usatoday--2020-12-09--45 clever gifts under $10 everyone will love

— Recommendations are independently chosen by Reviewed ’ s editors .
Purchases you make through our links may earn us a commission .
Shopping for gifts is easier said than done sometimes .
It ’ s hard enough to figure out what to get for your loved ones , let alone what to buy for bosses , co-workers , dog walkers , secret Santas , or second cousins twice removed who deserve a little something , too .
Worry no more , because we ’ ve compiled 45 amazing gifts under $ 10 that will make sure everyone in your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ season .
Need help finding products ?
Sign up for our weekly newsletter .
It ’ s free and you can unsubscribe at any time .
1 .
For the kid who loves surprises : Skyrocket Blume Doll Who does n't love a surprise ?
The Skyrocket Blume Doll is one of the hottest toys out there and has more than 5,000 reviews and 4.6-star rating on Amazon .
It grows into one of 22 potential dolls as it gets watered , so kids are sure to love it , and it 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Get the Skyrocket Blume Doll at Amazon for $ 8.99 2 .
For the person who colors outside the lines : An adult coloring book Coloring is n't just for kids—adults can get in on the fun , too .
Sasha O'Hara 's `` Calm the F*ck Down : An Irreverent Adult Coloring Book '' is full of 21 single-sided adult color pages full of sassy and amusing sayings like `` Home is where the vodka is '' and `` Suck it up , buttercup . ''
The paperback coloring book , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 12,000 Amazon reviews , includes moderate to hard images like animals , people , fairies , and more .
Get `` Calm the F*ck Down : An Irreverent Adult Coloring Book '' at Amazon for $ 4.99 3 .
For the one who wears the same jewelry : Diamond Dazzle Stik If your giftee wears the same earrings , necklaces , and rings every single day , then their jewelry could definitely use a serious refresh from all that wear .
With more than 14,000 reviews and a 4.6-star rating on Amazon , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ designed to make diamonds shine like new .
Reviewers were impressed with how easy it is to use and the massive improvement they 've seen in their gemstones .
Get the Diamond Dazzle Stik at Amazon for $ 7.80 4 .
For the person who loves to eat their veggies : Ontel Veggetti Spiralizer Veggie noodles are all the rage these days , and our favorite spiralizer can help turn your favorite vegetables into pasta form .
We were hesitant when we spied an `` As Seen on TV '' label on this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it beats out the competition by a long shot .
The 4-in-1 spiralizer is sturdy enough for frequent use and comes with a small brush that makes the cleaning process a cinch .
This affordable kitchen gadget can be used on zucchini , spaghetti squash , carrots , and other vegetables .
Get the Ontel Veggetti Spiralizer at Amazon for $ 9.99 5 .
For the one who likes sweet breakfasts : Dash Mini Waffle Maker Waffles are one of the best ways to start your morning a la Lesley Knope , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It 's just a fact .
They 're easier to dunk into syrup and cook faster—meaning you 'll be heading to Waffletown faster .
The Dash Mini Waffle Maker is one of the best waffle makers we 've ever tested , and your giftee will love whipping up waffles for one with it .
Get the Dash Mini Waffle Maker at Bed Bath & Beyond for $ 9.99 6 .
For the person who is always cold : A 5-pack of cozy socks You ca n't go wrong gifting a pack of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's cozy socks clocks in at under $ 10 and features fun and colorful patterns .
Made for women 's shoe sizes 5 to 8 , the knit wool socks are perfect for relaxing indoors on a chilly day .
Get the Warm Winter Wool Socks ( 5-pack ) at Amazon for $ 9.29 7 .
For the one who has AirPods : AirPods case cover Anyone who has Apple AirPods probably gets nervous about accidentally misplacing these small and expensive buds .
The case is so small and easy to lose .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to attach their AirPods to their keys or belt loops might calm their woes .
With more than 28,000 reviews and a 4.7-star rating on Amazon , people love this silicone case and say it does n't rip and that it makes them feel more secure .
It 's also available in several color options .
Get the AhaStyle AirPods Case Cover at Amazon for $ 5.39 8 .
For the person who is always thirsty : SipWell Stainless Steel Drinking Straws Our best value reusable straws are SipWell 's Stainless Steel Drinking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ someone who is trying to use less plastic—or for the person who is always sipping on iced coffee .
The straws can be tossed in the dishwasher for easy cleaning and measure roughly seven to eight inches from top to bottom .
Get the SipWell Stainless Steel Drinking Straws ( 4-pack ) at Amazon for $ 7.89 9 .
For the one who runs their dog 's Instagram : Pooch Selfie If your recipient is absolutely obsessed with their dog ( I mean , who is n't ? )
and , more importantly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they need this selfie assistant .
The Pooch Selfie is an ingenious tennis ball that clips to the top of your giftee 's phone , so they can finally take the perfect selfie with their pooch .
It 's more of a gag gift , but it has more than 1,00 positive reviews on Amazon with reviewers claiming it actually works—well , depending on the dog .
Get the Pooch Selfie at Ace Hardware for $ 9.99 10 .
For those who enjoy a challenge : The `` Of Course ! ''
book @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and coffee in the morning , while others like puzzles and crosswords .
A brain teaser book is perfect for keeping anyone ’ s mind sharp , killing time while traveling , entertaining kids , or just relaxing on their own .
Get the “ Of Course !
” Book of Brain Teasers at Amazon for $ 9.95 11 .
For the cat lover : `` Crafting with Cat Hair '' Your recipient may love their cat dearly , but they do n't love all the hair they shed every single day .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ their feline 's fur to good use with a little crafting .
It might seem like a novelty gift for the cat-obsessed owner , but could become the perfect hobby or the cat owner who spends their free time crafting .
Get `` Crafting with Cat Hair '' at Amazon for $ 9.71 12 .
For the person who loves to relax : TheraFlow Foot Massager Massages can be expensive , and they definitely do n't cost less than $ 10 .
However , if you 're looking for a more affordable way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a little rest and relaxation , the Theraflow Foot Massager will get the job done and then some .
The wooden roller has nubs and grooves designed to reach even the achiest spots like the arch of your foot , heels , and more .
However , it is n't just for feet , either .
They can use the massager on their hands , back , and other parts of the body .
Get the TheraFlow Foot Massager at Amazon for $ 9.99 13 .
For the one who loves napping : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of us , the only way to reach a REM cycle is to wear an eye masks to block out any sliver of light .
When we tested the best sleep masks on the market our tester referred to the Nidra Deep Rest eye mask as a personal blackout curtains for your eyes .
That 's why it 's the best .
If your recipient is in perpetual need of some rest after the stress of the holidays ( and life ) , treat them to this eye mask .
Get the Nidra @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 6.95 14 .
For the person who loves to read : Nabob Leather Bookmark Bookmarks might be one of the simpler gifts on this list , but they ’ re also among the most useful .
Whether for work , school , or leisure , everyone needs a durable bookmark .
Made from full-grain leather , the navy-colored bookmark comes with a tassel attached to the end , so the gift recipient can easily pick up where they left off .
Get the Leather Bookmark Handmade by Nabob Leather at Amazon for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who wears makeup : Makeup removing cloths Give your giftee a way to remove their makeup without irritating their eyes and skin like they have been with traditional disposable wipes .
More than9,000 Amazon shoppers have opted to use these reusable makeup removing cloths instead , which they say removes their makeup without too much scrubbing even after washing them plenty of times .
Get the S & T Always Off Reusable Makeup Remover Cloths , 5 Pack at Amazon for $ 7.99 16 .
For the first-time shaver : The Billie Starter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to come by .
If you know someone who is on the market for a new razor , the Billie Starter Kit is a great place to start .
It comes with a Billie handle , a magnetic holder , and two 5-blade razor cartridges .
Not to mention , the razor provides a close shave and is easy to maneuver .
Get the Starter Kit at Billie for $ 9 17 .
For the one who likes to doodle : Scratch Art Mini Notes Take your giftee 's doodling to the next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They appear as normal paper , but when used leave behind a rainbow of color wherever you draw .
It 'll make leaving notes more fun and add a pop of color to daily drawings .
Get the Melissa & Doug Scratch Art Box of Rainbow Mini Notes at Amazon for $ 6.40 There 's not much like stepping out of the shower and drying off with a plush and cozy bath towel—and Target 's price hits just right when it comes to a great holiday gift under $ 10 .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ certified cotton and comes in 15 color options your relative or friend will love .
Get the Threshold Performance Bath Towel at Target for $ 8 19 .
For the one who 's a runner : BodyGlide Anti-Chafe Balm We 've all experienced painful chafing at one point or another .
It 's not fun .
And if you 're giftee is an extreme runner or someone who has dealt with chafing their entire life , then they know it far too well .
BodyGlide is an anti-chafe balm that could literally save @ @ @ @ @ @ @ found that it lasts an incredibly long time and kept thighs chafe-free during a half marathon ( that 's over two hours of running ! )
.
Get BodyGlide at Amazon for $ 9.99 20 .
For those who loves lip balm : Burt 's Bees Kissable Color Holiday Gift Set The Burt 's Bees Beeswax Bounty Fruit Gift Set comes with fun fruity lip balms including strawberry , pink grapefruit , coconut & pear , and pomegranate .
These make a great stocking stuffer and are also perfect for tossing in their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Burt 's Bees Beeswax Bounty Fruit Gift Set ( 5-pack ) at Amazon for $ 7.58 21 .
For the one who loves wine : Rabbit Wine and Beverage Bottle Stoppers If your giftee loves to end the night with a glass of vino , then they 'll appreciate these rubber wine stoppers .
They have grooved rings hold the stopper in place to prevent any spillage , but more importantly , they ensure no extra oxygen enters the bottle , preserving the wine for a few more days .
Get the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Amazon for $ 8 22 .
