thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-20--Centenarian Who Raised Millions For U.K. Health Workers To Be Knighted

A 100-year-old British World War II veteran has been tapped for knighthood after he undertook a campaign to help front-line workers of the U.K. ’ s National Health Service during the coronavirus pandemic and raised more than £32 million ( $ 40 million ) .
Capt .
Tom Moore — who raised the funds by taking laps around his back garden with the help of his walker — received a special nomination from Prime Minister Boris Johnson and was approved for knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II , according to the popular centenarian ’ s website .
Moore told the BBC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the knighting ceremony will take place , adding that he hopes the Queen “ is not very heavy-handed with the sword , as by then I might be a rather poor old weak soul.
” “ I am certainly delighted and overawed by the fact this has happened to me , ” Moore said .
“ I thought this can ’ t be true ; I ’ ve always said this won ’ t happen , and it appears it actually has.
” '' I am overawed by the fact that this has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gives # BBCBreakfast his reaction to the news that he is to become # SirCaptainTomMoore .
More here : https : //t.co/Kon4M9hWZw pic.twitter.com/CEwEHvHG9T — BBC Breakfast ( @ BBCBreakfast ) May 20 , 2020 Johnson tweeted a “ huge thank you ” to Moore on Wednesday , saying that he has “ inspired us all ” with the fundraising efforts .
Moore is a “ true national treasure ” whose fundraising campaign “ provided us all with a beacon of light through the fog of coronavirus , ” Johnson said in a Downing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comes weeks after the British Army promoted Moore to the rank of honorary colonel on April 30 , his 100th birthday .
His official title will be Capt .
Sir Thomas Moore , under the protocols set by the U.K. ’ s Ministry of Defence , the BBC reports .
Moore ’ s initial goal was to raise £1,000 ( $ 1,200 ) before his 100th birthday by walking 100 laps of his garden in the village of Marston Moretaine , England .
The funds were meant for NHS Charities Together , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country ’ s health care workers .
In a Wednesday tweet , Moore thanked the Queen , the prime minister and the public of Great Britain for the honor .
1/2 A message from Tom ; ' I am absolutely overwhelmed .
Never for one moment could I have imagined I would be awarded with such a great honour .
I ’ d like to thank Her Majesty The Queen , the Prime Minister and the Great British public .
I will remain at your service… — Captain Tom Moore ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This started as something small and I ’ ve been overwhelmed by the gratitude and love from the British public and beyond .
We must take this opportunity to recognise our frontline heroes of the National Health Service who put their lives at risk every day to keep us safe . '
— Captain Tom Moore ( @ captaintommoore ) May 20 , 2020 Handout via Getty Emma Sohl - Capture the Light Photography via Getty Images Capt .
Tom Moore and his daughter , Hannah , look up as Royal Air Force @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Moretaine , England , on his birthday , April 30 .

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A 100-year-old British World War II veteran has been tapped for knighthood after he undertook a campaign to help front-line workers of the U.K.’s National Health Service during the coronavirus pandemic and raised more than £32 million ($40 million).
Capt. Tom Moore — who raised the funds by taking laps around his back garden with the help of his walker — received a special nomination from Prime Minister Boris Johnson and was approved for knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II, according to the popular centenarian’s website.
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Moore told the BBC that he’s not sure when the knighting ceremony will take place, adding that he hopes the Queen “is not very heavy-handed with the sword, as by then I might be a rather poor old weak soul.”
“I am certainly delighted and overawed by the fact this has happened to me,” Moore said. “I thought this can’t be true; I’ve always said this won’t happen, and it appears it actually has.”
"I am overawed by the fact that this has happened to me."@captaintommoore gives #BBCBreakfast his reaction to the news that he is to become #SirCaptainTomMoore.
More here: https://t.co/Kon4M9hWZw pic.twitter.com/CEwEHvHG9T — BBC Breakfast (@BBCBreakfast) May 20, 2020
Johnson tweeted a “huge thank you” to Moore on Wednesday, saying that he has “inspired us all” with the fundraising efforts.
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Moore is a “true national treasure” whose fundraising campaign “provided us all with a beacon of light through the fog of coronavirus,” Johnson said in a Downing Street news release.
The knighthood news comes weeks after the British Army promoted Moore to the rank of honorary colonel on April 30, his 100th birthday. His official title will be Capt. Sir Thomas Moore, under the protocols set by the U.K.’s Ministry of Defence, the BBC reports.
Moore served with the British Army in Burma (now called Myanmar) and India during World War II.
Moore’s initial goal was to raise £1,000 ($1,200) before his 100th birthday by walking 100 laps of his garden in the village of Marston Moretaine, England. The funds were meant for NHS Charities Together, which supports the health and emotional well-being of the country’s health care workers.
In the end, Moore’s campaign raised £32,794,701, or more than $40 million.
In a Wednesday tweet, Moore thanked the Queen, the prime minister and the public of Great Britain for the honor.
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“I will remain at your service,” Moore tweeted.
1/2 A message from Tom; 'I am absolutely overwhelmed. Never for one moment could I have imagined I would be awarded with such a great honour. I’d like to thank Her Majesty The Queen, the Prime Minister and the Great British public. I will remain at your service… — Captain Tom Moore (@captaintommoore) May 20, 2020
2/2 This started as something small and I’ve been overwhelmed by the gratitude and love from the British public and beyond.
We must take this opportunity to recognise our frontline heroes of the National Health Service who put their lives at risk every day to keep us safe.' — Captain Tom Moore (@captaintommoore) May 20, 2020
Capt. Tom Moore and his daughter, Hannah, look up as Royal Air Force planes fly over his home in Marston Moretaine, England, on his birthday, April 30. Handout via Getty Emma Sohl - Capture the Light Photography via Getty Images


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-20--Hundreds Of McDonald's Workers Strike Over Company's Response To Coronavirus

Hundreds of employees of the fast-food giant — from Los Angeles to Detroit to Miami — participated in the strike , with some walking off the job and many simply not going into work , according to organizers with Fight for 15 , a movement of fast-food workers fighting for better conditions .
Because social distancing measures prevented workers from picketing outside together , some joined a virtual video call to express their concerns and demands , with several saying they hadn ’ t been given adequate protective gear at work and the company hadn ’ t always notified workers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus .
“ Since the pandemic started , folks have been quitting because they ’ re scared of getting sick , ” Darnell Harris , a grill worker at a McDonald ’ s in Detroit , said on the video call .
“ But I have no choice , I keep going to work because I ’ m living check to check .
I have college debt and medical bills.
” While McDonald ’ s has provided two weeks of paid sick leave and cash bonuses to workers in its company-run stores during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such leave and benefits to workers at its independently owned franchises — which make up over 90 % of its thousands of locations nationwide .
McDonald ’ s told HuffPost in a statement Wednesday that its employees ’ “ safety and well-being is a top priority ” and that it had issued a guide to franchises outlining “ national standards ” for the restaurants to implement amid the pandemic .
The company said it was “ confident ” that “ the vast majority ” of its franchises were providing paid sick leave to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s workers filed a lawsuit in Chicago and took legal actions in California against the company ’ s “ inadequate ” response to the pandemic .
McDonald ’ s said that day that protective gear was “ in ample supply , ” adding that more than 100 million masks had been distributed nationwide .
Angelica Hernandez , another McDonald ’ s worker on Wednesday ’ s strike call , said one of her coworkers in her Los Angeles location got the virus and was hospitalized .
Afterward , she and others were only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ having to return to work .
She said the company hadn ’ t given them enough protective equipment : They ran out of sanitizer and gloves , and customers without masks have still been served .
“ I don ’ t have my kids with me .
I had to send them to live with my mother-in-law out of fear of getting the virus and spreading it to them , ” Hernandez said .
“ On Mother ’ s Day , I was alone … because McDonald ’ s isn ’ t protecting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s in San Francisco filed a complaint with the city ’ s health department alleging that managers suggested they use coffee filters as masks , according to a release from Fight for 15 .
And in Detroit , workers at a McDonald ’ s said they were given just one mask and told to clean it with hand sanitizer .
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand ( D-N.Y. ) , who was on the call on Wednesday , noted that if workers aren ’ t able to stay home when they ’ re sick , they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , adding that paid leave is “ crucial to combatting this virus.
” Fran Marion , a McDonald ’ s worker in Kansas City , Missouri , pointed out on the call that the coronavirus has disproportionately been killing Black , Latinx and Native American people .
And Black and Latinx workers are overrepresented in the service industry , including in restaurants and retail jobs .
“ I am human just like you , ” Marion said , adding that McDonald ’ s workers deserve protective gear and hazard pay .
“ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ paramedic , but I ’ m out here on the front lines just like them .
… I deserve to be treated like a human — and that ’ s why I ’ m going on strike .
”

