upi--2020-12-15--Lamar Jackson returns from injury, leads Ravens to 'MNF' win over Browns

Dec. 15 ( UPI ) -- Lamar Jackson helped the Baltimore Ravens prevail in one of the best games of the 2020 NFL season after he returned from an injury absence to throw a deep touchdown pass and spark the triumph over the Cleveland Browns .
Jackson completed just 11 passes for 163 yards in addition to his dramatic touchdown toss , but ran for 124 yards and another two scores in the 47-42 victory on Monday in Cleveland .
He left the game due to cramps late in the third quarter before he emerged from the locker room to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the first snap of his return .
The Ravens later got a go-ahead field goal from Justin Tucker to seal the victory .
`` It 's a game that 's going to go down in history , '' Ravens coach John Harbaugh told reporters .
`` If you wrote a movie about this , people would n't believe it .
They would say it could never happen . ''
The Ravens and Browns combined for nine rushing touchdowns , which tied an NFL record set in 1922 .
The Browns had 493 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had 231 rushing yards .
Nick Chubb gave the Browns a 7-0 lead with a seven-yard rushing touchdown on the first possession of the game .
The Ravens responded with a nine-play , 44-yard touchdown drive .
Jackson capped off that drive with a five-yard rushing score .
The Browns missed a field goal on the next possession .
Baltimore later took a 14-7 lead on a Gus Edwards rushing touchdown with 7:55 remaining in the second quarter .
Chubb then scored his second touchdown of the game on the next drive to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a 17-yard rushing touchdown on the Ravens final drive of the first half to push Baltimore ahead 21-14 at halftime .
The Ravens increased their lead to 14 points with a four-play , 70-yard touchdown drive to start the third quarter .
Ravens running back Gus Edwards ran for a 19-yard score to end that possession .
The Browns answered with a Kareem Hunt rushing touchdown .
Cleveland then forced a Baltimore punt before Ravens linebacker Tyus Bowser intercepted Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield .
Ravens running back J.K. Dobbins ran for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ push the Baltimore lead back to 14 points .
The Browns responded once again with a 12-play , 70-yard drive .
Mayfield threw a 21-yard touchdown pass to Rashard Higgins to end that possession at the start of the fourth quarter .
Jackson missed most of the Ravens ' first two drives of the fourth quarter after he went to the locker room due to cramp issues .
The Ravens offense went three-and-out on backup quarterback Trace McSorley 's first drive .
Mayfield then gave the Browns a 35-34 lead with a five-yard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
McSorley helped the Ravens march to the Cleveland 44-yard line on the Ravens next possession before he sustained a knee injury and Jackson was forced to come back into the game .
The reigning NFL MVP threw a 44-yard touchdown pass to Marquise Brown on the first snap of his return .
The score and a two-point conversion gave the Ravens a 42-35 lead with two minutes remaining .
`` We had a great play called , I dropped back , it looked like they were in man [ coverage ] .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to my right , and Marquise just came open , '' Jackson said .
`` I just had to give him a playable ball , and he just did the rest . ''
The Browns rallied once more on the next possession .
Mayfield ended that drive with a 22-yard touchdown pass to Hunt to tie the score with 1:10 remaining .
Tucker made a 55-yard go-ahead field goal on the next possession to give Baltimore a 45-52 lead with seven seconds remaining .
The Ravens then forced a safety on the Browns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Browns running back Nick Chubb had 103 yards from scrimmage and two scores in the loss .
Hunt had 110 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns for Cleveland .
Mayfield completed 28 of 47 passes for 343 yards , two scores and an interception .
The Browns quarterback also had 23 rushing yards and a touchdown on five carries .
`` We came here to get a victory , and we did not , '' Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said .
`` Very hard-fought game on both sides .
I appreciate how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did not do enough to get a win .
`` I do not want to go down the moral victories [ path ] .
We lost .
We got beat . ''
The Ravens ( 8-5 ) host the Jacksonville Jaguars at 1 p.m. EST on Sunday in Baltimore .
The Browns ( 9-4 ) face the New York Giants at 8:20 p.m. EST on Sunday in East Rutherford , N.J .

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Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson had two rushing scores and a passing touchdown in a win over the Cleveland Browns on Monday in Cleveland. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo
Dec. 15 (UPI) -- Lamar Jackson helped the Baltimore Ravens prevail in one of the best games of the 2020 NFL season after he returned from an injury absence to throw a deep touchdown pass and spark the triumph over the Cleveland Browns. Jackson completed just 11 passes for 163 yards in addition to his dramatic touchdown toss, but ran for 124 yards and another two scores in the 47-42 victory on Monday in Cleveland. Advertisement
He left the game due to cramps late in the third quarter before he emerged from the locker room to throw a fourth-down, fourth-quarter touchdown pass on the first snap of his return. The Ravens later got a go-ahead field goal from Justin Tucker to seal the victory.
"It's a game that's going to go down in history," Ravens coach John Harbaugh told reporters. "If you wrote a movie about this, people wouldn't believe it. They would say it could never happen."
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The Ravens and Browns combined for nine rushing touchdowns, which tied an NFL record set in 1922. The Browns had 493 total yards in the loss. Baltimore had 231 rushing yards.
Nick Chubb gave the Browns a 7-0 lead with a seven-yard rushing touchdown on the first possession of the game. The Ravens responded with a nine-play, 44-yard touchdown drive. Jackson capped off that drive with a five-yard rushing score.
The Browns missed a field goal on the next possession. Baltimore later took a 14-7 lead on a Gus Edwards rushing touchdown with 7:55 remaining in the second quarter. Chubb then scored his second touchdown of the game on the next drive to tie the score at 14-14
Jackson ran for a 17-yard rushing touchdown on the Ravens final drive of the first half to push Baltimore ahead 21-14 at halftime.
The Ravens increased their lead to 14 points with a four-play, 70-yard touchdown drive to start the third quarter. Ravens running back Gus Edwards ran for a 19-yard score to end that possession.
The Browns answered with a Kareem Hunt rushing touchdown. Cleveland then forced a Baltimore punt before Ravens linebacker Tyus Bowser intercepted Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield.
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Ravens running back J.K. Dobbins ran for a one-yard touchdown on the next snap to push the Baltimore lead back to 14 points.
The Browns responded once again with a 12-play, 70-yard drive. Mayfield threw a 21-yard touchdown pass to Rashard Higgins to end that possession at the start of the fourth quarter.
Jackson missed most of the Ravens' first two drives of the fourth quarter after he went to the locker room due to cramp issues. The Ravens offense went three-and-out on backup quarterback Trace McSorley's first drive. Mayfield then gave the Browns a 35-34 lead with a five-yard touchdown run on Cleveland's next possession.
McSorley helped the Ravens march to the Cleveland 44-yard line on the Ravens next possession before he sustained a knee injury and Jackson was forced to come back into the game.
The reigning NFL MVP threw a 44-yard touchdown pass to Marquise Brown on the first snap of his return. The score and a two-point conversion gave the Ravens a 42-35 lead with two minutes remaining.
"We had a great play called, I dropped back, it looked like they were in man [coverage]. ... and I was making a scramble to my right, and Marquise just came open," Jackson said.
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"I just had to give him a playable ball, and he just did the rest."
The Browns rallied once more on the next possession. Mayfield ended that drive with a 22-yard touchdown pass to Hunt to tie the score with 1:10 remaining.
Tucker made a 55-yard go-ahead field goal on the next possession to give Baltimore a 45-52 lead with seven seconds remaining. The Ravens then forced a safety on the Browns next drive to make the score final.
Browns running back Nick Chubb had 103 yards from scrimmage and two scores in the loss. Hunt had 110 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns for Cleveland.
Mayfield completed 28 of 47 passes for 343 yards, two scores and an interception. The Browns quarterback also had 23 rushing yards and a touchdown on five carries.
"We came here to get a victory, and we did not," Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said. "Very hard-fought game on both sides. I appreciate how the guys battled, but we just did not do enough to get a win.
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"I do not want to go down the moral victories [path]. We lost. We got beat."
The Ravens (8-5) host the Jacksonville Jaguars at 1 p.m. EST on Sunday in Baltimore. The Browns (9-4) face the New York Giants at 8:20 p.m. EST on Sunday in East Rutherford, N.J.
This week in the National Football League


upi--2020-12-15--WWE Raw: AJ Styles assaults Drew McIntyre, Randy Orton starts a fire

Dec. 15 ( UPI ) -- AJ Styles gained the upper hand against WWE Champion Drew McIntyre on Raw , days before their championship clash Sunday at the TLC : Tables , Ladders and Chairs pay-per-view event .
Styles helped kick off Raw on Monday by joining Mr. Money in the Bank , The Miz and his partner John Morrison for a reading of The Nightmare Before TLC .
The Miz recited the fake children 's book , which described how Styles was going to become the new WWE Champion at TLC .
Morrison dressed up as Mel Gibson 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an effort to mock McIntyre 's Scottish heritage .
McIntyre 's friend Sheamus appeared to stop the comedy segment and begin his match against Styles .
The Phenomenal One concentrated on Sheamus ' left leg to gain an advantage in the bout .
Styles also relied on his ringside bodyguard Omos , who stopped a powerbomb attempt by Sheamus .
Styles made Sheamus come crashing down after he started to climb the ropes .
Styles then pinned down Sheamus to win the match .
Omos , afterward , saved Styles from an upset @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Omos ' encounter with Sheamus left his leg wrapped up in the ring rope .
Styles took advantage of the situation and punished Sheamus with a number of chair shots .
Styles would return for the main event with McIntyre for the WWE Championship Ascension Ceremony .
The segment involved the raising of McIntyre 's WWE title above the ring before his match against Styles on Sunday .
Styles promised victory at TLC before he had The Miz and Morrison suddenly attack McIntyre .
The champ recovered and delivered a Claymore to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Morrison , who was holding a ladder .
Omos came to the rescue again and distracted McIntyre from Styles , who then attacked the champ from behind .
Styles had Omos pass him a table followed by a ladder .
Styles started assaulting McIntyre and ended the beatdown by jumping off the top of the ladder into McIntyre , which caused him to crash through a table .
Styles then climbed the ladder again and grabbed the WWE Championship as Raw went off the air .
Bray Wyatt took a field trip to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Firefly Funhouse puppets Mercy the Buzzard , Huskus the Pig and Ramblin ' Rabbit .
Wyatt entered the ring and made snake jokes in reference to his rival Randy Orton .
Wyatt 's alter ego The Fiend will be face Orton on Sunday at TLC .
The Viper responded to Wyatt but spoke to him through the video screen .
Orton dared Wyatt to come backstage and play a game of hide and seek , which Wyatt agreed to .
Wyatt looked backstage for Orton , encountering Riddle and 24/7 Champion R-Truth along @ @ @ @ @ @ @ creepy looking rocking chair and sat in it until Orton ambushed him from behind .
Orton threw Wyatt into a wooden crate and shut the door .
Orton then doused the crate in gasoline and set it on fire with Wyatt inside .
Orton smiled at the flames until The Fiend burst out of the crate and took Orton down the Mandible Claw .
Other moments from Raw included The Hurt Business defeating Raw Tag Team Champions The New Day and Jeff Hardy ; Lana defeating Women 's Tag Team Champion Nia Jax @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's ankle ; Elias introducing his new bodyguard Jaxson Ryker ; The Miz and Morrison defeating Keith Lee in a Handicap match ; Mace of Retribution defeating Ricochet ; Dana Brooke defeating Baszler by disqualification due to interference from Jax ; and Riddle defeating MVP .
Raw Women 's Champion Asuka and a returning Mandy Rose came to help Brooke .
Asuka will need to find a new partner to face Jax and Baszler for the Women 's Tag Team Championships Sunday at TLC .