For the person who loves photography : Tenruy Photo Clips String Lights This LED photo string light display is great for your niece or nephew who just moved into a new apartment or your parent friends in need of a creative way to display their children 's artwork .
Measuring 17-feet long , the strand comes with 50 photo clips and each clip contains a warm , white LED light .
The strand runs on 3 AA batteries , however , those are not included with your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Amazon for $ 9.99 23 .
For the one who loves competition : Uno Uno is a classic game of competition and revenge ( you ever schemed to get back at your brother for switching colors on you ? )
.
If your giftee does n't already have Uno in their arsenal , then it will be a well-appreciated present that you and the gang can play immediately .
Get Uno at Amazon for $ 9.99 24 .
For the nerd in your life : Groot Flower Pen Pot Life is too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Guardians of The Galaxy '' Groot Pen Pot is anything but dull .
Your coworker will get a kick out of using the 6-inch pot to hold markers , small plants , and other trinkets like this 20-pack of mixed flower pens .
Get the B-Best Guardians of The Galaxy Groot Pen Pot at Amazon for $ 9.99 25 .
For the one who loves tricks : Yo-yo Yo-yos are a classic—though sometimes frustrating—toy .
But it 's always a nice , inexpensive thing to throw into a stocking , especially if they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ try to master a few tricks .
These ones from Duncan Imperial are a solid yo-yo option and come in several color options .
Get the Duncan Imperial Yo-Yo at Amazon for $ 6.99 26 .
For the commuter in your life : Arvok 15-15.6 Inch Laptop Sleeve Taking a laptop in and out of a backpack or purse without the proper protection is just asking for an accident .
Your pals will appreciate a high-quality laptop sleeve to keep their electronics safe when they 're taking the train into work—or from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , water-resistant neoprene material , the sleeve helps to safeguard laptops from dust , water , scratches and more .
It 's available in 16 different colors and patterns .
Get the Arvok 15-15.6 Inch Laptop Sleeve at Amazon for $ 9.99 No one wants a lukewarm drink , but no one wants a watered-down drink , either .
But this ice cube mold creates large spheres that are designed to melt slowly and add a great aesthetic to a cocktail .
It has a 4.1-star rating from more than 6,500 reviews with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as you follow the directions properly .
Get the Chillz Ice Ball Maker Mold at Amazon for $ 8.99 28 .
For the fashion-forward person : Ties and tie clips With stylish accessories like a skinny necktie and a three-pack of tie clips to hold it all together , dressing to the nines does n't have to cost a small fortune .
Even the most fashion-forward person on your holiday shopping list will love receiving a couple of new accessories to freshen their look .
• Get Tie Clips ( 3-pack ) at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Skinny Necktie at Amazon for $ 9.99 29 .
For the one who loves makeup : Milani Highly Rated Volume Mascara You do n't have to spend too much to give your recipient the gift of great lashes .
The Milani Highly Rated Volume Mascara costs less than $ 10 and is the best drugstore mascara we 've ever tested .
It gives incredible length and volume for a fraction of the cost of high-end brands .
Get the Milani Highly Rated 10-in-1 Volume Mascara at Amazon for $ 8.97 30 .
For @ @ @ @ @ @ @ temporary tattoos Temporary tattoos will always be a treat for kids and silly adults alike , and they make great small gifts or stocking stuffers .
This set comes with 150 temporary tattoos featuring popular superheroes like Spiderman , the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles , and more .
Do n't worry , these tattoos come off ( relatively ) easy and are totally harmless .
Get a 150-pack of Superhero Tattoos at Amazon for $ 9.95 31 .
For the creative one : WikkiStix WikkiStix are bendable , wax sticks that will never @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adults ! )
hours of play .
They can create faces , creatures , and more , and it 's the perfect way to keep young ones entertained before holiday dinner .
Get WikkiStix Rainbow Pak at Amazon for $ 8.24 32 .
For the person who has too much hair : The Invisibobble Straight , curly , thin , or thick—the Invisibobble hair tie is ideal for all hair types , making it an ideal stocking stuffer for anyone on your holiday shopping list who 's rocking long hair .
The coiled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ break or damage most hair types , and , most importantly , do n't leave a crease behind like other hair ties might .
Get the Invisibobble ( 3-pack ) at Amazon for $ 7.50 33 .
For the one with a cast iron skillet : Lodge Pan Scraper Cleaning a cast iron skillet can be tricky .
You do n't want to wash off the seasoning that makes cooking with cast iron so great , but you also do n't want to leave food crusted on the pan .
That 's where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The polycarbonate scrapers easily remove gunk with out leaving any scratches behind , which is why reviewers love them and your cast iron lover will , too .
Get the Lodge Pan Scraper , 2-Pack at Bed Bath & Beyond for $ 2.99 34 .
For your best friend : A pair of matching Lucky Fortune bracelets Whether you want to show some love to your best friend or are shopping for the tween in your life , these matching bracelets make for a budget-friendly gift .
These fun and colorful bracelets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , along with a propitious paper fortune .
Get the WowWee Lucky Fortune Blind Collectible Bracelets at Amazon for $ 4.99 35 .
For the one who does their nails at home : Wearable nail polish bottle holder Painting your nails is all fun and games until you end up with a glob of it on your bedspread .
Not great .
If your giftee loves painting their nails , toss this innovative wearable nail polish holder in their stocking .
It 's essentially worn like a ring to keep the bottle in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reviewers swear by it and say it 's especially useful when they attempt to paint their nails on the couch or their beds .
Get the Tweexy Wearable Nail Polish Bottle Holder at Amazon for $ 9.99 36 .
For the person who 's obsessed with skincare : Mario Badescu Facial Spray Mario Badescu 's facial spray is a cult-favorite amongst skincare fanatics .
The 4-ounce hydrating mist is formulated from aloe , herbs , and rosewater .
All it takes is a few spritzes to leave your friend , relative , or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mario Badescu Facial Spray at Ulta for $ 7 37 .
For the one who loves eggs : Le Creuset Egg Cup Breakfast is the most important meal of the day , and if your recipient prefers to start their day with eggs ( particularly , soft boiled eggs ) , then they can eat it in style with this egg cup from Le Crueset .
Yes , it 's possible to get something from Le Creuset for under $ 10 .
Reviewers say they 're high quality and a simple way to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stoneware Egg Cup at Amazon for $ 9.95 38 .
For the phone-obsessed one : PopSockets PopSockets have been popular for a couple of years now—and they serve two great purposes .
PopSockets offer an extra grip on the back of your phone , so you don ’ t drop it when FaceTiming or taking a picture .
Additionally , the small plastic doo-dads also serve as a great stand for lazy video viewing .
Offered in a variety of different designs and styles , PopSockets are easy , stylish , and practical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ PopGrip at PopSocket for $ 10 39 .
For the one who loves sushi : Sushi Making Kit Your recipient already orders sushi on a weekly basis , so they might have some fun attempting to make it for themselves .
Reviewers love this inexpensive sushi making kit because it has everything they need to make and eat sushi ( including chopsticks ! )
and that it 's super easy to use .
It may take some trial and error , but your giftee will just have to roll with it .
Get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chopsticks at Amazon for $ 9.99 40 .
For the stylish one : Wet n Wild lipstick At Reviewed , we tested the best liquid lipsticks , and despite its low price , Wet n Wild was our No .
1 pick by a large margin .
It stayed on the longest , was easy to wash off , and didn ’ t leave marks anywhere .
So for cheap , stylish , and strong lipstick that ’ s perfect for a gift , look no further .
Get Wet n Wild Liquid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
For the one who loves happy little trees : Bob Ross Bobblehead Bob Ross is iconic for his soothing voice and incredible ( and fast ) paintings , and your can bring him to life on your recipient 's desk with this Bob Ross Bobblehead .
Not only does it speak witty sayings for the artist , but it comes with a mini easel book with 30 landscape pictures they can admire .
Get the Bob Ross Bobblehead at Amazon for $ 9.23 42 .
For the person who has too many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ organizers Between laptop chargers , phone cords , and other electronic cables , it 's easy for things to get twisted .
This six-pack of cable organizers will keep your coworker 's cords in order .
The peel-and-stick wire holders can be used for TVs , computers , cell phones , or even in the car to keep everything tangle-free .
Get the Cable Clips Organizer ( 6-pack ) at Amazon for $ 6.97 43 .
For the one who needs some pampering : Tree Hut Shea Sugar Scrub We could all use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ One easy and inexpensive way to gift your recipient some is with this cult-favorite sugar scrub from Tree Hut .
With nearly 45,000 reviews and a 4.7-star rating on Amazon , people are obsessed with this scrub because it 's made with natural ingredients and exfoliates well .
Get the Tree Hut Shea Sugar Scrub at Amazon for $ 5.99 44 .
For the one who misses velcro shoes : Lock Laces When you 're trying to get out the door , tying your shoelaces can seem like the most time consuming task @ @ @ @ @ @ @ velcro shoes were considered stylish .
They can transform their kicks into slip-ons with these popular no-tie shoelaces that reviewers swear by .
Runners love that they keep their sneakers nice and tight , while parents love that they can easily replace their kids laces with these .
Get the Lock Laces at Amazon for $ 7.99 45 .
For the one who lives for the 90s : Velvet scrunchies In case you were n't aware , scrunchies have made a major comeback recently , making them a great stocking stuffer .
These @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a variety of colors that would look great on your giftee 's head or just hanging on their wrist .
Get the Kitsch Velvet Scrunchies at Amazon for $ 9.99 The product experts atReviewed have all your shopping needs covered this holiday season .
Follow Reviewed onFacebook , Twitter and Instagram .
Prices are accurate at the time of publication but may change over time .