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McDonald’s workers in 20 cities nationwide went on strike Wednesday, protesting against the company’s response to the coronavirus pandemic and demanding guaranteed paid sick leave, hazard pay and more.
Hundreds of employees of the fast-food giant — from Los Angeles to Detroit to Miami — participated in the strike, with some walking off the job and many simply not going into work, according to organizers with Fight for 15, a movement of fast-food workers fighting for better conditions.
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Because social distancing measures prevented workers from picketing outside together, some joined a virtual video call to express their concerns and demands, with several saying they hadn’t been given adequate protective gear at work and the company hadn’t always notified workers when a coworker had tested positive for coronavirus.
“Since the pandemic started, folks have been quitting because they’re scared of getting sick,” Darnell Harris, a grill worker at a McDonald’s in Detroit, said on the video call. “But I have no choice, I keep going to work because I’m living check to check. I have college debt and medical bills.”
“McDonald’s must treat us like human beings, as front-line workers,” Harris added.
While McDonald’s has provided two weeks of paid sick leave and cash bonuses to workers in its company-run stores during the pandemic, it does not guarantee such leave and benefits to workers at its independently owned franchises — which make up over 90% of its thousands of locations nationwide.
McDonald’s told HuffPost in a statement Wednesday that its employees’ “safety and well-being is a top priority” and that it had issued a guide to franchises outlining “national standards” for the restaurants to implement amid the pandemic. The company said it was “confident” that “the vast majority” of its franchises were providing paid sick leave to employees.
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"We do not have paid sick leave at McDonald's. People are quitting because they're afraid of getting sick!"@McDonalds: Listen to Darnell! Your workers need PPE, #PaidSickLeave, and Hazard pay!#FightFor15 #ProtectAllWorkers pic.twitter.com/gpxsakKO6C — Fight For 15 (@fightfor15) May 20, 2020
On Tuesday, McDonald’s workers filed a lawsuit in Chicago and took legal actions in California against the company’s “inadequate” response to the pandemic. McDonald’s said that day that protective gear was “in ample supply,” adding that more than 100 million masks had been distributed nationwide.
Angelica Hernandez, another McDonald’s worker on Wednesday’s strike call, said one of her coworkers in her Los Angeles location got the virus and was hospitalized. Afterward, she and others were only given four days off to quarantine before having to return to work. She said the company hadn’t given them enough protective equipment: They ran out of sanitizer and gloves, and customers without masks have still been served.
“I don’t have my kids with me. I had to send them to live with my mother-in-law out of fear of getting the virus and spreading it to them,” Hernandez said. “On Mother’s Day, I was alone … because McDonald’s isn’t protecting us.”
Workers at a McDonald’s in San Francisco filed a complaint with the city’s health department alleging that managers suggested they use coffee filters as masks, according to a release from Fight for 15. And in Detroit, workers at a McDonald’s said they were given just one mask and told to clean it with hand sanitizer.
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Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), who was on the call on Wednesday, noted that if workers aren’t able to stay home when they’re sick, they’ll potentially infect others at work, adding that paid leave is “crucial to combatting this virus.”
“This pandemic has laid bare just how shaky the ground is under working people,” the lawmaker said.
Fran Marion, a McDonald’s worker in Kansas City, Missouri, pointed out on the call that the coronavirus has disproportionately been killing Black, Latinx and Native American people. And Black and Latinx workers are overrepresented in the service industry, including in restaurants and retail jobs.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-20--Digital Ad Makers Making Millions Off Of Trump’s Reelection Campaign

Trump ’ s campaign , the Republican National Committee and their joint fundraising committees have spent $ 58.9 million for internet ads and related costs between May 2018 through this March , while digital platforms in that period received approximately $ 47.4 million , according to a HuffPost analysis of Federal Election Commission filings and a database compiled by New York University .
How much of that gap represents salaries of digital ad makers and their expenses and how much is profit for the consultants who own the firms is unclear , thanks to the committees ’ decision to run @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , rather than making direct payments to each of the recipient entities .
John Weaver , a Republican political consultant who worked on the presidential campaigns of John McCain and John Kasich , said he doubts Trump himself is bothered much by all the money going to consultants because his own family is also getting a piece of it .
“ I ’ ve always believed Brad is grifting with the Trump family , ” he said , referring to the $ 180,000 a year flowing to the wife of one of Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the other through campaign manager Brad Parscale ’ s company .
American Made Media Consultants , which Republican officials have described as a front entity created specifically to buy ads , received $ 53.6 million in payments related to “ digital ” or “ web ” ads , while Parscale Strategy , LLC received $ 4.8 million .
No other company is listed as receiving more than $ 200,000 , according to HuffPost ’ s analysis .
The campaign ’ s largess toward consultants generally , and to Parscale in particular , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Weaver and others behind the Lincoln Project , an anti-Trump super PAC whose previous work has drawn extended , angry rants from Trump .
Trump ’ s campaign and the RNC together have already spent $ 746 million of the $ 889 million they have raised since Trump took office .
Much of that money has gone for higher-than-average salaries for Trump ’ s campaign employees — significantly higher than that of other presidential campaigns in recent cycles .
How much , precisely , has gone into Parscale ’ s pocket is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the companies he owns , rather than as an employee ― $ 38.9 million since January 2017 .
Exactly how much Parscale kept for himself is impossible to know using public records .
He told The Washington Post in October that he had made only $ 400,000 up to that point in the reelection effort .
The New York Times in March reported that he was keeping $ 700,000 to $ 800,000 , an amount Trump had OK ’ d .
The Trump campaign is obfuscating its spending thanks to a loophole that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Unlike payments to credit card companies , which must be itemized by individual vendor , payments to consultants who then outsource the work do not have to be broken out , said Paul Ryan , a campaign finance lawyer with Common Cause .
HuffPost ’ s analysis starts in May 2018 to match up with the database created by Laura Edelson , one of the researchers behind the Online Political Ads Transparency Project at New York University .
According to her data , Facebook and Instagram reported a total of $ 37.9 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ May 2018 through March 31 of this year — with much of that going to engage or raise money from existing supporters , rather than reach out to new ones .
She said that her group originally also tracked spending on Google , including YouTube , and Snapchat , but decided the effort was not worth it .
“ We used to track the other platforms too , but they were just so small .
Facebook just blew everything else out of the water , ” she said .

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WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s reelection effort has reported spending at least $12 million more for digital ads than platforms like Facebook and Instagram have received for running them.
Trump’s campaign, the Republican National Committee and their joint fundraising committees have spent $58.9 million for internet ads and related costs between May 2018 through this March, while digital platforms in that period received approximately $47.4 million, according to a HuffPost analysis of Federal Election Commission filings and a database compiled by New York University.
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How much of that gap represents salaries of digital ad makers and their expenses and how much is profit for the consultants who own the firms is unclear, thanks to the committees’ decision to run vast amounts of spending through private companies, rather than making direct payments to each of the recipient entities.
The RNC declined to comment, and the Trump campaign would not respond to HuffPost queries about the digital spending.
SOPA Images via Getty Images
John Weaver, a Republican political consultant who worked on the presidential campaigns of John McCain and John Kasich, said he doubts Trump himself is bothered much by all the money going to consultants because his own family is also getting a piece of it.
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“I’ve always believed Brad is grifting with the Trump family,” he said, referring to the $180,000 a year flowing to the wife of one of Trump’s adult sons and the girlfriend of the other through campaign manager Brad Parscale’s company.
American Made Media Consultants, which Republican officials have described as a front entity created specifically to buy ads, received $53.6 million in payments related to “digital” or “web” ads, while Parscale Strategy, LLC received $4.8 million. No other company is listed as receiving more than $200,000, according to HuffPost’s analysis.
The campaign’s largess toward consultants generally, and to Parscale in particular, has become fodder for the latest ad by Weaver and others behind the Lincoln Project, an anti-Trump super PAC whose previous work has drawn extended, angry rants from Trump.
The 30-second spot, scheduled to air on Fox News in Washington, D.C., Wednesday evening, features Parscale’s spending spree over the past two years as detailed in a recent HuffPost report, which includes a $2.4 million waterfront house, a $400,000 boat, a pair of million-dollar condos, a Ferrari and a Land Rover.
Trump’s campaign and the RNC together have already spent $746 million of the $889 million they have raised since Trump took office. Much of that money has gone for higher-than-average salaries for Trump’s campaign employees — significantly higher than that of other presidential campaigns in recent cycles.
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How much, precisely, has gone into Parscale’s pocket is unclear. He has been paid through the companies he owns, rather than as an employee ― $38.9 million since January 2017.
Exactly how much Parscale kept for himself is impossible to know using public records. He told The Washington Post in October that he had made only $400,000 up to that point in the reelection effort. The New York Times in March reported that he was keeping $700,000 to $800,000, an amount Trump had OK’d.
Parscale did not respond to HuffPost’s specific queries on this point.
The Trump campaign is obfuscating its spending thanks to a loophole that the FEC has failed to close. Unlike payments to credit card companies, which must be itemized by individual vendor, payments to consultants who then outsource the work do not have to be broken out, said Paul Ryan, a campaign finance lawyer with Common Cause.
“The lack of transparency to the public is a problem,” he said.
HuffPost’s analysis starts in May 2018 to match up with the database created by Laura Edelson, one of the researchers behind the Online Political Ads Transparency Project at New York University. According to her data, Facebook and Instagram reported a total of $37.9 million in ads from Trump campaign committees from May 2018 through March 31 of this year — with much of that going to engage or raise money from existing supporters, rather than reach out to new ones.
She said that her group originally also tracked spending on Google, including YouTube, and Snapchat, but decided the effort was not worth it. “We used to track the other platforms too, but they were just so small. Facebook just blew everything else out of the water,” she said.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-20--Fox News Host Asks For 'One Example Of A Lie' From White House About Coronavirus

