiple times a day, and studied what kind of content would really drive traffic. It had to be incendiary, and fit a specific narrative. Once, when he shared a post questioning whether a police officer had unjustly shot someone during an arrest, he received angry messages and even lost some followers. He quickly realized he could get more likes and follows with memes that attacked Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.).
“Conservatives are more likely to be hating on her,” Casey explained. “We [memers] just do it to get followers. We’re not actually trying to make AOC look bad or anything — it’s just to grow our accounts.” And it does: “I hit 50K [followers] way before my expected goal,” he said. “As we get closer to the election, I feel like I’m going to grow even more.”
The young men who run these pages tend to describe themselves on Instagram in ways that emphasize both their age and their political valence: “16 year old patriot,” “teen Republican,” “20 year old conservative,” “Political Teen,” “15 Year Old Die Hard Trump Supporter,” pro-Trump “high schooler.” Like other savvy influencers, they often appear in livestreamed videos to engage with their followers, who tend to be much older. Those who spoke to HuffPost said their audiences consist mainly of “Boomers.” The owners of many meme accounts are minors, and HuffPost is protecting their identities as requested (including Casey, whose name has been changed).
For Daniel, the 21-year-old Nevada resident behind the QAnon-promoting meme page @TrumpsPlans, ad requests slowly started rolling in after he passed 10,000 followers a few months ago. Now he has more than 40,000 followers and says he receives more marketing requests than he can handle — posting ads too frequently can scare off followers, after all. Last month, he said, he earned $1,200.
“This is just a side hustle that I have,” Daniel added, “but I realized it has big potential.”
MAGA meme accounts are tapping into the influencer marketing industry by aggressively soliciting paid marketing partnerships.
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‘DM For Business’
Most MAGA memers openly solicit marketing partnerships right in their Instagram bios with requests for brands to direct-message them, such as “💰DM For Business💰,” “📩Msg for biz promo” and “DM FOR AD RATES!!!” Often, novice pages will pay bigger ones to promote them and help them grow through shoutouts in posts or Instagram Stories.
Although the Federal Trade Commission orders influencers and brands to clearly and conspicuously disclose their paid relationships on Instagram and other platforms, this rule is poorly enforced. A representative for Instagram, which is owned by Facebook, directed HuffPost to a Facebook policy page for its branded content tool, which makes it easy to label posts as ads. But MAGA memers almost never use it, not wanting to draw attention to the fact that a post is sponsored rather than an independent endorsement.
This marketing approach can be more cost-efficient than traditional advertising strategies. Unlike TV or radio ads, the meme pages’ posts reach a very specific audience of people who share a common interest — in this case, Trump — and many young memers offer better rates than digital ad giants such as Facebook and Google. Daniel charges around $10 to $15 to keep a sponsored post up on his page for 24 hours before deleting it; Casey charges $30.
It’s not much to start out with, but as MAGA meme pages grow, they can generate more income for their owners. Casey said that when he asked a conservative memer who has close to 2 million followers for a shoutout post, the given rate was $400 for a single hour. And in the current political climate, these pages can quickly become huge.
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A handful of MAGA memers have amassed hundreds of thousands of followers or more.
Rogan O’Handley, a millennial from Tampa, Florida, left a career in finance law to launch his pro-Trump meme account, @DC_Draino, shortly after the 2016 election. The page now boasts 1.5 million followers and a bio that reads, in part, “DM FOR BUSINESS.” Between ads, his content centers around political news and is occasionally reposted by Donald Trump Jr., who on Instagram calls himself “General in the Meme Wars.” O’Handley’s influence has grown so large that the White House invited him to attend its Social Media Summit last year.
O’Handley did not respond to a request for an interview. His page appears to be a passion project that’s sustained by frequent ads, but his success has been inspiring to many memers who aggressively solicit brand deals in hopes of cashing in on inflamed political tensions ahead of the election. O’Handley has even offered advice to conservatives starting new pages. “Just do it,” he wrote in an Instagram Story. “Every meme counts.”
In an effort to reach his level, many memers chasing ad deals post inflammatory content to drive traffic ― whether it comes in the form of support from fellow conservatives, or angry comments from liberals.
“That stuff honestly helps me,” Casey said. “[My followers] will respond and just boost my engagement, so hey, I like it getting hate comments.”
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Many accounts pander to their base by demeaning prominent female Democrats — especially those of color — in crude and sexist ways.
Working The Algorithm
Memers hoping to go viral often traffic in racism, misogyny and misinformation. But some are reckoning with the consequences of spreading such content. Daniel, who has posted memes accusing Biden of pedophilia and calling antifa activists a “complete waste of semen,” told HuffPost he’s trying to cut down on sharing divisive posts because he doesn’t like pitting people against each other.
“Some meme pages go too far,” he said. “It shouldn’t just be about offending people.”
Days later, however, he posted a video of a man dressed as Trump picking up a woman dressed as former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and throwing her over his shoulder onto the ground. It quickly racked up tens of thousands of views.
This kind of polarizing and prejudicial content is reminiscent of the meme-based Facebook operation that Russia launched ahead of America’s 2016 election to divide and manipulate voters. Although the MAGA memers’ objectives are less nefarious, and primarily financial, they’re still exploiting and exacerbating political divisions ahead of one of the most important elections in American history. And Instagram is helping them do it.
“A lot of these pages are just in it for the money ... they see it as a job.” - Reed Cooper, a 15-year-old MAGA memer
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The kinds of memes described above frequently appear in Instagram’s algorithmically curated hashtag and Explore feeds. This helps them reach new people who don’t already follow the memers’ accounts, and incentivizes the memers to shell out even more disinformation and hateful propaganda. Instagram regularly rewards such content with increased visibility. When you search for #MichelleObama on Instagram, for example, one of the top results is #MichelleObamaIsAMan — a reference to the meme-fueled conspiracy theory that the former first lady is a trans woman.
As with most social media platforms, Instagram’s recommendation engine was designed to show users whatever content it algorithmically determines will keep them on the app for the longest period of time, because their attention is the commodity that Instagram sells to its own advertisers. Influencers know this well, and they’ve learned how to consistently produce the kind of attention-grabbing content that stimulates algorithmic promotion — whether it’s pretty selfies, fashion inspo or polarizing clickbait.
Unlike platforms such as YouTube, Instagram doesn’t give its users an opportunity to earn a cut of the ad revenue they generate, so financially, there’s less of a direct incentive to try to gain lots of followers or go viral (through incendiary content or otherwise). But Instagram is the backbone of the influencer marketing economy — which is projected to be worth $15 billion by 2022, nearly doubling in three years — and the app’s recommendation engine can rapidly turn content creators into social media sensations who attract brand deals like flies.
Many of the memers who talked to HuffPost insisted that they receive no algorithmic amplification, and in fact claimed they’re actually victims of political censorship through “shadow-banning,” echoing the false narrative that Big Tech is biased against conservatives. Yet in captions on their Instagram posts, they regularly instruct viewers to follow them — indicating that they’re not only aware they’re reaching new people through Explore and hashtag pages, but that they’re counting on such promotion as a way to grow their accounts.
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Doctored tweets and fake headlines are common tools for MAGA memers to try to draw in new followers.
Literal Fake News
Outside of algorithmic amplification, MAGA memers commonly resort to cheap tactics to gain followers. One page will post a doctored tweet that typically appears to show a Democratic politician calling for another meme account to be taken offline for spouting hate speech — along with a message urging people to go follow that account to show support. (The supposedly targeted account will then return the favor, posting a similarly doctored tweet and directing people to follow the other page.) They also share fake Instagram notifications as “evidence” that they’ve been shadow-banned, and fake news headlines that purport to show major news outlets calling for their deplatforming.
“I know it’s dumb, but it works,” Casey said, noting the fake-tweet technique can earn him as many as 1,000 new followers at a time. “It’s really easy. There’s even an app you can use.”
Such posts may seem like obvious hoaxes, but people still fall for them — likely in part because they look up to the influencers who share them. One post shows a doctored tweet supposedly written by 17-year-old climate activist Greta Thunberg, which says: “It’s unbelievable how offensive the Trump Campaign account @trumpfact on Instagram can be. They said ‘Merry Christmas’ rather than ‘Happy Holidays.’” In a maelstrom of angry comments, people responded by calling Thunberg a “brat,” an “asshole” and “stupid eurotrash.” One user called for someone to “shove something in her mouth long enough to shut her up, and give her a nice warm feeling in her throat at the end.”
“Some stuff I post, it’s just because it will get likes.” - Casey, a 16-year-old MAGA memer
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The MAGA meme community is so rife with disinformation and deceptive advertising that it has triggered internal criticism.
“It’s kind of a scam,” said 15-year-old Reed Cooper, who asked to be identified by his real name, which he displays on his meme page, @GodBlessDJT. “A lot of these pages are just in it for the money. I mean no offense — I’ve talked to a lot of them, and they see it as a job.”
The Virginia-based high schooler features Trump quotes, Bible verses and QAnon conspiracies on his account, which he started in January and which now has more than 40,000 followers. But he doesn’t run ads — his dream is to get so popular through social media that he has an opportunity to meet Trump.
“I wear Trump shirts everywhere I go,” he said. “I guess you could say I’m obsessed.”
Donald Trump Jr. even reposted one of his memes, branded with Cooper’s original logo — but failed to tag or credit him. Cooper still hopes the “Meme Wars” general will follow him back. In the meantime, he’s using his page to help “rally the base” ahead of November.
While Casey espouses the same views, his priority — like that of many teens in the MAGA meme sphere — remains a financial one. After shilling for so many Republican apparel brands on Instagram, he hopes to start his own someday. He’s dedicated to doing whatever he can to draw in new followers and build up a future customer base.
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Asked if he actually believes in the divisive messaging behind the memes he posts, or if he ever considers their impact, the teenager paused for a moment.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-25--Laura Becomes A Hurricane, Taking Aim At U.S. Gulf Coast

