thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-17--Joe Biden Taps Michael Regan As EPA Administrator

If confirmed , Regan , 44 , would be the first Black man to run the EPA .
He would take over an agency in upheaval following four years of political meddling under a Trump administration that has installed fossil fuel lobbyists and allies in top positions and driven out legions of career scientists and regulators .
Yet he ’ ll shape the White House ’ s efforts to deploy clean energy at a record pace and close the nation ’ s racial and class gap on who breathes dirtier air and drinks less safe water .
In a White @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will bring expertise in air pollution — an issue that , despite the Trump administration ’ s efforts to obscure the damages to public health , is increasingly understood worldwide as a deadly and urgent threat beyond its implications for climate change .
He ’ ll lead in a historic moment as the United States seizes on a growing threat from severe storms , droughts and wildfires to transform the federal government in ways that , if successful , will set humanity on a path toward averting planetary catastrophe in the decades to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ll serve alongside a Cabinet tasked with making climate change a priority across agencies .
His colleagues could include Obama-era EPA chief Gina McCarthy as a powerful new domestic climate czar and former Secretary of State John Kerry as the face of American climate diplomacy .
Regan , who until now has had little name recognition outside his home state , beat out experienced contenders for the job .
In recent days , he overtook California Air Resources Board chief Mary Nichols , a powerful figure who had at one point been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her of failing to address pollution in Black and Latino communities .
“ With Michael Regan , President-elect Biden continues adding to his historically qualified and diverse Cabinet , replacing a fossil fuel industry puppet with an experienced EPA air quality scientist , just as Gov .
Cooper did when he put Regan in charge of our DEQ four years ago , ” Dan Crawford , the North Carolina League of Conservation Voters ’ director of governmental relations , said in a statement .
“ Regan has gone to bat for North Carolinians @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the country will get to benefit from his leadership .
North Carolina ’ s loss will be America ’ s gain.
” “ He ’ s an incredibly talented young man , ” James Johnson , the chairman of the environmental justice advisory board Regan created at the department in 2018 , told North Carolina ’ s News & Observer .
“ He understands and respects the science behind climate change .
He ’ s a courageous listener , not just to things he believes .
He listens in a balanced way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decisions .
He ’ s not listening just to refute , he ’ s listening to learn and understand alternative perspectives.
” Advocates in the state described Regan as generally reluctant to take aggressive stances against influential industries , particularly pork and poultry producers , that enjoy strong support among state lawmakers who routinely threaten to cut the Department of Environmental Quality ’ s funding .
As it stands , the agency ’ s budget shrank 34 % from 2008 to 2018 , and it lost 376 staff positions , research from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year .
And for his first two years , Republicans held a veto-proof majority in the legislature .
“ He ’ s a good person , and I think he has the heart to do right by communities and do right by the environment in this state , ” Naeema Muhammad , the organizing co-director of the North Carolina Environmental Justice Network , said by phone .
“ But his hands have been tied up by our legislature.
” A petition she shared , which was still gaining signatures from other activists in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pushed back against criticisms of Regan , stating : “ We the undersigned hope to convey our belief that Secretary Regan would be an immensely qualified nominee to lead the Environmental Protection Agency .
We believe that he would lead it with dignity and is well positioned to help guide it into a critically important era after several years of mismanagement.
” But lose she did , after activists charged the 75-year-old regulator with a “ bleak ” record on environmental justice , arguing her embrace of a cap-and-trade system to regulate emissions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Latino communities .
That runs counter to the findings of a major study from the National Bureau of Economic Research , which this year concluded that California ’ s cap-and-trade system decreased local pollution in disadvantaged communities .
As The New York Times reported , the accusations tanked Nichols ’ candidacy .
Another factor may have been the racial makeup of Biden ’ s other nominees for key climate and environment positions .
His first picks were Kerry and McCarthy , followed by former Michigan Gov .
Jennifer Granholm as his energy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
On Wednesday , Biden signaled plans to nominate Brenda Mallory , an experienced environmental lawyer and a Black woman who works as the Southern Environmental Law Center ’ s regulatory affairs chief , to lead the White House Council on Environmental Quality .
Yet the council is widely seen as a sleepier and less influential post in the Cabinet .
That made Gen. Lloyd Austin III , Biden ’ s pick for defense secretary , the most notable Black male agency chief chosen so far in a year where the nation faced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way nonwhite Americans suffer greater exposure to pollution than their white compatriots .
He ’ s a good person , and I think he has the heart to do right by communities and do right by the environment in this state .
But his hands have been tied up by our legislature .

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President-elect Joe Biden is set to name Michael Regan as his pick for the nation’s 16th administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, putting North Carolina’s top pollution regulator in charge of a research and rule-making body thrust into turmoil, a source with knowledge of the pick told HuffPost.
If confirmed, Regan, 44, would be the first Black man to run the EPA. He would take over an agency in upheaval following four years of political meddling under a Trump administration that has installed fossil fuel lobbyists and allies in top positions and driven out legions of career scientists and regulators.
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His first few months will focus largely on triage as the new Biden administration halts controversial rules, reverses the federal position in environmentalists’ lawsuits challenging Trump-era policies, and prioritizes which regulations to take on first.
Yet he’ll shape the White House’s efforts to deploy clean energy at a record pace and close the nation’s racial and class gap on who breathes dirtier air and drinks less safe water. In a White House stacked with climate experts, Regan will bring expertise in air pollution — an issue that, despite the Trump administration’s efforts to obscure the damages to public health, is increasingly understood worldwide as a deadly and urgent threat beyond its implications for climate change.
He’ll lead in a historic moment as the United States seizes on a growing threat from severe storms, droughts and wildfires to transform the federal government in ways that, if successful, will set humanity on a path toward averting planetary catastrophe in the decades to come. Unlike past administrators, he’ll serve alongside a Cabinet tasked with making climate change a priority across agencies. His colleagues could include Obama-era EPA chief Gina McCarthy as a powerful new domestic climate czar and former Secretary of State John Kerry as the face of American climate diplomacy.
Regan, who until now has had little name recognition outside his home state, beat out experienced contenders for the job. In recent days, he overtook California Air Resources Board chief Mary Nichols, a powerful figure who had at one point been considered the front-runner, after activists accused her of failing to address pollution in Black and Latino communities.
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Michael Regan has led the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality. North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality
The Goldsboro, North Carolina, native’s own record stretches back nearly two decades.
He worked on the EPA’s air quality and energy programs in the Bill Clinton and George W. Bush administrations before joining the Environmental Defense Fund, where he led the politically moderate advocacy group’s efforts to reduce the effects of climate change and air pollution. In 2017, Gov. Roy Cooper (D) tapped him to lead the Department of Environmental Quality, overseeing a roughly $80 million budget.
“With Michael Regan, President-elect Biden continues adding to his historically qualified and diverse Cabinet, replacing a fossil fuel industry puppet with an experienced EPA air quality scientist, just as Gov. Cooper did when he put Regan in charge of our DEQ four years ago,” Dan Crawford, the North Carolina League of Conservation Voters’ director of governmental relations, said in a statement. “Regan has gone to bat for North Carolinians against polluters, and now the rest of the country will get to benefit from his leadership. North Carolina’s loss will be America’s gain.”
Regan’s tenure as North Carolina’s chief environmental regulator is mixed.
He created the Clean Energy Plan, requiring the state’s utilities to slash their output of planet-heating gases 70% below 2005 levels by 2030, and it set a goal to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.
In January, he brokered a legal settlement with utility giant Duke Energy to excavate nearly 80 million tons of coal ash, the largest cleanup in U.S. history of the toxic residue that often pollutes water sources and soil.
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In August, Regan rejected a key water permit for the Mountain Valley Pipeline, a controversial natural gas conduit, calling it “an unnecessary project that poses unnecessary risks to our environment.”
“He’s an incredibly talented young man,” James Johnson, the chairman of the environmental justice advisory board Regan created at the department in 2018, told North Carolina’s News & Observer. “He understands and respects the science behind climate change. He’s a courageous listener, not just to things he believes. He listens in a balanced way and it enables him to make informed decisions. He’s not listening just to refute, he’s listening to learn and understand alternative perspectives.”
But the Mountain Valley decision came two years after he approved permits for the Atlantic Coast Pipeline, a separate gas conduit that drew fierce opposition from faith groups, environmentalists and community activists, particularly in Black neighborhoods. He greenlighted construction of a gas facility in the heart of Lumbee territory, the largest indigenous tribe east of the Mississippi, without properly consulting tribal leaders.
Under his leadership, the state agency “approved every permit application from the wood pellet industry in North Carolina despite the industry’s massive deforestation problems and failed to resolve critical environmental issues related to hog waste disposal,” according to a blog post from the Center for Economic and Policy Research’s Revolving Door Project, a watchdog group.
“Regan has failed to listen to the interests of North Carolinians,” the campaign arm of the national environmental nonprofit Friends of the Earth wrote in a tweet linking to the blog post. “He should not lead EPA.”
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President-elect Joe Biden listens as former Secretary of State John Kerry, his pick for special presidential envoy for climate, speaks at a press conference announcing his selection for the post. Joshua Roberts/Reuters
Advocates in the state described Regan as generally reluctant to take aggressive stances against influential industries, particularly pork and poultry producers, that enjoy strong support among state lawmakers who routinely threaten to cut the Department of Environmental Quality’s funding. As it stands, the agency’s budget shrank 34% from 2008 to 2018, and it lost 376 staff positions, research from the nonprofit Environmental Integrity Project found earlier this year. And for his first two years, Republicans held a veto-proof majority in the legislature.
“He’s a good person, and I think he has the heart to do right by communities and do right by the environment in this state,” Naeema Muhammad, the organizing co-director of the North Carolina Environmental Justice Network, said by phone. “But his hands have been tied up by our legislature.”
A petition she shared, which was still gaining signatures from other activists in North Carolina as of Wednesday night, pushed back against criticisms of Regan, stating: “We the undersigned hope to convey our belief that Secretary Regan would be an immensely qualified nominee to lead the Environmental Protection Agency. We believe that he would lead it with dignity and is well positioned to help guide it into a critically important era after several years of mismanagement.”
Other names floated for the job included Heather McTeer Toney, a former southeast regional administrator under President Barack Obama who now leads the nonprofit Moms Clean Air Force; Richard Revesz, a New York University law professor and director of the school’s Institute for Policy Integrity; and Mustafa Santiago Ali, a 24-year veteran of the agency who resigned in 2017.
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Until this week, Biden looked poised to name Nichols to the job.
“It’s hers to lose,” one source with knowledge of the transition team’s thinking told HuffPost earlier this month.
But lose she did, after activists charged the 75-year-old regulator with a “bleak” record on environmental justice, arguing her embrace of a cap-and-trade system to regulate emissions in California privileged polluters and hurt Black and Latino communities. That runs counter to the findings of a major study from the National Bureau of Economic Research, which this year concluded that California’s cap-and-trade system decreased local pollution in disadvantaged communities. As The New York Times reported, the accusations tanked Nichols’ candidacy.
Another factor may have been the racial makeup of Biden’s other nominees for key climate and environment positions. His first picks were Kerry and McCarthy, followed by former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm as his energy secretary, all of whom are white. On Wednesday, Biden signaled plans to nominate Brenda Mallory, an experienced environmental lawyer and a Black woman who works as the Southern Environmental Law Center’s regulatory affairs chief, to lead the White House Council on Environmental Quality.
Yet the council is widely seen as a sleepier and less influential post in the Cabinet. That made Gen. Lloyd Austin III, Biden’s pick for defense secretary, the most notable Black male agency chief chosen so far in a year where the nation faced a reckoning over racism, particularly the way nonwhite Americans suffer greater exposure to pollution than their white compatriots.
“No. 1, his being a Black man and No. 2, his being from eastern North Carolina... means he has a certain sensitivity that’s not inherently there,” Muhammad said of Regan.
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Yet righting historic wrongs in minority communities that breathe disproportionately deadlier air compared to the American average will be just one facet of the job.
“He’s a good person, and I think he has the heart to do right by communities and do right by the environment in this state. But his hands have been tied up by our legislature.” - Naeema Muhammad, North Carolina Environmental Justice Network
Few federal agencies endured more turbulence under President Donald Trump than the EPA.
Soon after taking office, Trump nominated Scott Pruitt, the climate change-denying Oklahoma attorney general who led state lawsuits against the EPA’s power plant regulations, to lead the agency. When Pruitt resigned amid mounting scandals in July 2018, Trump tapped Andrew Wheeler, who had months earlier served as a lobbyist for a major coal baron and financier of climate misinformation groups, to replace him.
The Trump administration successfully loosened or rescinded 84 environmental regulations as of late November, according to The New York Times’ tally, and has started the process of rolling back another 20.
Some of the administration’s highest-profile changes to rules on water pollution, tailpipe emissions and the research regulators can consider proved so controversial and scientifically unsound that the president’s own hand-picked science advisers publicly criticized the agency’s “significant weaknesses in the scientific analysis” and “neglect” of “established science.”
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That hasn’t slowed the Trump EPA’s efforts to erect more roadblocks for its successors. Ahead of Biden’s inauguration next month, Wheeler plans to finalize three rules restricting the medical research EPA regulators can cite in future rule-making, inviting polluters to bombard agency lawyers with legal challenges and downgrading the public health benefits of clean air rules.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-17--All The Members Of Congress Who Have Tested Positive For COVID-19