Fox News host Dana Perino got more than she bargained for on Wednesday when she challenged Biden campaign adviser Symone Sanders to provide “ one example of a lie from the White House on the coronavirus pandemic.
” Perino had played comments from presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden ’ s virtual commencement address for Columbia Law School on Wednesday , during which Biden said , “ You can build a truly representative democracy with more facts than lies.
” “ So , I ’ m assuming that former Vice President Biden is saying that President Trump is the one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and lies about the coronavirus , ” Perino said .
“ What specifically would he be talking about ?
” Sanders responded that there has been a lot of misinformation about the virus , and “ some of it , in fact , has come from the White House.
” She pointed out the Trump administration ’ s failure to “ act quickly and with urgency ” in January and February .
Biden would continue to call these failures out , Sanders added .
“ But you , you don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ top of your head ?
I can ’ t think of one , ” Perino insisted .
“ I would just like even one example of a lie from the White House about the coronavirus pandemic , ” she added after Sanders noted there were “ so many ” to choose from .
Pretty great : Dana Perino thinks she ’ s gon na stump @ SymoneDSanders into a viral moment of being unable to name check a Trump lie on coronavirus .
Instead , Symone rattles off so many that Perino has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ian Sams ( @ IanSams ) May 20 , 2020 “ Everyone that wants a test can get a test .
How about that lie ?
Because everyone who wants or needs a test in this country is not able to access testing , ” she said .
“ How about all the governors have the PPE and the ventilators that they need ?
We know that ’ s not true .
There are folks in places from California to Michigan to Florida and in between who are sewing masks for front-line workers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ proper PPE.
” Perino conceded that the lack of PPE was an issue .
Sanders noted that those were just a couple of lies from the president , adding , “ I don ’ t want to take the whole interview to run through them .
”

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Fox News host Dana Perino got more than she bargained for on Wednesday when she challenged Biden campaign adviser Symone Sanders to provide “one example of a lie from the White House on the coronavirus pandemic.”
Perino had played comments from presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s virtual commencement address for Columbia Law School on Wednesday, during which Biden said, “You can build a truly representative democracy with more facts than lies.”
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“So, I’m assuming that former Vice President Biden is saying that President Trump is the one that he’s talking about there, and lies about the coronavirus,” Perino said. “What specifically would he be talking about?”
Sanders responded that there has been a lot of misinformation about the virus, and “some of it, in fact, has come from the White House.” She pointed out the Trump administration’s failure to “act quickly and with urgency” in January and February. Biden would continue to call these failures out, Sanders added.
“But you, you don’t have [a lie] off the top of your head? I can’t think of one,” Perino insisted. “I would just like even one example of a lie from the White House about the coronavirus pandemic,” she added after Sanders noted there were “so many” to choose from.
Pretty great: Dana Perino thinks she’s gonna stump @SymoneDSanders into a viral moment of being unable to name check a Trump lie on coronavirus. Instead, Symone rattles off so many that Perino has to interject to change the subject.pic.twitter.com/FxN1q2Uf8K — Ian Sams (@IanSams) May 20, 2020
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Sanders quickly listed two things Trump had lied about: testing availability and access to personal protective equipment.
“Everyone that wants a test can get a test. How about that lie? Because everyone who wants or needs a test in this country is not able to access testing,” she said.
“How about all the governors have the PPE and the ventilators that they need? We know that’s not true. There are folks in places from California to Michigan to Florida and in between who are sewing masks for front-line workers because they don’t have the proper PPE.”
Perino conceded that the lack of PPE was an issue. Sanders noted that those were just a couple of lies from the president, adding, “I don’t want to take the whole interview to run through them.”
“No, I don’t either,” Perino concluded.
Watch the exchange above.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-21--Pastor Who Claimed To Cure Coronavirus With Faith Dies Of Coronavirus

A pastor and former presidential candidate in Cameroon who claimed he had cured coronavirus via laying hands has reportedly died of the infection .
Frankline Ndifor died on Saturday at the age of 39 , Voice of America reported .
The authorities had to use force to enter Ndifor ’ s residence because his followers , who believed he was a prophet , had blocked entry as they prayed for his resurrection .
“ This is a pastor that has been laying hands [ on the sick ] and claiming that he cures COVID-19 , ” one of his followers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ If you , the person that claims that you are curing COVID-19 , you are dead , what about the fellow people that were affected by the COVID-19 ?
Now that he is dead , I do not know how the people that he was laying hands on will be healed.
” Dr. Gaelle Nnanga told VOA Ndifor ’ s followers called him to the scene .
Upon arrival , Nnanga found the pastor in “ agony.
” Ndifor died less than 10 minutes later .
According to the BBC , Ndifor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to contest the death ruling and keep the body for his resurrection .
Police needed teargas to disperse the crowd , then forcefully removed the corpse for a quick burial in line with local procedures for COVID-19 infection , The Cameroon Tribune reported .
To date , war-torn Cameroon has had 3,733 confirmed COVID-19 infections and 146 deaths , according to data collected by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University .

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A pastor and former presidential candidate in Cameroon who claimed he had cured coronavirus via laying hands has reportedly died of the infection.
Frankline Ndifor died on Saturday at the age of 39, Voice of America reported.
The authorities had to use force to enter Ndifor’s residence because his followers, who believed he was a prophet, had blocked entry as they prayed for his resurrection.
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“This is a pastor that has been laying hands [on the sick] and claiming that he cures COVID-19,” one of his followers, Rigobert Che, told VOA. “If you, the person that claims that you are curing COVID-19, you are dead, what about the fellow people that were affected by the COVID-19? Now that he is dead, I do not know how the people that he was laying hands on will be healed.”
Dr. Gaelle Nnanga told VOA Ndifor’s followers called him to the scene. Upon arrival, Nnanga found the pastor in “agony.” Ndifor died less than 10 minutes later.
According to the BBC, Ndifor’s family and followers had planned to contest the death ruling and keep the body for his resurrection. Police needed teargas to disperse the crowd, then forcefully removed the corpse for a quick burial in line with local procedures for COVID-19 infection, The Cameroon Tribune reported.
To date, war-torn Cameroon has had 3,733 confirmed COVID-19 infections and 146 deaths, according to data collected by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-21--Kayleigh McEnany Is Now Complaining About Bad 'Coverage' Of Trump -- From A Comedian