Dec. 15 (UPI) -- AJ Styles gained the upper hand against WWE Champion Drew McIntyre on Raw, days before their championship clash Sunday at the TLC: Tables, Ladders and Chairs pay-per-view event.
Styles helped kick off Raw on Monday by joining Mr. Money in the Bank, The Miz and his partner John Morrison for a reading of The Nightmare Before TLC.
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The Miz recited the fake children's book, which described how Styles was going to become the new WWE Champion at TLC. Morrison dressed up as Mel Gibson's character from the 1995 film Braveheart in an effort to mock McIntyre's Scottish heritage.
McIntyre's friend Sheamus appeared to stop the comedy segment and begin his match against Styles.
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The Phenomenal One concentrated on Sheamus' left leg to gain an advantage in the bout. Styles also relied on his ringside bodyguard Omos, who stopped a powerbomb attempt by Sheamus.
Styles made Sheamus come crashing down after he started to climb the ropes. Styles then pinned down Sheamus to win the match. Omos, afterward, saved Styles from an upset Sheamus, who was on the attack.
Omos' encounter with Sheamus left his leg wrapped up in the ring rope. Styles took advantage of the situation and punished Sheamus with a number of chair shots.
Styles would return for the main event with McIntyre for the WWE Championship Ascension Ceremony. The segment involved the raising of McIntyre's WWE title above the ring before his match against Styles on Sunday.
Styles promised victory at TLC before he had The Miz and Morrison suddenly attack McIntyre. The champ recovered and delivered a Claymore to The Miz followed by a Claymore to Morrison, who was holding a ladder.
Omos came to the rescue again and distracted McIntyre from Styles, who then attacked the champ from behind. Styles had Omos pass him a table followed by a ladder.
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Styles started assaulting McIntyre and ended the beatdown by jumping off the top of the ladder into McIntyre, which caused him to crash through a table. Styles then climbed the ladder again and grabbed the WWE Championship as Raw went off the air.
Bray Wyatt took a field trip to the WWE ThunderDome, along with his Firefly Funhouse puppets Mercy the Buzzard, Huskus the Pig and Ramblin' Rabbit.
Wyatt entered the ring and made snake jokes in reference to his rival Randy Orton. Wyatt's alter ego The Fiend will be face Orton on Sunday at TLC. The Viper responded to Wyatt but spoke to him through the video screen. Orton dared Wyatt to come backstage and play a game of hide and seek, which Wyatt agreed to.
Wyatt looked backstage for Orton, encountering Riddle and 24/7 Champion R-Truth along the way. Wyatt stopped at a creepy looking rocking chair and sat in it until Orton ambushed him from behind.
Orton threw Wyatt into a wooden crate and shut the door. Orton then doused the crate in gasoline and set it on fire with Wyatt inside. Orton smiled at the flames until The Fiend burst out of the crate and took Orton down the Mandible Claw.
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Other moments from Raw included The Hurt Business defeating Raw Tag Team Champions The New Day and Jeff Hardy; Lana defeating Women's Tag Team Champion Nia Jax before Jax and Shayna Baszler injured Lana's ankle; Elias introducing his new bodyguard Jaxson Ryker; The Miz and Morrison defeating Keith Lee in a Handicap match; Mace of Retribution defeating Ricochet; Dana Brooke defeating Baszler by disqualification due to interference from Jax; and Riddle defeating MVP.
Raw Women's Champion Asuka and a returning Mandy Rose came to help Brooke. Asuka will need to find a new partner to face Jax and Baszler for the Women's Tag Team Championships Sunday at TLC.


upi--2020-12-15--Russian President Vladimir Putin finally congratulates Biden as president-elect

Dec. 15 ( UPI ) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has finally acknowledged Joe Biden as the winner of the U.S. presidential election , a day after the Electoral College cemented his victory with its formal vote .
Putin was one of a few world leaders who 'd held off on congratulating Biden during continued legal resistance from President Donald Trump over groundless claims of voter fraud .
Putin sent word of his congratulations to the president-elect in a telegram , his office said on Tuesday .
`` In his telegram , Putin wished every success to the president-elect and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who bear special responsibility for global security and stability , could , despite their differences , help solve many problems and challenges that the world now faces , '' the Kremlin said in a statement .
As expected , Biden received 306 electoral votes Monday in the Electoral College vote , which had until this year been largely an unnoticed pro forma step in the election process .
Trump has repeatedly claimed the election was `` rigged '' and that millions of illegal votes were counted for Biden , among a wide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his defeat .
He has not yet conceded .
`` For my part , I am ready to cooperate and maintain contact with you , '' Putin said in his message to Biden .
In a speech Tuesday night after the Electoral College voting , Biden called on Trump to respect the results .
`` At the time [ in 2016 ] , President Trump called the Electoral College tally a 'landslide , ' '' Biden , who was the nation 's 47th vice president under President Barack Obama , said .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a clear victory then , and I respectfully suggest they do so now . ''
Chinese President Xi Jinping had also waited for weeks before he acknowledged Biden 's victory -- and Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro , a vocal supporter of Trump 's who 's often called the `` Trump of the Tropics , '' still has not recognized the election results .

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Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., takes questions Tuesday as he speaks during a news conference with other Senate Republicans at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. Pool photo by Tom Brenner/UPI | License Photo
Dec. 15 (UPI) -- Sen. Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader of the Senate and ardent supporter of President Donald Trump's, acknowledged for the first time Tuesday that President-elect Joe Biden is the winner of the 2020 election. Numerous Republicans in Congress have so far refused to recognize Biden as the incoming president, by either flatly rejecting the notion or remaining silent on the issue. McConnell, as Senate Republican leader, has been particularly conspicuous in his silence. Advertisement
Tuesday, however, he finally broke the silence after the Electoral College formally cast the votes to elect Biden president and Sen. Kamala Harris vice president on Monday.
"As of this morning, our country officially has a president-elect and a vice president-elect," McConnell said from the Senate floor.
"Many millions of us had hoped the presidential election would yield a different result. But our system of government has processes that determine who will be sworn in on Jan. 20."
As expected, Biden received 306 electoral votes Monday in the Electoral College vote, which had until this year been largely an unnoticed pro forma step in the election process. Trump has repeatedly claimed the election was "rigged" and that millions of illegal votes were counted for Biden, among a wide array of varying conspiracy theories to explain his defeat. He has not yet conceded.
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"The Electoral College has spoken. Today I want to congratulate President-elect Joe Biden," McConnell said.
Before acknowledging Biden and Harris, McConnell spoke for more than eight minutes about accomplishments and lauded the efforts of Trump's administration over the last four years.
Earlier Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin also finally acknowledged Biden as the next president after weeks of silence. He was one of a few world leaders who'd held off on congratulating Biden during Trump's continued legal resistance.
Putin sent word of his congratulations to the president-elect in a telegram, his office said on Tuesday.
"In his telegram, Putin wished every success to the president-elect and expressed confidence that Russia and the U.S., who bear special responsibility for global security and stability, could, despite their differences, help solve many problems and challenges that the world now faces," the Kremlin said in a statement.
"For my part, I am ready to cooperate and maintain contact with you."
In a speech Tuesday night after the Electoral College voting, Biden called on Trump to respect the results.
"At the time [in 2016], President Trump called the Electoral College tally a 'landslide,'" Biden, who was the nation's 47th vice president under President Barack Obama, said. "By his own standards these numbers represented a clear victory then, and I respectfully suggest they do so now."
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Chinese President Xi Jinping had also waited for weeks before he acknowledged Biden's victory -- and Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, a vocal supporter of Trump's who's often called the "Trump of the Tropics," still has not recognized the election results.


upi--2020-12-15--South Korean opposition leader apologizes for corruption of ex-presidents

