upi--2020-12-24--So far, Trump administration far short of goal to give COVID-19 vaccine to 20 million in U.S.

Dec. 24 ( UPI ) -- The Trump administration is not on pace to achieve its goal of vaccinating 20 million Americans against COVID-19 before the end of the year -- as it 's only reached about 5 % of that target so far .
A little more than 1 million vaccine doses have been administered in the United States to date , according to tracking by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
`` That objective is unlikely to be met , '' Moncef Slaoui , chief science adviser for the administration 's Operation Warp Speed , told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immunizations -- shots in arms -- is happening slower than we thought it would be . ''
`` The commitment that we can make is to make [ 20 million ] vaccine doses available , '' he added .
There are eight days remaining in 2020 .
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar mentioned the target figure two weeks ago , and also said that every American should have access to a coronavirus vaccine by the spring .
Two vaccines are now approved for use in the United States .
Regulators authorized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ earlier this month .
Slaoui said during his briefing Wednesday that the coordinated federal vaccination effort is offering help to states to reduce lag time , but emphasized that it 's vital for local officials to `` do it at a pace where they are in control , that no mistakes are made and no accidents are happening . ''
Multiple states , so far , have not received the full allotment of vaccines they were promised -- forcing governors to adjust distribution plans .
Operation Warp Speed operations chief and U.S. Army @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` I want to assure everybody , and I want to take personal responsibility for the miscommunication , '' he said .
`` At the end of the day , the number of doses available to us to allocate ended up being lower , '' Perna explained .
`` When we had to decide what was eventually going to be shipped out , I had to lower the allocations to meet the releasable doses that were presented to me .
`` Please accept my personal apology if this was disruptive . ''
States @ @ @ @ @ @ @ funding for vaccine distribution .
The $ 900 billion COVID-19 stimulus package approved by Congress this week includes nearly $ 9 billion for vaccinations , but some state officials worry that it may be too late to help .
President Donald Trump left to spend his Christmas holiday his luxury resort in Florida on Wednesday without signing , or vetoing , the coronavirus relief bill -- effectively leaving the entire aid package in limbo .
The bill aims to send a second round of direct cash payments to most Americans .

An ampule of Moderna's coronavirus vaccine is seen on Wednesday at the Broward Health Medical Center, Imperial Point, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Photo by Gary I Rothstein/UPI | License Photo
Dec. 24 (UPI) -- The Trump administration is not on pace to achieve its goal of vaccinating 20 million Americans against COVID-19 before the end of the year -- as it's only reached about 5% of that target so far. A little more than 1 million vaccine doses have been administered in the United States to date, according to tracking by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Advertisement
"That objective is unlikely to be met," Moncef Slaoui, chief science adviser for the administration's Operation Warp Speed, told reporters Wednesday.
"The process of immunizations -- shots in arms -- is happening slower than we thought it would be."
"The commitment that we can make is to make [20 million] vaccine doses available," he added.
There are eight days remaining in 2020.
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar mentioned the target figure two weeks ago, and also said that every American should have access to a coronavirus vaccine by the spring.
Two vaccines are now approved for use in the United States. Regulators authorized the vaccines developed by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna earlier this month.
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Slaoui said during his briefing Wednesday that the coordinated federal vaccination effort is offering help to states to reduce lag time, but emphasized that it's vital for local officials to "do it at a pace where they are in control, that no mistakes are made and no accidents are happening."
"That's super important," he added.
Multiple states, so far, have not received the full allotment of vaccines they were promised -- forcing governors to adjust distribution plans. Operation Warp Speed operations chief and U.S. Army Gen. Gustave Perna apologized last week.
"I want to assure everybody, and I want to take personal responsibility for the miscommunication," he said.
"At the end of the day, the number of doses available to us to allocate ended up being lower," Perna explained. "When we had to decide what was eventually going to be shipped out, I had to lower the allocations to meet the releasable doses that were presented to me.
"Please accept my personal apology if this was disruptive."
States have asked the federal government for more funding for vaccine distribution. The $900 billion COVID-19 stimulus package approved by Congress this week includes nearly $9 billion for vaccinations, but some state officials worry that it may be too late to help.
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President Donald Trump left to spend his Christmas holiday his luxury resort in Florida on Wednesday without signing, or vetoing, the coronavirus relief bill -- effectively leaving the entire aid package in limbo. The bill aims to send a second round of direct cash payments to most Americans.


upi--2020-12-24--Celtics' Jayson Tatum hits deep game-winner over Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo

Dec. 24 ( UPI ) -- Jayson Tatum drained up a deep heave over the outstretched arms of Giannis Antetokounmpo just before the final buzzer to lead the Boston Celtics to a dramatic win over the Milwaukee Bucks .
Tatum 's 3-pointer hit the backboard before it fell through the net with just 0.4 seconds remaining in the 122-121 victory on Wednesday at TD Garden in Boston .
The Celtics forward scored 30 points in the win .
`` It felt good to see everyone contribute and step up and make great plays , '' Tatum told reporters .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fourth , but we understand it 's a game of runs . ''
Boston entered the fourth quarter with a 17-point advantage before Antetokounmpo 's Bucks staged a rally .
The `` Greek Freak '' scored 18 points over the final 12 minutes and the Bucks outscored the Celtics 37-21 down the stretch .
The Bucks began the final frame on an 8-0 run .
They then tied the game and took the lead several times down the stretch .
Guard Jrue Holiday gave the Bucks their final lead with a step-back jump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Bucks then had multiple empty possessions before Tatum received an inbound pass with about nine seconds remaining .
The Celtics forward took a few dribbles and ran to his left before he drew Antetokounmpo on defense .
The Bucks star eyed Tatum as he did a crossover dribble .
Tatum then took a jab step forward before he fell back and launched a 3-pointer with about three seconds remaining .
The long-range attempt sailed over Antetokounmpo 's left hand and drilled the glass before it bounced into the net to give Boston @ @ @ @ @ @ @ second left on the clock .
`` The basketball gods rewarded them and he made it , '' Antetokounmpo said .
The Celtics went on to foul Antetokounmpo just before time expired , but he missed a game-trying free throw attempt .
`` It was a great game that presented a lot of situations and things that NBA basketball , when you are a playing a good opponent , provides , '' Celtics coach Brad Stevens said .
The Bucks shot 51.1 % from the field , but had 16 turnovers in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ points and had 13 rebounds .
Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with 33 points .
Jeff Teague chipped in 19 points off the Boston bench .
Khris Middleton and Holiday scored 27 points and 25 points , respectively , for Milwaukee .
The Bucks host the Golden State Warriors at 2:30 p.m. EST on Friday at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee .
The Celtics host the Brooklyn Nets at 5 p.m. EST on Friday at TD Garden .

Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum scored 30 points in a win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday in Boston. File Photo by Jon SooHoo/UPI | License Photo
Dec. 24 (UPI) -- Jayson Tatum drained up a deep heave over the outstretched arms of Giannis Antetokounmpo just before the final buzzer to lead the Boston Celtics to a dramatic win over the Milwaukee Bucks. Tatum's 3-pointer hit the backboard before it fell through the net with just 0.4 seconds remaining in the 122-121 victory on Wednesday at TD Garden in Boston. The Celtics forward scored 30 points in the win. Advertisement
"It felt good to see everyone contribute and step up and make great plays," Tatum told reporters. "We had a big league in the fourth, but we understand it's a game of runs."
Boston entered the fourth quarter with a 17-point advantage before Antetokounmpo's Bucks staged a rally. The "Greek Freak" scored 18 points over the final 12 minutes and the Bucks outscored the Celtics 37-21 down the stretch.
The Bucks began the final frame on an 8-0 run. They then tied the game and took the lead several times down the stretch. Guard Jrue Holiday gave the Bucks their final lead with a step-back jump shot with 1:10 remaining.
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The Celtics and Bucks then had multiple empty possessions before Tatum received an inbound pass with about nine seconds remaining.
The Celtics forward took a few dribbles and ran to his left before he drew Antetokounmpo on defense. The Bucks star eyed Tatum as he did a crossover dribble. Tatum then took a jab step forward before he fell back and launched a 3-pointer with about three seconds remaining.
The long-range attempt sailed over Antetokounmpo's left hand and drilled the glass before it bounced into the net to give Boston a 122-120 edge with less than a second left on the clock.
"The basketball gods rewarded them and he made it," Antetokounmpo said.
The Celtics went on to foul Antetokounmpo just before time expired, but he missed a game-trying free throw attempt.
"It was a great game that presented a lot of situations and things that NBA basketball, when you are a playing a good opponent, provides," Celtics coach Brad Stevens said.
The Bucks shot 51.1% from the field, but had 16 turnovers in the loss. Antetokounmpo scored a game-high 35 points and had 13 rebounds.
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Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with 33 points. Jeff Teague chipped in 19 points off the Boston bench. Khris Middleton and Holiday scored 27 points and 25 points, respectively, for Milwaukee.
The Bucks host the Golden State Warriors at 2:30 p.m. EST on Friday at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee. The Celtics host the Brooklyn Nets at 5 p.m. EST on Friday at TD Garden.


upi--2020-12-24--Broadway actress Rebecca Luker dies at 59 after ALS fight

Dec. 24 ( UPI ) -- Broadway actress Rebecca Luker has died in New York after a battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis , also known as Lou Gehrig 's disease , her agent said .
She was 59 .
The Alabama native starred in the stage productions of The Phantom of the Opera , Nine , Mary Poppins and Fun Home , as well as revivals of The Boys From Syracuse , Show Boat , The Sound of Music and The Music Man during her decades-long career .
The three-time Tony nominee also performed a cabaret act at Manhattan hot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Luker 's screen credits include Cupid and Cate , Boardwalk Empire , N.C.I.S .
New Orleans , The Good Wife and Not Fade Away .
She was married to Moulin Rouge !
actor Danny Burstein since 2000 and was stepmother to his two sons .
Her fellow Broadway stars took to Twitter to mourn her death on Wednesday .
`` Rebecca Luker was humble , loving and kind .
So much so that you would sometimes forget her otherworldly talent , until she would sing , and her golden voice would wrap @ @ @ @ @ @ @ angel on earth , and now in Heaven .
I will always love you , Becca , '' Laura Benanti said .
`` My friend and one of the main reasons I wanted to be a soprano ... .
Her voice was soprano heaven .
I love you , Rebecca .
I know you 're no longer in pain and already singing your heart out up there , '' Kristin Chenoweth tweeted .
`` Just devastating .
She was an angel on earth .
One of the most glorious voices and the sweetest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to her family and especially to Danny , '' Audra McDonald said in a post .

1/3
Rebecca Luker -- seen here with husband Danny Burstein in 2019 -- died at age 59. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo
Dec. 24 (UPI) -- Broadway actress Rebecca Luker has died in New York after a battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, her agent said. She was 59. The Alabama native starred in the stage productions of The Phantom of the Opera, Nine, Mary Poppins and Fun Home, as well as revivals of The Boys From Syracuse, Show Boat, The Sound of Music and The Music Man during her decades-long career. Advertisement
The three-time Tony nominee also performed a cabaret act at Manhattan hot spots like Café Carlyle and Feinstein's/54 Below.
Luker's screen credits include Cupid and Cate, Boardwalk Empire, N.C.I.S. New Orleans, The Good Wife and Not Fade Away.
She was married to Moulin Rouge! actor Danny Burstein since 2000 and was stepmother to his two sons.
Luker announced her ALS diagnosis in February.
Her fellow Broadway stars took to Twitter to mourn her death on Wednesday.
"Rebecca Luker was humble, loving and kind. So much so that you would sometimes forget her otherworldly talent, until she would sing, and her golden voice would wrap you in peace. She was an angel on earth, and now in Heaven. I will always love you, Becca," Laura Benanti said.
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"My friend and one of the main reasons I wanted to be a soprano.... Her voice was soprano heaven. I love you, Rebecca. I know you're no longer in pain and already singing your heart out up there," Kristin Chenoweth tweeted.
"Just devastating. She was an angel on earth. One of the most glorious voices and the sweetest of souls. Sending so much love to her family and especially to Danny," Audra McDonald said in a post.
Notable deaths of 2020


upi--2020-12-24--No more 'Haunting of...' planned for Netflix, says creator

Dec. 24 ( UPI ) -- Mike Flanagan , creator of The Haunting of Hill House and The Haunting of @ @ @ @ @ third installment in Netflix 's creepy anthology series is not in the works .
Flanagan @ @ @ @ @ Wednesday when he answered a fan question about when another The Haunting of ... tale @ @ @ @ @ At the moment there are no plans for more chapters .
Never say never , @ @ @ @ @ now we are focused on a full slate of other @ intrepid projects for 2021 @ @ @ @ @ change we will absolutely let everyone know ! ''
Flanagan wrote .
The first two @ @ @ @ @ and 2020 .
They had different scary stories , settings and characters , but many @ @ @ @ @ .
Stars who appeared in both Hill House and Bly Manor include Oliver Jackson-Cohen , @ @ @ @ @ , Kate Siegel and Victoria Pedretti .
Intrepid Pictures is Flanagan 's film production company @ @ @ @ @ included Doctor Sleep and Gerald 's Game .

1/3
There is no third season planned for Carla Gugino's "The Haunting of..." anthology series on Netflix. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo
Dec. 24 (UPI) -- Mike Flanagan, creator of The Haunting of Hill House and The Haunting of Bly Manor, said a third installment in Netflix's creepy anthology series is not in the works. Flanagan announced the news on Twitter Wednesday when he answered a fan question about when another The Haunting of... tale will be told. Advertisement
"At the moment there are no plans for more chapters. Never say never, of course, but right now we are focused on a full slate of other @intrepid projects for 2021 and beyond. If things change we will absolutely let everyone know!" Flanagan wrote.
The first two seasons were released in 2018 and 2020. They had different scary stories, settings and characters, but many of the same cast members.
Stars who appeared in both Hill House and Bly Manor include Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Henry Thomas, Carla Gugino, Kate Siegel and Victoria Pedretti.
Intrepid Pictures is Flanagan's film production company. Its other projects have included Doctor Sleep and Gerald's Game.


upi--2020-12-24--Whites-only group gets permit to use church in tiny Minnesota town