Drew Angerer via Getty Images Put your mask back on , Joe Wilson .
The Republican House member from South Carolina this week joined the growing ranks of lawmakers who have tested positive for coronavirus .
Rep. Mike Rogers ( R-Ala. ) announced Thursday that he has tested positive for the coronavirus .
Later in the day , President-elect Joe Biden ’ s transition team disclosed that so has Rep. Cedric Richmond ( D-La . )
, who will join the new administration as a senior adviser .
These announcements came less than two weeks after Republican Reps. Barry Loudermilk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ala. ) , Ted Budd ( N.C. ) , Austin Scott ( Ga. ) and Ken Calvert ( Calif. ) said they all tested positive .
Dozens of members of Congress have been infected with COVID-19 since March , and those numbers have steadily increased in the past two months .
As of Thursday , eight senators and 37 House members have tested positive or been diagnosed with the virus .
All of the senators are Republicans ; among the House members , 26 are Republicans and 11 are Democrats .
Here ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lawmakers who have tested positive ( or been diagnosed with a presumed infection ) this year and when they announced it .
This list will be updated if and when more cases are reported .

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In the first month of 2021, 15 members of Congress have tested positive for the coronavirus. Ten have announced they tested positive since the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, when lawmakers spent hours together in confined locations where some GOP members refused to wear masks.
All told, 65 members of Congress have been infected with COVID-19 since March last year, with a notable spike in cases since Thanksgiving.
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Broken down, 10 senators and 55 House members have tested positive or been diagnosed with the virus. Eight of those 10 senators are Republicans; in the House, 34 are Republicans and 21 are Democrats.
Put your mask on, Joe Wilson. Drew Angerer via Getty Images
Here’s a running list of all the lawmakers who have tested positive for COVID-19 or its antibodies, or have been diagnosed with a presumed infection, and when they announced it. This list will be updated as more cases are reported.
1) Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.) ― March 18
2) Rep. Ben McAdams (D-Utah) ― March 18
3) Rep. Joe Cunningham (D-S.C.) ― March 19
4) Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) ― March 22
5) Rep. Mike Kelly (R-Pa.) ― March 27
6) Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-N.Y.) ― March 30
7) Rep. Neal Dunn (R-Fla.) ― April 9
8) Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) ― May 28
9) Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) ― May 29
10) Rep. Tom Rice (R-S.C.) ― June 15
11) Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-Va.) ― July 14
12) Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) ― July 29
13) Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.) ― Aug. 1
14) Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.) ― Aug. 5
15) Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) ― Aug. 20
16) Rep. Dan Meuser (R-Pa.) ― Aug. 22
18) Rep. Jahana Hayes (D-Conn.) ― Sept. 20
19) Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) ― Oct. 2
20) Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) ― Oct. 2
21) Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) ― Oct. 3
22) Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Calif.) ― Oct. 6
23) Rep. Mike Bost (R-Ill.) ― Oct. 9
24) Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-Mich.) ― Oct. 14
25) Rep. Drew Ferguson (R-Ga.) ― Oct. 30
26) Rep. Michael Waltz (R-Fla.) ― Nov. 9
27) Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska) ― Nov. 12
28) Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-Ill.) ― Nov. 16
29) Rep. Tim Walberg (R-Mich.) ― Nov. 16
30) Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) ― Nov. 17
31) Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D-Colo.) ― Nov. 17
32) Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.) ― Nov. 18
33) Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-Colo.) ― Nov. 18
34) Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) ― Nov. 20
35) Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.) ― Nov. 21
36) Rep. Bryan Steil (R-Wis.) ― Nov. 22
37) Rep. Joe Courtney (D-Conn.) ― Nov. 22
38) Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) ― Nov. 23
39) Rep. Rick Allen (R-Ga.) ― Nov. 24
40) Rep. Susie Lee (D-Nev.) ― Nov. 25
41) Rep. Ken Calvert (R-Calif.) ― Nov. 30
42) Rep. Austin Scott (R-Ga.) ― Nov. 30
43) Rep. Ted Budd (R-N.C.) ― Dec. 1
44) Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-Ala.) ― Dec. 4
45) Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.) ― Dec. 15
46) Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) ― Dec. 16
47) Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) ― Dec. 17
48) Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-La.) ― Dec. 17
49) Rep. Rick Larsen (D-Wash.) ― Dec. 23
50) Rep. Gwen Moore (D-Wis.) ― Dec. 28
51) Rep. Kay Granger (R-Texas) ― Jan. 4
52) Rep. Michelle Steel (R-Calif.) ― Jan. 6
53) Rep. Jake LaTurner (R-Kan.) ― Jan. 6
54) Rep. Kevin Brady (R-Texas) ― Jan. 6
55) Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.) ― Jan. 6
56) Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (R-Tenn.) ― Jan. 10
57) Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.) ― Jan. 11
58) Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) ― Jan. 12
59) Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Ill.) ― Jan. 12
60) Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.) ― Jan. 14
61) Rep. Lou Correa (D-Calif.) ― Jan. 15
62) Rep. Raul Ruiz (D-Calif.) ― Jan. 19
63) Rep. Ron Wright (R-Texas) ― Jan. 21
64) Rep. Lori Trahan (D-Mass.) ― Jan. 28
65) Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.) ― Jan. 29