SEOUL , Dec. 15 ( UPI ) -- The interim leader of South Korea 's opposition People Power Party issued a formal apology on Tuesday for the corruption convictions of a pair of ex-presidents connected to the conservative party , Park Geun-hye and Lee Myung-bak .
`` Two former presidents are incarcerated at the same time , '' Kim Chong-in , interim leader of the PPP , said at a news conference at the National Assembly .
`` I stand here today to offer an earnest apology to the citizens . ''
Park was impeached in December 2016 on charges @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from businesses and abusing her powers in a scheme with longtime confidante Choi Soon-sil .
She is serving a 20-year prison term .
Lee , Park 's predecessor who served as president from 2008 to 2013 , is also in prison on a 17-year sentence for various corruption charges .
`` The president 's political party has the responsibility and duty of joint management to lead the country well , '' Kim said Tuesday .
`` Our party was the ruling party at the time and we failed to fulfill that duty .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fault of the ruling party . ''
President Moon Jae-in of the Democratic Party swept into power in elections held in May 2017 as a response to the impeachment of Park and the taint of corruption around the conservative party .
His Democratic Party also coasted to a landslide victory in parliamentary elections held in April , winning 180 out of 300 seats in the National Assembly alongside a minor affiliated party .
Kim said his People Power Party must escape from the `` dark shadow '' of the cozy relationship between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ex-presidents represent .
`` We must make sure these past mistakes do n't happen again , '' Kim said .
`` With a scathing self-reflection , we will rebuild the party from its roots , and through renovation and renewal we 'll be born again . ''
The next opportunity at the ballot box for the PPP will be in March 2022 , when Moon 's single term comes to an end and major local races for the Seoul and Busan mayorships will be up for grabs .
Kim 's apology comes at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at its most vulnerable in months .
Moon , whose approval rating climbed to 71 % in May over his administration 's handling of the coronavirus pandemic , has seen his popularity plummet to a record low this week amid soaring real estate prices and a resurgent third wave of the virus .
A survey by pollster Realmeter released Monday found Moon 's approval rating at 36.7 % , with 58.2 % of respondents giving him negative marks .
He has also been dogged by his administration 's infighting with the country 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of power allegations against top aides and high-level officials before being suspended last week .
In the same Realmeter poll , the PPP scored a 31.6 % approval rating , topping the Democratic Party 's 30.8 % .
However , South Korean conservatives have been divided over the apology since the PPP 's Kim publicly announced the plan earlier this month , fearing that it will alienate the party 's base .
On Tuesday , conservative Rep. Park Dae-chul said the apology `` would have been better left unsaid , '' news agency @ @ @

People Power Party interim leader Kim Chong-in issued a formal apology on Tuesday for the corruption of two ex-presidents, Park Geun-hye and Lee Myung-bak, both of whom are serving prison sentences. Photo by Thomas Maresca/UPI
SEOUL, Dec. 15 (UPI) -- The interim leader of South Korea's opposition People Power Party issued a formal apology on Tuesday for the corruption convictions of a pair of ex-presidents connected to the conservative party, Park Geun-hye and Lee Myung-bak. "Two former presidents are incarcerated at the same time," Kim Chong-in, interim leader of the PPP, said at a news conference at the National Assembly. "I stand here today to offer an earnest apology to the citizens." Advertisement
Park was impeached in December 2016 on charges of receiving millions of dollars in bribes from businesses and abusing her powers in a scheme with longtime confidante Choi Soon-sil. She is serving a 20-year prison term.
Lee, Park's predecessor who served as president from 2008 to 2013, is also in prison on a 17-year sentence for various corruption charges.
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"The president's political party has the responsibility and duty of joint management to lead the country well," Kim said Tuesday. "Our party was the ruling party at the time and we failed to fulfill that duty. The fault of the president is also the fault of the ruling party."
President Moon Jae-in of the Democratic Party swept into power in elections held in May 2017 as a response to the impeachment of Park and the taint of corruption around the conservative party.
His Democratic Party also coasted to a landslide victory in parliamentary elections held in April, winning 180 out of 300 seats in the National Assembly alongside a minor affiliated party.
Kim said his People Power Party must escape from the "dark shadow" of the cozy relationship between big business and politics that the two ex-presidents represent.
"We must make sure these past mistakes don't happen again," Kim said. "With a scathing self-reflection, we will rebuild the party from its roots, and through renovation and renewal we'll be born again."
The next opportunity at the ballot box for the PPP will be in March 2022, when Moon's single term comes to an end and major local races for the Seoul and Busan mayorships will be up for grabs.
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Kim's apology comes at a time when the ruling party is at its most vulnerable in months.
Moon, whose approval rating climbed to 71% in May over his administration's handling of the coronavirus pandemic, has seen his popularity plummet to a record low this week amid soaring real estate prices and a resurgent third wave of the virus.
A survey by pollster Realmeter released Monday found Moon's approval rating at 36.7%, with 58.2% of respondents giving him negative marks. He has also been dogged by his administration's infighting with the country's top prosecutor, who was investigating abuse of power allegations against top aides and high-level officials before being suspended last week.
In the same Realmeter poll, the PPP scored a 31.6% approval rating, topping the Democratic Party's 30.8%.
However, South Korean conservatives have been divided over the apology since the PPP's Kim publicly announced the plan earlier this month, fearing that it will alienate the party's base.
On Tuesday, conservative Rep. Park Dae-chul said the apology "would have been better left unsaid," news agency Yonhap reported.


upi--2020-12-15--Too much time on social media may raise risk for depression

Young adults who spend hours a day on social media are at heightened risk of developing depression in the near future , new research suggests .
In recent years , a number of studies have linked heavy social media use to an increased risk of depression .
`` But then you have to ask the chicken-and-egg question , '' said study author Dr. Brian Primack , a professor of public health at the University of Arkansas , in Fayetteville .
On one hand , he said , excessive time on Twitter or Facebook might fuel depression symptoms .
On the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from face-to-face interactions and spend more time online .
So Primack and his colleagues decided to see whether social media use made a difference in young adults ' risk of future depression .
It did , according to their report , which was published online this month in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine .
The study included nearly 1,000 adults aged 18 to 30 who were depression-free at the outset , based on a standard questionnaire .
All reported on their usual social media time and were assessed for depression again six @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nearly 10 % fit the criteria for depression .
Overall , depression risk rose in tandem with time spent on social media .
Compared with the lightest users -- 2 hours or less per day -- the heaviest users -- at least 5 hours per day -- had a three times higher depression risk .
Meanwhile , that risk was two times higher among young adults who were active on social media around 3.5 to 5 hours per day .
Primack noted that the findings do not definitively prove cause and effect .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ accounted for factors like people 's education level , income , race and whether they were employed .
They also asked participants whether they 'd experienced childhood traumas like physical abuse and emotional neglect , which are also risk factors for depression .
Even then , excessive time on social media predicted a higher depression risk .
And , Primack said , there was no evidence the relationship went the other way : Among 299 other study participants who were depressed at the start , there was no increase in social media use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vice president of behavioral health innovation for the nonprofit Mental Health America .
He said the researchers did a good job of accounting for other factors that could explain the link between social media use and depression .
However , depression is complicated , and it 's difficult to tease out the role of a single factor , Counts added .
For example , he said that a young person could be dealing with a difficult family situation , then start to spend more time on social media as an escape .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not be a cause of it .
Things get more complicated still because individuals vary , as do their reasons for using social media .
Both Primack and Counts said the ways in which young adults use those platforms is likely key .
`` If you 're positively engaging with new friends , '' Counts said , `` that 's different from passively scrolling through your news feed and comparing yourself to other people . ''
He pointed out that young people who commonly feel marginalized -- LGBTQ youth , for example -- @ @ @ @ @ @ @ study lacked `` nuanced '' data on how people used social media , Primack said .
`` We do n't know if they were having angry rants online , or clicking 'like ' on pictures of cute puppies . ''
But , he added , most people use social media in various ways , not just one : Someone might go online to connect with friends , Primack noted , then end up scrolling through `` the reels of other people 's lives , and coming away with a feeling of ' I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Primack suggested that people try to regularly take stock of how they feel after using social media .
`` Just as in all areas of life , '' he said , `` it 's good to look at our habits and ask , what are my feelings right now ?
What are my responses ?
Is this serving me ? ''
Counts agreed .
`` In general , '' he said , `` we do n't always take time to reflect .
Is this a productive use of my time ? ''
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all the responsibility .
Social media platforms could be better designed -- with not only marketing in mind , but users ' mental well-being , too , Counts said .
`` How do we , as a society , monitor where we are and where we want to be ? ''
he said .
Primack described the new findings as a `` cautionary tale . ''
`` Social media is still a new tool , '' he said .
`` And it may be something that we 're not using optimally . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

Young adults who spend hours a day on social media are at heightened risk of developing depression in the near future, new research suggests.
In recent years, a number of studies have linked heavy social media use to an increased risk of depression.
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"But then you have to ask the chicken-and-egg question," said study author Dr. Brian Primack, a professor of public health at the University of Arkansas, in Fayetteville.
On one hand, he said, excessive time on Twitter or Facebook might fuel depression symptoms. On the other, people with depression might withdraw from face-to-face interactions and spend more time online.
So Primack and his colleagues decided to see whether social media use made a difference in young adults' risk of future depression.
It did, according to their report, which was published online this month in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
The study included nearly 1,000 adults aged 18 to 30 who were depression-free at the outset, based on a standard questionnaire. All reported on their usual social media time and were assessed for depression again six months later.
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By that time, nearly 10% fit the criteria for depression.
Overall, depression risk rose in tandem with time spent on social media. Compared with the lightest users -- 2 hours or less per day -- the heaviest users -- at least 5 hours per day -- had a three times higher depression risk.
Meanwhile, that risk was two times higher among young adults who were active on social media around 3.5 to 5 hours per day.
Primack noted that the findings do not definitively prove cause and effect.
However, he added, his team accounted for factors like people's education level, income, race and whether they were employed.
They also asked participants whether they'd experienced childhood traumas like physical abuse and emotional neglect, which are also risk factors for depression.
Even then, excessive time on social media predicted a higher depression risk.
And, Primack said, there was no evidence the relationship went the other way: Among 299 other study participants who were depressed at the start, there was no increase in social media use over time.
Nathaniel Counts is senior vice president of behavioral health innovation for the nonprofit Mental Health America.
He said the researchers did a good job of accounting for other factors that could explain the link between social media use and depression.
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However, depression is complicated, and it's difficult to tease out the role of a single factor, Counts added.
For example, he said that a young person could be dealing with a difficult family situation, then start to spend more time on social media as an escape.
That online time might precede depression, but not be a cause of it.
Things get more complicated still because individuals vary, as do their reasons for using social media. Both Primack and Counts said the ways in which young adults use those platforms is likely key.
"If you're positively engaging with new friends," Counts said, "that's different from passively scrolling through your news feed and comparing yourself to other people."
He pointed out that young people who commonly feel marginalized -- LGBTQ youth, for example -- may find supportive communities online.
The study lacked "nuanced" data on how people used social media, Primack said. "We don't know if they were having angry rants online, or clicking 'like' on pictures of cute puppies."
But, he added, most people use social media in various ways, not just one: Someone might go online to connect with friends, Primack noted, then end up scrolling through "the reels of other people's lives, and coming away with a feeling of 'I don't measure up.'"
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Primack suggested that people try to regularly take stock of how they feel after using social media.
"Just as in all areas of life," he said, "it's good to look at our habits and ask, what are my feelings right now? What are my responses? Is this serving me?"
Counts agreed. "In general," he said, "we don't always take time to reflect. Is this a productive use of my time?"
But both also said individuals should not bear all the responsibility.
Social media platforms could be better designed -- with not only marketing in mind, but users' mental well-being, too, Counts said.
"How do we, as a society, monitor where we are and where we want to be?" he said.
Primack described the new findings as a "cautionary tale."
"Social media is still a new tool," he said. "And it may be something that we're not using optimally."
Mental Health America has more on depression.
Copyright 2020 HealthDay. All rights reserved.