Dec. 24 ( UPI ) -- City council members in Murdock , Minn. , population 273 , have approved a permit allowing a Whites-only group to use an abandoned Lutheran church as a regional site to gather .
The 3-1 vote on Dec. 9 to approve a request by the Asatru Folk Assembly for a conditional use permit had nothing to do with beliefs or race , according to a statement by Murdock Mayor Craig Kavanagh .
He said the council felt legally bound to approve the permit after being advised by `` multiple legal sources '' that denying the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ AFA 's religious rights .
`` This vote was about a zoning permit to let an old abandoned church be used for exactly what it was built for -- ' a church , ' '' Kavanagh said in the statement , which was posted on the city 's Facebook page .
In his post , Kavanagh included comments he had made at the beginning of the meeting : '' We as the leaders of the City of Murdock want it to be known that the City of Murdock condemns racism in all of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any place , any time , now and in the future .
We are committed to building a community that promotes equal justice and opportunity to every single person regardless of their race . ''
Area residents who oppose the AFA assert that its members are White supremacists .
The Southern Poverty Law Center , which monitors hate groups and other extremists , lists the organization as a neo-Volkisch hate group .
The SPLC says the AFA distorts pre-Christian Norse traditions and spirituality with ideas about White racial superiority and ethnocentrism .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ European ancestors - whom the group refers to as `` ethnic European folk '' -- and limits its membership to White people .
The AFA says it is not a hate group and denies that it believes any other race or ethnicity is inferior .
However , its code of ethics says , `` We in Asatru support strong , healthy , White family relationships .
We want our children to grow up to be mothers and fathers to White children of their own .
We believe that those activities and behaviors supportive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , while those activities and behaviors destructive of the White family are to be discouraged . ''
Opponents of the decision expressed their outrage on the city 's Facebook page , many saying the council should have stood up to the AFA , despite the possibility of a lawsuit .
Some argued the group 's message is hate speech and that the AFA is not covered by the First Amendment .
A few backed the council , with one commenter saying its members made the only decision that was responsible in a very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the inability for online attendees of the Zoom council meeting to know that night how members voted .
The camera was turned off and a voice vote was conducted , rather than a roll call .
Minutes posted online the next day showed that Council Member Stephanie Hoff was the one who voted against approval of the permit .
Kavanagh apologized for technical issues and said Murdock is not set up with the best tools to hold virtual meetings .
Matthew Flavel , who became the AFA church leader in 2016 , thanked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , saying , `` We know there was a lot of pressure on you to deny us our permit and right to worship .
We appreciate your fairness and this opportunity . ''
The AFA was formed in 1995 as a successor to the Asatru Free Assembly , which was founded in the late 1960s and dissolved in the 1970s .
The group 's members worship multiple gods , including Thor and Odin , and its website says that as sons and daughters of `` Angles and Saxons , Lombards and Heruli , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ united by ties of blood and culture .
The SPLC alleges the AFA co-opted the word `` Asatru '' to mask a White supremacist ideology .
It says the AFA has chapters , which members refer to as kindred , in 22 states and is growing .
Some of that growth comes from skinheads joining the AFA because their own movement is losing popularity and the neo-Volkisch groups have a more acceptable veneer for a racist to hide behind , the SPLC says .
Allen Turnage , an attorney who is the AFA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ SPLC 's characterization .
`` The SPLC and their comrades brand anyone to the left of Mao as a racist , solely to further their own agendas , '' Turnage said in an email to UPI .
`` We are not White supremacists , any more than any other ethnic religion is a WHATEVER supremacist .
Our enemies label us because they can not win a debate using reason or history .
If you call a tail a leg how many legs does a dog have ? ''
Turnage included a link to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and wrote , `` Here , contact a practitioner of each of these ethnic groups and ask if you can join their tribal religion . ''
The AFA 's first `` hof , '' or meeting place , was established in Brownsville , Calif. , and serves as the group 's headquarters .
A building purchased in Linden , N.C. , earlier this year became its second meeting place in the United States , and the old church in Murdock will be its third .
The white church building , at 700 Main @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Murdock , which is about 115 miles west of Minneapolis-St. Paul , and the AFA needed the conditional permit to use the property for religious services and fellowship .
James Diederich , a Murdock City Council member , says the AFA has said the building will be a meeting place for people in the region , including those living in Minnesota , North Dakota , South Dakota and Wisconsin .
AFA members who are fixing up the church have kept a low profile , he said .
`` In the last three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they 're in town only because they have out-of-state license plates , '' Diederich said .
`` Otherwise , they 've kept to themselves . ''
The city resolution approving the permit says the AFA is presumptively protected by the First Amendment and the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act .
The act prohibits implementing any land use regulation that imposes a `` substantial burden '' on the religious exercise of a religious assembly or institution except where justified by a `` compelling governmental interest . ''
There is not enough evidence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a bona fide religious assembly and denying the use permit request would effectively prohibit the group from practicing its religion , according to the resolution .
In addition , the resolution points out that the First Amendment also protects speech that someone might consider to be hate speech .
Speech that contains actual threats or is likely to provoke the listeners to resort to immediate violence is not protected , but those matters are covered by laws , not zoning ordinances , the resolution says .
The pushback against the AFA in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about plans for the hof earlier this year .
A group called Murdock Area Alliance Against Hate formed and lobbied against approval of the permit .
Advocacy group Heathens Against Hate also was part of the opposition and says it is continuing that work .
Plans include holding virtual meetings to answer questions about the AFA and looking for potential legal assistance for the city , said Ethan Stark , HAH administrator and a spokesman for the organization .
HAH is encouraging community members not to direct their anger toward the city council @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and they 're absolutely right when they were saying they were fearing any kind of litigation that would drain the town finances , '' said Stark , who describes the AFA as an extremist sect with a toxic ideology .
`` There 's a reason why hate groups move into small towns .
They thrive on the chaos and the hardship .
It could be financial hardship or social hardship . ''
A Change.org petition is calling on the Murdock City Council to stop the AFA from setting up an all-White church in @ @

