alternet--2020-11-26--Sombre Thanksgiving in the US as global virus cases pass 60 million

Washington ( AFP ) - Americans readied for a subdued Thanksgiving holiday Thursday under the pall of a worsening coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ hitting new highs worldwide as infections multiply to surpass more than 60 million.While vaccine breakthroughs @ @ @ @ @ end to the pandemic , much of the world is still facing a gloomy winter @ @ @ @ @ , economic anxiety and the devastating losses of from a disease that is claiming thousands @ @ @ @ @ States , Americans suffered their highest daily death toll in six months on the eve @ @ @

In Memoriam
A sad day descended for many on November 22, 2020, when we lost a beloved, pioneering psychiatrist, Dr. Jerrold Post, as one of the latest casualties to Covid-19.
Dr. Post was a renowned CIA profiler. I first met him in 2007, when he came to speak at Yale and excited me with the concept of applying psychiatry to help with international relations and, in my mind, world peace.
He, like I, received his M.D. from Yale, completed his post-graduate training at Harvard Medical School, and did a fellowship with the National Institute of Mental Health. He then went on a highly unusual trajectory. He spent 21 years at the CIA to become a pioneer of political psychology and founder of the Center for the Analysis of Personality and Political Behavior. He led an interdisciplinary unit composed of clinical and research psychiatrists, social psychologists, sociologists, anthropologists, and political scientists who looked at foreign leaders in their cultural and political context. They then probed the pathologies and personalities of some of the world's most dangerous minds to gauge to what degree they might play out personal conflicts on an international stage.
He played the lead role in developing "the Camp David profiles" of Menachem Begin and Anwar Sadat for President Jimmy Carter in 1978. Using these assessments, the president was able to ready himself for a groundbreaking summit, for which Carter gratefully acknowledged him on multiple occasions. Dr. Post also profiled Slobodan Milosevic, Kim Jong-Il, Osama bin Laden, and Saddam Hussein.
After he left the CIA, he became director of the Political Psychology Program at George Washington University and continued consulting for the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security. He received the Intelligence Medal of Merit in 1979, the Studies in Intelligence Award in 1980, the Nevitt Sanford Award for Distinguished Professional Contributions to Political Psychology in 2002, and at his 50th graduation anniversary, the Distinguished Alumni Service Award by the Association of Yale Alumni in Medicine.
I only got to know Dr. Post closely but intensely in his last years, and these were years that commanded great bravery, innovation, and integrity in the face of dangerous power. We learned from the 2020 election that no factor was trivial in removing the dangers, and Dr. Post's contribution was considerable.
He called me out of the blue in 2017, after I had held a conference at Yale School of Medicine on whether or not we should speak up about Donald Trump. He, too, was very disturbed about the president's dangerous psychology. His generous concern moved me since, in this country, while the CIA may have done profiles regularly for decades, the same is not permitted for the public (the American Psychiatric Association also made clear with the Trump administration that our own leaders are off-limits, no matter the dangers they pose).
Dr. Post was not the only one among a dozen or so well-positioned psychiatrists including chairs of psychiatry departments to contact me after the conference. But he was the only one to risk his stature to take action and to make a difference. Dr. Post and I became friends, he contributed to the second edition of The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump, and he titled his own book, Dangerous Charisma, to match it. He helped me to organize a major multidisciplinary conference at the National Press Club in 2019, bringing together thirteen leading experts from the fields of psychiatry, law, history, political science, economics, social psychology, journalism, nuclear science, and climate science, who spoke of how the president was unfit from each of their perspectives.
As a member of the former Carter commission on presidential capacity for the 25th Amendment, he gave advice on how to form an independent, peer-reviewed panel to perform fitness tests, which we used to conduct one on Donald Trump, only to discover that he failed every criterion of capacity. Dr. Post helped lead a petition to Congress just three weeks before the Qassim Soleimani assassination, predicting such dangers. He emphasized the need to focus not just on the psychology of the leader but on that of the followers, bringing his prodigious mind to helping us understand the wounds that bind leader and follower "like lock and key." Ultimately, he is my inspiration for writingProfile of a Nation: Trump's Mind, America's Soul.
In brief, Dr. Post was a hero and a gift to humanity, speaking up when it was difficult to do so as a former government official. He has inspired countless psychiatrists like myself and has set the standards for what a responsible professional is to do in a time of crisis. We will never forget his humility and generosity in helping to bring attention to the dangerous psychology of a leader. He was there when his country needed him, and we will miss him.


alternet--2020-11-27--Retail workers have a different reason to dread the Black Friday rush this year

While most retail workers managed to escape the pre-Black Friday rush as many United States retailers announcing closures for Thanksgiving Day , they are still dreading Black Friday for more reasons than usual .
However , this year , it has nothing to do with the influx of customers or the onslaught of sales .
Retail workers are reportedly horrified by potentially the worst Black Friday ever due to the coronavirus outbreak , according to The Daily Beast .
A retail worker at one of The Children 's Place store clothing store mall locations in Illinois , who opted to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the potentially dangerous Black Friday rush .
She revealed there is not a way to refuse working even if the concern centers on public safety concerns .
`` We do n't dare even considering refusing to work on Black Friday , '' the worker told the publication .
She noted how workers do not want to run the risk of losing their jobs .
`` We 've already been informed that if we do n't work that day , we are immediately terminated and no amount of contesting it will get our jobs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the risk of losing our jobs when there are simply no more jobs to be had right now with shut downs and stores closing down due to lack of funds . ''
Although many stores have opted to extend Black Friday sales in order to avoid massive rushes on the biggest shopping day of the year , retail workers have revealed the weeks-long Black Friday deals have done very little to diminish the foot traffic .
`` The store traffic has been like Black Friday everyday , '' she told The Daily Beast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day our store reached capacity , so managers were closing doors , and started to count people .
But it should n't get to that point . ''
Black Friday comes as the United States battles a grim uptick in coronavirus cases reporting nearly 200,000 per day for the past week .
As of Black Friday , the country has reported more than 13.2 million coronavirus cases as the death toll approaches 270,000 .