upi--2020-12-15--On This Day, Dec. 15: MacArthur orders end to state Shintoism in Japan

Dec. 15 ( UPI ) -- On this date in history : In 1791 , the Bill of Rights , comprising the first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution , took effect .
In 1890 , Sioux Indian leader Sitting Bull was killed in a skirmish with U.S. soldiers along the Grand River in South Dakota .
In 1939 , the film version of Gone with the Wind premiered in Atlanta .
In 1945 , U.S. Gen. Douglas MacArthur ordered an end to state Shintoism in Japan , a key belief of which was that the emperor was a divine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ freedom of religion , though , it did not place an outright ban on the religion .
In 1961 , Adolf Eichmann , the Nazi SS officer regarded as the architect of the World War II Holocaust , was condemned to death by an Israeli war crimes tribunal .
In 1973 , John Paul Getty III is found alive at a gas station outside of Naples , Italy , more than four months after he was kidnapped .
In 1973 , the American Psychiatric Association reversed its longstanding position and declared that being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In 1990 , in a landmark right-to-die case , a Missouri judge cleared the way for the parents of Nancy Cruzan to remove their daughter from life-support systems .
In 1992 , Salvadorans celebrated the formal end to their country 's 12-year civil war .
In 1993 , British Prime Minister John Major and Irish Prime Minister Albert Reynolds issued a `` framework for lasting peace '' in Northern Ireland .
In 1997 , 85 people were killed in the crash of a Tajik Airlines charter jetliner in the United Arab Emirates .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pisa reopened after a decadelong restoration effort .
In 2011 , the United States formally ended its long military mission in Iraq in a solemn ceremony at Baghdad 's international airport .
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta declared the war was over .
It had begun in 2003 .
In 2014 , Man Haron Monis took 18 people hostage inside a Lindt Cafe in Sydney , Australia .
The standoff , which lasted 16 hours , finally ended when police raided the cafe the next morning .
Monis and two hostages died in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ activist Ahed Tamimi was recorded slapping and kicking an Israeli soldier in the West Bank after forces shot her younger cousin the head for throwing rocks .
She was arrested days later and sentenced to eight months in prison .

1/5
A Shinto priest performs the "Oharai" ritual for office workers during a ceremony at Kanda Myojin shrine in Tokyo on January 4, 2017. On December 15, 1945, U.S. Gen. Douglas MacArthur ordered an end to state Shintoism in Japan, a key belief of which was that the emperor was a divine being. File Photo by Keizo Mori/UPI | License Photo
Dec. 15 (UPI) -- On this date in history: In 1791, the Bill of Rights, comprising the first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution, took effect. Advertisement
In 1890, Sioux Indian leader Sitting Bull was killed in a skirmish with U.S. soldiers along the Grand River in South Dakota.
In 1939, the film version of Gone with the Wind premiered in Atlanta.
In 1945, U.S. Gen. Douglas MacArthur ordered an end to state Shintoism in Japan, a key belief of which was that the emperor was a divine being. Because the U.S. government supported freedom of religion, though, it did not place an outright ban on the religion.
In 1961, Adolf Eichmann, the Nazi SS officer regarded as the architect of the World War II Holocaust, was condemned to death by an Israeli war crimes tribunal.
File Photo courtesy of the National Photo Collection of Israel
In 1973, John Paul Getty III is found alive at a gas station outside of Naples, Italy, more than four months after he was kidnapped.
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In 1973, the American Psychiatric Association reversed its longstanding position and declared that being gay isn't a mental illness.
In 1990, in a landmark right-to-die case, a Missouri judge cleared the way for the parents of Nancy Cruzan to remove their daughter from life-support systems.
In 1992, Salvadorans celebrated the formal end to their country's 12-year civil war.
In 1993, British Prime Minister John Major and Irish Prime Minister Albert Reynolds issued a "framework for lasting peace" in Northern Ireland.
In 1997, 85 people were killed in the crash of a Tajik Airlines charter jetliner in the United Arab Emirates.
In 2001, the leaning Tower of Pisa reopened after a decadelong restoration effort.
In 2011, the United States formally ended its long military mission in Iraq in a solemn ceremony at Baghdad's international airport. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta declared the war was over. It had begun in 2003.
File Photo by Dale Greer/U.S. Air Force
In 2014, Man Haron Monis took 18 people hostage inside a Lindt Cafe in Sydney, Australia. The standoff, which lasted 16 hours, finally ended when police raided the cafe the next morning. Monis and two hostages died in the ordeal.
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In 2017, 16-year-old Palestinian activist Ahed Tamimi was recorded slapping and kicking an Israeli soldier in the West Bank after forces shot her younger cousin the head for throwing rocks. She was arrested days later and sentenced to eight months in prison.


upi--2020-12-15--Famous birthdays for Dec. 15: Michelle Dockery, Don Johnson

Dec. 15 ( UPI ) -- Those born on this date are under the sign of Sagittarius .
-- French @ @ @ @ @ builder of the Paris tower that bears his name and engineer of the Statue of @ @ @ @

Michelle Dockery arrives for the the 23rd annual SAG Awards held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on January 29, 2017. The actor turns 39 on December 15. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo
Dec. 15 (UPI) -- Those born on this date are under the sign of Sagittarius. They include: Advertisement
-- The Roman Emperor Nero in A.D. 37
-- French engineer Alexandre Gustave Eiffel, builder of the Paris tower that bears his name and engineer of the Statue of Liberty, in 1832
-- Billionaire oilman J. Paul Getty in 1892
-- Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer
-- Comic actor Tim Conway in 1933
-- Rock musician Dave Clark in 1939 (age 81)
-- Actor Don Johnson in 1949 (age 71)
File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI
-- Actor Helen Slater in 1963 (age 57)
-- Actor Garrett Wang in 1968 (age 52)
-- Actor Adam Brody in 1979 (age 41)
-- Actor Michelle Dockery in 1981 (age 39)
-- Actor Charlie Cox in 1982 (age 38)
-- Actor Camilla Luddington in 1983 (age 37)
-- Actor Daniel Ezra in 1991 (age 29)
-- Actor Maude Apatow in 1997 (age 23)
-- Actor Erika Tham in 1999 (age 21)
File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI


upi--2020-12-15--Canada begins administering COVID-19 vaccine

Dec. 15 ( UPI ) -- The government of Canada has inoculated its first citizens against the coronavirus , officials said .
Health Minister Patty Hajdu announced during a press conference on Monday out front of the Maimonides Geriatric Center in Montreal , Quebec , that the rollout of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine has begun .
`` It 's really good news for Canada , it 's really good news for Quebec , it 's really good for everybody across the country , '' she said .
Gisele Levesque , a resident of a Quebec City long-term care facility , was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ receive the injection , Quebec Premier Francois Legault said .
`` We see the light at the end of the tunnel , '' he tweeted .
`` Keep hoping ! ''
Residents of long-term care facilities and healthcare workers will be the first in the province to receive the vaccine as part of the rollout plan , he said .
Hajdu said a patient at the facility who had received the injection told her the vaccine meant that life could start to return to normal .
`` She talked about these last eight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how this was the first step to her regaining her connectedness to people , '' she said , adding the vaccine is `` a really important tool to getting back to normal . ''
She told reporters she also spoke with frontline workers at the center who told her of the `` worry and anxiety '' they have experienced amid the pandemic about infecting their own families when they 'd go home from work .
`` Obviously our nation 's been under trauma , so I see this as the first step forward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a place of confidence where Canadians can start to see the beginning of the end of this thing and that 's why it 's such an important day , '' she said .
In Ontario , the University Health Network said personal support worker Anita Quidangen became the province 's first person to receive the life-saving jab at the Michener Institute for Education in the country 's most populated city of Toronto .
`` These past nine months have been challenging in so many ways , but no more so than for healthcare @ @ @ @ @ @ @ especially those dedicated colleagues who care for seniors in long-term care , '' Dr. Kevin Smith , president and CEO of UHN , said in a statement .
`` With this vaccine , we turn the corner and begin a new era in the fight against COVID-19 -- an era with the effective tools to beat this relentless enemy . ''
Dr. Theresa Tam , the chief public health officer of Canada , said they anticipate up to 249,000 doses of the vaccine to be administered in December as part of `` one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our history . ''
In a statement on Sunday , she said officials will be putting forth every effort to ensure all Canadians have access to the vaccine in 2021 .
Canada began inoculating its citizens as the first Americans received the vaccine and a week after Britain began its vaccine campaign .
The life-saving jab comes nearly a year after health officials diagnosed Canada 's first COVID-19 infections in late January .
Since then , health officials in the country have reported more than 468,800 infections , including some 13,550 deaths .