The Asatru Folk Assembly was granted a permit to use this old church in Murdock, Minn., for a regional gathering site. Photo courtesy of Baldurshof: Third Hof of the Asatru Folk Assembly/Facebook
Dec. 24 (UPI) -- City council members in Murdock, Minn., population 273, have approved a permit allowing a Whites-only group to use an abandoned Lutheran church as a regional site to gather. The 3-1 vote on Dec. 9 to approve a request by the Asatru Folk Assembly for a conditional use permit had nothing to do with beliefs or race, according to a statement by Murdock Mayor Craig Kavanagh. He said the council felt legally bound to approve the permit after being advised by "multiple legal sources" that denying the request could be a violation of the AFA's religious rights. Advertisement
"This vote was about a zoning permit to let an old abandoned church be used for exactly what it was built for -- 'a church,'" Kavanagh said in the statement, which was posted on the city's Facebook page.
In his post, Kavanagh included comments he had made at the beginning of the meeting:
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"We as the leaders of the City of Murdock want it to be known that the City of Murdock condemns racism in all of its forms: conscious, unconscious, any place, any time, now and in the future. We are committed to building a community that promotes equal justice and opportunity to every single person regardless of their race."
Area residents who oppose the AFA assert that its members are White supremacists. The Southern Poverty Law Center, which monitors hate groups and other extremists, lists the organization as a neo-Volkisch hate group.
The SPLC says the AFA distorts pre-Christian Norse traditions and spirituality with ideas about White racial superiority and ethnocentrism. The AFA promotes honoring its followers' Northern European ancestors - whom the group refers to as "ethnic European folk" -- and limits its membership to White people.
The AFA says it is not a hate group and denies that it believes any other race or ethnicity is inferior.
However, its code of ethics says, "We in Asatru support strong, healthy, White family relationships. We want our children to grow up to be mothers and fathers to White children of their own. We believe that those activities and behaviors supportive of the White family should be encouraged, while those activities and behaviors destructive of the White family are to be discouraged."
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Opponents outraged
Opponents of the decision expressed their outrage on the city's Facebook page, many saying the council should have stood up to the AFA, despite the possibility of a lawsuit. Some argued the group's message is hate speech and that the AFA is not covered by the First Amendment.
A few backed the council, with one commenter saying its members made the only decision that was responsible in a very difficult situation.
Fueling the anger was the inability for online attendees of the Zoom council meeting to know that night how members voted. The camera was turned off and a voice vote was conducted, rather than a roll call.
Minutes posted online the next day showed that Council Member Stephanie Hoff was the one who voted against approval of the permit.
Kavanagh apologized for technical issues and said Murdock is not set up with the best tools to hold virtual meetings.
Matthew Flavel, who became the AFA church leader in 2016, thanked the council on Facebook for its vote, saying, "We know there was a lot of pressure on you to deny us our permit and right to worship. We appreciate your fairness and this opportunity."
Asatru roots
The AFA was formed in 1995 as a successor to the Asatru Free Assembly, which was founded in the late 1960s and dissolved in the 1970s. The group's members worship multiple gods, including Thor and Odin, and its website says that as sons and daughters of "Angles and Saxons, Lombards and Heruli, Goths and Vikings," they are united by ties of blood and culture.
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The SPLC alleges the AFA co-opted the word "Asatru" to mask a White supremacist ideology. It says the AFA has chapters, which members refer to as kindred, in 22 states and is growing.
Some of that growth comes from skinheads joining the AFA because their own movement is losing popularity and the neo-Volkisch groups have a more acceptable veneer for a racist to hide behind, the SPLC says.
Allen Turnage, an attorney who is the AFA's "lawspeaker," disputes the SPLC's characterization.
"The SPLC and their comrades brand anyone to the left of Mao as a racist, solely to further their own agendas," Turnage said in an email to UPI. "We are not White supremacists, any more than any other ethnic religion is a WHATEVER supremacist. Our enemies label us because they cannot win a debate using reason or history. If you call a tail a leg how many legs does a dog have?"
Turnage included a link to a Wikipedia entry that lists ethnic religions and wrote, "Here, contact a practitioner of each of these ethnic groups and ask if you can join their tribal religion."
Third location
The AFA's first "hof," or meeting place, was established in Brownsville, Calif., and serves as the group's headquarters. A building purchased in Linden, N.C., earlier this year became its second meeting place in the United States, and the old church in Murdock will be its third.
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The white church building, at 700 Main Ave., is in a residential part of Murdock, which is about 115 miles west of Minneapolis-St. Paul, and the AFA needed the conditional permit to use the property for religious services and fellowship.
James Diederich, a Murdock City Council member, says the AFA has said the building will be a meeting place for people in the region, including those living in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin. AFA members who are fixing up the church have kept a low profile, he said.
"In the last three months or so, we know when they're in town only because they have out-of-state license plates," Diederich said. "Otherwise, they've kept to themselves."
The city resolution approving the permit says the AFA is presumptively protected by the First Amendment and the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act. The act prohibits implementing any land use regulation that imposes a "substantial burden" on the religious exercise of a religious assembly or institution except where justified by a "compelling governmental interest."
There is not enough evidence to overcome the presumption that the AFA is a bona fide religious assembly and denying the use permit request would effectively prohibit the group from practicing its religion, according to the resolution.
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In addition, the resolution points out that the First Amendment also protects speech that someone might consider to be hate speech. Speech that contains actual threats or is likely to provoke the listeners to resort to immediate violence is not protected, but those matters are covered by laws, not zoning ordinances, the resolution says.
Heathens Against Hate
The pushback against the AFA in Murdock began as soon as residents learned about plans for the hof earlier this year. A group called Murdock Area Alliance Against Hate formed and lobbied against approval of the permit.
Advocacy group Heathens Against Hate also was part of the opposition and says it is continuing that work. Plans include holding virtual meetings to answer questions about the AFA and looking for potential legal assistance for the city, said Ethan Stark, HAH administrator and a spokesman for the organization.
HAH is encouraging community members not to direct their anger toward the city council.
"Murdock is a small town and they're absolutely right when they were saying they were fearing any kind of litigation that would drain the town finances," said Stark, who describes the AFA as an extremist sect with a toxic ideology. "There's a reason why hate groups move into small towns. They thrive on the chaos and the hardship. It could be financial hardship or social hardship."
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A Change.org petition is calling on the Murdock City Council to stop the AFA from setting up an all-White church in town.


upi--2020-12-24--Holiday cards use humor to cope with difficult times

Dec. 23 ( UPI ) -- The first Christmas card was , perhaps predictably , one of good cheer .
The concept is commonly credited to Sir Henry Cole , the founder of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London .
To spare himself the stress of responding to the all-too-many Christmas letters he received from friends , Cole commissioned an artist to create 1,000 engraved holiday cards in 1843 .
Featuring a prosperous family toasting the holidays , the image was flanked on both sides by images of kindly souls engaging in acts of charity .
A caption along @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Christmas and a Happy New Year to You . ''
But given the end to a bruising year of a worldwide pandemic , enormous economic suffering and a venomous election season , a classic and macabre Charles Addams cartoon might feel more appropriate in 2020 .
The Addams family gazes outside a bay window to see snow falling while their neighbors decorate , deliver gifts , and build snowmen .
Gomez Addams lachrymosely sighs , `` Suddenly I have a dreadful urge to be merry . ''
The comic captures the repressive side @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Christmas '' : the push to be hopeful during the holidays , even when it does not feel right .
I am a theater historian who focuses on the history of comedy .
Particularly , I 'm interested in comedy as a mode of communication and how it uniquely conveys information .
Lately , I 've been curious to see how recent holiday cards have dealt with the tensions of the year -- and how greeting cards during other eras of struggle handled the holidays .
From a cursory review , it 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ similar instinct to acknowledge the incongruence of strife mixed with the season of joy .
In the book `` American Holiday Postcards , 1905-1915 : Imagery and Context , '' author Daniel Gifford writes , `` Because holidays are socially constructed , a certain quorum of rituals , meanings , symbols , etc .
is shared among the participants in order to give the holiday shape and for participants to understand their significance . ''
Over time , these rituals have often taken the form of tokens of merriment such as beatific cherubs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are often ensnared by floral patterns , holly bushes , firs , pines and wreaths .
They evince saccharine families , dressed alike , clinging to each other with an almost enviable , and sometimes believable , warmth .
The cards are usually rife with sentimentality , and the imagery tends toward the cliché .
The combination of these two -- the sentimental and the cliché -- offers up the perfect opportunity to make jokes .
A tendency in many comic holiday cards is to bring up the circumstances of the day and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ usual joviality of the season .
The side effect is that these joke cards preserve history in a playful way .
Although the chief objective of any joke or gag is to entertain , because they are meant to evoke an emotional response -- a laugh , a smile or even a groan -- they also capture what the joke teller and his or her audience may feel about the holidays .
The timely Christmas card , then , infuses the typical -- holiday imagery -- with the topical -- what 's going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Great Depression is a prime example .
This homemade card by a financially struggling family tugs on the heartstrings in a different way than holiday cards usually do , but still captures the droll irony of the moment .
The cartoonist Herbert Block was unafraid of addressing political injustice in his yearly holiday drawings .
In a 1938 cartoon located in the Library of Congress , he questions whether the Dies Committee -- also known as the The House Committee on Un-American Activities -- would find Santa Claus to be un-American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jon Stewart , the comedian and political commentator , we 've all become ironists , wielding a cutting perspective on Twitter , Facebook and Instagram alike .
These mediums spur creativity and competition with the elusive promise of making viral -- a term we perhaps should reconsider !
-- the most clever or irreverent gag .
This certainly occurred before the pandemic , but the events of the last year have allowed Americans to mock the usual holiday imagery by acknowledging that this Christmas is not merry , at least not in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a 2020 card that adds a sardonic twist to the cozy familiarity of Charles Schultz 's Peanuts .
There are other great ones out there where the clever meet the current mood .
Take one that addresses the nation 's run on toilet paper from Dottie & Caro .
And one from Saucy Avocado plays on the night before Christmas magic .
So , although many families all over the world are certainly experiencing a period of great strife and loneliness , that does n't mean the holiday greetings have to skirt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of irreverence enables these cards to mark the anxieties and worries of the now with the spirit of a different , and still meaningful , sort of merriment .
Matthew McMahan is assistant director of comedic arts at Emerson College .
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license .
Read the original article .

