upi--2020-12-08--Scientists test safer ways driver, passengers can avoid COVID-19 spread

Traveling in a car with another person during the pandemic ?
Certain key steps might cut the odds of coronavirus spread during the trip , researchers say .
One big move that helps : Drive with all four windows down and have the passenger sit in the rear seat on the opposite side from the driver , the new study found .
This helps create `` an air flow pattern that travels across the cabin , farthest from the occupants , [ which ] can potentially reduce the transmission risk , '' explained a team led by Varghese Mathai , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ University of Massachusetts in Amherst , Mass .
But one expert on viral transmission says another precaution -- wearing a mask -- may still be necessary .
Especially in cold or wet weather , `` having all windows down may not be feasible for a variety of reasons , so when individuals are traveling in a car , face coverings should be worn to minimize risk , '' said Dr. Amesh Adalja , who was n't involved in the new report .
He 's senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the driving weather is conducive , having all the windows down creates two distinct air flows in the car , according to experiments conducted by Mathai 's team .
These two air flows are separated in the middle of the vehicle and move air from the rear to the front of the car , according to the report published online this month in the journal Science Advances .
Computer simulations showed that this airflow configuration was the most effective at reducing the transmission of simulated infectious droplets between the two occupants in such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ researchers also tested scenarios with all four windows up and with different numbers of windows open .
Having all the windows up was the riskiest scenario , since the new coronavirus is most contagious in small enclosed spaces .
Having three windows open was better than having two open , but which window was closed made a significant difference .
In scenarios with either an infected driver or an infected passenger , closing only the window closest to the non-infected person provided the greatest protection , second only to having all four windows @ @ @ @ @ @ @ computational fluid dynamics simulations used a sedan similar to the body shape of a Toyota Prius , so may not accurately predict airflow patterns in other vehicles such as trucks , minivans , and cars with an open sunroof .
The simulations may not have shown how airflow and how long virus particles may linger when there are strong crosswinds or other very windy conditions , the authors noted in a journal news release .
Even so , `` these results will have a strong bearing on infection mitigation measures for the hundreds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cars and taxis worldwide , and potentially yield to safer and lower-risk approaches to personal transportation , '' Mathai and colleagues concluded .
For his part , Adalja stressed that whenever `` people are in an enclosed space together , there is a heightened risk of transmission . ''
However , `` trying to mimic the outdoor situation , in which infectious droplets are whisked away quickly , has a lot of biological plausibility '' as a means of cutting down on coronavirus transmission , he added .
The U.S. Centers for Disease @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yourself and others from COVID-19 .

Researchers say people can minimize potential spread of COVID-19 while riding together by opening windows and sitting on opposite sides of the car. Photo by Amanda Mills/Center for Disease Control
Traveling in a car with another person during the pandemic? Certain key steps might cut the odds of coronavirus spread during the trip, researchers say. One big move that helps: Drive with all four windows down and have the passenger sit in the rear seat on the opposite side from the driver, the new study found. Advertisement
This helps create "an air flow pattern that travels across the cabin, farthest from the occupants, [which] can potentially reduce the transmission risk," explained a team led by Varghese Mathai, of the department of physics at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, Mass.
But one expert on viral transmission says another precaution -- wearing a mask -- may still be necessary.
Especially in cold or wet weather, "having all windows down may not be feasible for a variety of reasons, so when individuals are traveling in a car, face coverings should be worn to minimize risk," said Dr. Amesh Adalja, who wasn't involved in the new report. He's senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, in Baltimore.
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But if the driving weather is conducive, having all the windows down creates two distinct air flows in the car, according to experiments conducted by Mathai's team.
These two air flows are separated in the middle of the vehicle and move air from the rear to the front of the car, according to the report published online this month in the journal Science Advances.
Computer simulations showed that this airflow configuration was the most effective at reducing the transmission of simulated infectious droplets between the two occupants in such a risky, enclosed environment.
The researchers also tested scenarios with all four windows up and with different numbers of windows open. Having all the windows up was the riskiest scenario, since the new coronavirus is most contagious in small enclosed spaces.
Having three windows open was better than having two open, but which window was closed made a significant difference.
In scenarios with either an infected driver or an infected passenger, closing only the window closest to the non-infected person provided the greatest protection, second only to having all four windows open.
The researchers noted that their computational fluid dynamics simulations used a sedan similar to the body shape of a Toyota Prius, so may not accurately predict airflow patterns in other vehicles such as trucks, minivans, and cars with an open sunroof.
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The simulations may not have shown how airflow and how long virus particles may linger when there are strong crosswinds or other very windy conditions, the authors noted in a journal news release.
Even so, "these results will have a strong bearing on infection mitigation measures for the hundreds of millions of people driving in passenger cars and taxis worldwide, and potentially yield to safer and lower-risk approaches to personal transportation," Mathai and colleagues concluded.
For his part, Adalja stressed that whenever "people are in an enclosed space together, there is a heightened risk of transmission." However, "trying to mimic the outdoor situation, in which infectious droplets are whisked away quickly, has a lot of biological plausibility" as a means of cutting down on coronavirus transmission, he added.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention outlines how to protect yourself and others from COVID-19.
Copyright 2020 HealthDay. All rights reserved.


upi--2020-12-08--'Universal' flu vaccine shows promise in early-stage trial

Scientists say they may be getting closer to creating a universal flu vaccine .
In an early-stage clinical trial with 65 volunteers in the United States , an experimental vaccine triggered strong immune responses to a wide range of flu virus strains and subtypes .
The immune responses lasted at least 18 months , according to the researchers at Mount Sinai Health System , in New York City .
The vaccine produces antibodies that target the part of the surface protein of the influenza virus known to neutralize different influenza strains , the researchers said .
This chimeric hemagglutinin-based vaccine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three immunizations , eliminating the need for annual vaccinations , the study authors explained .
`` An influenza virus vaccine that results in broad immunity would likely protect against any emerging influenza virus subtype or strain , and would significantly enhance our pandemic preparedness , avoiding future problems with influenza pandemics as we see them now with COVID-19 , '' said study co-author Florian Krammer .
He 's a professor of microbiology at Mount Sinai 's Icahn School of Medicine .
`` Our chimeric hemagglutinin vaccine is a major advance over conventional vaccines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strains of virus , impacting their effectiveness .
In addition , revaccinating individuals annually is a huge and expensive undertaking , '' Krammer added in a Mount Sinai news release .
`` This phase of our clinical work significantly advances our understanding of the immune response in terms of its longevity , and leaves us greatly encouraged about future progress for this potentially breakthrough vaccine , '' Krammer said .
Seasonal flu causes as many as 650,000 deaths a year worldwide , according to the World Health Organization .
And flu pandemics occur @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of lives .
According to study co-author Dr. Adolfo García-Sastre , a professor of microbiology at the Icahn School of Medicine , `` The beauty part of this vaccine is that it 's not only broad , but multifunctional with stalk-specific antibodies that can neutralize many kinds of influenza viruses . ''
The vaccine could be particularly beneficial to low- and middle-income countries that do n't have the resources or the logistics to vaccinate their populations each year against the flu , García-Sastre added .
The study was published online this week in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Health Organization has more on seasonal flu .

A "universal" flu vaccine -- meant to defend against a wide range of strains of the influenza virus -- has shown promise in an early-stage clinical trial, researchers report. Photo by marcolohpsoares /Pixabay
Scientists say they may be getting closer to creating a universal flu vaccine. In an early-stage clinical trial with 65 volunteers in the United States, an experimental vaccine triggered strong immune responses to a wide range of flu virus strains and subtypes. Advertisement
The immune responses lasted at least 18 months, according to the researchers at Mount Sinai Health System, in New York City.
The vaccine produces antibodies that target the part of the surface protein of the influenza virus known to neutralize different influenza strains, the researchers said.
This chimeric hemagglutinin-based vaccine could provide long-term protection with two or three immunizations, eliminating the need for annual vaccinations, the study authors explained.
"An influenza virus vaccine that results in broad immunity would likely protect against any emerging influenza virus subtype or strain, and would significantly enhance our pandemic preparedness, avoiding future problems with influenza pandemics as we see them now with COVID-19," said study co-author Florian Krammer. He's a professor of microbiology at Mount Sinai's Icahn School of Medicine.
"Our chimeric hemagglutinin vaccine is a major advance over conventional vaccines which are often mismatched to the circulating strains of virus, impacting their effectiveness. In addition, revaccinating individuals annually is a huge and expensive undertaking," Krammer added in a Mount Sinai news release.
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"This phase of our clinical work significantly advances our understanding of the immune response in terms of its longevity, and leaves us greatly encouraged about future progress for this potentially breakthrough vaccine," Krammer said.
Seasonal flu causes as many as 650,000 deaths a year worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. And flu pandemics occur at irregular intervals and can claim millions of lives.
According to study co-author Dr. Adolfo García-Sastre, a professor of microbiology at the Icahn School of Medicine, "The beauty part of this vaccine is that it's not only broad, but multifunctional with stalk-specific antibodies that can neutralize many kinds of influenza viruses."
The vaccine could be particularly beneficial to low- and middle-income countries that don't have the resources or the logistics to vaccinate their populations each year against the flu, García-Sastre added.
The study was published online this week in the journal Nature Medicine.
The World Health Organization has more on seasonal flu.
Copyright 2020 HealthDay. All rights reserved.


upi--2020-12-08--Goff, Henry among players with easiest fantasy football playoff schedules