NEW ORLEANS ( AP ) — Laura became a hurricane Tuesday shortly after entering the warm and deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico , gathering strength on a path to hit the U.S. coastline as a major storm that could unleash a surge of seawater higher than a basketball hoop and swamp entire towns .
The decapitating cross winds that killed Marco are not present , so there is little to keep Laura from turbocharging .
Nearly all the computer simulations that forecasters rely on show rapid strengthening at some point in the next couple of days .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to support a major hurricane , Category 3 or even higher .
The waters are very warm where the storm is now and will be for the entire path up until the Gulf Coast , ” Rappaport said .
Laura passed Cuba after killing at least 11 people in the Dominican Republic and Haiti , where it knocked out power and caused flooding in the two nations that share the island of Hispaniola .
The deaths reportedly included a 10-year-old girl whose home was hit by a tree and a mother and young @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wall .
Now forecasters are turning their attention the Gulf Coast , where up to 11 feet ( 3.4 meters ) of sea water — storm surge — could inundate the coastline from High Island in Texas to Morgan City , Louisiana , the hurricane center said .
On top of that , up to 15 inches ( 38 centimeters ) of rain could fall in some spots in Louisiana , said Donald Jones , a National Weather Service meteorologist in Lake Charles , Louisiana — in the bullseye of Laura ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. coastal residents is that an earlier storm — Marco — greatly weakened and became a remnant just off Louisiana ’ s shore on Tuesday .
Satellite images showed a disorganized cluster of clouds .
It was relegated to what meteorologists call “ a naked swirl , ” Jones said .
The crew of a hurricane hunter plane confirmed that Laura became a hurricane with top winds of 75 mph winds ( 120 kmh ) shortly after passing between the western tip of Cuba and Mexico ’ s Yucatan Peninsula .
It was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Lake Charles , Louisiana , heading west northwest at 17 mph ( 28 kmh ) .
The hurricane center warned people not to focus on the details of the official forecast , since “ storm surge , wind , and rainfall hazards will extend well away from Laura ’ s center along the Gulf Coast.
” In Port Arthur Texas , Mayor Thurman Bartie issued a mandatory evacuation order for the city ’ s more than 54,000 residents starting at 6 a.m. Tuesday .
People planning on entering official shelters can bring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and must “ have a mask ” to reduce the spread of coronavirus , the order said .
Laura ’ s unwelcome arrival comes just days before the Aug. 29 anniversary of Hurricane Katrina , which breached the levees in New Orleans , flattened much of the Mississippi coast and killed as many as 1,800 people in 2005 .
Hurricane Rita then struck southwest Louisiana that Sept. 24 as a Category 3 storm .
“ Finally we ran out of luck in 2005 with Rita , ” Leleux said from his home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mayor from 2002-2010 .
“ When something like this comes up , I think people go back and it brings back a lot of bad memories.
” “ I ’ m moving to a house a little more inland just to be on the safe side , probably about an hour north , just to be on the safe side , ” said Adams , who also lives in Sulphur .
In Waveland , Mississippi , a coastal town devastated by Hurricane Katrina in 2015 , Jeremy Burke said “ our biggest threat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ When Katrina struck , “ the wind did do damage , but the thing that put the nail in the coffin was the storm surge , ” said Burke , who owns Bay Books in nearby Bay St. Louis .
“ People are prepared to possibly go at the drop of a hat , ” he said .
“ We never take a storm for granted .
We might have dodged a bullet with Marco , and obviously some people along the Gulf Coast are not going to be as blessed as us @ @

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NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Laura became a hurricane Tuesday shortly after entering the warm and deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico, gathering strength on a path to hit the U.S. coastline as a major storm that could unleash a surge of seawater higher than a basketball hoop and swamp entire towns.
The National Hurricane Center projected that Laura will become a Category 3 hurricane before landfall, with winds of around 115 mph (185 kph), capable of devastating damage.
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“The main point is that we’re going to have a significant hurricane make landfall late Wednesday or early Thursday,” National Hurricane Center Deputy Director Ed Rappaport said Tuesday.
The decapitating cross winds that killed Marco are not present, so there is little to keep Laura from turbocharging. Nearly all the computer simulations that forecasters rely on show rapid strengthening at some point in the next couple of days.
“The waters are warm enough everywhere there to support a major hurricane, Category 3 or even higher. The waters are very warm where the storm is now and will be for the entire path up until the Gulf Coast,” Rappaport said.
Laura passed Cuba after killing at least 11 people in the Dominican Republic and Haiti, where it knocked out power and caused flooding in the two nations that share the island of Hispaniola. The deaths reportedly included a 10-year-old girl whose home was hit by a tree and a mother and young son who were crushed by a collapsing wall.
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Now forecasters are turning their attention the Gulf Coast, where up to 11 feet (3.4 meters) of sea water — storm surge — could inundate the coastline from High Island in Texas to Morgan City, Louisiana, the hurricane center said.
“We’re talking about something that’s on the order of 10 feet and that’s going to penetrate well inland,” Rappaport said.
On top of that, up to 15 inches (38 centimeters) of rain could fall in some spots in Louisiana, said Donald Jones, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Lake Charles, Louisiana — in the bullseye of Laura’s projected path.
“Whatever happens, happens. We’re going to roll with the punches,” said Capt. Brad Boudreaux, who operates a fishing guide service in Hackberry, Louisiana, near the Texas line.
The silver lining for U.S. coastal residents is that an earlier storm — Marco — greatly weakened and became a remnant just off Louisiana’s shore on Tuesday. Satellite images showed a disorganized cluster of clouds. It was relegated to what meteorologists call “a naked swirl,” Jones said.
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The crew of a hurricane hunter plane confirmed that Laura became a hurricane with top winds of 75 mph winds (120 kmh) shortly after passing between the western tip of Cuba and Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. It was 625 miles (1005 kilometers) southeast of Lake Charles, Louisiana, heading west northwest at 17 mph (28 kmh).
The hurricane center warned people not to focus on the details of the official forecast, since “storm surge, wind, and rainfall hazards will extend well away from Laura’s center along the Gulf Coast.”
In Port Arthur Texas, Mayor Thurman Bartie issued a mandatory evacuation order for the city’s more than 54,000 residents starting at 6 a.m. Tuesday. People planning on entering official shelters can bring just one bag of personal belongings each, and must “have a mask” to reduce the spread of coronavirus, the order said.
“If you decide to stay, you’re staying on your own,” Bartie said.
Officials in Houston asked residents to prepare supplies in case they lose power for a few days or need to evacuate homes along the coast.
State emergencies were declared in Louisiana and Mississippi, and shelters opened with cots set farther apart, among other measures designed to curb infections.
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Laura’s unwelcome arrival comes just days before the Aug. 29 anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, which breached the levees in New Orleans, flattened much of the Mississippi coast and killed as many as 1,800 people in 2005. Hurricane Rita then struck southwest Louisiana that Sept. 24 as a Category 3 storm.
Now southwest Louisiana again faces the threat of being hit by a major hurricane, and Rita is on the mind of Ron Leleux.
“Finally we ran out of luck in 2005 with Rita,” Leleux said from his home in Sulphur, where he served as mayor from 2002-2010. “When something like this comes up, I think people go back and it brings back a lot of bad memories.”
In the southwest corner of Louisiana, Capt. Tommy Adams, a local fishing guide, was prepared for anything but said “you never know what’s going to happen.
“I’m moving to a house a little more inland just to be on the safe side, probably about an hour north, just to be on the safe side,” said Adams, who also lives in Sulphur.
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In Waveland, Mississippi, a coastal town devastated by Hurricane Katrina in 2015, Jeremy Burke said “our biggest threat down here is the storm surge.” When Katrina struck, “the wind did do damage, but the thing that put the nail in the coffin was the storm surge,” said Burke, who owns Bay Books in nearby Bay St. Louis.
Many residents in Waveland are staying in place as Laura bears down on the coast, but they also have their cars and trucks gassed up in case the forecast grows more ominous, Burke said.
“People are prepared to possibly go at the drop of a hat,” he said. “We never take a storm for granted. We might have dodged a bullet with Marco, and obviously some people along the Gulf Coast are not going to be as blessed as us.”
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-25--'Fake Melania' Tells Stephen Colbert The Dirty Trump Joke She's Planned For RNC Speech

