thehuffingtonpost--2020-09-14--Green Party Can Be Kept Off Wisconsin's Presidential Ballot, State Court Rules

Morry Gash/ASSOCIATED PRESS Wisconsin 's election process is already underway as election officials have worked to process mail-in ballot requests for weeks .
The state ’ s absentee ballot process has been in limbo for a week after Wisconsin ’ s conservative-leaning Supreme Court ordered all election officials to stop mailing out ballots until it ruled on Hawkins ’ s case .
The Wisconsin Elections Commission decided in late August that both the rapper Kanye West and the Green Party candidate did not properly make the filing deadline to appear on the ballot .
Hawkins filed a lawsuit against the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ court the first week of September .
This is a major relief for election officials who started the absentee ballot process weeks ago in order to meet a state-mandated Sept. 17 deadline to have all requested absentee ballots mailed out .
State officials have been warning that any additional delays could have upended the absentee ballot process .
The case against Hawkins was tenuous .
In early August , a Madison attorney had filed a complaint claiming there was a discrepancy involving the listed addresses of Hawkins ’ s running mate , Angela @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had moved during the signature-gathering process .
But Democrats on the commission said it wasn ’ t their job to establish that Walker had actually moved .
In the end , the commission was deadlocked 3-3 , with Republican appointees voting in favor of Hawkins appearing on the ballot and Democrats voting against .
In West ’ s case , the rapper ’ s representative was filmed entering the Wisconsin Elections Commission building at 5:00:14 p.m. and did not actually organize and file the papers until several minutes after .
The six-person commission @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , decided on a 5-1 vote that West did not meet the statutory requirement of filing “ no later than 5 o ’ clock.
” The court found that the Green Party waited too long to file a lawsuit against the election commission ’ s decision .
Both West and Hawkins sued in the first week of September — two weeks after the commission decided to keep them off the ballot .
“ We conclude that the petitioners delayed in seeking relief in a situation with very short deadlines and that under the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2020 fall general election has essentially begun , it is too late to grant petitioners any form of relief , ” the court found .
Close to a million Wisconsinites have requested absentee ballots this cycle , breaking 2016 records as the coronavirus pandemic continues to pose a risk for in-person voting .
Any changes in the ballots at this stage could have wreaked havoc on the state ’ s mail-in process .
State records show that 313,598 ballots have been marked as sent , though that number includes ballots that have just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have no way of knowing how many ballots have actually been mailed to voters .
That said , the effects of the late-stage litigation have already been felt .
In Madison , the state ’ s capital , City Clerk Maribeth Witzel-Behl said she had voters canceling their absentee ballot requests after hearing of the initial court ruling temporary halting the absentee ballots .
Voters said they were opting to go to in-person polls , even during the pandemic , to avoid any chaos in the courts , Witzel-Behl said .
Others with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whether to change their addresses to account for any possible delays .
Cities are dealing with unprecedented changes due to the pandemic ― record high numbers of absentee ballot requests and changes in polling stations and safety procedures have been occupying election officials ’ time for months .
Cities now have a shorter time period to process all the printed ballots and mail them out to voters .
And there ’ s still a chance of more litigation .
West , whose lawsuit in a circuit court failed last week , is expected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off the ballot .

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Wisconsin’s state Supreme Court rejected Green Party candidate Howie Hawkins’s appeal to appear on the presidential ballot, allowing election officials to carry on without having to reprint ballots.
In the 4-3 decision Monday night, conservative justice Brian Hagedorn joined the court’s three liberals to create a majority.
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The state’s absentee ballot process has been in limbo for a week after Wisconsin’s conservative-leaning Supreme Court ordered all election officials to stop mailing out ballots until it ruled on Hawkins’s case.
The Wisconsin Elections Commission decided in late August that both the rapper Kanye West and the Green Party candidate did not properly make the filing deadline to appear on the ballot. Hawkins filed a lawsuit against the decision with the state’s high court the first week of September.
Wisconsin's election process is already underway as election officials have worked to process mail-in ballot requests for weeks. Morry Gash/ASSOCIATED PRESS
The court decided it was ultimately too late in the process to add another name to the ballot.
This is a major relief for election officials who started the absentee ballot process weeks ago in order to meet a state-mandated Sept. 17 deadline to have all requested absentee ballots mailed out. State officials have been warning that any additional delays could have upended the absentee ballot process.
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The Wisconsin Elections Commission made its decision to keep West and Hawkins off the ballot on Aug. 20, citing improper filings and missed deadlines.
The case against Hawkins was tenuous. In early August, a Madison attorney had filed a complaint claiming there was a discrepancy involving the listed addresses of Hawkins’s running mate, Angela Walker. The Hawkins campaign said Walker had moved during the signature-gathering process. But Democrats on the commission said it wasn’t their job to establish that Walker had actually moved. In the end, the commission was deadlocked 3-3, with Republican appointees voting in favor of Hawkins appearing on the ballot and Democrats voting against.
In West’s case, the rapper’s representative was filmed entering the Wisconsin Elections Commission building at 5:00:14 p.m. and did not actually organize and file the papers until several minutes after. The six-person commission, which is split evenly between parties, decided on a 5-1 vote that West did not meet the statutory requirement of filing “no later than 5 o’clock.”
As a result, neither West nor the Green Party candidate was certified to be on the ballot.
The court found that the Green Party waited too long to file a lawsuit against the election commission’s decision. Both West and Hawkins sued in the first week of September — two weeks after the commission decided to keep them off the ballot.
“We conclude that the petitioners delayed in seeking relief in a situation with very short deadlines and that under the circumstances, including the fact that the 2020 fall general election has essentially begun, it is too late to grant petitioners any form of relief,” the court found.
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Close to a million Wisconsinites have requested absentee ballots this cycle, breaking 2016 records as the coronavirus pandemic continues to pose a risk for in-person voting. Any changes in the ballots at this stage could have wreaked havoc on the state’s mail-in process.
State records show that 313,598 ballots have been marked as sent, though that number includes ballots that have just been issued mailing labels. Wisconsin officials have no way of knowing how many ballots have actually been mailed to voters.
That said, the effects of the late-stage litigation have already been felt. In Madison, the state’s capital, City Clerk Maribeth Witzel-Behl said she had voters canceling their absentee ballot requests after hearing of the initial court ruling temporary halting the absentee ballots. Voters said they were opting to go to in-person polls, even during the pandemic, to avoid any chaos in the courts, Witzel-Behl said. Others with travel plans have called in confused about whether to change their addresses to account for any possible delays.
Cities are dealing with unprecedented changes due to the pandemic ― record high numbers of absentee ballot requests and changes in polling stations and safety procedures have been occupying election officials’ time for months. Cities now have a shorter time period to process all the printed ballots and mail them out to voters.
And there’s still a chance of more litigation. West, whose lawsuit in a circuit court failed last week, is expected to appeal the decision to keep him off the ballot.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-09-14--Joe Biden Says Americans Won't Be Safe With 'Climate Arsonist' Trump In Office

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden on Monday called for urgent action to address the effects of climate change in the wake of historic wildfires and extreme flooding that have ravaged parts of the country in recent weeks .
The former vice president pointed the finger of blame squarely at President Donald Trump , whom he called a “ climate arsonist , ” and suggested that Americans would not be safe if Trump gets reelected in November .
“ If we have four more years of Trump ’ s climate denial , how many suburbs will be burned in wildfires ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ flooded out ?
How many suburbs will have been blown away in superstorms ?
” Biden said in a major speech on climate in his home state of Delaware , responding to Trump ’ s dog whistle claims that he would “ abolish ” suburban communities .
“ [ Trump ’ s ] climate denial may not have caused these fires and record floods and record hurricanes , but if he gets a second term , these hellish events will continue to become more common , more devastating and more deadly , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ four more years of Trump ’ s climate denial , how many suburbs will be burned in wildfires ? ''
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden said in a major speech on climate change in Delaware on Monday .
“ We have to act as a nation , ” Biden continued of climate change .
“ It shouldn ’ t be so bad that millions of Americans live in the shadow of an orange sky and are left asking , ‘ Is doomsday here ?
’ ” Devastating wildfires have burned more than 5 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the atmosphere , destroyed scores of homes and left at least 26 people dead in California and Oregon .
Elsewhere in the country , the Gulf Coast is bracing for yet another major hurricane , and scientists reported that five tropical cyclones are all taking place simultaneously — only the second time in recorded history .
Trump , who has called climate change a hoax for years , met with California Gov .
Gavin Newsom ( D ) on Monday .
The president reiterated upon landing in California that local officials needed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state ’ s forests , citing the records of other forested nations like Finland .
Meanwhile , Biden said in his speech Monday that Trump was wrong for discounting the effects of climate change in creating hotter and drier conditions in California .
“ The West is literally on fire , and he blames the people whose homes and communities are burning , ” he said .