Dec. 8 ( UPI ) -- It 's officially playoff time for most fantasy football leagues .
Your roster should be complete for the most part , if you prepared for your postseason run in recent weeks , but sit-start decisions are more important now than ever .
You must weigh your players ' talents against the ease or difficulty of their schedule .
You do n't want to bench the players who helped you reach the playoffs , but you also should n't ignore difficult matchups if you have better options available .
Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jared Goff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans and Denver Broncos tight end Noah Fant are among the players with the easiest fantasy football schedules from Weeks 14 through 16 .
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen , Minnesota Vikings running back Dalvin Cook , Seattle Seahawks wide receiver D.K .
Metcalf and Las Vegas Raiders tight end Darren Waller are among the players with the hardest schedules .
I also recommend the Seattle Seahawks and Houston Texans defense/special teams units , due to the ease of their fantasy football playoff schedules .
You @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Minnesota Vikings , as those units face high-octane offenses .
Goff has one of the easiest schedules for a quarterback throughout the playoffs .
The Rams start out with a tough matchup against the New England Patriots before they battle the New York Jets and Seattle Seahawks .
The Jets have allowed the third-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks .
The Seahawks have allowed the second-most points to the position .
You wo n't be able to avoid playing most of these quarterbacks , as they are elite options at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Mayfield and Allen if you have a player with a better matchup .
Allen starts the fantasy football playoffs with a matchup against the San Francisco 49ers , before the Bills battle the Pittsburgh Steelers and Denver Broncos .
The 49ers are tied for allowing the ninth-fewest fantasy points to quarterbacks .
The Steelers have allowed the fewest points to the position .
The Broncos have allowed the ninth-fewest passing yards to quarterbacks .
You do n't want to run into anyone from this group in your fantasy football playoff matchups , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if they are on your roster .
I think Derrick Henry is the best out of the bunch .
The Tennessee Titans workhorse has a phenomenal schedule ahead .
The Titans face the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 14 before matchups against the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers .
The Jaguars have allowed the fifth-most fantasy points to running backs .
The Lions and Packers have allowed the most and third-most fantasy points to the position , respectively .
You are n't benching most of these elite running backs , but you might @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cook has been one of the best players in fantasy football in 2020 , but has a brutal schedule ahead .
The Minnesota Vikings start the fantasy football postseason against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers .
The Buccaneers have allowed fewest rushing yards in the league and the third-fewest fantasy points to running backs .
Tampa Bay will attempt to smother cook in this matchup .
The Vikings also face the Chicago Bears and New Orleans Saints .
The Bears have allowed the 10th-fewest fantasy points to the position .
The Saints have allowed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2020 .
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have the most fantasy-point-friendly schedule for wide receivers throughout the playoffs , but it might be difficult to figure out which player to start on a weekly basis .
I like Mike Evans the most out of the group due to his playmaking ability in the red zone .
The Buccaneers face the Minnesota Vikings , Atlanta Falcons and Detroit Lions in the playoffs .
The Vikings have allowed the third-most fantasy points per game to the position .
The Falcons have allowed the fourth-most fantasy points @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allowed the eighth-most points to the position .
Seattle Seahawks players had a very hot start to the 2020 fantasy football season , but have stumbled as of late .
They could struggle some more in the fantasy football playoffs .
You probably have to start D.K .
Metcalf and Tyler Lockett in most leagues , but I would look for other options if you are in a smaller league and have adequate depth at the position .
The Seahawks face the New York Jets in Week 14 , which should be a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They then have a second-round matchup against the Washington Football Team before a Week 16 showdown with the Los Angeles Rams .
The Rams have allowed the fewest fantasy points to wide receivers , while Washington has allowed the second-fewest .
Noah Fant and Eric Ebron are my favorite tight ends out of this group .
Fant 's Denver Broncos start the fantasy football playoffs with a matchup against the Carolina Panthers .
They then face the Buffalo Bills and Los Angeles Chargers .
The Bills have allowed the seventh-most fantasy points to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ninth-most points to the position .
The Panthers have allowed the 12th-most points to tight ends .
Ebron 's Pittsburgh Steelers face the Bills , Cincinnati Bengals and Indianapolis Colts .
The Bengals have allowed the most yards and third-most points to tight ends .
Ebron 's Week 14 matchup against Buffalo should give you a great spark before his easy second-round test .
Darren Waller is coming off one of his best games of the season , so he should remain in your lineup if your league requires starting the position @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you are in a smaller league and do n't have to start a tight end .
Waller starts the playoffs with a matchup against the Colts , a unit that has allowed the third-fewest fantasy points to tight ends .
He then has an easy matchup against the Chargers in Week 15 before he gets the Miami Dolphins in Week 16 .
The Dolphins have allowed the fifth-fewest fantasy points to the position .

1/3
Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry has a great fantasy football schedule through the playoffs. File Photo by David Tulis/UPI | License Photo
Dec. 8 (UPI) -- It's officially playoff time for most fantasy football leagues. Your roster should be complete for the most part, if you prepared for your postseason run in recent weeks, but sit-start decisions are more important now than ever. You must weigh your players' talents against the ease or difficulty of their schedule. You don't want to bench the players who helped you reach the playoffs, but you also shouldn't ignore difficult matchups if you have better options available. Advertisement
Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jared Goff, Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry, Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans and Denver Broncos tight end Noah Fant are among the players with the easiest fantasy football schedules from Weeks 14 through 16.
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, Minnesota Vikings running back Dalvin Cook, Seattle Seahawks wide receiver D.K. Metcalf and Las Vegas Raiders tight end Darren Waller are among the players with the hardest schedules.
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I also recommend the Seattle Seahawks and Houston Texans defense/special teams units, due to the ease of their fantasy football playoff schedules. You should stay away from the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings, as those units face high-octane offenses.
Quarterback
Easy: Jared Goff, Justin Herbert, Tom Brady, Lamar Jackson, Ryan Tannehill, Aaron Rodgers
Goff has one of the easiest schedules for a quarterback throughout the playoffs. The Rams start out with a tough matchup against the New England Patriots before they battle the New York Jets and Seattle Seahawks.
The Jets have allowed the third-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks. The Seahawks have allowed the second-most points to the position.
Hard: Patrick Mahomes, Russell Wilson, Baker Mayfield, Deshaun Watson, Josh Allen, Kyler Murray
You won't be able to avoid playing most of these quarterbacks, as they are elite options at the position, but I would get away from Mayfield and Allen if you have a player with a better matchup.
Allen starts the fantasy football playoffs with a matchup against the San Francisco 49ers, before the Bills battle the Pittsburgh Steelers and Denver Broncos.
The 49ers are tied for allowing the ninth-fewest fantasy points to quarterbacks. The Steelers have allowed the fewest points to the position. The Broncos have allowed the ninth-fewest passing yards to quarterbacks.
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Running back
Easy: Aaron Jones, David Montgomery, Derrick Henry, James Conner, D'Andre Swift, Melvin Gordon, Jonathan Taylor
You don't want to run into anyone from this group in your fantasy football playoff matchups, but they could carry you to victory if they are on your roster. I think Derrick Henry is the best out of the bunch. The Tennessee Titans workhorse has a phenomenal schedule ahead.
The Titans face the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 14 before matchups against the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers. The Jaguars have allowed the fifth-most fantasy points to running backs. The Lions and Packers have allowed the most and third-most fantasy points to the position, respectively.
Hard: Dalvin Cook, James Robinson, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Chris Carson, David Johnson
You aren't benching most of these elite running backs, but you might want to temper your expectations. Dalvin Cook has been one of the best players in fantasy football in 2020, but has a brutal schedule ahead.
The Minnesota Vikings start the fantasy football postseason against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Buccaneers have allowed fewest rushing yards in the league and the third-fewest fantasy points to running backs. Tampa Bay will attempt to smother cook in this matchup.
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The Vikings also face the Chicago Bears and New Orleans Saints. The Bears have allowed the 10th-fewest fantasy points to the position. The Saints have allowed the fewest points to running backs in 2020.
Wide receiver
Easy: Davante Adams, Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Antonio Brown, Allen Robinson, Cooper Kupp, Robert Woods, A.J. Brown, Jamison Crowder, Marquise Brown
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have the most fantasy-point-friendly schedule for wide receivers throughout the playoffs, but it might be difficult to figure out which player to start on a weekly basis.
I like Mike Evans the most out of the group due to his playmaking ability in the red zone. The Buccaneers face the Minnesota Vikings, Atlanta Falcons and Detroit Lions in the playoffs.
The Vikings have allowed the third-most fantasy points per game to the position. The Falcons have allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to wide receivers. The Lions have allowed the eighth-most points to the position.
Hard: D.K. Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, Stefon Diggs, DeVante Parker, D.J. Chark
Seattle Seahawks players had a very hot start to the 2020 fantasy football season, but have stumbled as of late. They could struggle some more in the fantasy football playoffs.
You probably have to start D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett in most leagues, but I would look for other options if you are in a smaller league and have adequate depth at the position.
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The Seahawks face the New York Jets in Week 14, which should be a good matchup for all Seattle players. They then have a second-round matchup against the Washington Football Team before a Week 16 showdown with the Los Angeles Rams.
The Rams have allowed the fewest fantasy points to wide receivers, while Washington has allowed the second-fewest.
Tight end
Easy: Mark Andrews, Eric Ebron, Noah Fant, Dalton Schultz
Noah Fant and Eric Ebron are my favorite tight ends out of this group. Fant's Denver Broncos start the fantasy football playoffs with a matchup against the Carolina Panthers. They then face the Buffalo Bills and Los Angeles Chargers.
The Bills have allowed the seventh-most fantasy points to tight ends. The Chargers have allowed the ninth-most points to the position. The Panthers have allowed the 12th-most points to tight ends.
Ebron's Pittsburgh Steelers face the Bills, Cincinnati Bengals and Indianapolis Colts. The Bengals have allowed the most yards and third-most points to tight ends. Ebron's Week 14 matchup against Buffalo should give you a great spark before his easy second-round test.
Hard: Darren Waller, Jonnu Smith, Mike Gesicki, Hunter Henry, Trey Burton
Darren Waller is coming off one of his best games of the season, so he should remain in your lineup if your league requires starting the position. I would consider other options if you are in a smaller league and don't have to start a tight end.
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Waller starts the playoffs with a matchup against the Colts, a unit that has allowed the third-fewest fantasy points to tight ends. He then has an easy matchup against the Chargers in Week 15 before he gets the Miami Dolphins in Week 16. The Dolphins have allowed the fifth-fewest fantasy points to the position.
This week in the National Football League


upi--2020-12-08--Fired CISA head sues Trump campaign, Newsmax over defamation conspiracy