Rachel Murphy and Courtney Campbell, Reviewed

45 last-minute gifts $10 and under that everyone will love
— Recommendations are independently chosen by Reviewed’s editors. Purchases you make through our links may earn us a commission.
The best last minute gifts come in all shapes and sizes—and everything in our gift guide below is available to ship in time for Christmas and costs $10 or less. It’s hard enough to figure out what to get for your loved ones, let alone what to buy for bosses, co-workers, dog walkers or secret Santas.
Start off the New Year with deals and shopping advice delivered straight to your phone. Sign up for text message alerts from the experts at Reviewed.
To help you with your down-to-the-wire holiday shopping, we’ve compiled 45 last-minute gifts for $10 or less that will make sure everyone in your life gets a little holiday joy this season. As Christmas quickly approaches, many of these items are in high demand and may sell out. We recommend starting your holiday shopping right now to ensure you'll get all of your gifts delivered in time—although only some of these items may arrive in time for Christmas!
Make 2022 the year of good decisions. Start by signing up for our newsletter for twice-weekly tips, reviews and more from our experts.
1. For the kid who loves surprises: Skyrocket Blume Doll
Who doesn't love a surprise? The Skyrocket Blume Doll is one of the hottest toys out there and has more than 5,000 reviews and 4.6-star rating on Amazon. It grows into one of 22 potential dolls as it gets watered, so kids are sure to love it, and it's small enough to fit into a stocking.
Get the Skyrocket Blume Doll at Amazon for $9.99
2. For the person who colors outside the lines: An adult coloring book
Coloring isn't just for kids—adults can get in on the fun, too. Sasha O'Hara's "Calm the F*ck Down: An Irreverent Adult Coloring Book" is full of 21 single-sided adult color pages full of sassy and amusing sayings like "Home is where the vodka is" and "Suck it up, buttercup." The paperback coloring book, which has a 4.6-star rating out of 12,000 Amazon reviews, includes moderate to hard images like animals, people, fairies, and more.
Get "Calm the F*ck Down: An Irreverent Adult Coloring Book" at Amazon for $4.99
3. For the one who wears the same jewelry: Diamond Dazzle Stik
If your giftee wears the same earrings, necklaces, and rings every single day, then their jewelry could definitely use a serious refresh from all that wear. With more than 14,000 reviews and a 4.6-star rating on Amazon, people swear by this jewelry cleaning stick designed to make diamonds shine like new. Reviewers were impressed with how easy it is to use and the massive improvement they've seen in their gemstones.
Get the Diamond Dazzle Stik at Amazon for $7.99
4. For the creative one: WikkiStix
WikkiStix are bendable, wax sticks that will never dry out and offer children (and adults!) hours of play. They can create faces, creatures, and more, and it's the perfect way to keep young ones entertained before holiday dinner.
Get WikkiStix Rainbow Pak at Amazon for $9.38
5. For the person who loves to eat their veggies: Ontel Veggetti Spiralizer
Veggie noodles are all the rage these days, and our favorite spiralizer can help turn your favorite vegetables into pasta form. We were hesitant when we spied an "As Seen on TV" label on this product, but the truth is, it beats out the competition by a long shot.
The 4-in-1 spiralizer is sturdy enough for frequent use and comes with a small brush that makes the cleaning process a cinch. This affordable kitchen gadget can be used on zucchini, spaghetti squash, carrots, and other vegetables.
Get the Ontel Veggetti Spiralizer at Amazon for $9.99
6. For the one who likes sweet breakfasts: Dash Gingerbread Mini Waffle Maker
Waffles are one of the best ways to start your morning a la Lesley Knope, and mini waffles are better than regular-sized ones. It's just a fact. They're easier to dunk into syrup and cook faster—meaning you'll be heading to Waffletown faster. The Dash Mini Waffle Maker is one of the best waffle makers we've ever tested, and your giftee will love whipping up a tasty batch of adorable gingerbread waffles.
Get the Dash Gingerbread Mini Waffle Maker at Target for $10
7. For the nerd in your life: “I Am Groot” Flower Pot
Life is too short to be boring and this "Guardians of The Galaxy" Groot Pen Pot is anything but dull. Your coworker will get a kick out of using the 6-inch pot to hold markers, small plants, and other trinkets like this highly-rated Pilot G2 pens.
Get the “I Am Groot” Flower Pot at Amazon for $9.99
8. For the one who has AirPods: AirPods case cover
Anyone who has Apple AirPods probably gets nervous about accidentally misplacing these small and expensive buds. The case is so small and easy to lose. But a carrying case they can use to attach their AirPods to their keys or belt loops might calm their woes. With more than 28,000 reviews and a 4.7-star rating on Amazon, people love this silicone case and say it doesn't rip and that it makes them feel more secure. It's also available in several color options.
Get the AhaStyle AirPods Case Cover at Amazon for $4.39
9. For the person who is always thirsty: SipWell Stainless Steel Drinking Straws
Our best value reusable straws are SipWell's Stainless Steel Drinking Straws. This four-pack is ideal for someone who is trying to use less plastic—or for the person who is always sipping on iced coffee. The straws can be tossed in the dishwasher for easy cleaning and measure roughly seven to eight inches from top to bottom.
Get the SipWell Stainless Steel Drinking Straws (4-pack) at Amazon for $8.89
10. For the one who runs their dog's Instagram: Pooch Selfie
If your recipient is absolutely obsessed with their dog (I mean, who isn't?) and, more importantly, snapping pictures with them, then they need this selfie assistant. The Pooch Selfie is an ingenious tennis ball that clips to the top of your giftee's phone, so they can finally take the perfect selfie with their pooch. It's more of a gag gift, but it has more than 1,00 positive reviews on Amazon with reviewers claiming it actually works—well, depending on the dog.
Get the Pooch Selfie on Amazon for $9.99
11. For those who enjoy a challenge: The "Of Course!" book of riddles
Some people like their Sudoku and coffee in the morning, while others like puzzles and crosswords. A brain teaser book is perfect for keeping anyone’s mind sharp, killing time while traveling, entertaining kids, or just relaxing on their own.
Get the “Of Course!” Book of Brain Teasers at Amazon for $9.95
12. For the one who likes to keep busy: Pop It Fidget Toy Keychain
Pop It toys aren't just for the kids—adults love the satisfying release of pressing down (a.k.a "popping") the silicone toy, too. The sensory toy for all ages is a great way to pass the time when you're on the go. Amazon reviewers agree this Pop It keychain is "firm" and "fun to play with."
Get the Pop It Keychain on Amazon for $4.97
13. For the person who loves to relax: TheraFlow Foot Massage Roller
The TheraFlow Foot Massage Roller is a reflexology tool for foot pain. Its unique design helps target sore areas of the foot like the arch and heels. With over 9,930 reviews and a 4.5-star rating, you can't go wrong giving this relaxing gift.
Get the TheraFlow Foot Massage Roller on Amazon for $9.95
14. For the one who loves napping: Alaska Bear Natural Silk Sleep Mask
For some of us, the only way to reach a REM cycle is to wear an eye masks to block out any sliver of light. When we tested the best sleep masks, our tester said the Alaska Bear Natural Silk Sleep eye mask " mask extends nice and low so that no light sneaks in at the base, and the padded, silky material fully blocks out light." If your recipient is in perpetual need of some rest after the stress of the holidays (and life), treat them to this eye mask.
Get the Alaska Bear Natural Silk Sleep Mask on Amazon for $8.99 (Save 10% with on-page coupon)
15. For the person who loves to read: Leather Bookmark
Bookmarks might be one of the simpler gifts on this list, but they’re also among the most useful. Whether for work, school, or leisure, everyone needs a durable bookmark. Made from full-grain leather, the navy-colored bookmark comes with a tassel attached to the end, so the gift recipient can easily pick up where they left off.
Get the Jagucho Leather Bookmarks (3-Pack) at Amazon for $8.99
16. For those who loves lip balm: Burt's Bees Lip Balm
The Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm Gift Set includes one basic peppermint lip balm and one lip balm in the shade "Red Dahlia." These make a great stocking stuffer and are also perfect for tossing in their work bag or travel bag.
Get the Burt's Bees Lip Balm Set (2-pack) at Burt's Bees for $6.99
18. For the one who misses velcro shoes: Lock Laces
When you're trying to get out the door, tying your shoelaces can seem like the most time consuming task, which is why your giftee wishes velcro shoes were considered stylish. They can transform their kicks into slip-ons with these popular no-tie shoelaces that reviewers swear by. Runners love that they keep their sneakers nice and tight, while parents love that they can easily replace their kids laces with these.
Get the Lock Laces at Amazon for $8.99
19. For the one who likes to doodle: Scratch Art Mini Notes
Take your giftee's doodling to the next level with these Scratch Art Mini Notes. They appear as normal paper, but when used leave behind a rainbow of color wherever you draw. It'll make leaving notes more fun and add a pop of color to daily drawings.
Get the Melissa & Doug Scratch Art Box of Rainbow Mini Notes at Amazon for $9.79
20. For the kids: Kikkerland Safari Pencils
These Kikkerland Safari Pencils make an adorable stocking stuffer for kids and teens alike. Made from real wood, the pencil set comes in four wild animal designs (elephant, zebra, lion and tiger) and have garnered a 4.5-star rating from more than 900 Amazon reviews.
Get a Kikkerland Safari Pencils (set of four) on Amazon for $6.40
21. For the one who's a runner: BodyGlide Anti-Chafe Balm
We've all experienced painful chafing at one point or another. It's not fun. And if you're giftee is an extreme runner or someone who has dealt with chafing their entire life, then they know it far too well. BodyGlide is an anti-chafe balm that could literally save their life. We tried it and found that it lasts an incredibly long time and kept thighs chafe-free during a half marathon (that's over two hours of running!).
Get BodyGlide at Amazon for $9.99
22. For the one who wears makeup: Makeup removing cloths
Give your giftee a way to remove their makeup without irritating their eyes and skin like they have been with traditional disposable wipes. More than9,000 Amazon shoppers have opted to use these reusable makeup removing cloths instead, which they say removes their makeup without too much scrubbing even after washing them plenty of times.