Actor Laura Benanti returned to “ The Late Show ” as Melania Trump on Tuesday night , previewing the first lady ’ s speech in support of President Donald Trump at the Republican National Convention .
Stephen Colbert and Benanti spoke about the first lady ’ s widely panned makeover of the White House Rose Garden , from where she plans to speak during the RNC .
“ The changes were pretty extreme , ” Colbert said .
“ You really did clear out the most colorful foliage.
” “ I used my own technique called reverse Marie Kondo , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at something and if it sparks joy , I kill it.
” She also told Colbert that Trump reminded her of a rose .
“ No , ” she said , then offered up a joke about the presidential privates that she quickly wrote down to add to her speech : Melania Trump speaks tomorrow at the # RNC2020 but we have the honor of speaking with the First Lady tonight !
@ LauraBenanti # LateShowLIVE pic.twitter.com/ARsYIcdR4x — A Late Show ( @ colbertlateshow ) August 25 , 2020 Important conversations are happening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ HuffPost Today !

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Actor Laura Benanti returned to “The Late Show” as Melania Trump on Tuesday night, previewing the first lady’s speech in support of President Donald Trump at the Republican National Convention.
Stephen Colbert and Benanti spoke about the first lady’s widely panned makeover of the White House Rose Garden, from where she plans to speak during the RNC.
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“The changes were pretty extreme,” Colbert said. “You really did clear out the most colorful foliage.”
“I used my own technique called reverse Marie Kondo,” Benanti replied. “I look at something and if it sparks joy, I kill it.”
She also told Colbert that Trump reminded her of a rose.
“Because they’re romantic?” Colbert asked.
“No,” she said, then offered up a joke about the presidential privates that she quickly wrote down to add to her speech:
Melania Trump speaks tomorrow at the #RNC2020 but we have the honor of speaking with the First Lady tonight! @LauraBenanti #LateShowLIVE pic.twitter.com/ARsYIcdR4x — A Late Show (@colbertlateshow) August 25, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-25--Kimberly Guilfoyle’s ‘Screams’ Scare Stephen Colbert Right Off His Chair

“ The Late Show ” host Stephen Colbert went live after the first night of the Republican National Convention and was baffled by what he had seen .
In particular , Colbert was stunned by the speeches from Donald Trump Jr. ― son of President Donald Trump ― and his girlfriend Kimberly Guilfoyle .
Trump Jr. delivered a sweaty rant that name-checked the Loch Ness Monster while Guilfoyle fired off a screaming speech that had Colbert reaching for the volume control .
Or , as Colbert described it , “ some very nuanced screams.
” “ And that wasn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” he said before throwing to footage of her even louder closing lines in which she told viewers that Trump “ emancipates you and lifts you up to live your American dream !
” When the camera came back to Colbert , he was in hiding .
“ Is the loud lady gone ?
” he asked as he reemerged .
“ I ’ m scared .
It ’ s the first time in my life I ’ ve had to turn down the volume on C-SPAN .
God , I ’ m @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I was too close to the TV , I might ’ ve been sterilized by that.
” Later , Colbert discussed Trump Jr. ’ s speech .
He couldn ’ t get over “ Junior ’ s sweaty face and wet , bloodshot eyes.
” “ Either he ’ s high or that ’ s what happens when you live in the splash zone of Screamin ’ Guilfoyle , ” he said .
“ Just bring a poncho .
”

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“The Late Show” host Stephen Colbert went live after the first night of the Republican National Convention and was baffled by what he had seen.
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Then he rolled clips of Guilfoyle’s loud address.
“And that wasn’t her only story to shriek,” he said before throwing to footage of her even louder closing lines in which she told viewers that Trump “emancipates you and lifts you up to live your American dream!”
When the camera came back to Colbert, he was in hiding.
“Is the loud lady gone?” he asked as he reemerged. “I’m scared. It’s the first time in my life I’ve had to turn down the volume on C-SPAN. God, I’m glad we already had our kids because I was too close to the TV, I might’ve been sterilized by that.”
Later, Colbert discussed Trump Jr.’s speech. He couldn’t get over “Junior’s sweaty face and wet, bloodshot eyes.”
“Either he’s high or that’s what happens when you live in the splash zone of Screamin’ Guilfoyle,” he said. “Just bring a poncho.”
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-25--Trevor Noah Points Out 'Most Unbelievable' Part Of The QAnon Conspiracy Theory

Trevor Noah highlighted what he called the most unbelievable component of QAnon on Monday night as he broke down the convoluted and baseless fringe conspiracy theory for his viewers .
“ The Daily Show ” host explained some of the beliefs that QAnon followers espouse , including the seemingly central claim that President Donald Trump is involved in a covert takedown of a “ deep state ” cabal of liberal and Hollywood elites who worship Satan and traffic children for sex .
Last week , Trump horrified commentators when he refused to distance himself from QAnon .
Trump told reporters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like me very much ” and said he ’ d heard that “ these are people that love our country.
” QAnon , which the FBI has identified as a potential domestic terrorism threat , and its followers have been linked to violent incidents , including kidnappings and murder .
“ Look , I believe a lot of crazy shit , ” Noah said .
“ I believe that TSA confiscates all our lotion in order to secretly sell it back to us at Walgreens .
I believe possums are just dogs without @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actually ever broken up with me , they ’ ve just all been abducted by aliens .
But this conspiracy theory is crazy even for conspiracy theories.
” Noah then noted what he called “ the most unbelievable thing I have ever heard.
” “ Set aside everything else .
You ’ re telling me Trump is doing something heroic , but instead of taking credit for it , he ’ s keeping it a secret ?
” Noah asked .
Check out his breakdown of QAnon on “ The Daily Show ” @ @