President Donald Trump ’ s press secretary Kayleigh McEnany blasted negative coverage of the president ’ s claims about hydroxychloroquine , including comments from Jimmy Kimmel , who is the host of a late-night comedy show .
McEnany had been defending hydroxychloroquine , a malaria drug that Trump has repeatedly touted as a treatment for coronavirus , in response to a reporter ’ s question at Wednesday ’ s White House press briefing .
On Monday , Trump claimed he had been taking the drug as a preventative measure .
“ I ’ ve seen a lot of apoplectic coverage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a White House press briefing before calling out the “ Jimmy Kimmel Live ” comedian , along with MSNBC “ Morning Joe ” anchor Joe Scarborough , Fox News ’ Neil Cavuto and CNN ’ s Chris Cuomo over their criticisms of Trump this week .
“ You had Jimmy Kimmel saying the president ’ s ‘ trying to kill himself ’ by taking it .
You had Joe Scarborough saying , ‘ This will kill you.
’ Neil Cavuto saying , ‘ What have you got to lose ?
One thing you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Not only have numerous leading medical professionals voiced concerns that taking the drug when it ’ s not proven effective against COVID-19 could result in death , but the Food and Drug Administration also warned against its use in coronavirus cases outside of hospitals and clinical trials , citing serious heart risks among other concerns .
Kimmel , along with late-night comics Seth Meyers , Stephen Colbert and Trevor Noah , slammed the president ’ s hydroxychloroquine usage on their shows this week .
Earlier this month , Trump labeled Kimmel a “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an angry tweet attacking several late-show hosts .
Kimmel later played the video during his show , joking that apparently his “ message resonated ” as he ’ d received “ a scolding today from White House press secretary No .
4.
” “ Thank you for watching , Kayleigh , it ’ s always nice to welcome a new fan , ” Kimmel said .

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President Donald Trump’s press secretary Kayleigh McEnany blasted negative coverage of the president’s claims about hydroxychloroquine, including comments from Jimmy Kimmel, who is the host of a late-night comedy show.
McEnany had been defending hydroxychloroquine, a malaria drug that Trump has repeatedly touted as a treatment for coronavirus, in response to a reporter’s question at Wednesday’s White House press briefing. On Monday, Trump claimed he had been taking the drug as a preventative measure.
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“I’ve seen a lot of apoplectic coverage of hydroxychloroquine,” McEnany said during a White House press briefing before calling out the “Jimmy Kimmel Live” comedian, along with MSNBC “Morning Joe” anchor Joe Scarborough, Fox News’ Neil Cavuto and CNN’s Chris Cuomo over their criticisms of Trump this week.
“You had Jimmy Kimmel saying the president’s ‘trying to kill himself’ by taking it. You had Joe Scarborough saying, ‘This will kill you.’ Neil Cavuto saying, ‘What have you got to lose? One thing you have to lose are lives.’”
Not only have numerous leading medical professionals voiced concerns that taking the drug when it’s not proven effective against COVID-19 could result in death, but the Food and Drug Administration also warned against its use in coronavirus cases outside of hospitals and clinical trials, citing serious heart risks among other concerns.
Kimmel, along with late-night comics Seth Meyers, Stephen Colbert and Trevor Noah, slammed the president’s hydroxychloroquine usage on their shows this week. Earlier this month, Trump labeled Kimmel a “wacko ‘last placer’” in an angry tweet attacking several late-show hosts.
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Watch the clip from the White House briefing above.
Kimmel later played the video during his show, joking that apparently his “message resonated” as he’d received “a scolding today from White House press secretary No. 4.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-21--Mark Cuban Goes On One Of Trump's Favorite Shows And Rips Into His 'Victim Card'

Billionaire investor and “ Shark Tank ” star Mark Cuban appeared on one of President Donald Trump ’ s favorite Fox News shows Wednesday night and tore into the constant complaints coming from the White House .
Given that Cuban is the owner of the NBA ’ s Dallas Mavericks , he initially spoke with Sean Hannity about how sports could return amid the coronavirus pandemic .
But it wasn ’ t long before the conversation turned to the president ― and the exchange got a little heated .
“ This is what really bothers me about the president : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the world and he always plays the victim card : ‘ The Dems are out to get me , the media is out to get me , ’ ” Cuban said .
“ You ’ ve got to be the leader , you ’ ve got to be the strongest man in the game and he just hasn ’ t shown that strength.
” Hannity interjected that “ they ” spied on Trump , but Cuban wouldn ’ t let him change the subject .
“ Who cares ?
” Cuban shot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most powerful man in the world .
Be powerful , be a leader , set an example.
” Earlier in the interview , the two sparred over the administration ’ s response to the pandemic .
Hannity noted that Cuban supports former Vice President Joe Biden , and said : “ Tell me all the things that Bunker Joe did on coronavirus that you admire , then I ’ ll tell you what I think Trump did that I admire.
” But Cuban noted that Biden isn ’ t the president and has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ You can ’ t really put him in that category , ” Cuban said , then shared some specific details about the Trump administration ’ s shortcomings .

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Billionaire investor and “Shark Tank” star Mark Cuban appeared on one of President Donald Trump’s favorite Fox News shows Wednesday night and tore into the constant complaints coming from the White House.
Given that Cuban is the owner of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks, he initially spoke with Sean Hannity about how sports could return amid the coronavirus pandemic. But it wasn’t long before the conversation turned to the president ― and the exchange got a little heated.
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“This is what really bothers me about the president: He’s the most powerful man in the world and he always plays the victim card: ‘The Dems are out to get me, the media is out to get me,’” Cuban said. “You’ve got to be the leader, you’ve got to be the strongest man in the game and he just hasn’t shown that strength.”
Hannity interjected that “they” spied on Trump, but Cuban wouldn’t let him change the subject.
“Who cares?” Cuban shot back. “He’s the most powerful man in the world. Be powerful, be a leader, set an example.”
Earlier in the interview, the two sparred over the administration’s response to the pandemic. Hannity noted that Cuban supports former Vice President Joe Biden, and said: “Tell me all the things that Bunker Joe did on coronavirus that you admire, then I’ll tell you what I think Trump did that I admire.”
But Cuban noted that Biden isn’t the president and has no role at all in the government.
“You can’t really put him in that category,” Cuban said, then shared some specific details about the Trump administration’s shortcomings.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-21--Republican Groups Hit Trump Close To Home In Blistering New TV Ads

Two groups of Republican critics of President Donald Trump are launching new TV attack ads against him .
And one of them is attempting to drive a wedge between Trump and his campaign manager , Brad Parscale , by pointing to reports he ’ s enriched himself off the president ’ s reelection efforts .
The Lincoln Project ― led in part by conservative attorney George Conway , husband of counselor to the president Kellyanne Conway ― noted the pricey purchases Parscale has made , presumably from his work for the Trump campaign .
One of the Lincoln Project ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ America , ” caused the president to attack the group several times , boosting its recognition and , ironically , its ability to raise money to run even more ads slamming Trump and his allies .
“ These ads are designed to encourage him to express himself in the ways that only he can ” and drive him crazy , Conway told The Washington Post , then added on Twitter : Meanwhile , Republicans for the Rule of Law ― another group of anti-Trump members of the GOP ― created their own ad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which Trump won by just 0.23 percent in 2016 .
Earlier this week , Trump attacked Michigan ’ s expansion of voting by mail and threatened to withhold federal dollars over the move .
“ President Trump ‘ thinks ’ he has the power to deny federal funds to states that want to allow their citizens to vote by mail , ” Republicans for the Rule of Law spokesman Chris Truax said in a news release .
“ Of course he also ‘ thinks ’ it might be a good idea to inject @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mistake Trump ’ s ideas for realistic policies.
” Truax said forcing people to stand in voting lines in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic is “ just insane and , frankly , evil .
”

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Two groups of Republican critics of President Donald Trump are launching new TV attack ads against him. And one of them is attempting to drive a wedge between Trump and his campaign manager, Brad Parscale, by pointing to reports he’s enriched himself off the president’s reelection efforts.
The Lincoln Project ― led in part by conservative attorney George Conway, husband of counselor to the president Kellyanne Conway ― noted the pricey purchases Parscale has made, presumably from his work for the Trump campaign.
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The spot is running on Fox News this week:
One of the Lincoln Project’s previous spots, “Mourning In America,” caused the president to attack the group several times, boosting its recognition and, ironically, its ability to raise money to run even more ads slamming Trump and his allies.
Conway is hoping this one also sets off Trump.
“These ads are designed to encourage him to express himself in the ways that only he can” and drive him crazy, Conway told The Washington Post, then added on Twitter:
in fairness, it’s not a long drive https://t.co/ZK1QIX9yXF — George Conway (@gtconway3d) May 21, 2020
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Meanwhile, Republicans for the Rule of Law ― another group of anti-Trump members of the GOP ― created their own ad in the swing state of Michigan, which Trump won by just 0.23 percent in 2016. Earlier this week, Trump attacked Michigan’s expansion of voting by mail and threatened to withhold federal dollars over the move.
“President Trump ‘thinks’ he has the power to deny federal funds to states that want to allow their citizens to vote by mail,” Republicans for the Rule of Law spokesman Chris Truax said in a news release. “Of course he also ‘thinks’ it might be a good idea to inject Clorox so it is often unwise to mistake Trump’s ideas for realistic policies.”
Truax said forcing people to stand in voting lines in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic is “just insane and, frankly, evil.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-21--Infectious Disease Expert Explains Why White House Coronavirus Testing ‘Not Smart’ At All