Gisele Levesque, a resident of a Quebec City long-term care facility, on Monday became the first person in Canada to be inoculated against the coronavirus. Photo courtesy of Quebec Premier Francois Legault/ Twitter
Dec. 15 (UPI) -- The government of Canada has inoculated its first citizens against the coronavirus, officials said. Health Minister Patty Hajdu announced during a press conference on Monday out front of the Maimonides Geriatric Center in Montreal, Quebec, that the rollout of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine has begun. Advertisement
"It's really good news for Canada, it's really good news for Quebec, it's really good for everybody across the country," she said.
Gisele Levesque, a resident of a Quebec City long-term care facility, was the first person in the country to receive the injection, Quebec Premier Francois Legault said.
"We see the light at the end of the tunnel," he tweeted. "Keep hoping!"
Residents of long-term care facilities and healthcare workers will be the first in the province to receive the vaccine as part of the rollout plan, he said.
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Hajdu said a patient at the facility who had received the injection told her the vaccine meant that life could start to return to normal.
"She talked about these last eight or nine months living in isolation and how this was the first step to her regaining her connectedness to people," she said, adding the vaccine is "a really important tool to getting back to normal."
She told reporters she also spoke with frontline workers at the center who told her of the "worry and anxiety" they have experienced amid the pandemic about infecting their own families when they'd go home from work.
"Obviously our nation's been under trauma, so I see this as the first step forward into the light and moving back into a place of confidence where Canadians can start to see the beginning of the end of this thing and that's why it's such an important day," she said.
In Ontario, the University Health Network said personal support worker Anita Quidangen became the province's first person to receive the life-saving jab at the Michener Institute for Education in the country's most populated city of Toronto.
"These past nine months have been challenging in so many ways, but no more so than for healthcare workers across the continuum of care -- especially those dedicated colleagues who care for seniors in long-term care," Dr. Kevin Smith, president and CEO of UHN, said in a statement. "With this vaccine, we turn the corner and begin a new era in the fight against COVID-19 -- an era with the effective tools to beat this relentless enemy."
Advertisement
Dr. Theresa Tam, the chief public health officer of Canada, said they anticipate up to 249,000 doses of the vaccine to be administered in December as part of "one of the most complex vaccination programs in our history."
In a statement on Sunday, she said officials will be putting forth every effort to ensure all Canadians have access to the vaccine in 2021.
Canada began inoculating its citizens as the first Americans received the vaccine and a week after Britain began its vaccine campaign.
The life-saving jab comes nearly a year after health officials diagnosed Canada's first COVID-19 infections in late January. Since then, health officials in the country have reported more than 468,800 infections, including some 13,550 deaths.


upi--2020-12-15--Study: Young Republicans much less likely to wear masks, social distance

Republicans have downplayed the importance of masking and social distancing throughout the COVID-19 pandemic , and a new study shows that message has filtered down to the party 's youngest voting members .
Nearly one out of every four young adults from the Los Angeles region who identify as Republicans said they do not regularly follow social distancing guidelines , according to a report published online Dec. 14 in JAMA Internal Medicine .
`` The Republican participants were less frequently following social distancing at about a four to five times greater odds '' than Democrats or Independents , said lead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ professor and psychologist with the University of Southern California 's Keck School of Medicine , in Los Angeles .
These young Republicans were also more likely than Democrats or Independents to engage in activities that raise their risk of being exposed to the coronavirus , like hitting bars and clubs or attending a big party , he noted .
The fact that these young adults hail from California shows the power of Republican messaging when it comes to social distancing , Leventhal said .
`` This is a blue county in a blue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did n't expect to see such big differences between Republicans and the other parties , '' Leventhal said .
`` The fact that we still see such large differences does tell us that it likely is due to political party affiliation , and not other regional or cultural factors . ''
These results mirror those of another new study that found that political partisanship plays a much stronger role in people 's social distancing decisions than how heavily COVID-19 has been spreading in their community .
That research , published Dec. 11 in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ partisanship is roughly 27 times more important than local COVID-19 prevalence for explaining people 's individual social distancing choices .
Republicans were nearly 28 % more likely to eschew social distancing guidelines than Independents , while Democrats were 13 % less likely , the Science Advances study found .
Republican dismissals of the need for masking and social distancing come from the very top , and carry a powerful impact , said Dr. Amesh Adalja , a senior scholar with the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security , in Baltimore .
`` I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that President Trump , being the de-facto head of the Republican Party , has been a deliberate source of lies and misinformation regarding COVID-19 , '' Adalja said .
`` Many people who consider themselves Republicans support him and accept his evasions and arbitrary pronouncements uncritically . ''
For the JAMA study , Leventhal and his colleagues surveyed nearly 2,200 young adults who they 've been tracking since 2013 , when the kids were recruited as ninth graders in Los Angeles to take part in a long-term study .
They now are around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ summer .
About 24 % of the young adults who identified as Republicans said they did n't follow social distancing practices regularly , compared with 5 % of Democrats and nearly 7 % of Independents .
Additionally , the self-identified Republicans were more likely to take part in activities that increase their risk of COVID-19 infection .
More Republicans -- 57 % -- said they 'd visited a restaurant , bar or club than Democrats -- 29 % -- or Independents -- 38 % -- the survey found .
Republicans also were more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or attend -- 47 % -- a party with more than 10 people , compared with either Democrats -- 11 % and 30 % , respectively -- or Independents -- 9 % and 29 % , respectively .
`` This suggests that this population of young adults are important to consider , because they do have high rates of coronavirus infection and may be contributing to the spread of the coronavirus due to not following physical distancing guidelines , '' Leventhal said .
Future messaging on infection prevention measures needs to take into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` We hope that public health professionals and political officials take notice and understand that people with different political affiliations and ideologies may respond differently to public health messages about controlling the coronavirus , '' Leventhal said .
`` They should not assume that the same message will resonate with all members of the population equally . ''
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on social distancing and COVID-19 .

Republicans have downplayed the importance of masking and social distancing throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and a new study shows that message has filtered down to the party's youngest voting members.
Nearly one out of every four young adults from the Los Angeles region who identify as Republicans said they do not regularly follow social distancing guidelines, according to a report published online Dec. 14 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
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"The Republican participants were less frequently following social distancing at about a four to five times greater odds" than Democrats or Independents, said lead researcher Adam Leventhal. He's a professor and psychologist with the University of Southern California's Keck School of Medicine, in Los Angeles.
These young Republicans were also more likely than Democrats or Independents to engage in activities that raise their risk of being exposed to the coronavirus, like hitting bars and clubs or attending a big party, he noted.
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The fact that these young adults hail from California shows the power of Republican messaging when it comes to social distancing, Leventhal said.
"This is a blue county in a blue state. Because of that, we didn't expect to see such big differences between Republicans and the other parties," Leventhal said. "The fact that we still see such large differences does tell us that it likely is due to political party affiliation, and not other regional or cultural factors."
These results mirror those of another new study that found that political partisanship plays a much stronger role in people's social distancing decisions than how heavily COVID-19 has been spreading in their community.
That research, published Dec. 11 in the journal Science Advances, concluded that partisanship is roughly 27 times more important than local COVID-19 prevalence for explaining people's individual social distancing choices.
Republicans were nearly 28% more likely to eschew social distancing guidelines than Independents, while Democrats were 13% less likely, the Science Advances study found.
Republican dismissals of the need for masking and social distancing come from the very top, and carry a powerful impact, said Dr. Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar with the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, in Baltimore.
Advertisement
"I suspect what lies behind this phenomenon is that President Trump, being the de-facto head of the Republican Party, has been a deliberate source of lies and misinformation regarding COVID-19," Adalja said. "Many people who consider themselves Republicans support him and accept his evasions and arbitrary pronouncements uncritically."
For the JAMA study, Leventhal and his colleagues surveyed nearly 2,200 young adults who they've been tracking since 2013, when the kids were recruited as ninth graders in Los Angeles to take part in a long-term study. They now are around 21, and were surveyed during the summer.
About 24% of the young adults who identified as Republicans said they didn't follow social distancing practices regularly, compared with 5% of Democrats and nearly 7% of Independents.
Additionally, the self-identified Republicans were more likely to take part in activities that increase their risk of COVID-19 infection.
More Republicans -- 57% -- said they'd visited a restaurant, bar or club than Democrats -- 29% -- or Independents -- 38% -- the survey found.
Republicans also were more likely to host -- 19% -- or attend -- 47% -- a party with more than 10 people, compared with either Democrats -- 11% and 30%, respectively -- or Independents -- 9% and 29%, respectively.
Advertisement
"This suggests that this population of young adults are important to consider, because they do have high rates of coronavirus infection and may be contributing to the spread of the coronavirus due to not following physical distancing guidelines," Leventhal said.
Future messaging on infection prevention measures needs to take into account these differences, he concluded.
"We hope that public health professionals and political officials take notice and understand that people with different political affiliations and ideologies may respond differently to public health messages about controlling the coronavirus," Leventhal said. "They should not assume that the same message will resonate with all members of the population equally."
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on social distancing and COVID-19.
Copyright 2020 HealthDay. All rights reserved.


upi--2020-12-15--Florida men's basketball star Keyontae Johnson in stable condition after collapse

Dec. 15 ( UPI ) -- Florida men 's basketball player Keyontae Johnson , who collapsed on the court during a game over the weekend , is in stable condition and breathing on his own , the team announced Tuesday .
`` Keyontae is in stable condition today , breathing on his own and speaking with us and with his doctors here at UF Health , '' Johnson 's parents , Nika and Marrecus , said in a statement that was released through the school .
`` He even FaceTimed the team !
We feel so much love and support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grateful for the care and attention that Keyontae has received throughout these past several days .
`` We will continue to share updates about Keyontae 's health and progress .
We have seen how much people love and care for him .
We hope people recognize that information that does n't come from us or the athletic department may not be accurate .
We are working closely with Keyontae 's doctors and the UAA to provide information to everyone who cares so deeply about Keyontae and has been praying for him . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in critical but stable condition after he collapsed face-first during the Gators ' loss to Florida State on Saturday .
He received medical attention on the court before being transported to a local hospital .
Johnson , the Southeastern Conference preseason Player of the Year , was airlifted Monday from Tallahassee Memorial Hospital to UF Health in Gainesville , Fla. His grandfather , Larry DeJarnett , said that Johnson had been placed in a medically induced coma .
Earlier Tuesday , Florida postponed its game against North Florida on Wednesday due to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The university said that North Florida agreed to `` scratching the game , '' with a makeup date to be determined .
`` Florida basketball and the UAA wish to thank UNF 's coaching staff , administration and team for their flexibility and willingness to make this schedule change , '' Florida said in a statement .
The Gators are scheduled to host Florida Atlantic at noon EST on Saturday in Gainesville .