While most retail workers managed to escape the pre-Black Friday rush as many United States retailers announcing closures for Thanksgiving Day, they are still dreading Black Friday for more reasons than usual.
However, this year, it has nothing to do with the influx of customers or the onslaught of sales. Retail workers are reportedly horrified by potentially the worst Black Friday ever due to the coronavirus outbreak, according to The Daily Beast. A retail worker at one of The Children's Place store clothing store mall locations in Illinois, who opted to remain anonymous, shared her concerns about the potentially dangerous Black Friday rush.
She revealed there is not a way to refuse working even if the concern centers on public safety concerns. "We don't dare even considering refusing to work on Black Friday," the worker told the publication.
She noted how workers do not want to run the risk of losing their jobs.
"We've already been informed that if we don't work that day, we are immediately terminated and no amount of contesting it will get our jobs back. We simply can't run the risk of losing our jobs when there are simply no more jobs to be had right now with shut downs and stores closing down due to lack of funds."
Although many stores have opted to extend Black Friday sales in order to avoid massive rushes on the biggest shopping day of the year, retail workers have revealed the weeks-long Black Friday deals have done very little to diminish the foot traffic. "The store traffic has been like Black Friday everyday," she told The Daily Beast.
"Nonstop lines... The other day our store reached capacity, so managers were closing doors, and started to count people. But it shouldn't get to that point."
Black Friday comes as the United States battles a grim uptick in coronavirus cases reporting nearly 200,000 per day for the past week. As of Black Friday, the country has reported more than 13.2 million coronavirus cases as the death toll approaches 270,000.


alternet--2020-11-27--Perdue traded hundreds of thousands worth of bank stocks — while on Senate Banking Committee

David Perdue , one of two multimillionaire Georgia Republican senators facing insider-trading scrutiny ahead of runoff elections in January , traded hundreds of thousands of dollars in bank stock while passing pro-bank legislation on the Senate Banking Committee , financial disclosures show .
Between 2017 and 2020 , while on the committee , Perdue co-sponsored 14 bills that benefited the financial industry , including through deregulation and extended liability protection .
In that time he also accepted more than $ 1 million in political contributions from financial interests , federal filings show .
This spring Perdue , one of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back against allegations of insider trading in advance of the coronavirus , claiming that outside advisers made the calls without his input .
A bombshell New York Times report on Wednesday has made clear that was a lie : This summer , Justice Department investigators found that Perdue had instructed one of his brokers to offload more than $ 1 million in a company after the CEO tipped off the senator in a personal email .
This news comes as Perdue faces a Jan. 5 runoff against Democratic rival Jon Ossoff , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the year .
The runoff , along with Georgia Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler 's runoff election held on the same day — Loeffler faces the Rev .
Raphael Warnock , a Democrat — will determine which party controls the Senate .
The latest stock news also creates a new context for assessing Perdue 's personal involvement in prior trades , such as millions of dollars in transactions while he served on the Banking Committee .
Perdue , one of the wealthiest members of Congress , built his fortune in the style of Mitt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ helps revive brands and reap rewards for investors , '' as the Atlanta Journal-Constitution put it in a review of his business record .
The AJC ruled that his record was `` mixed , '' in part because of a buyout Perdue helped structure as the CEO of Dollar General , which landed him a $ 42 million windfall when he stepped down in 2008 .
The next year , the company had to pay that same amount to settle shareholder claims that Perdue and other execs had shortchanged them in the deal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Senate in 2014 , has invested millions .
A portion of it rests in a Wells Fargo brokerage account and a Georgia holding company called DBP Enterprises , where Perdue has held an ownership stake since 2011 .
That DBP stake comprises 130 assets valued anywhere between $ 12 million and $ 29 million , according to 2018 Senate financial disclosures .
His Wells Fargo account lists 60 assets valued at up to $ 1.2 million .
Disclosures only provide ranges of value , so we can not know precisely how much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , or the extent of his profits .
But the forms do show that between 2017 and 2020 , while he sat on the Banking Committee , Perdue traded at a minimum hundreds of thousands of dollars , possibly millions .
According to the disclosures , Perdue held up to $ 910,000 in bank stocks alone from 2017 to 2019 , through DBP and Wells Fargo .
The shares earned him up to $ 204,000 in capital gains and dividends payouts .
But Perdue does not let his stocks sit idle .
Between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the senator not only sold as much as $ 135,000 in bank stock , but scooped up as much as $ 600,000 .
Over the next two years he cranked up the volume , unloading as much as $ 1,110,000 in banking shares and buying as much as $ 480,000 .
In April of this year , Perdue was swept up in the same insider trading scandal that has also damaged Loeffler , when it was revealed that earlier in the year he had bought and sold shares in several companies that were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The scandal , which included Senate veterans Richard Burr , R-N.C. , and Diane Feinstein , D-Calif. , shook public confidence , raising concerns that elected officials had abused their access to privileged information in order to capitalize personally on the spread of the disease .
The next month , under scrutiny from the public and government investigators , and with the election on the horizon , Perdue pledged to stop trading individual stocks .
In September he announced that the Department of Justice , the Securities and Exchange Commission and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of wrongdoing .
He marked the occasion with a new campaign ad , which accused Ossoff of lying to voters about Perdue 's involvement .
The Times gave the lie to that defense on Wednesday , indicating that Perdue had acted on a personal tip .
The report recalls a moment from an October 2017 hearing , where senators on the Banking Committee grilled Wells Fargo CEO Tim Sloan about the account fraud scandal that had wracked the bank the year before .
The scandal earned the bank a $ 150 million fine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an agency Perdue had sought to defang earlier that same year with a bill that the American Bankers Association called `` an effective check and balance on the Bureau 's authority . ''
Perdue , whose Wells Fargo account at the time held up to $ 1.2 million , teed Sloan up to defend his company , but Sloan , contrite in the face of multiple bareknuckled government investigations , repeatedly declined the exit ramp .
Perdue then let slip a reference to a private conversation , before reluctantly admitting that the decade-long @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 3 billion federal fine — was a `` serious issue . ''
`` I think you would agree , we in a private conversation — there is no way to sugarcoat this as a serious issue , and I appreciate your handling it the way that you are , '' Perdue said .
Over the next three years , Perdue continued to throw softballs to big banks .
As he was slinging stock , he cosponsored 14 bills that benefited the financial industry , the majority earning the blessing of the ABA .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ financial institutions where Perdue held hundreds of thousands in stock , including Regions Financial , US Bancorp and JP Morgan .
For instance , in 2017 , Perdue cosponsored a bill called the Systemic Risk Designation Improvement Act , which was geared to loosen Dodd-Frank regulations on mid-sized banks .
The bill never made it out of committee , but Regional Financial and US Bancorp , where Perdue had stashed $ 300,000 , both lobbied heavily on it .
Perdue went after Dodd-Frank again that year , cosponsoring the Economic Growth , Regulatory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the New York Times reported `` frees banks from a variety of regulations that were imposed after the financial crisis of 2008 , '' including `` innovative measures '' that targeted large institutions .
That bill never made it out of committee , but was lobbied on by banks where Perdue held up to $ 465,000 of stock at the time , including Wells Fargo .
In two instances , Perdue received tens of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from financial institutions on the same day he introduced legislation .
On May @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as an original co-sponsor of a bill that postponed compliance with a new accounting standard that some in the financial industry believed would impede lending during an economic downturn .
FEC records show that in the days before Perdue co-sponsored the bill and the two weeks immediately afterward , he received nearly $ 50,000 from employees at the Capital Group , a financial services company , including $ 5,400 from the CEO .
In October 2017 , a few weeks after Sloan 's testimony , Perdue co-sponsored legislation that eased regulations on mortgage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bill was first introduced in August , and in the month before Perdue added his name on Oct. 25 , his campaign received $ 24,000 from employees of the wealth management company SEI Investments , according to FEC filings .
Fourteen of those SEI employees gave $ 1,000 on Oct. 19 , but only one employee donated the same day that Perdue committed to the bill : a maximum donation of $ 5,400 , from CEO Alfred West .
This September , Postmaster General Louis DeJoy was hit with FEC criminal complaints for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in which he reimbursed employees for political donations to his favored candidates .
Over the course of his career , Perdue has accepted more than $ 2 million in donations from the investment and securities industry , and half a million from commercial banks .
But considering that so few of those bills made it past the committee , and only two became law , it is not clear who got the most out of their investment .
A Perdue campaign spokesperson did not reply to questions for this article .