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Trevor Noah highlighted what he called the most unbelievable component of QAnon on Monday night as he broke down the convoluted and baseless fringe conspiracy theory for his viewers.
“The Daily Show” host explained some of the beliefs that QAnon followers espouse, including the seemingly central claim that President Donald Trump is involved in a covert takedown of a “deep state” cabal of liberal and Hollywood elites who worship Satan and traffic children for sex.
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Last week, Trump horrified commentators when he refused to distance himself from QAnon. Trump told reporters he appreciates QAnon supporters because “they like me very much” and said he’d heard that “these are people that love our country.”
QAnon, which the FBI has identified as a potential domestic terrorism threat, and its followers have been linked to violent incidents, including kidnappings and murder.
“Look, I believe a lot of crazy shit,” Noah said. “I believe that TSA confiscates all our lotion in order to secretly sell it back to us at Walgreens. I believe possums are just dogs without makeup. I believe no one has actually ever broken up with me, they’ve just all been abducted by aliens. But this conspiracy theory is crazy even for conspiracy theories.”
Noah then noted what he called “the most unbelievable thing I have ever heard.”
“Set aside everything else. You’re telling me Trump is doing something heroic, but instead of taking credit for it, he’s keeping it a secret?” Noah asked.
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Check out his breakdown of QAnon on “The Daily Show” below:


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-24--Musician Justin Townes Earle Dead At Age 38

NEW YORK ( AP ) — Singer-songwriter Justin Townes Earle , a leading performer of American roots music known for his introspective and haunting style , has died at 38 .
Justin Townes Earle performs onstage during the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass music festival at Golden Gate Park on Oct. 7 , 2017 in San Francisco .
Earle was the son of country star Steve Earle and over the weekend his family posted an Instagram announcement of his death , telling his fans , “ So many of you have relied on his music and lyrics over the years and we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guide you on your journeys.
” His family also posted lyrics from the ballad “ Looking for a Place to Land , ” from Earle ’ s 2014 album “ Single Mothers.
” “ I ’ ve crossed oceans/Fought freezing rain and blowing sand/I ’ ve crossed lines and roads and wondering rivers/Just looking for a place to land.
” A conscious throwback to old-time country and blues music , Earle released such albums as “ Harlem River Blues ” and “ The Saint of Lost Causes ” and was named Emerging Act @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Honors & Awards ceremony .
He wrote often of loneliness , flight and forgiveness , like in the mid-tempo rocker “ I Wan na Be a Stranger.
” “ Don ’ t wan na walk away but/I ’ m tired of acting in anger/Too tired to even try and/I just wan na be a stranger.
” Earle was a Nashville native and his father named him in part for songwriter and family friend Townes Van Zandt , although Justin would say that his mother , Carol Ann Hunter , would have preferred a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Townes Van Zandt , ” he told Rolling Stone in 2019 .
“ My first name was supposed to be Townes , but my mother would not have it .
She hated him because of the trouble that Dad and him got into , but she still played his music .
”

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NEW YORK (AP) — Singer-songwriter Justin Townes Earle, a leading performer of American roots music known for his introspective and haunting style, has died at 38.
New West Records publicist Brady Brock confirmed his death, but did not immediately provide details.
Justin Townes Earle performs onstage during the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass music festival at Golden Gate Park on Oct. 7, 2017 in San Francisco. Scott Dudelson via Getty Images
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Earle was the son of country star Steve Earle and over the weekend his family posted an Instagram announcement of his death, telling his fans, “So many of you have relied on his music and lyrics over the years and we hope that his music will continue to guide you on your journeys.”
His family also posted lyrics from the ballad “Looking for a Place to Land,” from Earle’s 2014 album “Single Mothers.”
“I’ve crossed oceans/Fought freezing rain and blowing sand/I’ve crossed lines and roads and wondering rivers/Just looking for a place to land.”
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A conscious throwback to old-time country and blues music, Earle released such albums as “Harlem River Blues” and “The Saint of Lost Causes” and was named Emerging Act of the Year at the 2009 Americana Honors & Awards ceremony.
He wrote often of loneliness, flight and forgiveness, like in the mid-tempo rocker “I Wanna Be a Stranger.”
“Don’t wanna walk away but/I’m tired of acting in anger/Too tired to even try and/I just wanna be a stranger.”
Earle was a Nashville native and his father named him in part for songwriter and family friend Townes Van Zandt, although Justin would say that his mother, Carol Ann Hunter, would have preferred a different name.
“My mother hated Townes Van Zandt,” he told Rolling Stone in 2019. “My first name was supposed to be Townes, but my mother would not have it. She hated him because of the trouble that Dad and him got into, but she still played his music.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-27--The Psychology Behind Why Some People Hide That They Have COVID-19

“ In an environment where not everyone takes the spread of the virus seriously and some refuse to comply with mask mandates or social distancing recommendations , there is a sense that some people are contracting the virus due to their own carelessness and therefore have only themselves to blame , ” said Zainab Delawalla , a clinical psychologist in Atlanta .
“ In this atmosphere , even someone who has been taking the necessary precautions might feel like they will be judged harshly and blamed for their actions or inactions , and therefore be hesitant to tell others they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doing your best to abide by public health guidelines , perfection is an unrealistic standard , and there are still risk factors that are out of your hands .
Yet amid the pandemic , it can feel like almost all of our behaviors are subject to scrutiny from others ― whether it ’ s what type of mask you wear , how well you wash your hands , where you stand on school reopening , if you ’ re having social visits with friends and family , how closely you stand to others @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ve returned to your physical office , and on and on .
“ COVID-19 does not follow that rule , ” she said .
“ We can do everything right and still become infected without even knowing it .
We need to stop judging others for their behavior because it only serves to further the stigma and fear surrounding this virus .
The bottom line is we do not know what is going on in someone ’ s personal life , and chances are they are doing their best to get through this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a sense of shame .
There are financial implications .
“ Many people experience a moral dilemma about needing to return to work or take care of their family members , ” Stuempfig said .
“ They may be unsure on how to approach that after they test positive .
Additionally , they may not have the financial resources to put their life on hold for a week or two while they self-quarantine .
This can be particularly true for asymptomatic individuals because they feel fine physically so it can be hard to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ threat to others.
” “ We all have the tendency to want to avoid things that provoke negative thoughts and feelings , so it ’ s normal that people who test positive would want to simply continue about their daily lives , especially if their positive test doesn ’ t correspond with active symptoms , ” Boxley said .
“ COVID is a complicated , invisible enemy .
However , in these situations , it ’ s important to be mindful of the long-term benefits associated with knowing your test result and having @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your health.
” “ It can be helpful for leaders in our community to announce publicly when they receive a positive COVID-19 test and discuss the appropriate steps they took afterward .
Many famous actors , athletes , musicians and government leaders have gone public with their experience testing positive , which has helped normalize the experience and decrease stigma surrounding the virus , ” she said , pointing in particular to Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson ’ s announcement early in the pandemic that they had tested positive and were self-isolating .