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-17--Try To Count How Many Times Kelly Loeffler Avoids Accepting Joe Biden's Victory

Sen. Kelly Loeffler ( R-Ga. ) refused to acknowledge that Joe Biden is the president-elect multiple times in a two-minute span on Wednesday , video posted by CNN ’ s Ryan Nobles shows .
In this 2m clip  @ KLoeffler is asked about Biden ’ s win six different times .
She refuses to directly answer even one of the very specific questions .
This is a small sample of the full presser where she refused to answer several simple questions .
( Examples on this thread ) pic.twitter.com/vRSXqAWO39 — Ryan Nobles ( @ ryanobles ) December 16 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Donald Trump ’ s most faithful followers may have outdone herself in perpetuating his false narrative that the election was stolen from him .
In the meantime , Trump and his allies still pursue half-baked plans to subvert the legal results , including a possible challenge when Congress formally certifies Biden ’ s victory on Jan. 6 .
Loeffler , who faces a Jan. 5 runoff against Democrat Raphael Warnock , avoided saying whether she would join congressional objectors to Biden ’ s presidency , per The Atlanta Journal-Constitution .
“ I haven @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she said in the clip .
“ Jan .
6 is a long way off .
There ’ s a lot to play out between now and then.
” She then dodged several direct questions about whether she would recognize Biden as the new president .
Her responses included attacks on Democratic lawmakers and Warnock , whom she called the “ most radically liberal candidate for Senate that our country has ever seen.
” Her last evasion turned into a flat-out denial of Biden ’ s presidency .
Asked if she would ever @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Loeffler answered : “ There ’ ll be a time for that if it becomes true .
”

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Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.) refused to acknowledge that Joe Biden is the president-elect multiple times in a two-minute span on Wednesday, video posted by CNN’s Ryan Nobles shows.
In this 2m clip @KLoeffler is asked about Biden’s win six different times.
She refuses to directly answer even one of the very specific questions.
This is a small sample of the full presser where she refused to answer several simple questions.
(Examples on this thread) pic.twitter.com/vRSXqAWO39 — Ryan Nobles (@ryanobles) December 16, 2020
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Appearing before reporters, one of Donald Trump’s most faithful followers may have outdone herself in perpetuating his false narrative that the election was stolen from him. In the meantime, Trump and his allies still pursue half-baked plans to subvert the legal results, including a possible challenge when Congress formally certifies Biden’s victory on Jan. 6.
Loeffler, who faces a Jan. 5 runoff against Democrat Raphael Warnock, avoided saying whether she would join congressional objectors to Biden’s presidency, per The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
“I haven’t looked at it,” she said in the clip. “Jan. 6 is a long way off. There’s a lot to play out between now and then.”
She then dodged several direct questions about whether she would recognize Biden as the new president. Her responses included attacks on Democratic lawmakers and Warnock, whom she called the “most radically liberal candidate for Senate that our country has ever seen.”
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Her last evasion turned into a flat-out denial of Biden’s presidency.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-17--Lawmakers Tear Into Sackler Family In Hearing On Opioid Crisis

Two members of the Sackler family who served on the board of Purdue Pharma in 2018 testified before the U.S. House under threat of subpoena Thursday , where they answered questions about their role in the opioid epidemic .
Lawmakers on the Committee on Oversight and Reform peppered David and Dr. Kathe Sackler with questions in the at-times testy hearing .
While the Sacklers acknowledged the role Purdue ’ s painkiller OxyContin played in the epidemic , which has taken roughly 450,000 lives in the United States since 1999 , they stopped short of apologizing or admitting any wrongdoing .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ her role in precipitating the crisis , Kathe Sackler said that after plenty of soul-searching , she ’ s not sure she ’ d have taken a different course .
“ I have tried to figure out if there ’ s anything I could have done differently knowing what I knew then , not what I know now , ” she said .
“ There is nothing I can find that I would have done differently.
” Rep. Maloney ( D-NY ) : `` Will you apologize for the role you played in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sackler , Former Vice President of Purdue Pharma : `` I have to say , there is nothing I can find that I would have done differently ... '' pic.twitter.com/6po3AHPwBN — The Recount ( @ therecount ) December 17 , 2020 The comment provoked a fiery retort from Rep. Kelly Armstrong ( R-N.D. ) who later replied , “ Ms .
Sackler , you wanted to ask what you could have done differently ?
Look at your own damn balance sheet !
” Purdue generated more than $ 30 billion after bringing OxyContin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ held company transferred $ 12 to $ 13 billion of that to the family , according to a deposition revealed in court filings in October .
The company pleaded guilty to three federal criminal charges last month and agreed to pay an $ 8.3 billion settlement .
But the company filed for bankruptcy in September 2019 , making it unlikely the money will be fully collected .
The Sackler family also agreed to pay $ 225 million in civil damages ― less than roughly 2 % of their net worth .
State attorneys @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as “ a mere mirage of justice ” that allowed “ billionaires to keep their billions ” while evading any real responsibility .
“ Watching you testify makes my blood boil , ” Rep. Jim Cooper , a Tennessee Democrat , told the Sacklers Thursday .
“ I ’ m not sure that I ’ m aware of any family in America that ’ s more evil than yours.
” In her closing remarks , Committee Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney ( D-N.Y. ) urged the Sacklers “ to mitigate at least some of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hiding and offshoring your assets , ” she urged .
“ Stop nickle-and-diming the negotiators .
Make a massive financial contribution that leaves no doubt about your commitment , and finally acknowledge your wrongdoing.
” “ The families and communities whose lives have been ruined deserve at least that much , ” she closed .
” [ The Sacklers ] have taken money out of the company so it would be forever beyond the legal reach of the people they were harming .
They are the Bernie Madoff of medicine .
”

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Two members of the Sackler family who served on the board of Purdue Pharma in 2018 testified before the U.S. House under threat of subpoena Thursday, where they answered questions about their role in the opioid epidemic.
Lawmakers on the Committee on Oversight and Reform peppered David and Dr. Kathe Sackler with questions in the at-times testy hearing.
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While the Sacklers acknowledged the role Purdue’s painkiller OxyContin played in the epidemic, which has taken roughly 450,000 lives in the United States since 1999, they stopped short of apologizing or admitting any wrongdoing.
Asked if she’d apologize for her role in precipitating the crisis, Kathe Sackler said that after plenty of soul-searching, she’s not sure she’d have taken a different course.
“I have tried to figure out if there’s anything I could have done differently knowing what I knew then, not what I know now,” she said. “There is nothing I can find that I would have done differently.”
Rep. Maloney (D-NY): "Will you apologize for the role you played in the opioid crisis?"
Dr. Kathe Sackler, Former Vice President of Purdue Pharma: "I have to say, there is nothing I can find that I would have done differently ..." pic.twitter.com/6po3AHPwBN — The Recount (@therecount) December 17, 2020
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The comment provoked a fiery retort from Rep. Kelly Armstrong (R-N.D.) who later replied, “Ms. Sackler, you wanted to ask what you could have done differently? Look at your own damn balance sheet!”
Purdue generated more than $30 billion after bringing OxyContin to market in 1996. The privately held company transferred $12 to $13 billion of that to the family, according to a deposition revealed in court filings in October.
The company pleaded guilty to three federal criminal charges last month and agreed to pay an $8.3 billion settlement. But the company filed for bankruptcy in September 2019, making it unlikely the money will be fully collected. Members of the Sackler family also agreed to pay $225 million in civil damages ― less than roughly 2% of their net worth.
State attorneys general criticized the Department of Justice settlement as “a mere mirage of justice” that allowed “billionaires to keep their billions” while evading any real responsibility.
“Watching you testify makes my blood boil,” Rep. Jim Cooper, a Tennessee Democrat, told the Sacklers Thursday. “I’m not sure that I’m aware of any family in America that’s more evil than yours.”
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In her closing remarks, Committee Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) urged the Sacklers “to mitigate at least some of the damage you caused.”
“Please stop hiding and offshoring your assets,” she urged. “Stop nickle-and-diming the negotiators. Make a massive financial contribution that leaves no doubt about your commitment, and finally acknowledge your wrongdoing.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-17--Final Stretch On COVID-19 Economic Relief; Still Not A Done Deal