David Perdue, one of two multimillionaire Georgia Republican senators facing insider-trading scrutiny ahead of runoff elections in January, traded hundreds of thousands of dollars in bank stock while passing pro-bank legislation on the Senate Banking Committee, financial disclosures show.
Between 2017 and 2020, while on the committee, Perdue co-sponsored 14 bills that benefited the financial industry, including through deregulation and extended liability protection. In that time he also accepted more than $1 million in political contributions from financial interests, federal filings show.
This spring Perdue, one of the most active traders in Congress, pushed back against allegations of insider trading in advance of the coronavirus, claiming that outside advisers made the calls without his input.
A bombshell New York Times report on Wednesday has made clear that was a lie: This summer, Justice Department investigators found that Perdue had instructed one of his brokers to offload more than $1 million in a company after the CEO tipped off the senator in a personal email.
This news comes as Perdue faces a Jan. 5 runoff against Democratic rival Jon Ossoff, who battered Perdue on the insider-trading allegations throughout the year. The runoff, along with Georgia Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler's runoff election held on the same day — Loeffler faces the Rev. Raphael Warnock, a Democrat — will determine which party controls the Senate.
The latest stock news also creates a new context for assessing Perdue's personal involvement in prior trades, such as millions of dollars in transactions while he served on the Banking Committee.
Perdue, one of the wealthiest members of Congress, built his fortune in the style of Mitt Romney — "a turnaround specialist who helps revive brands and reap rewards for investors," as the Atlanta Journal-Constitution put it in a review of his business record.
The AJC ruled that his record was "mixed," in part because of a buyout Perdue helped structure as the CEO of Dollar General, which landed him a $42 million windfall when he stepped down in 2008. The next year, the company had to pay that same amount to settle shareholder claims that Perdue and other execs had shortchanged them in the deal.
Perdue, who was elected to the Senate in 2014, has invested millions. A portion of it rests in a Wells Fargo brokerage account and a Georgia holding company called DBP Enterprises, where Perdue has held an ownership stake since 2011.
That DBP stake comprises 130 assets valued anywhere between $12 million and $29 million, according to 2018 Senate financial disclosures. His Wells Fargo account lists 60 assets valued at up to $1.2 million.
Disclosures only provide ranges of value, so we cannot know precisely how much money Perdue has moved in stock trades, or the extent of his profits. But the forms do show that between 2017 and 2020, while he sat on the Banking Committee, Perdue traded at a minimum hundreds of thousands of dollars, possibly millions.
According to the disclosures, Perdue held up to $910,000 in bank stocks alone from 2017 to 2019, through DBP and Wells Fargo. The shares earned him up to $204,000 in capital gains and dividends payouts.
But Perdue does not let his stocks sit idle. Between 2017 and 2018, disclosures show, the senator not only sold as much as $135,000 in bank stock, but scooped up as much as $600,000. Over the next two years he cranked up the volume, unloading as much as $1,110,000 in banking shares and buying as much as $480,000.
In April of this year, Perdue was swept up in the same insider trading scandal that has also damaged Loeffler, when it was revealed that earlier in the year he had bought and sold shares in several companies that were eventually directly affected by the coronavirus pandemic. The scandal, which included Senate veterans Richard Burr, R-N.C., and Diane Feinstein, D-Calif., shook public confidence, raising concerns that elected officials had abused their access to privileged information in order to capitalize personally on the spread of the disease.
The next month, under scrutiny from the public and government investigators, and with the election on the horizon, Perdue pledged to stop trading individual stocks.
In September he announced that the Department of Justice, the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Senate Ethics Committee had all cleared him of wrongdoing. He marked the occasion with a new campaign ad, which accused Ossoff of lying to voters about Perdue's involvement.
The Times gave the lie to that defense on Wednesday, indicating that Perdue had acted on a personal tip. The report recalls a moment from an October 2017 hearing, where senators on the Banking Committee grilled Wells Fargo CEO Tim Sloan about the account fraud scandal that had wracked the bank the year before.
The scandal earned the bank a $150 million fine from the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau, an agency Perdue had sought to defang earlier that same year with a bill that the American Bankers Association called "an effective check and balance on the Bureau's authority."
Perdue, whose Wells Fargo account at the time held up to $1.2 million, teed Sloan up to defend his company, but Sloan, contrite in the face of multiple bareknuckled government investigations, repeatedly declined the exit ramp. Perdue then let slip a reference to a private conversation, before reluctantly admitting that the decade-long scandal — which resulted in a $3 billion federal fine — was a "serious issue."
"I think you would agree, we in a private conversation — there is no way to sugarcoat this as a serious issue, and I appreciate your handling it the way that you are," Perdue said.
Over the next three years, Perdue continued to throw softballs to big banks. As he was slinging stock, he cosponsored 14 bills that benefited the financial industry, the majority earning the blessing of the ABA. Five of them were lobbied on by financial institutions where Perdue held hundreds of thousands in stock, including Regions Financial, US Bancorp and JP Morgan.
For instance, in 2017, Perdue cosponsored a bill called the Systemic Risk Designation Improvement Act, which was geared to loosen Dodd-Frank regulations on mid-sized banks. The bill never made it out of committee, but Regional Financial and US Bancorp, where Perdue had stashed $300,000, both lobbied heavily on it.
Perdue went after Dodd-Frank again that year, cosponsoring the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief and Consumer Protection Act, which the New York Times reported "frees banks from a variety of regulations that were imposed after the financial crisis of 2008," including "innovative measures" that targeted large institutions. That bill never made it out of committee, but was lobbied on by banks where Perdue held up to $465,000 of stock at the time, including Wells Fargo.
In two instances, Perdue received tens of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from financial institutions on the same day he introduced legislation.
On May 21, 2019, Perdue signed on as an original co-sponsor of a bill that postponed compliance with a new accounting standard that some in the financial industry believed would impede lending during an economic downturn. FEC records show that in the days before Perdue co-sponsored the bill and the two weeks immediately afterward, he received nearly $50,000 from employees at the Capital Group, a financial services company, including $5,400 from the CEO.
In October 2017, a few weeks after Sloan's testimony, Perdue co-sponsored legislation that eased regulations on mortgage transfers that cross state lines. That bill was first introduced in August, and in the month before Perdue added his name on Oct. 25, his campaign received $24,000 from employees of the wealth management company SEI Investments, according to FEC filings.
Fourteen of those SEI employees gave $1,000 on Oct. 19, but only one employee donated the same day that Perdue committed to the bill: a maximum donation of $5,400, from CEO Alfred West.
This September, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy was hit with FEC criminalcomplaints for an alleged "straw donor" scheme, in which he reimbursed employees for political donations to his favored candidates.
Over the course of his career, Perdue has accepted more than $2 million in donations from the investment and securities industry, and half a million from commercial banks. But considering that so few of those bills made it past the committee, and only two became law, it is not clear who got the most out of their investment.
A Perdue campaign spokesperson did not reply to questions for this article.