Infectious disease expert Michael Osterholm on Wednesday criticized the White House ’ s coronavirus testing protocol , saying it was not an example of smart testing and likening it to giving squirt guns to Secret Service agents to protect President Donald Trump .
Osterholm , the director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota , explained to CNN ’ s Anderson Cooper how testing for COVID-19 itself , while important , is not the end-all for slowing the spread of the contagion that has now killed almost 95,000 people nationwide .
Instead , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as part of a wider system of testing “ the right person at the right time with the right result.
” “ You have to understand that a test is not just a single thing that happens .
You have to be testing the right population , ” said Osterholm , who noted how “ today , if I tested any citizen in the state of Minnesota for antibody , I ’ d probably find over half of them that have it , are false-positive antibodies , meaning that they don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ m testing certain groups that I need to have absolute certainty that I ’ ve screened out for the virus , like we just saw at the White House two weeks ago .
Well , we know that test didn ’ t do that at all , ” he continued .
“ Those are not examples of smart testing .
So you want the right test for the right person at the right time with the right result.
” As an example of the “ right result , ” he noted how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to give the result of the test to people they were testing , and that health departments were not tracking the information .
“ This has got to be part of a system , much more than just ‘ if we ’ re testing for 8,000 people today we ’ ve made it.
’ It ’ s like the Dow Jones average , ” said Osterholm .
“ We need to do smart testing to test those who need it and get the results back to them and make a difference.
” “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he said .
“ I mean , trying to use that test as it was used to protect the president of the United States is like giving squirt guns to the Secret Service and saying ‘ protect the president.
’ ” “ That was just not an effective use of that test because there were clearly examples we could have false negatives , many of them , ” Osterholm added .
“ And so , again , testing is important , but you ’ ve got to use the right test @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Many people are not aware of the fact that we ’ re running these testing machines 24/7 right now around the world , ” he said , noting how spare parts for the devices had to be sourced from Asia and Europe .
“ We just haven ’ t thought about all of the things it takes to keep a testing system in place and so that ’ s what we ’ re trying to come back to , ” he added .

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Infectious disease expert Michael Osterholm on Wednesday criticized the White House’s coronavirus testing protocol, saying it was not an example of smart testing and likening it to giving squirt guns to Secret Service agents to protect President Donald Trump.
Osterholm, the director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, explained to CNN’s Anderson Cooper how testing for COVID-19 itself, while important, is not the be-all and end-all for slowing the spread of the virus that has now killed almost 95,000 people nationwide.
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“You have to understand that a test is not just a single thing that happens. You have to be testing the right population,” he said, noting how “today, if I tested any citizen in the state of Minnesota for antibody, I’d probably find over half of them that have it are false-positive antibodies, meaning that they don’t really have it.”
“If I’m testing certain groups that I need to have absolute certainty that I’ve screened out for the virus, like we just saw at the White House two weeks ago — well, we know that test didn’t do that at all,” Osterholm continued. “Those are not examples of smart testing. So you want the right test for the right person at the right time with the right result.”
He added that many auxiliary and drive-by clinics have been unable to give test results to the people they were testing, and that health departments were not tracking the information.
“This has got to be part of a system, much more than just ‘if we’re testing for 8,000 people today we’ve made it.’ It’s like the Dow Jones average,” Osterholm added. “We need to do smart testing to test those who need it and get the results back to them and make a difference.”
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Cooper suggested it was “pretty alarming” that “even in the White House, the testing they’re doing, you’re saying that’s not smart testing.”
Osterholm agreed: “That was not smart testing at all.”
“I mean, trying to use that test as it was used to protect the president of the United States is like giving squirt guns to the Secret Service and saying, ‘protect the president,’” he said. “That was just not an effective use of that test because there were clearly examples we could have false negatives, many of them.”
Osterholm later highlighted another potential pitfall.
“Many people are not aware of the fact that we’re running these testing machines 24/7 right now around the world,” he said, pointing out how spare parts for the devices had to be sourced from Asia and Europe.
“We just haven’t thought about all of the things it takes to keep a testing system in place, and so that’s what we’re trying to come back to,” he added.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-20--Pelosi Piles On, Compares Trump To Child With 'Doggy Doo On His Shoes'

WASHINGTON , May 20 ( Reuters ) - Nancy Pelosi , the top elected U.S. Democrat , compared President Donald Trump on Wednesday to a child “ with doggy doo on his shoes , ” as the spat between the two leaders escalated .
The speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives and the Republican president have not spoken directly for seven months but have exchanged barbs this week as Congress and the White House work to respond to a coronavirus pandemic that has killed more than 91,000 people in the United States .
“ It ’ s like a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their pants , ” Pelosi told a news conference when asked about provocative comments Trump has made about MSNBC television host Joe Scarborough , including references to him as “ psycho.
” “ He comes in with doggy doo on his shoes and everybody who works with him has that on their shoes , too , for a very longtime to come , ” Pelosi said , referring to canine excrement .
Trump , famous for his name-calling and insults , toldreporters earlier in the week during a visit to Capitol Hill : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She ’ s got a lot of problems .
A lot of mental problems.
” The president was responding to Pelosi ’ s comments on Monday that he should not be taking the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine as a preventive medicine against the coronavirus because of his age and being in a weight group she said was “ morbidly obese.
” Pelosi , who is second in line for the presidency , has not spoken directly to Trump since Oct. 16 , when she attended aWhite House meeting on Syria .
Treasury Secretary Steven @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the negotiations with Pelosi and other congressional Democrats that resulted in $ 3 trillion in coronavirus relief over the past two months .

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WASHINGTON, May 20 (Reuters) - Nancy Pelosi, the top elected U.S. Democrat, compared President Donald Trump on Wednesday to a child “with doggy doo on his shoes,” as the spat between the two leaders escalated.
The speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives and the Republican president have not spoken directly for seven months but have exchanged barbs this week as Congress and the White House work to respond to a coronavirus pandemic that has killed more than 91,000 people in the United States.
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“It’s like a child who comes in with mud on their pants,” Pelosi told a news conference when asked about provocative comments Trump has made about MSNBC television host Joe Scarborough, including references to him as “psycho.”
“He comes in with doggy doo on his shoes and everybody who works with him has that on their shoes, too, for a very longtime to come,” Pelosi said, referring to canine excrement.
Trump, famous for his name-calling and insults, toldreporters earlier in the week during a visit to Capitol Hill: “Pelosi is a sick woman. She’s got a lot of problems. A lot of mental problems.”
The president was responding to Pelosi’s comments on Monday that he should not be taking the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine as a preventive medicine against the coronavirus because of his age and being in a weight group she said was “morbidly obese.”
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Pelosi, who is second in line for the presidency, has not spoken directly to Trump since Oct. 16, when she attended aWhite House meeting on Syria.
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and other Trump administration officials led the negotiations with Pelosi and other congressional Democrats that resulted in $3 trillion in coronavirus relief over the past two months.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-20--GOP Advances Judicial Nominee Who Called Affordable Care Act 'Illegitimate'