Get the S&T Always Off Reusable Makeup Remover Cloths, 5-Pack on Amazon for $7.99
23. For the one who loves wine: Rabbit Wine and Beverage Bottle Stoppers
If your giftee loves to end the night with a glass of vino, then they'll appreciate these rubber wine stoppers. They have grooved rings hold the stopper in place to prevent any spillage, but more importantly, they ensure no extra oxygen enters the bottle, preserving the wine for a few more days.
Get the Rabbit Wine and Beverage Bottle Stoppers at Amazon for $8
24. For the person who loves photography: Photo Clips String Lights
This LED photo string light display is great for your niece or nephew who just moved into a new apartment or your parent friends in need of a creative way to display their children's artwork. Measuring 33-feet long, the strand comes with 60 photo clips and each clip contains a warm, white LED light. The strand runs on 3 AA batteries, however, those are not included with your purchase.
Get Photo Clips String Lights at Amazon for $9.99
25. For the one with an iPhone: Amazon Basics Charging Cable
Amazon's 6-foot charging cable for Apple devices like iPhones and iPads is the perfect stocking stuffer for anyone who is always asking to borrow your cord. It comes in four colors and has a 4.5-star rating from over 33,100 Amazon reviews.
Get the Amazon Basics 6-Foot USB-A Cable Cord on Amazon for $8.99
26. For the person who is always cold: Fuzzy socks
You can't go wrong gifting a pack of comfortable socks. These fuzzy socks are sold in packs of five pairs, so your gift recipient will have plenty of cozy socks to last all winter long. These socks come in a variety of colors, too, and have over 1,000 Amazon reviews for an overall rating of 4.5 stars.
Get a 5-pack of Fuzzy Socks on Amazon for $8.99
27. For the one who loves tricks: Yo-yo
Yo-yos are a classic—though sometimes frustrating—toy. But it's always a nice, inexpensive thing to throw into a stocking, especially if they would be type of the person to try to master a few tricks. These ones from Duncan are a solid yo-yo option and come in several color options.
Get the Duncan Yo-Yo at Amazon for $6.39
28. For the commuter in your life: Arvok Laptop Sleeve
Taking a laptop in and out of a backpack or purse without the proper protection is just asking for an accident. Your pals will appreciate a high-quality laptop sleeve to keep their electronics safe when they're taking the train into work—or from the kids at home. Made from thick, water-resistant neoprene material, the sleeve helps to safeguard laptops from dust, water, scratches and more. It's available in 16 different colors and a variety of sizes to fit laptops ranging from 13.3-inches to 17-inches.
Get the Arvok Laptop Sleeve at Amazon from $8.99
29. For the whisky connoisseur: Ice ball maker
No one wants a lukewarm drink, but no one wants a watered-down drink, either. But this ice cube mold creates 1.5-inch spheres that are designed to melt slowly and add a great aesthetic to a cocktail. It has a 4-star rating from more than 11,000 reviews with reviewers saying they are fun and easy to use.
Get the Housewares Solutions Froz Ice Ball Maker at Amazon for $6.99
30. For the fashion-forward person: Ties and tie clips
With stylish accessories like a skinny necktie and a three-pack of tie clips to hold it all together, dressing to the nines doesn't have to cost a small fortune. Even the most fashion-forward person on your holiday shopping list will love receiving a couple of new accessories to freshen their look.
31. For the one who loves makeup: Milani Highly Rated Volume Mascara
You don't have to spend too much to give your recipient the gift of great lashes. The Milani Highly Rated Volume Mascara costs less than $10 and is the best drugstore mascara we've ever tested. It gives incredible length and volume for a fraction of the cost of high-end brands.
Get the Milani Highly Rated 10-in-1 Volume Mascara at Amazon for $8.97
32. For the kids who love tattoos: Melissa & Doug metallic temporary tattoos
Looking for a fun stocking stuffer? Temporary tattoos will always be a treat for kids and silly adults alike, and they make great small gifts or stocking stuffers. This set comes with 50 temporary tattoos featuring popular superheroes like Marvel Avenger characters. Don't worry, these tattoos come off (relatively) easy.
Get the Melissa & Doug Metallic Temporary Tattoos on Amazon for $9.25 (Save 5% with on-page coupon)
33. For the person who has too much hair: The Invisibobble hair tie
Straight, curly, thin, or thick—the Invisibobble hair tie is ideal for all hair types, making it an ideal stocking stuffer for anyone on your holiday shopping list who's rocking long hair. The coiled hair ties are waterproof, won't break or damage most hair types, and, most importantly, don't leave a crease behind like other hair ties might.
Get the Invisibobble (3-pack) at Amazon for $4.99
34. For the one with a cast iron skillet: Lodge Pan Scraper
Cleaning a cast iron skillet can be tricky. You don't want to wash off the seasoning that makes cooking with cast iron so great, but you also don't want to leave food crusted on the pan. That's where these pan scrapers from Lodge come in. The polycarbonate scrapers easily remove gunk with out leaving any scratches behind, which is why reviewers love them and your cast iron lover will, too.
Get the Lodge Pan Scraper, 2-Pack on Amazon for $2.99
34. For your best friend: A pair of matching Lucky Fortune bracelets
Whether you want to show some love to your best friend or are shopping for the tween in your life, these matching bracelets make for a budget-friendly gift. These fun and colorful bracelets are hidden inside of two fortune cookies, along with a propitious paper fortune.
Get the WowWee Lucky Fortune Blind Collectible Bracelets at Amazon for $5.85
35. For the one who does their nails at home: Wearable nail polish bottle holder
Painting your nails is all fun and games until you end up with a glob of it on your bedspread. Not great. If your giftee loves painting their nails, toss this innovative wearable nail polish holder in their stocking. It's essentially worn like a ring to keep the bottle in close reach. More than 6,500 Amazon reviewers swear by it and say it's especially useful when they attempt to paint their nails on the couch or their beds.
Get the Tweexy Wearable Nail Polish Bottle Holder at Amazon for $9.99
36. For the person who's obsessed with skincare: Mario Badescu Facial Spray
Mario Badescu's facial spray is a cult-favorite amongst skincare fanatics. The 4-ounce hydrating mist is formulated from aloe, herbs, and rosewater. All it takes is a few spritzes to leave your friend, relative, or coworker's skin feeling refreshed.
Get Mario Badescu Facial Spray (4 oz.) at Ulta for $7
37. For the one who loves eggs: Le Creuset Egg Cup
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and if your recipient prefers to start their day with eggs (particularly, soft boiled eggs), then they can eat it in style with this egg cup from Le Crueset. Yes, it's possible to get something from Le Creuset for under $10. Reviewers say they're high quality and a simple way to elevate breakfast.
Get the Le Creuset Stoneware Egg Cup at Le Creuset for $10
38. For the phone-obsessed one: PopSockets
PopSockets have been popular for a couple of years now—and they serve two great purposes. PopSockets offer an extra grip on the back of your phone, so you don’t drop it when FaceTiming or taking a picture. Additionally, the small plastic doo-dads also serve as a great stand for lazy video viewing. Offered in a variety of different designs and styles, PopSockets are easy, stylish, and practical gifts to give anyone.
Get a PopGrip at PopSocket for $10
39. For the one who loves sushi: Sushi Making Kit
Your recipient already orders sushi on a weekly basis, so they might have some fun attempting to make it for themselves. Reviewers love this inexpensive sushi making kit because it has everything they need to make and eat sushi (including chopsticks!) and that it's super easy to use. It may take some trial and error, but your giftee will just have to roll with it.
Get the Sushi Making Kit at Amazon for $9.99
40. For the stylish one: Wet n Wild lipstick
At Reviewed, we tested the best liquid lipsticks, and despite its low price, Wet n Wild was our No. 1 pick by a large margin. It stayed on the longest, was easy to wash off, and didn’t leave marks anywhere. So for cheap, stylish, and strong lipstick that’s perfect for a gift, look no further.
Get Wet n Wild Liquid Lipstick at Amazon for $3.69
41. For the one who loves happy little trees: Bob Ross painting set
Bob Ross is iconic for his soothing voice and incredible (and fast) paintings, and now you can recreate some of his magic with this Bob Ross by the Numbers painting set. It includes a 32-page book with painting tips from Ross himself, three pre-painted canvases with numbered sections, brushes, paint and everything else you need to start.
Get the Bob Ross by the Numbers from Amazon for $5.29
42. For the person who has too many cords: A pack of cable clip organizers
Between laptop chargers, phone cords, and other electronic cables, it's easy for things to get twisted. This six-pack of cable organizers will keep your coworker's cords in order. The peel-and-stick wire holders can be used for TVs, computers, cell phones, or even in the car to keep everything tangle-free.
Get the Cable Clips Organizer (6-pack) at Amazon for $6.96
43. For the one who needs some pampering: Dove Exfoliating Body Polish Scrub
We could all use a little more pampering in 2021. One easy and inexpensive way to gift your recipient some is with this cult-favorite body polish cream from Dove. With nearly 17,900 reviews and a 4.5-star rating on Amazon, people are obsessed with this product because it help brighten and restore dull and dry skin.
Get the Dove Exfoliating Body Polish Scrub at Amazon for $6.47
44. For the one who lives for the 90s: Velvet scrunchies
In case you weren't aware, scrunchies have made a major comeback recently, making them a great stocking stuffer. These velvet ones are super soft and come in a variety of colors that would look great on your giftee's head or just hanging on their wrist.
Get the Kitsch Velvet Scrunchies at Amazon for $5.97
45. For the one who loves a good bath: Fairy Bath Bomb
You don't have to pay for a trip to the spa to experience a luxury bath. With one of the best bath bombs, the Da Bomb Bath Fairy Bomb, you can give the gift of some bath time fun as this beauty treat will turn the water pretty pink and blues. There's even a surprise trinket inside to spread a little extra holiday cheer.
Get Da Bomb Fairy Bath Bomb on Amazon for $7.50
The product experts at Reviewed have all your shopping needs covered. Follow Reviewed on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok or Flipboard for the latest deals, product reviews and more.
Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.