Annie Brindle of Chatsworth, Georgia, places a card on the Christmas tree at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. Photo by Bill Clark/UPI | License Photo
Dec. 23 (UPI) -- The first Christmas card was, perhaps predictably, one of good cheer. The concept is commonly credited to Sir Henry Cole, the founder of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. To spare himself the stress of responding to the all-too-many Christmas letters he received from friends, Cole commissioned an artist to create 1,000 engraved holiday cards in 1843. Featuring a prosperous family toasting the holidays, the image was flanked on both sides by images of kindly souls engaging in acts of charity. A caption along the bottom read, "A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to You." Advertisement
But given the end to a bruising year of a worldwide pandemic, enormous economic suffering and a venomous election season, a classic and macabre Charles Addams cartoon might feel more appropriate in 2020. The Addams family gazes outside a bay window to see snow falling while their neighbors decorate, deliver gifts, and build snowmen. Gomez Addams lachrymosely sighs, "Suddenly I have a dreadful urge to be merry."
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The comic captures the repressive side of the phrase "Have a Merry Christmas": the push to be hopeful during the holidays, even when it does not feel right.
I am a theater historian who focuses on the history of comedy. Particularly, I'm interested in comedy as a mode of communication and how it uniquely conveys information.
Lately, I've been curious to see how recent holiday cards have dealt with the tensions of the year -- and how greeting cards during other eras of struggle handled the holidays. From a cursory review, it's clear other difficult times have revealed a similar instinct to acknowledge the incongruence of strife mixed with the season of joy.
Macabre with the merry
In the book "American Holiday Postcards, 1905-1915: Imagery and Context," author Daniel Gifford writes, "Because holidays are socially constructed, a certain quorum of rituals, meanings, symbols, etc. is shared among the participants in order to give the holiday shape and for participants to understand their significance."
Over time, these rituals have often taken the form of tokens of merriment such as beatific cherubs or velvet-clad jolly Saint Nicks. They are often ensnared by floral patterns, holly bushes, firs, pines and wreaths. They evince saccharine families, dressed alike, clinging to each other with an almost enviable, and sometimes believable, warmth.
Advertisement
The cards are usually rife with sentimentality, and the imagery tends toward the cliché. The combination of these two -- the sentimental and the cliché -- offers up the perfect opportunity to make jokes. A tendency in many comic holiday cards is to bring up the circumstances of the day and how the state of affairs disrupt the usual joviality of the season.
The side effect is that these joke cards preserve history in a playful way. Although the chief objective of any joke or gag is to entertain, because they are meant to evoke an emotional response -- a laugh, a smile or even a groan -- they also capture what the joke teller and his or her audience may feel about the holidays.
The timely Christmas card, then, infuses the typical -- holiday imagery -- with the topical -- what's going on at that specific moment in time. The Great Depression is a prime example.
This homemade card by a financially struggling family tugs on the heartstrings in a different way than holiday cards usually do, but still captures the droll irony of the moment.
Advertisement
The cartoonist Herbert Block was unafraid of addressing political injustice in his yearly holiday drawings. In a 1938 cartoon located in the Library of Congress, he questions whether the Dies Committee -- also known as the The House Committee on Un-American Activities -- would find Santa Claus to be un-American.
A funny end to a lousy year
Today, in the spirit of Jon Stewart, the comedian and political commentator, we've all become ironists, wielding a cutting perspective on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram alike. These mediums spur creativity and competition with the elusive promise of making viral -- a term we perhaps should reconsider! -- the most clever or irreverent gag.
This certainly occurred before the pandemic, but the events of the last year have allowed Americans to mock the usual holiday imagery by acknowledging that this Christmas is not merry, at least not in the usual way.
One of my favorites is a 2020 card that adds a sardonic twist to the cozy familiarity of Charles Schultz's Peanuts.
There are other great ones out there where the clever meet the current mood. Take one that addresses the nation's run on toilet paper from Dottie & Caro.
Advertisement
And one from Saucy Avocado plays on the night before Christmas magic.
So, although many families all over the world are certainly experiencing a period of great strife and loneliness, that doesn't mean the holiday greetings have to skirt the sad. Rather, a touch of irreverence enables these cards to mark the anxieties and worries of the now with the spirit of a different, and still meaningful, sort of merriment.
Matthew McMahan is assistant director of comedic arts at Emerson College. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.


upi--2020-12-24--China launches antitrust investigation into Alibaba

Dec. 24 ( UPI ) -- China on Thursday announced it has launched an antitrust investigation into Alibaba Group Holding , the world 's largest online retailer .
The State Administration of Market Regulation announced the investigation in a brief statement that said regulators would be probing the e-commerce giant for `` suspected monopolist conduct . ''
Alibaba responded in a statement , saying it had received notice that the investigation had been initiated .
`` Alibaba will actively cooperate with the regulators on the investigation , '' the statement said .
`` Company business operations remain normal . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ would be investigating monopolistic practices , such as the practice of limiting Internet merchants to exclusively choose a single platform to sell their wares , South China Morning Post reported .
Also on Thursday , China 's Central Bank announced it had called the executives of Ant Group , which developed the mobile payment system Alipay , for a meeting to discuss its business practices as well .
Both Alibaba and Alipay were founded by Chinese tech entrepreneur Jack Ma .
An editorial printed in state-run People 's Daily on Thursday said the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but it is also showing signs of market concentration and the Political Bureau of the Central Committee and the Central Economic Work Conference have both explicating called for the strengthening of anti-monopolist policies to prevent the `` disorderly expansion of capital . ''
`` The regulatory authorities initiated investigations into Internet companies suspected of monopolistic behavior in accordance with the law , precisely to better regulate and develop the online economy , and to enable the Internet industry to move better on the track of the rule of law , '' the editorial @ @

China announced Thursday it has opened an investigation into Alibaba, the world's largest online retailer founded by Jack Ma. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo
Dec. 24 (UPI) -- China on Thursday announced it has launched an antitrust investigation into Alibaba Group Holding, the world's largest online retailer. The State Administration of Market Regulation announced the investigation in a brief statement that said regulators would be probing the e-commerce giant for "suspected monopolist conduct." Advertisement
Alibaba responded in a statement, saying it had received notice that the investigation had been initiated.
"Alibaba will actively cooperate with the regulators on the investigation," the statement said. "Company business operations remain normal."
The statement from the regulators said it would be investigating monopolistic practices, such as the practice of limiting Internet merchants to exclusively choose a single platform to sell their wares, South China Morning Post reported.
Also on Thursday, China's Central Bank announced it had called the executives of Ant Group, which developed the mobile payment system Alipay, for a meeting to discuss its business practices as well.
Both Alibaba and Alipay were founded by Chinese tech entrepreneur Jack Ma.
An editorial printed in state-run People's Daily on Thursday said the country's online economy has rapidly grown but it is also showing signs of market concentration and the Political Bureau of the Central Committee and the Central Economic Work Conference have both explicating called for the strengthening of anti-monopolist policies to prevent the "disorderly expansion of capital."
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"The regulatory authorities initiated investigations into Internet companies suspected of monopolistic behavior in accordance with the law, precisely to better regulate and develop the online economy, and to enable the Internet industry to move better on the track of the rule of law," the editorial said.


