thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-10--Jewish Americans Gather On Zoom For Hanukkah During COVID-19 Pandemic

Jewish Americans from a variety of branches of the faith are celebrating Hanukkah with smaller-than-usual gatherings this year , in hopes of keeping the year-end holiday safe but still joyful as coronavirus cases spike across the country .
Many Jewish Americans are already accustomed to more intimate celebrations of a holiday focused more on the home than on the synagogue , including Haredim or ultra-Orthodox communities .
So the recent successful Supreme Court challenge to New York restrictions on in-person worship by some Orthodox groups won ’ t mean much as far as their Hanukkah plans .
But celebrating Hanukkah @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to some Jewish Americans , for whom the holiday has risen in prominence in part because its social elements and timing line up with non-Jewish holidays such as Christmas .
But such large gatherings are “ not an essential part of the holiday on any level whatsoever , ” he added .
“ So to Haredim , to us ultra-Orthodox , it ’ s not something that ’ s going to cramp our style.
” So , like many others , Shafran and his wife , who have nine children and 50 grandchildren @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Zoom this year in a nod to health recommendations — “ just as festive ... because the meaning of the holiday is not parties , it ’ s the memory of ancient times , ” Shafran said .
The eight-day holiday beginning Thursday at sunset , also known as the Jewish Festival of Lights , honors the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem during the second century B.C .
following victory over the Syrians .
Celebrated with the nightly lighting of the menorah , it usually falls in December but sometimes in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Temple Sinai , which describes itself as New Orleans ’ oldest Reform congregation , said it has been more difficult to adapt other holidays on the Jewish calendar to the constraints of the pandemic .
“ In some ways Hanukkah is a little bit easier , because the main celebration of Hanukkah is a home celebration as opposed to everyone coming to temple each night , ” Sherman said .
His synagogue is planning a drive-through candle-lighting on Thursday at the Audubon Zoo , as well as nightly candle-lightings over Zoom .
Still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ used to having friends and family over for those home celebrations , and this year the challenge is to have that Hanukkah spirit still , even though it might just be your immediate family or you might just be by yourself.
” A giant Hanukkah menorah is seen on Thursday , Dec. 10 , 2020 , along Fifth Avenue in New York , on the first night of the annual eight-day long Jewish festival of lights .
Due to coronavirus restrictions , a limited and socially-distanced crowd was allowed to attend .
For @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Jewish history at Beth Jacob Academy in Brooklyn , Hanukkah gatherings with extended family can typically include dozens of people .
But this year it may be just her and her husband , Rabbi Yisroel Reisman of Agudath Israel of Madison , also a plaintiff in the Supreme Court case .
“ It will be much , much smaller , ” she said , adding that many others in their community were planning intimate gatherings just with immediate family members .
Reisman ’ s family was also consulting a specialist in infectious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
Hanukkah is more of a minor holiday in Israel , though it is still a festive occasion marked by communal candle-lighting gatherings , school vacation and the consumption of deep-fried , and often elaborately decorated , doughnuts known as sufganiyot .
In the U.S. , the holiday can take on a Christmas-like quality in some Jewish communities .
In Ohio , Chabad Columbus is planning outdoor events designed for families to attend at a safe distance , including a menorah-lighting via helicopter performed by a man costumed as a member of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ central role in the Hanukkah story .

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Jewish Americans from a variety of branches of the faith are celebrating Hanukkah with smaller-than-usual gatherings this year, in hopes of keeping the year-end holiday safe but still joyful as coronavirus cases spike across the country.
Many Jewish Americans are already accustomed to more intimate celebrations of a holiday focused more on the home than on the synagogue, including Haredim or ultra-Orthodox communities. So the recent successful Supreme Court challenge to New York restrictions on in-person worship by some Orthodox groups won’t mean much as far as their Hanukkah plans.
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But celebrating Hanukkah during a pandemic still poses a challenge to some Jewish Americans, for whom the holiday has risen in prominence in part because its social elements and timing line up with non-Jewish holidays such as Christmas.
That has often provided a reason to host get-togethers, said Rabbi Avi Shafran, director of public affairs at Agudath Israel of America, a plaintiff in the court case.
But such large gatherings are “not an essential part of the holiday on any level whatsoever,” he added. “So to Haredim, to us ultra-Orthodox, it’s not something that’s going to cramp our style.”
Hanukkah is not affected by the restrictions on electronic device usage that observant Jews heed during the sabbath and holy days, allowing for virtual celebrations.
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So, like many others, Shafran and his wife, who have nine children and 50 grandchildren, celebrated with some of them via Zoom this year in a nod to health recommendations — “just as festive ... because the meaning of the holiday is not parties, it’s the memory of ancient times,” Shafran said.
Before he lit the candles of the branched candelabra called a menorah, he recited blessings, including one expressing gratitude to God for life: “This year,” Shafran said, “we really have to thank God.”
Rabbi Levi Shemtov, executive vice president of American Friends of Lubavitch, lights the National Menorah during a ceremony in President's Park just south of the White House on December 10, 2020 in Washington, DC. Drew Angerer via Getty Images
Rabbi Moshe Hauer, executive vice president of the Orthodox Union, also planned to connect with extended family via Zoom, in addition to hosting a small in-person family get-together.
“Family gatherings are going to be limited, with or without the Supreme Court decision,” he said.
The eight-day holiday beginning Thursday at sunset, also known as the Jewish Festival of Lights, honors the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem during the second century B.C. following victory over the Syrians. Celebrated with the nightly lighting of the menorah, it usually falls in December but sometimes in late November.
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Hauer linked Hanukkah’s underlying message of the Jewish people’s endurance, “the triumph of the spirit against tremendous odds,” to the present-day coronavirus crisis.
“There’s been a tremendous power of the spirit to continue to practice and continue to worship and celebrate, and find new ways to celebrate,” he said.
Rabbi Daniel Sherman of Temple Sinai, which describes itself as New Orleans’ oldest Reform congregation, said it has been more difficult to adapt other holidays on the Jewish calendar to the constraints of the pandemic.
“In some ways Hanukkah is a little bit easier, because the main celebration of Hanukkah is a home celebration as opposed to everyone coming to temple each night,” Sherman said. His synagogue is planning a drive-through candle-lighting on Thursday at the Audubon Zoo, as well as nightly candle-lightings over Zoom.
Still, Sherman added, “people are used to having friends and family over for those home celebrations, and this year the challenge is to have that Hanukkah spirit still, even though it might just be your immediate family or you might just be by yourself.”
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A giant Hanukkah menorah is seen on Thursday, Dec. 10, 2020, along Fifth Avenue in New York, on the first night of the annual eight-day long Jewish festival of lights. Due to coronavirus restrictions, a limited and socially-distanced crowd was allowed to attend. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)
For Esther Reisman, who teaches Bible studies and Jewish history at Beth Jacob Academy in Brooklyn, Hanukkah gatherings with extended family can typically include dozens of people. But this year it may be just her and her husband, Rabbi Yisroel Reisman of Agudath Israel of Madison, also a plaintiff in the Supreme Court case.
“It will be much, much smaller,” she said, adding that many others in their community were planning intimate gatherings just with immediate family members. Reisman’s family was also consulting a specialist in infectious disease to minimize any risk, she said.
Hanukkah is more of a minor holiday in Israel, though it is still a festive occasion marked by communal candle-lighting gatherings, school vacation and the consumption of deep-fried, and often elaborately decorated, doughnuts known as sufganiyot.
A Jewish man lights candles in observance of Hanukkah in Jerusalem, Thursday, Dec. 10, 2020. (AP Photo/Sebastian Scheiner)
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With confirmed coronavirus cases quickly rising, the Israeli government this week announced plans for a nighttime curfew to prevent large public gatherings but subsequently backtracked. Instead, it has encouraged people to celebrate at home with their immediate families.
In the U.S., the holiday can take on a Christmas-like quality in some Jewish communities. In Ohio, Chabad Columbus is planning outdoor events designed for families to attend at a safe distance, including a menorah-lighting via helicopter performed by a man costumed as a member of the Maccabee family, which plays a central role in the Hanukkah story.
Rabbi Hara Person, the chief executive of the Central Conference of American Rabbis, urged celebrants everywhere to remain “very cognizant about what our home gatherings look like” in the pandemic context.
Hanukkah is “about spreading light and spreading joy,” Person said, and “we need to maintain that idea of spreading light by not spreading infection.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-10--HuffPost Suspends Paid Membership During Move To BuzzFeed

Now HuffPost is on the cusp of further change as we move to new ownership under BuzzFeed .
Don ’ t worry , we ’ ll keep creating the empathetic , inclusive , people-first journalism that you ’ ve been reading and supporting – and will remain a separate , distinct website .
As part of the move , we will be temporarily suspending HuffPost Plus , our paid membership for readers who want to support HuffPost financially on a monthly or annual basis , as we transition to our new home .
This means we are not accepting new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ current memberships will be cancelled and refunded on a prorated basis .
( If you have any questions about this change , please check out our FAQs here .
If you ’ re a member with questions about your membership , email support @ huffpost.com . )
We are still welcoming readers to sign up for our free , basic membership .
Basic membership is your ticket to the HuffPost community , including participation in comments , invitations to members-only virtual events and text Q & As with HuffPost journalists , access to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to save and manage your bookmarks .
Unfortunately , the HuffPost Stuff store is closing , and any new transactions must be completed by Dec. 30 .
So if you ’ re an annual member who still needs to claim your free T-shirt or if you want to make any purchases from the store , get your order in now .
Please visit the support site if you have any questions about HuffPost Stuff .
We want to thank all of our members for staying with us in 2020 .
We ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ve spent with us keeping yourselves informed , joining the conversations in the comments , weighing in on our polls and participating in our events .
Together we have built a community of over 138,000 members , double that of 2019 .
Based on your feedback , in April we moved comments behind our free membership login and reduced toxicity with focused moderation on our most controversial topics .
We also added a weekly commenting roundup to highlight top thoughts from our members , and more ways for you to weigh in – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with our journalists , including launching interactive virtual events .
Our Live & Personal virtual events program drew more than 8,500 registrants and 2.8 million video views .
We held 21 events on Zoom , including a misinformation workshop , a series of events about the elections , three events about parenting , three events about sex and intimacy , two events about the workplace , one event about Keynesian economics and 10 events about about COVID-19 .
We also hosted six Instagram Live events and six commenting events , in which members @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your burning questions about the pandemic , self-care , U.S. elections and Thanksgiving .
And you have supported unique coverage that won us more than a dozen journalism awards this year , including three Webby Awards for HuffPost Life , news and politics coverage .