alternet--2020-11-27--How Mitch McConnell’s do nothing Republicans are killing you: Robert Reich

The Senate adjourned and left town without even trying to pass a COVID disaster relief bill .
By the time they return on November 30 , based on current trends , an additional estimated 16,000 Americans will have died from COVID-19 .
We pay these elected officials to keep us safe , and they 've failed us .
To them I ask : How much death and suffering must the American people endure before you act ?
Remember : House Democrats passed a comprehensive relief bill all the way back in May .
You , Mitch McConnell , have refused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Senate Republicans have been happy to follow your lead .
Countless Americans are now paying the price for your malicious inaction .
You should have learned lessons about COVID during its first horrific wave last spring .
First , there 's no tradeoff between COVID and the economy , and no way to get the economy back until COVID is under control .
As the virus surges and more shutdowns loom , the millions of jobs we 've added since April are about to disappear again .
I 've said this since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : The only way to get our economy back to full strength is to control the virus .
Second , more shutdowns are necessary .
Businesses like Tesla in Alameda County , California , and Tyson meat packing plants in Iowa remained open during previous shutdowns , and both companies suffered COVID outbreaks .
No exceptions this time around .
Third , and most importantly , shutdowns are only viable if accompanied by disaster relief so Americans can survive financially .
So pass disaster relief .
Re-up expanded unemployment benefits .
The extra @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expired on July 31st , and all federal relief will expire on December 31st .
Expanded unemployment benefits were a financial lifeline for millions during the first and second waves , and must be instituted again to keep millions out of poverty this winter .
Do n't listen to people who claim that we have to get people back to work , or keep them working .
The best way to stop the spread is to pay people to stay home .
Stop evictions and foreclosures .
It would be the height of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ onto the streets in the middle of winter as the virus surges .
And with more job losses around the corner , we must ensure that a missed rent or mortgage payment is n't a death sentence .
Distribute another round of Paycheck Protection Program loans to businesses , with strict oversight to ensure the funds actually go to businesses that need them , not massive , publicly-traded companies that have plenty of other options .
Shore up state and local budgets .
State and local governments are facing huge budget shortfalls .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ are on the chopping block – schools , childcare , supplemental nutrition , mental health services , low-income housing , healthcare – when the public needs them more than ever .
And local governments need funds to shelter unhoused residents , especially as temperatures drop and COVID intensifies .
Protect essential workers .
Tens of thousands of workers on the frontlines have contracted COVID over the past 10 months – including nearly 20,000 Amazon warehouse workers .
At a minimum , they need generous hazard pay and paid sick leave .
When the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ March 27th , there were 18,093 new cases that day .
Now , there are over 100,000 new cases every day .
With hospitalizations lagging behind cases , and deaths lagging behind hospitalizations , it 's clear that this is going to get much , much worse unless people shelter in place .
But most Americans ca n't do this without relief .
The writing is on the wall .
Do your job , Mitch McConnell .
Our lives depend on it .