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If you test positive for COVID-19, there are guidelines you should follow to protect your health and the health of others. One important step is to notify anyone you may have exposed to the coronavirus about your test results ― either personally or through a contact tracer.
“It is crucial to tell others if you test positive for COVID-19 due to the highly contagious and lethal nature of the virus,” said Becky Stuempfig, a licensed marriage and family therapist in Encinitas, California. Noting that it has been called the “invisible enemy,” she added, “By not informing others, innocent lives are being placed at risk, which can have an enormous ripple effect on entire communities.”
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Yet there are many stories of coronavirus-positive individuals waiting hours or days to inform others of their diagnosis or opting not to share the information until after recovering.
Each individual may have their own reasons for not sharing their test results or diagnosis with others, but there are some common explanations for keeping quiet. Below, Stuempfig and other behavioral experts share some of the reasons people may not tell anyone they tested positive for COVID-19 ― and how we can encourage more transparency.
It’s an emotional diagnosis.
“When a person tests positive for COVID-19, they may experience a wave of emotions ranging from shock or disbelief to anger, uncertainty, guilt, shame, confusion, panic, fear, sadness, concern for their future, worry for their family and so on,” said Stuempfig. “Since many people that test positive for COVID-19 are asymptomatic, that only adds to the uncertainty and confusion when receiving positive results.”
This range of feelings may leave people frozen as they struggle to process what’s happened. It can be tempting to avoid reality and simply do nothing, even knowing that giving in to this temptation could be harmful.
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“Even someone who has been taking the necessary precautions might feel like they will be judged harshly and blamed for their actions or inactions, and therefore be hesitant to tell others they tested positive.” - Zainab Delawalla, a clinical psychologist in Atlanta
“No matter what one’s initial reaction may be, the important thing to do is focus on the steps needed to move forward to protect their health and the health of those around them,” said Laura Boxley, a board-certified clinical neuropsychologist at Ohio State Wexner Medical Center.
There’s a fear of judgment.
Another big factor that may lead some to avoid sharing their diagnosis is the fear of judgment, which can add to the stress of having COVID-19.
“In an environment where not everyone takes the spread of the virus seriously and some refuse to comply with mask mandates or social distancing recommendations, there is a sense that some people are contracting the virus due to their own carelessness and therefore have only themselves to blame,” said Zainab Delawalla, a clinical psychologist in Atlanta. “In this atmosphere, even someone who has been taking the necessary precautions might feel like they will be judged harshly and blamed for their actions or inactions, and therefore be hesitant to tell others they tested positive.”
While you may be doing your best to abide by public health guidelines, perfection is an unrealistic standard, and there are still risk factors that are out of your hands. Yet amid the pandemic, it can feel like almost all of our behaviors are subject to scrutiny from others ― whether it’s what type of mask you wear, how well you wash your hands, where you stand on school reopening, if you’re having social visits with friends and family, how closely you stand to others when you talk, if you’ve returned to your physical office, and on and on.
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Thomas Tolstrup via Getty Images Fear of judgment can explain why someone would be hesitant to share a COVID-19 diagnosis.
“All of these areas are heavily judged and debated by others all day long, much of it done on public forums such as news channels and social media,” said Stuempfig. “Unless you are willing to go completely ‘off the grid,’ it is quite difficult to escape the judgment factor and can be overwhelming to navigate.”
Stuempfig believes we all need to let go of the “just world” fallacy ― the cognitive bias that a person’s actions result in fair and well-deserved consequences.
“COVID-19 does not follow that rule,” she said. “We can do everything right and still become infected without even knowing it. We need to stop judging others for their behavior because it only serves to further the stigma and fear surrounding this virus. The bottom line is we do not know what is going on in someone’s personal life, and chances are they are doing their best to get through this very difficult time.”
They may feel a sense of shame.
When a person tests positive for the coronavirus, they may unhappily begin to associate the public’s view of the virus with themselves, said Saniyyah Mayo, a licensed marriage and family therapist in Los Angeles. “Seeing themselves as dangerous, harmful and/or deadly is not an idea that a person wants to have about themselves.”
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Public scrutiny may also lead people to blame themselves for their positive test results and feel shame about their behavior, even if they followed public health guidelines fairly well.
“This experience has unfortunately created a strong stigma associated with testing positive for COVID-19,” Stuempfig explained. “It is not unusual for stigma to be associated with infectious diseases, but due to the long-term nature of this pandemic, the associated stigma will sadly have a lasting impact on our mental and physical health. It can deepen anxiety, depression and isolation that is already so prominent during this pandemic.”
It’s common to feel embarrassed about having been exposed to the virus and possibly exposing others, Boxley said. But the benefits of sharing diagnostic information to protect people’s health far outweigh those feelings of shame.
“It would be far worse to withhold this information and contribute to the potential spread of disease,” she said. “It would also be far more damaging to one’s relationships if it became known that they had a positive test and withheld that information from others.”
“Many people experience a moral dilemma about needing to return to work or take care of their family members.” - Becky Stuempfig, a licensed marriage and family therapist in Encinitas, California
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We all have the power to break down some of the shame and stigma surrounding a COVID-19 diagnosis. Stuempfig advised showing support for people who receive a positive test result and being mindful that it’s not easy to share this information.
“We can still reach out to neighbors and friends while maintaining physical distance,” she said. “We can send supportive text messages, cards, drop meals off and, most importantly, instill hope for the future by letting them know we look forward to reconnecting when they feel better.”
There are financial implications.
In the U.S., the pandemic has highlighted the lack of adequate sick leave for workers, which can contribute to the spread of illness.
Not everyone has a job that allows them to work from home or take days off when they’re sick, and many people cannot afford to miss paychecks. This has created some very dangerous situations as some workers continue to report for duty even after they’ve been infected.
“Many people experience a moral dilemma about needing to return to work or take care of their family members,” Stuempfig said. “They may be unsure on how to approach that after they test positive. Additionally, they may not have the financial resources to put their life on hold for a week or two while they self-quarantine. This can be particularly true for asymptomatic individuals because they feel fine physically so it can be hard to even believe that they can be a threat to others.”
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halbergman via Getty Images Some workers face a dilemma as they grapple with the possibility of missing much-needed paychecks while self-isolating.
While a limited paid sick leave measure, passed to deal with the pandemic, have faced bureaucratic challenges, individual employers can do their part to curb the spread of the virus by changing their policies.
“Corporate leaders can help by assuring their employees that they will receive appropriate time off and sick pay if they need to stay home after receiving a positive test result,” Stuempfig suggested. “They can also establish clear methods for employees to confidentially share their test results without fear of losing their job.”
Denial is tempting.
As the saying goes, ignorance is bliss, so it’s tempting to retreat to a state of blissful ignorance when faced with tough information.
“We all have the tendency to want to avoid things that provoke negative thoughts and feelings, so it’s normal that people who test positive would want to simply continue about their daily lives, especially if their positive test doesn’t correspond with active symptoms,” Boxley said. “COVID is a complicated, invisible enemy. However, in these situations, it’s important to be mindful of the long-term benefits associated with knowing your test result and having the ability to make informed decisions about your health.”
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Stuempig noted that testing delays can lead to confusion. Many people have reported waiting several days for results or even weeks in extreme cases.
“If you are someone who experienced a long waiting period and then received a positive result, you may be tempted to keep that information private and simply move on with your life because you have already been functioning in the world with a positive diagnosis and the thought process may be: ‘What’s the benefit in changing things now? I’ve already exposed those around me,’” she explained.
It’s not a medically sound response, but it’s human.
They’re misinformed.
There’s a lot of misinformation about the coronavirus, especially on social media. Many people latch onto false narratives, picking and choosing which public health guidelines to follow.
“In our current environment, it can be difficult to differentiate high-quality and low-quality COVID information,” Boxley noted. “COVID is also a complicated disease that we are learning about in real time as physicians, researchers, and government officials work hard to address the pandemic.”
But we should “remember that there are individuals who have spent their entire careers studying and preparing for pandemics and that medical science is not as capricious as politics or media,” she added. “It is in our best interest to look to our scientific institutions such as [the National Institutes of Health] and the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] for medical guidance, even as advice can shift as we learn more about COVID.”
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Educational, science-backed campaigns from trusted local officials could help cut down on the confusion and stigma associated with the virus, said Stuempfig.
“It can be helpful for leaders in our community to announce publicly when they receive a positive COVID-19 test and discuss the appropriate steps they took afterward. Many famous actors, athletes, musicians and government leaders have gone public with their experience testing positive, which has helped normalize the experience and decrease stigma surrounding the virus,” she said, pointing in particular to Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson’s announcement early in the pandemic that they had tested positive and were self-isolating.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-27--Black Children Typically Experience A 3-Year Delay In Autism Diagnosis