WASHINGTON ( AP ) — Congressional negotiators on the long-delayed $ 900 billion COVID-19 economic relief package worked through a handful of remaining holdups Thursday as they labored to seal a final agreement for more help to businesses and the unemployed and new stimulus payments to most Americans .
The central elements of the hard-fought aid compromise appeared in place : More than $ 300 billion in aid to businesses ; a $ 300-per-week bonus federal jobless benefit and renewal of soon-to-expire state benefits ; $ 600 direct payments to individuals ; vaccine distribution funds and money for renters , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ needing food aid .
“ Do we want to lapse into politics as usual and let negotiations lose steam ?
Do we want to haggle and spar like this was an ordinary political exercise ?
” asked Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , R-Ky. “ Or on the other hand , after months of inaction , do we want to move swiftly and with unusual bipartisanship to close out our issues , seal the deal , and write text that can quickly pass into law ?
” It ’ s the first significant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ landmark CARES Act in March , which delivered $ 1.8 trillion in aid and more generous jobless benefits and direct payments to individuals .
Since then , Democrats have repeatedly called for further major steps to provide relief and battle the pandemic , while Republicans have sought to more fully reopen the economy and to avoid padding the government ’ s $ 27 trillion debt .
President-elect Joe Biden is eager for an aid package to prop up the economy and deliver direct aid to the jobless and hungry , even though the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He called the emerging version “ an important down payment ” and promised more help next year .
The details were still being worked out , but more than $ 300 billion in subsidies for business , including a second round of “ paycheck protection ” payments to especially hard-hit businesses , are locked in , as is $ 25 billion to help struggling renters with their payments , a temporary 15 % or so increase in food stamp benefits , additional farm subsidies , and a $ 10 billion bailout for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mourned the exclusion of a $ 500 million aid package to help states run their elections .
The money was seen as urgent this summer to help jurisdictions more safely administer their elections in the middle of the pandemic .
But with the election over , momentum for the money has gone away .
The emerging package was serving as a magnet for adding on other items , and the two sides continued to swap offers .
It was apparent that another temporary spending bill would be needed to prevent a government shutdown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , though possibly not until the last minute .
“ If we need to further extend the Friday funding deadline before final legislation can pass in both chambers , I hope we ’ ll extend it for a very , very short window of time , ” McConnell said .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell successfully pushed to get Democrats to drop their much-sought $ 160 billion state and local government aid package while giving up a key priority of his own — a liability shield for businesses and other institutions like universities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gains for states and localities in the emerging deal such as help for transit systems , schools , and vaccine distribution .
Pressure for a deal is intense .
Unemployment benefits run out on Dec. 26 for more than 10 million people .
Many businesses are barely hanging on after nine months of the pandemic .
And money is needed to distribute new vaccines that are finally offering hope for returning the country to a semblance of normalcy .
Their $ 908 billion proposal has served as a template for the talks , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sens .
Joe Manchin , D-W.Va. , and Susan Collins , R-Maine , favored aid to states and localities instead of another round of stimulus payments .
The CARES Act provided $ 1,200 payments per individual and $ 500 per child .

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WASHINGTON (AP) — Congressional negotiators on the long-delayed $900 billion COVID-19 economic relief package worked through a handful of remaining holdups Thursday as they labored to seal a final agreement for more help to businesses and the unemployed and new stimulus payments to most Americans.
Top congressional leaders also finally acknowledged they will have to pass a temporary government-wide funding bill to avoid a partial shutdown Friday at midnight, though House leaders haven’t scheduled a vote yet.
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The central elements of the hard-fought aid compromise appeared in place: More than $300 billion in aid to businesses; a $300-per-week bonus federal jobless benefit and renewal of soon-to-expire state benefits; $600 direct payments to individuals; vaccine distribution funds and money for renters, schools, the Postal Service and people needing food aid.
But hang-ups involving Federal Reserve powers, state and local government matching requirements for disaster grants, and myriad smaller disagreements over non-pandemic add-ons have slowed progress, aides involved in the negotiations said.
A top negotiator warned that the current set of problems could knock the talks off track.
“Do we want to lapse into politics as usual and let negotiations lose steam? Do we want to haggle and spar like this was an ordinary political exercise?” asked Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. “Or on the other hand, after months of inaction, do we want to move swiftly and with unusual bipartisanship to close out our issues, seal the deal, and write text that can quickly pass into law?”
McConnell’s warning came as negotiators sought to fine-tune difficult compromises to complete the second major relief package of the coronavirus pandemic.
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It’s the first significant legislative response to the pandemic since the landmark CARES Act in March, which delivered $1.8 trillion in aid and more generous jobless benefits and direct payments to individuals. Since then, Democrats have repeatedly called for further major steps to provide relief and battle the pandemic, while Republicans have sought to more fully reopen the economy and to avoid padding the government’s $27 trillion debt.
The urgency was underscored Thursday by the weekly unemployment numbers, which revealed that 885,000 people applied for jobless benefits last week, the highest weekly total since September, as spiking coronavirus cases threaten the economy’s recovery.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky., walks past reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2020. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) ASSOCIATED PRESS
President-elect Joe Biden is eager for an aid package to prop up the economy and deliver direct aid to the jobless and hungry, even though the package falls short of what Democrats want. He called the emerging version “an important down payment” and promised more help next year.
“We made some progress this morning,” said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., as she entered the Capitol on Thursday.
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The details were still being worked out, but more than $300 billion in subsidies for business, including a second round of “paycheck protection” payments to especially hard-hit businesses, are locked in, as is $25 billion to help struggling renters with their payments, a temporary 15% or so increase in food stamp benefits, additional farm subsidies, and a $10 billion bailout for the Postal Service.
Some Democrats also mourned the exclusion of a $500 million aid package to help states run their elections. The money was seen as urgent this summer to help jurisdictions more safely administer their elections in the middle of the pandemic. But with the election over, momentum for the money has gone away.
The emerging package was serving as a magnet for adding on other items, and the two sides continued to swap offers. It was apparent that another temporary spending bill would be needed to prevent a government shutdown. That was likely to easily pass, though possibly not until the last minute.
“If we need to further extend the Friday funding deadline before final legislation can pass in both chambers, I hope we’ll extend it for a very, very short window of time,” McConnell said.
House leaders are hoping to vote by Friday on the massive package, which would combine the COVID-19 relief with a $1.4 trillion government-wide funding bill and a host of other remaining congressional business, including extending expiring tax breaks and passing other unfinished legislation.
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The frightening, record surge in COVID caseloads and deaths, combined with troubling economic indicators, however, is mandating an agreement, though the emerging package contains less economic stimulus than the March aid bill.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell successfully pushed to get Democrats to drop their much-sought $160 billion state and local government aid package while giving up a key priority of his own — a liability shield for businesses and other institutions like universities fearing COVID-19 lawsuits. Democrats cited other gains for states and localities in the emerging deal such as help for transit systems, schools, and vaccine distribution.
The addition of the $600 direct payments came after recent endorsements from both President Donald Trump and progressives including Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who remains dissatisfied about the overall package.
Pressure for a deal is intense. Unemployment benefits run out on Dec. 26 for more than 10 million people. Many businesses are barely hanging on after nine months of the pandemic. And money is needed to distribute new vaccines that are finally offering hope for returning the country to a semblance of normalcy.
The looming agreement follows efforts by a bipartisan group of rank-and-file lawmakers to find a middle ground between a $2.4 trillion House bill and a $500 billion GOP measure fashioned by McConnell.
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Their $908 billion proposal has served as a template for the talks, although the bipartisan group, led by Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Susan Collins, R-Maine, favored aid to states and localities instead of another round of stimulus payments. The CARES Act provided $1,200 payments per individual and $500 per child.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-17--Is There Really A War On Christmas

Is There Really A War On Christmas

Is There Really A War On Christmas For years , conservative politicians and pundits have been warning of a left-wing @ @ @ @ @ So what actually is the “ War on Christmas ” and is it even really @ @

Is There Really A War On Christmas
For years, conservative politicians and pundits have been warning of a left-wing assault on Christmas cheer. So what actually is the “War on Christmas” and is it even really happening?


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-17--2020's Newest Species Include 'World's Ugliest Orchid'

Rick Burian/Handout via Reuters Gastrodia agnicellus , one of 156 plants and fungal species named by Kew scientists and their partners around the world in 2020 , has been crowned “ the ugliest orchid in the world.
” LONDON , Dec 17 ( Reuters ) - Orchids are not often called ugly , but that is how the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew , London , described a new species of the normally vibrant and delicate flower discovered in the forests of Madagascar .
Gastrodia agnicellus , one of 156 plants and fungal species named by Kew scientists and their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been crowned “ the ugliest orchid in the world.
” “ The 11 mm flowers of this orchid are small , brown and rather ugly , ” Kew said in its list of the top 10 discoveries of the year .
The orchid depends on fungi for nutrition and has no leaves or any other photosynthetic tissue .
Although assessed as a threatened species , the plants have some protection because they are located in a national park .
Among the other discoveries officially named this year were six new species of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and a strange shrub encountered in southern Namibia in 2010 .
Botanist Wessel Swanepoel could not place the shrub in any known genus and neither could anyone else , and so Swanepoel called Kew ’ s molecular expert Felix Forest and his team foranalysis .
The result was that it was not just a new species , but a new genus and a new family , called Tiganophyton karasense .
While around 2,000 plants are named new to science annually , new families are only published around once a year .
The shrub @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extremelyhot natural salt pans , hence its name Tiganophyton , derived fromthe Latin ‘ Tigani ’ , or ‘ frying pan ’ , and ‘ Phyton ’ , or ‘ plant ’ .
“ Some could provide vital income to communities while others may have the potential to be developed into a future food or medicine , ” he said .
But he warned : “ The bleak reality facing us can not be underplayed .
With two in five plants threatened with extinction , it is a race against time to find @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before they disappear .
”