usatoday--2020-12-15--Hailed as heroes, hospital workers for years have been bitten, hit, kicked. And ignored.

Editor 's note : This story contains content that may be disturbing to some readers .
The 24-year-old nurse at Froedtert Hospital sensed no reason to worry when she went into a patient ’ s room one morning in August .
Staff was preparing the young man for discharge and a co-worker had asked her if she would take his vitals .
She did what she was taught at Edgewood College in Madison : She asked him to sit on the bed .
But instead of complying , the 29-year-old man , tall and fit , shoved her against the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there , she said , he grabbed her genitals .
When a co-worker came into the room , the man stepped back , and she was able to flee .
The attack itself was traumatic , she said , and the hospital 's response only made it worse .
For example , she said , one supervisor 's attitude was : `` I 'm sorry that happened .
Let 's just get the guy out of here . ''
`` It invalidates my experience and tells me it ’ s not a big @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Milwaukee Journal Sentinel , part of the USA TODAY Network , which does not publish the names of sexual assault victims without their permission .
The young nurse decided to call for hospital security .
First , Froedtert ’ s security team came , then deputies from the Milwaukee County Sheriff 's Department — all men .
“ It was so embarrassing , ” she said .
“ I was asked three times if I consented — while I was sobbing.
” Officers took the report and told her a warrant would be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The nurse took several days off work .
When she returned , she approached supervisors and managers , expecting to hear how they intended to protect her and other employees from another assault .
“ I said , ‘ So what ’ s the plan ?
’ Nobody had a plan.
” There was nothing in the man ’ s chart alerting nurses to his violent history and no protocol requiring a team of two or more to be in his room , she said .
And nothing would prevent her from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ show up in her unit again .
“ I didn ’ t feel like anyone took any responsibility , ” she said .
“ I was the victim , but nobody was fighting for me.
” The nurse said she learned that earlier in the morning on the day of the attack , the patient had triggered a `` code orange , '' meaning he was causing a serious behavioral disturbance .
It was hard for her to imagine that nobody had warned her .
After nearly a month of pleading , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hospital administrators began to take her case more seriously , she said .
They told her they planned to put in additional cameras , increase security patrols on the unit and provide employees with alarms to hang around their necks .
But it would take some time , they told her .
It would have to be worked into the budget .
Anxiety in the wake of the assault overwhelmed her .
“ I had to quit my job because I couldn ’ t stop crying during my shift , ” she said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 4 or 5 a.m. when I had to work at 7 because I was so anxious.
” The man is expected to be charged with fourth-degree sexual assault after he completes psychiatric treatment required in another case , according to the Milwaukee County District Attorney 's Office .
Records show he was charged in a carjacking a couple of weeks after the incident involving the nurse .
Froedtert officials told the Journal Sentinel in an email that they acted swiftly when they learned about what had happened .
“ Upon learning of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and immediately contacted law enforcement , ” spokesman Stephen Schooff wrote .
He said the hospital worked to address the nurse 's concerns but would not say what specific changes were made in the wake of the incident and the Journal Sentinel 's inquiries .
`` We have worked hard over the past few months to enhance existing security measures , '' Schooff said , `` and to implement additional ones . ''
And hospital officials did something else .
They attempted to keep the nurse ’ s story from being told publicly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ employee and she confirmed to us that you do not have consent to share the details about the incident in question and she does not want details about the incident shared within your story , ” he wrote in the email .
“ Please confirm that you are adhering to that guidance.
” The nurse agreed to multiple interviews with the Journal Sentinel and consented in writing to her story being published .
When told of Schooff ’ s email , the nurse called it a “ mischaracterization ” of her position .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ been a quiet , growing epidemic .
While hospitals have hailed nurses and other medical staff as heroes of the pandemic , for decades they have left them vulnerable to abuse and assaults .
Health care workers are at five times greater risk of being injured by violence than employees in any other private sector industry , according to the most recent data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics .
And the violence is growing .
Since 2011 , hospitals have seen roughly a 60 % increase in the rate of attacks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ department numbers show .
Yet as hospitals reap record profits — many sitting on billions in cash reserves and spending proceeds on acquisitions and expansions — facilities across the country have failed to adequately address the violence plaguing the industry ’ s employees , an investigation by the Journal Sentinel has found .
Based on interviews with dozens of health care workers and security experts as well as incident reports , data from government agencies , and other documents and research , the reporting found : • Hospitals commonly skimp on security equipment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their public image , downplaying crimes and fostering a culture of silence when it comes to reporting assaults .
Nurses and others in health care told the Journal Sentinel they work in hospitals that don ’ t prepare for violence , discourage staff from pressing criminal charges and often shift blame to nurses when their patients become aggressive .
• Hospitals are rarely required to disclose how much they spend on security .
An analysis of hospital financial statements in California — the only state that mandates health systems submit security spending data @ @ @ @ @ @ @ less than 0.5 % of their total expenses on security .
Over the past five years , this figure has remained steady even as concern around workplace violence has grown .
• Even prior to the pandemic , some hospitals have regularly run short-staffed to save money — a practice , studies show , that leads to increased violence .
And many facilities have failed to implement basic and inexpensive safeguards , such as installing metal detectors and placing warnings in violent patients ' medical charts to protect employees , roughly 80 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , like teachers and other front-line workers , see their job as a calling , '' said Emily Twarog , a professor from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign who has studied workplace violence against nurses .
`` The top-level management , the folks who are deciding what the budget is going to look like , knows that .
They know that nurses are going to keep showing up.
” In August , the Journal Sentinel exposed how U.S. hospitals often fail to protect employees from violence specifically in parking garages by not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up patrols during round-the-clock shifts .
The investigation also found that the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration has done little to address the problem and that there is no federal requirement for hospitals to have workplace violence prevention plans .
Longtime Houston nurse Bridgette Jenkins said she has been punched , grabbed and called the N-word by patients .
Jenkins , a nursing professor , tells her first-year nursing students about the violence they will face .
`` They are floored , '' she said .
`` They say , ‘ Are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ places are as dangerous for health care workers as hospital emergency rooms .
Open all hours of the day and night to people who are often victims of violence or violently ill , ERs fill with patients and their families who frequently unleash their frustration and aggression on the very people trying to help them .
In a Journal Sentinel analysis of California hospitals , 28 % of all reported workplace violence incidents occurred in emergency rooms , according to data from July 1 , 2017 , to Jan. 1 , 2020 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that occurred in the privacy of patients ’ rooms .
Half of emergency room physicians say their hospitals need to do more to protect them , a 2018 study by the American College of Emergency Physicians shows .
Jesse Telford , an emergency room charge nurse at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital in Plymouth , Massachusetts , said he and co-workers are verbally or physically assaulted five or six times per shift .
In the last fours months alone , Telford , a 42-year-old father of two , said he was seriously injured by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was trying to help an ambulance crew restrain a patient who was high on PCP and kicking the medical team .
Telford ’ s arm got twisted and jammed in the side rail of the patient ’ s stretcher , tearing a muscle .
He took several weeks off work to heal , but trying to keep up with his bills on reduced pay from workers ' compensation was tough .
So he went back before he felt fully recovered .
He was supervising the ER on Oct. 12 when Michael Carlson came @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by a police officer .
Telford didn ’ t know Carlson ’ s criminal background .
He didn ’ t know that the previous day , according to police reports , Carlson bragged on social media that he had punched his elderly father in the face and beaten the family ’ s German shepherd .
Or that , according to the reports , he cut off his court-ordered GPS monitoring device and had been hiding from law enforcement in the woods .
Telford didn ’ t know that Carlson , 27 , had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of attempted murder or that fewer than 24 hours earlier police had launched a massive manhunt to find him .
Helicopters , K-9 units and local police departments were involved .
So when another nurse came over to tell him that Carlson was being belligerent to staff and disrupting the crowded emergency room , Telford went over and told him matter-of-factly that if he didn ’ t quiet down he would have to leave .
Carlson — wearing handcuffs on just one wrist — jumped up and began punching and spitting at Telford @ @ @ @ @ @ @ handcuff into Telford ’ s head .
Then Carlson picked up a metal chair and began swinging it at Telford and the officer , according to Telford and police reports .
One of the blows from the chair hit the officer square in the face .
“ I got wicked scared , ” Telford said .
“ The police officer is leaning against the wall and he ’ s bleeding from his mouth , his eyes are rolling back in his head .
There are patients all around us screaming and crying .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to get this cop ’ s gun and shoot up this place and my kids aren ’ t going to have a dad.
” Beth Israel Deaconess did not have police officers stationed in the ER , and the hospital ’ s security guards were in another part of the hospital , Telford said .
“ Security finally showed up and stood there and said , ‘ Hey , hey , hey , stop !
’ I ’ m like , ‘ Can you see I ’ m actively , physically engaged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re beyond ‘ Hey , ’ ” Telford said .
“ I had to say , ‘ Grab him !
’ ” Before they were able to restrain him , Carlson sunk his teeth into Telford 's back .
Telford said the hospital often hires security officers who are older and not physically fit for a job that sometimes requires significant strength .
And the hospital doesn ’ t provide them with tools to help control the violence .
“ They don ’ t have pepper spray or Tasers , ” he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go hands-on .
They don ’ t want to get hurt.
” Telford said he , too , was reluctant to try to restrain the patient as his arm was still sore from the previous injury .
“ I ’ m a nurse , ” he said .
“ This isn ’ t what I do.
” But as a 6-foot-2 , 220-pound former high-school wrestler , he said he felt responsible .
Telford said hospitals , as well as state and federal legislators and agencies , need to take action .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time , ” he said .
“ I don ’ t know how they get away with not doing anything about it to keep us safe.
” Representatives of Beth Israel Deaconess would not answer specific questions from the Journal Sentinel .
A spokeswoman said in an emailed statement that the hospital has since contracted with local police to have an officer stationed in the emergency department in the evening hours and that they are developing “ action plans , as necessary , to prevent future workplace violence.
” Carlson has been charged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the police officer and Telford .
Nurse Jessica Rosing managed to help bring change to the sprawling Advocate Aurora Health system — at a great personal cost .
In March 2016 , Rosing was working in an intensive care unit at Aurora St. Luke ’ s Medical Center .
One of her patients had end-stage kidney failure and had suffered a heart attack in the hospital .
Yet he wanted to go home .
The man , 37 , had been agitated all day .
Rosing called a doctor who told her to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trouble , Rosing called for help from other nurses and hospital security .
Before they arrived , the patient got out of bed and began walking toward the door , still attached to a heart monitor , IV and other machines , Rosing said .
At 6 feet and 240 pounds , the patient overpowered the 5-foot-5-inch Rosing , grabbing her arm and pulling her close to his face .
He then took the syringe from Rosing ’ s hand and threatened her with it , according to a police report .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in his left hand , stating that he would stab her with it and saying that ’ s how people get hurt in prison , ” the report said .
Holding the syringe close to her neck , the patient yanked Rosing by the arm across the room .
Two hospital security officers quickly arrived , but , according to Rosing , they said they were not allowed to touch the patient and refused to go into the room .
“ Why are you even here when you say you can ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thinking .
She said she was later told security should have helped her .
Milwaukee police were called .
When officers arrived , Rosing was in the hallway , freed by the patient .
“ They were checked out , annoyed and not seeing this as a real call , ” Rosing said of the police officers .
Rosing thought the patient would be arrested for battery .
Instead , police gave him a ticket for disorderly conduct and escorted him out .
Rosing went to the emergency room to have her right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her rotator cuff , Rosing 's medical records show .
An MRI later confirmed the damage .
Back at work , Rosing feared her attacker would return without warning .
She was assured that would n't happen , but it did .
According to Rosing , a few weeks after the attack , she and other ICU nurses were gathered for the daily morning meeting .
As the night shift charge nurse read the list of patients , Rosing heard the name of the man who attacked her .
She dropped her travel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the room and confirmed it was the same man .
She demanded to be reassigned .
Determined to reform the system , Rosing soon joined a committee looking at safety across all Aurora facilities .
One of the changes was to create a system to warn nurses and others about returning violent patients .
Now , when a nurse opens a patient 's electronic health record , a warning appears — a safeguard recommended by federal regulators .
A spokeswoman for what is now known as Advocate Aurora Health would not comment on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ experience but said worker safety is a priority .
`` All our hospitals have a Workplace Violence Prevention Team that reviews incidents of violence against our team members , identifies ways to prevent those incidents , and fosters education to help keep our team members safe , '' Mary Beth Kingston , Advocate Aurora 's chief nursing officer , said in a statement .
Rosing had surgery on her shoulder and went to rehabilitation for months , but she said her shoulder only got marginally better .
Her doctors said she would have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She took a desk job at St. Luke 's .
Two years ago , Rosing decided to leave Advocate Aurora .
The final frustration , she said , was when she was chastised for discussing an attack on a nurse at a meeting of the safety committee .
She said she was told she should have brought it up to her supervisor .
Lisa Mader , who worked with Rosing prior to the attack , said the assault robbed patients of the excellent care Rosing provided .
“ She was great at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a nurse anesthetist at a hospital in Wilmington , North Carolina .
“ She still is one of the sharpest nurses I have ever worked with.
” Rosing , 31 , works as a quality improvement manager for the American Heart Association in Salt Lake City , where she lives with her husband , Rob .
She thinks of the attack daily .
“ I worked really hard to become a nurse , and I really loved what I did and that was taken away from me prematurely , '' she said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still be a bedside nurse.
” Follow Milwaukee reporters Raquel Rutledge , Daphne Chen and John Diedrich on Twitter : @ RaquelRutledge , @ DaphneChen_ and @ john_diedrich .