HuffPost
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Now HuffPost is on the cusp of further change as we move to new ownership under BuzzFeed. Don’t worry, we’ll keep creating the empathetic, inclusive, people-first journalism that you’ve been reading and supporting – and will remain a separate, distinct website.
As part of the move, we will be temporarily suspending HuffPost Plus, our paid membership for readers who want to support HuffPost financially on a monthly or annual basis, as we transition to our new home. This means we are not accepting new HuffPost Plus memberships for now, and current memberships will be cancelled and refunded on a prorated basis. (If you have any questions about this change, please check out our FAQs here. If you’re a member with questions about your membership, email support@huffpost.com.)
We are still welcoming readers to sign up for our free, basic membership. Basic membership is your ticket to the HuffPost community, including participation in comments, invitations to members-only virtual events and text Q&As with HuffPost journalists, access to the HuffPost Insider newsletter and the ability to save and manage your bookmarks.
Unfortunately, the HuffPost Stuff store is closing, and any new transactions must be completed by Dec. 30. So if you’re an annual member who still needs to claim your free T-shirt or if you want to make any purchases from the store, get your order in now. Please visit the support site if you have any questions about HuffPost Stuff.
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We want to thank all of our members for staying with us in 2020. We’re so grateful for the time you’ve spent with us keeping yourselves informed, joining the conversations in the comments, weighing in on our polls and participating in our events. Together we have built a community of over 138,000 members, double that of 2019.
Based on your feedback, in April we moved comments behind our free membership login and reduced toxicity with focused moderation on our most controversial topics. We also added a weekly commenting roundup to highlight top thoughts from our members, and more ways for you to weigh in – including polls and forums – and interact with our journalists, including launching interactive virtual events.
Our Live & Personal virtual events program drew more than 8,500 registrants and 2.8 million video views. We held 21 events on Zoom, including a misinformation workshop, a series of events about the elections, three events about parenting, three events about sex and intimacy, two events about the workplace, one event about Keynesian economics and 10 events about about COVID-19. We also hosted six Instagram Live events and six commenting events, in which members like you asked HuffPost journalists and experts your burning questions about the pandemic, self-care, U.S. elections and Thanksgiving.
(We’ve still got one more commenting forum to look forward to this year: an expert Q&A about the COVID-19 vaccines on Dec. 17. Leave your questions for HuffPost medical contributor Dr. Kavita Patel and senior wellness editor Lindsay Holmes here now!)
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And you have supported unique coverage that won us more than a dozen journalism awards this year, including three Webby Awards for HuffPost Life, news and politics coverage.
Here are just a few examples:


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-10--Precious Painting Lost At German Airport Found In Dumpster

Polizei Duesseldorf via AP Chief Detective Michael Dietz of the Dussedorf Police Department holds a painting from French artist Yves Tanguy .
A businessman , whose identity was not given , boarded a flight from Duesseldorf to Tel Aviv on Nov. 27 , but forgot the painting by French surrealist Yves Tanguy , which was wrapped in cardboard , on the check-in counter .
By the time he landed in Israel and contacted Duesseldorf police , the $ 340,000 work of arthad disappeared but was later found at a nearby paper dumpster , Duesseldorf police said .
BERLIN ( AP @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than a quarter million euros ( dollars ) that was forgotten by a businessman at Duesseldorf ’ s airport has been recovered from a nearby recycling dumpster , police said Thursday .
The businessman , whose identity was not given , accidentally left behind the painting by French surrealist Yves Tanguy at a check-in counter as he boarded a flight from Duesseldorf to Tel Aviv on Nov. 27 .
By the time he landed in Israel and contacted Duesseldorf police , the 280,000-Euro ( 340,000-dollar ) oeuvre , which had been wrapped in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emails with details about the 40x60-centimeter ( 16X24-inch ) painting , authorities could not locate the artwork , police spokesman Andre Hartwig said .
It was only after the businessman ’ s nephew traveled to the airport from neighboring Belgium and talked with police directly with more information that an inspector was able to trace the painting to paper recycling dumpster used by the airport ’ s cleaning company .
“ This was definitely one of our happiest stories this year , ” Hartwig said .
“ It was real detective work .
@

Chief Detective Michael Dietz of the Dussedorf Police Department holds a painting from French artist Yves Tanguy. A businessman, whose identity was not given, boarded a flight from Duesseldorf to Tel Aviv on Nov. 27, but forgot the painting by French surrealist Yves Tanguy, which was wrapped in cardboard, on the check-in counter. By the time he landed in Israel and contacted Duesseldorf police, the $340,000 work of arthad disappeared but was later found at a nearby paper dumpster, Duesseldorf police said. Polizei Duesseldorf via AP
BERLIN (AP) — A surrealist painting worth more than a quarter million euros (dollars) that was forgotten by a businessman at Duesseldorf’s airport has been recovered from a nearby recycling dumpster, police said Thursday.
The businessman, whose identity was not given, accidentally left behind the painting by French surrealist Yves Tanguy at a check-in counter as he boarded a flight from Duesseldorf to Tel Aviv on Nov. 27.
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By the time he landed in Israel and contacted Duesseldorf police, the 280,000-Euro (340,000-dollar) oeuvre, which had been wrapped in cardboard, had disappeared.
Despite multiple emails with details about the 40x60-centimeter (16X24-inch) painting, authorities could not locate the artwork, police spokesman Andre Hartwig said.
It was only after the businessman’s nephew traveled to the airport from neighboring Belgium and talked with police directly with more information that an inspector was able to trace the painting to paper recycling dumpster used by the airport’s cleaning company.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-10--Arizona Man Sentenced To Prison For Neo-Nazi Plot Targeting Journalists

An Arizona man has been sentenced to 16 months in prison for plotting with a neo-Nazi group to threaten and intimidate journalists and advocates working to expose anti-Semitism , federal prosecutors said .
Johnny Roman Garza , 21 , was sentenced Wednesday by a Seattle judge after pleading guilty in September to conspiring with other members of the terroristic hate group Atomwaffen Division to carry out threats in Washington , Arizona and Florida .
“ While this defendant did not hatch this disturbing plot , he enthusiastically embraced it , researching addresses for journalists and those who oppose hate in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Brian Moran .
An FBI special agent discusses charges against four alleged members of the neo-Nazi group Atomwaffen Division for cyberstalking and mailing threatening communications to journalists .
Some of the threatening posters that were sent to the journalists are displayed .
In his plea agreement , Garza admitted to helping identify various journalists for targeting and admitted to having left a threatening poster outside the home of an editor of a Jewish magazine .
“ Your actions have consequences .
Our patience has its limits .
... You have been visited by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ poster , which listed some of the victim ’ s personal information and depicted a figure holding a Molotov cocktail in front of a burning home .
Garza said he had intended to leave a similar poster outside a Phoenix apartment where a member of the Arizona Association of Black Journalists lived but said he was not able to find a suitable place for it during his visit .
Garza , who had faced up to five years in prison , expressed remorse for his actions in court .
Garza said he joined @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of darkness and isolation , ” which made it easier for “ rebellious and resentful ” influences to take over , prosecutors said .
“ Very unfortunately , I fell in with the worst crowd you can probably fall in with , a very self-destructive crowd at the least , ” he told U.S. District Judge John Coughenour , according to The Associated Press .
Coughenour said he felt Garza was truly remorseful and that he took into consideration Garza ’ s youth and “ turbulent childhood ” ahead of sentencing , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his arrest to educate himself about the minority groups he targeted .
Prison time was necessary , the judge said , “ given the severity of this conduct and the horrible impact it had on people that are important in our society.
” The judge further took a moment to admonish top U.S. officials who refer to journalists as “ enemies of the people , ” saying it makes people , particularly vulnerable youth , think that such conduct is appropriate .
Coughenour did not refer to President Donald Trump by name , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ defense attorney , Seth M. Apfel , also called his client ’ s remorse genuine and said Garza has taken classes to learn about Black and Jewish culture and wants to help prevent other people from getting pulled into hate groups .
“ Certainly , in my view , his transformation was very sincere , ” Apfel told The New York Times .
“ And I ’ m saying that not only as a lawyer but also as a Jewish man who ’ s married to a Black woman.
” Parker-Dipeppe pleaded guilty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and is scheduled to be sentenced in February .
Cole and Shea , who are described by prosecutors as the leaders of the conspiracy , are scheduled for trial in March .