Black children with autism spectrum disorder ( ASD ) are diagnosed an average of three or more years after their parents initially mention concerns about their language or development , according to a study published in the journal Pediatrics this week .
“ Between the time when parents began verbalizing their first concerns , and the time their child received a diagnosis , that difference — on average — was about three-and-a-half years , ” Dr. John Constantino , director of the Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center at Washington University in St. Louis and an author on the study @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parents whose children , by and large , were insured .
They had access to health care , ” he continued .
“ And these obstacles to diagnosis were not happening because parents weren ’ t bringing forward a recognition of a problem or delay.
” Nationwide , one in 54 children in the U.S. has been diagnosed with ASD .
For years , national data suggested that fewer Black children had ASD , but as the authors of the new study point out , that gap has narrowed .
Experts now understand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ less likely to be identified .
But as the new findings reveal , they are not necessarily being identified early enough .
And prior research suggests that is the case for Black children more so than white children who tend to be diagnosed months earlier in their lives .
Constantino and his co-researchers analyzed data on more than 580 Black children who ’ d been diagnosed with autism and were enrolled in an autism research network , a collection of sites at universities across the U.S .
They found many reasons that may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ diagnosis .
More than 35 % of the parents said they ’ d experienced a significant wait time in seeing a professional .
More than 40 % said they saw multiple professionals .
And almost 15 % of parents said it took at least six professionals before their child was diagnosed .
In an editorial accompanying the study , written by several experts with Boston Medical Center , other possible causes are addressed .
Black parents may be more likely to experience racial bias and discrimination .
A profound lack of diversity marks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( only 2 % of neuro-developmental pediatricians in the U.S. are Black , the authors point out ) .
Also , developmental specialists tend to be concentrated in areas were more white families live .
All of these factors may contribute not only to avoidable delays in diagnosis , but affect the ability of parents to connect with support services for their children early on .
“ What this paints a picture of is not only a delay in diagnosis , ” he said , “ but a very severe deficit in access @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ”

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Black children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are diagnosed an average of three or more years after their parents initially mention concerns about their language or development, according to a study published in the journal Pediatrics this week.
The researchers say that structural racism may be a significant driving force in these delays.
“Between the time when parents began verbalizing their first concerns, and the time their child received a diagnosis, that difference — on average — was about three-and-a-half years,” Dr. John Constantino, director of the Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center at Washington University in St. Louis and an author on the study, told HuffPost.
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“These were parents whose children, by and large, were insured. They had access to health care,” he continued. “And these obstacles to diagnosis were not happening because parents weren’t bringing forward a recognition of a problem or delay.”
Nationwide, one in 54 children in the U.S. has been diagnosed with ASD. For years, national data suggested that fewer Black children had ASD, but as the authors of the new study point out, that gap has narrowed. Experts now understand that Black children with ASD were simply less likely to be identified.
But as the new findings reveal, they are not necessarily being identified early enough. And prior research suggests that is the case for Black children more so than white children who tend to be diagnosed months earlier in their lives.
Constantino and his co-researchers analyzed data on more than 580 Black children who’d been diagnosed with autism and were enrolled in an autism research network, a collection of sites at universities across the U.S.
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They found many reasons that may have contributed to the extensive delays in diagnosis. More than 35% of the parents said they’d experienced a significant wait time in seeing a professional. More than 40% said they saw multiple professionals. And almost 15% of parents said it took at least six professionals before their child was diagnosed.
In an editorial accompanying the study, written by several experts with Boston Medical Center, other possible causes are addressed. Black parents may be more likely to experience racial bias and discrimination. A profound lack of diversity marks the health care providers available to them (only 2% of neuro-developmental pediatricians in the U.S. are Black, the authors point out). Also, developmental specialists tend to be concentrated in areas were more white families live.
All of these factors may contribute not only to avoidable delays in diagnosis, but affect the ability of parents to connect with support services for their children early on.
Constantino called the situation a “public health emergency.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-27--Dozens Of Evangelical Pastors Have Died In Bolivia, Nicaragua During Pandemic

Throughout Latin America , a traditionally Catholic region with a surging evangelical presence in nearly every country , evangelical churches have kept spreading the Gospel despite government measures meant to slow the spread of the coronavirus .
In many countries , evangelical churches have flouted public health guidelines by holding in-person services , or have personally ministered to church members in homes and other settings .
“ There was too much misinformation , ” said Raúl Valladares , who took over Bethel ’ s congregation after his father and another pastor died June 5 .
“ Just in our denomination @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And at Bethel we have a pastor , my father and some 25 brothers ( members ) who died from COVID-19 , ” though he said the church had tracked the cases and didn ’ t believe they stemmed from services .
Meanwhile , some evangelical leaders in Brazil have advocated for miraculous cures or called the disease a plague that kills those of little faith and vowed to continue services .
They have been strongly backed by President Jair Bolsonaro , who counts many evangelicals among his most fervent supporters .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were essential during the pandemic , allowing churches to open and religious workers to move around .
But some states have enforced their own restrictions .
Bethel stayed open until the Assemblies of God Nicaragua Conference , to which Bethel belongs , told the majority of its churches to close immediately May 12 until June 1 due to the pandemic ’ s spread .
After June 1 , church leaders were allowed to decide when to reopen .
According to the Nicaraguan Evangelical Alliance , which includes most of the more than 100 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ least 44 pastors have died since March .
Not all of those deaths were confirmed as COVID-19 because of a lack of testing .
“ They went to pray , to visit the sick ; in that work they died , ” said pastor Luis Aruquipa of the National Christian Council , who said more than than 100 evangelical pastors have died in the pandemic .
“ My father never stopped helping people , he was always close to his congregation , giving them faith , but also food and peace , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taken over the church since his father ’ s death .
“ We don ’ t know in what moment he got infected , but he brought the virus to the whole family.
” Eight family members fell ill , but all recovered .

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MANAGUA, Nicaragua (AP) — Some 400 men and women spaced themselves across a sprawling worship hall, praying through face masks with arms raised for the health of friends and family suffering from the coronavirus.
The congregation of Managua’s Bethel Restoration church knew the pandemic’s wrath: Two of its pastors were among the more than 40 evangelical leaders who have died in Nicaragua since March.
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Throughout Latin America, a traditionally Catholic region with a surging evangelical presence in nearly every country, evangelical churches have kept spreading the Gospel despite government measures meant to slow the spread of the coronavirus. In many countries, evangelical churches have flouted public health guidelines by holding in-person services, or have personally ministered to church members in homes and other settings.
In at least two countries, evangelical pastors have died in alarming numbers during the pandemic.
A portrait of Pastor Ovidio Valladares and his wife Aura Maria Valladares is displayed in his office at Bethel evangelical church in Managua, Nicaragua, Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2020. Valladares died from COVID-19 related complications on June 5th. (AP Photo/Alfredo Zuniga)
In Bolivia, where some 100 evangelical pastors have died, they have maintained close contact with their congregations, ministering and providing support to the sick even though churches were closed early by government decree.
In Nicaragua, where the government has played down the epidemic and avoided imposing restrictions, evangelical services continued at some churches even as the more hierarchical Roman Catholic churches stopped holding in-person Mass.
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“There was too much misinformation,” said Raúl Valladares, who took over Bethel’s congregation after his father and another pastor died June 5. “Just in our denomination, some 20 pastors have died. And at Bethel we have a pastor, my father and some 25 brothers (members) who died from COVID-19,” though he said the church had tracked the cases and didn’t believe they stemmed from services.
In Brazil, the Catholic bishop’s conference halted Masses and indoor celebrations after the pandemic hit the country in mid-March, but most evangelicals kept holding services. Authorities began relaxing restrictions in June and some Catholic churches reopened, with extra precautions.
Meanwhile, some evangelical leaders in Brazil have advocated for miraculous cures or called the disease a plague that kills those of little faith and vowed to continue services. They have been strongly backed by President Jair Bolsonaro, who counts many evangelicals among his most fervent supporters. The president declared in March that religious activities were essential during the pandemic, allowing churches to open and religious workers to move around. But some states have enforced their own restrictions.
Beto Marubo, an Indigenous leader in the Javary Valley, a remote region of Brazil bordering Peru, said active services have created risks for his people.
“Some have attended evangelical services in the city of Atalaia do Norte and then brought the virus to our lands,” he said.
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People attend a religious service at the Oasis of Peace evangelical church in Managua, Nicaragua, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2020. (AP Photo/Alfredo Zuniga)
Long after the virus appeared in Nicaragua in March, the government of President Daniel Ortega continued holding and promoting mass events. Schools remained open, the baseball season continued. Ortega, like Bolsonaro, said that the country couldn’t afford to stop working.
In Nicaragua, evangelical churches large and small stayed open too — at least at first.
Bethel stayed open until the Assemblies of God Nicaragua Conference, to which Bethel belongs, told the majority of its churches to close immediately May 12 until June 1 due to the pandemic’s spread. After June 1, church leaders were allowed to decide when to reopen.
Ovidio Valladares, the family patriarch and director of Bethel’s Radio Restoration, was hospitalized May 26 and never recovered.
Bethel remained closed until Aug. 2, when it reopened with masks required, hand sanitizer at the entrances and spacing between chairs in a large worship hall holding a fraction of its previous capacity of 1,500.
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According to the Nicaraguan Evangelical Alliance, which includes most of the more than 100 Christian denominations in the country, at least 44 pastors have died since March. Not all of those deaths were confirmed as COVID-19 because of a lack of testing.
Evangelical pastors in Bolivia tried to keep in contact with parishioners even though churches in most part of the country remained closed.
“They went to pray, to visit the sick; in that work they died,” said pastor Luis Aruquipa of the National Christian Council, who said more than than 100 evangelical pastors have died in the pandemic.
People attend a religious service at the Oasis of Peace evangelical church in Managua, Nicaragua, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2020. (AP Photo/Alfredo Zuniga)
Among them was the Rev. Roberto Arismendi, founder of the Evangelical Churches of Bolivia. The 79-year-old Aymara pastor died July 20 from complications related to COVID-19, said his son Javier Arismendi.
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“My father never stopped helping people, he was always close to his congregation, giving them faith, but also food and peace,” said the younger Arismendi, who has taken over the church since his father’s death. “We don’t know in what moment he got infected, but he brought the virus to the whole family.” Eight family members fell ill, but all recovered.
The church, in a working-class La Paz neighborhood, saw its congregation hit hard. “Thirty percent of our congregation of almost 100 people were affected,” he said.
Overall, the country of about 11.5 million people has seen more than 108,000 reported infections and nearly 5,000 government-confirmed deaths.
Back in Nicaragua, many evangelical churches have reopened, some with health precautions, like Bethel where congregants are asked to bring their own hand sanitizer. The measures were recommended by the senior Valladares before he died.
But other churches carry on as normal.
At the Oasis of Peace church in Masaya, south of the capital, about 70 congregants without masks packed together under an open-sided pavilion singing and shouting while a Christian rock band played behind the pastor. There was a thermos of water at the entrance for handwashing, but no one appeared to use it.
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“We’re living in difficult times, times in which not only our country is being lashed, but on a global level,” said worshiper Maynor Campos. “It is time to seek the presence of God.”
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-26--Melania Trump’s RNC Audience Was Mostly Unmasked And Untested For COVID-19