Florida and North Florida came to a mutual agreement to reschedule their game on Wednesday after Gators forward Keyontae Johnson collapsed on the court Saturday in Tallahassee, Fla. Photo by Gamecock Central/Wikimedia Commons
Dec. 15 (UPI) -- Florida men's basketball player Keyontae Johnson, who collapsed on the court during a game over the weekend, is in stable condition and breathing on his own, the team announced Tuesday. "Keyontae is in stable condition today, breathing on his own and speaking with us and with his doctors here at UF Health," Johnson's parents, Nika and Marrecus, said in a statement that was released through the school. "He even FaceTimed the team! We feel so much love and support from everyone, and we're beyond grateful for the care and attention that Keyontae has received throughout these past several days. Advertisement
"We will continue to share updates about Keyontae's health and progress. We have seen how much people love and care for him. We hope people recognize that information that doesn't come from us or the athletic department may not be accurate. We are working closely with Keyontae's doctors and the UAA to provide information to everyone who cares so deeply about Keyontae and has been praying for him."
The school said Monday that Johnson was in critical but stable condition after he collapsed face-first during the Gators' loss to Florida State on Saturday. He received medical attention on the court before being transported to a local hospital.
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Johnson, the Southeastern Conference preseason Player of the Year, was airlifted Monday from Tallahassee Memorial Hospital to UF Health in Gainesville, Fla. His grandfather, Larry DeJarnett, said that Johnson had been placed in a medically induced coma.
Earlier Tuesday, Florida postponed its game against North Florida on Wednesday due to the on-court collapse and hospitalization of Johnson. The university said that North Florida agreed to "scratching the game," with a makeup date to be determined.
"Florida basketball and the UAA wish to thank UNF's coaching staff, administration and team for their flexibility and willingness to make this schedule change," Florida said in a statement.
The Gators are scheduled to host Florida Atlantic at noon EST on Saturday in Gainesville.


upi--2020-12-15--Judge orders Trump Organization to release records to N.Y. attorney general

Dec. 15 ( UPI ) -- A state judge on Tuesday ruled that the Trump Organization must turn over records related to a property under civil investigation by the New York attorney general 's office .
The documents are related to a conservation easement that was granted to the Seven Springs estate in New York 's Westchester County , granting President Donald Trump 's company a $ 21 million tax deduction .
`` We will immediately move to ensure that the Trump Organization complies with the court 's order and submits records related to our investigation , '' James said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` My office 's ongoing investigation will continue , as we continue to follow the facts wherever they may lead . ''
The materials include messages between an engineer and a land-use lawyer working on Trump 's behalf .
Amy Carlin , an attorney for the Trump Organization , said on Tuesday that it had `` every expectation that those communications would be confidential '' and protected by attorney-client privilege .
Eric Haren of the attorney general 's office , however , stated that the Trump Organization `` waived privilege '' when it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` gain benefit . ''
Trump has been accused of inflating the value of assets to obtain favorable loan rates and undercutting property values for tax benefits .
James ' office has been investigating Trump since his former attorney Michael Cohen testified in 2019 that Trump engaged in the practice .

President Donald Trump drives a golf cart as he plays golf Sunday at the Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Va. Photo by Ken Cedeno/UPI | License Photo
Dec. 15 (UPI) -- A state judge on Tuesday ruled that the Trump Organization must turn over records related to a property under civil investigation by the New York attorney general's office. The documents are related to a conservation easement that was granted to the Seven Springs estate in New York's Westchester County that granted President Donald Trump's company a $21 million tax deduction. Advertisement
The materials that must be turned over the the office of New York Attorney General Letitia James include messages between an engineer and a land-use lawyer working on Trump's behalf.
"We will immediately move to ensure that the Trump Organization complies with the court's order and submits records related to our investigation," James said in a statement following the ruling.
"My office's ongoing investigation will continue, as we continue to follow the facts wherever they may lead."
Amy Carlin, an attorney for the Trump Organization, said on Tuesday that it had "every expectation that those communications would be confidential" and protected by attorney-client privilege.
Eric Haren of the attorney general's office, however, stated that the Trump Organization "waived privilege" when it disclosed some documents to the IRS to "gain benefit."
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Trump has been accused of inflating the value of assets to obtain favorable loan rates and undercutting property values for tax benefits.
James' office has been investigating Trump since his former attorney Michael Cohen testified in 2019 that Trump engaged in the practice.


upi--2020-12-15--College Football Playoff rankings: Alabama at No. 1 as top five remains unchanged

Dec. 15 ( UPI ) -- The top five teams in the penultimate College Football Playoff rankings remained unchanged Tuesday , with the Alabama Crimson Tide retaining their top spot .
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish were at No .
2 , followed by No .
3 Clemson , No .
4 Ohio State and the fifth-ranked Texas A & M Aggies .
Notre Dame and Clemson are scheduled to meet for the second time this season in Saturday 's ACC title game .
The Crimson Tide ( 10-0 ) will play No .
7 Florida in the SEC Championship @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which most recently competed on Dec. 5 and has played only five games this season due to COVID-19 complications , is set to take on No .
14 Northwestern for the Big Ten championship .
Iowa State , which did n't play this past weekend , moved up a spot to No .
6 entering its showdown against No .
10 Oklahoma in the Big 12 title game .
The Cyclones , Gators and No .
8 Georgia Bulldogs all have two losses , but they remained ahead of undefeated No .
9 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the highest-ranked Pac-12 team at No .
13 .
The Trojans , who will play unranked Oregon on Friday in the Pac-12 Championship Game , moved up two spots after beating UCLA on Saturday .
The CFP selection committee will release its final rankings , including the four semifinal teams , on Sunday .

Alabama head coach Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide will play No. 7 Florida in the SEC Championship Game this weekend. File Photo by Gary I Rothstein/UPI | License Photo
Dec. 15 (UPI) -- The top five teams in the penultimate College Football Playoff rankings remained unchanged Tuesday, with the Alabama Crimson Tide retaining their top spot. The Notre Dame Fighting Irish were at No. 2, followed by No. 3 Clemson, No. 4 Ohio State and the fifth-ranked Texas A&M Aggies. Notre Dame and Clemson are scheduled to meet for the second time this season in Saturday's ACC title game. Advertisement
The Crimson Tide (10-0) will play No. 7 Florida in the SEC Championship Game this weekend. Ohio State, which most recently competed on Dec. 5 and has played only five games this season due to COVID-19 complications, is set to take on No. 14 Northwestern for the Big Ten championship.
Iowa State, which didn't play this past weekend, moved up a spot to No. 6 entering its showdown against No. 10 Oklahoma in the Big 12 title game. The Cyclones, Gators and No. 8 Georgia Bulldogs all have two losses, but they remained ahead of undefeated No. 9 Cincinnati.
USC (5-0) is the highest-ranked Pac-12 team at No. 13. The Trojans, who will play unranked Oregon on Friday in the Pac-12 Championship Game, moved up two spots after beating UCLA on Saturday.
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The CFP selection committee will release its final rankings, including the four semifinal teams, on Sunday.
College Football Playoff rankings (Dec. 15):
1. Alabama Crimson Tide (10-0)
2. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (10-0)
3. Clemson Tigers (9-1)
4. Ohio State Buckeyes (5-0)
5. Texas A&M Aggies (7-1)
6. Iowa State Cyclones (8-2)
7. Florida Gators (8-2)
8. Georgia Bulldogs (7-2)
9. Cincinnati Bearcats (8-0)
10. Oklahoma Sooners (7-2)
11. Indiana Hoosiers (6-1)
12. Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (11-0)
13. USC Trojans (5-0)
14. Northwestern Wildcats (6-1)
15. North Carolina Tar Heels (8-3)
16. Iowa Hawkeyes (6-2)
17. BYU Cougars (10-1)
18. Miami Hurricanes (8-2)
19. Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns (9-1)
20. Texas Longhorns (6-3)
21. Oklahoma State Cowboys (7-3)
22. N.C. State Wolfpack (8-3)
23. Tulsa Golden Hurricane (6-1)
24. San Jose State Spartans (6-0)
25. Colorado Buffaloes (4-1)