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An Arizona man has been sentenced to 16 months in prison for plotting with a neo-Nazi group to threaten and intimidate journalists and advocates working to expose anti-Semitism, federal prosecutors said.
Johnny Roman Garza, 21, was sentenced Wednesday by a Seattle judge after pleading guilty in September to conspiring with other members of the terroristic hate group Atomwaffen Division to carry out threats in Washington, Arizona and Florida.
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Garza was one of four people arrested by the FBI in February and indicted by federal prosecutors.
“While this defendant did not hatch this disturbing plot, he enthusiastically embraced it, researching addresses for journalists and those who oppose hate in our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Brian Moran.
An FBI special agent discusses charges against four alleged members of the neo-Nazi group Atomwaffen Division for cyberstalking and mailing threatening communications to journalists. Some of the threatening posters that were sent to the journalists are displayed. ASSOCIATED PRESS
In his plea agreement, Garza admitted to helping identify various journalists for targeting and admitted to having left a threatening poster outside the home of an editor of a Jewish magazine.
“Your actions have consequences. Our patience has its limits. ... You have been visited by your local Nazis,” read the poster, which listed some of the victim’s personal information and depicted a figure holding a Molotov cocktail in front of a burning home.
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Garza said he had intended to leave a similar poster outside a Phoenix apartment where a member of the Arizona Association of Black Journalists lived but said he was not able to find a suitable place for it during his visit.
Garza, who had faced up to five years in prison, expressed remorse for his actions in court. Garza said he joined the hate group during “a time of darkness and isolation,” which made it easier for “rebellious and resentful” influences to take over, prosecutors said.
“Very unfortunately, I fell in with the worst crowd you can probably fall in with, a very self-destructive crowd at the least,” he told U.S. District Judge John Coughenour, according to The Associated Press.
Coughenour said he felt Garza was truly remorseful and that he took into consideration Garza’s youth and “turbulent childhood” ahead of sentencing, as well as Garza’s efforts after his arrest to educate himself about the minority groups he targeted.
Prison time was necessary, the judge said, “given the severity of this conduct and the horrible impact it had on people that are important in our society.”
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The judge further took a moment to admonish top U.S. officials who refer to journalists as “enemies of the people,” saying it makes people, particularly vulnerable youth, think that such conduct is appropriate. Coughenour did not refer to President Donald Trump by name, the AP reported.
Garza’s defense attorney, Seth M. Apfel, also called his client’s remorse genuine and said Garza has taken classes to learn about Black and Jewish culture and wants to help prevent other people from getting pulled into hate groups.
“Certainly, in my view, his transformation was very sincere,” Apfel told The New York Times. “And I’m saying that not only as a lawyer but also as a Jewish man who’s married to a Black woman.”
The remaining three defendants have yet to be sentenced. Those are Cameron Brandon Shea, 24, of Redmond, Washington; Kaleb Cole, 24, of Montgomery, Texas; and Taylor Ashley Parker-Dipeppe, 21, of Spring Hill, Florida.
Parker-Dipeppe pleaded guilty to a federal conspiracy charge in September and is scheduled to be sentenced in February. Cole and Shea, who are described by prosecutors as the leaders of the conspiracy, are scheduled for trial in March.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-10--U.S. Breaks Single-Day COVID-19 Death Record

At least 3,124 people died in a single day on Wednesday .

U.S. Breaks Single-Day COVID-19 Death Record
At least 3,124 people died in a single day on Wednesday.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-11--Single-Day U.S. COVID-19 Deaths Top 3,000, More Than D-Day Or 9/11

MISSION , Kan. ( AP ) — Just when the U.S. appears on the verge of rolling out a COVID-19 vaccine , the numbers have become gloomier than ever : Over 3,000 American deaths in a single day , more than on D-Day or 9/11 .
One million new cases in the span of five days .
More than 106,000 people in the hospital .
The U.S. recorded 3,124 deaths Wednesday , the highest one-day total yet , according to Johns Hopkins University .
Up until last week , the peak was 2,603 deaths on April 15 , when New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nation ’ s outbreak .
The latest number is subject to revision up or down .
A U.S. government advisory panel on Thursday endorsed widespread use of Pfizer ’ s COVID-19 vaccine to help conquer the outbreak .
Depending on how fast the FDA signs off on the panel ’ s recommendation , shots could begin within days , inaugurating the biggest vaccination campaign in U.S. history .
In St. Louis , respiratory therapist Joe Kowalczyk said he has seen entire floors of his hospital fill up with COVID-19 patients , some of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the supply of ventilators is dwindling , and the inventory is so thin that colleagues on one shift had to ventilate one patient by using a BiPAP machine , similar to the devices used to treat sleep apnea .
“ I would be sleeping and I would be working in a unit and things would go completely wrong and I would shock myself awake .
They would be very visceral and very vivid , ” he said .
“ It would just really spook me.
” He said patients are becoming stranded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they await beds on the main floor or transfers to larger hospitals .
And those transfers are becoming more challenging , with some patients sent as far away as Denver , 400 miles ( 644 kilometers ) from the two hospitals .
“ That is a huge burden for families and EMS systems as well when you take an ambulance and send it 400 miles one way , that ambulance is out of the community for essentially a whole day , ” he said .
Smith added that some patients have gone from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hoax ” to “ Wow , this is real and I feel terrible.
” But he also has seen people with COVID-19 who “ continue to be disbelievers .
It is hard to see that.
” In Idaho , Gov .
Brad Little didn ’ t order a statewide mask mandate or enact additional restrictions despite the public health agency announcing that COVID-19 is now the leading cause of death in the state .
But the Republican governor warned that if hospitals continue to fill and the state has to initiate “ crisis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ treatment would be reserved for patients most likely to survive — car crash victims could be treated in hospital conference rooms and diabetics with infections could be denied beds .

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MISSION, Kan. (AP) — Just when the U.S. appears on the verge of rolling out a COVID-19 vaccine, the numbers have become gloomier than ever: Over 3,000 American deaths in a single day, more than on D-Day or 9/11. One million new cases in the span of five days. More than 106,000 people in the hospital.
The crisis across the country is pushing medical centers to the breaking point and leaving staff members and public health officials burned out and plagued by tears and nightmares.
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All told, the crisis has left more than 290,000 people dead nationwide, with more than 15.5 million confirmed infections.
The U.S. recorded 3,124 deaths Wednesday, the highest one-day total yet, according to Johns Hopkins University. Up until last week, the peak was 2,603 deaths on April 15, when New York City was the epicenter of the nation’s outbreak. The latest number is subject to revision up or down.
Wednesday’s toll eclipsed American deaths on the opening day of the Normandy invasion during World War II: 2,500, out of some 4,400 Allied dead. And it topped the toll on Sept. 11, 2001: 2,977.
New cases per day are running at all-time highs of over 209,000 on average. And the number of people in the hospital with COVID-19 is setting records nearly every day.
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A U.S. government advisory panel on Thursday endorsed the widespread use of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine to help conquer the outbreak. Depending on how fast the FDA signs off on the panel’s recommendation, shots could begin within days, inaugurating the biggest vaccination campaign in U.S. history.
Documents created by Pfizer for the meeting with the Food and Drug Administration advisory panel, as Pfizer seeks approval for emergency use of their COVID-19 vaccine, are seen on Thursday, Dec. 10, 2020. The meeting of outside advisers to the Food and Drug Administration represented the next-to-last hurdle before the expected start of the biggest vaccination campaign in U.S. history. Depending on how fast the FDA signs off on the panel's recommendation, shots could begin within days. (AP Photo/Jon Elswick) ASSOCIATED PRESS
In St. Louis, respiratory therapist Joe Kowalczyk said he has seen entire floors of his hospital fill up with COVID-19 patients, some of them two to a room. He said the supply of ventilators is dwindling, and the inventory is so thin that colleagues on one shift had to ventilate one patient by using a BiPAP machine, similar to the devices used to treat sleep apnea.
When he goes home to sleep during the day at the end of his grueling overnight shifts, he sometimes has nightmares.
“I would be sleeping and I would be working in a unit and things would go completely wrong and I would shock myself awake. They would be very visceral and very vivid,” he said. “It would just really spook me.”
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In South Dakota, Dr. Clay Smith has treated hundreds of COVID-19 patients while working at Monument Health Spearfish Hospital and at Sheridan Memorial Hospital in neighboring Wyoming.
He said patients are becoming stranded in the emergency room for hours while they await beds on the main floor or transfers to larger hospitals. And those transfers are becoming more challenging, with some patients sent as far away as Denver, 400 miles (644 kilometers) from the two hospitals.
“That is a huge burden for families and EMS systems as well when you take an ambulance and send it 400 miles one way, that ambulance is out of the community for essentially a whole day,” he said.
Smith added that some patients have gone from thinking “I thought this was a hoax” to “Wow, this is real and I feel terrible.” But he also has seen people with COVID-19 who “continue to be disbelievers. It is hard to see that.”
“At the end of the day the virus doesn’t care whether you believe in it or not,” he said.
New Orleans’ health director, Dr. Jennifer Avegno, described a recent visit to a hospital where she watched doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists and others risk exposure to the disease in a long, futile attempt to save a dying COVID-19 patient. Some broke down in tears afterward, she said.
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“These are seasoned emergency and critical care personnel,” she said. “We do not cry very often — and especially not a number of us all at once.”
In Illinois, where authorities recorded an additional 196 deaths Thursday, Dr. Meeta Shah at Rush University in Chicago said medical workers are already beleaguered and waiting for the “other shoe to drop” from holiday gatherings.
“Every day you think, ‘Today is going to be awful,’” Shah said.
In Virginia, Gov. Ralph Northam, a doctor by training, announced a midnight curfew and expanded mask rules to require face coverings be worn outdoors, not just inside.
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf temporarily halted school sports and other extracurricular activities, ordered gyms, theaters and casinos to close and banned indoor dining at restaurants.
In Idaho, Gov. Brad Little didn’t order a statewide mask mandate or enact additional restrictions despite the public health agency announcing that COVID-19 is now the leading cause of death in the state. But the Republican governor warned that if hospitals continue to fill and the state has to initiate “crisis standards of care” — when life-saving treatment would be reserved for patients most likely to survive — car crash victims could be treated in hospital conference rooms and diabetics with infections could be denied beds.
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Little was among the first governors to publicly wear a mask in the spring and has encouraged others to do so, but anti-mask sentiment is intense in the conservative state.
In New York City, which was ravaged by the virus in the spring, one doctor sounded a note of relative optimism, saying that at least physicians are more capable of managing the virus now.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-11--COVID-19 Curfew Forces Pope Francis To Move Christmas Eve Mass Forward