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Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden on Monday called for urgent action to address the effects of climate change in the wake of historic wildfires and extreme flooding that have ravaged parts of the country in recent weeks.
The former vice president pointed the finger of blame squarely at President Donald Trump, whom he called a “climate arsonist,” and suggested that Americans would not be safe if Trump gets reelected in November.
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“If we have four more years of Trump’s climate denial, how many suburbs will be burned in wildfires? How many suburban neighborhoods will have been flooded out? How many suburbs will have been blown away in superstorms?” Biden said in a major speech on climate in his home state of Delaware, responding to Trump’s dog whistle claims that he would “abolish” suburban communities.
“[Trump’s] climate denial may not have caused these fires and record floods and record hurricanes, but if he gets a second term, these hellish events will continue to become more common, more devastating and more deadly,” he added.
"If we have four more years of Trump’s climate denial, how many suburbs will be burned in wildfires?" Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden said in a major speech on climate change in Delaware on Monday. JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images
“We have to act as a nation,” Biden continued of climate change. “It shouldn’t be so bad that millions of Americans live in the shadow of an orange sky and are left asking, ‘Is doomsday here?’”
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Devastating wildfires have burned more than 5 million acres, spewed hazardous smoke into the atmosphere, destroyed scores of homes and left at least 26 people dead in California and Oregon. Elsewhere in the country, the Gulf Coast is bracing for yet another major hurricane, and scientists reported that five tropical cyclones are all taking place simultaneously — only the second time in recorded history.
Trump, who has called climate change a hoax for years, met with California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) on Monday. The president reiterated upon landing in California that local officials needed to do a better job of managing the state’s forests, citing the records of other forested nations like Finland.
“We have to do that in California,” Trump told reporters in Sacramento.
Meanwhile, Biden said in his speech Monday that Trump was wrong for discounting the effects of climate change in creating hotter and drier conditions in California.
“The West is literally on fire, and he blames the people whose homes and communities are burning,” he said.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-09-14--Holy Hell! Samuel L. Jackson Offers Swearing Lessons If Enough People Register To Vote

Listen up , motherf**kers : None other than the professor of profanity , Samuel L. Jackson ,  is offering lessons on how to talk a blue streak if enough people register to vote .
Jackson promised in a video tweet Monday : “ I will teach you how to swear in 15 different languages ” if at least 2,500 of his 8.5 million Twitter followers go online at his Headcount site to register to vote — or to check their registrations to make sure they ’ re good to go .
Listen up - If 2500 of you click @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you ’ re # GoodToVote , I will teach you to swear in 15 different languages .
Go to https : //t.co/nVk8WzUm8N now !
pic.twitter.com/g4eUmHwuP9 — Samuel L. Jackson ( @ SamuelLJackson ) September 14 , 2020 The “ Captain Marvel ” and “ Pulp Fiction ” star earlier urged voters to head to the link and teased then : “ You may get a very special ‘ tutorial ’ from me !
” Knew I was registered since I voted in my primary ( by mail , no less ! )
, @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a damn good trade ... mothafucka .
( Love ya Sam !
Keep up the good work , on and off screen . )
— Pseudonym ( @ DudeAbide1 ) September 14 , 2020 Yes sir , he has a PhD in cussology .
— Friendly Introvert ( @ Gladgirl720 ) September 14 , 2020 I am # goodtovote I ca n't wait to learn what Samuel L. Jackson has to teach me .
pic.twitter.com/u9GdtuY11x — Ellehcim 🌊 ( @ _michee_m ) September 14 , 2020 # GoodToVote even if I live in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ join for the class .
Might can exchange some Hungarian swear stuff 😉 — Mariann ( Maz ) ( @ GyorfiMariann ) September 14 , 2020 Important conversations are happening now .
Add your voice !
Join HuffPost Today !

Listen up, motherf**kers: None other than the professor of profanity, Samuel L. Jackson, is offering lessons on how to talk a blue streak if enough people register to vote.
Jackson promised in a video tweet Monday: “I will teach you how to swear in 15 different languages” if at least 2,500 of his 8.5 million Twitter followers go online at his Headcount site to register to vote — or to check their registrations to make sure they’re good to go.
Listen up - If 2500 of you click a voting action below to make sure you’re #GoodToVote, I will teach you to swear in 15 different languages. Go to https://t.co/nVk8WzUm8N now! pic.twitter.com/g4eUmHwuP9 — Samuel L. Jackson (@SamuelLJackson) September 14, 2020
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The “Captain Marvel” and “Pulp Fiction” star earlier urged voters to head to the link and teased then: “You may get a very special ‘tutorial’ from me!”
Fans loved it.
Knew I was registered since I voted in my primary (by mail, no less!), but I clicked anyway because that's a damn good trade...mothafucka.
(Love ya Sam! Keep up the good work, on and off screen.) — Pseudonym (@DudeAbide1) September 14, 2020
Yes sir, he has a PhD in cussology. — Friendly Introvert (@Gladgirl720) September 14, 2020
You've got yourself a goddamned deal!!! — Nick C (@Medieve1) September 14, 2020
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Count me in! — Concerned Citizen 🧢 (@FierceGenXer) September 14, 2020
I am #goodtovote I can't wait to learn what Samuel L. Jackson has to teach me. pic.twitter.com/u9GdtuY11x — Ellehcim 🌊 (@_michee_m) September 14, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-09-14--Trump Brags About Receiving Nonexistent 'Bay Of Pigs' Award From Cuban Community

In a Sunday tweet , the president took aim at Biden ’ s record with Latino voters , accusing him of “ relying on ” Sen. Bernie Sanders ( I-Vt. ) to win their support .
Trump then boasted of having received “ the highly honored Bay of Pigs Award ” from Miami ’ s Cuban community .
But there is no such award .
Sleepy Joe Biden has spent 47 years in politics being terrible to Hispanics .
Now he is relying on Castro lover Bernie Sanders to help him out .
That won ’ t work !
Remember @ @ @ @ @ @ @ honored Bay of Pigs Award for all I have done for our great Cuban Population !
— Donald J. Trump ( @ realDonaldTrump ) September 13 , 2020 The president ’ s tweet came shortly before he appeared at a Henderson , Nevada , campaign rally ― his first to be held indoors since a June 20 event in Tulsa , Oklahoma , which drew a sparse crowd and is believed to have contributed to a spike in COVID-19 cases in the state .
Later on Sunday , Trump reiterated the award claim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our nation ’ s incredible Latino and Hispanic American communities ” at a Latinos for Trump roundtable event in Las Vegas .
“ As you know , a little while ago , I received the Bay of Pigs Award from the Cuban Americans in Miami , ” he said .
“ That ’ s a big honor and they don ’ t give it out easily.
” Both CNN and the Associated Press pointed out that Trump appeared to be confusing a 2016 endorsement from the Bay of Pigs Veterans Association with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time , it was the Florida-based group ’ s first-ever presidential endorsement .
The conservative association is composed of veterans who fought in the failed U.S. attempt to overthrow Fidel Castro ’ s government in 1961 .
It does not represent Miami ’ s Cuban community these days , much less Florida ’ s Latino population .
Nonetheless , the Trump campaign fired back at the criticism by tweeting a photo of him holding a “ hand-painted ” image of the group ’ s brigade shield , which the campaign insisted was the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claimed to have received awards and honors that he was never given or that don ’ t exist .
While on the campaign trail in 2016 , Trump claimed that he ’ d been “ honored ” as “ Man of the Year in Michigan ” five years earlier , though no evidence of such an award exists .
In a lengthy Twitter thread on Sunday , Nevada Gov .
Steve Sisolak ( D ) blasted the president for moving forward with his rally in spite of repeated warnings about such high-risk events @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is an insult to every Nevadan who has followed the directives , made sacrifices , and put their neighbors before themselves , ” Sisolak wrote .
“ It ’ s also a direct threat to all of the recent progress we ’ ve made , and could potentially set us back.
” We want to know what you ’ re hearing on the ground from the candidates .
If you get any interesting ― or suspicious !
― campaign mailers , robocalls or hear anything else you think we should know about , @ @ @ @ @ @ @