In 2012 , Wilson called same-sex marriage “ a pander to liberal interest groups and an attempt to cast Republicans as intolerant , uncaring and even bigoted.
” In 2016 , as a state legislator , he voted for what has been dubbed the nation ’ s most extreme anti-LGBTQ law ; it allows businesses to refuse service to married same-sex couples , people who have sex outside of marriage and transgender people by citing religious freedom .
“ In light of your record of making controversial statements and taking extreme positions , the question is really whether these views @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 5th Circuit judge , ” said Sen. Mazie Hirono ( D-Hawaii ) , running through Wilson ’ s positions on all of those issues .
“ Common sense would say , yes indeed , these views will seep into your decision-making as a judge .
And that is why you are being nominated.
” Sen. Mazie Hirono said the extreme views Cory Wilson expressed before being nominated to a federal court will shape his decisions as a judge on that court — `` and that is why you are being nominated . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ s criticism of the Affordable Care Act .
He wrote in a 2014 op-ed that the law was “ illegitimate ” and “ perverse ” because it passed without GOP votes .
He called it a “ liberal-utopia-dictated healthcare ” in a 2013 op-ed , and in still another op-ed , he said , “ For the sake of the Constitution , I hope the Court strikes down the law and reinvigorates some semblance of the limited government the Founders intended.
” “ You have tweeted over 30 times your contempt for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Durbin ( D-Ill. ) said .
“ In light of all the Americans who have died because of the coronavirus … do you have at least a moment of pause in your efforts to stop the extension of health insurance to so many Americans ?
” “ I ’ m asking you , if at one moment , in light of all that we ’ ve been through over the last several months , you didn ’ t stop and say , ‘ You know , I may not have liked Obama and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may not like the way the Affordable Care Act passed , but I get it , ’ ” said the Illinois Democrat .
“ ‘ When so many Americans feel so vulnerable at this moment ...
I understand what was behind that Affordable Care Act and why many of us think it ’ s the most important vote we ever cast.
’ Just one moment , maybe , when that happened to you ?
” “ What ’ s really unfortunate and indefensible is your nomination in the midst of a public health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ D-Conn. ) told Wilson .
“ I have no confidence that if [ a case challenging the Affordable Care Act ] were to come before your court today , that you would vote to uphold that law.
” Asked if he still thinks the ACA was bad policy , Wilson said his previous op-eds and views on the subject “ have no part in serving as a judge and I ’ ve not expressed that belief since becoming a judge.
” “ I think what you said then was more than just ordinary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It was done with a vehemence that reflected a deep-seated belief , which you would carry out as a member of the court , that any and every opportunity to strike down this law would be taken by you as a member of a federal court.
” Wilson now awaits his vote out of the committee and on to the Senate floor , which is likely in the next few weeks .
Despite opposition from Democrats , he is all but certain to be confirmed .
Republicans rarely oppose any of President Donald @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ( R-Ky. ) has made filling court vacancies his top priority , especially as time runs out before Trump ’ s first ( and possibly last ) term is up .

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WASHINGTON ― Amid a national health emergency that has left millions of Americans out of a job and worrying about health insurance, Senate Republicans moved forward Wednesday with confirming a judicial nominee who has called the Affordable Care Act “illegitimate,” “perverse” and “liberal-utopia-dictated healthcare.”
The Senate Judiciary Committee held a confirmation hearing for Cory Wilson, 49, who is up for a lifetime seat on the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit.
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Democrats grilled Wilson, a Mississippi state judge and former state legislator, over his record of attacking LGBTQ rights, abortion rights and voting rights.
They had a lot to work with.
Cory Wilson has a long record of opposing LGBTQ rights, abortion rights, voting rights and the Affordable Care Act. Naturally, Republicans are ready to make him a lifetime federal judge. Tom Williams via Getty Images
In 2012, Wilson called same-sex marriage “a pander to liberal interest groups and an attempt to cast Republicans as intolerant, uncaring and even bigoted.” In 2016, as a state legislator, he voted for what has been dubbed the nation’s most extreme anti-LGBTQ law; it allows businesses to refuse service to married same-sex couples, people who have sex outside of marriage and transgender people by citing religious freedom.
He said he supported “the complete and immediate reversal of Roe v. Wade” in a 2007 Mississippi Right to Life questionnaire.
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And in a 2011 op-ed, Wilson dismissed the NAACP’s concerns about a proposed Mississippi voter ID law as “poppycock.” He later ripped the Department of Justice for sending election observers to the state.
“In light of your record of making controversial statements and taking extreme positions, the question is really whether these views will seep into your decisions as a 5th Circuit judge,” said Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), running through Wilson’s positions on all of those issues. “Common sense would say, yes indeed, these views will seep into your decision-making as a judge. And that is why you are being nominated.”
Sen. Mazie Hirono said the extreme views Cory Wilson expressed before being nominated to a federal court will shape his decisions as a judge on that court — "and that is why you are being nominated." ASSOCIATED PRESS
But Democrats mostly seized on Wilson’s criticism of the Affordable Care Act. He wrote in a 2014 op-ed that the law was “illegitimate” and “perverse” because it passed without GOP votes. He called it a “liberal-utopia-dictated healthcare” in a 2013 op-ed, and in still another op-ed, he said, “For the sake of the Constitution, I hope the Court strikes down the law and reinvigorates some semblance of the limited government the Founders intended.”
“You have tweeted over 30 times your contempt for the Affordable Care Act,” Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) said. “In light of all the Americans who have died because of the coronavirus … do you have at least a moment of pause in your efforts to stop the extension of health insurance to so many Americans?”
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Wilson said “people of good faith” could disagree about aspects of the health care law or whether it was the right policy. Durbin, visibly irritated, cut him off.
“I’m asking you, if at one moment, in light of all that we’ve been through over the last several months, you didn’t stop and say, ‘You know, I may not have liked Obama and I may not like Democrats and I may not like the way the Affordable Care Act passed, but I get it,’” said the Illinois Democrat. “‘When so many Americans feel so vulnerable at this moment ... I understand what was behind that Affordable Care Act and why many of us think it’s the most important vote we ever cast.’ Just one moment, maybe, when that happened to you?”
Wilson didn’t answer, instead saying he thinks health care is important and that he supported bills to strengthen health care as a state legislator.
“What’s really unfortunate and indefensible is your nomination in the midst of a public health crisis,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) told Wilson. “I have no confidence that if [a case challenging the Affordable Care Act] were to come before your court today, that you would vote to uphold that law.”
Asked if he still thinks the ACA was bad policy, Wilson said his previous op-eds and views on the subject “have no part in serving as a judge and I’ve not expressed that belief since becoming a judge.”
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Blumenthal wasn’t convinced.
“I think what you said then was more than just ordinary opposition,” he said. “It was done with a vehemence that reflected a deep-seated belief, which you would carry out as a member of the court, that any and every opportunity to strike down this law would be taken by you as a member of a federal court.”
“What’s really unfortunate and indefensible is your nomination in the midst of a public health crisis.” - Sen. Richard Blumenthal to judicial nominee Cory Wilson
For their part, Republicans on the committee went easy on Wilson.
“What’s the difference between being a legislator and being an appellate judge?” asked Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas).
“When you had students in your classroom, how did you talk to them about being a fair and impartial judge?” Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) asked with a smile.
Wilson now awaits his vote out of the committee and on to the Senate floor, which is likely in the next few weeks. Despite opposition from Democrats, he is all but certain to be confirmed. Republicans rarely oppose any of President Donald Trump’s court picks, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has made filling court vacancies his top priority, especially as time runs out before Trump’s first (and possibly last) term is up.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-21--Obama Photographer Recalls 'Class' Of Previous Presidents With Trump-Trolling Snap

Pete Souza slapped President Donald Trump with a highly unfavorable comparison to two of his predecessors with the latest trolling throwback snap that he shared on Instagram Wednesday .
Souza , the Obama-era White House photographer , shared an image of the Obamas taking lunch “ with the Bush family after the portraits of President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush were unveiled at the White House in 2012.
” Souza posted the picture following reports that Trump will break with tradition and not host a ceremony at the White House to unveil the official presidential portrait of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , meanwhile , “ has no interest in participating in the post-presidency rite of passage so long as Trump is in office , ” according to NBC .
It would be the end of a long tradition of first-term presidents hosting their immediate predecessor at the White House to unveil an official portrait https : //t.co/x2a4QmqsiF — CNN ( @ CNN ) May 19 , 2020 Souza frequently uses the images he took during his time documenting the Obama White House to throw shade at Trump .
Recently , he ’ s shared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s fumbled response to the coronavirus pandemic and promotion of the unfounded “ Obamagate ” conspiracy that claims Obama led attempts to sabotage Trump ’ s incoming administration .