VATICAN CITY , Dec 10 ( Reuters ) - Pope Francis ’ Christmas Eve Mass will start two hours earlier , the Vatican said on Thursday , allowing even the limited number of people who can attend to get home by a 10 p.m. Italian curfew to contain the coronavirus .
A program for the pope ’ s Christmas activities showed that the Mass , which normally starts at 9:30 p.m , would instead start at 7:30 p.m. As in all of the pope ’ s Christmas season events from Dec. 24 to Jan. 6 , public participation will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ encouraged people to respect government regulations aimed at containing the virus .
Since the outbreak began in February , Francis has often encouraged people to respect government regulations aimed at containing the virus .
Italy , the first Western country hit by the virus , has seen61,739 COVID-19 fatalities , the second-highest toll in Europe after Britain .
It has also registered 1.77 million cases to date .
The Italian government has imposed a number of other restrictions during the holiday season , including a ban on travel within regions between Dec. 21 @ @ @ @

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VATICAN CITY, Dec 10 (Reuters) - Pope Francis’ Christmas Eve Mass will start two hours earlier, the Vatican said on Thursday, allowing even the limited number of people who can attend to get home by a 10 p.m. Italian curfew to contain the coronavirus.
A program for the pope’s Christmas activities showed that the Mass, which normally starts at 9:30 p.m, would instead start at 7:30 p.m.
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As in all of the pope’s Christmas season events from Dec. 24 to Jan. 6, public participation will be severely limited.
Pope Francis has often encouraged people to respect government regulations aimed at containing the virus. Vatican Pool - Corbis via Getty Images
Since the outbreak began in February, Francis has often encouraged people to respect government regulations aimed at containing the virus.
Italy, the first Western country hit by the virus, has seen61,739 COVID-19 fatalities, the second-highest toll in Europe after Britain. It has also registered 1.77 million cases to date.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-11--How To Convince Your Parents To Go To Therapy

“ Not long ago the prevailing view of seeking professional help for personal problems was associated with stigma and shame , ” said Tracy Ross , a licensed clinical social worker in New York specializing in couples and family therapy .
“ Needing to be in therapy was something to keep secret at best , embarrassing and shameful at worst .
It was associated with personal weakness or failure , considered a shortcoming on the part of the family , the individual , even the community , and was viewed as a desperate last resort for those in dire need.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ seek help .
Share your own experience with therapy .
Walk them through the process .
“ While many older people may feel it ’ s too late to change or too hard to think about dredging up the past , when they do begin working with a therapist , they often find it to be a great relief , ” Ross said .
“ Sometimes it ’ s just getting the person in the door and the floodgates open .
I ’ ve heard from many older adults that they wish they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t know what they were so afraid of.
” “ For adult children , it ’ s a way to get their parents professional help and support while relieving some of their burden at being the ‘ go-to ’ or just worrying about a parent ’ s mental health , ” Ross said .
“ An older parent ’ s emotional wellbeing is often a real source of distress that gets in the way of adult children paying attention to other areas in their own lives .
Framing it as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lower resistance just enough that a parent may actually agree to try it .
Parents are often willing to do things for their kids that they aren ’ t willing to do for themselves .
”

Klaus Vedfelt via Getty Images Approach conversations about seeing a therapist with love and understanding that your parent grew up in a generation that viewed mental health very differently.
In recent years, we’ve made great strides as a culture reducing the stigma around mental health issues. Many people, including celebrities, now speak out about their struggles with anxiety, depression, addiction and relationships. There’s also more openness about going to therapy and getting help from mental health professionals.
Still, many people remain uncomfortable discussing their mental health or seeking professional help. This is particularly true for older adults ― often to the frustration of their grown children. While they believe their parents would benefit from seeing a therapist as they deal with life’s challenges, those from older generations often resist.
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“Not long ago the prevailing view of seeking professional help for personal problems was associated with stigma and shame,” said Tracy Ross, a licensed clinical social worker in New York specializing in couples and family therapy. “Needing to be in therapy was something to keep secret at best, embarrassing and shameful at worst. It was associated with personal weakness or failure, considered a shortcoming on the part of the family, the individual, even the community, and was viewed as a desperate last resort for those in dire need.”
Older generations were socialized to keep troublesome inner thoughts and feelings private. Seeking treatment was associated in the past more with severe mental illness. These factors may make them hesitate to seek help for mental health struggles, even amid the stress of the coronavirus pandemic and economic downturn.
“Older parents may have the idea that therapy is an indulgence, a crutch, an excuse or a luxury,” Ross noted. “They may feel like they are too old or too set in their ways to change, that it’s not worth the effort or the pain of opening up. Others may feel it’s embarrassing to even consider discussing your personal life with a stranger.”
But it’s not necessarily a hopeless situation. Ross and other mental health experts share their advice for adult children who want to persuade their parents to go to therapy.
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Approach the situation with love.
“Always approach the situation with love and come from a place of caring,” cautioned Rachel Thomasian, licensed marriage and family therapist and owner of Los Angeles’ Playa Vista Counseling. “Be gentle in your approach. Explain how you’ve noticed them having a hard time with a specific behavior and that you’ve found some people who specialize in helping people with that issue.”
If your parent is hesitant, offer to brainstorm ways to make the process easier. Suggest you could join them in their therapy work or go to family counseling together. Don’t single them out as the problem, but rather just as a person who could benefit from talking to someone and gaining new skills.
“Have an open, honest conversation ― one that involves concern and vulnerability, not blaming or shaming a parent for something they have or haven’t done,” Ross said.
Explain why you want them to seek help.
“Be clear about your goals for wanting to get your parents into treatment ― ‘I’ve seen you be less active and decline invitations to socialize with your friends since Dad passed away. I’m concerned about you and I think you would benefit from seeing a grief counselor,’” said Zainab Delawalla, a clinical psychologist in Atlanta.
MoMo Productions via Getty Images Discuss your parent's concerns and answer any questions they may have about therapy.
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It may also help to let your parent know how their issues are affecting you and that you care about them but can’t be their therapist. Set a boundary and make it clear that you want them to get help from a professional, who is better suited to make a difference.
“If your parents are leaning on you for emotional support that you can’t provide, let them know that ― ‘I’m not the best person to help you deal with the fights you and Dad are having. Let’s find someone you can talk to about this,’” Delawalla said.
Validate their concerns.
Do not summarily dismiss your parent’s reservations about going to therapy. Ignoring their worries or trying to strong-arm a reluctant person into therapy aren’t necessarily winning strategies. Instead, hear them out before responding.
“You can try to validate and normalize their fears,” Delawalla suggested. “Say, ‘I can understand why you might be uncomfortable disclosing so much personal information to someone you don’t even know.’”
You can even encourage your parent to let their potential therapist know all of the reasons why they don’t want to be in therapy.
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“Put it all out there,” advised Ross. “An experienced therapist can handle all the resistance and will even welcome it and validate it.”
Share your own experience with therapy.
After validating their concerns, offer a new perspective and information about the ways that therapy can improve quality of life. Explain that therapy isn’t about judgment and getting orders on what to do, but rather an opportunity to reflect on your life with someone who has no preconceived ideas about or personal involvement with it.
Delawalla recommended saying something like “When I was in therapy, I did not feel judged” or “Therapy allowed me to look at things from a different perspective” or “I learned how to manage my emotions.”
You don’t need personal experience with therapy to believe it’s important, however, and you can share statistical information and quotes from others about its benefits. It’s also worth explaining that therapists fully respect their clients’ privacy and that your parent is under no obligation to share what they discuss in sessions with anyone else (including you) if they don’t want to.
Help them find a good therapist.
Different therapists offer different approaches, not all of which will appeal to everyone. It can be hard to navigate the various offerings on Psychology Today’s website, for instance.
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“Help [your parent] find the right fit,” Delawalla advised. “Perhaps they have a gender preference or prefer a therapist of a certain generation or someone with a similar background. Ask about and respect these preferences, even if they don’t align with yours, and help them find the right provider.”
Walk them through the process.
“Another really good way to persuade a parent to see a therapist is to walk through the process with them,” Thomasian noted. “It’s helpful to explain exactly what therapy is and is not, what to expect, and how it can help.”
Again, you can share your own experience with therapy if you have any. Thomasian advised taking advantage of the free consultations most therapists offer as well.
“Maybe even try a session or two yourself and explain the benefits to your parent. Nothing is more convincing than firsthand experience and referral,” she said.
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Ease into it.
Going to therapy for the first time (or the first time in a while) can seem daunting, but you can lessen those feelings by assuring them they aren’t committing to anything big. Encourage your parents to simply give it a try and agree to just one to three sessions at first.
“While many older people may feel it’s too late to change or too hard to think about dredging up the past, when they do begin working with a therapist, they often find it to be a great relief,” Ross said. “Sometimes it’s just getting the person in the door and the floodgates open. I’ve heard from many older adults that they wish they had done it sooner and that they don’t know what they were so afraid of.”
kupicoo via Getty Images Getting in the door is the first step to therapy.
Once people get to know their therapist, there tends to be a shift away from resistance as they build trust, establish a relationship and learn to feel safe.
Another way to get parents in the door is to ask them to participate in some family therapy sessions with you for the sake of your own well-being and relationship with them. Ross said she’s noticed many hesitant parents start to open up and make great use of their time in a family therapy context.
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“For adult children, it’s a way to get their parents professional help and support while relieving some of their burden at being the ‘go-to’ or just worrying about a parent’s mental health,” Ross said. “An older parent’s emotional wellbeing is often a real source of distress that gets in the way of adult children paying attention to other areas in their own lives. Framing it as a family issue or parent/child relationship issue can lower resistance just enough that a parent may actually agree to try it. Parents are often willing to do things for their kids that they aren’t willing to do for themselves.”
Be patient.
“Expect your parents to resist the idea of seeking treatment,” Delawalla said. “This is not something you can bring up once and expect them to follow through with your suggestions.”
Instead, prepare to have multiple conversations as they consider therapy and find the right ways to verbalize their concerns. Let them know that you’re always there to support them in their mental journey ― whether it’s finding a therapist, driving them to appointments or discussing new insights they’ve learned in sessions.
“Patience, compassion and active listening will help,” said Mark Pollack, former president of the Anxiety and Depression Association of America and chief medical officer of Myriad Neuroscience. “For some individuals, talking to them about feeling ‘stressed,’ as opposed to ‘depressed,’ will be less likely to engender defensiveness or denial. Similarly, encouraging them to talk with their clinician about their problems with sleep, appetite or energy may be more acceptable.”
Temper your expectations.
“What feels to you like no big deal may in fact feel threatening, shaming and embarrassing to your parents,” Ross said. “They may have grown up in a family and a community where seeking outside help for mental health was extremely taboo. There may be past events, trauma or family secrets that they have never shared. They may fear opening Pandora’s box and making it worse.”
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Even if you do everything right and approach the situation with love, patience and reason, your parent may still remain firm in their refusal. Should this happen, be sure to prioritize your own mental health and work with your own therapist to make peace with this reality.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-11--Australia Abandons Local COVID-19 Vaccine After False Positive HIV Results