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Amid another bizarre criticism of Democratic rival Joe Biden, President Donald Trump claimed that he himself had received a non-existent honor.
In a Sunday tweet, the president took aim at Biden’s record with Latino voters, accusing him of “relying on” Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) to win their support.
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Trump then boasted of having received “the highly honored Bay of Pigs Award” from Miami’s Cuban community. But there is no such award.
Sleepy Joe Biden has spent 47 years in politics being terrible to Hispanics. Now he is relying on Castro lover Bernie Sanders to help him out. That won’t work! Remember, Miami Cubans gave me the highly honored Bay of Pigs Award for all I have done for our great Cuban Population! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 13, 2020
The president’s tweet came shortly before he appeared at a Henderson, Nevada, campaign rally ― his first to be held indoors since a June 20 event in Tulsa, Oklahoma, which drew a sparse crowd and is believed to have contributed to a spike in COVID-19 cases in the state.
Later on Sunday, Trump reiterated the award claim while touting his “unwavering devotion to our nation’s incredible Latino and Hispanic American communities” at a Latinos for Trump roundtable event in Las Vegas.
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“As you know, a little while ago, I received the Bay of Pigs Award from the Cuban Americans in Miami,” he said. “That’s a big honor and they don’t give it out easily.”
Both CNN and the Associated Press pointed out that Trump appeared to be confusing a 2016 endorsement from the Bay of Pigs Veterans Association with the bestowing of an award. At the time, it was the Florida-based group’s first-ever presidential endorsement.
The conservative association is composed of veterans who fought in the failed U.S. attempt to overthrow Fidel Castro’s government in 1961. It does not represent Miami’s Cuban community these days, much less Florida’s Latino population.
Nonetheless, the Trump campaign fired back at the criticism by tweeting a photo of him holding a “hand-painted” image of the group’s brigade shield, which the campaign insisted was the award in question.
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Here's the award. It's a hand-painted Brigade 2506 shield.
The media will say anything to dismiss President Trump's Hispanic supporters! https://t.co/x5hPMHkP09 pic.twitter.com/pn5dtGvTr2 — Trump War Room - Text TRUMP to 88022 (@TrumpWarRoom) September 13, 2020
Trump has previously claimed to have received awards and honors that he was never given or that don’t exist.
In 2017, a Washington Post report revealed that Trump’s golf courses displayed a framed copy of a fake Time cover dated March 1, 2009, featuring the then-reality TV host as the cover story.
While on the campaign trail in 2016, Trump claimed that he’d been “honored” as “Man of the Year in Michigan” five years earlier, though no evidence of such an award exists.
In a lengthy Twitter thread on Sunday, Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak (D) blasted the president for moving forward with his rally in spite of repeated warnings about such high-risk events during the coronavirus pandemic.
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“This is an insult to every Nevadan who has followed the directives, made sacrifices, and put their neighbors before themselves,” Sisolak wrote. “It’s also a direct threat to all of the recent progress we’ve made, and could potentially set us back.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-09-14--Warren G. Harding's Grandson Wants President’s Body Exhumed For DNA Test

COLUMBUS , Ohio ( AP ) — The grandson of U.S. President Warren G. Harding and his lover , Nan Britton , went to court in an effort to get the Republican ’ s remains exhumed from the presidential memorial where they have lain since 1927 .
The dispute looms as benefactors prepare to mark the centennial of Harding ’ s 1920 election with site upgrades and a new presidential center in Marion , the Ohio city near which he was born in 1865 .
Blaesing says he deserves to “ have his story , his mother ’ s story @ @ @ @ @ @ @ within the hallowed halls and museums in this town.
” A branch of the Harding family has pushed back against the suit filed in May — not because they dispute Blaesing ’ s ancestry , but because they don ’ t .
They argue they already have accepted as fact DNA evidence that Blaesing ’ s mother , Elizabeth Ann Blaesing , was the daughter of Harding and Britton and that she is set to be acknowledged in the museum .
Harding had no other children .
“ Sadly , widespread , public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ historians , and biographers ( and Mr. Blaesing himself ) that Mr. Blaesing is President Harding ’ s grandson is not enough for him , ” relatives said in a court filing .
They called the lawsuit a ploy for attention .
At the time , Blaesing told The Associated Press he was delighted .
Five years later , he tells the AP his mother ’ s legacy as the daughter of a U.S. president is shaping up to be little more than a footnote in the new museum .
He has not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ life or even a photograph for the coming display , he said .
“ I did the test and we brought it to the public in 2015 .
It ’ s now 2020 and no one has asked me one thing , ” he said in a telephone interview .
“ I ’ m not a part of anything .
Nothing .
My brothers , myself , no one .
We ’ re invisible .
They ’ re treating us just like they treated my grandmother.
” Ironically , it was a pair @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grandnephew Peter Harding and grandniece Abigail Harding — who first reached out to the Blaesing family in 2011 to end speculation about Harding having a child out of wedlock .
According to court filings , Peter Harding ’ s interest was sparked by reading “ The President ’ s Daughter , ” Britton ’ s 1927 book , “ and concluding that the man described in its pages resembled the author of love letters written to Ms. Carrie Phillips.
” The Library of Congress opened those letters between Harding and Phillips , another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Ohio History Connection , which manages the Harding home and memorial , takes no position on the family dispute .
Spokesperson Emmy Beach said the nonprofit accepts the 2015 DNA results “ as fact ” and plans a section of the new museum “ on Harding ’ s relationship with Nan Britton and their daughter , Elizabeth Ann Blaesing.
” The crypt also holds the remains of first lady Florence Kling Harding in another sarcophagus , and the nonprofit argues her relatives deserve a say .
Further , to protect the site @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to employ experts to assure the president ’ s body could be disinterred and reinterred without damaging the tomb , a striking white marble temple encircled with Doric columns .
The openings of the renovated historic sites in Marion and of the Warren G. Harding Presidential Center have been indefinitely delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic , Beach said .
She said the disinterment request has not affected the timetable .