upi--2020-12-24--Washington Rep. Rick Larsen tests positive for COVID-19

Dec. 24 ( UPI ) -- Rep. Rick Larsen of Washington said has has tested positive for the coronavirus becoming the latest U.S. member of Congress to contract COVID-19 as the country rolls out its vaccination campaign .
In a tweet on Wednesday , the Washington Democrat said he received the positive test results a day prior .
`` I am quarantining in accordance with CDC guidelines and am not experiencing any symptoms , '' he said .
`` I am prepared to vote by proxy in the coming days if the House schedules votes . ''
On Wednesday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that he taken a test earlier this month out of curiosity that said he had been infected by the coronavirus though he does not know when he was infected as he never exhibited symptoms .
`` I suspect there are many people who have had this virus and do n't know it , '' he said in a statement .
`` I encourage people to test for antibodies . ''
The pandemic has sickened more than 18.4 million people in the United States , including more than 326,000 who lost their lives to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Johns Hopkins University .
According to Govtrack.us , more than 40 House representatives and about 10 Senators have tested positive for COVID-19 .
On Wednesday , the office of Rep. Luke Letlow who tested positive for COVID-19 last week , said the Louisiana Republican had been transferred the intensive care unit at the Louisiana State University Health Shreveport Academic Medical Center where he is in stable condition and receiving Remdesivir and steroids as part of his treatment .
The United States has begun to inoculate its citizens against the coronavirus , with ambitious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the end of this month .
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , D-Calif. ; Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , D-N.Y. ; and Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell , R-Ky. , have posted online that they were among the first members of Congress to receive the life-saving jab .
As of 9 a.m. Wednesday morning , 1 million Americans have received the first of the two-dose vaccine treatment , the CDC said .

Rep. Rick Larsen became the latest member of Congress to contract the coronavirus. Photo courtesy of Rick Larsen/ Website
Dec. 24 (UPI) -- Rep. Rick Larsen of Washington said has has tested positive for the coronavirus becoming the latest U.S. member of Congress to contract COVID-19 as the country rolls out its vaccination campaign. In a tweet on Wednesday, the Washington Democrat said he received the positive test results a day prior. Advertisement
"I am quarantining in accordance with CDC guidelines and am not experiencing any symptoms," he said. "I am prepared to vote by proxy in the coming days if the House schedules votes."
On Wednesday, Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., revealed that he taken a test earlier this month out of curiosity that said he had been infected by the coronavirus though he does not know when he was infected as he never exhibited symptoms.
"I suspect there are many people who have had this virus and don't know it," he said in a statement. "I encourage people to test for antibodies."
The pandemic has sickened more than 18.4 million people in the United States, including more than 326,000 who lost their lives to the virus, according to researchers at Johns Hopkins University.
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According to Govtrack.us, more than 40 House representatives and about 10 Senators have tested positive for COVID-19.
On Wednesday, the office of Rep. Luke Letlow who tested positive for COVID-19 last week, said the Louisiana Republican had been transferred the intensive care unit at the Louisiana State University Health Shreveport Academic Medical Center where he is in stable condition and receiving Remdesivir and steroids as part of his treatment.
The United States has begun to inoculate its citizens against the coronavirus, with ambitious plans to vaccinate 20 million people by the end of this month.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.; Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.; and Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., have posted online that they were among the first members of Congress to receive the life-saving jab.
As of 9 a.m. Wednesday morning, 1 million Americans have received the first of the two-dose vaccine treatment, the CDC said.


upi--2020-12-24--Famous birthdays for Dec. 24: Anthony Fauci, Ricky Martin

Dec. 24 ( UPI ) -- Those born on this date are under the sign of Capricorn .

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, gestures after receiving his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at the National Institutes of Health on Tuesday. He turns 80 on December 24. Pool Photo by Patrick Semansky/UPI | License Photo


upi--2020-12-24--UPI Year-End News Quiz: Zooming, politics, shortages and other disasters

U.S. News // 8 hours ago
Search for victims of Maui wildfire ongoing as death toll climbs to 101
Aug. 15 (UPI) -- The death toll from the Maui wildfires has risen to 101, Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said Tuesday night, as he announced plans to reopen the Lahaina Bypass for several hours a day to "reunite the pieces of Maui."


upi--2020-12-24--New radiation vest technology protects astronauts, doctors

ORLANDO , Fla. , Dec. 24 ( UPI ) -- NASA is testing a space radiation protection vest aboard the International Space Station that could shield astronauts from deadly solar flares on missions to the moon and Mars .
Solar storms with high doses of radiation are among the biggest threats to astronauts on deep space missions .
The worst such storms could make space flyers too sick to function and eventually kill them .
The new vest is designed with flexible polyethylene shapes to fit men or women and protect their most vulnerable organs .
`` We are trying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as long as possible , without experiencing pain or discomfort , '' said Oren Milstein , co-founder and CEO of vest maker StemRad , which is based in Tampa and in Tel Aviv , Israel .
`` Several astronauts will wear the vest , with eight hours as the longest period , while sleeping , '' Milstein said .
Northrop Grumman 's Cygnus cargo capsule delivered StemRad 's space vest , called AstroRad to the space station in November 2019 .
Since then , astronauts have tested the vest , though NASA does @ @ @ @ @ @ @ medical-related experiments .
StemRad has helped develop the AstroRad vest based on its 360 Gamma shield vest that protects first responders who must cover radioactive scenes .
Milstein helped found the company in 2011 partly in response to stories of firefighter deaths after the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster in Russia .
StemRad is developing the vest for Lockheed Martin , which is the contractor responsible for the Orion crew capsule on NASA 's planned Artemis moon missions .
Orion includes a space radiation protection chamber or closet that can be pulled over astronauts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only be viable for short periods , Milstein said .
Radiation storms in space can last for days or weeks .
The vest provides targeted protection for the pelvis -- where large amounts of bone marrow can absorb radiation -- and other organs such as the lungs , breasts and ovaries , Milstein said .
`` Trying to protect the entire body means adding a lot of weight , '' he said .
`` You can protect in a reasonable way , a fraction of your body , or a part of your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sensitive part . ''
The space vest is produced at a cost of about $ 1 million each , Milstein said , but the Israel Space Agency is providing it as part of its contribution to the international Artemis moon mission effort .
The vest on the space station now is a smaller version designed for women , but Milstein said a male astronaut will wear it at some point .
NASA posted a brief note about testing in mid-December said astronauts continue to try out the vest .
`` The AstroRad shields @ @ @ @ @ @ @ efficient way , provides operational simplification , and allows for the use of recycled material on-board the vehicle , '' according to the NASA update .
In the meantime , StemRad also has distributed limited new radiation suits for doctors and radiologists on Earth , who face elevated radiation exposure due to medical scanning equipment and radiation treatment .
The medical suit , called StemRad MD , provides both ease of use and better protection due to a heavy lead garment suspended by an exoskeleton frame that fits on the outside of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 53 , a specialist in vascular surgery at Houston Methodist hospital in Texas .
He 's had the suit since October .
`` I was astonished when I first got it .
I ran the hallways .
I can sit and operate or I can stand , '' Bismuth said .
`` You have to have a little space awareness because the frames are on the outside of your legs , but this is an improvement for ergonomics and safety . ''