Clinical trials of a COVID-19 vaccine being developed by the University of Queensland in Australia and biotech firm CSL have been scrapped after participants returned false-positive HIV test results in phase one of the trial .
“ The University of Queensland vaccine will not be able to proceed based on the scientific advice , and that will no longer feature as part of Australia ’ s vaccine plan , ” he told reporters .
Morrison stressed that the blow was not a surprise as the government was prepared for some vaccine candidates to fail .
“ Our vaccine policy had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ based on the scientific advice ― had the potential to go through to the end of stage three trials and be available here in Australia , ” he said .
“ At no stage , can I assure you , that we believed that all four of those vaccines would likely get through that process.
” Australia 's Minister for Health Greg Hunt ( left ) , Prime Minister Scott Morrison ( right ) and Australia 's Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy ( center ) during a press conference on Friday .
Clinical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the University of Queensland in partnership with biotech company CSL will be abandoned , after the Federal Government had committed to purchasing , and agreements had been made to secure 51 million doses of the vaccine .
While there were no serious adverse effects seen in the phase one trial of 216 participants , data showed antibodies that had developed interfered with HIV diagnosis and led to false positives on some HIV tests , biotech company CSL said .
Given the results , CSL said it had come to a decision with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and phase three trials of the vaccine .
“ This outcome highlights the risk of failure associated with early vaccine development , and the rigorous assessment involved in making decisions as to what discoveries advance , ” said Andrew Nash , CSL ’ s chief scientific officer .
CSL , however , agreed to make another 20 million doses of AstraZeneca and Oxford University ’ s vaccine , on top of the 30 million doses already underway at the request of the government .
The first doses are expected in Australia early next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ start of vaccine development , that there are no guarantees , ” University of Queensland ’ s vaccine co-lead , Paul Young , said in a statement released by CSL .
The company said phase one trials of the vaccine would continue and further data analysis would be submitted for peer review in the future .
“ We want to ensure that Australians ... have full confidence , absolute full confidence that when it gets the tick , they can get the jab , and they can make that decision for themselves and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Morrison told reporters .
Australia ’ s tally of 28,000 COVID-19 infections is far fewer than in many other developed countries , and with only sporadic cases of the virus now showing up , it has not raced to start vaccinations as in North America and parts of Europe .

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Clinical trials of a COVID-19 vaccine being developed by the University of Queensland in Australia and biotech firm CSL have been scrapped after participants returned false-positive HIV test results in phase one of the trial.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Friday announced the government made the decision after receiving scientific advice.
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“The University of Queensland vaccine will not be able to proceed based on the scientific advice, and that will no longer feature as part of Australia’s vaccine plan,” he told reporters.
Morrison stressed that the blow was not a surprise as the government was prepared for some vaccine candidates to fail.
“Our vaccine policy had identified four vaccines that we believed ― based on the scientific advice ― had the potential to go through to the end of stage three trials and be available here in Australia,” he said. “At no stage, can I assure you, that we believed that all four of those vaccines would likely get through that process.”
Australia's Minister for Health Greg Hunt (left), Prime Minister Scott Morrison (right) and Australia's Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy (center) during a press conference on Friday. Clinical trials of a COVID-19 vaccine being developed by the University of Queensland in partnership with biotech company CSL will be abandoned, after the Federal Government had committed to purchasing, and agreements had been made to secure 51 million doses of the vaccine. Sam Mooy via Getty Images
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While there were no serious adverse effects seen in the phase one trial of 216 participants, data showed antibodies that had developed interfered with HIV diagnosis and led to false positives on some HIV tests, biotech company CSL said.
Given the results, CSL said it had come to a decision with the Australian government to stop phase two and phase three trials of the vaccine.
“This outcome highlights the risk of failure associated with early vaccine development, and the rigorous assessment involved in making decisions as to what discoveries advance,” said Andrew Nash, CSL’s chief scientific officer.
Margaret Keenan became the first patient in the UK to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine on Dec. 8, 2020. ASSOCIATED PRESS
CSL, however, agreed to make another 20 million doses of AstraZeneca and Oxford University’s vaccine, on top of the 30 million doses already underway at the request of the government. The first doses are expected in Australia early next year.
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“I said at the start of vaccine development, that there are no guarantees,” University of Queensland’s vaccine co-lead, Paul Young, said in a statement released by CSL.
The company said phase one trials of the vaccine would continue and further data analysis would be submitted for peer review in the future.
Australia is scheduled to start vaccinations in March 2021 and expects to inoculate its whole population by the end of the year. To date, Australia has secured 140 million vaccine units to inoculate its 25 million people, one of the highest ratios of vaccine purchases to population in the world, officials said.
“We want to ensure that Australians ... have full confidence, absolute full confidence that when it gets the tick, they can get the jab, and they can make that decision for themselves and for their families, confidently,” Morrison told reporters.
Despite suffering significant economic hits due to COVID-19, Australian consumer sentiment is climbing again as the country re-emerges from the pandemic faster than most.
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Australia’s tally of 28,000 COVID-19 infections is far fewer than in many other developed countries, and with only sporadic cases of the virus now showing up, it has not raced to start vaccinations as in North America and parts of Europe.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-11--Donald Trump Jr.'s 'Radicle' Typo Has Twitter Users In Stitches

radical ... bro .
spelling really does count .
I know its really snowflaky and lib tardy to use stuff @ @ @ @ @ ... once you get off the blow everything gets better , even spelling

radical... bro. spelling really does count. I know its really snowflaky and lib tardy to use stuff like spelling and grammar but... once you get off the blow everything gets better, even spelling


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-11--People Predict How Trump Will Flip Over Biden And Harris As Time Person Of The Year

Also shortlisted were outgoing President Donald Trump ; the movement for racial justice ; health care workers on the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic , and infectious diseases specialist Dr. Anthony Fauci .
“ If Donald Trump was a force for disruption and division over the past four years , Biden and Harris show where the nation is heading : a blend of ethnicities , lived experiences and world views that must find a way forward together if the American experiment is to survive , ” Time editor-in-chief Edward Felsenthal wrote of the magazine ’ s decision .
While some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ honoring those tackling and treating the spread of COVID-19 , others seized the opportunity to mock Trump and imagine how he will respond to a second loss to Biden in as many months .
“ Stand by for lawsuit alleging the magazine ’ s selection process was fraudulent and rigged , ” joked “ Star Wars ” actor Mark Hamill .
“ I ’ m mad .
I ’ m soooooooooo bigly fucking mad right now .
Knowing that people are laughing at me ( again ) and saying , ‘ damn you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you orange-faced fascist ’ makes is so much worse ...
Completely unrelated but , my kids are awful too .
We ’ re all just ... terrible.
” pic.twitter.com/A9Aa51Wgxn — Corey🤬Reynolds ( @ coreyreynoldsLA ) December 11 , 2020 Y ’ all straight up trolled Trump by pretending he was in consideration .
Love it .
pic.twitter.com/SEMttQIVdC — QONDI 💛 🐝 🇺🇸🇿🇦🇿🇼 ( @ WeAreAllOther ) December 11 , 2020 Has Trump started ranting about Time magazine yet ?
If not , either he ’ s not watching tv - the only place @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s asleep .
Or calling his corrupt Proto fascists in the GOP with more thoughts on their war on democracy .
— Kurt `` Masks Save Lives '' Eichenwald ( @ kurteichenwald ) December 11 , 2020 Remember when @ realDonaldTrump made a fake @ TIME magazine cover of himself and had it hanging up at his golf clubs ?
😂 pic.twitter.com/1UecdbGoR5 — Brett Gursky ( @ BrettGursky ) December 11 , 2020 Joe Biden & Kamala Harris have been named Time Magazine persons of the year beating a large group of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by for a major tantrum !
— Steve Gibbons ( @ SteveGibbonsXMP ) December 11 , 2020 Dear me - thank you Time magazine .
Was there media around when trump found out ?
Do we have footage of his head exploding ?
— Jen Houston ( @ jen_vevie ) December 11 , 2020