Raquel Rutledge, Daphne Chen and John Diedrich, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

A nurse at Froedtert Hospital in Milwaukee says administrators treated an attack on her like "it's not a big deal." Mike De Sisti and Jim Nelson/USA TODAY NETWORK
Editor's note: This story contains content that may be disturbing to some readers.
A 24-year-old nurse at Froedtert Hospital in Milwaukee sensed no reason to worry when she went into a patient’s room one morning in August. Staff prepared the young man for discharge, and a co-worker asked her to take his vitals.
She did what she was taught at Edgewood College in Madison, Wisconsin: She asked him to sit on the bed. Instead of complying, she said, the 29-year-old man shoved her against the wall, pinned her there and grabbed her genitals.
When a co-worker came into the room, the man stepped back, and she was able to flee.
The attack was traumatic, she said, and the hospital's response made it worse.
She said one supervisor's attitude was: "I'm sorry that happened. Let's just get the guy out of here."
"It invalidates my experience and tells me it’s not a big deal,” the woman told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, part of the USA TODAY Network, which does not publish the names of sexual assault victims without their permission.
The nurse called for hospital security. Froedtert’s security team came, then deputies from the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Department – all men. “It was so embarrassing,” she said. “I was asked three times if I consented – while I was sobbing.”
Officers took the report and told her a warrant would be issued for the man's arrest, she said.
The nurse took several days off work. When she returned, she approached supervisors and managers, expecting to hear how they intended to protect her and other employees from another assault.
“I said, ‘So what’s the plan?’ Nobody had a plan.”
There was nothing in the man’s chart alerting nurses to a history of violence and no protocol requiring a team of two or more to be in his room, she said. Nothing would prevent her from having to care for him should he show up in her unit again.
“I didn’t feel like anyone took any responsibility,” she said. “I was the victim, but nobody was fighting for me.”
The nurse said she learned that earlier on the day of the attack, the patient had triggered a "code orange," meaning he caused a serious behavioral disturbance. It was hard for her to imagine that nobody had warned her.
After nearly a month of pleading, and an inquiry from the Journal Sentinel, hospital administrators began to take her case more seriously, she said. They told her they planned to put in additional cameras, increase security patrols on the unit and provide employees with alarms to hang around their necks. It would take time, they told her. It would have to be worked into the budget.
Anxiety in the wake of the assault overwhelmed her.
“I had to quit my job because I couldn’t stop crying during my shift,” she said. “I would be up till 4 or 5 a.m. when I had to work at 7 because I was so anxious.”
The man is likely to be charged with fourth-degree sexual assault after he completes psychiatric treatment required in another case, according to the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office. Records show he was charged in a carjacking a couple of weeks after the incident involving the nurse.
Nurse formerly at Froedtert I had to quit my job because I couldn’t stop crying during my shift. I would be up till 4 or 5 a.m. when I had to work at 7 because I was so anxious. Quote icon
A Froedtert spokesman told the Journal Sentinel in an email that hospital officials acted swiftly when they learned what happened.
“Upon learning of the incident we immediately engaged with the employee and immediately contacted law enforcement,” Stephen Schooff wrote.
He said the hospital worked to address the nurse's concerns, but he wouldn't say what specific changes were made in the wake of the incident and the Journal Sentinel's inquiries.
"We have worked hard over the past few months to enhance existing security measures," Schooff said, "and to implement additional ones."
Hospital officials also attempted to keep the nurse’s story from being told publicly.
“We have talked with the employee and she confirmed to us that you do not have consent to share the details about the incident in question and she does not want details about the incident shared within your story,” he wrote in the email. “Please confirm that you are adhering to that guidance.”
The nurse agreed to multiple interviews with the Journal Sentinel and consented in writing to her story being published.
When told of Schooff’s email, the nurse called it a “mischaracterization” of her position.
A growing epidemic of violence
Across the nation, hospital violence has been a quiet, growing epidemic. Though hospitals hail nurses and other medical staff as heroes of the pandemic, employees have been vulnerable to abuse and assaults for decades.
Health care workers are at five times greater risk of being injured by violence than employees in any other private sector industry, according to the most recent data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
And the violence is growing. Since 2011, hospitals have seen an increase of about 60% in the rate of attacks reported against health care workers, labor department numbers show.
Emily Twarog, a labor professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, says hospitals need to do more to stop violence against health care workers. UI News Bureau
As hospitals reap record profits – many sitting on billions in cash reserves and spending proceeds on acquisitions and expansions – facilities have failed to adequately address the violence plaguing the industry’s employees, an investigation by the Journal Sentinel found.
According to interviews with dozens of health care workers and security experts, as well as incident reports, data from government agencies and other documents and research:
Hospitals skimp on security equipment and personnel and are highly protective of their public image, downplaying crimes and fostering a culture of silence when it comes to reporting assaults. Nurses and others in health care told the Journal Sentinel they work in hospitals that don’t prepare for violence, discourage staff from pressing criminal charges and often shift blame to nurses when their patients become aggressive.
Hospitals are rarely required to disclose how much they spend on security. An analysis of hospital financial statements in California – the only state that mandates health systems submit security spending data every year – shows that hospitals spend less than 0.5% of their total expenses on security. Over the past five years, this figure has remained steady even as concern around workplace violence has grown.
Some hospitals regularly run short-staffed to save money – a practice, studies show, that leads to increased violence. Many facilities failed to implement basic and inexpensive safeguards, such as installing metal detectors and placing warnings in violent patients' medical charts to protect employees, about 80% of whom are women.
“Nurses, like teachers and other front-line workers, see their job as a calling," said Emily Twarog, a professor from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign who has studied workplace violence against nurses. "The top-level management, the folks who are deciding what the budget is going to look like, knows that. They know that nurses are going to keep showing up.”
Bridgette Jenkins, a nurse and professor of nursing in Houston, has specialized in women's health for more than 20 years. Lennz Photography
In August, the Journal Sentinel exposed how U.S. hospitals often fail to protect employees from violence in parking garages by not monitoring cameras, improving lighting or beefing up patrols during round-the-clock shifts. The investigation found that the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration has done little to address the problem and that there is no federal requirement for hospitals to have workplace violence prevention plans.
Longtime Houston nurse Bridgette Jenkins said she has been punched, grabbed and called the N-word by patients. Jenkins, a nursing professor, tells her first-year nursing students about the violence they will face.
"They are floored," she said. "They say, ‘Are you kidding me?’”
‘I got wicked scared’
Few places are as dangerous for health care workers as hospital emergency rooms.
Open all hours of the day and night to people who are often victims of violence or violently ill, ERs fill with patients and their families who frequently unleash their frustration and aggression on the people trying to help them.
In a Journal Sentinel analysis of California hospitals, 28% of all reported workplace violence incidents occurred in emergency rooms, according to data from July 1, 2017, to Jan. 1, 2020. That figure is second only to attacks that occurred in the privacy of patients’ rooms.
Half of emergency room physicians said their hospitals need to do more to protect them, according to a study in 2018 by the American College of Emergency Physicians.
Jesse Telford, an emergency room charge nurse at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital in Plymouth, Mass., says he and co-workers are verbally or physically assaulted five or six times per shift. Jesse Telford
Jesse Telford, an emergency room charge nurse at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital in Plymouth, Massachusetts, said he and co-workers are verbally or physically assaulted five or six times per shift.
Telford, 42, a father of two, said he was seriously injured by patients twice in the past four months.
In August, Telford tried to help an ambulance crew restrain a patient who was high on PCP and kicking the medical team. Telford’s arm got twisted and jammed in the side rail of the patient’s stretcher, tearing a muscle.
He took several weeks off work to heal, but trying to keep up with his bills on reduced pay from workers' compensation was tough. He went back before he felt fully recovered.
'I’m a nurse. This isn’t what I do.' ER nurse Jesse Telford recounts the day of a chaotic attack at a hospital. Bill Schulz, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
He was supervising the ER on Oct. 12 when Michael Carlson – escorted by a police officer – came in with a wounded hand.
Telford didn’t know Carlson’s criminal background: The previous day, according to police reports, Carlson bragged on social media that he had punched his elderly father in the face and beaten the family’s German shepherd. According to the reports, he cut off his court-ordered GPS monitoring device and hid from law enforcement in the woods.
Telford didn’t know that Carlson, 27, had been indicted on charges of rape and attempted murder or that less than 24 hours earlier, police had launched a massive manhunt to find him. Helicopters, K-9 units and multiple departments were involved.
When another nurse told him Carlson was being belligerent to staff and disrupting the crowded emergency room, Telford told Carlson that if he didn’t quiet down, he would have to leave.
Carlson – handcuffed by one wrist – allegedly jumped up and began punching and spitting at Telford and the officer, slamming the dangling handcuff into Telford’s head. Carlson picked up a metal chair and swung it at Telford and the officer, hitting the officer square in the face, according to Telford and police reports.
“I got wicked scared,” Telford said. “The police officer is leaning against the wall, and he’s bleeding from his mouth, his eyes are rolling back in his head. There are patients all around us screaming and crying. ... I immediately thought this guy is going to get this cop’s gun and shoot up this place, and my kids aren’t going to have a dad.”
Beth Israel Deaconess did not have police officers stationed in the ER, and the hospital’s security guards were in another part of the hospital, Telford said.
“Security finally showed up and stood there and said, ‘Hey, hey, hey, stop!’ I’m like, ‘Can you see I’m actively, physically engaged in fighting this guy? We’re beyond “Hey,”’” Telford said. “I had to say, ‘Grab him!’”
Before they were able to restrain Carlson, Telford said, he had sunk his teeth into Telford's back.
Jesse Telford, an emergency room charge nurse at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital in Plymouth, Mass., says he was bitten in the back. Jesse Telford
Telford said the hospital often hires security officers who are older and not physically fit for a job that sometimes requires significant strength. The hospital doesn’t provide them with tools to help control the violence, he said.
“They don’t have pepper spray or Tasers,” he said. “They’re reluctant to go hands-on. They don’t want to get hurt.”
Telford said he, too, was reluctant to try to restrain the patient as his arm was still sore from the previous injury.
“I’m a nurse,” he said. “This isn’t what I do.”
But as a 6-foot-2, 220-pound former high school wrestler, he said he felt he had to take action.
Telford said hospitals, as well as state and federal legislators and agencies, need to do something to prevent the violence.
“It’s just happening all the time,” he said. “I don’t know how they get away with not doing anything about it to keep us safe.”
Representatives of Beth Israel Deaconess would not answer specific questions from the Journal Sentinel. A spokeswoman said in an emailed statement that the hospital has since contracted with police to have an officer stationed in the emergency department in the evening hours and that it is developing “action plans, as necessary, to prevent future workplace violence.”
Carlson was charged with multiple counts of assault in the attack on the police officer and Telford.
A harrowing attack in ICU
Nurse Jessica Rosing helped bring change to the sprawling Advocate Aurora Health system – at a great personal cost.
In March 2016, Rosing was working in an intensive care unit at Aurora St. Luke’s Medical Center in Milwaukee. One of her patients had end-stage kidney failure and suffered a heart attack in the hospital. Yet he wanted to go home.
The man, 37, had been agitated all day. Rosing called a doctor who told her to give the patient a sedative.
Expecting trouble, Rosing called for help from other nurses and hospital security. Before they arrived, the patient got out of bed and headed toward the door, still attached to a heart monitor, IV and other machines, Rosing said.
At 6 feet and 240 pounds, the patient overpowered the 5-foot-5-inch Rosing, grabbing her arm and pulling her close to his face. He took a syringe from Rosing’s hand and threatened her with it, according to a police report.
“(The patient) held the syringe in his left hand, stating that he would stab her with it and saying that’s how people get hurt in prison,” the report said.
Holding the syringe close to her neck, the patient yanked Rosing by the arm across the room.
Two hospital security officers quickly arrived, but, according to Rosing, they said they were not allowed to touch the patient and refused to go into the room.
“Why are you even here when you say you can’t help me?” Rosing recalled thinking. She said she was told later that security should have helped her.
Milwaukee police were called. When officers arrived, Rosing was in the hallway, freed by the patient.
“They were checked out, annoyed and not seeing this as a real call,” Rosing said of the police officers.
Rosing said she thought the patient would be arrested for battery. Instead, police gave him a ticket for disorderly conduct and escorted him out.
Rosing went to the emergency room to have her right shoulder examined. Doctors suspected tears in her rotator cuff, Rosing's medical records show. An MRI confirmed the damage.
Nurse recounts how patient attacked her with syringe Attack sparked Jessica Rosing to push for greater safeguards at Advocate Aurora hospitals in Wisconsin. Bill Schulz, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Back at work, Rosing feared her attacker would return without warning. She was assured that wouldn't happen, but it did.
According to Rosing, a few weeks after the attack, she and other ICU nurses were gathered for the daily morning meeting. As the night shift charge nurse read the list of patients, Rosing heard the name of the man who attacked her.
She dropped her travel coffee mug. She walked over to the room and confirmed it was the same man. She demanded to be reassigned.
Determined to reform the system, Rosing joined a committee looking at safety across all Aurora facilities. One of the changes was to create a system to warn nurses and others about returning violent patients. When a nurse opens a patient's electronic health record, a warning appears – a safeguard recommended by federal regulators.
A spokeswoman for what is now known as Advocate Aurora Health would not comment on Rosing’s attack or her subsequent experience but said worker safety is a priority.
Nurse Jessica Rosing, right, says she was attacked by a patient in March 2016 at St. Luke's Medical Center in Milwaukee. He put a syringe to her neck and yanked her shoulder. Rosing needed surgery and says she had to leave bedside nursing as a result of the assault. Nurse Lisa Mader, left, says patients lost an excellent caregiver. Jessica Rosing
"All our hospitals have a Workplace Violence Prevention Team that reviews incidents of violence against our team members, identifies ways to prevent those incidents, and fosters education to help keep our team members safe," Mary Beth Kingston, Advocate Aurora's chief nursing officer, said in a statement.
Rosing had surgery on her shoulder and went to rehabilitation for months, but she said her shoulder got only marginally better. Her doctors said she would have permanent disability in her right arm. She took a desk job at St. Luke's.
Two years ago, Rosing decided to leave Advocate Aurora. The final frustration, she said, was when she was chastised for discussing an attack on a nurse at a meeting of the safety committee. She said she was told she should have brought it up to her supervisor.
Lisa Mader, who worked with Rosing, said the assault in 2016 robbed patients of the excellent care Rosing provided.
“She was great at the bedside,” said Mader, a nurse anesthetist at a hospital in Wilmington, North Carolina. “She still is one of the sharpest nurses I have ever worked with.”
Rosing, 31, works as a quality improvement manager for the American Heart Association in Salt Lake City, where she lives with her husband, Rob. She said she thinks of the attack daily.
“I worked really hard to become a nurse, and I really loved what I did, and that was taken away from me prematurely," she said. "I would do anything to still be a bedside nurse.”
Follow Milwaukee reporters Raquel Rutledge, Daphne Chen and John Diedrich on Twitter: @RaquelRutledge, @DaphneChen_ and @john_diedrich.