The Senate adjourned and left town without even trying to pass a COVID disaster relief bill. By the time they return on November 30, based on current trends, an additional estimated 16,000 Americans will have died from COVID-19.
We pay these elected officials to keep us safe, and they've failed us. To them I ask: How much death and suffering must the American people endure before you act?
Remember: House Democrats passed a comprehensive relief bill all the way back in May.
You, Mitch McConnell, have refused to lift a finger for months, and Senate Republicans have been happy to follow your lead.
Countless Americans are now paying the price for your malicious inaction.
You should have learned lessons about COVID during its first horrific wave last spring.
First, there's no tradeoff between COVID and the economy, and no way to get the economy back until COVID is under control. As the virus surges and more shutdowns loom, the millions of jobs we've added since April are about to disappear again. I've said this since March and I'll say it again: The only way to get our economy back to full strength is to control the virus.
Second, more shutdowns are necessary. Businesses like Tesla in Alameda County, California, and Tyson meat packing plants in Iowa remained open during previous shutdowns, and both companies suffered COVID outbreaks. No exceptions this time around.
Third, and most importantly, shutdowns are only viable if accompanied by disaster relief so Americans can survive financially. So pass disaster relief.
Re-up expanded unemployment benefits. The extra $600/week provisioned in the CARES Act expired on July 31st, and all federal relief will expire on December 31st. Expanded unemployment benefits were a financial lifeline for millions during the first and second waves, and must be instituted again to keep millions out of poverty this winter. Don't listen to people who claim that we have to get people back to work, or keep them working. The best way to stop the spread is to pay people to stay home.
Stop evictions and foreclosures. It would be the height of cruelty to force even more people out onto the streets in the middle of winter as the virus surges. And with more job losses around the corner, we must ensure that a missed rent or mortgage payment isn't a death sentence.
Distribute another round of Paycheck Protection Program loans to businesses, with strict oversight to ensure the funds actually go to businesses that need them, not massive, publicly-traded companies that have plenty of other options.
Shore up state and local budgets. State and local governments are facing huge budget shortfalls. Without federal aid, vital public services are on the chopping block – schools, childcare, supplemental nutrition, mental health services, low-income housing, healthcare – when the public needs them more than ever. And local governments need funds to shelter unhoused residents, especially as temperatures drop and COVID intensifies.
Protect essential workers. Tens of thousands of workers on the frontlines have contracted COVID over the past 10 months – including nearly 20,000 Amazon warehouse workers. At a minimum, they need generous hazard pay and paid sick leave.
When the last COVID relief package was passed on March 27th, there were 18,093 new cases that day. Now, there are over 100,000 new cases every day. With hospitalizations lagging behind cases, and deaths lagging behind hospitalizations, it's clear that this is going to get much, much worse unless people shelter in place. But most Americans can't do this without relief.
The writing is on the wall. Do your job, Mitch McConnell. Our lives depend on it.


alternet--2020-11-27--Arkansas state prosecutor was fired for speaking out against jail time for people who fall behind on

Arkansas state prosecutor was fired for speaking out against jail time for people who fall behind on rent

ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom .
Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox .
An Arkansas prosecutor has been fired after speaking out against the state 's criminal eviction statute in an October ProPublica story .
Garland County deputy prosecutor Josh Drake was let go from his position on Oct. 31 by Michelle Lawrence , the prosecuting attorney .
Arkansas is the only state where landlords can file criminal charges rather than civil complaints against tenants for falling behind on rent .
Drake told ProPublica , “ I hate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' It constitutes cruel and unusual punishment , he said , echoing other Arkansas legal experts and advocates across the political spectrum .
Under the law , which dates to 1901 , if a tenant 's rent is a day overdue , they forfeit their right to be in the property .
If they do n't leave their homes within 10 days of getting a notice from their landlords , they can be charged with a misdemeanor and fined for each day they overstay .
Evictions in the state can snowball from charges @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , leaving people with criminal records that hinder their ability to find a new home or get a job .
In civil evictions , by contrast , landlords can pursue unpaid rent and other additional fees from tenants , but the process does n't include daily fines for staying in the property without paying or put tenants at risk of jail time .
ProPublica found that since 2018 , more than 1,000 cases have been filed under the criminal eviction statute .
During that time , judges have sentenced at least 37 renters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ law , which is officially known as “ failure to pay rent , failure to vacate . ''
Women and people of color have disproportionately been charged .
Even the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 's national moratorium on evictions did not stop the criminal filings .
Since the Sept. 4 order , at least 49 people have been charged , with more than two dozen cases filed in the last month .
Meanwhile , the number of new cases of the coronavirus in Arkansas has risen dramatically since mid-September .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ hospitalized because of the virus , according to Gov .
Asa Hutchinson .
Landlords told ProPublica they preferred the criminal statute to civil evictions because the criminal process is cheaper .
Taxpayers shoulder the cost when county attorneys like Lawrence and Drake pursue tenants .
In civil eviction hearings , landlords have to cover their attorney fees .
Drake had been prosecuting cases on behalf of Garland County , in central Arkansas , since March 2018 on a part-time basis .
Lawrence called Drake into her office the day after ProPublica 's story @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because his remarks drew media and statewide attention to her office , Drake said .
Lawrence , who began working in Garland County 's prosecuting attorney 's office in 1994 and was elected as the prosecuting attorney in 2016 , declined to comment , citing an office prohibition on speaking about personnel matters .
During Drake 's tenure , he handled at least a dozen criminal eviction cases .
Like many landlords , state legislators and prosecutors , he had the impression that the statute never led to arrests or jail time .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Since 2018 , 45 people have been arrested exclusively for failing to pay rent and not leaving , according to state records .
Despite his misimpression , Drake nevertheless disliked the statute because he said it effectively transformed county attorneys and law enforcement officers into collection agents for landlords .
But he said he felt he had no choice but to prosecute the cases because it was his job .
He never voiced his objections until the ProPublica story .
“ I stand by what I said .
I still feel the same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It 's one of those things that I 've always been ashamed of , but I 've never been in a situation where I could do anything about it . ''
Now , he said , “ I can at least call more attention to it . ''
If Lawrence “ wants to be the one that sticks up for the landlord and continues using tax money to evict people , then there is nothing I can do about it other than point it out to people , '' he said .
Other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ declined to prosecute the eviction cases .
Prosecutors in the state 's most populous county , Pulaski , have stopped accepting the filings altogether .
In other jurisdictions , judges have stopped hearing cases under the statute .
Of the 21 largest counties in the state , ProPublica and the Arkansas Nonprofit News Network found only five contained district courts that processed any criminal eviction filings in 2020 .
After the CDC moratorium this September , a judge and attorney in the state 's western Polk County chose to stop pursuing the cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told ProPublica he has long approached the law with unease .
“ You hate to enforce it because a lot of people do n't have anywhere to go , '' he said .
“ It 's really a civil matter . ''
Andy Riner , a prosecuting attorney who was just elected into a circuit judge position that will begin in January , said he had found the statute ineffective to begin with .
“ If you 're fining someone who is already broke , that does n't get their attention , that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Riner said .
“ It just does n't make any sense . ''
Five years ago , a circuit court judge ruled the statute violated the Eighth Amendment 's clause banning cruel and unusual punishment , as well as federal and state bans on debtors prisons , but his ruling did not cover the entire state .
Other judges have upheld the statute .
Advocates are planning to try to get the law repealed in the next session of the state legislature .
“ Like I hoped from the first time I stepped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the law , I hope that the legislature will repeal it , '' Drake said .
Do you have access to information about evictions that should be public ?
Email maya.miller @ propublica.org and ellis.simani @ propublica.org .
Here 's how to send tips and documents to ProPublica securely .
For more coverage , read ProPublica 's previous reporting on evictions and debt collection .

ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox.
An Arkansas prosecutor has been fired after speaking out against the state's criminal eviction statute in an October ProPublica story. Garland County deputy prosecutor Josh Drake was let go from his position on Oct. 31 by Michelle Lawrence, the prosecuting attorney.
Arkansas is the only state where landlords can file criminal charges rather than civil complaints against tenants for falling behind on rent. Drake told ProPublica, “I hate that law. It's unconstitutional." It constitutes cruel and unusual punishment, he said, echoing other Arkansas legal experts and advocates across the political spectrum.
Under the law, which dates to 1901, if a tenant's rent is a day overdue, they forfeit their right to be in the property. If they don't leave their homes within 10 days of getting a notice from their landlords, they can be charged with a misdemeanor and fined for each day they overstay.
Evictions in the state can snowball from charges to warrants to arrests to jail time, leaving people with criminal records that hinder their ability to find a new home or get a job. In civil evictions, by contrast, landlords can pursue unpaid rent and other additional fees from tenants, but the process doesn't include daily fines for staying in the property without paying or put tenants at risk of jail time.
ProPublica found that since 2018, more than 1,000 cases have been filed under the criminal eviction statute. During that time, judges have sentenced at least 37 renters to jail after charges stemming from the law, which is officially known as “failure to pay rent, failure to vacate." Women and people of color have disproportionately been charged.
Even the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's national moratorium on evictions did not stop the criminal filings. Since the Sept. 4 order, at least 49 people have been charged, with more than two dozen cases filed in the last month. Meanwhile, the number of new cases of the coronavirus in Arkansas has risen dramatically since mid-September. The state will soon have over 1,000 hospitalized because of the virus, according to Gov. Asa Hutchinson.
Landlords told ProPublica they preferred the criminal statute to civil evictions because the criminal process is cheaper. Taxpayers shoulder the cost when county attorneys like Lawrence and Drake pursue tenants. In civil eviction hearings, landlords have to cover their attorney fees.
Drake had been prosecuting cases on behalf of Garland County, in central Arkansas, since March 2018 on a part-time basis. Lawrence called Drake into her office the day after ProPublica's story ran and said she was firing him because his remarks drew media and statewide attention to her office, Drake said.
Lawrence, who began working in Garland County's prosecuting attorney's office in 1994 and was elected as the prosecuting attorney in 2016, declined to comment, citing an office prohibition on speaking about personnel matters.
During Drake's tenure, he handled at least a dozen criminal eviction cases. Like many landlords, state legislators and prosecutors, he had the impression that the statute never led to arrests or jail time. That's not true, however. Since 2018, 45 people have been arrested exclusively for failing to pay rent and not leaving, according to state records.
Despite his misimpression, Drake nevertheless disliked the statute because he said it effectively transformed county attorneys and law enforcement officers into collection agents for landlords. But he said he felt he had no choice but to prosecute the cases because it was his job. He never voiced his objections until the ProPublica story.
“I stand by what I said. I still feel the same way," he said. “It's one of those things that I've always been ashamed of, but I've never been in a situation where I could do anything about it." Now, he said, “I can at least call more attention to it."
If Lawrence “wants to be the one that sticks up for the landlord and continues using tax money to evict people, then there is nothing I can do about it other than point it out to people," he said.
Other elected prosecuting attorneys in the state have declined to prosecute the eviction cases. Prosecutors in the state's most populous county, Pulaski, have stopped accepting the filings altogether. In other jurisdictions, judges have stopped hearing cases under the statute. Of the 21 largest counties in the state, ProPublica and the Arkansas Nonprofit News Network found only five contained district courts that processed any criminal eviction filings in 2020.
After the CDC moratorium this September, a judge and attorney in the state's western Polk County chose to stop pursuing the cases until further notice. Judge Danny Thrailkill told ProPublica he has long approached the law with unease. “You hate to enforce it because a lot of people don't have anywhere to go," he said. “It's really a civil matter."
Andy Riner, a prosecuting attorney who was just elected into a circuit judge position that will begin in January, said he had found the statute ineffective to begin with. “If you're fining someone who is already broke, that doesn't get their attention, that doesn't improve their conduct," Riner said. “It just doesn't make any sense."
Five years ago, a circuit court judge ruled the statute violated the Eighth Amendment's clause banning cruel and unusual punishment, as well as federal and state bans on debtors prisons, but his ruling did not cover the entire state. Other judges have upheld the statute.
Advocates are planning to try to get the law repealed in the next session of the state legislature.
“Like I hoped from the first time I stepped foot in the state and learned about the law, I hope that the legislature will repeal it," Drake said.
Do you have access to information about evictions that should be public? Email maya.miller@propublica.org and ellis.simani@propublica.org. Here's how to send tips and documents to ProPublica securely.
For more coverage, read ProPublica's previous reporting on evictions and debt collection.