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Also shortlisted were outgoing President Donald Trump; the movement for racial justice; health care workers on the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic, and infectious diseases specialist Dr. Anthony Fauci.
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Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are TIME's 2020 Person of the Year #TIMEPOY https://t.co/o97QNlSBrl pic.twitter.com/KuoBoebBN4 — TIME (@TIME) December 11, 2020
“If Donald Trump was a force for disruption and division over the past four years, Biden and Harris show where the nation is heading: a blend of ethnicities, lived experiences and world views that must find a way forward together if the American experiment is to survive,” Time editor-in-chief Edward Felsenthal wrote of the magazine’s decision.
While some on Twitter criticized the publication for not honoring those tackling and treating the spread of COVID-19, others seized the opportunity to mock Trump and imagine how he will respond to a second loss to Biden in as many months.
“Stand by for lawsuit alleging the magazine’s selection process was fraudulent and rigged,” joked “Star Wars” actor Mark Hamill.
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Stand by for lawsuit alleging the magazine's selection process was fraudulent and rigged.#TimeLoser_tRUMP pic.twitter.com/SupLLMUh75 — Mark Hamill (@HamillHimself) December 11, 2020
Anyone checked on the biggest loser tonight? 😎 — Mama_C2 (@mama_c2) December 11, 2020
“I’m mad. I’m soooooooooo bigly fucking mad right now. Knowing that people are laughing at me (again) and saying, ‘damn you just can’t stop losing, you orange-faced fascist’ makes is so much worse... Completely unrelated but, my kids are awful too. We’re all just... terrible.” pic.twitter.com/A9Aa51Wgxn — Corey🤬Reynolds (@coreyreynoldsLA) December 11, 2020
Y’all straight up trolled Trump by pretending he was in consideration. Love it. pic.twitter.com/SEMttQIVdC — QONDI 💛 🐝 🇺🇸🇿🇦🇿🇼 (@WeAreAllOther) December 11, 2020
This is going to drive Trump nuts.... pic.twitter.com/7EbZUD1asj — Amy Siskind 🏳🌈 (@Amy_Siskind) December 11, 2020
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Trump lost to Biden again 😂 — Stacie (@swhaley05) December 11, 2020
Trump’s head just imploded. Just waiting for the tweet storm. pic.twitter.com/ZqABFRJzXZ — M ✌🏻✌🏻WEAR A MASK (@sassybibrarian) December 11, 2020
Fake news. Trump has his own Time Magazine being printed. https://t.co/G0ktblYjqt — Lea Black (@LeaBlackMiami) December 11, 2020
Has Trump started ranting about Time magazine yet? If not, either he’s not watching tv - the only place he gets his news - or he’s asleep. Or calling his corrupt Proto fascists in the GOP with more thoughts on their war on democracy. — Kurt "Masks Save Lives" Eichenwald (@kurteichenwald) December 11, 2020
Remember when @realDonaldTrump made a fake @TIME magazine cover of himself and had it hanging up at his golf clubs? 😂 pic.twitter.com/1UecdbGoR5 — Brett Gursky (@BrettGursky) December 11, 2020
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Joe Biden & Kamala Harris have been named Time Magazine persons of the year beating a large group of candidates including Donald J Trump. Stand by for a major tantrum! — Steve Gibbons (@SteveGibbonsXMP) December 11, 2020
Time Magazine named Joe Biden and Kamala Harris 2020's Person of the Year. Trump demands a recount. pic.twitter.com/U14uSMiRG9 — Jarrett Bellini (@JarrettBellini) December 11, 2020
Dear me - thank you Time magazine. Was there media around when trump found out? Do we have footage of his head exploding? — Jen Houston (@jen_vevie) December 11, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-10--Tulsi Gabbard Introduces Anti-Transgender Bill After Claiming To Be LGBTQ-Friendly

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard ( D-Hawaii ) introduced legislation in the House on Thursday that would bar schools from receiving federal funding if they allow transgender girls and women and non-binary people to compete on sports teams consistent with their gender identities .
The bill — co-sponsored by Republican Rep. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma — was met with immediate outrage from transgender activists and allies who labeled the legislation “ blatantly transphobic.
” The “ Protect Women ’ s Sports Act ” seeks to clarify that Title IX protections for female athletes are “ based on biological sex , ” Gabbard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Title IX protects people from discrimination based on sex in educational programs that receive federal financial assistance .
The new bill would bar schools from receiving such funds if they permit “ a person whose biological sex at birth is male to participate in an athletic program or activity that is designated for women or girls.
” A similar bill was introduced in the Senate earlier this year by Sen. Kelly Loeffler ( R-Georgia ) and other Republicans .
Loeffler is one of two Republican senators facing competitive runoff elections in Georgia in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bill , Gabbard ― who ’ d previously claimed she supported LGBTQ rights ― said she wants to protect “ Title IX ’ s original intent which was based on the general biological distinction between men and women athletes based on sex.
” “ Title IX was a historic provision … to provide equal opportunity for women and girls in high school and college sports .
It led to a generational shift that impacted countless women , creating life-changing opportunities for girls and women that never existed before , ” she said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Title IX is being weakened by some states who are misinterpreting Title IX , creating uncertainty , undue hardship and lost opportunities for female athletes .
It is critical that the legacy of Title IX continues to ensure women and girls in sports have the opportunity to compete and excel on a level playing field.
” “ Tulsi Gabbard is now introducing a blatantly transphobic piece of legislation aimed at trans and non-binary young people , ” civil rights activist Charlotte Clymer wrote on Twitter of the bill .
“ Remember when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was an LGBTQ ally ?
We knew she was a liar , a fraud , ” wrote Zeke Stokes , former chief programs officer of LGBTQ rights organization GLAAD .
Gabbard faced scrutiny last year after homophobic remarks she ’ d made in 2004 surfaced .
At least twice that year , the Democrat had publicly called the LGBTQ community and same-sex marriage supporters “ homosexual extremists.
” She later told HuffPost in a statement that she regretted “ the positions I took in the past ” and noted her more recent support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and protections on LGBTQ+ issues.
” In 2017 , for instance , she backed a bill targeting discrimination based on sexual orientation .

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Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) introduced legislation in the House on Thursday that would bar schools from receiving federal funding if they allow transgender girls and women and non-binary people to compete on sports teams consistent with their gender identities.
The bill — co-sponsored by Republican Rep. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma — was met with immediate outrage from transgender activists and allies who labeled the legislation “blatantly transphobic.”
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The “Protect Women’s Sports Act” seeks to clarify that Title IX protections for female athletes are “based on biological sex,” Gabbard and Mullin said in a statement.
Title IX protects people from discrimination based on sex in educational programs that receive federal financial assistance. The new bill would bar schools from receiving such funds if they permit “a person whose biological sex at birth is male to participate in an athletic program or activity that is designated for women or girls.”
A similar bill was introduced in the Senate earlier this year by Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-Georgia) and other Republicans. Loeffler is one of two Republican senators facing competitive runoff elections in Georgia in January.
NEW: Hawaii Rep. @TulsiGabbard introduces bill called ‘Protect Women’s Sports Act’ — would clarify Title IX protections to be based on biological sex, which would impact transgender athletes participating in athletic programs for women and girls @KITV4 pic.twitter.com/VcDDgO1mFL — Tom George (@TheTomGeorge) December 10, 2020
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Explaining her support for the bill, Gabbard ― who’d previously claimed she supported LGBTQ rights ― said she wants to protect “Title IX’s original intent which was based on the general biological distinction between men and women athletes based on sex.”
“Title IX was a historic provision … to provide equal opportunity for women and girls in high school and college sports. It led to a generational shift that impacted countless women, creating life-changing opportunities for girls and women that never existed before,” she said.
“However,” she added, “Title IX is being weakened by some states who are misinterpreting Title IX, creating uncertainty, undue hardship and lost opportunities for female athletes. It is critical that the legacy of Title IX continues to ensure women and girls in sports have the opportunity to compete and excel on a level playing field.”
Gabbard faced immediate backlash for the legislation.
“Tulsi Gabbard is now introducing a blatantly transphobic piece of legislation aimed at trans and non-binary young people,” civil rights activist Charlotte Clymer wrote on Twitter of the bill.
“Remember when Tulsi Gabbard tried to convince us she was an LGBTQ ally? We knew she was a liar, a fraud,” wrote Zeke Stokes, former chief programs officer of LGBTQ rights organization GLAAD.
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Gabbard faced scrutiny last year after homophobic remarks she’d made in 2004 surfaced. At least twice that year, the Democrat had publicly called the LGBTQ community and same-sex marriage supporters “homosexual extremists.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-11--White House Asks Staff To Transition With ‘Professionalism' Despite Trump's Lies: Report

The White House reportedly asked staff to prioritize “ preparations for a smooth transition ” on Thursday and to remain professional ahead of President-elect Joe Biden ’ s inauguration next month , despite President Donald Trump ’ s ongoing efforts to undermine the results of the 2020 race and spread lies about his election loss .
Staff throughout the Trump administration , Vice President Mike Pence ’ s office , the National Security Council and the Council of Economic Advisers received emails from the White House chief of staff and White House counsel detailing transition protocol , CNN ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told aides to focus on Trump ’ s agenda for his final weeks in office , it added : “ we must also prioritize preparations for a smooth transition.
” “ Approach this project with the same professionalism and energy you have brought to all of your work in the past , ” the email said .
It also included details about record preservation and how to comply with legal measures during the transition period .
NEW : The White House emailed staff on Thursday reminding them that while the president ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ must also prioritise preparations for a smooth transition.
” The email urges staff to “ approach this project with the same professionalism ... ( 1/2 ) — Vivian Salama ( @ vmsalama ) December 11 , 2020 The White House did not respond to HuffPost ’ s request for comment on the email .
The messaging is in stark contrast to Trump ’ s ongoing efforts to undermine the election , which he lost to Biden by more than 7 million votes .
The president has lost every legal challenge he has mounted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but he still refuses to concede to Biden and continues to spread lies about rampant voter fraud ( there is no evidence that it took place ) .
A cohort of 106 GOP House members signed an amicus brief this week in a last-ditch attempt to ask the Supreme Court to overturn Biden ’ s victory , just days before the Electoral College formalizes its final vote to name Biden the next president on Monday .
The case , filed by the Republican attorney general in Texas , amounts to an unprecedented @ @ @ @ @ @ @ office against Americans ’ will .
Democrats have derided the effort , and attorneys general around the nation have asked the Supreme Court to reject the suit .
Still , the Trump administration has signed off on the formal processes necessary to begin the Biden transition , which has been moving at a rapid clip .
The president-elect has named many nominees for his potential Cabinet , unveiled a COVID-19 response plan for his first 100 days in office and vowed to undo Trump ’ s disastrous environmental policies .