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The grandson of U.S. President Warren G. Harding and his lover, Nan Britton, went to court in an effort to get the Republican’s remains exhumed from the presidential memorial where they have lain since 1927.
James Blaesing told an Ohio court that he is seeking Harding’s disinterment as a way “to establish with scientific certainty” that he is the 29th president’s blood relation.
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The dispute looms as benefactors prepare to mark the centennial of Harding’s 1920 election with site upgrades and a new presidential center in Marion, the Ohio city near which he was born in 1865. Blaesing says he deserves to “have his story, his mother’s story and his grandmother’s story included within the hallowed halls and museums in this town.”
A branch of the Harding family has pushed back against the suit filed in May — not because they dispute Blaesing’s ancestry, but because they don’t.
They argue they already have accepted as fact DNA evidence that Blaesing’s mother, Elizabeth Ann Blaesing, was the daughter of Harding and Britton and that she is set to be acknowledged in the museum. Harding had no other children.
“Sadly, widespread, public recognition and acceptance by the descendants, historians, and biographers (and Mr. Blaesing himself) that Mr. Blaesing is President Harding’s grandson is not enough for him,” relatives said in a court filing. They called the lawsuit a ploy for attention.
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This combination of file photos shows former President Warren G. Harding, left, and Elizabeth Ann Britton. Genetic tests proved 2015 that Harding fathered a child with long-rumored mistress Nan Britton. (AP Photos/File) ASSOCIATED PRESS
In 2015, a match between James Blaesing’s DNA and that of two Harding descendants prompted AncestryDNA, a DNA-testing division of Ancestry.com, to declare his link to the president official.
At the time, Blaesing told The Associated Press he was delighted. Five years later, he tells the AP his mother’s legacy as the daughter of a U.S. president is shaping up to be little more than a footnote in the new museum. He has not been approached to provide details of her life or even a photograph for the coming display, he said.
“I did the test and we brought it to the public in 2015. It’s now 2020 and no one has asked me one thing,” he said in a telephone interview. “I’m not a part of anything. Nothing. My brothers, myself, no one. We’re invisible. They’re treating us just like they treated my grandmother.”
Blaesing said he is hopeful that a match directly to the president’s own DNA would change that.
Ironically, it was a pair of Harding’s known relatives — grandnephew Peter Harding and grandniece Abigail Harding — who first reached out to the Blaesing family in 2011 to end speculation about Harding having a child out of wedlock.
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Before that, “doubt and mystery shrouded the paternal lineage of Elizabeth Blaesing for almost 100 years,” family members, not including Peter and Abigail Harding, explained to the court.
According to court filings, Peter Harding’s interest was sparked by reading “The President’s Daughter,” Britton’s 1927 book, “and concluding that the man described in its pages resembled the author of love letters written to Ms. Carrie Phillips.” The Library of Congress opened those letters between Harding and Phillips, another lover, to the public in 2014.
Ohio History Connection, which manages the Harding home and memorial, takes no position on the family dispute. Spokesperson Emmy Beach said the nonprofit accepts the 2015 DNA results “as fact” and plans a section of the new museum “on Harding’s relationship with Nan Britton and their daughter, Elizabeth Ann Blaesing.”
However, Ohio History Connection has told the court it must consider a host of issues before disrupting the Harding Memorial’s sealed sarcophagus.
The crypt also holds the remains of first lady Florence Kling Harding in another sarcophagus, and the nonprofit argues her relatives deserve a say. Further, to protect the site, the nonprofit said it will have to employ experts to assure the president’s body could be disinterred and reinterred without damaging the tomb, a striking white marble temple encircled with Doric columns.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-09-14--UK Museum Removes Shrunken Heads From Display

LONDON ( AP ) — Oxford University ’ s Pitt Rivers Museum has removed its famous collection of shrunken heads and other human remains from display as part of a broader effort to “ decolonize ” its collections .
The museum , known as one of the world ’ s leading institutions for anthropology , ethnography and archaeology , had faced charges of racism and cultural insensitivity because it continued to display the items .
“ Our audience research has shown that visitors often saw the museum ’ s displays of human remains as a testament to other cultures being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or ‘ gruesome ’ , ” museum director Laura Van Broekhoven said .
“ Rather than enabling our visitors to reach a deeper understanding of each other ’ s ways of being , the displays reinforced racist and stereotypical thinking that goes against the museum ’ s values today.
’ ’ The decision comes at a time when the Black Lives Matter movement has led to a re-examination of the British Empire and the objects carried away from conquered lands .
Oxford itself has been the site of such protests , where demonstrators @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Victorian imperialist Cecil Rhodes .
Some of the 130-year-old museum ’ s collection , including the human remains , was acquired during the expansion of the British Empire in line with a colonial mandate to collect and classify objects from all over the world .
The museum said it began an ethical review of its collection in 2017 .
This included discussions with the Universidad de San Francisco in Quito , Peru , and representatives of the Shuar indigenous community about the so-called shrunken heads , known as tsantsa by the Shuar .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic , staff took the opportunity to make the changes .
The museum reopens Sept. 22 with interpretive displays explaining why the items were removed , new labels on many artifacts and a discussion of how historic labels sometimes obscured understanding of the cultures that produced them .
“ A lot of people might think about the removal of certain objects or the idea of restitution as a loss , but what we are trying to show is that we aren ’ t losing anything but creating space for more expansive stories , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ associate who curated several of the new displays .
“ That is at the heart of decolonization.
” The human remains have been moved into storage .
The museum says it plans to reach out to descendant communities around the world about how to care for some 2,800 human remains that remain in its care .
Oxford University ’ s Pitt Rivers Museum has removed its famous collection of shrunken heads and other human remains from display as part of a broader effort to “ decolonize ” its collections .

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LONDON (AP) — Oxford University’s Pitt Rivers Museum has removed its famous collection of shrunken heads and other human remains from display as part of a broader effort to “decolonize” its collections.
The museum, known as one of the world’s leading institutions for anthropology, ethnography and archaeology, had faced charges of racism and cultural insensitivity because it continued to display the items.
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“Our audience research has shown that visitors often saw the museum’s displays of human remains as a testament to other cultures being ‘savage’, ‘primitive’ or ‘gruesome’,” museum director Laura Van Broekhoven said. “Rather than enabling our visitors to reach a deeper understanding of each other’s ways of being, the displays reinforced racist and stereotypical thinking that goes against the museum’s values today.’’
The decision comes at a time when the Black Lives Matter movement has led to a re-examination of the British Empire and the objects carried away from conquered lands. Oxford itself has been the site of such protests, where demonstrators demanded the removal of a statue of Victorian imperialist Cecil Rhodes.
Some of the 130-year-old museum’s collection, including the human remains, was acquired during the expansion of the British Empire in line with a colonial mandate to collect and classify objects from all over the world.
The museum said it began an ethical review of its collection in 2017. This included discussions with the Universidad de San Francisco in Quito, Peru, and representatives of the Shuar indigenous community about the so-called shrunken heads, known as tsantsa by the Shuar.
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The museum ultimately decided to remove 120 human remains, including the tsantsas, Naga trophy heads and an Egyptian mummy of a child.
When Pitt Rivers closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, staff took the opportunity to make the changes. The museum reopens Sept. 22 with interpretive displays explaining why the items were removed, new labels on many artifacts and a discussion of how historic labels sometimes obscured understanding of the cultures that produced them.
“A lot of people might think about the removal of certain objects or the idea of restitution as a loss, but what we are trying to show is that we aren’t losing anything but creating space for more expansive stories,” said Marenka Thompson-Odlum, a research associate who curated several of the new displays. “That is at the heart of decolonization.”
The human remains have been moved into storage. The museum says it plans to reach out to descendant communities around the world about how to care for some 2,800 human remains that remain in its care.
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Read all AP stories on racial injustice at https://apnews.com/Racialinjustice.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-09-14--Perfectly Preserved Ice Age Cave Bear Found In Arctic Russia

Reindeer herders in a Russian Arctic archipelago have found an immaculately preserved carcass of an Ice Age cave bear , researchers said Monday .
The find , revealed by the melting permafrost , was discovered on the Lyakhovsky Islands with its teeth and even its nose intact .
Previously scientists only had been able to discover the bones of cave bears that became extinct 15,000 years ago .
Scientists of the North-Eastern Federal University in Yakutsk , the premier center for research into woolly mammoths and other prehistoric species , hailed the find as groundbreaking .
In a statement issued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emphasized that “ this is the first and only find of its kind — a whole bear carcass with soft tissues.
” “ It is completely preserved , with all internal organs in place , including even its nose , ” Grigorieva said .
“ This find is of great importance for the whole world.
” “ It is necessary to carry out radiocarbon analysis to determine the precise age of the bear , ” the university quoted researcher Maxim Cheprasov as saying .
The bear carcass was found by reindeer herders on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ largest of the Lyakhovsky Islands , which are part of the New Siberian Islands archipelago that lies between the Laptev Sea and the East Siberian Sea .
Separately , at least one preserved carcass of a cave bear cub has been found on the Russian mainland in Yakutia .
Scientists are hopeful of obtaining its DNA .
Recent years have seen major discoveries of mammoths , woolly rhinos , Ice Age foal , several puppies and cave lion cubs as the permafrost melts across vast areas in Russia 's region of Siberia .