alternet--2020-11-27--Here's the real reason Trump probably won't pardon himself

With less than two months remaining in his term , President Donald Trump may try to become the first president @ @ @ @ @ there 's a catch .
Rick Wilson and Molly Jong-Fast discussed the president 's potential @ @ @ @ @ involved with granting himself a pardon , on their podcast `` The New Abnormal , @ @ @ @ @ Beast .
`` The essential thing of a pardon is it involves the admission of @ @ @ @ @ said , `` and so he has to admit that he violated the law .
@ @ @ @ @ to take that drastic step if he can issue pardons to anyone who could implicate @ @ @ @ @ such as Mike Flynn , and any pardon would cover federal crimes only , and @ @ @ @ @ New York 's attorney general is investigating .

With less than two months remaining in his term, President Donald Trump may try to become the first president to pardon himself — but there's a catch.
Rick Wilson and Molly Jong-Fast discussed the president's potential pardons, and the risks involved with granting himself a pardon, on their podcast "The New Abnormal," posted on The Daily Beast.
"The essential thing of a pardon is it involves the admission of a crime," Wilson said, "and so he has to admit that he violated the law."
Trump may not need to take that drastic step if he can issue pardons to anyone who could implicate him in a crime, such as Mike Flynn, and any pardon would cover federal crimes only, and not the potential crimes that New York's attorney general is investigating.


alternet--2020-11-27--Trump says he'll leave White House if Electoral College votes for Biden. Experts note 'it's not up t

Trump says he'll leave White House if Electoral College votes for Biden. Experts note 'it's not up to him anyway'

While continuing to spread falsehoods about the election and complain that the contest was rigged against him—citing examples of supposed malfeasance that were summarily debunked by reporters in real time—President Donald Trump on Thursday said he intends leave the White House willingly if the Electoral College certifies President-elect Joe Biden as the winner .
Legal experts were quick to note that Trump , having suffered a landslide loss in the popular vote and a sizable Electoral College defeat , does n't have a choice in the matter .
`` That 's good but it 's not up to him anyway @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights , after the president said he `` certainly '' will leave the White House if Electoral College electors vote for Biden , as they are set to do next month .
`` If they do , they 've made a mistake , '' said the president , who ahead of the election repeatedly declined to say he would allow a peaceful transition of power .
Following weeks of needless delay , the Trump-appointed head of the General Services Administration ( GSA ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the transition process on Monday .
Trump 's remarks—his first public commitment to willingly leave office if defeated—came in the wake of reports that the president and his allies have been pressuring state GOP leaders to help stage a highly unlikely and potentially unlawful Electoral College revolt in a last-ditch effort to overturn the election .
Politico noted earlier this month that while `` individual electors have gone rogue in the past '' by voting for a candidate other than the one who prevailed in their state , states have since `` tightened @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , seven electors ultimately broke their pledge to vote for who they said they would support .
Five electors voted for someone other than Hillary Clinton despite Clinton carrying their states , while two abandoned Trump , '' Politico reported .
`` Their decisions ultimately did not change the results of the election ... but the experience made both major parties tighten their grasp on the selection process this year . ''
The Trump campaign 's desperation stems from the massive failure of its attempt to challenge the election results in court , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to non-existent evidence and general incompetence on the part of the president 's self-proclaimed `` elite strike force team '' of attorneys .
Even as he said he would leave the White House , Trump refused to concede defeat and peddled claims about election fraud that have already been discredited in court .
Watch ( warning : poor feed quality resulted in flashing blue lights throughout the clip ) : Asked about Trump 's Thanksgiving Day comments , Biden spokesperson Michael Gwin said in a statement that `` President-elect Biden won 306 electoral @ @ @ @ @ @ @ certify those results , the Electoral College will soon meet to ratify that outcome , '' Gwin added .
`` Biden will be sworn in as president on January 20 , 2021 . ''