Gastrodia agnicellus, one of 156 plants and fungal species named by Kew scientists and their partners around the world in 2020, has been crowned “the ugliest orchid in the world.” Rick Burian/Handout via Reuters
LONDON, Dec 17 (Reuters) - Orchids are not often called ugly, but that is how the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, London, described a new species of the normally vibrant and delicate flower discovered in the forests of Madagascar.
Gastrodia agnicellus, one of 156 plants and fungal species named by Kew scientists and their partners around the world in 2020, has been crowned “the ugliest orchid in the world.”
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“The 11 mm flowers of this orchid are small, brown and rather ugly,” Kew said in its list of the top 10 discoveries of the year. The orchid depends on fungi for nutrition and has no leaves or any other photosynthetic tissue.
Although assessed as a threatened species, the plants have some protection because they are located in a national park.
Among the other discoveries officially named this year were six new species of webcap toadstool mushrooms in the United Kingdom and a strange shrub encountered in southern Namibia in 2010.
Botanist Wessel Swanepoel could not place the shrub in any known genus and neither could anyone else, and so Swanepoel called Kew’s molecular expert Felix Forest and his team foranalysis.
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The result was that it was not just a new species, but a new genus and a new family, called Tiganophyton karasense.
While around 2,000 plants are named new to science annually, new families are only published around once a year.
The shrub has bizarre scaly leaves and grows in extremelyhot natural salt pans, hence its name Tiganophyton, derived fromthe Latin ‘Tigani’, or ‘frying pan’, and ‘Phyton’, or ‘plant’.
Martin Cheek, senior research leader at Kew, welcomed the latest natural discoveries.
“Some could provide vital income to communities while others may have the potential to be developed into a future food or medicine,” he said.
But he warned: “The bleak reality facing us cannot be underplayed. With two in five plants threatened with extinction, it is a race against time to find, identify, name, and conserveplants before they disappear.”
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-17--Kayleigh McEnany Ripped For Outraged Tweet About Biden Aide: 'Not McEnany Sense'

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany was mocked for her “ fake outrage ” on Thursday after she fired off an indignant tweet about remarks from the incoming White House deputy chief of staff , Jen O ’ Malley Dillon .
“ Biden Campaign Manager called us “ F***ers ” !
!
!
” McEnany tweeted .
“ She can try to walk it back , but this says volumes about her boss who calls for “ unity ” while shouting that we are “ assaulting democracy : ” .
” McEnany has been one of the most steadfast defenders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ caught on tape boasting about grabbing women “ by the pussy , ” routinely gives insulting names to people he doesn ’ t like and once described Haiti , El Salvador and certain African nations as “ shithole countries.
” Biden Campaign Manager called us “ F***ers ” !
!
!
She can try to walk back , but this says volumes about her boss who calls for “ unity ” while shouting that we are “ assaulting democracy : ” They think we are deplorable , irredeemable “ F***ers ” .
SICK‼ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kayleighmcenany ) December 17 , 2020 And McEnany herself has made her fair share of egregious comments .
Among them , as many critics noted , were the racist birther conspiracy theories she tweeted about former President Barack Obama in 2012 , including one in which she said his brother lived in a “ hut in Kenya.
” Earlier , O ’ Malley Dillon admitted she “ used some words that I probably could have chosen better ” in a recent interview when she was discussing Biden ’ s desire to work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , people would mock him , like , ‘ You think you can work with Republicans ?
’ ” O ’ Malley Dillon told Glamour magazine in the interview .
“ I ’ m not saying they ’ re not a bunch of fuckers .
[ Senate Majority Leader ] Mitch McConnell is terrible .
But this sense that you couldn ’ t wish for that , you couldn ’ t wish for this bipartisan ideal ?
He rejected that.
” Critics online seemed to find it hard to believe that McEnany ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” was genuine .
I wanted to respond that she 's not McEnany sense , but I stole that from one of my followers and do n't feel right about using it .
So I will definitely not write that Kayleigh 's not McEnany sense in any tweets .
— Walter Shaub ( @ waltshaub ) December 17 , 2020 This entire display of Trumpist fake outrage is utterly embarrassing .
It 's like they have no idea who they work for , and are such delicate lil ' snowflakes they can be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are governed by toddlers ( but the kind of toddlers who light puppies ' tails on fire ... ) https : //t.co/xhfFGm7dCi — Joy WE VOTED !
!
WEAR A MASK !
!
Reid 😷 ) ( @ JoyAnnReid ) December 17 , 2020 This is the Press Secretary to a man who regularly threatens opponents , inspires terrorism stochastically , mocks disabilities , heritages .
He ’ s a fucker , and you , @ PressSec , are also a fucker .
And THAT word is cleaned up .
This is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one you get .
https : //t.co/7lOVboTyJI — Keith Olbermann ( @ KeithOlbermann ) December 17 , 2020 Kayleigh , did you have anything to say to @ RepTedYoho after he called @ AOC a “ f*cking b*tch ” ?
Or is this a question for the White House since you will inevitably avoid answering it ?
https : //t.co/jG7QxeQjZf — Emma Silverman ( @ EmmaSilverman1 ) December 17 , 2020 These people are upset about being called “ fuckers ” .
That ’ s what we call in sports “ false hustle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It ’ s like going for a steal in a game you know you can ’ t get and now you ’ re out of the play and you ’ ve screwed the rest of your teammates .
Fuckers ... https : //t.co/svjMaI9YSh — Rex Chapman🏇🏼 ( @ RexChapman ) December 17 , 2020 Your boss called for my boss to be tried for treason , the penalty for which is death .
The reason ?
Representing a lawful whistleblower .
Kindly pack up your stuff and shut up .
https : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ BradMossEsq ) December 17 , 2020

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White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany was mocked for her “fake outrage” on Thursday after she fired off an indignant tweet about remarks from the incoming White House deputy chief of staff, Jen O’Malley Dillon.
“Biden Campaign Manager called us “F***ers” !!!” McEnany tweeted. “She can try to walk it back, but this says volumes about her boss who calls for “unity” while shouting that we are “assaulting democracy:”.”
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“They think we are deplorable, irredeemable “F***ers”. SICK,” she added.
McEnany has been one of the most steadfast defenders of President Donald Trump, who was caught on tape boasting about grabbing women “by the pussy,” routinely gives insulting names to people he doesn’t like and once described Haiti, El Salvador and certain African nations as “shithole countries.”
Biden Campaign Manager called us “F***ers” !!!
She can try to walk back, but this says volumes about her boss who calls for “unity” while shouting that we are “assaulting democracy:”
They think we are deplorable, irredeemable “F***ers”. SICK‼ https://t.co/J9sNvrlSNa — Kayleigh McEnany (@kayleighmcenany) December 17, 2020
And McEnany herself has made her fair share of egregious comments. Among them, as many critics noted, were the racist birther conspiracy theories she tweeted about former President Barack Obama in 2012, including one in which she said his brother lived in a “hut in Kenya.”
Earlier, O’Malley Dillon admitted she “used some words that I probably could have chosen better” in a recent interview when she was discussing Biden’s desire to work with Republicans.
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“In the primary, people would mock him, like, ‘You think you can work with Republicans?’” O’Malley Dillon told Glamour magazine in the interview. “I’m not saying they’re not a bunch of fuckers. [Senate Majority Leader] Mitch McConnell is terrible. But this sense that you couldn’t wish for that, you couldn’t wish for this bipartisan ideal? He rejected that.”
Critics online seemed to find it hard to believe that McEnany’s offense to the word “fuckers” was genuine.
I wanted to respond that she's not McEnany sense, but I stole that from one of my followers and don't feel right about using it. So I will definitely not write that Kayleigh's not McEnany sense in any tweets. — Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) December 17, 2020
This entire display of Trumpist fake outrage is utterly embarrassing. It's like they have no idea who they work for, and are such delicate lil' snowflakes they can be laid low by an F-bomb. We are governed by toddlers (but the kind of toddlers who light puppies' tails on fire...) https://t.co/xhfFGm7dCi — Joy WE VOTED!! WEAR A MASK!! Reid 😷) (@JoyAnnReid) December 17, 2020
Kayleigh McEnany once joked that Obama had a brother who lived in a hut in Kenya. https://t.co/64jq4bd50j — Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan) December 17, 2020
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Kayleigh is very, sincerely offended https://t.co/zdPUU1GQ4P — Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) December 17, 2020
No tears for 315,000 dead. Just this. https://t.co/c2LTflWKf4 — Scott Dworkin (@funder) December 17, 2020
This is the Press Secretary to a man who regularly threatens opponents, inspires terrorism stochastically, mocks disabilities, heritages.
He’s a fucker, and you, @PressSec, are also a fucker. And THAT word is cleaned up.
This is the America you wanted. This is the one you get. https://t.co/7lOVboTyJI — Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) December 17, 2020
Kayleigh, did you have anything to say to @RepTedYoho after he called @AOC a “f*cking b*tch”? Or is this a question for the White House since you will inevitably avoid answering it? https://t.co/jG7QxeQjZf — Emma Silverman (@EmmaSilverman1) December 17, 2020
Kayleigh your boss repeatedly threatened to have his enemies executed https://t.co/MXFDFL3YqA — Seth Abramson (@SethAbramson) December 17, 2020
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These people are upset about being called “fuckers”.
That’s what we call in sports “false hustle”.
They’re not upset. It’s like going for a steal in a game you know you can’t get and now you’re out of the play and you’ve screwed the rest of your teammates.
Fuckers... https://t.co/svjMaI9YSh — Rex Chapman🏇🏼 (@RexChapman) December 17, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-17--Mayor Admits She Knew About Botched Raid On Anjanette Young's Home After Earlier Denial