usatoday--2020-12-15--Orlando police and firefighters save family trapped in their car that landed in a pond

Orlando police and firefighters save family trapped in their car that landed in a pond The Orlando Police Department and @ @ @ @ @ a family of three trapped in their car after it landed in a pond upside @ @

Orlando police and firefighters save family trapped in their car
The Orlando Police Department and firefighters worked together to save a family of three trapped in their car after it landed in a pond upside down.
USA TODAY, Storyful


usatoday--2020-12-15--How to host a virtual Secret Santa exchange

The CDC is advising people to celebrate the holidays virtually this year to limit the spread of COVID-19 .
Here @ @ @ @ @ virtual gift exchange .

Coronavirus safety: How to host a virtual Secret Santa
The CDC is advising people to celebrate the holidays virtually this year to limit the spread of COVID-19. Here's how to host a virtual gift exchange.
USA TODAY


usatoday--2020-12-16--Pete Buttigieg expected to be President-elect Biden's pick for transportation secretary

Pete Buttigieg expected to be President-elect Biden 's pick for transportation secretary The Transportation Department will have a central role @ @ @ @ @ Biden ’ s infrastructure plans .

Pete Buttigieg to be Biden's pick for transportation secretary
The Transportation Department will have a central role in shaping and carrying out Biden’s infrastructure plans.
USA TODAY


usatoday--2020-12-15--Activists travel to Wilmington to urge Biden to be more aggressive on immigration reform

WILMINGTON , Delaware — A group of about 75 activists from neighboring states traveled Tuesday to Wilmington 's Rodney Square , urging President-elect Joe Biden to make immigration reform part of his 100-day agenda .
Just before 1 p.m. , two dozen or so cars associated with organizations including Make the Road Action and CASA in Action began honking their horns in downtown Wilmington .
Cars circled around Rodney Square and backed up traffic on Market Street .
NEW : Delaware gets first COVID-19 vaccines , will administer to hospital workers within 24 hours Around the same time , Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Atlanta , where he was scheduled to campaign for the Democratic candidates for the U.S. Senate races .
During the campaign , Biden vowed to reverse many of President Donald Trump 's controversial immigration policies .
The activists in Wilmington on Tuesday called for Biden to do more than this , saying turnout among Black and Latino voters helped give him his victory .
The activists also called for criminal justice reform and for Biden to cancel Puerto Rico 's debt , which is more than $ 70 million .
In a speech @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ change the course ” of the coronavirus during his first 100 days in office , which includes creating a mask mandate , providing 100 million vaccinations and getting children back in schools .
Contact Meredith Newman at ( 302 ) 324-2386 or at mnewman @ delawareonline.com .
Follow her on Twitter at @ MereNewman .

Activists travel to Wilmington to urge Biden to be more aggressive on immigration reform
Show Caption Hide Caption Bayhealth nurse becomes first Delawarean to receive COVID-19 vaccine Elisabeth Cote, a progressive care unit nurse at Bayhealth Hospital's Kent Campus, became the first Delawarean to receive a COVID-19 vaccine Tuesday morning. State of Delaware pool reports, USA TODAY Handout
WILMINGTON, Delaware — A group of about 75 activists from neighboring states traveled Tuesday to Wilmington's Rodney Square, urging President-elect Joe Biden to make immigration reform part of his 100-day agenda.
Just before 1 p.m., two dozen or so cars associated with organizations including Make the Road Action and CASA in Action began honking their horns in downtown Wilmington. Cars circled around Rodney Square and backed up traffic on Market Street.
NEW: Delaware gets first COVID-19 vaccines, will administer to hospital workers within 24 hours
Around the same time, Biden traveled from his home in Wilmington to Atlanta, where he was scheduled to campaign for the Democratic candidates for the U.S. Senate races.
During the campaign, Biden vowed to reverse many of President Donald Trump's controversial immigration policies. The activists in Wilmington on Tuesday called for Biden to do more than this, saying turnout among Black and Latino voters helped give him his victory.
The activists also called for criminal justice reform and for Biden to cancel Puerto Rico's debt, which is more than $70 million.
In a speech last week, Biden also pledged to “change the course” of the coronavirus during his first 100 days in office, which includes creating a mask mandate, providing 100 million vaccinations and getting children back in schools.
Contact Meredith Newman at (302) 324-2386 or at mnewman@delawareonline.com. Follow her on Twitter at @MereNewman.


usatoday--2020-12-15--Biden inaugural planners urge Americans to stay home, limit gatherings during ceremony