A few things were hard to ignore about the audience at first lady Melania Trump ’ s Republican National Convention speech on Tuesday night — especially amid the COVID-19 pandemic .
Despite recommendations by the Centers of Disease Control , most people in the crowd of about 70 gathered in the White House Rose Garden were unmasked .
They also did not appear to to be sitting six feet apart .
Now CNN is reporting that most attendees were not required to test for the coronavirus beforehand , either .
A person who reportedly attended the speech told the outlet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the form to RSVP , but there were no COVID tests and no temperature checks at the White House before the speech .
Stephanie Grisham , the first lady ’ s chief of staff , confirmed to CNN that most people in attendance were not tested — especially those “ in the last five or six rows.
” Yet she also clarified that there were some exceptions .
Audience members in the rows near President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence were tested for coronavirus before the speech , Grisham said , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contact with them , like senior aides , staff members and the first lady ’ s parents .
Trump campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh also told CNN that organizers consulted with a “ coronavirus adviser ” before the speech and that “ all suggested protocols were followed.
” Melania Trump addresses the Republican National Convention from the Rose Garden at the White House on August 25 , 2020 in Washington , DC .
Despite her audience visibly not conforming to the CDC ’ s recommendations , Melania Trump was one of the few @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disregard the loved ones of the nearly 180,000 people killed by COVID-19 in the United States .
During her speech , she told those who were grieving that “ you are not alone ” and recognized that an “ invisible enemy swept across our beautiful country and impacted all of us.
” That kind of message is in stark contrast to her husband ’ s jaded attitude that the coronavirus death toll “ is what it is .
”

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A few things were hard to ignore about the audience at first lady Melania Trump’s Republican National Convention speech on Tuesday night — especially amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Despite recommendations by the Centers of Disease Control, most people in the crowd of about 70 gathered in the White House Rose Garden were unmasked. They also did not appear to to be sitting six feet apart.
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Now CNN is reporting that most attendees were not required to test for the coronavirus beforehand, either.
President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence sit in the audience during Melania Trump’s Republican National Convention speech. Alex Wong via Getty Images
A person who reportedly attended the speech told the outlet that there were COVID-19 screening questions on the form to RSVP, but there were no COVID tests and no temperature checks at the White House before the speech.
Stephanie Grisham, the first lady’s chief of staff, confirmed to CNN that most people in attendance were not tested — especially those “in the last five or six rows.”
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Yet she also clarified that there were some exceptions.
Audience members in the rows near President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence were tested for coronavirus before the speech, Grisham said, as was anyone who came in close contact with them, like senior aides, staff members and the first lady’s parents.
An overhead view of the audience at Melania Trump’s RNC speech. ASSOCIATED PRESS
Trump campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh also told CNN that organizers consulted with a “coronavirus adviser” before the speech and that “all suggested protocols were followed.”
Melania Trump addresses the Republican National Convention from the Rose Garden at the White House on August 25, 2020 in Washington, DC. BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI via Getty Images
Despite her audience visibly not conforming to the CDC’s recommendations, Melania Trump was one of the few RNC speakers thus far to not completely disregard the loved ones of the nearly 180,000 people killed by COVID-19 in the United States.
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During her speech, she told those who were grieving that “you are not alone” and recognized that an “invisible enemy swept across our beautiful country and impacted all of us.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-26--Sturgis Motorcycle Rally Attendees Are Starting To Test Positive For COVID-19

More than 100 attendees of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota earlier this month have tested positive for COVID-19 after they returned home to their respective states .
The tally ― almost certainly an undercount ― includes 37 people in South Dakota , 27 in Minnesota , 17 in North Dakota , seven in Nebraska , seven in Wyoming , five in Montana , two in Wisconsin and one in Washington state , and it ’ s likely to grow in the coming days .
Fargo-based health correspondent Jeremy Fugleberg has been tracking the cases as they begin to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Twitter Tuesday : Benjamin Aaker , president of the South Dakota State Medical Association , said it ’ s almost impossible to track the true impact of the rally in spreading the virus .
Many more unidentified positive cases likely exist for every confirmed positive , he told The Washington Post .
Those unidentified positive individuals will likely proceed to infect others in their communities , but it ’ ll be impossible to trace the resulting community spread back to its ultimate source in Sturgis .
According to an analysis of anonymous cell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Camber Systems , which specializes in aggregating cell data for health researchers , 61 % of all the counties in the U.S. have been visited by someone who attended Sturgis .
“ Imagine trying to do contact tracing for the entire city of [ Washington ] , D.C. but you also know that you don ’ t have any distancing , or the distancing is very , very limited , the masking is limited , ” Navin Pembar , who co-founded Camber Systems , told AP .
“ It all adds up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all over the place .
Contact tracing becomes dramatically difficult.
” In a media briefing last week , Minnesota Department of Health Infectious Disease Division Director Kris Ehresmann said one of the Sturgis attendees who fell ill has been hospitalized .
All of the cases had been linked to campgrounds , bars and events in Sturgis , including one person who worked at a bar during the event .
“ We know that there were many more people from Minnesota who attended the event , and expect to see additional cases in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ If you did go to Sturgis , it ’ s best to self-quarantine for 14 days upon return.
” This year , 462,182 vehicles entered the city over the 10 days of the rally , according to a count by the South Dakota Department of Transportation .
While that ’ s a 7.5 % decrease from last year , it ’ s still plenty large enough to cause a nationwide spreading event .
“ As a city , there ’ s nothing we could do , we ’ re not able to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ You can ’ t come in , ’ ” city manager Daniel Ainslie told CNN .
“ And it was quite obvious that we were going to have a lot of people here , even if we didn ’ t call it the rally .
The issue is if we did not officially sanction it as a rally , then we would not be able to prepare for it .
”