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot admitted on Thursday that she had known about the botched police raid on Anjanette Young ’ s home for more than a year , despite previously saying she was only made aware of the February 2019 incident this week .
At a news conference alongside Chicago Police Supt .
David Brown , the mayor backtracked from her claim a day earlier that she was first informed this week about police barging into Young ’ s home last year , entering the wrong address , and then handcuffing her and questioning her while she was naked and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ released bodycam footage of the incident on Monday , which led to widespread backlash from the public and elected officials against the mayor and the city police department .
Lightfoot said Thursday that her staff has since reminded her that Young ’ s case , among other botched raids , was brought to her attention in November 2019 ― though she claimed she does not remember it .
The mayor still insisted that she did not see the bodycam footage until this week , although Lightfoot ’ s law department went to federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ WBBM from airing the video and to sanction Young for sharing it with the local CBS TV station .
“ What I now know , having looked at some emails , is my team knew that this was an issue of great concern for me ― issues meaning about the search warrants .
They knew that I had tasked our chief risk officer to look into this and to work on reforming the policy , so this was lifted up to me as yet another example , ” Lightfoot said .
“ Again @ @ @ @ @ @ @ specific recollection of it , ” she said .
“ It was in November when I was probably focused on budget issues and getting our budget passed through City Council , but it was flagged for me.
” The mayor also admitted that she was wrong when she said Wednesday that Young never filed a Freedom of Information Act request to obtain bodycam footage of the raid that left the Black social worker humiliated and traumatized .
Young ’ s FOIA request was filed on Nov. 1 , 2019 , and was denied @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 19 , 2019 .
A judge ordered the city to give Young the footage after she filed a FOIA lawsuit in December 2019 .
Young ’ s attorney , Keenan Saulter , told HuffPost his client was disappointed that the mayor suggested on Wednesday that the city never denied her request to obtain video of police mistreating her .
Saulter said the city denied Young ’ s FOIA request due to an ongoing investigation by the independent Civilian Office of Police Accountability , which he alleged has not interviewed any of the officers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a victim wants information about the matter involving them ... we ’ ve got to be more responsive and do a better job , and we ’ re going to do that , ” Lightfoot said on Thursday .
“ Anytime a person who ’ s a victim requests information about an incident that happened to them , our government ’ s obligation is to respond in a fulsome , transparent and immediate way.
” Brown , speaking about the bodycam footage for the first time , said that the video was difficult @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have taken police so long to allow Young to cover herself up during the mistaken raid .
“ If that was your mother , how would you want her to be treated ?
You don ’ t train that in an academy .
We hire people who we think know right from wrong , and if they don ’ t know right from wrong , they don ’ t need to be police officers , ” the police chief said .
“ It ’ s not complicated .
Treat everyone with respect .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ … Even if we had been in the right house , Ms. Young should have been treated with respect.
” Young was undressing when heavily armed officers broke down her door and raided her home on Feb. 21 , 2019 , just months before Lightfoot took office .
Police handcuffed Young while she told them dozens of times that they were in the wrong home .
They did not believe her until they realized the person they were looking for lived in the apartment next door .
The mayor has apologized for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the video .
She also said she has reached out to Saulter to ask if she can speak directly with Young about the incident .
It feels like “ we ’ re talking to each other at podiums and press conferences , ” Lightfoot said .
“ I ’ d like to have that conversation with her in person , and I will see whether or not my request is granted.
” Lightfoot said Thursday that she has told her legal department to give her a review of all pending search warrant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s ordered a review of the city ’ s video release policy so that footage from cases of potential police misconduct can be released sooner .
She called on state lawmakers to change Illinois ’ s bodycam law to give more flexibility on what kinds of video can be made public .
Saulter said that Young wants accountability for the raid on her home , as well as for similar incidents that have happened to many others over the last several years .

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Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot admitted on Thursday that she had known about the botched police raid on Anjanette Young’s home for more than a year, despite previously saying she was only made aware of the February 2019 incident this week.
At a news conference alongside Chicago Police Supt. David Brown, the mayor backtracked from her claim a day earlier that she was first informed this week about police barging into Young’s home last year, entering the wrong address, and then handcuffing her and questioning her while she was naked and in distress. Chicago’s WBBM-TV released bodycam footage of the incident on Monday, which led to widespread backlash from the public and elected officials against the mayor and the city police department.
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Lightfoot said Thursday that her staff has since reminded her that Young’s case, among other botched raids, was brought to her attention in November 2019 ― though she claimed she does not remember it. The mayor still insisted that she did not see the bodycam footage until this week, although Lightfoot’s law department went to federal court on Monday to try to block WBBM from airing the video and to sanction Young for sharing it with the local CBS TV station.
“What I now know, having looked at some emails, is my team knew that this was an issue of great concern for me ― issues meaning about the search warrants. They knew that I had tasked our chief risk officer to look into this and to work on reforming the policy, so this was lifted up to me as yet another example,” Lightfoot said.
“Again, I don’t have any specific recollection of it,” she said. “It was in November when I was probably focused on budget issues and getting our budget passed through City Council, but it was flagged for me.”
MEDIA AVAILABILITY: Mayor Lightfoot joins CPD Superintendent Brown at a press conference. https://t.co/NbnwLvYQYk — Mayor Lori Lightfoot (@chicagosmayor) December 17, 2020
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The mayor also admitted that she was wrong when she said Wednesday that Young never filed a Freedom of Information Act request to obtain bodycam footage of the raid that left the Black social worker humiliated and traumatized. Young’s FOIA request was filed on Nov. 1, 2019, and was denied by the Chicago Police Department on Nov. 19, 2019. A judge ordered the city to give Young the footage after she filed a FOIA lawsuit in December 2019.
Young’s attorney, Keenan Saulter, told HuffPost his client was disappointed that the mayor suggested on Wednesday that the city never denied her request to obtain video of police mistreating her. Saulter said the city denied Young’s FOIA request due to an ongoing investigation by the independent Civilian Office of Police Accountability, which he alleged has not interviewed any of the officers involved in the raid.
“Anytime a victim wants information about the matter involving them ... we’ve got to be more responsive and do a better job, and we’re going to do that,” Lightfoot said on Thursday. “Anytime a person who’s a victim requests information about an incident that happened to them, our government’s obligation is to respond in a fulsome, transparent and immediate way.”
Brown, speaking about the bodycam footage for the first time, said that the video was difficult to watch and that it should not have taken police so long to allow Young to cover herself up during the mistaken raid.
“If that was your mother, how would you want her to be treated? You don’t train that in an academy. We hire people who we think know right from wrong, and if they don’t know right from wrong, they don’t need to be police officers,” the police chief said. “It’s not complicated. Treat everyone with respect. Everyone deserves a measure of respect. … Even if we had been in the right house, Ms. Young should have been treated with respect.”
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Young was undressing when heavily armed officers broke down her door and raided her home on Feb. 21, 2019, just months before Lightfoot took office. Police handcuffed Young while she told them dozens of times that they were in the wrong home. They did not believe her until they realized the person they were looking for lived in the apartment next door.
The mayor has apologized for the botched raid, saying she was horrified by the video. She also said she has reached out to Saulter to ask if she can speak directly with Young about the incident.
It feels like “we’re talking to each other at podiums and press conferences,” Lightfoot said. “I’d like to have that conversation with her in person, and I will see whether or not my request is granted.”
Lightfoot said Thursday that she has told her legal department to give her a review of all pending search warrant cases. She also said she’s ordered a review of the city’s video release policy so that footage from cases of potential police misconduct can be released sooner. She called on state lawmakers to change Illinois’s bodycam law to give more flexibility on what kinds of video can be made public.
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Saulter said that Young wants accountability for the raid on her home, as well as for similar incidents that have happened to many others over the last several years.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-17--Jeremy Bulloch, Actor Who Played Boba Fett In 'Star Wars' Films, Dead At 75