WASHINGTON – The committee planning President-elect Joe Biden ’ s inauguration urges Americans not to travel to Washington for the festivities but to participate in the celebration virtually .
Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris will be sworn in Jan. 20 in a ceremony on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol that will include vigorous health and safety protocols because of the coronavirus pandemic , the Presidential Inaugural Committee announced Tuesday .
Biden will deliver an address that lays out his vision for beating the virus , building back better and bringing the country together , the committee said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be limited , and the traditional inaugural parade that follows will be reimagined , the committee said .
“ The pandemic is continuing to have a significant public health impact across the nation , ” said David Kessler , a former surgeon general and the committee ’ s chief medical adviser .
“ Americans everywhere must do their part to slow the spread of the virus : Wear masks , stay home and limit gatherings , ” Kessler said .
“ We are asking Americans to participate in inaugural events from home to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and communities.
” 'Time to turn the page ' : Joe Biden says democracy 'proved to be resilient ' after Hawaii casts final ballots in Electoral College Presidential inaugurations typically are attended by hundreds of dignitaries – including former presidents , Supreme Court justices and members of Congress – while hundreds of thousands of spectators spill out across the National Mall to witness the ceremonies .
The crowd at Barack Obama ’ s first inauguration was estimated at a record-shattering 1.8 million .
Biden said he wants people to celebrate his inauguration , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virtually .
Though details have not been announced , planners expect the 59th Inaugural Ceremonies to be smaller than in previous years because of the health risks posed by COVID-19 , which has infected more than 16.5 million Americans and killed more than 300,000 .
The inaugural committee tapped Stephanie Cutter and Ricky Kirshner to serve as the inauguration 's executive producers , and Rod O ’ Connor will serve as senior adviser .
The trio , who have produced Super Bowl halftime shows , the Tony Awards and other presidential inaugurations , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in August , which was transformed from an in-person extravaganza to a largely virtual event .
`` Our goal is to create an inauguration that keeps people safe , honors the grand traditions of the presidency and showcases the Biden-Harris administration ’ s renewed American vision for an inclusive , equitable and unified citizenry , ” said Tony Allen , the inaugural committee ’ s chief executive officer .
Departing presidents traditionally attend their successor 's swearing-in .
But President Donald Trump has refused to concede that he lost the election Nov. 3 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attend Biden 's ceremony .
'Terrific role model ' : Jill Biden responds to Wall Street Journal doubling down on column suggesting she drop 'Dr . '
title

Biden inaugural planners urge Americans to stay home, limit gatherings during ceremony
Show Caption Hide Caption Joe Biden declares 'clear victory,' Sen. Mitch McConnell congratulates him Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell congratulated president-elect Joe Biden on winning the presidency. Staff video, USA TODAY
WASHINGTON – The committee planning President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration urges Americans not to travel to Washington for the festivities but to participate in the celebration virtually.
Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris will be sworn in Jan. 20 in a ceremony on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol that will include vigorous health and safety protocols because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Presidential Inaugural Committee announced Tuesday.
Biden will deliver an address that lays out his vision for beating the virus, building back better and bringing the country together, the committee said.
The ceremony’s footprint will be limited, and the traditional inaugural parade that follows will be reimagined, the committee said.
“The pandemic is continuing to have a significant public health impact across the nation,” said David Kessler, a former surgeon general and the committee’s chief medical adviser.
“Americans everywhere must do their part to slow the spread of the virus: Wear masks, stay home and limit gatherings,” Kessler said. “We are asking Americans to participate in inaugural events from home to protect themselves, their families, friends and communities.”
'Time to turn the page': Joe Biden says democracy 'proved to be resilient' after Hawaii casts final ballots in Electoral College
Presidential inaugurations typically are attended by hundreds of dignitaries – including former presidents, Supreme Court justices and members of Congress – while hundreds of thousands of spectators spill out across the National Mall to witness the ceremonies. The crowd at Barack Obama’s first inauguration was estimated at a record-shattering 1.8 million.
Biden said he wants people to celebrate his inauguration, but many events will probably be held virtually.
Though details have not been announced, planners expect the 59th Inaugural Ceremonies to be smaller than in previous years because of the health risks posed by COVID-19, which has infected more than 16.5 million Americans and killed more than 300,000.
The inaugural committee tapped Stephanie Cutter and Ricky Kirshner to serve as the inauguration's executive producers, and Rod O’Connor will serve as senior adviser. The trio, who have produced Super Bowl halftime shows, the Tony Awards and other presidential inaugurations, helped put together the Democratic National Convention in August, which was transformed from an in-person extravaganza to a largely virtual event.
"Our goal is to create an inauguration that keeps people safe, honors the grand traditions of the presidency and showcases the Biden-Harris administration’s renewed American vision for an inclusive, equitable and unified citizenry,” said Tony Allen, the inaugural committee’s chief executive officer.
Departing presidents traditionally attend their successor's swearing-in. But President Donald Trump has refused to concede that he lost the election Nov. 3 and hasn't said whether he will attend Biden's ceremony.
'Democracy prevailed': Joe Biden passes 270-vote threshold to win Electoral College
'Terrific role model': Jill Biden responds to Wall Street Journal doubling down on column suggesting she drop 'Dr.' title


usatoday--2020-12-15--Sen. Ron Johnson calls election legitimate and acknowledges Biden victory but still plans hearing on

One day after the Electoral College affirmed Democrat Joe Biden ’ s presidential victory , Sen. Ron Johnson , R-Wisc.
, said in an interview that he acknowledged Biden as the president-elect and believed the election was legitimate .
At the same time , Johnson plans to hold a Senate hearing Wednesday on election “ irregularities , ” saying there are “ legitimate questions ” about the way the election was administrated in Wisconsin and other states .
“ All I ’ m trying to do is hold a very upfront , straightforward hearing talking about what controls there are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , what can we do to prevent fraud in the future , ” said Johnson in an interview with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel .
Johnson contended there are unanswered questions about the election process .
But asked if he regarded the election as `` legitimate , '' he said , `` Yes .
I haven ’ t seen anything that would convince me that the results — the overall national result — would be overturned . ''
In that vein , he said he had no plans currently to object next month when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ votes .
`` Something would have to surface that would call into question the legitimacy of the election , '' he said .
After weeks of expressing suspicion , raising questions or simply remaining silent , a growing number of congressional Republicans are acknowledging Biden 's victory now that the Electoral College has voted .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Tuesday for the first time fully acknowledged Biden ’ s victory and offered his congratulations .
“ The Electoral College has spoken , ” said McConnell .
“ So today I want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s devoted himself to public service for many years.
” Trump himself continues to deny he lost and repeats baseless claims about the election .
Committee hearing has been criticized Johnson , chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Committee , has scheduled a Wednesday hearing on election `` irregularities . ''
His witnesses include Ken Starr , the former independent counsel , and three Republicans who have tried to overturn the 2020 election results : attorneys Jim Troupis and Jesse Binnall , and Pennsylvania state lawmaker Francis X. Ryan .
Troupis is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in failed legal challenges to the election results in Wisconsin .
Committee Democrats plan to call as a witness Christopher Krebs , the former Homeland Security official who was fired by Trump after he defended the security of the election .
While Johnson said he did n't question Biden 's victory , he argued `` there is tons of evidence of fraud in every election .
It 's just ignored by the press mainly because generally it does n't rise to the level where it would actually impact the election outcomes . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ had raised legitimate questions about aspects of the election process in Wisconsin , including the practice of allowing clerks to fill in witness addresses and the `` Democracy in the Park '' events in Madison , where poll workers stationed themselves in more than 200 locations to collect absentee ballots .
The Wisconsin Supreme Court rejected on a 4-3 vote Monday these and other challenges by the Trump campaign , finding one of the campaign 's arguments was without merit and its other objections were brought too late .
The top Democrat on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saying he expected Johnson 's hearing to promote `` false narratives that seek to undermine public trust in the outcome of the 2020 election . ''
“ While some officials may frame this hearing as a matter of simply getting to the truth and ensuring every claim of an irregularity is heard and addressed , the real goal of this hearing is to help a defeated presidential candidate in his last-ditch effort to cling to power despite the undeniable fact that the American people have chosen Joe Biden to serve as the next @ @ @ @ @ @ @

Craig Gilbert, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Sen. Ron Johnson calls election legitimate and acknowledges Biden victory but still plans hearing on alleged 'irregularities'
Show Caption Hide Caption President-elect Biden on Electoral College vote: Clear victory President-elect Joe Biden officially secured the presidency after the Electoral College met to give him and Vice President-elect Harris 306 votes. Staff Video, USA TODAY
One day after the Electoral College affirmed Democrat Joe Biden’s presidential victory, Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wisc., said in an interview that he acknowledged Biden as the president-elect and believed the election was legitimate.
At the same time, Johnson plans to hold a Senate hearing Wednesday on election “irregularities,” saying there are “legitimate questions” about the way the election was administrated in Wisconsin and other states.
“All I’m trying to do is hold a very upfront, straightforward hearing talking about what controls there are in place, what fraud does occur, what can we do to prevent fraud in the future,” said Johnson in an interview with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Johnson contended there are unanswered questions about the election process.
But asked if he regarded the election as "legitimate," he said, "Yes. I haven’t seen anything that would convince me that the results — the overall national result — would be overturned."
In that vein, he said he had no plans currently to object next month when Congress meets to tabulate the Electoral College votes.
"Something would have to surface that would call into question the legitimacy of the election," he said.
After weeks of expressing suspicion, raising questions or simply remaining silent, a growing number of congressional Republicans are acknowledging Biden's victory now that the Electoral College has voted.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Tuesday for the first time fully acknowledged Biden’s victory and offered his congratulations.
“The Electoral College has spoken,” said McConnell. “So today I want to congratulate President-elect Biden... He’s devoted himself to public service for many years.”
McConnell also congratulated Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, the California senator.
Trump himself continues to deny he lost and repeats baseless claims about the election.
Committee hearing has been criticized
Johnson, chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, has scheduled a Wednesday hearing on election "irregularities."
His witnesses include Ken Starr, the former independent counsel, and three Republicans who have tried to overturn the 2020 election results: attorneys Jim Troupis and Jesse Binnall, and Pennsylvania state lawmaker Francis X. Ryan.
Troupis is a Wisconsin attorney who represented the Trump campaign in failed legal challenges to the election results in Wisconsin.
Committee Democrats plan to call as a witness Christopher Krebs, the former Homeland Security official who was fired by Trump after he defended the security of the election.
Johnson said he welcomed Krebs' appearance.
While Johnson said he didn't question Biden's victory, he argued "there is tons of evidence of fraud in every election. It's just ignored by the press mainly because generally it doesn't rise to the level where it would actually impact the election outcomes."
Johnson said he believed the Trump campaign had raised legitimate questions about aspects of the election process in Wisconsin, including the practice of allowing clerks to fill in witness addresses and the "Democracy in the Park" events in Madison, where poll workers stationed themselves in more than 200 locations to collect absentee ballots.
The Wisconsin Supreme Court rejected on a 4-3 vote Monday these and other challenges by the Trump campaign, finding one of the campaign's arguments was without merit and its other objections were brought too late.
The top Democrat on Johnson's committee released a statement Tuesday saying he expected Johnson's hearing to promote "false narratives that seek to undermine public trust in the outcome of the 2020 election."
Said Michigan Democrat Gary Peters:
“While some officials may frame this hearing as a matter of simply getting to the truth and ensuring every claim of an irregularity is heard and addressed, the real goal of this hearing is to help a defeated presidential candidate in his last-ditch effort to cling to power despite the undeniable fact that the American people have chosen Joe Biden to serve as the next President of the United States."