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Reindeer herders in a Russian Arctic archipelago have found an immaculately preserved carcass of an Ice Age cave bear, researchers said Monday.
The find, revealed by the melting permafrost, was discovered on the Lyakhovsky Islands with its teeth and even its nose intact. Previously scientists only had been able to discover the bones of cave bears that became extinct 15,000 years ago.
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Scientists of the North-Eastern Federal University in Yakutsk, the premier center for research into woolly mammoths and other prehistoric species, hailed the find as groundbreaking.
In a statement issued by the university, researcher Lena Grigorieva emphasized that “this is the first and only find of its kind — a whole bear carcass with soft tissues.”
“It is completely preserved, with all internal organs in place, including even its nose,” Grigorieva said. “This find is of great importance for the whole world.”
A preliminary analysis indicated that the adult bear lived 22,000 to 39,500 years ago.
“It is necessary to carry out radiocarbon analysis to determine the precise age of the bear,” the university quoted researcher Maxim Cheprasov as saying.
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The bear carcass was found by reindeer herders on Bolshoy Lyakhovsky Island. It is the largest of the Lyakhovsky Islands, which are part of the New Siberian Islands archipelago that lies between the Laptev Sea and the East Siberian Sea.
Separately, at least one preserved carcass of a cave bear cub has been found on the Russian mainland in Yakutia. Scientists are hopeful of obtaining its DNA.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-09-14--Astronomers Spot Possible Signs Of Extraterrestrial Life In Venus's Clouds

Two telescopes in Hawaii and Chile spotted in the thick Venutian clouds the chemical signature of phosphine , a noxious gas that on Earth is only associated with life , according to a study in Monday ’ s journal Nature Astronomy .
Several outside experts — and the study authors themselves — agreed this is tantalizing but said it is far from the first proof of life on another planet .
They said it doesn ’ t satisfy the “ extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence ” standard established by the late Carl Sagan , who speculated about the possibility of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1967 .
“ It ’ s not a smoking gun , ” said study co-author David Clements , an Imperial College of London astrophysicist .
“ It ’ s not even gunshot residue on the hands of your prime suspect , but there is a distinct whiff of cordite in the air which may be suggesting something.
” As astronomers plan for searches for life on planets outside our solar system , a major method is to look for chemical signatures that can only be made by biological processes , called biosignatures .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Hawaii , they decided to look that way at the closest planet to Earth : Venus .
They searched for phosphine , which is three hydrogen atoms and a phosphorous atom .
On Earth , there are only two ways phosphine can be formed , study authors said .
One is in an industrial process .
( The gas was produced for use as chemical warfare agent in World War I . )
The other way is as part of some kind of poorly understood function in animals and microbes .
Some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ others don ’ t .
Phosphine is found in “ ooze at the bottom of ponds , the guts of some creatures like badgers and perhaps most unpleasantly associated with piles of penguin guano , ” Clements said .
Study co-author Sara Seager , an MIT planetary scientist , said researchers “ exhaustively went through every possibility and ruled all of them out : volcanoes , lightning strikes , small meteorites falling into the atmosphere .
... Not a single process we looked at could produce phosphine in high enough quantities to explain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said all the action may be 30 miles above ground in the thick carbon-dioxide layer cloud deck , where it ’ s about room temperature or slightly warmer .
It contains droplets with tiny amounts of water but mostly sulfuric acid that is a billion times more acidic than what ’ s found on Earth .
The phosphine could be coming from some kind of microbes , probably single-cell ones , inside those sulfuric acid droplets , living their entire lives in the 10-mile-deep clouds , Seager and Clements said .
When the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dries out and could then get picked up in another drop and reanimate , they said .
Cornell University astronomer Lisa Kaltenegger said the idea of this being the signature of biology at work is exciting , but she said we don ’ t know enough about Venus to say life is the only explanation for the phosphine .
Filiberto said the levels of phosphine found might be explained away by volcanoes .
He said recent studies that were not taken into account in this latest research suggest that Venus may have far @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But Clements said that explanation would make sense only if Venus were at least 200 times as volcanically active as Earth .
NASA hasn ’ t sent anything to Venus since 1989 , though Russia , Europe and Japan have dispatched probes .
The U.S. space agency is considering two possible Venus missions .
One of them , called DAVINCI+ , would go into the Venutian atmosphere as early as 2026 .

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Astronomers have found a potential sign of life high in the atmosphere of neighboring Venus: hints there may be bizarre microbes living in the sulfuric acid-laden clouds of the hothouse planet.
Two telescopes in Hawaii and Chile spotted in the thick Venutian clouds the chemical signature of phosphine, a noxious gas that on Earth is only associated with life, according to a study in Monday’s journal Nature Astronomy.
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Several outside experts — and the study authors themselves — agreed this is tantalizing but said it is far from the first proof of life on another planet. They said it doesn’t satisfy the “extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence” standard established by the late Carl Sagan, who speculated about the possibility of life in the clouds of Venus in 1967.
“It’s not a smoking gun,” said study co-author David Clements, an Imperial College of London astrophysicist. “It’s not even gunshot residue on the hands of your prime suspect, but there is a distinct whiff of cordite in the air which may be suggesting something.”
This May 2016 photo provided by researcher Jane Greaves shows the planet Venus, seen from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Akatsuki probe. (J. Greaves/Cardiff University/JAXA via AP) ASSOCIATED PRESS
As astronomers plan for searches for life on planets outside our solar system, a major method is to look for chemical signatures that can only be made by biological processes, called biosignatures. After three astronomers met in a bar in Hawaii, they decided to look that way at the closest planet to Earth: Venus. They searched for phosphine, which is three hydrogen atoms and a phosphorous atom.
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On Earth, there are only two ways phosphine can be formed, study authors said. One is in an industrial process. (The gas was produced for use as chemical warfare agent in World War I.) The other way is as part of some kind of poorly understood function in animals and microbes. Some scientists consider it a waste product, others don’t.
Phosphine is found in “ooze at the bottom of ponds, the guts of some creatures like badgers and perhaps most unpleasantly associated with piles of penguin guano,” Clements said.
Study co-author Sara Seager, an MIT planetary scientist, said researchers “exhaustively went through every possibility and ruled all of them out: volcanoes, lightning strikes, small meteorites falling into the atmosphere. ... Not a single process we looked at could produce phosphine in high enough quantities to explain our team’s findings.”
That leaves life.
The astronomers hypothesize a scenario for how life could exist on the inhospitable planet where temperatures on the surface are around 800 degrees (425 degrees Celsius) with no water.
“Venus is hell. Venus is kind of Earth’s evil twin,” Clements said. “Clearly something has gone wrong, very wrong, with Venus. It’s the victim of a runaway greenhouse effect.”
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But that’s on the surface.
UNSPECIFIED - CIRCA 1754: Computer-generated view of surface of the planet Venus dominated by the volcano Sapas Mons. (Photo by Universal History Archive/Getty Images) UniversalImagesGroup via Getty Images
Seager said all the action may be 30 miles above ground in the thick carbon-dioxide layer cloud deck, where it’s about room temperature or slightly warmer. It contains droplets with tiny amounts of water but mostly sulfuric acid that is a billion times more acidic than what’s found on Earth.
The phosphine could be coming from some kind of microbes, probably single-cell ones, inside those sulfuric acid droplets, living their entire lives in the 10-mile-deep clouds, Seager and Clements said. When the droplets fall, the potential life probably dries out and could then get picked up in another drop and reanimate, they said.
Life is definitely a possibility, but more proof is needed, several outside scientists said.
Cornell University astronomer Lisa Kaltenegger said the idea of this being the signature of biology at work is exciting, but she said we don’t know enough about Venus to say life is the only explanation for the phosphine.
“I’m not skeptical, I’m hesitant,” said Justin Filiberto, a planetary geochemist at the Lunar and Planetary Institute in Houston who specializes in Venus and Mars and isn’t part of the study team.
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Filiberto said the levels of phosphine found might be explained away by volcanoes. He said recent studies that were not taken into account in this latest research suggest that Venus may have far more active volcanoes than originally thought. But Clements said that explanation would make sense only if Venus were at least 200 times as volcanically active as Earth.
David Grinspoon, a Washington-based astrobiologist at the Planetary Science Institute who wrote a 1997 book suggesting Venus could harbor life, said the finding “almost seems too good to be true.”
“I’m excited, but I’m also cautious,” Grinspoon said. “We found an encouraging sign that demands we follow up.”
NASA hasn’t sent anything to Venus since 1989, though Russia, Europe and Japan have dispatched probes. The U.S. space agency is considering two possible Venus missions. One of them, called DAVINCI+, would go into the Venutian atmosphere as early as 2026.
Clements said his head tells him “it’s probably a 10% chance that it’s life,” but his heart “obviously wants it to be much bigger because it would be so exciting.”
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Follow Seth Borenstein on Twitter: @borenbears
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-09-14--Watchdog Reportedly Probing Justice Officials' Interference In Roger Stone Sentencing