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The White House reportedly asked staff to prioritize “preparations for a smooth transition” on Thursday and to remain professional ahead of President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration next month, despite President Donald Trump’s ongoing efforts to undermine the results of the 2020 race and spread lies about his election loss.
Staff throughout the Trump administration, Vice President Mike Pence’s office, the National Security Council and the Council of Economic Advisers received emails from the White House chief of staff and White House counsel detailing transition protocol, CNN’s Vivian Salama reported.
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While the message told aides to focus on Trump’s agenda for his final weeks in office, it added: “we must also prioritize preparations for a smooth transition.”
“Approach this project with the same professionalism and energy you have brought to all of your work in the past,” the email said. It also included details about record preservation and how to comply with legal measures during the transition period.
NEW: The White House emailed staff on Thursday reminding them that while the president’s agenda remains a priority, “we must also prioritise preparations for a smooth transition.” The email urges staff to “approach this project with the same professionalism... (1/2) — Vivian Salama (@vmsalama) December 11, 2020
The White House did not respond to HuffPost’s request for comment on the email.
The messaging is in stark contrast to Trump’s ongoing efforts to undermine the election, which he lost to Biden by more than 7 million votes. The president has lost every legal challenge he has mounted in key battleground states to disenfranchise voters, but he still refuses to concede to Biden and continues to spread lies about rampant voter fraud (there is no evidence that it took place).
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A cohort of 106 GOP House members signed an amicus brief this week in a last-ditch attempt to ask the Supreme Court to overturn Biden’s victory, just days before the Electoral College formalizes its final vote to name Biden the next president on Monday. The case, filed by the Republican attorney general in Texas, amounts to an unprecedented and meritless effort to install Trump in office against Americans’ will.
Democrats have derided the effort, and attorneys general around the nation have asked the Supreme Court to reject the suit.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-10--After A Smooth Start, Biden Faces Frustration Over Cabinet Picks

“ With one-in-six Americans and a quarter of U.S. children facing a devastating hunger crisis , farmers reeling and rural @ @ @ @ @ pain and economic fallout of the pandemic , the president-elect was eager to nominate someone @ @ @ @ @ prepared to step in on day one to deliver immediate relief for families all across @ @ @ @ @ one knows the department better than Tom Vilsack , ” the source said , noting @ @ @ @ @ the Senate in 2009 .
“ I know that he ’ s going to be @ @ @ @ @ said of Vilsack in an interview with The 19th , “ but I believe that @ @ @ @ @ decision , and that he is putting together a team that he feels comfortable with @ @ @ @ @ agenda .
And I ’ m just going to believe that he knows exactly what @ @ @ @ @ And I ’ m on the team .
”

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President-elect Joe Biden started his Cabinet rollout strong. He received high marks from all corners of the party for his economic team and seemed to be pursuing a “Goldilocks” strategy of choosing nominees that were acceptable to a wide swath of his coalition. He consulted key people, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), ensuring a smooth reception.
But the process seems to have gone off the rails since then, with the transition team battling leaks targeting women of color rumored to be under consideration, unease from some key allies, questions of whether people are being chosen for patronage or political reasons, and general confusion on some of the choices.
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“I think it’d be great to see a more cohesive vision across the entire Cabinet,” said Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) on Wednesday.
“One of the things I’m looking for when I see all of these picks put together is, what is the agenda? What is the, what is the overall vision going to be?” she added.
President-elect Joe Biden speaks during an event to announce his choice of retired Army Gen. Lloyd Austin, right, to be secretary of defense, at The Queen theater in Wilmington, Delaware, on Dec. 9. AP Photo/Susan Walsh
Biden has largely turned to people he and his team believe are deeply experienced and qualified, ready to hit the ground running as soon as they take office. Institutional knowledge and a steady hand were key parts of his campaign pitch to voters.
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Rep. Katie Porter (D-Calif.) said that while she sees a need for “experienced leaders who can arrive on day one and know the agency,” she also wants to see “more fresh voices coming into government to encourage new ideas.”
“That absolutely includes the lower-level appointments,” she added. “There’s only so much that a Cabinet head can make a top priority at one time — the energy, enthusiasm and qualifications of the downstream appointments will be essential to getting our country through this challenging time.”
Biden has been under intense pressure to live up to his promise to assemble the “the most diverse Cabinet in history.” But his attempts to do so have often been clumsy.
Black leaders and progressives were advocating for Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio) to become the first Black woman to be agriculture secretary. Fudge, a member of the House Agriculture Committee and an expert on food assistance programs, made clear that she too wanted the job.
As a member of the House Agriculture Committee, Fudge has been a prominent voice in all the nutrition policy battles of the past several years. From her perch as chair of the Subcommittee on Nutrition, Oversight and Department Operations she’s fought back against the president’s efforts to cut food benefits through regulation and led Democrats’ oversight of the administration’s pandemic-related nutrition policy changes.
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Despite its name, the U.S. Department of Agriculture does more than subsidize the nation’s 2 million farms. Its array of nutrition programs account for the majority of the agency’s $150 billion budget and feed tens of millions of Americans. By selecting Fudge, the incoming Biden administration would signal an increased emphasis on the latter part of the department’s mission.
Former Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack campaigned for Joe Biden in Iowa. AP Photo/Andrew Harnik
Yet Biden didn’t give it to her. Instead, he turned to his close friend and ally, former Iowa governor Tom Vilsack, who was also agriculture secretary for all eight years of President Barack Obama’s administration. After the 2008 financial crisis, Vilsack oversaw the Obama administration’s large expansion of participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps.
The choice of Vilsack came despite objections from progressives, who saw him as too tied to the corporate agricultural interests, and Black leaders, who said his record was not favorable to Black farmers and are still upset at his treatment and dismissal of Shirley Sherrod, a Black agriculture department employee who was smeared by right-wing media.
Vilsack was just one of two people the NAACP was absolutely opposed to becoming part of Biden’s Cabinet. (The other was former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who has been a rumored pick for transportation secretary.)
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Varshini Prakash, executive director of the climate action group Sunrise Movement, called Vilsack’s nomination “a slap in the face to Black Americans who delivered the election to Joe Biden.”
A source familiar with the president-elect’s thinking said Biden liked Vilsack’s experience and the fact that he already knows the agency.
“With one-in-six Americans and a quarter of U.S. children facing a devastating hunger crisis, farmers reeling and rural communities struggling to weather the pain and economic fallout of the pandemic, the president-elect was eager to nominate someone with experience and who is prepared to step in on day one to deliver immediate relief for families all across the country ― and no one knows the department better than Tom Vilsack,” the source said, noting he was unanimously confirmed by the Senate in 2009.
The president-elect instead nominated Fudge to be the secretary of housing and urban development.
Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio) has accepted a nomination to be the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, though she expressed interest in the Department of Agriculture. AP Photo/David Dermer, File
“Amid the crises facing the country, President-elect Biden is building a team of qualified and competent leaders to get things back on track and advance his bold agenda to build back better. Each of these nominees are forward-thinking, crisis-tested and experienced, and they are ready to quickly use the levers of government to make meaningful differences in the lives of Americans and help govern on day one,” said transition spokesperson Sean Savett.
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Other recent Biden choices also have a long and close relationship with the president-elect. Susan Rice is now going to be in charge of the White House Domestic Policy Council, a surprising choice since she is a foreign policy expert who served as Obama’s national security adviser. She is not known for her domestic policy chops, but her defenders say that her experience nevertheless equips her well for this role.
“Susan is bright, committed and gets things done,” former Attorney General Eric Holder tweeted. “She has experience coordinating various agencies to develop coherent policy. She understands the need for reform and positive change. This will be seen as one of Joe Biden’s best appointments.”
Ben Rhodes, one of Obama’s national security advisers, highlighted Rice’s personal passion for education policy — one inspired by her mother’s role in creating the Pell Grant program.
A domestic policy portfolio helps round out Rice’s experience if she does decide to run for office. There was speculation that she would challenge Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), and she was in the running to be Biden’s vice president.
Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) noted that he thought it was “interesting” that Biden decided to appoint Rice to a “non-Senate confirmed position,” even though it’s not surprising at all, since Republicans made clear that they would oppose her in any Senate-confirmed role with every fiber of their being.
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Biden also tapped Denis McDonough, who served as Obama’s chief of staff, to run the Department of Veterans on Thursday. Paul Rieckhoff, the founder of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, said that while he had met McDonough and found him impressive, he viewed the pick as “stunningly strange and surprising.”
President Barack Obama and former White House chief of staff Denis McDonough, who is one of several Obama administration alums tapped to come back and serve in the Biden administration. AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta
“He’s not a vet. And not a post-9/11 vet,” Rieckhoff tweeted. “And he’s another white guy leading an agency that badly needs a truly transformative leader that can understand and represent an increasingly diverse community.”
AMVETS, which boasts more than 250,000 members, also said it was “surprised” by Biden choosing McDonough.
“We were expecting a veteran, maybe a post-9/11 veteran. Maybe a woman veteran. Or maybe a veteran who knows the VA exceptionally well,” the group said in a statement.
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McDonough did get support from some key Democrats, however, including Jon Tester (D-Mont.), the ranking member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, who said McDonough had “demonstrated an exemplary commitment to public service and a deep understanding that taking care of our veterans is a cost of war.”
Biden’s administration is full of his old friends, and he has cited his personal relationships with them as reasons that he trusts them.
He called former Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) “one of my closest friends” when announcing Kerry’s new role as climate envoy. He noted that he has worked with Avril Haines, his choice for national intelligence, “for over a decade.”
Drama over key appointments started last week, when news reports began circulating that New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) had been snubbed for the Health and Human Services Secretary nomination.
There’s an understanding in Washington that some positions are less sought after than others. “Impressions are being given that HUD and Interior are not important federal agencies but political chits to be handed out,” the American Prospect’s David Dayen wrote this week in his piece claiming the transition process was “veering off course.”
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Lujan Grisham had been given an offer to run the Interior Department, which didn’t seem to make sense for the former New Mexico health secretary whose focus was on health care, not public lands. Furthermore, taking the post could have been a political slight to her fellow New Mexican Democrats Sens. Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich, along with Rep. Deb Haaland, all of whom have expressed interest in the post.
The interior secretary offer offended those in the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, who have been actively lobbying Biden’s team to make higher-profile Hispanic nominations. In the end, Biden’s campaign attempted to turn the situation around by tapping California Attorney General Xavier Becerra for the role. Lujan Grisham has so far been left without an administration job.
Dozens of tribes and House lawmakers have been lobbying Biden to nominate Haaland, a Native American member of Congress, to lead the agency. But in the past couple of weeks, The New York Times has been running stories featuring anonymous “Biden advisors” saying that Haaland isn’t qualified and suggesting a different Native American who happens to be a man, former interior deputy secretary Michael Connor.
It has infuriated tribal leaders and other Haaland supporters who say the suggestion is offensive and sexist, and that Biden is blowing a chance to put a historic, qualified Indigenous woman at the helm of the federal agency with oversight of public lands and tribal matters. Transition team officials have said the blind attacks on Haaland aren’t coming from anyone authorized to speak on behalf of Biden’s team.
Biden is also encountering some resistance from Democrats over his decision to nominate Ret. Gen. Lloyd Austin as defense secretary, raising questions of how much the Biden team consulted with key allies before making his decision.
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Austin is a respected former commander of the U.S. military effort in Iraq and a member of Raytheon’s board of directors. He would make history as the first Black American to lead the Pentagon, but he would need a waiver from Congress to serve in the position.
Recently retired Army Gen. Lloyd Austin, Biden's choice to be secretary of defense, would need a waiver from Congress to get approved for his post. AP Photo/Susan Walsh
Federal law stipulates that the leader of the Pentagon must be retired from military service for at least seven years before assuming the department’s top role — a law intended to maintain civilian control of the Defense Department. Austin has only been retired for four years.
The Trump administration received a waiver for Ret. Gen. James Mattis in 2017, which 17 Democrats voted against on principle. Now, Biden’s transition team is asking those same Democrats to reverse their positions for his pick. Already Warren said she would vote against the waiver and Sen. Jack Reed (R.I.), the ranking Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, also said it would be more preferable if the nominee was less recently retired.
Much of the Cabinet remains to be filled, including the much-watched position of attorney general. Reports so far indicate that several of the leading candidates are white, despite the push by many activists to choose a person of color.
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In her first interview since Biden chose her to be his secretary of housing, Fudge declined to criticize Biden or the process, saying she has spoken with Vilsack and hopes to work with him.
“I know that he’s going to be somewhat controversial,” she said of Vilsack in an interview with The 19th, “but I believe that the president-elect has made a decision, and that he is putting together a team that he feels comfortable with that can carry on his agenda. And I’m just going to believe that he knows exactly what he’s doing. And I’m on the team.”
Igor Bobic and Arthur Delaney contributed reporting.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-10--Bernie Sanders And Josh Hawley Join Forces To Push For More Stimulus Checks