1/3
Dana Vaisler, a former intern with StemRad, demonstrates the AstroRad radiation protection vest, which NASA is testing for comfort and fit on the International Space Station. Photo courtesy of Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs
ORLANDO, Fla., Dec. 24 (UPI) -- NASA is testing a space radiation protection vest aboard the International Space Station that could shield astronauts from deadly solar flares on missions to the moon and Mars. Solar storms with high doses of radiation are among the biggest threats to astronauts on deep space missions. The worst such storms could make space flyers too sick to function and eventually kill them. Advertisement
The new vest is designed with flexible polyethylene shapes to fit men or women and protect their most vulnerable organs.
"We are trying to see if astronauts can wear it as long as possible, without experiencing pain or discomfort," said Oren Milstein, co-founder and CEO of vest maker StemRad, which is based in Tampa and in Tel Aviv, Israel.
"Several astronauts will wear the vest, with eight hours as the longest period, while sleeping," Milstein said.
Advertisement
Northrop Grumman's Cygnus cargo capsule delivered StemRad's space vest, called AstroRad to the space station in November 2019. Since then, astronauts have tested the vest, though NASA doesn't usually confirm who is involved in medical-related experiments.
StemRad has helped develop the AstroRad vest based on its 360 Gamma shield vest that protects first responders who must cover radioactive scenes.
Milstein helped found the company in 2011 partly in response to stories of firefighter deaths after the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster in Russia.
StemRad is developing the vest for Lockheed Martin, which is the contractor responsible for the Orion crew capsule on NASA's planned Artemis moon missions.
Orion includes a space radiation protection chamber or closet that can be pulled over astronauts in a crisis, but that would only be viable for short periods, Milstein said. Radiation storms in space can last for days or weeks.
The vest provides targeted protection for the pelvis -- where large amounts of bone marrow can absorb radiation -- and other organs such as the lungs, breasts and ovaries, Milstein said.
"Trying to protect the entire body means adding a lot of weight," he said. "You can protect in a reasonable way, a fraction of your body, or a part of your body that happens to be the more sensitive part."
Advertisement
The space vest is produced at a cost of about $1 million each, Milstein said, but the Israel Space Agency is providing it as part of its contribution to the international Artemis moon mission effort.
The vest on the space station now is a smaller version designed for women, but Milstein said a male astronaut will wear it at some point.
NASA posted a brief note about testing in mid-December said astronauts continue to try out the vest.
"The AstroRad shields astronauts from space-borne ionizing radiation in an efficient way, provides operational simplification, and allows for the use of recycled material on-board the vehicle," according to the NASA update.
In the meantime, StemRad also has distributed limited new radiation suits for doctors and radiologists on Earth, who face elevated radiation exposure due to medical scanning equipment and radiation treatment.
The medical suit, called StemRad MD, provides both ease of use and better protection due to a heavy lead garment suspended by an exoskeleton frame that fits on the outside of the wearer's legs, said Jean Bismuth, 53, a specialist in vascular surgery at Houston Methodist hospital in Texas. He's had the suit since October.
"I was astonished when I first got it. I ran the hallways. I can sit and operate or I can stand," Bismuth said. "You have to have a little space awareness because the frames are on the outside of your legs, but this is an improvement for ergonomics and safety."
Advertisement
20 years aboard the International Space Station
The International Space Station is photographed by Expedition 56 crew members from a Soyuz spacecraft after undocking on October 4, 2018. NASA astronauts Andrew Feustel and Ricky Arnold and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev executed a fly-around of the orbiting laboratory to take pictures of the space station before returning home after spending 197 days in space. Photo courtesy of NASA/Roscosmos


upi--2020-12-24--Lebanon eager for Christmas traditions in grim year

BEIRUT , Lebanon , Dec. 24 ( UPI ) -- The people of Lebanon are keen not to break the tradition of celebrating Christmas despite a catastrophic year that plunged them into poverty and grief .
The glamorous Christmas decorations that once transformed the streets , shops and the facades of the buildings into a magical scene during the holiday season have scarcely appeared .
While many families have no heart to celebrate , others decorated their homes with their old Christmas trees and flickering lights in a shy attempt to dismiss an overwhelming feeling of sadness in the country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to break the tradition , '' Elias Mitri , a 30-year-old graphic designer , said while having a drink with friends at the Internazionale pub in Beirut 's Mar Mikhael area , which was devastated by the Aug. 4 explosion at the nearby Beirut port .
Like in the past years , the Mitris will organize a Christmas dinner that will be attended by all the members of their extended family , who a day before will undergo COVID-19 tests as a precaution .
`` We want to break the sadness ... at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will break us more , '' Mitri told UPI .
Painful memories of the port explosion that killed more than 200 people and destroyed some 200,000 homes are still vivid .
The acute economic crisis and skyrocketing inflation are making things even worse , leaving no room for celebration for many .
Ghada Aoun , a 46-year-old mother of three , is planning nothing for Christmas .
`` It will be another normal day .
I ca n't afford to buy anything for my kids , no toys , new clothes or even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do , '' Aoun told UPI .
Her husband 's monthly salary of 1.2 million Lebanese pounds ( or $ 140 at the black market rate of 8,500 LL per U.S. dollar ) is barely enough to cover necessities .
To survive , she stopped paying their apartment 's rent and cancelled the satellite TV subscription , while restricted spending to food , school fees and , most importantly , securing an Internet connection so that her children continue their education online .
`` If I want to prepare a Christmas dinner , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ able to eat the whole month , '' Aoun told UPI .
In the absence of any government support , charities stepped in to lift the grim mood and assist those most affected .
Beit el Baraka has been helping families in deep financial distress since it established a free supermarket in February 2019 , securing food for some 226,000 people in need .
It has also offered medical and education support and rehabilitated 3,011 homes and 250 small shops destroyed by the port explosion .
For Christmas , Maya Ibrahimchah , founder @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said her charity decided to bring some life to the devastated , predominantly Christian neighborhood , decorating the streets and alleys with lights while a choir quietly sang Christmas carols .
`` We are trying as much as possible to celebrate but with decency and dignity because many have lost their loved ones , '' Ibrahimchah told UPI .
Some 500 of the area 's most vulnerable families will come to pick up a full Christmas dinner with a bottle of wine and gifts for their children .
`` Every child will have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ important to help them with their online education .
They lost everything when their homes were destroyed , '' she said .
`` This is our way to celebrate Christmas this year . ''
In the Mar Mikhael street , some pubs and restaurants have reopened , luring back a faithful clientele .
Many are Lebanese living aboard who returned to the country to spend the holidays with their families and show support and solidarity .
Fresh lockdowns in France , Germany and the U.K. , where they currently live , helped spur @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spent our best days in this street ...
It is a strange feeling to see shops still destroyed and others full of life , '' Serge Angelopoulos , who works in the banking sector in Paris , told UPI .
Like Ursula al Meer , a renewable energy engineer working in Germany , he wants to give a boost to the newly reopened restaurants and help revive this damaged area .
`` There is a common feeling of sadness and hopelessness ... no Christmas spirit , '' said al Meer , who asked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Christmas tree at home this year as `` it would have been too much . ''
`` Beirut City of Life '' was another initiative to bring life back to Mar Mikhael and the nearby Gemmayze neighborhoods , which were Beirut 's top night-life attractions before the port blast .
Starting Dec. 7 , concerts , exhibitions , a Christmas fair and wine festival were organized , while restaurants , cafes and hotels offered discounts to reactivate their businesses and make up for the losses they suffered .
`` This means that we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still hopeful , '' said Hoda Nehmeh , manager of the Internazionale pub .