The probe is reportedly examining the details of what happened in February when prosecutors said DOJ bosses applied “ heavy pressure ” to ensure a far lighter sentence for Stone than what was initially planned .
Attorney General William Barr ultimately intervened to override prosecutors ’ recommendation of seven to nine years for Stone to ask for a lighter sentence .
All four prosecutors then quit the case in dissent .
Zelinsky testified before the House Judiciary Committee in June that Timothy Shea , the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia at the time , told him to lighten @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s close personal relationship with Trump .
Shea was “ receiving heavy pressure from the highest levels of the Department of Justice to cut Stone a break , ” and his “ sentencing instructions to us were based on political considerations , ” Zelinsky testified .
Stone was convicted of seven felonies , including lying in congressional testimony and witness tampering in the investigation into the Trump campaign ’ s possible collusion with Russia to interfere in the 2016 election .
Stone dodged even his shortened 40-month prison sentence when Trump commuted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dropped an appeal of his conviction and remains a convicted felon .
Stone came very close to indicating that the commutation of his sentence was his reward for keeping his mouth shut about other information that investigators may have found interesting .
Referring to Trump , Stone told NBC journalist Howard Fineman : “ He knows I was under enormous pressure to turn on him .
It would have eased my situation considerably .
But I didn ’ t. ” Barr defended his decision to shorten Stone ’ s sentence in testimony before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was unfair for Stone to serve a long sentence for a nonviolent crime , given his age , 67 .
Stone just last week called on the president to declare “ martial law ” and seize control of the nation unless the “ real winner ” of the November presidential election — implying Trump , though Americans have yet to vote — is declared victorious .
The DOJ is now scrambling to defend its actions in the case of another Trump crony — the president ’ s former national security adviser Michael @ @ @ @ @ @ @ action of moving to drop charges against Flynn .
They did so even though Flynn had pleaded guilty — twice — to lying to the FBI about secret negotiations with Russia ’ s ambassador shortly before Trump moved into the White House .
A new friend-of-the-court brief in the case blasted the DOJ action as “ corrupt ” and a “ politically motivated favor unworthy of our system of justice.
” “ In the United States , Presidents do not orchestrate pressure campaigns to get the Justice Department to drop charges against defendants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before two different judges — and whose guilt is obvious , ” stated a brief by retired federal Judge John Gleeson .

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The probe is reportedly examining the details of what happened in February when prosecutors said DOJ bosses applied “heavy pressure” to ensure a far lighter sentence for Stone than what was initially planned.
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Attorney General William Barr ultimately intervened to override prosecutors’ recommendation of seven to nine years for Stone to ask for a lighter sentence. All four prosecutors then quit the case in dissent.
The current probe was triggered by complaints from lead prosecutor Aaron Zelinsky to Congress, a source told NBC.
Zelinsky testified before the House Judiciary Committee in June that Timothy Shea, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia at the time, told him to lighten up on the sentence because of Stone’s close personal relationship with Trump. Shea was “receiving heavy pressure from the highest levels of the Department of Justice to cut Stone a break,” and his “sentencing instructions to us were based on political considerations,” Zelinsky testified.
Stone was convicted of seven felonies, including lying in congressional testimony and witness tampering in the investigation into the Trump campaign’s possible collusion with Russia to interfere in the 2016 election. Stone dodged even his shortened 40-month prison sentence when Trump commuted his sentence entirely in July. Stone dropped an appeal of his conviction and remains a convicted felon.
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Stone came very close to indicating that the commutation of his sentence was his reward for keeping his mouth shut about other information that investigators may have found interesting. Referring to Trump, Stone told NBC journalist Howard Fineman: “He knows I was under enormous pressure to turn on him. It would have eased my situation considerably. But I didn’t.”
Barr defended his decision to shorten Stone’s sentence in testimony before the House Judiciary Committee. His said it was unfair for Stone to serve a long sentence for a nonviolent crime, given his age, 67.
Stone just last week called on the president to declare “martial law” and seize control of the nation unless the “real winner” of the November presidential election — implying Trump, though Americans have yet to vote — is declared victorious.
The DOJ is now scrambling to defend its actions in the case of another Trump crony — the president’s former national security adviser Michael Flynn. Justice officials took the unprecedented action of moving to drop charges against Flynn. They did so even though Flynn had pleaded guilty — twice — to lying to the FBI about secret negotiations with Russia’s ambassador shortly before Trump moved into the White House.
A new friend-of-the-court brief in the case blasted the DOJ action as “corrupt” and a “politically motivated favor unworthy of our system of justice.”
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-09-14--Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade Will Be Smaller But Camera-Ready This Year

NEW YORK ( AP ) — A Macy ’ s Thanksgiving parade reimagined for the coronavirus pandemic will feature floats , performers and giant balloons along a one-block stretch of 34th Street in front of the retailer ’ s flagship Manhattan store , Macy ’ s officials announced Monday .
The spectacle will be broadcast as usual from 9 a.m. to noon Eastern time on NBC and will include both live and recorded elements , Macy ’ s officials said .
“ Under the unique challenges of these unparalleled times , we felt it was important to continue this cherished @ @ @ @ @ @ @ act to the holiday season for generations of families , ” Susan Tercero , executive producer of the Macy ’ s Thanksgiving Day Parade , said in a prepared statement .
She added , “ While it will certainly look different in execution , this year ’ s Macy ’ s Parade celebration will once again serve its historical purpose — to bring joy into the hearts of millions across the nation.
” The 2 1/2-mile Thanksgiving parade route will be axed in favor of a short stroll for the cameras , Macy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The giant cartoon-character balloons will be flown without the traditional 80 to 100 handlers each and will instead be tethered to specialized vehicles that have been tested and approved by the city police and transportation departments , Veras said .
Most of the parade ’ s performers will be locally based to cut down on travel , Veras said .
High school and college marching bands that had been invited to perform will be deferred to 2021 .
In accordance with coronavirus restrictions , all performers will be required to maintain social distancing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are reinventing the event for this moment in history , ” de Blasio said at his daily coronavirus briefing .
“ And you will be able to feel the spirit and the joy of that day on television , online.
” The Macy ’ s parade has been a traditional holiday season kickoff for more than 90 years and usually attracts throngs of tourists and locals who line the parade route to gawk at inflated characters like Snoopy or Felix the cat .
This year ’ s lineup of balloon characters and human @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .

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NEW YORK (AP) — A Macy’s Thanksgiving parade reimagined for the coronavirus pandemic will feature floats, performers and giant balloons along a one-block stretch of 34th Street in front of the retailer’s flagship Manhattan store, Macy’s officials announced Monday.
The spectacle will be broadcast as usual from 9 a.m. to noon Eastern time on NBC and will include both live and recorded elements, Macy’s officials said.
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“Under the unique challenges of these unparalleled times, we felt it was important to continue this cherished holiday tradition that has been the opening act to the holiday season for generations of families,” Susan Tercero, executive producer of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, said in a prepared statement.
She added, “While it will certainly look different in execution, this year’s Macy’s Parade celebration will once again serve its historical purpose — to bring joy into the hearts of millions across the nation.”
Macy’s similarly remade its traditional July Fourth fireworks show this year, swapping the big one-night spectacle for a series of smaller fireworks displays.
The 2 1/2-mile Thanksgiving parade route will be axed in favor of a short stroll for the cameras, Macy’s spokesperson Orlando Veras said.
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The giant cartoon-character balloons will be flown without the traditional 80 to 100 handlers each and will instead be tethered to specialized vehicles that have been tested and approved by the city police and transportation departments, Veras said.
Most of the parade’s performers will be locally based to cut down on travel, Veras said. High school and college marching bands that had been invited to perform will be deferred to 2021. In accordance with coronavirus restrictions, all performers will be required to maintain social distancing and wear face masks.
Mayor Bill de Blasio thanked Macy’s officials for their effort to stage the parade despite COVID-19 restrictions.
“They are reinventing the event for this moment in history,” de Blasio said at his daily coronavirus briefing. “And you will be able to feel the spirit and the joy of that day on television, online.”
The Macy’s parade has been a traditional holiday season kickoff for more than 90 years and usually attracts throngs of tourists and locals who line the parade route to gawk at inflated characters like Snoopy or Felix the cat.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-09-14--LA Sheriffs Mislead After Reporter’s Arrest

The Los Angeles County Sheriff ’ s Department muddied the facts surrounding a reporter ’ s arrest after the shooting @ @ @ @ @ and misinformation between law enforcement and protesters .

LA Sheriffs Mislead After Reporter’s Arrest
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department muddied the facts surrounding a reporter’s arrest after the shooting of two deputies sparked tension and misinformation between law enforcement and protesters.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-09-14--Chadwick Boseman Buried Near South Carolina Hometown

LOS ANGELES ( AP ) — Chadwick Boseman was buried near his South Carolina hometown six days after he died at his home in Los Angeles , according to a death certificate obtained Monday by The Associated Press .
The “ Black Panther ” star was laid to rest Sept. 3 at Welfare Baptist Church Cemetery in Belton , South Carolina , about 11 miles from Boseman ’ s hometown of Anderson , the Los Angeles County Certificate showed .
Anderson held a public memorial for Boseman a day later .
Boseman died at his home near Griffith Park in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ record said .
The immediate cause was listed as multiple organ failure , with the underlying cause of colon cancer , which his family said previously that he had been diagnosed with four years earlier .
Boseman had surgery to remove the colon cancer in 2016 after his diagnosis , and in March of this year had laparoscopic surgery to remove cancer that had metastasized , the record showed .
The document lists Boseman ’ s profession as “ artist , ” and his industry as entertainment .
Very few outside of his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Black Panther ” in four Marvel movies and also starred in the Jackie Robinson biopic “ 42 , ” had been battling colon cancer when he died at age 43 .

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Chadwick Boseman was buried near his South Carolina hometown six days after he died at his home in Los Angeles, according to a death certificate obtained Monday by The Associated Press.
The “Black Panther” star was laid to rest Sept. 3 at Welfare Baptist Church Cemetery in Belton, South Carolina, about 11 miles from Boseman’s hometown of Anderson, the Los Angeles County Certificate showed. Anderson held a public memorial for Boseman a day later.
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Boseman died at his home near Griffith Park in Los Angeles on Aug. 28, the record said.
The immediate cause was listed as multiple organ failure, with the underlying cause of colon cancer, which his family said previously that he had been diagnosed with four years earlier.
Boseman had surgery to remove the colon cancer in 2016 after his diagnosis, and in March of this year had laparoscopic surgery to remove cancer that had metastasized, the record showed.
The document lists Boseman’s profession as “artist,” and his industry as entertainment.
Very few outside of his family knew that Boseman, who played “Black Panther” in four Marvel movies and also starred in the Jackie Robinson biopic “42,” had been battling colon cancer when he died at age 43.
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Follow AP Entertainment Writer Andrew Dalton on Twitter: https://twitter.com/andyjamesdalton.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-09-14--South Dakota’s AG Reported Hitting A Deer With His Car. He Actually Killed A Man.

South Dakota ’ s attorney general reported hitting a deer with his car over the weekend , but state investigators said Monday that he actually killed a man whose body was not found until the next day .
South Dakota Gov .
Kristi Noem ( R ) said at a Sunday news conference that Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg was involved in a fatal crash around 10:30 p.m. on Saturday near Highmore , but didn ’ t release details of the incident .
The South Dakota Department of Public Safety released a statement Monday saying that Ravnsborg told the Hyde County @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a deer just west of Highmore .
The statement , which was first reported by The Rapid City Journal , did not include whether the attorney general reported the crash in a 911 call or whether he stopped to confirm that he did indeed hit a deer .
The victim was identified as 55-year-old Joseph Boever of Highmore .
Boever ’ s relatives grew suspicious and frustrated after it allegedly took almost 22 hours to identify his body , his cousin Nick Nemec told the Associated Press .
Nemec said Boever was likely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the crash .
The Nemecs told AP that Boever crashed his truck into a bale of hay near the road earlier that Saturday , and had originally planned to make repairs on it the next day after Victor Nemec gave him a ride back home .
The family said Boever , who lived alone , likely went back to the car that night to do the repairs himself .
Ravnsborg was driving from a Republican fundraiser in Redfield , South Dakota , to his home in Pierre when he hit Boever , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adding that the attorney general was uninjured in the crash .
Ravnsborg ’ s office did not immediately return HuffPost ’ s calls requesting comment , but a spokesperson told AP that the attorney general immediately called 911 after the incident and did not realize he had hit a man until Boever ’ s body was found the next morning .
“ I am shocked and filled with sorrow following the events of last night , ” Ravnsborg said in a statement Sunday , according to The Argus Leader .
“ As Governor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the investigation and fully intend to continue to do so moving forward .
At this time I offer my deepest sympathy and condolences to the family.
” The Department of Public Safety , which includes the state Highway Patrol , said all updates are preliminary and that the Highway Patrol continues to investigate the crash .
To avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest , the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation will help in the probe , the attorney general ’ s office told the Journal .
The Department of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or speed was a factor in the crash .
Ravnsborg ’ s office told AP that the attorney general is known to have a drink every once in a while , but that he had not been drinking before the crash on Saturday .
Ravnsborg was elected attorney general in 2018 and has a history of speeding and other traffic violations .
According to a background check analyzed by the Leader , Ravnsborg had six speeding tickets between 2014 and 2018 .
He pleaded guilty to all of them and paid fines ranging @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He was also allegedly cited on a seat belt violation in 2017 and on driving without a proper exhaust and muffler system in 2015 ― he paid fines in those cases , too .
The attorney general is not the first South Dakota official to kill a person with their car .
Bill Janklow , a Republican who served three decades in South Dakota politics as governor and congressman , was sentenced to 100 days in jail in 2004 for an auto accident that killed a motorcyclist and ended Janklow ’ s career @