Dec. 8 ( UPI ) -- Christopher Krebs , the former cybersecurity chief President Donald Trump fired for disputing his claims of voter fraud , filed a lawsuit Tuesday , accusing the Trump re-election campaign , its lawyer Joseph diGenova and conservative Newsmax Media for engaging in a conspiracy to defame and attack him .
In the lawsuit filed in the Circuit Court for Montgomery County , Md.
, Krebs accused the three of working in concert to attack , punish and defame him in retaliation for leading a campaign as director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 2020 presidential election .
Krebs said the trio conducted `` a calculated and pernicious conspiracy '' to defame and injure him `` for speaking truth and conscientiously performing [ his ] public duties without servile regard to 'partly loyalty , ' '' the lawsuit states .
The lawsuit was filed following Krebs refuting Trump 's effort to spread widely discredited claims of voter fraud and election rigging last month when he issued a statement as the head of CISA with a coalition of government security and elections officials stating , `` the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in American history . ''
Less than a week later , Trump fired Krebs on Nov. 17 in a flagged tweet for containing disputed election fraud claims that said the CISA statement was `` highly inaccurate . ''
DiGenova then went on Newsmax 's The Howie Carr Show on behalf of the Trump campaign to promote the discredited claims of voter fraud .
He also called for Krebs to be `` drawn and quartered .
Taken out at dawn and shot . ''
`` Defendant diGenova 's call to execute Plaintiff was received @ @ @ @ @ @ @ numerous angry Newsmax viewers as confirmation that Plaintiff was one of the 'traitors ' who was stealing the election from President Trump , '' the lawsuit reads .
`` An angry mob immediately bombarded Plaintiff with a barrage of death threats and harassment , which continue to this day . ''
The lawsuit includes numerous harassing and threatening tweets , Parlor posts and text messages targeting him and his family by calling him a traitor with many repeating the language diGenova used to demand his execution .
`` Why waste a bullet , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ right-wing social media platform Parlor reads , `` just smash his head in with rock . ''
Krebs ' lawyers accuse Newsmax of inviting diGenova to attack their client over his disagreement of the Trump campaign 's widespread voter fraud claims and that instead of choosing to edit out the call for violence the media organization aired it and continues to disseminate it online .
`` In short , Defendant Newsmax internationally armed Defendant diGenova with the tools to defame and cause Plaintiff extreme emotional distress , and then , by broadcasting Defendant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its website and other platforms , has itself further defamed and inflicted emotional distress upon Plaintiff `` the lawsuit states .
DiGenova attempted to walk back the comments early this month , saying in a statement that it was `` obvious that my remarks were sarcastic and made in jest . ''
`` I , of course , wish Mr. Krebs no harm , '' he said in the statement issued by the Trump campaign .
`` This was hyperbole in a political discourse . ''
The lawsuit is seeking to have a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regarding diGenova 's threats and monetary damages in excess of $ 75,000 plus lawyers ' fees .
`` As a result of the Defendants ' coordinated conduct , Plaintiff has become the target of violent threats and harassment and suffered significant financial , professional , emotional , reputational and other damages , '' the lawsuit argues .

United States President Donald J. Trump fired Christopher Krebs as head of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency for disputing his claims of voter fraud. Photo by Chris Kleponis/UPI | License Photo
Dec. 8 (UPI) -- Christopher Krebs, the former cybersecurity chief President Donald Trump fired for disputing his claims of voter fraud, filed a lawsuit Tuesday, accusing the Trump re-election campaign, its lawyer Joseph diGenova and conservative Newsmax Media for engaging in a conspiracy to defame and attack him. In the lawsuit filed in the Circuit Court for Montgomery County, Md., Krebs accused the three of working in concert to attack, punish and defame him in retaliation for leading a campaign as director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency to inform the public of the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election. Advertisement
Krebs said the trio conducted "a calculated and pernicious conspiracy" to defame and injure him "for speaking truth and conscientiously performing [his] public duties without servile regard to 'partly loyalty,'" the lawsuit states.
The lawsuit was filed following Krebs refuting Trump's effort to spread widely discredited claims of voter fraud and election rigging last month when he issued a statement as the head of CISA with a coalition of government security and elections officials stating, "the Nov. 3 election was the most secure in American history."
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Less than a week later, Trump fired Krebs on Nov. 17 in a flagged tweet for containing disputed election fraud claims that said the CISA statement was "highly inaccurate."
DiGenova then went on Newsmax's The Howie Carr Show on behalf of the Trump campaign to promote the discredited claims of voter fraud.
He also called for Krebs to be "drawn and quartered. Taken out at dawn and shot."
"Defendant diGenova's call to execute Plaintiff was received, as Defendant diGenova intended, by numerous angry Newsmax viewers as confirmation that Plaintiff was one of the 'traitors' who was stealing the election from President Trump," the lawsuit reads. "An angry mob immediately bombarded Plaintiff with a barrage of death threats and harassment, which continue to this day."
The lawsuit includes numerous harassing and threatening tweets, Parlor posts and text messages targeting him and his family by calling him a traitor with many repeating the language diGenova used to demand his execution.
"Why waste a bullet," one of the messages on the right-wing social media platform Parlor reads, "just smash his head in with rock."
Krebs' lawyers accuse Newsmax of inviting diGenova to attack their client over his disagreement of the Trump campaign's widespread voter fraud claims and that instead of choosing to edit out the call for violence the media organization aired it and continues to disseminate it online.
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"In short, Defendant Newsmax internationally armed Defendant diGenova with the tools to defame and cause Plaintiff extreme emotional distress, and then, by broadcasting Defendant diGenova's defamatory incitement of violence on its website and other platforms, has itself further defamed and inflicted emotional distress upon Plaintiff " the lawsuit states.
DiGenova attempted to walk back the comments early this month, saying in a statement that it was "obvious that my remarks were sarcastic and made in jest."
"I, of course, wish Mr. Krebs no harm," he said in the statement issued by the Trump campaign. "This was hyperbole in a political discourse."
The lawsuit is seeking to have a judge order Newsmax to remove any video regarding diGenova's threats and monetary damages in excess of $75,000 plus lawyers' fees.
"As a result of the Defendants' coordinated conduct, Plaintiff has become the target of violent threats and harassment and suffered significant financial, professional, emotional, reputational and other damages," the lawsuit argues.


upi--2020-12-08--Ronaldo, Juventus beat Messi, Barcelona to win Champions League Group G

Dec. 8 ( UPI ) -- Cristiano Ronaldo scored two goals and United States Men 's National Team star Weston McKennie added another as Juventus earned a 3-0 win over Lionel Messi and FC Barcelona in the Champions League Group G finale Tuesday at Camp Nou in Spain .
The victory pushed the Serie A side to the top of the Group G table based on head-to-head results against Barca , leaving Messi and the Spanish club in second place .
Barcelona still advances to the last 16 as runners-up .
`` The defeat was because of how we played @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman said .
`` We started badly , we looked scared , we were n't aggressive .
It looked as if we 'd come out looking not to lose , as opposed to trying to control the game .
We were n't good , not even positionally .
`` We got better , but we lost the game in the first half an hour . ''
Ronaldo tested Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen early in the match and eventually struck in the 13th minute when he converted a penalty kick @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Italian champions ahead by two goals with a stunning volley .
Ronaldo converted another penalty kick in the 52nd minute when Clement Lenglet was penalized for a handball to seal the victory .
Tuesday 's game was the first meeting between Ronaldo and Messi in more than two years .
The last matchup between the two soccer legends came in May 2018 , when Ronaldo was still playing for Real Madrid .
The Portuguese star departed Real Madrid for Juventus two months later .
`` I have always had a cordial relationship @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the match .
`` As I have said before , for 12 , 13 , 14 years [ I have been ] sharing prizes with him .
`` I never saw him as a rival .
He always tried the best for his team and I tried the best for mine .
I always got on well with him .
I am sure he will say the same if you ask him .
But we know in football people always look for a rivalry to create more excitement . ''
It was the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for both club and country , although this marked the first time they faced off in the UCL group stage .
The 33-year-old Messi and Ronaldo have combined to win the Ballon d'Or -- an award given annually to the top player in the world -- in 11 of the last 12 years .
Juventus and Barcelona will now advance to the knockout stage of the Champions League .

Juventus star Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates after scoring a goal against FC Barcelona during a UEFA Champions League Group G match Tuesday at Camp Nou in Spain. Photo by Alberto Estevez/EPA-EFE
Dec. 8 (UPI) -- Cristiano Ronaldo scored two goals and United States Men's National Team star Weston McKennie added another as Juventus earned a 3-0 win over Lionel Messi and FC Barcelona in the Champions League Group G finale Tuesday at Camp Nou in Spain. The victory pushed the Serie A side to the top of the Group G table based on head-to-head results against Barca, leaving Messi and the Spanish club in second place. Barcelona still advances to the last 16 as runners-up. Advertisement
"The defeat was because of how we played in the opening 25 minutes," Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman said. "We started badly, we looked scared, we weren't aggressive. It looked as if we'd come out looking not to lose, as opposed to trying to control the game. We weren't good, not even positionally.
"We got better, but we lost the game in the first half an hour."
Ronaldo tested Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen early in the match and eventually struck in the 13th minute when he converted a penalty kick. Seven minutes later, McKennie put the Italian champions ahead by two goals with a stunning volley.
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Ronaldo converted another penalty kick in the 52nd minute when Clement Lenglet was penalized for a handball to seal the victory.
Tuesday's game was the first meeting between Ronaldo and Messi in more than two years. The last matchup between the two soccer legends came in May 2018, when Ronaldo was still playing for Real Madrid. The Portuguese star departed Real Madrid for Juventus two months later.
"I have always had a cordial relationship with Messi," Ronaldo said after the match. "As I have said before, for 12, 13, 14 years [I have been] sharing prizes with him.
"I never saw him as a rival. He always tried the best for his team and I tried the best for mine. I always got on well with him. I am sure he will say the same if you ask him. But we know in football people always look for a rivalry to create more excitement."
It was the 36th all-time meeting between Ronaldo and Messi for both club and country, although this marked the first time they faced off in the UCL group stage.
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The 33-year-old Messi and Ronaldo have combined to win the Ballon d'Or -- an award given annually to the top player in the world -- in 11 of the last 12 years.
Juventus and Barcelona will now advance to the knockout stage of the Champions League.