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Pete Souza slapped President Donald Trump with a highly unfavorable comparison with two previous presidents in the latest trolling throwback snap that he shared on Instagram.
Souza, the Obama-era White House photographer, on Wednesday shared an image of the Obamas lunching “with the Bush family after the portraits of President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush were unveiled at the White House in 2012.”
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“Tradition. Respect. Class,” he wrote in the photo caption. “Remember that?”
Souza posted the picture following reports that Trump, in a break with tradition, will not host a ceremony at the White House to unveil the official presidential portrait of his predecessor, Barack Obama.
Obama, meanwhile, “has no interest in participating in the post-presidency rite of passage so long as Trump is in office,” according to NBC.
It would be the end of a long tradition of first-term presidents hosting their immediate predecessor at the White House to unveil an official portrait https://t.co/x2a4QmqsiF — CNN (@CNN) May 19, 2020
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Souza frequently uses the images he took during his time documenting the Obama White House to throw shade at Trump.
Recently, he’s shared old pictures to call out Trump’s fumbled response to the coronavirus pandemic and promotion of the unfounded “Obamagate” conspiracy that claims Obama led attempts to sabotage Trump’s incoming administration.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-20--Michael Cohen To Be Released On Home Confinement: Reports

Michael Cohen , President Donald Trump ’ s former fixer and longtime attorney , will be released from prison early and serve the remainder of his three-year term under home confinement , according to multiple media reports .
Cohen will be released from a facility in New York later this week , The Wall Street Journal reported .
He has served about a year of his sentence after being convicted on charges of lying to Congress and violating campaign finance laws when he directed hush-money payments to women who said they had sex with Trump .
Cohen was scheduled to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s attorneys initially asked the courts to let him serve the remainder of his sentence at home as the coronavirus began to spread , but a federal judge rejected the request , saying he believed the plea was “ just another effort to inject himself into the news cycle.
” The Associated Press reported last month , however , that Cohen was scheduled to be released early as the outbreak grew .
The Bureau of Prisons has the authority to release inmates to home confinement without a judicial order .
As the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ General William Barr ordered the Bureau of Prisons last month to expand its guidelines for prisoners who are eligible for early release or home confinement .
Barr said the agency should work to protect “ the most vulnerable ” in affected facilities .
“ We are experiencing significant levels of infection at several of our facilities , ” Barr wrote in a memo obtained by Politico .
“ We have to move with dispatch in using home confinement , where appropriate , to move vulnerable inmates out of these institutions.
” More than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tested positive for COVID-19 .
Prisons and jails have been hit hard by the virus due to their low rates of testing and inconsistent reporting of outbreaks , according to investigations .
Several other high-profile people have been released from prison in recent weeks , including Paul Manafort , Trump ’ s former campaign chairman , and Michael Avenatti , who represented Stormy Daniels , one of the women who received a hush-money payment from Cohen .
The Bureau of Prisons has more than 137,000 federal inmates and 36,000 staff members .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tested positive for COVID-19 .

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Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump’s former fixer and longtime attorney, will be released from prison early and serve the remainder of his three-year term under home confinement, according to multiple media reports.
Cohen will be released from a facility in New York later this week, The Wall Street Journal reported. He has served about a year of his sentence after being convicted on charges of lying to Congress and violating campaign finance laws when he directed hush-money payments to women who said they had sex with Trump. Cohen was scheduled to be released in November 2021.
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Cohen’s attorneys initially asked the courts to let him serve the remainder of his sentence at home as the coronavirus began to spread, but a federal judge rejected the request, saying he believed the plea was “just another effort to inject himself into the news cycle.”
The Associated Press reported last month, however, that Cohen was scheduled to be released early as the outbreak grew. The Bureau of Prisons has the authority to release inmates to home confinement without a judicial order.
As the coronavirus spread around the nation, Attorney General William Barr ordered the Bureau of Prisons last month to expand its guidelines for prisoners who are eligible for early release or home confinement. Barr said the agency should work to protect “the most vulnerable” in affected facilities.
“We are experiencing significant levels of infection at several of our facilities,” Barr wrote in a memo obtained by Politico. “We have to move with dispatch in using home confinement, where appropriate, to move vulnerable inmates out of these institutions.”
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More than 1.5 million people in the U.S. have tested positive for COVID-19. Prisons and jails have been hit hard by the virus due to their low rates of testing and inconsistent reporting of outbreaks, according to investigations.
Several other high-profile people have been released from prison in recent weeks, including Paul Manafort, Trump’s former campaign chairman, and Michael Avenatti, who represented Stormy Daniels, one of the women who received a hush-money payment from Cohen.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-20--Volunteers Recite The Names Of Thousands Of Coronavirus Victims In Online Vigil

The 24-hour “ # NamingTheLost ” vigil seeks to address a “ lack of collective mourning ” that organizers believe is obscuring what is at stake during the pandemic .
“ Before we can make the future , we must come together in mourning , united across our differences , to recognize and grieve for the lives lost , ” the group ’ s website states .
“ By taking 24 hours to read the names of those we have lost , we seek to humanize and honor each person — and those whose names we do not know — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ physically apart.
” The memorial began streaming live on Facebook and other social media platforms on Wednesday at 2 p.m. Eastern .
Grieving rituals , including moments of silence , songs and reflections , intersperse the reading of names .
A number of faith-based organizations , along with progressive groups and politicians , have promoted the vigil on social media .
Many of the speakers are clergy or activists who primarily serve communities of color , seniors , and people with disabilities .
Organizers said they were driven by grief over the social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conviction that it “ didn ’ t have to be this way.
” “ Our country ’ s leaders made choices that risked our lives , ” a website for the vigil states .
“ We know we can choose a different way forward that is about caring for all of us.
” We will not forget the 90,000+ Americans who have died from COVID-19 .
We know they did not need to die .
Join @ NamingTheLost on May 20th to read their names so we can honor them together # NamingTheLost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bailey is # NamingtheLost ( @ revjenbailey ) May 19 , 2020 We need to grieve the lives taken by # COVID19 .
We are more than a hotspot in Wayne County .
Communities , especially the African American community , have been devastated .
Many of our cornerstones are gone .
We need to say their names .
Join the # NamingTheLost vigil tomorrow .
⬇ https : //t.co/z8P0I3oNhm — Rashida Tlaib ( @ RashidaTlaib ) May 19 , 2020 Over 90,000 people have died from COVID-19 in the U.S. , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The pandemic has had an outsized impact on Black and Latinx communities .
The vigil participants can ’ t name all the deceased , but they aim to “ read the names of as many people as we can name , ” Anthony Torres , an organizer from Brooklyn , New York , told HuffPost .
The group gathered thousands of names by combing through public sources such as “ newspapers , unions , faith institutions , [ and ] government postings , ” he said .
“ We also put out an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ loved ones lost to COVID from the public , ” Torres said .
“ We received hundreds that way.
” Zahara Zahav , a New York-based community organizer with the advocacy group Jews for Racial and Economic Justice , said she hopes the recitation of these names helps to humanize the coronavirus death toll figures .
“ Our country ’ s leadership has not supported people to take the time and space to really acknowledge what ’ s happening and look it in the face .
For as long as we don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get away with not supporting people , ” Zahav said .
“ If we actually really understood the depths of what ’ s happening , the depth of the loss , we ’ d be forced to make some difficult decisions about changing what our world looks like .
”