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South Dakota’s attorney general reported hitting a deer with his car over the weekend, but state investigators said Monday that he actually killed a man whose body was not found until the next day.
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) said at a Sunday news conference that Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg was involved in a fatal crash around 10:30 p.m. on Saturday near Highmore, but didn’t release details of the incident.
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The South Dakota Department of Public Safety released a statement Monday saying that Ravnsborg told the Hyde County Sherriff’s Office that he hit a deer just west of Highmore. The statement, which was first reported by The Rapid City Journal, did not include whether the attorney general reported the crash in a 911 call or whether he stopped to confirm that he did indeed hit a deer.
The victim was identified as 55-year-old Joseph Boever of Highmore. Boever’s relatives grew suspicious and frustrated after it allegedly took almost 22 hours to identify his body, his cousin Nick Nemec told the Associated Press. Nemec said Boever was likely walking along the road at the time of the crash.
“A deer doesn’t look like a human,” Nemec’s brother Victor told the Journal.
The Nemecs told AP that Boever crashed his truck into a bale of hay near the road earlier that Saturday, and had originally planned to make repairs on it the next day after Victor Nemec gave him a ride back home. The family said Boever, who lived alone, likely went back to the car that night to do the repairs himself.
Preview:
“My cousin got run over by the Attorney General,” Nick Nemec said about his relative Joe Boever.
“A deer doesn’t look like a human,” said Nick’s brother Victor. — Arielle Zionts (@Ajzionts) September 14, 2020
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Ravnsborg was driving from a Republican fundraiser in Redfield, South Dakota, to his home in Pierre when he hit Boever, spokesperson Tim Bormann told multiple outlets, adding that the attorney general was uninjured in the crash.
Ravnsborg’s office did not immediately return HuffPost’s calls requesting comment, but a spokesperson told AP that the attorney general immediately called 911 after the incident and did not realize he had hit a man until Boever’s body was found the next morning.
“I am shocked and filled with sorrow following the events of last night,” Ravnsborg said in a statement Sunday, according to The Argus Leader. “As Governor Noem stated, I am fully cooperating with the investigation and fully intend to continue to do so moving forward. At this time I offer my deepest sympathy and condolences to the family.”
At the time of his Sunday statement, Ravnsborg did not mention that he reported hitting a deer instead of a man.
The Department of Public Safety, which includes the state Highway Patrol, said all updates are preliminary and that the Highway Patrol continues to investigate the crash. To avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest, the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation will help in the probe, the attorney general’s office told the Journal.
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The Department of Public Safety did not say whether alcohol or speed was a factor in the crash. Ravnsborg’s office told AP that the attorney general is known to have a drink every once in a while, but that he had not been drinking before the crash on Saturday.
Ravnsborg was elected attorney general in 2018 and has a history of speeding and other traffic violations. According to a background check analyzed by the Leader, Ravnsborg had six speeding tickets between 2014 and 2018. He pleaded guilty to all of them and paid fines ranging from $19 to $79. He was also allegedly cited on a seat belt violation in 2017 and on driving without a proper exhaust and muffler system in 2015 ― he paid fines in those cases, too.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-09-14--Georgia Deputy Fired After Black Man Beaten In Traffic Stop Video

A Georgia deputy sheriff has been fired following an investigation into a video showing a Black man being beaten on an Atlanta street during a traffic stop on Friday .
The unidentified deputy was terminated for excessive use of force during the arrest of Roderick Walker , 26 , the Clayton County Sheriff ’ s Office said on Sunday .
In the video , Walker is pinned down by two white deputies as one of them punches him in the head , leaving him bloody and at times unconscious , his attorney Shean Williams said at a press conference .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ with his girlfriend and one of his children when the vehicle , which was being driven by someone else , was pulled over for a broken taillight , said Williams .
“ How does a taillight being broke end up with a man being beaten and the way he was beaten in a chokehold almost dying ?
” Williams said .
“ What the video and the evidence in this case is undisputed , is going to show and has shown is that [ Walker ] was doing nothing wrong.
” Initially , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the deputies , Williams said , but Walker told them that he didn ’ t have any on him since he wasn ’ t driving .
“ They became upset when he asked , ‘ Why are you asking for my ID ?
I ’ m not driving and I haven ’ t done anything wrong , ’ ” Williams said , according to Atlanta station WSB-TV .
Video taken after this purported exchange shows Walker lying on the ground amid a violent struggle with the deputies .
A child is heard crying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s biting my hand.
” Walker is seen being punched in the head and lower body multiple times as a woman stands in hysterics just feet away , crying for the deputies to stop .
Walker was arrested on charges of battery and obstructing law enforcement officers and ordered held without bail due to an existing felony probation warrant out of Fulton County , the Clayton County Sheriff ’ s Office said .
That warrant is for cruelty to children , possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and failure to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whether the deputies knew about the warrant at the time of Walker ’ s arrest .
A representative with the sheriff ’ s office declined to comment when reached by HuffPost on Monday due to the ongoing investigation .
The results of that investigation will be turned over to the Clayton County District Attorney ’ s Office for review , the sheriff ’ s office said in a statement Sunday .
No one should be treated this way .
# RoderickWalker is a son , brother , father and native of Atlanta .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ justicefighter in solidarity with @ georgia_naacp @ cochranfirm_atl ✊🏾Protest at the Jail Tomorrow at 2 pm .
# BlackLivesMatter .
This is why we March !
!
!
pic.twitter.com/mR7gawQSWH — Gerald A. Griggs ( @ AttorneyGriggs ) September 13 , 2020 The sheriff ’ s office said Walker has received medical treatment and is being monitored at the jail ’ s hospital by a doctor .
An X-ray of his head did not detect any fractures .

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A Georgia deputy sheriff has been fired following an investigation into a video showing a Black man being beaten on an Atlanta street during a traffic stop on Friday.
The unidentified deputy was terminated for excessive use of force during the arrest of Roderick Walker, 26, the Clayton County Sheriff’s Office said on Sunday.
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In the video, Walker is pinned down by two white deputies as one of them punches him in the head, leaving him bloody and at times unconscious, his attorney Shean Williams said at a press conference.
Walker had been riding in a car with his girlfriend and one of his children when the vehicle, which was being driven by someone else, was pulled over for a broken taillight, said Williams.
Police in Georgia pull over a Lyft driver then assaults a passenger IN FRONT OF HIS KID for not having ID (another angle) pic.twitter.com/HA9Ri6OUja — Fifty Shades of Whey (@davenewworld_2) September 12, 2020
“How does a taillight being broke end up with a man being beaten and the way he was beaten in a chokehold almost dying?” Williams said. “What the video and the evidence in this case is undisputed, is going to show and has shown is that [Walker] was doing nothing wrong.”
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Initially, Walker was asked to provide identification to the deputies, Williams said, but Walker told them that he didn’t have any on him since he wasn’t driving.
“They became upset when he asked, ‘Why are you asking for my ID? I’m not driving and I haven’t done anything wrong,’” Williams said, according to Atlanta station WSB-TV.
Video taken after this purported exchange shows Walker lying on the ground amid a violent struggle with the deputies. A child is heard crying and a deputy yells, “He’s biting my hand.” Walker is seen being punched in the head and lower body multiple times as a woman stands in hysterics just feet away, crying for the deputies to stop.
“Officer, he said he can’t breathe! He said he can’t breathe!” she screams.
Walker was arrested on charges of battery and obstructing law enforcement officers and ordered held without bail due to an existing felony probation warrant out of Fulton County, the Clayton County Sheriff’s Office said. That warrant is for cruelty to children, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and failure to appear.
It’s not clear whether the deputies knew about the warrant at the time of Walker’s arrest. A representative with the sheriff’s office declined to comment when reached by HuffPost on Monday due to the ongoing investigation. The results of that investigation will be turned over to the Clayton County District Attorney’s Office for review, the sheriff’s office said in a statement Sunday.
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A photo of Walker released by his attorneys over the weekend shows him with a swollen left eye.
No one should be treated this way. #RoderickWalker is a son, brother, father and native of Atlanta. Release him from the Jail. #justicefighter in solidarity with @georgia_naacp @cochranfirm_atl ✊🏾Protest at the Jail Tomorrow at 2 pm. #BlackLivesMatter. This is why we March!!! pic.twitter.com/mR7gawQSWH — Gerald A. Griggs (@AttorneyGriggs) September 13, 2020