upi--2020-12-08--Broncos' A.J. Bouye facing multigame suspension for PED violation

Dec. 8 ( UPI ) -- Denver Broncos veteran cornerback A.J .
Bouye is facing a multigame suspension for violating the NFL 's policy on performance-enhancing drugs .
League sources told ESPN , NFL Media and KOA NewsRadio in Colorado on Tuesday that Bouye is involved in a similar situation as Houston Texans wide receiver Will Fuller and his teammate , cornerback Bradley Roby .
Fuller and Roby each were suspended six games by the league last month .
Both players said their positive tests resulted from taking a product they were told was safe but contained at least one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week , Fuller said : `` Earlier this year , I sought treatment from a medical professional who prescribed medication that he believed to be permitted under the NFL 's drug policy .
As it turns out , my trust in this professional was misplaced because this medication was not a permitted substance under the NFL Policy on Performance Enhancing Substances . ''
Roby posted a statement on social media , saying : `` [ A ] few months ago , I unknowingly used a product that was contaminated with a banned substance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it is my job to know , and be responsible for , everything I put in my body . ''
Their suspensions will run through their final five games of this year and the season opener in 2021 .
If Bouye is suspended for a similar length of time , it would mean he will miss the Broncos ' last four games of this season and the first two in the 2021-22 campaign .
The 29-year-old Bouye and Fuller were teammates with the Texans in 2016 .
The Broncos acquired Bouye in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off-season .
He has missed four games this year due to a shoulder injury and one because of a concussion .
Bouye has struggled at times when returning from those injuries and has 23 total tackles this season .

The Denver Broncos acquired A.J. Bouye (21) in a trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars this past off-season. File Photo by Aaron Josefczyk/UPI | License Photo
Dec. 8 (UPI) -- Denver Broncos veteran cornerback A.J. Bouye is facing a multigame suspension for violating the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing drugs. League sources told ESPN, NFL Media and KOA NewsRadio in Colorado on Tuesday that Bouye is involved in a similar situation as Houston Texans wide receiver Will Fuller and his teammate, cornerback Bradley Roby. Fuller and Roby each were suspended six games by the league last month. Advertisement
Both players said their positive tests resulted from taking a product they were told was safe but contained at least one banned substance.
In a statement last week, Fuller said: "Earlier this year, I sought treatment from a medical professional who prescribed medication that he believed to be permitted under the NFL's drug policy. As it turns out, my trust in this professional was misplaced because this medication was not a permitted substance under the NFL Policy on Performance Enhancing Substances."
Roby posted a statement on social media, saying: "[A] few months ago, I unknowingly used a product that was contaminated with a banned substance by the NFL. I recognize that it is my job to know, and be responsible for, everything I put in my body."
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Their suspensions will run through their final five games of this year and the season opener in 2021.
If Bouye is suspended for a similar length of time, it would mean he will miss the Broncos' last four games of this season and the first two in the 2021-22 campaign. The 29-year-old Bouye and Fuller were teammates with the Texans in 2016.
The Broncos acquired Bouye in a trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars this past off-season. He has missed four games this year due to a shoulder injury and one because of a concussion.
Bouye has struggled at times when returning from those injuries and has 23 total tackles this season.
This week in the National Football League


upi--2020-12-08--House approves National Defense Authorization Act amid Trump veto threats

Dec. 8 ( UPI ) -- The House on Tuesday granted overwhelming bipartisan approval to the annual defense spending bill despite threats by President Donald Trump that he would veto the bill .
Lawmakers approved the $ 740 billion National Defense Authorization Act by a vote of 335-78 , surpassing the two-thirds necessary to override a presidential veto , although there was no solid commitment that Republican lawmakers would vote against the action by Trump .
A total of 140 Republicans joined a majority of Democrats in voting `` yes '' for the bill , while 37 Democrats voted `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The NDAA includes funding for major military programs and weapons systems , and authorizes dozens of special pay and bonuses for service members .
`` This bipartisan policy bill has been signed into law for 59 consecutive years .
Let 's urge the president to show respect to the work of the bicameral , bipartisan Congress and for the sacrifice of our military , '' House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , D-Calif. , said ahead of the vote .
Some Republicans in the House have called on their colleagues in the Senate to support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ veto .
`` The stronger the vote , the less chance of having to deal with a veto later , '' Rep. Mac Thornberry , R-Texas , said.
`` Trump , however , has opposed the measure based on a provision that would require the Pentagon to rename military bases and other property named after Confederate figures and establish a commission to determine how those changes will be executed .
Additionally , Trump has demanded that the bill include a repeal of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act , which provides liability @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by third parties .
`` I hope House Republicans will vote against the very weak National Defense Authorization Act , which I will VETO , '' Trump wrote on Twitter Tuesday morning before the vote .
`` Must include a termination of Section 230 ( for National Security purposes ) , preserve our National Monuments , & allow for 5G & troop reductions in foreign lands ! ''

The House voted 335-78 to approve the $740 billion National Defense Authorization Act on Tuesday despite President Donald Trump declaring he would veto the bill. File Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI | License Photo
Dec. 8 (UPI) -- The House on Tuesday granted overwhelming bipartisan approval to the annual defense spending bill despite threats by President Donald Trump that he would veto the bill. Lawmakers approved the $740 billion National Defense Authorization Act by a vote of 335-78, surpassing the two-thirds necessary to override a presidential veto, although there was no solid commitment that Republican lawmakers would vote against the action by Trump. Advertisement
A total of 140 Republicans joined a majority of Democrats in voting "yes" for the bill, while 37 Democrats voted "no" and one voted present.
The NDAA includes funding for major military programs and weapons systems, and authorizes dozens of special pay and bonuses for service members.
"This bipartisan policy bill has been signed into law for 59 consecutive years. Let's urge the president to show respect to the work of the bicameral, bipartisan Congress and for the sacrifice of our military," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said ahead of the vote.
Some Republicans in the House have called on their colleagues in the Senate to support the bill in hopes of avoiding a veto.
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"The stronger the vote, the less chance of having to deal with a veto later," Rep. Mac Thornberry, R-Texas, said. "
Trump, however, has opposed the measure based on a provision that would require the Pentagon to rename military bases and other property named after Confederate figures and establish a commission to determine how those changes will be executed.
Additionally, Trump has demanded that the bill include a repeal of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which provides liability protection to online platforms for content posted by third parties.
"I hope House Republicans will vote against the very weak National Defense Authorization Act, which I will VETO," Trump wrote on Twitter Tuesday morning before the vote. "Must include a termination of Section 230 (for National Security purposes), preserve our National Monuments, & allow for 5G & troop reductions in foreign lands!"


upi--2020-12-08--Weather a factor in Christmas tree shortage that hit some farmers this year

Some Christmas tree growers across the country have been experiencing a tree shortage that is the result of a perfect storm of factors -- one of them being the weather this year .
The coronavirus pandemic has affected Christmas tree availability in some places .
In addition , some bad tree-growing weather conditions that unfolded in key growing regions and economic factors that occurred more than a decade ago have put some of those who grow and sell Christmas trees in a bit of a pinch .
The `` perfect '' Christmas tree can take eight to 10 years -- @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases -- to grow , yet only a few days of unfavorable weather to destroy .
Both extremely wet weather and extremely dry weather can have short- and long-term effects on Christmas tree farms , and this year 's hot and dry conditions have not been ideal for some farms across the country .
In cases of drought , certain trees may experience stunted growth , becoming stressed and unusually dry .
`` We had minimal growth , just because the trees did n't have enough water , '' Heather Hinshaw of Brown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ WNEP in an interview .
`` We look generally in the summer to get at least a foot of growth so when we count our trees in the spring , we know if they are 5 to 6 feet , we can sell them as a 6- to 7-foot tree at the end of the season . ''
Parts of the central Plains experienced below-average rainfall with pockets of slightly below-average rainfall across the Ohio Valley and into the Northeast , including western and central parts of Pennsylvania which is where Brown 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Carl Erickson explained .
Other locations across the nation received even less rainfall .
`` For the months of June , July and August of 2020 , precipitation was below average from the interior Northwest , including Washington and Oregon , down through much of the Rocky Mountain states and into western Texas , '' Erickson said .
Oregon , North Carolina , Michigan , Pennsylvania , Wisconsin and Washington are historically among the top Christmas tree-growing states in the country , according to the National Christmas Tree Association .
`` For the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of 2020 precipitation was significantly below average across Southern California into southern Nevada .
Precipitation was below average from the interior Northwest , including Washington and Oregon , much of the Rocky Mountain states and into western Texas , '' Erickson said .
The temperatures were also a bit higher than the trees are typically used to at Brown 's Tree Farm -- summer temperatures were 2 degrees to 4 degrees Fahrenheit above average across much of Pennsylvania as well as the northern Plains and Upper Midwest eastward across the Great Lakes and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and northeastern parts of North Carolina also ran a couple of degrees warmer than average , according to Erickson .
Pair below-average rainfall with warmer air , and that creates a combination that is detrimental to the trees .
Then , add in the effects of the Great Recession of 2008 , as Jacobs hinted at , and the perfect storm of factors is complete .
Due to the tree-growing cycle , the effects of the 2008 growing season began being realized last year because growers that year , according to CNN , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ industry has been expecting fewer trees as a result of that season , and consumers are mostly unaffected by that shortage although the pandemic and weather issues exacerbated problems for some growers this year .
Lucky for some tree farmers , Mother Nature spared a few areas of the United States from an overly hot , dry summer .
Bill Jacobs has owned the Owasso Christmas Tree and Berry Farm in Tulsa , Okla. , for 40 years and said his rows of pines are growing just fine .
That 's all because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Oklahoma .
Central Oklahoma received 150 or more of normal precipitation while eastern Oklahoma received precipitation 200 or more of normal and north-central Oklahoma received precipitation 300 or more of normal , according to NOAA .
`` The farmers here in Oklahoma had a good growing season , '' Jacobs said .
However , Jacobs said the fir trees from North Carolina and Oregon are causing issues nationally .
Jacobs was able to get a truck filled with 650 Christmas trees from Oregon , but none of them was taller than 10 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` We had a couple smaller farms reach out and ask us to send them trees because they were n't able to get any because their growers were impacted by the tree shortage that 's going on , '' Owasso Christmas Tree and Berry Farm employee Jono Horray said .
So far , Jacobs said this has been the farm 's biggest year ever , which could also be contributing to families wanting to feel some sense of normalcy amid coronavirus restrictions .
Families are thankful for a holiday tradition to bring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Everything 's kind of weird and we 've been home for months now , so we might as well change the scenery in the house , '' said Karina Buvaylik , who bought a tree from Owasso Christmas Tree and Berry Farm .
Some holiday traditions have been modified or canceled due to COVID-19 .
At Millennium Park in Chicago , AccuWeather national reporter Emmy Victor said the Christmas tree was put up , but because of the pandemic , the lighting was streamed virtually for the first time ever .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reports that some Christmas tree sellers have taken the season off amid the pandemic .