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A group of community organizers and faith leaders is taking turns reciting the names of thousands of people who reportedly died of COVID-19.
The 24-hour “#NamingTheLost” vigil seeks to address a “lack of collective mourning” that organizers believe is obscuring what is at stake during the pandemic.
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“Before we can make the future, we must come together in mourning, united across our differences, to recognize and grieve for the lives lost,” the group’s website states. “By taking 24 hours to read the names of those we have lost, we seek to humanize and honor each person — and those whose names we do not know — at a time when we must be physically apart.”
The memorial began streaming live on Facebook and other social media platforms on Wednesday at 2 p.m. Eastern. Grieving rituals, including moments of silence, songs and reflections, intersperse the reading of names.
A number of faith-based organizations, along with progressive groups and politicians, have promoted the vigil on social media. Many of the speakers are clergy or activists who primarily serve communities of color, seniors, and people with disabilities. Organizers said they were driven by grief over the social inequalities the pandemic has exposed and the conviction that it “didn’t have to be this way.”
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“Our country’s leaders made choices that risked our lives,” a website for the vigil states. “We know we can choose a different way forward that is about caring for all of us.”
We will not forget the 90,000+ Americans who have died from COVID-19. We know they did not need to die. Join @NamingTheLost on May 20th to read their names so we can honor them together #NamingTheLost https://t.co/MrfYYDjTRB — Rev. Jen Bailey is #NamingtheLost (@revjenbailey) May 19, 2020
A country that doesn’t mourn its dead is a country that doesn’t care for its people. Be part of a special 24 hour memorial to remember and mourn those we’ve lost #NamingtheLost https://t.co/mFTRI1PDEN pic.twitter.com/OsdjsjQ37f — Jews for Racial & Economic Justice (@JFREJNYC) May 19, 2020
The people who’ve died from COVID-19 are our sisters and brothers, our parents and grandparents, our nurses and grocery clerks, our first responders and teachers. Today we’re honoring and #NamingTheLost @NamingTheLost https://t.co/fNMozRfWxo pic.twitter.com/tRyXP8IDQm — Women's March (@womensmarch) May 20, 2020
We need to grieve the lives taken by #COVID19.
We are more than a hotspot in Wayne County. Communities, especially the African American community, have been devastated. Many of our cornerstones are gone.
We need to say their names.
Join the #NamingTheLost vigil tomorrow. ⬇ https://t.co/z8P0I3oNhm — Rashida Tlaib (@RashidaTlaib) May 19, 2020
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92,333
Behind each number is a name, a story, a life, and a community grieving deeply.#NamingTheLost https://t.co/lV64x7a6t9 — Ayanna Pressley (@AyannaPressley) May 20, 2020
Over 90,000 people have died from COVID-19 in the U.S., according to data from Johns Hopkins University. The pandemic has had an outsized impact on Black and Latinx communities.
The vigil participants can’t name all the deceased, but they aim to “read the names of as many people as we can name,” Anthony Torres, an organizer from Brooklyn, New York, told HuffPost. The group gathered thousands of names by combing through public sources such as “newspapers, unions, faith institutions, [and] government postings,” he said.
“We also put out an open call for submissions for names of loved ones lost to COVID from the public,” Torres said. “We received hundreds that way.”
Anthonine Pierre, deputy director of the Brooklyn Movement Center, recites the names of people who have lost their lives to COVID-19 during a livestreamed vigil. Naming The Lost / Twitter / Screenshot
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Zahara Zahav, a New York-based community organizer with the advocacy group Jews for Racial and Economic Justice, said she hopes the recitation of these names helps to humanize the coronavirus death toll figures.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-21--Chris Cuomo Swabs Brother Andrew Cuomo With Absurd Coronavirus Props

CNN ’ s Chris Cuomo shared a moment of levity with his older brother , New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo ( D ) , during their latest on-air interview about the coronavirus pandemic Wednesday .
The “ Cuomo Prime Time ” host seized on the swab test that his sibling took ( and tested negative for ) during his briefing Sunday to bring out some comedy props .
Namely , a series of swabs that increased in size as the chat went on .
“ This was the actual swab that was being used to fit up that double-barrel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ front of your pretty face , ” said the younger brother .
“ This is not love , ” responded the governor , whose own response to the public health crisis is now under scrutiny .
He couldn ’ t help laughing , however , and took the ribbing ( the latest example of the brothers ’ on-air banter ) in his stride .
Check out the exchange here : “ Is it true… this was the actual swab that was being used to fit up that double barreled shotgun that you have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ face ?
” .
@ ChrisCuomo and his brother NY Gov .
Andrew Cuomo share a light a moment over the governor ’ s televised coronavirus test .
pic.twitter.com/ETcnPkTjqV — Cuomo Prime Time ( @ CuomoPrimeTime ) May 21 , 2020

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CNN’s Chris Cuomo shared a moment of levity with his older brother, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, during their latest on-air interview about the coronavirus pandemic Wednesday.
The “Cuomo Prime Time” host seized on the swab test that his sibling took (and tested negative for) during his briefing Sunday to bring out some comedy props — namely, a series of swabs that increased in size as the chat went on.
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“This was the actual swab that was being used to fit up that double-barrel shotgun that you have mounted on the front of your pretty face,” the younger brother said.
“This is not love,” responded the governor, though he couldn’t help but laugh and take the ribbing (the latest example of the brothers’ on-air banter) in his stride.
Check out the exchange here:
“Is it true… this was the actual swab that was being used to fit up that double barreled shotgun that you have mounted on the front of your pretty face?”
.@ChrisCuomo and his brother NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo share a light a moment over the governor’s televised coronavirus test. pic.twitter.com/ETcnPkTjqV — Cuomo Prime Time (@CuomoPrimeTime) May 21, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-21--Former White House Butler Who Served 11 Presidents Dies Of Coronavirus

A former White House employee who worked with 11 presidents ― from Dwight Eisenhower to Barack Obama ― died over the weekend after contracting the coronavirus .
He was 91 .
Wilson Roosevelt Jerman , who appeared alongside the Obamas in a photograph published in former first lady Michelle Obama ’ s bestselling memoir “ Becoming , ” retired in 2012 following 55 years of service .
He began his White House career in 1957 as a cleaner , gaining promotion to the role of butler during the Kennedy administration , his granddaughter , Jamila Garrett , told FOX 5 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fox5dc at 10p - He served at the pleasure of 11 U.S. Presidents ... during his 55 years at the White House .
Last weekend , he passed from COVID-19 .
My exclusive interview with the granddaughter of White House butler , Wilson Jerman is next !
pic.twitter.com/SBiXbQLiud — ShawnYancy ( @ Fox5Shawn ) May 20 , 2020 Garrett described her grandfather as a “ loving and genuine man ” who was “ always about service ” and “ really authentic.
” The father of five “ always taught us that there will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will not disappear , ” Garrett added , noting his advice to “ keep pushing forward.
” Former President George W. Bush and former first lady Laura Bush paid tribute to Jerman , describing him as “ a lovely man.
” “ He was the first person we saw in the morning when we left the Residence and the last person we saw each night when we returned , ” they said in a statement to NBC News .

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A former White House employee who worked with 11 presidents ― from Dwight Eisenhower to Barack Obama ― died over the weekend after contracting the coronavirus. He was 91.
Wilson Roosevelt Jerman, who appeared alongside the Obamas in a photograph published in former first lady Michelle Obama’s bestselling memoir “Becoming,” retired in 2012 following 55 years of service.
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He began his White House career in 1957 as a cleaner, gaining promotion to the role of butler during the Kennedy administration, his granddaughter, Jamila Garrett, told FOX 5 DC on Wednesday.
Tonight on @fox5dc at 10p -
He served at the pleasure of 11 U.S. Presidents... during his 55 years at the White House.
Last weekend, he passed from COVID-19.
My exclusive interview with the granddaughter of White House butler, Wilson Jerman is next! pic.twitter.com/SBiXbQLiud — ShawnYancy (@Fox5Shawn) May 20, 2020
Garrett described her grandfather as a “loving and genuine man” who was “always about service” and “really authentic.”
The father of five “always taught us that there will be obstacles in your life, they will not disappear,” Garrett added, noting his advice to “keep pushing forward.”
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Check out the interview here:
Former President George W. Bush and former first lady Laura Bush paid tribute to Jerman, describing him as “a lovely man.”
“He was the first person we saw in the morning when we left the Residence and the last person we saw each night when we returned,” they said in a statement to NBC News.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-21--GOP Consultant Predicts ‘Next Big Campaign Fight’ Of The Coronavirus Era

“ Donald Trump needs a room full of adoring supporters , ” said Murphy , who worked with the late @ @ @ @ @ 2016 candidate Jeb Bush and a host of other prominent Republicans during his three decades @ @ @ @ @ ’ s going to be tough in the pandemic era , even as we slowly @ @ @ @ @ the numbers get better , ” Murphy continued .
“ So , my guess is @ @ @ @ @ big campaign fight over the Democrats saying ‘ We ’ re being savvy over public @ @ @ @ @ putting cops and first responders at risk by trying to put 10,000 people in an @ @ @ @ @ ”

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Longtime Republican consultant Mike Murphy on Wednesday predicted what he believes will become the “next big campaign fight” during the coronavirus pandemic.
Murphy, a vocal critic of President Donald Trump, told MSNBC’s Ari Melber it will center on the upcoming Democratic and Republican conventions.
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“Donald Trump needs a room full of adoring supporters,” said Murphy, who worked with the late Arizona Sen. John McCain, 2016 candidate Jeb Bush and a host of other prominent Republicans during his three decades in politics.
“That’s going to be tough in the pandemic era, even as we slowly start to open up as the numbers get better,” Murphy continued. “So, my guess is that will be the next big campaign fight over the Democrats saying ‘We’re being savvy over public safety while you’re putting cops and first responders at risk by trying to put 10,000 people in an arena in Charlotte.’”
Melber suggested the convention contrast would “shape up to be a political, cultural debate of epic, symbolic proportion.”