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More than 100 attendees of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota earlier this month have tested positive for COVID-19 after they returned home to their respective states.
The tally ― almost certainly an undercount ― includes 37 people in South Dakota, 27 in Minnesota, 17 in North Dakota, seven in Nebraska, seven in Wyoming, five in Montana, two in Wisconsin and one in Washington state, and it’s likely to grow in the coming days.
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Fargo-based health correspondent Jeremy Fugleberg has been tracking the cases as they begin to crop up and shared his sources on Twitter Tuesday:
STURGIS: Number of reported COVID-19 cases linked to the South Dakota motorcycle rally is 103, by my latest count this AM. Tally:
SD: 37
MN: 27
ND: 17
Neb.: 7
Wyo.: 7
Mont.: 5
Wisc.: 2
Wash: 1
Sources below: — jayfug (@jayfug) August 25, 2020
Benjamin Aaker, president of the South Dakota State Medical Association, said it’s almost impossible to track the true impact of the rally in spreading the virus.
Many more unidentified positive cases likely exist for every confirmed positive, he told The Washington Post. Those unidentified positive individuals will likely proceed to infect others in their communities, but it’ll be impossible to trace the resulting community spread back to its ultimate source in Sturgis.
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According to an analysis of anonymous cell phone activity shared with The Associated Press by Camber Systems, which specializes in aggregating cell data for health researchers, 61% of all the counties in the U.S. have been visited by someone who attended Sturgis.
“Imagine trying to do contact tracing for the entire city of [Washington], D.C. but you also know that you don’t have any distancing, or the distancing is very, very limited, the masking is limited,” Navin Pembar, who co-founded Camber Systems, told AP. “It all adds up to a very dangerous situation for people all over the place. Contact tracing becomes dramatically difficult.”
In a media briefing last week, Minnesota Department of Health Infectious Disease Division Director Kris Ehresmann said one of the Sturgis attendees who fell ill has been hospitalized. All of the cases had been linked to campgrounds, bars and events in Sturgis, including one person who worked at a bar during the event.
“We know that there were many more people from Minnesota who attended the event, and expect to see additional cases in the coming days,” she said. “If you did go to Sturgis, it’s best to self-quarantine for 14 days upon return.”
This year, 462,182 vehicles entered the city over the 10 days of the rally, according to a count by the South Dakota Department of Transportation. While that’s a 7.5% decrease from last year, it’s still plenty large enough to cause a nationwide spreading event.
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A survey distributed by the Sturgis City Council before the event found 63% of city residents wanted the rally postponed this year.
Sturgis leadership quickly realized that would be nearly impossible.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-26--COVID-19 Outbreak At Wedding Reception In Maine Linked To 2 Other Outbreaks

A COVID-19 outbreak at a wedding reception in Maine now appears to have led to two other outbreaks at a jail and a nursing home , showing how easily the virus can spread , public health officials said Tuesday .
The wedding reception was held indoors on Aug. 7 , with about 65 attendees , a violation of the state ’ s rule that indoor gatherings can have no more than 50 people due to the pandemic .
Soon after , a staff member at the York County Jail — more than 230 miles south of the wedding in Millinocket @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to state officials .
In addition , a staff member at a nursing home more than 100 miles south of the wedding tested positive .
The staff member is believed to have gotten COVID-19 from their parent , who had been in close contact with a wedding attendee who tested positive .
As of Tuesday , at least 22 people who attended the wedding have tested positive , as well as dozens more who had been in contact with wedding attendees .
At least 18 people at the jail and six @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ COVID-19 can be the uninvited guest at every single wedding , party or event in Maine , ” the state ’ s Center for Disease Control and Prevention director Nirav Shah said at a press conference Tuesday .
“ These recent examples show how aggressive and how opportunistic this virus is and how quickly it can move from one community to another.
” At least one person who got COVID-19 as a result of the outbreak at the wedding died from the virus , officials said last week .
The person @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but was in close contact with someone who did .

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A COVID-19 outbreak at a wedding reception in Maine now appears to have led to two other outbreaks at a jail and a nursing home, showing how easily the virus can spread, public health officials said Tuesday.
The wedding reception was held indoors on Aug. 7, with about 65 attendees, a violation of the state’s rule that indoor gatherings can have no more than 50 people due to the pandemic.
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Soon after, a staff member at the York County Jail — more than 230 miles south of the wedding in Millinocket — tested positive after attending the wedding, according to state officials.
In addition, a staff member at a nursing home more than 100 miles south of the wedding tested positive. The staff member is believed to have gotten COVID-19 from their parent, who had been in close contact with a wedding attendee who tested positive.
As of Tuesday, at least 22 people who attended the wedding have tested positive, as well as dozens more who had been in contact with wedding attendees. At least 18 people at the jail and six at the nursing home have tested positive.
“COVID-19 can be the uninvited guest at every single wedding, party or event in Maine,” the state’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention director Nirav Shah said at a press conference Tuesday. “These recent examples show how aggressive and how opportunistic this virus is and how quickly it can move from one community to another.”
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At least one person who got COVID-19 as a result of the outbreak at the wedding died from the virus, officials said last week. The person didn’t attend the wedding, but was in close contact with someone who did.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-26--CDC Quietly Changes Testing Guidelines To Exclude People With No Symptoms

New COVID-19 testing guidelines released this week by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say that people without symptoms do not need to be tested even if they have been in close contact with someone who tested positive , quietly reversing previous guidance that recommended testing “ for all close contacts of confirmed or probable COVID-19 patients.
” The agency ’ s revised guidelines go against public health experts ’ consensus that people with COVID-19 tend to be most contagious before they begin to show symptoms , as well as the fact that some people will never show symptoms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus .
That is why experts have recommended widespread testing as a crucial element in containing the disease .
The new guidelines state that pre-symptomatic or asymptomatic people “ do not necessarily need a test unless you are a vulnerable individual or your health care provider or State or local public health officials recommend you take one.
” This applies even to people who have been in close contact with someone infected with COVID-19 — which the agency defines as within 6 feet for at least 15 minutes — but are not showing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ high COVID-19 transmission area and have attended a public or private gathering of more than 10 people ( without widespread mask wearing or physical distancing ) .
” Yet further down in the guidelines , the agency still stresses that “ it is important to realize that you can be infected and spread the virus but feel well and have no symptoms.
” It ’ s unclear what prompted the revision .
In many states , officials have reported testing delays and backlogs .
But a Department of Health and Human Services spokesperson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the altered guidelines were not due to testing shortages , but “ to reflect current evidence and the best public health interventions .
”

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New COVID-19 testing guidelines released this week by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say that people without symptoms do not need to be tested even if they have been in close contact with someone who tested positive, quietly reversing previous guidance that recommended testing “for all close contacts of confirmed or probable COVID-19 patients.”
The agency’s revised guidelines go against public health experts’ consensus that people with COVID-19 tend to be most contagious before they begin to show symptoms, as well as the fact that some people will never show symptoms at all but can still spread the virus. That is why experts have recommended widespread testing as a crucial element in containing the disease.
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The new guidelines state that pre-symptomatic or asymptomatic people “do not necessarily need a test unless you are a vulnerable individual or your health care provider or State or local public health officials recommend you take one.” This applies even to people who have been in close contact with someone infected with COVID-19 — which the agency defines as within 6 feet for at least 15 minutes — but are not showing symptoms, and those “in a high COVID-19 transmission area and have attended a public or private gathering of more than 10 people (without widespread mask wearing or physical distancing).”
Yet further down in the guidelines, the agency still stresses that “it is important to realize that you can be infected and spread the virus but feel well and have no symptoms.”
It’s unclear what prompted the revision. In many states, officials have reported testing delays and backlogs. But a Department of Health and Human Services spokesperson told The New York Times Tuesday that the altered guidelines were not due to testing shortages, but “to reflect current evidence and the best public health interventions.”