A customer carries a large Christmas tree to the processing area at Ted Drewes Christmas Tree Lot on the first day of sales in St. Louis on November 27. Some Christmas tree farms and lots may be affected by a shortage of trees this year due to the 2008 recession and poor weather. File Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI | License Photo
Some Christmas tree growers across the country have been experiencing a tree shortage that is the result of a perfect storm of factors -- one of them being the weather this year. The coronavirus pandemic has affected Christmas tree availability in some places. In addition, some bad tree-growing weather conditions that unfolded in key growing regions and economic factors that occurred more than a decade ago have put some of those who grow and sell Christmas trees in a bit of a pinch. Advertisement
The "perfect" Christmas tree can take eight to 10 years -- even up to 15 years in some cases -- to grow, yet only a few days of unfavorable weather to destroy. Both extremely wet weather and extremely dry weather can have short- and long-term effects on Christmas tree farms, and this year's hot and dry conditions have not been ideal for some farms across the country.
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In cases of drought, certain trees may experience stunted growth, becoming stressed and unusually dry.
Summertime is a very important time of the year for a tree's development, and this summer's weather has greatly impacted the trees at Brown's Tree Farm in Muncy, Pennsylvania, and several other locations across the nation.
"We had minimal growth, just because the trees didn't have enough water," Heather Hinshaw of Brown's Tree Farm told local news station WNEP in an interview. "We look generally in the summer to get at least a foot of growth so when we count our trees in the spring, we know if they are 5 to 6 feet, we can sell them as a 6- to 7-foot tree at the end of the season."
Parts of the central Plains experienced below-average rainfall with pockets of slightly below-average rainfall across the Ohio Valley and into the Northeast, including western and central parts of Pennsylvania which is where Brown's Tree Farm is located, AccuWeather meteorologist Carl Erickson explained. Other locations across the nation received even less rainfall.
"For the months of June, July and August of 2020, precipitation was below average from the interior Northwest, including Washington and Oregon, down through much of the Rocky Mountain states and into western Texas," Erickson said. Oregon, North Carolina, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Washington are historically among the top Christmas tree-growing states in the country, according to the National Christmas Tree Association.
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"For the months of June, July and August of 2020 precipitation was significantly below average across Southern California into southern Nevada. Precipitation was below average from the interior Northwest, including Washington and Oregon, much of the Rocky Mountain states and into western Texas," Erickson said.
The temperatures were also a bit higher than the trees are typically used to at Brown's Tree Farm -- summer temperatures were 2 degrees to 4 degrees Fahrenheit above average across much of Pennsylvania as well as the northern Plains and Upper Midwest eastward across the Great Lakes and into the Northeast and mid-Atlantic. Western and northeastern parts of North Carolina also ran a couple of degrees warmer than average, according to Erickson.
Pair below-average rainfall with warmer air, and that creates a combination that is detrimental to the trees. Then, add in the effects of the Great Recession of 2008, as Jacobs hinted at, and the perfect storm of factors is complete. Due to the tree-growing cycle, the effects of the 2008 growing season began being realized last year because growers that year, according to CNN, planted fewer seedlings.
The Christmas tree industry has been expecting fewer trees as a result of that season, and consumers are mostly unaffected by that shortage although the pandemic and weather issues exacerbated problems for some growers this year.
Advertisement
Lucky for some tree farmers, Mother Nature spared a few areas of the United States from an overly hot, dry summer.
Bill Jacobs has owned the Owasso Christmas Tree and Berry Farm in Tulsa, Okla., for 40 years and said his rows of pines are growing just fine. That's all because July brought a lot of summertime rain to Oklahoma.
Central Oklahoma received 150 or more of normal precipitation while eastern Oklahoma received precipitation 200 or more of normal and north-central Oklahoma received precipitation 300 or more of normal, according to NOAA.
"The farmers here in Oklahoma had a good growing season," Jacobs said.
However, Jacobs said the fir trees from North Carolina and Oregon are causing issues nationally. Jacobs was able to get a truck filled with 650 Christmas trees from Oregon, but none of them was taller than 10 feet due to the lack of rain.
"We had a couple smaller farms reach out and ask us to send them trees because they weren't able to get any because their growers were impacted by the tree shortage that's going on," Owasso Christmas Tree and Berry Farm employee Jono Horray said.
Advertisement
So far, Jacobs said this has been the farm's biggest year ever, which could also be contributing to families wanting to feel some sense of normalcy amid coronavirus restrictions. Families are thankful for a holiday tradition to bring some comfort during this challenging year.
"Everything's kind of weird and we've been home for months now, so we might as well change the scenery in the house," said Karina Buvaylik, who bought a tree from Owasso Christmas Tree and Berry Farm.
Some holiday traditions have been modified or canceled due to COVID-19. At Millennium Park in Chicago, AccuWeather national reporter Emmy Victor said the Christmas tree was put up, but because of the pandemic, the lighting was streamed virtually for the first time ever. And in New York City, there are reports that some Christmas tree sellers have taken the season off amid the pandemic.
Scenes from the holiday season


upi--2020-12-08--Miller announces transfer of $29.3M in equipment to Philippine military

Dec. 8 ( UPI ) -- Acting U.S. Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller announced the transfer of $ 29.3 million in military equipment to senior Philippine military officials .
During a visit to Manila , Miller said the United States would transfer sniper and anti-IED equipment to the country 's military .
Miller met with Philippine Secretary of National Defense Delfin Lorenzana and Secretary of Foreign Affairs Teodoro Locsin Jr. and discussed the importance of the U.S.-Philippine alliance to regional and national security .
Miller also highlighted the more than $ 23.4 million the United States has sent to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for recent typhoon victims as well as ongoing U.S. support for Philippine counterterrorism and maritime security efforts .
`` I am grateful for the opportunity to visit the Philippines , the United States ' oldest treaty ally in Asia .
It was an honor to meet with Secretary Lorenzana and Secretary Loscin to discuss deepening our alliance and supporting a free and open South China Sea and Indo-Pacific region , '' Miller said in a press release .
`` We are grateful for the support provided by the United States as we continuously @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ' defense capabilities , '' Secretary Lorenzana said .
`` The modernization of the AFP will ultimately allow us to respond more effectively to both traditional and non-traditional security threats to our maritime nation . ''
The equipment will be transferred to several special mission units of the Armed Forces of the Philippines to support the force 's modernization goals and strengthen its joint precision strike , sniper , riverine , and counter-improvised explosive device capabilities .
According to the DoD , the Philippines is by far the largest recipient of U.S. military @ @ @ @ @ @ @ received more than $ 650 million worth of planes , ships , armored vehicles , small arms and other military equipment from the United States since 2015 .

Acting U.S. Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller announces the recent transfer of Php1.4 billion ($29.3 million) in defense articles, including sniper and anti-IED equipment, to senior Philippine military officials. Photo courtesy U.S. Embassy in the Philippines
Dec. 8 (UPI) -- Acting U.S. Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller announced the transfer of $29.3 million in military equipment to senior Philippine military officials. During a visit to Manila, Miller said the United States would transfer sniper and anti-IED equipment to the country's military. Advertisement
Miller met with Philippine Secretary of National Defense Delfin Lorenzana and Secretary of Foreign Affairs Teodoro Locsin Jr. and discussed the importance of the U.S.-Philippine alliance to regional and national security.
Miller also highlighted the more than $23.4 million the United States has sent to the country in COVID-19 assistance and disaster relief for recent typhoon victims as well as ongoing U.S. support for Philippine counterterrorism and maritime security efforts.
"I am grateful for the opportunity to visit the Philippines, the United States' oldest treaty ally in Asia. It was an honor to meet with Secretary Lorenzana and Secretary Loscin to discuss deepening our alliance and supporting a free and open South China Sea and Indo-Pacific region," Miller said in a press release.
"We are grateful for the support provided by the United States as we continuously work on the enhancement of the Philippines' defense capabilities," Secretary Lorenzana said. "The modernization of the AFP will ultimately allow us to respond more effectively to both traditional and non-traditional security threats to our maritime nation."
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The equipment will be transferred to several special mission units of the Armed Forces of the Philippines to support the force's modernization goals and strengthen its joint precision strike, sniper, riverine, and counter-improvised explosive device capabilities.
According to the DoD, the Philippines is by far the largest recipient of U.S. military assistance in the Indo-Pacific region, having received more than $650 million worth of planes, ships, armored vehicles, small arms and other military equipment from the United States since 2015.


upi--2020-12-08--Texas contests election results in Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin

Dec. 8 ( UPI ) -- Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing four battleground states -- Georgia , Michigan , Pennsylvania and Wisconsin -- whose election results handed the White House to President-elect Joe Biden .
In the suit , he claims that pandemic-era changes to election procedures in those states violated federal law , and asks the U.S. Supreme Court to block the states from voting in the Electoral College .
The last-minute bid , which legal experts have already characterized as a longshot , comes alongside dozens of similar attempts by President Donald Trump and his political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have already failed .
There is no evidence of widespread fraud in the 2020 election , officials in most states and U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr have said .
Biden won in all four states where Paxton is challenging the results .
In a filing to the high court Tuesday , Paxton claims the four battleground states broke the law by instituting pandemic-related changes to election policies , whether `` through executive fiat or friendly lawsuits , thereby weakening ballot integrity . ''
Paxton claimed that these changes allowed for voter fraud to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials have rejected -- and said the court should push back a Dec. 14 deadline by which states must appoint their presidential electors .
`` That deadline , however , should not cement a potentially illegitimate election result in the middle of this storm , '' attorneys for Texas wrote .
Officials in Georgia -- where Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger recertified the state 's election results again Monday after a recount -- were quick to dismiss Paxton 's allegations , as were leaders in the other three states named in the lawsuit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are false and irresponsible , '' Georgia 's deputy secretary of state , Jordan Fuchs , said in a statement Tuesday .
`` Texas alleges that there are 80,000 forged signatures on absentee ballots in Georgia , but they do n't bring forward a single person who this happened to .
That 's because it did n't happen . ''
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel dismissed Paxton 's suit as `` a publicity stunt , not a serious legal pleading . ''
`` Mr. Paxton 's actions are beneath the dignity of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the great state of Texas , '' she said .
Paxton and Trump are political allies whose interests often line up in court , as with Texas ' challenge to the Affordable Care Act .
Paxton , in public appearances , often characterizes their relationship as a friendly one , sharing the story of the time the president called while Paxton was in the shower .
Paxton , who has been under indictment since 2015 for felony securities fraud charges , is facing fresh criminal allegations from eight of his top deputies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the law by using the agency to do favors for a political donor .
Paxton has denied wrongdoing .
Notably , Paxton himself is listed as the agency 's lead attorney on the case -- a highly unusual role for the state official , who rarely plays a hands-on role even in the state 's major cases .
Paxton 's new chief deputy , Brent Webster , signed onto the filing , but conspicuously absent is the agency 's top lawyer for appellate work , Solicitor General Kyle Hawkins , who typically argues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Court and did so as recently as last month .
None of Hawkins ' deputies is listed as contributing to the case , nor are any of the agency 's hundreds of other attorneys .
The agency instead appears to have hired an outside attorney , Lawrence Joseph , to contribute to the case .
The agency did not answer questions about its staffing choices for the lawsuit , nor did Hawkins himself .
Gov .
Greg Abbott , a former Texas attorney general , signaled support for the lawsuit , telling a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the process , providing certainty and clarity about the entire election process .
The United States of America needs that . ''
This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune .
Read the original here .
The Texas Tribune is a non-profit , non-partisan media organization that informs Texans -- and engages with them -- about public policy , politics , government and statewide issues .

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton challenged four states' election results citing pandemic-related changes they made to their elections process earlier in the year. File Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI | License Photo
Dec. 8 (UPI) -- Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing four battleground states -- Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin -- whose election results handed the White House to President-elect Joe Biden. Advertisement
In the suit, he claims that pandemic-era changes to election procedures in those states violated federal law, and asks the U.S. Supreme Court to block the states from voting in the Electoral College.
The last-minute bid, which legal experts have already characterized as a longshot, comes alongside dozens of similar attempts by President Donald Trump and his political allies. The majority of those lawsuits have already failed.
There is no evidence of widespread fraud in the 2020 election, officials in most states and U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr have said. Biden won in all four states where Paxton is challenging the results.
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In a filing to the high court Tuesday, Paxton claims the four battleground states broke the law by instituting pandemic-related changes to election policies, whether "through executive fiat or friendly lawsuits, thereby weakening ballot integrity."
Paxton claimed that these changes allowed for voter fraud to occur -- a conclusion experts and election officials have rejected -- and said the court should push back a Dec. 14 deadline by which states must appoint their presidential electors.
"That deadline, however, should not cement a potentially illegitimate election result in the middle of this storm," attorneys for Texas wrote.
Officials in Georgia -- where Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger recertified the state's election results again Monday after a recount -- were quick to dismiss Paxton's allegations, as were leaders in the other three states named in the lawsuit.
"The allegations in the lawsuit are false and irresponsible," Georgia's deputy secretary of state, Jordan Fuchs, said in a statement Tuesday. "Texas alleges that there are 80,000 forged signatures on absentee ballots in Georgia, but they don't bring forward a single person who this happened to. That's because it didn't happen."
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Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel dismissed Paxton's suit as "a publicity stunt, not a serious legal pleading."
"Mr. Paxton's actions are beneath the dignity of the office of Attorney General and the people of the great state of Texas," she said.
Paxton and Trump are political allies whose interests often line up in court, as with Texas' challenge to the Affordable Care Act. Paxton, in public appearances, often characterizes their relationship as a friendly one, sharing the story of the time the president called while Paxton was in the shower.
Paxton, who has been under indictment since 2015 for felony securities fraud charges, is facing fresh criminal allegations from eight of his top deputies, who said they believe he broke the law by using the agency to do favors for a political donor. Paxton has denied wrongdoing.
Notably, Paxton himself is listed as the agency's lead attorney on the case -- a highly unusual role for the state official, who rarely plays a hands-on role even in the state's major cases. Paxton's new chief deputy, Brent Webster, signed onto the filing, but conspicuously absent is the agency's top lawyer for appellate work, Solicitor General Kyle Hawkins, who typically argues the state's cases before the Supreme Court and did so as recently as last month. None of Hawkins' deputies is listed as contributing to the case, nor are any of the agency's hundreds of other attorneys.
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The agency instead appears to have hired an outside attorney, Lawrence Joseph, to contribute to the case.
The agency did not answer questions about its staffing choices for the lawsuit, nor did Hawkins himself.
Gov. Greg Abbott, a former Texas attorney general, signaled support for the lawsuit, telling a reporter the case "tries to accelerate the process, providing certainty and clarity about the entire election process. The United States of America needs that."
This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune. Read the original here. The Texas Tribune is a non-profit, non-partisan media organization that informs Texans -- and engages with them -- about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.


upi--2020-12-08--China, Nepal agree to adjust Mount Everest's elevation by 2 feet

Dec. 8 ( UPI ) -- China and Nepal agreed Tuesday to adjust the height of Mount Everest upward , settling more than a decade of dispute over the world 's highest peak .
Officials from both countries announced that the mountain , which sits on the border of Nepal and Chinese-ruled Tibet , was 2 feet taller than previously recorded , towering 29,031.69 feet above sea level .
`` It is a historic day today , '' Nepali President Bidya Devi Bhandari said in a letter to Chinese President Xi Jinping that was read during a joint news conference @ @ @ @ @ @ @ important task with our own human resources and technical capacity is a significant achievment .
While sharing this happy moment , I extend my sincere congratulations to the governments and people of both Nepal and China . ''
The new height was calculated using geodetic data from a leveling instrument , gravity meter and GPS after teams placed a signal receiver at every station and measured how long it took the signals to travel between the receiver and satellites .
The dispute over Everest 's height began in 2005 when a Chinese survey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but Nepal refused to recognize that as the official height as the research was not authorized by the country .
At the time , Nepal accepted the findings of a 1995 Indian survey that placed the mountain 's height at 29,029 feet .
Scientific studies suggested a 2015 earthquake may have caused the elevation of the mountain to change , prompting Nepal 's government to reassess Everest 's height .
`` The project was a matter of national pride for Nepal and a prestigious undertaking for the Nepali government .
I feel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ complete it successfully , '' said Susheel Dangol , deputy director general at Nepal 's Department of Survey .
`` Nepal and China jointly processed the surveyed data and came up with the result . ''

Dec. 8 (UPI) -- China and Nepal agreed Tuesday to adjust the height of Mount Everest upward, settling more than a decade of dispute over the world's highest peak.
Officials from both countries announced that the mountain, which sits on the border of Nepal and Chinese-ruled Tibet, was 2 feet taller than previously recorded, towering 29,031.69 feet above sea level.
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"It is a historic day today," Nepali President Bidya Devi Bhandari said in a letter to Chinese President Xi Jinping that was read during a joint news conference Tuesday. "Indeed, completing this important task with our own human resources and technical capacity is a significant achievment. While sharing this happy moment, I extend my sincere congratulations to the governments and people of both Nepal and China."
The new height was calculated using geodetic data from a leveling instrument, gravity meter and GPS after teams placed a signal receiver at every station and measured how long it took the signals to travel between the receiver and satellites.
The dispute over Everest's height began in 2005 when a Chinese survey estimated that it stood around 29,015 feet, but Nepal refused to recognize that as the official height as the research was not authorized by the country.
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At the time, Nepal accepted the findings of a 1995 Indian survey that placed the mountain's height at 29,029 feet.
Scientific studies suggested a 2015 earthquake may have caused the elevation of the mountain to change, prompting Nepal's government to reassess Everest's height.
"The project was a matter of national pride for Nepal and a prestigious undertaking for the Nepali government. I feel very proud that we were able to complete it successfully," said Susheel Dangol, deputy director general at Nepal's Department of Survey. "Nepal and China jointly processed the surveyed data and came up with the result."


upi--2020-12-08--Eagles' Doug Pederson to start Jalen Hurts at QB over Carson Wentz

Dec. 8 ( UPI ) -- Philadelphia Eagles head coach Doug Pederson on Tuesday named rookie Jalen Hurts his starting quarterback for Sunday 's game against the New Orleans Saints .
Carson Wentz , who has served as the Eagles ' franchise quarterback since the team drafted him with the No .
2 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft , will be the backup to Hurts .
`` We 're not where we want to be as an offense , '' Pederson told the team 's official website Tuesday .
`` I looked at the whole thing and decided @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that spark again to try to get the team over the hump , to try to get everybody playing better . ''
Hurts came off the bench in the Eagles ' 30-16 loss to the Green Bay Packers on Sunday and outperformed the struggling Wentz .
Hurts was 5 of 12 for 109 yards with a touchdown and an interception , while adding five carries for 29 yards .
Wentz finished 6 of 15 for 79 yards and was sacked four times .
`` Carson is like all of us right now , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Pederson said .
`` He 's been a professional through it all .
He supports his teammates and that 's what you want to see from him , the leader of the team .
I know sometimes the quarterback gets a lot of the blame like the head coach does .
`` It 's the good with the bad .
It 's not about Carson Wentz .
It 's not about one person .
We know we have issues on offense and it has been a struggle for us all season @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a little bit , but he 's been a pro and would expect nothing less . ''
The 27-year-old Wentz has endured one of the worst seasons of his NFL career this year .
Entering Sunday 's game against the Saints , he ranks first in interceptions thrown ( 15 ) and sacks taken ( 50 ) .
Hurts played 33 snaps over the Eagles ' first 11 games this season , primarily as a gadget player in Pederson 's offensive scheme .
The Eagles ( 3-8-1 ) have lost four consecutive games @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the NFC East with four regular-season games remaining .