Sens .
Bernie Sanders ( I-Vt. ) and Josh Hawley ( R-Mo . )
teamed up on Thursday to introduce an amendment that would provide another round of direct payments to Americans as lawmakers struggle to reach a deal on another coronavirus relief package .
The political odd couple ― one a leader of the progressive movement and the other a staunch conservative and ally of President Donald Trump ― says members of Congress shouldn ’ t leave town for the holidays without providing more help for the income hits so many Americans have endured during the health crisis .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ provide $ 1,200 for every working-class adult and $ 500 for each of their children ... Congress can not go home until we address this crisis , ” Sanders said in a floor speech .
“ What I want to make clear today is that this must be part of any COVID relief package and if there isn ’ t a COVID relief package , then I want a vote on this stand-alone legislation , ” Hawley told reporters later .
Direct cash payments to most American households were one of the most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ part of its initial response to the coronavirus pandemic several months ago .
The payments equaled about $ 280 billion , according to the Congressional Budget Office .
Sens .
Josh Hawley ( left ) and Bernie Sanders are n't on the same side on most issues , but they are pressing their colleagues in Congress to approve another batch of stimulus checks to ease the continuing economic of the coronvirus pandemic .
Another round of the checks has not been a part of negotiations over the next coronavirus relief package , mostly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cite the impact on the federal budget deficit ― red ink that , with their support , has increased significantly under President Donald Trump .
A bipartisan group of senators working to draft a $ 908 billion coronavirus relief bill said it was more urgent to get a deal preventing federal unemployment benefits and other emergency programs from expiring before the year .
Their proposal would provide an extra $ 300 a week in unemployment benefits for 16 weeks .
Hurdles to the group ’ s efforts include contentious issues like aid to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strongly support ― and a liability shield for businesses from coronavirus-related lawsuits ― a major goal for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ( R-Ky. ) .
He has suggested dropping both issues in favor of focusing on areas where both sides agree , like funding for vaccine distribution and aid to small businesses .
Democratic leaders , though , argue that aid for state and local governments must be addressed now .
Looming over the Senate is the need to pass a bill on Friday to avert a partial government shutdown .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seven-day measure to give negotiators more time to hammer out agreements on annual spending bills and added coronavirus relief .
Sanders is threatening to delay passage of the short-term bill unless he gets a vote on the amendment he authored along with Hawley to provide another round of stimulus checks , according to Senate GOP leadership .
“ They can blame me for anything they want , ” he said of the GOP ’ s Senate leadership .
“ But people back home by the millions are going to be blaming this Congress @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go hungry or to get evicted.
” Failure to avoid a government shutdown would mean another self-inflicted crisis by a Congress that has seen the negotiations among top party leaders on more federal coronavirus aid stymied for months even as the pandemic ’ s toll has worsened .
The recent efforts by the bipartisan group of senators initially sparked optimism about the prospects for an accord , but those hopes have dimmed as the end of this congressional session draws near .
“ I just don ’ t think in the amount of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is such a complicated issue ― and even though they spent a lot of time trying to come up with sort of creative , innovative solutions to it , they ’ re just not going to be able to thread the needle , ” Senate Majority Whip John Thune ( R-S.D . )
said Thursday .

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Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) teamed up Thursday to introduce an amendment to provide a new round of direct payments to Americans as lawmakers struggle to reach a deal on another coronavirus economic relief package.
The political odd couple ― one a leader of the progressive movement and the other a staunch conservative and ally of President Donald Trump ― says members of Congress shouldn’t leave town for the holidays without providing more help for the income hits that so many Americans have endured during the health crisis.
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“It is absolutely imperative that we provide $1,200 for every working-class adult and $500 for each of their children. ... Congress cannot go home until we address this crisis,” Sanders said in a floor speech.
“What I want to make clear today is that this must be part of any COVID relief package, and if there isn’t a COVID relief package, then I want a vote on this stand-alone legislation,” Hawley told reporters later.
Direct cash payments to most American households were one of the most popular and efficient measures Congress passed as part of its initial response to the coronavirus pandemic several months ago. The payments totaled about $280 billion, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
“You can’t tell me you can’t find $300 billion for working families. You just can’t tell me that isn’t possible,” Hawley said.
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Sens. Josh Hawley (left) and Bernie Sanders aren't on the same side on most issues, but they are pressing their colleagues in Congress to approve another batch of stimulus checks to ease the continuing economic strain caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Igor Bobic/HuffPost
Another round of the checks has not been a part of negotiations over the next coronavirus relief package, mostly due to objections from GOP lawmakers who cite the effect on the federal budget deficit ― red ink that, with their support, has increased significantly under Trump.
The Trump administration this week proposed including $600 stimulus checks in the next relief bill, but the offer was rejected by Democrats because the package included no added federal unemployment assistance.
A bipartisan group of senators working to draft a $908 billion coronavirus relief bill said it was more urgent to get a deal preventing federal unemployment benefits and other emergency programs from expiring before the end of the year. Their proposal would provide an extra $300 a week in unemployment benefits for 16 weeks.
Hurdles to the group’s efforts include contentious issues like aid to state and local governments ― which Democrats strongly support ― and a liability shield to protect businesses against coronavirus-related lawsuits ― a major goal for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). He has suggested dropping both issues in favor of focusing on areas where both sides agree, like funding for vaccine distribution and aid to small businesses. Democratic leaders, though, argue that aid for state and local governments must be addressed now.
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Looming over the Senate is the need to pass a bill on Friday to avert a partial government shutdown. The House earlier this week passed its own seven-day measure to give negotiators more time to hammer out agreements on annual spending bills and added coronavirus relief.
Sanders is threatening to delay passage of the short-term bill unless he gets a vote on the amendment he authored along with Hawley to provide another round of stimulus checks, according to Senate GOP leadership.
“Let’s play it by ear,” Sanders said Thursday when asked if he would hold up the funding bill.
“They can blame me for anything they want,” he said of the GOP’s Senate leadership. “But people back home by the millions are going to be blaming this Congress for inaction for leaving their children to go hungry or to get evicted.”
Hawley made clear he would not object to passage of the government funding bill on Friday, vowing instead to fight for a vote on stimulus checks next week.
Failure to avoid a government shutdown would mean another self-inflicted crisis by a Congress that has seen the negotiations among top party leaders on more federal coronavirus aid stymied for months even as the pandemic’s toll has worsened. The recent efforts by the bipartisan group of senators initially sparked optimism about the prospects for an accord, but those hopes have dimmed as the end of this congressional session draws near.
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