LOS ANGELES ( Variety.com ) - Jeremy Bulloch , the English film star who starred as bounty hunter Boba Fett in the original ” Star Wars ” trilogy , has died in a London hospital , according to his representatives .
He was 75 .
His agents at Brown Simcocks and Andrews said Thursday , “ We are very sad to announce the death of actor Jeremy Bulloch , earlier today .
He died peacefully , in hospital , surrounded by his family , from health complications following his many years living with Parkinson ’ s disease .
Jeremy was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fett in the original Star Wars trilogy .
He had along and happy career spanning more than 45 years .
He was devoted to his wife , three sons , and ten grandchildren and they will miss him terribly.
” The JeremyBulloch.com site said : “ He spent his final weeks in the wonderful care of staff at St George ’ s Hospital inTooting , close to the house where he and his wife Maureen had lived together for more than fifty years .
Maureen and two of his sons , Jamie and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ final days.
” He was born in Leicestershire in 1945 .
He began acting in1958 with commercials and starred at age 17 in “ Summer Holiday ” alongside Cliff Richard .
Daniel Logan , who portrayed a young version of Boba Fett in the 2002 “ Star Wars ” prequel movie “ Attack of the Clones , ” wrote an Instagram tribute saying , “ IT BRINGS ME TO TEARS TO ANNOUNCEJEREMY BULLOCH HAS PAST AWAY .
RIP LEGEND I ’ LL NEVER FORGET ALLYOU ’ VE TAUGHT ME.
!
!
I ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @

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LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) - Jeremy Bulloch, the English film star who starred as bounty hunter Boba Fett in the original ”Star Wars” trilogy, has died in a London hospital, according to his representatives. He was 75.
His agents at Brown Simcocks and Andrews said Thursday, “We are very sad to announce the death of actor Jeremy Bulloch, earlier today. He died peacefully, in hospital, surrounded by his family, from health complications following his many years living with Parkinson’s disease. Jeremy was best known for the role of Boba Fett in the original Star Wars trilogy. He had along and happy career spanning more than 45 years. He was devoted to his wife, three sons, and ten grandchildren and they will miss him terribly.”
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The JeremyBulloch.com site said: “He spent his final weeks in the wonderful care of staff at St George’s Hospital inTooting, close to the house where he and his wife Maureen had lived together for more than fifty years. Maureen and two of his sons, Jamie and Robbie, were with him during his final days.”
Bulloch played Boba Fett in 1980′s “The Empire Strikes Back”and 1983′s “Return of the Jedi.”
He was born in Leicestershire in 1945. He began acting in1958 with commercials and starred at age 17 in “Summer Holiday” alongside Cliff Richard.
Daniel Logan, who portrayed a young version of Boba Fett in the 2002 “Star Wars” prequel movie “Attack of the Clones,” wrote an Instagram tribute saying, “IT BRINGS ME TO TEARS TO ANNOUNCEJEREMY BULLOCH HAS PAST AWAY. RIP LEGEND I’LL NEVER FORGET ALLYOU’VE TAUGHT ME.!! I’LL LOVE YOU FOREVER.!!”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-17--U.S. Cybersecurity Agency Warns Of 'Grave' Threat From Hackers

WASHINGTON ( AP ) — Federal authorities expressed increased alarm Thursday about an intrusion into U.S. and other computer systems around the globe that officials suspect was carried out by Russian hackers .
The nation ’ s cybersecurity agency warned of a “ grave ” risk to government and private networks .
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency said in its most detailed comments yet that the intrusion had compromised federal agencies as well as “ critical infrastructure ” in a sophisticated attack that was hard to detect and will be difficult to undo .
CISA did not say which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what information taken in an attack that it previously said appeared to have begun in March .
The hack , if authorities can indeed prove it was carried out by a nation such as Russia as experts believe , creates a fresh foreign policy problem for President Donald Trump in his final days in office .
“ We need to disrupt and deter our adversaries from undertaking significant cyberattacks in the first place , ” he said .
“ We will do that by , among other things , imposing substantial costs on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including in coordination with our allies and partners.
” FILE - This Tuesday , Aug. 4 , 2009 , file photo shows the United States Chamber of Commerce building in Washington .
Elite cyber spies have spent months secretly exploiting SolarWinds software to peer into computer networks , putting many of the company 's highest-profile customers in national governments , including the U.S. Treasury and Commerce departments , and Fortune 500 companies on high alert .
( AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta , File ) The cybersecurity agency previously said the perpetrators had used @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infiltrate computer networks .
Its new alert said the attackers may have used other methods , as well .
A U.S. official previously told The Associated Press that Russia-based hackers were suspected , but neither CISA nor the FBI has publicly said who is believed to be responsible .
Asked whether Russia was behind the attack , the official said : “ We believe so .
We haven ’ t said that publicly yet because it isn ’ t 100 % confirmed.
” Another U.S. official , speaking Thursday on condition of anonymity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investigation , said the hack was severe and extremely damaging although the administration was not yet ready to publicly blame anyone for it .
The official said the administration is working on the assumption that most , if not all , government agencies were compromised but the extent of the damage was not yet known .
The intentions of the perpetrators appear to be espionage and gathering valuable information rather than destruction , according to security experts and former government officials .
If so , they are now remarkably well situated .
Thomas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adviser , said in an opinion article in The New York Times that the U.S. should now act as if the Russian government had gained control of the networks it has penetrated .
“ The actual and perceived control of so many important networks could easily be used to undermine public and consumer trust in data , written communications , and services , ” he wrote.
” Tom Kellermann , cybersecurity strategy chief of the software company VMware , said the hackers are now “ omniscient to the operations ” of federal agencies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is viable concern that they might leverage destructive attacks within these agencies ” in reaction to U.S. response .
CISA officials did not respond to questions and so it was unclear what it meant by a “ grave threat ” or by critical infrastructure .
The Department of Homeland Security , its parent agency , defines such infrastructure as any “ vital ” assets to the U.S. or its economy , a broad category that could include power plants and financial institutions .

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WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal authorities expressed increased alarm Thursday about an intrusion into U.S. and other computer systems around the globe that officials suspect was carried out by Russian hackers. The nation’s cybersecurity agency warned of a “grave” risk to government and private networks.
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency said in its most detailed comments yet that the intrusion had compromised federal agencies as well as “critical infrastructure” in a sophisticated attack that was hard to detect and will be difficult to undo.
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CISA did not say which agencies or infrastructure had been breached or what information taken in an attack that it previously said appeared to have begun in March.
“This threat actor has demonstrated sophistication and complex tradecraft in these intrusions,” the agency said in its unusual alert. “CISA expects that removing the threat actor from compromised environments will be highly complex and challenging.”
In a statement, the Department of Energy confirmed the agency was affected, but that the breach was “isolated to business networks only” and not national security functions.
Department of Energy confirms Solarwinds hack affecting agency.
"The investigation is ongoing and the response to this incident is happening in real time. At this point, the investigation has found that the malware has been isolated to business networks only" — Chris Bing (@Bing_Chris) December 17, 2020
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The hack, if authorities can indeed prove it was carried out by a nation such as Russia as experts believe, creates a fresh foreign policy problem for President Donald Trump in his final days in office.
Trump, whose administration has been criticized for eliminating a White House cybersecurity adviser and downplaying Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, has made no public statements about the breach.
President-elect Joe Biden said he would make cybersecurity a top priority of his administration, but that stronger defenses are not enough.
“We need to disrupt and deter our adversaries from undertaking significant cyberattacks in the first place,” he said. “We will do that by, among other things, imposing substantial costs on those responsible for such malicious attacks, including in coordination with our allies and partners.”
FILE - This Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2009, file photo shows the United States Chamber of Commerce building in Washington. Elite cyber spies have spent months secretly exploiting SolarWinds software to peer into computer networks, putting many of the company's highest-profile customers in national governments, including the U.S. Treasury and Commerce departments, and Fortune 500 companies on high alert. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File) ASSOCIATED PRESS
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The cybersecurity agency previously said the perpetrators had used network management software from Texas-based SolarWinds to infiltrate computer networks. Its new alert said the attackers may have used other methods, as well.
Over the weekend, amid reports that the Treasury and Commerce departments were breached, CISA directed all civilian agencies of the federal government to remove SolarWinds from their servers. The cybersecurity agencies of Britain and Ireland issued similar alerts.
A U.S. official previously told The Associated Press that Russia-based hackers were suspected, but neither CISA nor the FBI has publicly said who is believed to be responsible. Asked whether Russia was behind the attack, the official said: “We believe so. We haven’t said that publicly yet because it isn’t 100% confirmed.”
Another U.S. official, speaking Thursday on condition of anonymity to discuss a matter that is under investigation, said the hack was severe and extremely damaging although the administration was not yet ready to publicly blame anyone for it.
“This is looking like it’s the worst hacking case in the history of America,” the official said. “They got into everything.”
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The official said the administration is working on the assumption that most, if not all, government agencies were compromised but the extent of the damage was not yet known.
The intentions of the perpetrators appear to be espionage and gathering valuable information rather than destruction, according to security experts and former government officials. If so, they are now remarkably well situated.
Thomas Bossert, a former Trump Homeland Security adviser, said in an opinion article in The New York Times that the U.S. should now act as if the Russian government had gained control of the networks it has penetrated. “The actual and perceived control of so many important networks could easily be used to undermine public and consumer trust in data, written communications, and services,” he wrote.”
Members of Congress said they feared that taxpayers’ personal information could have been exposed because the IRS is part of the Treasury, which used SolarWinds software.
Tom Kellermann, cybersecurity strategy chief of the software company VMware, said the hackers are now “omniscient to the operations” of federal agencies they’ve infiltrated “and there is viable concern that they might leverage destructive attacks within these agencies” in reaction to U.S. response.
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CISA officials did not respond to questions and so it was unclear what it meant by a “grave threat” or by critical infrastructure. The Department of Homeland Security, its parent agency, defines such infrastructure as any “vital” assets to the U.S. or its economy, a broad category that could include power plants and financial institutions.
Among the business sectors scrambling to protect their systems and assess potential theft of information are defense contractors, technology companies, and providers of telecommunications and the electric grid.
A group led by CEOs in the electric power industry said it held a “situational awareness call” earlier this week to help electric companies and public power utilities identify whether the compromise posed a threat to their networks.
And dozens of smaller institutions that seemed to have little data of interest to foreign spies were nonetheless forced to respond to the hack.
The Helix Water District, which provides drinking water to the suburbs of San Diego, California, said it provided a patch to its SolarWinds software after it got an advisory the IT company sent out about the hack to about 33,000 customers Sunday.
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“While we do utilize SolarWinds, we are not aware of any district impacts from the security breach,” said Michelle Curtis, a spokesperson for the water district.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-17--Dutch Authorities: Trump's Twitter Was Hacked By Man Who Guessed 'maga2020!' Password