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz (R) has endured one of the worst seasons of his NFL career this year, ranking first in interceptions thrown (15) and sacks taken (50). File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo
Dec. 8 (UPI) -- Philadelphia Eagles head coach Doug Pederson on Tuesday named rookie Jalen Hurts his starting quarterback for Sunday's game against the New Orleans Saints. Carson Wentz, who has served as the Eagles' franchise quarterback since the team drafted him with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, will be the backup to Hurts. Advertisement
"We're not where we want to be as an offense," Pederson told the team's official website Tuesday. "I looked at the whole thing and decided that for this week to look for that spark again to try to get the team over the hump, to try to get everybody playing better."
Hurts came off the bench in the Eagles' 30-16 loss to the Green Bay Packers on Sunday and outperformed the struggling Wentz. Hurts was 5 of 12 for 109 yards with a touchdown and an interception, while adding five carries for 29 yards. Wentz finished 6 of 15 for 79 yards and was sacked four times.
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"Carson is like all of us right now, he's disappointed. He's frustrated," Pederson said. "He's been a professional through it all. He supports his teammates and that's what you want to see from him, the leader of the team. I know sometimes the quarterback gets a lot of the blame like the head coach does.
"It's the good with the bad. It's not about Carson Wentz. It's not about one person. We know we have issues on offense and it has been a struggle for us all season. That's where the frustration lies a little bit, but he's been a pro and would expect nothing less."
The 27-year-old Wentz has endured one of the worst seasons of his NFL career this year. Entering Sunday's game against the Saints, he ranks first in interceptions thrown (15) and sacks taken (50).
Hurts played 33 snaps over the Eagles' first 11 games this season, primarily as a gadget player in Pederson's offensive scheme.
The Eagles (3-8-1) have lost four consecutive games. Philadelphia sits in third place in the NFC East with four regular-season games remaining.
This week in the National Football League


upi--2020-12-08--Helicopter crashes in French Alps killing 5

Dec. 8 ( UPI ) -- A helicopter conducting a rescue training mission crashed Tuesday in the French Alps , @ @ @ @ @ , local officials said .
The aircraft , owned by Service Aerien Francais , crashed @ @ @ @ @ in the Savoie department in eastern France , Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said .
The @ @ @ @ @ training mission , the National Police said .
Four of the occupants were with the @ @ @ @ @ , and two were members of the CRS Alps , a unit of the National @ @ @ @ @ identified Capt .
Amaury L. and Brig .
Stephane L. as being among the dead @ @ @ @ @ said the sixth occupant of the helicopter `` fights '' to live .
`` To @ @ @ @ @ all the risks , '' he said .
`` Support from the nation to the @ @ @ @ @ of these French heroes . ''

A helicopter operated by Service Aerien Francais was flying a training mission with two members of the CRS Alps, a unit of the French National Police, when it crashed in the Alps. File Photo by Arnold Jerocki/EPA-EFE
Dec. 8 (UPI) -- A helicopter conducting a rescue training mission crashed Tuesday in the French Alps, killing five of the occupants, local officials said. A sixth person was hospitalized with injuries. Advertisement
The aircraft, owned by Service Aerien Francais, crashed near the town on Bonvillar in the Savoie department in eastern France, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said. The helicopter was participating in a training mission, the National Police said.
Four of the occupants were with the SAF, a private company, and two were members of the CRS Alps, a unit of the National Police. The National Police identified Capt. Amaury L. and Brig. Stephane L. as being among the dead.
French President Emmanuel Macron said the sixth occupant of the helicopter "fights" to live.
"To save lives, they take all the risks," he said. "Support from the nation to the families, friends and colleagues of these French heroes."


upi--2020-12-08--DoD to adopt flight simulation program developed for ordinary computers

Dec. 8 ( UPI ) -- The Department of Defense is planning to adopt a flight simulation program that can be installed on ordinary computers and laptops to supplement pilot training .
According to Air Force Lt. Col. Eric Frahm , the Joint Immersive Training System , or JTS is n't meant to replace simulators or real-time flying but to augment them and accelerate the pace of training .
The Air Force has reported a pilot shortage , which has limited the number of flight instructors available for one-on-one training , and it is cost prohibitive to build more simulators @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as actual aircraft , Frahm said .
The Defense Innovation Unit plans to deploy about 50 JTS devices to Randolph Air Force Base in Texas and Vance Air Force Base in Oklahoma over the next year to train students on the T-6 and T-38 aircraft .
`` Our team will collect detailed feedback from everyday instructors and students to understand how the system performs for them , '' Frahm said .
`` We 'll incorporate that feedback into at least three redesigns of the hardware and countless revisions of the software .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that will be flexible , adaptable , scalable and speeds the rate of competency attainment within our pilot force . ''
The software uses a combination of virtual reality , artificial intelligence and machine learning and commercial off-the-shelf products , including controls similar to joysticks .
The JTS program allows students to take laptops home and train on them at their own pace or use them at work .
The system also includes a more sophisticated variant with a specialized gaming chair and realistic flight controls similar to a cockpit .
The software @ @ @ @ @ @ @ own without an instructor present , but it can also be used with an instructor who is virtually present and could monitor a number of students simultaneously .
The Air Force partnered with four different companies to create the system , including Vertex , Google , CAE and Discovery Machine .

Air Force Capt. Christine “Switch” Durham, 19th Air Force Detachment 24, director of staff, uses the Joint Immersive Training System at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas, Monday. A replica of the cockpit can be seen on the flight simulator monitor. Photo by Aryn Lockhart/U.S. Air Force
Dec. 8 (UPI) -- The Department of Defense is planning to adopt a flight simulation program that can be installed on ordinary computers and laptops to supplement pilot training. According to Air Force Lt. Col. Eric Frahm, the Joint Immersive Training System, or JTS isn't meant to replace simulators or real-time flying but to augment them and accelerate the pace of training. Advertisement
The Air Force has reported a pilot shortage, which has limited the number of flight instructors available for one-on-one training, and it is cost prohibitive to build more simulators because they can cost nearly as much as actual aircraft, Frahm said.
The Defense Innovation Unit plans to deploy about 50 JTS devices to Randolph Air Force Base in Texas and Vance Air Force Base in Oklahoma over the next year to train students on the T-6 and T-38 aircraft.
"Our team will collect detailed feedback from everyday instructors and students to understand how the system performs for them," Frahm said. "We'll incorporate that feedback into at least three redesigns of the hardware and countless revisions of the software. In the end, we want a system that will be flexible, adaptable, scalable and speeds the rate of competency attainment within our pilot force."
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The software uses a combination of virtual reality, artificial intelligence and machine learning and commercial off-the-shelf products, including controls similar to joysticks.
The JTS program allows students to take laptops home and train on them at their own pace or use them at work.
The system also includes a more sophisticated variant with a specialized gaming chair and realistic flight controls similar to a cockpit.
The software allows students to practice flying on their own without an instructor present, but it can also be used with an instructor who is virtually present and could monitor a number of students simultaneously.
The Air Force partnered with four different companies to create the system, including Vertex, Google, CAE and Discovery Machine.


upi--2020-12-08--Supreme Court rejects challenge to Pennsylvania election results

Dec. 8 ( UPI ) -- The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected a challenge by a Republican congressman seeking to halt the certification of President-elect Joe Biden 's election win in Pennsylvania .
In a brief , two-line order , the Supreme Court dismissed the case brought by U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly , R-Pa. , arguing that Pennsylvania 's decision to enact a law enabling widespread mail-in voting for the first time earlier this year was passed unconstitutionally .
The order was delivered without comment and there were no dissents .
Pennsylvania certified its election results showing Biden defeated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 80,555 votes in late November .
Tuesday 's Supreme Court ruling came after Pennsylvania 's Supreme Court said Kelly and his allies were too late in filing a lawsuit seeking to invalidate all votes cast by mail or direct the majority-Republican legislature to choose a slate of presidential electors .
The plaintiffs sought to challenge a year-old law that established new absentee voting procedures and came weeks after Pennsylvanians voted .
In the case , Kelly and fellow challengers argued that state officials violated the Pennsylvania Constitution by enacting Act 77 , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an emergency injunction to block the completion of the certification of Pennsylvania 's election results , declaring that the election was `` conducted illegally . ''
`` Pennsylvania 's General Assembly exceeded its powers by unconstitutionally allowing no-excuse absentee voting , including for federal offices , in the election , '' they wrote .
On Monday , the state 's Republican Party , 32 Republican state legislators and 23 Republican members of the U.S. House of Representatives filed friend-of-the-court briefs supporting the case .
Attorneys for the state responded on Tuesday , describing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most dramatic , disruptive invocations of judicial power in the history of the Republic . ''
`` After waiting over a year to challenge Act 77 , and engaging in procedural gamesmanship along the way , they come to this court with unclean hands and ask to disenfranchise an entire state , '' they said .
`` They make that request without any acknowledgment of the staggering upheaval , turmoil and acrimony it would unleash ... Their suit is nothing less than an affront to constitutional democracy . ''
Trump 's campaign has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to block or rescind certification of the election results that have been denied in lower federal courts .