upi--2020-12-15--Pete Buttigieg tapped as transportation secretary

Dec. 15 ( UPI ) -- President-elect Joe Biden has tapped former South Bend , Ind.
, mayor and rival presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg for the transportation secretary post .
If installed , Buttigieg , 38 , who ran against Biden as a Democratic presidential candidate but ended up endorsing Biden , would be the first senate-confirmed LGBTQ cabinet secretary , CNN reported .
Biden had previously shown he wanted to find a spot for the former mayor in his cabinet after they became close during the campaign , and though he could have led the Department of Veteran Affairs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the transportation secretary post for him , The New York Times reported .
If confirmed , Buttigieg will have a significant role in rebuilding U.S. infrastructure and the economy , three people familiar with the decision told The Washington Post .
The transportation administration will also be part of Biden 's efforts to fight climate change by curbing emissions , and Buttigieg had argued as a presidential candidate for tough global warming regulations .
At a March event in Dallas , Biden compared Buttigieg , to his late son Beau , who died @ @ @ @ @ @ @ age 46 , and similarly served in the military .
`` I do n't think I 've ever done this before , but he reminds me of my son , Beau , '' Biden said at the time .
Buttigieg , a U.S. Navy veteran was awarded a Joint Service Commendation Medal after being deployed to Afghanistan , and Beau , who served in the U.S. Army and Delaware Army National Guard , received a Bronze Star Medal after being deployed to Iraq in the 261st Signal Brigade and posthumous Legion of Merit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chasten Buttigieg , a high school teacher , came out as gay in a 2015 essay for the South Bend Tribune while serving as mayor , and won re-election later that year .
Buttigieg is a graduate of Harvard College and Oxford University , which he attended on a Rhodes Scholarship .
Prior to becoming mayor , he was a consultant for the Chicago office of McKinsey and Company where he worked on energy , retail , economic development and logistics for three years .
The former vice president has also picked Gina @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and former head of the Environmental Protection Agency under the Obama administration to be his White House climate coordinator , The Washington Post , The New York Times and NPR reported citing unnamed sources .
Biden campaigned with a so-called Clean Energy Revolution plan that calls for $ 5 trillion in private , state and local investments to reach net-zero emissions and 100 % clean energy economy by 2050 , and as Biden 's advisor it will be her job to coordinate domestic climate policies and aid him in implementing this plan , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Blad , a spokesman for the Sunrise Movement , which has called on Biden to assemble `` a power governing team '' to combat climate change , said the president-elect 's pick of McCarthy was `` very encouraging . ''
McCarthy `` was one of the [ Sunrise Movement 's ] picks to lead a new domestic climate office bc she understands the urgent threat of the climate crisis , '' Blad tweeted .
`` The real test , however , of Biden 's commitment is if the role has the teeth needed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ EPA head will be working with former Secretary of State John Kerry , who was announced late last month as special presidential envoy on climate during the first batch of the Biden administration 's appointments .
Al Gore , the vice president under former President Bill Clinton and a well-known environmentalist , described McCarthy as `` uniquely suited for the job '' and was a pick that signaled Biden is `` serious about America leading by example and driving deep reductions in pollution and climate emissions . ''
`` A new era of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said in a statement .
`` The U.S. is back on task . ''

President-elect Joe Biden announced Tuesday former South Bend, Indiana, mayor Pete Buttigieg (shown) as transportation secretary nominee. UPI File Photo | License Photo
Dec. 15 (UPI) -- President-elect Joe Biden has tapped several people, including former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg, to his cabinet who will be integral to implementing his ambitious climate platform. According to multiple reports, Buttigieg has been tapped to head the Transportation Department, former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm to lead the Energy Department and former Energy Protection Agency head Gina McCarthy to act as his climate coordinator. Advertisement
If installed, Buttigieg, 38, who ran against Biden as a Democratic presidential candidate but ended up endorsing Biden, would be the first senate-confirmed LGBTQ cabinet secretary, CNN reported.
Biden had previously shown he wanted to find a spot for the former mayor in his cabinet after they became close during the campaign, and though he could have led the Department of Veteran Affairs as a military veteran, Biden chose the transportation secretary post for him, The New York Times reported.
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If confirmed, Buttigieg will have a significant role in rebuilding U.S. infrastructure and the economy, three people familiar with the decision told The Washington Post.
The transportation administration will also be part of Biden's efforts to fight climate change by curbing emissions, and Buttigieg had argued as a presidential candidate for tough global warming regulations.
At a March event in Dallas, Biden compared Buttigieg, to his late son Beau, who died of brain cancer in May 2015 at age 46, and similarly served in the military.
"I don't think I've ever done this before, but he reminds me of my son, Beau," Biden said at the time.
Buttigieg, a U.S. Navy veteran was awarded a Joint Service Commendation Medal after being deployed to Afghanistan, and Beau, who served in the U.S. Army and Delaware Army National Guard, received a Bronze Star Medal after being deployed to Iraq in the 261st Signal Brigade and posthumous Legion of Merit.
Buttigieg, who is married to Chasten Buttigieg, a high school teacher, came out as gay in a 2015 essay for the South Bend Tribune while serving as mayor, and won re-election later that year.
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Buttigieg is a graduate of Harvard College and Oxford University, which he attended on a Rhodes Scholarship.
Prior to becoming mayor, he was a consultant for the Chicago office of McKinsey and Company where he worked on energy, retail, economic development and logistics for three years.
The former vice president has also tapped Granholm, 61, a former two-term Michigan governor and attorney general, to lead the Energy Department. Politico was the first to report on the appointment with unnamed sources confirming the pick to NPR and CNN.
Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., tweeted that Granholm "is the right choice" to lead the department under Biden.
"She understands how energy and environmental policies can be used to support working families, and she knows how to craft solutions to the most pressing issues we face today," she said. "This appointment is good news for Michigan and it's good news for our country."
Having served as governor from 2003 to 2011, Granholm helped the Obama administration on the multi-billion-dollar bailout of Detroit's' auto manufacturers and pushed for them to invest in electric vehicles.
She has also been an advocate for clean energy in her state, having last month championed it as a COVID-19 recovery plan in an op-ed published in The Detroit News.
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"Low-carbon recovery measures are the best way to ensure a prosperous, long-term recovery that creates good jobs, builds resilience against future shocks and supports the middle class through this unprecedented time," she wrote. "Now, our policymakers must support actions that will usher in this future that the people of Michigan so greatly deserve."
Lisa Ramsden, the U.S. senior climate campaigner for Greenpeace, welcomed Biden's nomination of Granholm.
"Jennifer Granholm has forcefully spoken out against both the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines and advocated for shifting investment from oil and gas to renewable energy solutions. That's the kind of leadership the Department of Energy has been sorely missing," Ramsden said.
The Republican Party of Michigan condemned the pick, blaming Granholm as she was at the helm during the state's so-called lost decade of economic woes.
"The fact that Joe Biden would pick for his potential cabinet, an individual who was responsible for Michigan's lost decade, which saw jobs and generation of young Michiganders exit our state, is an insult," the state's party chair, Laura Cox, said in a statement, calling her "the worst governor in Michigan's history."
Biden has also picked Gina McCarthy of the Natural Resources Defense Council and former head of the Environmental Protection Agency under the Obama administration to be his White House climate coordinator, The Washington Post, The New York Times and NPR reported citing unnamed sources.
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Biden campaigned with a so-called Clean Energy Revolution plan that calls for $5 trillion in private, state and local investments to reach net-zero emissions and 100% clean energy economy by 2050, and as Biden's advisor it will be her job to coordinate domestic climate policies and aid him in implementing this plan, The New York Times reported.
Garrett Blad, a spokesman for the Sunrise Movement, which has called on Biden to assemble "a power governing team" to combat climate change, said the president-elect's pick of McCarthy was "very encouraging."
McCarthy, 66, "was one of the [Sunrise Movement's] picks to lead a new domestic climate office bc she understands the urgent threat of the climate crisis," Blad tweeted. "The real test, however, of Biden's commitment is if the role has the teeth needed to be effective."
The former EPA head will be working with former Secretary of State John Kerry, who was announced late last month as special presidential envoy on climate during the first batch of the Biden administration's appointments.
Al Gore, the vice president under former President Bill Clinton and a well-known environmentalist, described McCarthy as "uniquely suited for the job" and was a pick that signaled Biden is "serious about America leading by example and driving deep reductions in pollution and climate emissions."
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"A new era of climate accountability is upon us," he said in a statement. "The U.S. is back on task."
Meet President Joe Biden's top adviser picks


upi--2020-12-15--Paris fined for having too many women in senior government positions

Dec. 15 ( UPI ) -- The city of Paris was fined more than $ 100,000 Tuesday for appointing too many women to senior positions .
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo on Tuesday tweeted that she and the other women in the city government would personally travel to the Ministry of Public Service to deliver the check .
Under French law , each gender must account for at least 40 % of government positions .
`` So there will be many of us , '' she said .
The city appointed 11 women and five men as senior officials in 2018 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are held by women .
Hidalgo said the aim of the appointments was to `` promote and one day achieve parity '' with men throughout the government overall .
`` In Paris , we are doing everything to make it a success and I am very , very proud of a large team of women and men who carry together this fight for equality , '' she said .
A law enacted in 2019 allows the fine to be waived if the new hires do not lead to an overall gender imbalance in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Paris as women still make up 47 % of senior executives .
However , the change came too late to prevent the city from facing a fine .
French Minister of Public Service Amelie de Montchalin called the provision absurd and said she wanted the fine to be put toward `` concrete actions to promote women in the public service . ''
`` The cause of women deserves better ! ''
Montchalin wrote on Twitter .

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo on Tuesday said she and the rest of the women in the city government would deliver a $100,000 fine imposed on the city after its appointments for senior roles in the government included less than 40% men. Photo by David Silpa/UPI | License Photo
Dec. 15 (UPI) -- The city of Paris was fined more than $100,000 Tuesday for appointing too many women to senior positions. Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo on Tuesday tweeted that she and the other women in the city government would personally travel to the Ministry of Public Service to deliver the check. Under French law, each gender must account for at least 40% of government positions. Advertisement
"So there will be many of us," she said.
The city appointed 11 women and five men as senior officials in 2018, meaning 69% of the positions are held by women.
Hidalgo said the aim of the appointments was to "promote and one day achieve parity" with men throughout the government overall.
"In Paris, we are doing everything to make it a success and I am very, very proud of a large team of women and men who carry together this fight for equality," she said.
A law enacted in 2019 allows the fine to be waived if the new hires do not lead to an overall gender imbalance in the government, which is true of Paris as women still make up 47% of senior executives. However, the change came too late to prevent the city from facing a fine.
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French Minister of Public Service Amelie de Montchalin called the provision absurd and said she wanted the fine to be put toward "concrete actions to promote women in the public service."
"The cause of women deserves better!" Montchalin wrote on Twitter.


upi--2020-12-15--Panthers' Christian McCaffrey unlikely to play vs. Packers due to thigh injury

Dec. 15 ( UPI ) -- Carolina Panthers star running back Christian McCaffrey is expected to miss Saturday 's game against the Green Bay Packers because of a lingering thigh injury .
Panthers head coach Matt Rhule told reporters Tuesday that unless McCaffrey has a good practice Wednesday , the 2019 Pro Bowl tailback will miss his fifth consecutive game .
`` I 'm not expecting him to play , as of right now , '' Rhule said .
`` We 'll see how the next couple of days unfold , obviously .
But today was a walk-through , so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but I 'm not expecting him to play as we sit here right now .
`` ...
I have n't really seen him run yet .
If he could come out and really run [ Wednesday ] , that would probably turn my thinking . ''
McCaffrey missed six games due to a high ankle sprain that he suffered in Week 2 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers .
He then missed three additional games because of a shoulder ailment before sitting out Sunday 's loss to the Denver Broncos with his thigh @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thigh two weeks ago while working out during the Panthers ' bye week .
He reaggravated the injury last week .
Rhule said he has no plans to shut down McCaffrey for the remainder of this season and will play him when he is fully healthy .
The Panthers ( 4-9 ) have three games remaining on their regular-season schedule .
Carolina is scheduled to play the Packers this weekend , followed by matchups against the Washington Football Team and New Orleans Saints .

Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey (22) is expected to miss his fifth straight game this weekend. File Photo by Nell Redmond/UPI | License Photo
Dec. 15 (UPI) -- Carolina Panthers star running back Christian McCaffrey is expected to miss Saturday's game against the Green Bay Packers because of a lingering thigh injury. Panthers head coach Matt Rhule told reporters Tuesday that unless McCaffrey has a good practice Wednesday, the 2019 Pro Bowl tailback will miss his fifth consecutive game. Advertisement
"I'm not expecting him to play, as of right now," Rhule said. "We'll see how the next couple of days unfold, obviously. But today was a walk-through, so he was able to do some things, but I'm not expecting him to play as we sit here right now.
"... I haven't really seen him run yet. If he could come out and really run [Wednesday], that would probably turn my thinking."
McCaffrey missed six games due to a high ankle sprain that he suffered in Week 2 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He then missed three additional games because of a shoulder ailment before sitting out Sunday's loss to the Denver Broncos with his thigh issue.
The 24-year-old McCaffrey injured his thigh two weeks ago while working out during the Panthers' bye week. He reaggravated the injury last week.
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Rhule said he has no plans to shut down McCaffrey for the remainder of this season and will play him when he is fully healthy.
The Panthers (4-9) have three games remaining on their regular-season schedule. Carolina is scheduled to play the Packers this weekend, followed by matchups against the Washington Football Team and New Orleans Saints.
This week in the National Football League


upi--2020-12-15--State Department approves $500M sale of 2 Gulfstream 550 jets to Italy

Dec. 15 ( UPI ) -- The State Department approved a possible $ 500 million sale of two fully equipped Gulfstream G550 Aircraft to Italy Tuesday .
According to the Defense Security Cooperation Agency , Italy 's government requested two aircraft and supporting equipment including four Multifunctional Information Distribution Systems , three GPS security devices and four ( 4 ) RIO Communications Intelligence Systems .
Italy also requested that up to six additional U.S. contractors work in Italy for a year train personnel in use of the new equipment .
`` The proposed sale supports and complements the ongoing efforts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Surveillance , Reconnaissance , and Electronic Warfare capability and increases interoperability between the U.S. Air Force and the Italian Air Force ( ITAF ) .
Italy will have no difficulty absorbing these articles into its armed forces , '' the DSCA 's announcement said .
At the end of October Italy approved a $ 1.4 billion three-year defense spending plan -- as well as a host of `` unfunded future priorities '' that include the acquisition of two Gulfstream 550s and the development of its own similar aircraft .
The Gulfstream is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Air Force for transportation of elected officials , cabinet secretaries and top generals .

The State Department approved a request Tuesday to sell two Gulfstream 550 aircraft to Italy. Photo via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0 DE)
Dec. 15 (UPI) -- The State Department approved a possible $500 million sale of two fully equipped Gulfstream G550 Aircraft to Italy Tuesday. According to the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, Italy's government requested two aircraft and supporting equipment including four Multifunctional Information Distribution Systems, three GPS security devices and four (4) RIO Communications Intelligence Systems. Advertisement
Italy also requested that up to six additional U.S. contractors work in Italy for a year train personnel in use of the new equipment.
"The proposed sale supports and complements the ongoing efforts of Italy to modernize its airborne Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance, and Electronic Warfare capability and increases interoperability between the U.S. Air Force and the Italian Air Force (ITAF). Italy will have no difficulty absorbing these articles into its armed forces," the DSCA's announcement said.
At the end of October Italy approved a $1.4 billion three-year defense spending plan -- as well as a host of "unfunded future priorities" that include the acquisition of two Gulfstream 550s and the development of its own similar aircraft.
The Gulfstream is a private business jet also used by the Air Force for transportation of elected officials, cabinet secretaries and top generals.


upi--2020-12-15--Supreme Court sides with Colorado church, N.J. religious leaders on COVID-19 limits

Dec. 15 ( UPI ) -- The U.S. Supreme Court sided with a rural Colorado church and a pair of religious leaders in New Jersey on Tuesday in cases challenging COVID-19 restrictions imposed by states limiting religious gatherings .
In unsigned orders , the Supreme Court dismissed lower court opinions favoring the states in a case by a small Colorado church as well as another by the Rev .
Kevin Robinson and Rabbi Yisrael A. Knopfler in New Jersey .
The court sent the Colorado case of High Plains Harvest Church vs. Polis back to the 10th U.S .
Circuit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had earlier sided with the Colorado Gov .
Jared Polis .
The order included instructions for the appellate court to reconsider its decision in light of the Supreme Court 's 5-4 ruling in November against New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo , in which it overturned mandatory occupancy limits on religious services in New York state aimed at stemming the spread of the coronavirus .
Justice Amy Coney Barrett , who joined the high court in November , was a decisive vote in that case .
Tuesday 's order resembled another decision from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which justices granted a petition from a church in Pasadena , Calif. , that sought to set aside a lower court ruling that affirmed capacity limits set by Gov .
Gavin Newsom .
In that case , the high court similarly instructed the 9th U.S .
Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco to reconsider its opinion in the wake of the New York decision .
Liberal justices Elana Kagan , Sonia Sotomayor and Stephen Breyer dissented in Tuesday 's order , arguing that the case is now moot because Polis already lifted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's New York ruling .
They made the same arguments in the New York decision -- Cuomo had already removed the restrictions .
But in both cases , the Supreme Court 's conservative majority ordered that the cases continue .
Polis ' order in June allowed churches to open at either 50 % capacity or 50 people in the worship space , whichever is fewer .
Last week , the state issued an amended order classifying houses of worship as `` critical businesses '' that are exempt from capacity limits .
In the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ challenged restrictions limiting religious gatherings to no more than 25 % capacity and the state 's mask mandate , which was criticized for violating religious freedom as mask exceptions are made for reasons including health , exercise and eating but not for religious services .
New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal told the court that the state has `` accommodated religious conduct -- ensuring religious activities receive at least as much protection as secular conduct , if not more . ''
No justices publicly dissented in the New Jersey order .
Churches have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by operating restrictions that treat religious and retail businesses differently .
Health experts have said crowded , indoor church services provide an especially potent avenue for transmission of the disease , which is spread through the emission of infected droplets .
Several outbreaks nationwide have been traced to church services .
This month , for example , San Diego County health officials said outbreaks at three Awaken Church locations resulted in at least 64 cases .
Citing the New York ruling , the Roman Catholic archdiocese of Washington , D.C. , on Monday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will limit attendees at Christmas services .

A sign informs parishioners at a Los Angeles church on April 12 that all activities and meetings were canceled until further notice as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo
Dec. 15 (UPI) -- The U.S. Supreme Court sided with a rural Colorado church and a pair of religious leaders in New Jersey on Tuesday in cases challenging COVID-19 restrictions imposed by states limiting religious gatherings. In unsigned orders, the Supreme Court dismissed lower court opinions favoring the states in a case by a small Colorado church as well as another by the Rev. Kevin Robinson and Rabbi Yisrael A. Knopfler in New Jersey. Advertisement
The court sent the Colorado case of High Plains Harvest Church vs. Polis back to the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver, which had earlier sided with the Colorado Gov. Jared Polis.
The order included instructions for the appellate court to reconsider its decision in light of the Supreme Court's 5-4 ruling in November against New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, in which it overturned mandatory occupancy limits on religious services in New York state aimed at stemming the spread of the coronavirus.
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Justice Amy Coney Barrett, who joined the high court in November, was a decisive vote in that case.
Tuesday's order resembled another decision from the high court two weeks ago in which justices granted a petition from a church in Pasadena, Calif., that sought to set aside a lower court ruling that affirmed capacity limits set by Gov. Gavin Newsom.
In that case, the high court similarly instructed the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco to reconsider its opinion in the wake of the New York decision.
Liberal justices Elana Kagan, Sonia Sotomayor and Stephen Breyer dissented in Tuesday's order, arguing that the case is now moot because Polis already lifted the restriction caps after the high court's New York ruling.
They made the same arguments in the New York decision -- Cuomo had already removed the restrictions. But in both cases, the Supreme Court's conservative majority ordered that the cases continue.
Polis' order in June allowed churches to open at either 50% capacity or 50 people in the worship space, whichever is fewer. Last week, the state issued an amended order classifying houses of worship as "critical businesses" that are exempt from capacity limits.
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In the New Jersey case, the religious leaders challenged restrictions limiting religious gatherings to no more than 25% capacity and the state's mask mandate, which was criticized for violating religious freedom as mask exceptions are made for reasons including health, exercise and eating but not for religious services.
New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal told the court that the state has "accommodated religious conduct -- ensuring religious activities receive at least as much protection as secular conduct, if not more."
No justices publicly dissented in the New Jersey order.
Churches have contended they are being unfairly singled out by operating restrictions that treat religious and retail businesses differently. Health experts have said crowded, indoor church services provide an especially potent avenue for transmission of the disease, which is spread through the emission of infected droplets.
Several outbreaks nationwide have been traced to church services. This month, for example, San Diego County health officials said outbreaks at three Awaken Church locations resulted in at least 64 cases.
Citing the New York ruling, the Roman Catholic archdiocese of Washington, D.C., on Monday sued the city over COVID-19 restrictions that will limit attendees at Christmas services.