1/3
People from the Beit el Baraka charity fill gift bags. Photo courtesy of Beit el Baraka
BEIRUT, Lebanon, Dec. 24 (UPI) -- The people of Lebanon are keen not to break the tradition of celebrating Christmas despite a catastrophic year that plunged them into poverty and grief. The glamorous Christmas decorations that once transformed the streets, shops and the facades of the buildings into a magical scene during the holiday season have scarcely appeared. Advertisement
While many families have no heart to celebrate, others decorated their homes with their old Christmas trees and flickering lights in a shy attempt to dismiss an overwhelming feeling of sadness in the country.
"We just don't want to break the tradition," Elias Mitri, a 30-year-old graphic designer, said while having a drink with friends at the Internazionale pub in Beirut's Mar Mikhael area, which was devastated by the Aug. 4 explosion at the nearby Beirut port.
Like in the past years, the Mitris will organize a Christmas dinner that will be attended by all the members of their extended family, who a day before will undergo COVID-19 tests as a precaution.
Advertisement
"We want to break the sadness...at least we can try, otherwise it will break us more," Mitri told UPI.
'Another normal day'
Painful memories of the port explosion that killed more than 200 people and destroyed some 200,000 homes are still vivid. The acute economic crisis and skyrocketing inflation are making things even worse, leaving no room for celebration for many.
Ghada Aoun, a 46-year-old mother of three, is planning nothing for Christmas.
"It will be another normal day. I can't afford to buy anything for my kids, no toys, new clothes or even a Christmas dinner as we used to do," Aoun told UPI.
Her husband's monthly salary of 1.2 million Lebanese pounds (or $140 at the black market rate of 8,500 LL per U.S. dollar) is barely enough to cover necessities.
To survive, she stopped paying their apartment's rent and cancelled the satellite TV subscription, while restricted spending to food, school fees and, most importantly, securing an Internet connection so that her children continue their education online.
"If I want to prepare a Christmas dinner, it means that we won't be able to eat the whole month," Aoun told UPI.
Charities help
In the absence of any government support, charities stepped in to lift the grim mood and assist those most affected.
Advertisement
Beit el Baraka has been helping families in deep financial distress since it established a free supermarket in February 2019, securing food for some 226,000 people in need. It has also offered medical and education support and rehabilitated 3,011 homes and 250 small shops destroyed by the port explosion.
For Christmas, Maya Ibrahimchah, founder and president of Beit el Baraka, said her charity decided to bring some life to the devastated, predominantly Christian neighborhood, decorating the streets and alleys with lights while a choir quietly sang Christmas carols.
"We are trying as much as possible to celebrate but with decency and dignity because many have lost their loved ones," Ibrahimchah told UPI.
Some 500 of the area's most vulnerable families will come to pick up a full Christmas dinner with a bottle of wine and gifts for their children.
"Every child will have a laptop, and that is very important to help them with their online education. They lost everything when their homes were destroyed," she said. "This is our way to celebrate Christmas this year."
Reopened businesses
In the Mar Mikhael street, some pubs and restaurants have reopened, luring back a faithful clientele. Many are Lebanese living aboard who returned to the country to spend the holidays with their families and show support and solidarity. Fresh lockdowns in France, Germany and the U.K., where they currently live, helped spur them to come back.
Advertisement
"We spent our best days in this street...It is a strange feeling to see shops still destroyed and others full of life," Serge Angelopoulos, who works in the banking sector in Paris, told UPI.
Like Ursula al Meer, a renewable energy engineer working in Germany, he wants to give a boost to the newly reopened restaurants and help revive this damaged area.
"There is a common feeling of sadness and hopelessness...no Christmas spirit," said al Meer, who asked her mother not to put up the Christmas tree at home this year as "it would have been too much."
"Beirut City of Life" was another initiative to bring life back to Mar Mikhael and the nearby Gemmayze neighborhoods, which were Beirut's top night-life attractions before the port blast.
Starting Dec. 7, concerts, exhibitions, a Christmas fair and wine festival were organized, while restaurants, cafes and hotels offered discounts to reactivate their businesses and make up for the losses they suffered.
"This means that we are not giving up and we are still hopeful," said Hoda Nehmeh, manager of the Internazionale pub.


upi--2020-12-24--On This Day, Dec. 24: Eisenhower named supreme commander of Allied forces

Dec. 24 ( UPI ) -- On this date in history : In 1814 , the Treaty of Ghent was signed by representatives of the United States and Britain , ending the War of 1812 .
In 1851 , the Library of Congress and part of the Capitol building in Washington were destroyed by fire .
In 1865 , a group of Confederate veterans met in Pulaski , Tenn. , to form a secret society they called the Ku Klux Klan .
In 1871 , Giuseppe Verdi 's opera `` Aida '' premiered in Cairo .
It had been commissioned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Canal .
In 1906 , Reginald A. Fessenden , a Canadian-born radio inventor , broadcast the first musical program , a female singer 's violin-accompanied `` O Holy Night , '' from Brant Rock , Mass .
He had discovered the superheterodyne principle , the basis for modern radio receivers .
In 1909 , Miss Jean L. Clemens , younger daughter of Mark Twain , was found dead in a bath tub at the home of her father .
Miss Clemens ' cause of death is believed to have been the result of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ German rocket engineers launched the first surface-to-surface guided missile .
In 1943 , President Frankin D. Roosevelt named Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower as supreme commander of the Allied forces .
In 1979 , the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan , kicking off the nine-year Soviet-Afghan War .
In 1983 , officials said one of the United States ' severest early season cold waves in history had claimed nearly 300 lives .
In 1990 , the bells of St .
Basil 's Cathedral in Moscow rang to celebrate Christmas for the first time since the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , President George H.W .
Bush pardoned former Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger for his role in the Iran-Contra affair .
In 1994 , gunmen seized Air France Flight 8969 as it prepared to leave Algiers for Paris , killing three hostages .
The hostage takers were killed and remaining hostages freed two days later .
In 1997 , a French court convicted the international terrorist known as Carlos the Jackal of the 1975 killings of three men in Paris and sentenced him to life in prison .
In 2005 , Hwang Woo-suk , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stem cells and cloning won him international acclaim , resigned after admitting he fabricated his groundbreaking paper in which he said he created stem cell colonies from 11 patients .

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On December 24, 1943, President Frankin D. Roosevelt named Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower as supreme commander of the Allied forces. UPI File Photo | License Photo
Dec. 24 (UPI) -- On this date in history: In 1814, the Treaty of Ghent was signed by representatives of the United States and Britain, ending the War of 1812. Advertisement
In 1851, the Library of Congress and part of the Capitol building in Washington were destroyed by fire.
In 1865, a group of Confederate veterans met in Pulaski, Tenn., to form a secret society they called the Ku Klux Klan.
File Photo by Ezio Petersen/UPI
In 1871, Giuseppe Verdi's opera "Aida" premiered in Cairo. It had been commissioned to commemorate the opening of the Suez Canal.
In 1906, Reginald A. Fessenden, a Canadian-born radio inventor, broadcast the first musical program, a female singer's violin-accompanied "O Holy Night," from Brant Rock, Mass. He had discovered the superheterodyne principle, the basis for modern radio receivers.
In 1909, Miss Jean L. Clemens, younger daughter of Mark Twain, was found dead in a bath tub at the home of her father. Miss Clemens' cause of death is believed to have been the result of an epileptic convulsion.
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In 1942, German rocket engineers launched the first surface-to-surface guided missile.
In 1943, President Frankin D. Roosevelt named Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower as supreme commander of the Allied forces.
In 1979, the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan, kicking off the nine-year Soviet-Afghan War.
In 1983, officials said one of the United States' severest early season cold waves in history had claimed nearly 300 lives.
In 1990, the bells of St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow rang to celebrate Christmas for the first time since the 1924 death of Lenin.
File Photo by Sergei Shakhidzanyan/UPI
In 1992, President George H.W. Bush pardoned former Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger for his role in the Iran-Contra affair.
In 1994, gunmen seized Air France Flight 8969 as it prepared to leave Algiers for Paris, killing three hostages. The hostage takers were killed and remaining hostages freed two days later.
In 1997, a French court convicted the international terrorist known as Carlos the Jackal of the 1975 killings of three men in Paris and sentenced him to life in prison.
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In 2005, Hwang Woo-suk, a South Korean scientist whose research on stem cells and cloning won him international acclaim, resigned after admitting he fabricated his groundbreaking paper in which he said he created stem cell colonies from 11 patients.