The U.S. Supreme Court rejected U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly's challenge to Pennsylvania's election results, which sought to halt certification of the vote over a law that allowed widespread mail-in voting, on Tuesday. File Photo by Ken Cedeno/UPI | License Photo
Dec. 8 (UPI) -- The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected a challenge by a Republican congressman seeking to halt the certification of President-elect Joe Biden's election win in Pennsylvania. In a brief, two-line order, the Supreme Court dismissed the case brought by U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly, R-Pa., arguing that Pennsylvania's decision to enact a law enabling widespread mail-in voting for the first time earlier this year was passed unconstitutionally. Advertisement
The order was delivered without comment and there were no dissents.
Pennsylvania certified its election results showing Biden defeated President Donald Trump by a margin of 80,555 votes in late November.
Tuesday's Supreme Court ruling came after Pennsylvania's Supreme Court said Kelly and his allies were too late in filing a lawsuit seeking to invalidate all votes cast by mail or direct the majority-Republican legislature to choose a slate of presidential electors. The plaintiffs sought to challenge a year-old law that established new absentee voting procedures and came weeks after Pennsylvanians voted.
In the case, Kelly and fellow challengers argued that state officials violated the Pennsylvania Constitution by enacting Act 77, which permitted no-excuse mail-in voting, and sought an emergency injunction to block the completion of the certification of Pennsylvania's election results, declaring that the election was "conducted illegally."
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"Pennsylvania's General Assembly exceeded its powers by unconstitutionally allowing no-excuse absentee voting, including for federal offices, in the election," they wrote.
On Monday, the state's Republican Party, 32 Republican state legislators and 23 Republican members of the U.S. House of Representatives filed friend-of-the-court briefs supporting the case.
Attorneys for the state responded on Tuesday, describing the case as "one of the most dramatic, disruptive invocations of judicial power in the history of the Republic."
"After waiting over a year to challenge Act 77, and engaging in procedural gamesmanship along the way, they come to this court with unclean hands and ask to disenfranchise an entire state," they said. "They make that request without any acknowledgment of the staggering upheaval, turmoil and acrimony it would unleash ... Their suit is nothing less than an affront to constitutional democracy."
Trump's campaign has also engaged in a separate legal battle to block or rescind certification of the election results that have been denied in lower federal courts.


upi--2020-12-08--Indiana judge rejects stay of execution for Brandon Bernard

Dec. 8 ( UPI ) -- A federal judge in Indiana denied a stay of execution for a Texas man convicted of killing a married couple , court documents revealed Tuesday .
U.S. District Judge James Sweeney of the Southern District of Indiana said he rejected a stay because Brandon Bernard has n't shown a `` strong likelihood '' of succeeding in his appeal .
Bernard , 40 , is scheduled to be executed Thursday at the U.S. Penitentiary Terre Haute , Ind .
He 's one of several death row inmates to be scheduled for lethal injection this year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ executions this summer .
Sweeney is the second federal judge to reject Bernard 's request for a stay in a week .
On Wednesday , U.S. District Judge Alan Albright of the Western District of Texas said he did n't have jurisdiction over Bernard 's case and so denied the application there .
Bernard 's attorney , Robert Owen , said the defense team will continue to seek relief for their client through the courts .
He said he hopes the courts `` will not allow this injustice to stand . ''
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they discovered evidence showing their client had a lesser role in the crime and the gang that perpetrated the killings .
`` Expert evidence that Bernard occupied the gang 's lowest rung would almost certainly have persuaded at least one juror to vote for life , '' the motion said .
Defense lawyers accused the government of withholding evidence showing that Bernard was `` on the very periphery of the youth gang '' that killed the Texas couple .
They said they found the evidence while reviewing court documents for the re-sentencing of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the information was in the government 's possession .
`` By denying a stay of execution to Brandon Bernard , the court will allow the government to evade responsibility for hiding critical evidence that would have changed the outcome of Brandon 's sentencing , '' Owen said Tuesday. ''
Brandon has been doggedly seeking relief since we discovered in 2018 that the prosecution had been withholding this key evidence for two decades , yet procedural barriers have prevented him from obtaining a hearing on the merits of his claim .
Given that five @ @ @ @ @ @ @ verdict , Brandon must not be executed until the courts have fully addressed the constitutionality of his sentence . ''
Bernard , along with an accomplice , Christopher Vialva , were sentenced to death in 2000 for the 1999 deaths of Todd Bagley and Stacie Bagley , married youth ministers .
Prosecutors said the Bagleys gave Vialva and two other accomplices in the case a ride in their car , but the men held the couple at gunpoint and put them in the trunk of the vehicle .
They stole the couple 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's lawyers said he was not with the three accomplices when they kidnapped the Bagleys and was called to join the other perpetrators later in his own vehicle .
The four men then drove the Bagleys and the two vehicles to Fort Hood Army base , where prosecutors said Vialva shot both victims in the head , instantly killing Todd Bagley .
They then set the car on fire .
Stacie Bagley , unconscious from a gunshot wound , died of smoke inhalation , federal prosecutors said .
Defense lawyers said Bernard believed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Bagley 's vehicles and let them go free .
Police arrested the four men after their vehicle slid off the road into a ditch near the Bagleys ' burning vehicle .
Because the murders took place on a military reservation , they were considered federal offenses .
Vialva was executed for his role in September .
Earlier this month , dozens of people -- including jurors from Bernard 's trial -- signed a clemency petition asking President Donald Trump to commute his death sentence .
The petition asked Trump to consider Bernard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crime -- 18 -- his clean prison record , his remorse and outreach work while incarcerated .
They asked for his death sentence to be commuted to life in prison .
U.S. Attorney General William Barr resumed federal executions in July after a 17-year hiatus .
Daniel Lewis Lee , Wesley Purkey and Dustin Honken were executed in July ; Lezmond Mitchell and Keith Dwayne Nelson in August ; William LeCroy and Vialva in September ; and Orlando Hall in November .

Brandon Bernard is set to be executed Thursday at the U.S. Penitentiary Terre Haute, Ind. File Photo courtesy of the attorneys for Brandon Bernard
Dec. 8 (UPI) -- A federal judge in Indiana denied a stay of execution for a Texas man convicted of killing a married couple, court documents revealed Tuesday. U.S. District Judge James Sweeney of the Southern District of Indiana said he rejected a stay because Brandon Bernard hasn't shown a "strong likelihood" of succeeding in his appeal. Advertisement
Bernard, 40, is scheduled to be executed Thursday at the U.S. Penitentiary Terre Haute, Ind. He's one of several death row inmates to be scheduled for lethal injection this year after the U.S. Justice Department resumed federal executions this summer.
Sweeney is the second federal judge to reject Bernard's request for a stay in a week. On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Alan Albright of the Western District of Texas said he didn't have jurisdiction over Bernard's case and so denied the application there.
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Bernard's attorney, Robert Owen, said the defense team will continue to seek relief for their client through the courts. He said he hopes the courts "will not allow this injustice to stand."
In their initial appeal, defense attorneys said they discovered evidence showing their client had a lesser role in the crime and the gang that perpetrated the killings.
"Expert evidence that Bernard occupied the gang's lowest rung would almost certainly have persuaded at least one juror to vote for life," the motion said.
Defense lawyers accused the government of withholding evidence showing that Bernard was "on the very periphery of the youth gang" that killed the Texas couple. They said they found the evidence while reviewing court documents for the re-sentencing of one of Bernard's co-defendants, showing the information was in the government's possession.
"By denying a stay of execution to Brandon Bernard, the court will allow the government to evade responsibility for hiding critical evidence that would have changed the outcome of Brandon's sentencing," Owen said Tuesday.
" Brandon has been doggedly seeking relief since we discovered in 2018 that the prosecution had been withholding this key evidence for two decades, yet procedural barriers have prevented him from obtaining a hearing on the merits of his claim. Given that five jurors no longer stand by their death verdict, Brandon must not be executed until the courts have fully addressed the constitutionality of his sentence."
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Bernard, along with an accomplice, Christopher Vialva, were sentenced to death in 2000 for the 1999 deaths of Todd Bagley and Stacie Bagley, married youth ministers.
Prosecutors said the Bagleys gave Vialva and two other accomplices in the case a ride in their car, but the men held the couple at gunpoint and put them in the trunk of the vehicle. They stole the couple's money and a wedding ring.
Bernard's lawyers said he was not with the three accomplices when they kidnapped the Bagleys and was called to join the other perpetrators later in his own vehicle.
The four men then drove the Bagleys and the two vehicles to Fort Hood Army base, where prosecutors said Vialva shot both victims in the head, instantly killing Todd Bagley. They then set the car on fire.
Stacie Bagley, unconscious from a gunshot wound, died of smoke inhalation, federal prosecutors said.
Defense lawyers said Bernard believed he was called to help dispose of the Bagley's vehicles and let them go free. Police arrested the four men after their vehicle slid off the road into a ditch near the Bagleys' burning vehicle.
Because the murders took place on a military reservation, they were considered federal offenses.
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Vialva was executed for his role in September.
Earlier this month, dozens of people -- including jurors from Bernard's trial -- signed a clemency petition asking President Donald Trump to commute his death sentence. The petition asked Trump to consider Bernard's age at the time of the crime -- 18 -- his clean prison record, his remorse and outreach work while incarcerated. They asked for his death sentence to be commuted to life in prison.
U.S. Attorney General William Barr resumed federal executions in July after a 17-year hiatus. Daniel Lewis Lee, Wesley Purkey and Dustin Honken were executed in July; Lezmond Mitchell and Keith Dwayne Nelson in August; William LeCroy and Vialva in September; and Orlando Hall in November.