Dutch prosecutors confirmed Wednesday that President Donald Trump ’ s Twitter account was indeed hacked by a so-called “ ethical hacker ” who didn ’ t have to work too hard to guess Trump ’ s password : “ maga2020 !
” Victor Gevers , a Dutch security expert , cooperated with investigators from the Dutch Public Prosecution Service in November and freely released information and screenshots pertaining to the Oct. 16 hack .
“ He ... stated to police that he had investigated the strength of the password because there were major interests involved if this Twitter account could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presidential election , ” Dutch authorities told the BBC on Wednesday .
Hacking is a criminal offense in the Netherlands , but Gevers will not be prosecuted for his actions — likely because , after initiating the hack , he tried to contact U.S. authorities and offered advice on how to make Trump ’ s account more secure .
“ The Public Prosecution Service believes the hacker has actually penetrated Trump ’ s Twitter account but has met the criteria that have been developed in case law to go free as an ethical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a statement Wednesday .
Gevers said in October that he guessed Trump ’ s password on his fifth attempt .
Gevers told De Volkskrant that he had logged into Trump ’ s account once before , in 2016 , after guessing the password “ yourefired ” and was acting with good intentions to test the security of verified Twitter accounts .
Once Gevers accessed the account with relatively little trouble , he reportedly contacted the Trump campaign team and suggested it enable two-factor authentication and change the password to something more complex , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ authentication was enabled the following day , Gevers said .
Trump ’ s team initially failed to answer Gevers , but Secret Service officials eventually thanked him for exposing the vulnerability .
Dear @ realDonaldTrump , I 've tried to notify multiple times because of your passwords for Twitter are too weak .
Last Friday , I contacted @ CISAgov , @ TeamTrump , @ WhiteHouse , @ DonaldJTrumpJr , and @ twittersecurity , just like in Oct 2016 .
But no one responds .
Please keep 2FA enabled !
https : //t.co/DRCCS8NAa4 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ October 19 , 2020 The White House denied Gevers ’ claims in October , and Twitter said at the time that there was no evidence to support claims of a hack .
A Twitter spokesperson told HuffPost Thursday that the company “ proactively implemented account security measures for a designated group of high-profile , election-related Twitter accounts in the United States , including federal branches of government .
”

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Dutch prosecutors have confirmed that President Donald Trump’s Twitter account was indeed hacked by a so-called “ethical hacker” who didn’t have to work too hard to guess Trump’s password: “maga2020!”
Victor Gevers, a Dutch security expert, cooperated with investigators from the Dutch Public Prosecution Service in November and freely released information and screenshots pertaining to the Oct. 16 hack.
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“He ... stated to police that he had investigated the strength of the password because there were major interests involved if this Twitter account could be taken over so shortly before the presidential election,” Dutch authorities told the BBC on Wednesday.
Hacking is a criminal offense in the Netherlands, but Gevers will not be prosecuted for his actions — likely because, after initiating the hack, he tried to contact U.S. authorities and offered advice on how to make Trump’s account more secure.
“The Public Prosecution Service believes the hacker has actually penetrated Trump’s Twitter account but has met the criteria that have been developed in case law to go free as an ethical hacker,” the service said in a statement.
Gevers said in October that he guessed Trump’s password on his fifth attempt. Gevers told De Volkskrant that he had logged into Trump’s account once before, in 2016, after guessing the password “yourefired” and was acting with good intentions to test the security of verified Twitter accounts.
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Once Gevers accessed the account with relatively little trouble, he reportedly contacted the Trump campaign team and suggested it enable two-factor authentication and change the password to something more complex, like “! IWillMakeAmericaGreatAgain2020 !”
Two-factor authentication was enabled the following day, Gevers said. Trump’s team initially failed to answer Gevers, but Secret Service officials eventually thanked him for exposing the vulnerability.
Dear @realDonaldTrump,
I've tried to notify multiple times because of your passwords for Twitter are too weak. Last Friday, I contacted @CISAgov, @TeamTrump, @WhiteHouse, @DonaldJTrumpJr, and @twittersecurity, just like in Oct 2016. But no one responds. Please keep 2FA enabled! https://t.co/DRCCS8NAa4 — Victor Gevers (@0xDUDE) October 19, 2020
The White House denied Gevers’ claims in October, and Twitter said at the time that there was no evidence to support claims of a hack.
A Twitter spokesperson told HuffPost that the company “proactively implemented account security measures for a designated group of high-profile, election-related Twitter accounts in the United States, including federal branches of government.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-17--A Man Whose Parents Threw Out His Porn Collection Wins Lawsuit Against Them

A Michigan man who sued his parents for throwing out his prized pornography collection is now in line to collect a hefty reimbursement from them .
In a ruling handed down Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Paul Maloney , Beth and Paul Werking will have to pay their son David , 42 , as much as $ 75,000 for destroying the porn .
David Werking won a summary judgment in the case and he and his parents have until mid-February to file written submissions on the damages , according to MLive.com .
In his lawsuit the younger Werking valued the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but his attorney , Miles Greengard , told the outlet that “ we have asked the court for treble damages , which we believe are warranted given the wanton destruction of the property.
” Werking moved into his parent ’ s home in Glen Haven , on the state ’ s eastern shore of Lake Michigan , in 2016 after he got divorced .
After he moved to Muncie , Indiana , a few months later , Werking discovered he was missing 12 boxes of pornographic films and magazines .
Paul Werking apparently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ email : “ Frankly , David , I did you a big favor by getting rid of all this stuff , ” MLive.com reported in September , 2019 .
In other emails , he told his son he was shocked by many of the scenes in the collection , which he claimed depicted incestuous sexual relationships , sex with minors and animals , sexual assault and slavery , according to The Holland Sentinel in Michigan .
“ That you would buy and watch films depicting such violence is beyond the pale , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I have no words to express the depth of my shock and disappointment .
Believe it or not , one reason for why I destroyed your porn was for your own mental and emotional health .
I would have done the same if I had found a kilo of crack cocaine.
” The son denied any of his pornography was illegal .
A review of the materials by the sheriff ’ s department in Ottawa County , Michigan , found no evidence of child pornography and no charges were filed in the matter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ list of Werking ’ s porn collection that was entered into the court record showed it included 1,605 individual titles of pornographic DVDs and VHS tapes and at least 50 sex toys and paraphernalia .

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A Michigan man who sued his parents for throwing out his prized pornography collection is now in line to collect a hefty reimbursement from them.
In a ruling handed down Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Paul Maloney, Beth and Paul Werking will have to pay their son David, 42, as much as $75,000 for destroying the porn.
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David Werking won a summary judgment in the case and he and his parents have until mid-February to file written submissions on the damages, according to MLive.com.
In his lawsuit the younger Werking valued the property at an estimated $25,000, but his attorney, Miles Greengard, told the outlet that “we have asked the court for treble damages, which we believe are warranted given the wanton destruction of the property.”
He added, “This was a collection of often irreplaceable items and property.”
Werking moved into his parent’s home in Glen Haven, on the state’s eastern shore of Lake Michigan, in 2016 after he got divorced.
After he moved to Muncie, Indiana, a few months later, Werking discovered he was missing 12 boxes of pornographic films and magazines.
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Paul Werking apparently confessed to destroying the collection in an email: “Frankly, David, I did you a big favor by getting rid of all this stuff,” MLive.com reported in September, 2019.
In other emails, he told his son he was shocked by many of the scenes in the collection, which he claimed depicted incestuous sexual relationships, sex with minors and animals, sexual assault and slavery, according to The Holland Sentinel in Michigan.
“That you would buy and watch films depicting such violence is beyond the pale,” Werking’s father wrote. “I have no words to express the depth of my shock and disappointment. Believe it or not, one reason for why I destroyed your porn was for your own mental and emotional health. I would have done the same if I had found a kilo of crack cocaine.”
The son denied any of his pornography was illegal. A review of the materials by the sheriff’s department in Ottawa County, Michigan, found no evidence of child pornography and no charges were filed in the matter, according to MLive.com.