While continuing to spread falsehoods about the election and complain that the contest was rigged against him—citing examples of supposed malfeasance that were summarily debunked by reporters in real time—President Donald Trump on Thursday said he intends leave the White House willingly if the Electoral College certifies President-elect Joe Biden as the winner.
Legal experts were quick to note that Trump, having suffered a landslide loss in the popular vote and a sizable Electoral College defeat, doesn't have a choice in the matter.
"That's good but it's not up to him anyway," tweeted Vanita Gupta, president and CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, after the president said he "certainly" will leave the White House if Electoral College electors vote for Biden, as they are set to do next month.
"If they do, they've made a mistake," said the president, who ahead of the election repeatedly declined to say he would allow a peaceful transition of power.
Following weeks of needless delay, the Trump-appointed head of the General Services Administration (GSA) allowed the Biden team to formally begin the transition process on Monday.
Trump's remarks—his first public commitment to willingly leave office if defeated—came in the wake of reports that the president and his allies have been pressuring state GOP leaders to help stage a highly unlikely and potentially unlawful Electoral College revolt in a last-ditch effort to overturn the election.
Politiconoted earlier this month that while "individual electors have gone rogue in the past" by voting for a candidate other than the one who prevailed in their state, states have since "tightened the rules."
"In 2016, seven electors ultimately broke their pledge to vote for who they said they would support. Five electors voted for someone other than Hillary Clinton despite Clinton carrying their states, while two abandoned Trump," Politico reported. "Their decisions ultimately did not change the results of the election... but the experience made both major parties tighten their grasp on the selection process this year."
The Trump campaign's desperation stems from the massive failure of its attempt to challenge the election results in court, a legal effort marred by comically weak to non-existent evidence and general incompetence on the part of the president's self-proclaimed "elite strike force team" of attorneys.
Even as he said he would leave the White House, Trump refused to concede defeat and peddled claims about election fraud that have already been discredited in court.
Watch (warning: poor feed quality resulted in flashing blue lights throughout the clip):
Asked about Trump's Thanksgiving Day comments, Biden spokesperson Michael Gwin said in a statement that "President-elect Biden won 306 electoral votes."
"States continue to certify those results, the Electoral College will soon meet to ratify that outcome," Gwin added. "Biden will be sworn in as president on January 20, 2021."


alternet--2020-11-27--MAGA attorney: Trump-appointed judge who ruled against campaign part of 'activist judicial machinery

MAGA attorney: Trump-appointed judge who ruled against campaign part of 'activist judicial machinery'

Jenna Ellis , President Donald Trump 's personal attorney and the Senior Legal Adviser to the Trump campaign is once @ @ @ @ @ time for her near-immediate response to a unanimous 3-0 ruling against the campaign in a @ @ @ @ @ says she and Trump personal attorney Rudy Giuliani , have decided that the three judges @ @ @ @ @ by Republican presidents – including the one who wrote the opinion who was appointed by @ @ @ @ @ part of the `` activist judicial machinery '' in Pennsylvania .
She is also vowing @ @ @ @ @ which the judges say has `` no merit , '' to the Supreme Court .

Jenna Ellis, President Donald Trump's personal attorney and the Senior Legal Adviser to the Trump campaign is once again being mocked, this time for her near-immediate response to a unanimous 3-0 ruling against the campaign in a Pennsylvania election case.
Ellis says she and Trump personal attorney Rudy Giuliani, have decided that the three judges, who were all appointed by Republican presidents – including the one who wrote the opinion who was appointed by Trump himself – are all part of the "activist judicial machinery" in Pennsylvania.
She is also vowing to take the case – which the judges say has "no merit," to the Supreme Court.
Ellis was quickly mocked.


alternet--2020-11-27--Biden won — but Trump gave authoritarians a disturbing lesson on ‘how to steal an election': politic

Biden won — but Trump gave authoritarians a disturbing lesson on ‘how to steal an election': political analyst

During the 2020 presidential election , many of President Donald Trump 's critics — from liberals and progressives to Never Trump conservatives — warned that democracy itself was on the line in the United States and that Trump would become even more dangerously authoritarian during a second term .
Trump was defeated by President-elect Joe Biden , but journalist Jeff Greenfield — in an op-ed published in Politico this week — is n't so sure that U.S. democracy came out of the election unscathed .
`` That breeze you felt recently was a national sigh of relief that the 2020 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , be over , '' Greenfield writes .
`` Georgia , Michigan , Pennsylvania and the other close states have , or soon will have , certified the results .
Judges have unceremoniously thrown out the dubious legal claims that thousands , or hundreds of thousands or millions of votes should be disallowed…..
The guardrails held , right ? ''
But Greenfield is n't so sure .
The journalist argues , `` Though it appears the rightful winner is heading to the White House in January , this post-election season has revealed that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and in some cases nonexistent .
It was heartening to see state and local officials of both parties , and state and federal judges , resist the demands of Trump and his allies to reject the results .
But the fact that it came to that at all is troubling — and shows just how plausible it would be for things to break the other way next time . ''
According to Greenfield , Trump has given future authoritarians `` very powerful lessons in just how to steal an election '' — and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voters that the election has been stolen from them '' to `` make sure local and state officials are loyal '' to `` open the door to state legislatures seizing the vote . ''
`` What Republicans have learned from this election — apart from their willingness to dismiss as utterly irrelevant the fact that their candidate lost by 7 million popular votes — is that the ancient machinery of conducting elections is rusted , frail and highly vulnerable , '' Greenfield warns .
`` They have seen exactly where the stress points @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to pressure those stress points , and how it is raw political pressure — not lawsuits or procedural know-how — that offers them the most leverage . ''

During the 2020 presidential election, many of President Donald Trump's critics — from liberals and progressives to Never Trump conservatives — warned that democracy itself was on the line in the United States and that Trump would become even more dangerously authoritarian during a second term. Trump was defeated by President-elect Joe Biden, but journalist Jeff Greenfield — in an op-ed published in Politico this week — isn't so sure that U.S. democracy came out of the election unscathed.
"That breeze you felt recently was a national sigh of relief that the 2020 election might finally, at long last, be over," Greenfield writes. "Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and the other close states have, or soon will have, certified the results. Judges have unceremoniously thrown out the dubious legal claims that thousands, or hundreds of thousands or millions of votes should be disallowed….. The guardrails held, right?"
But Greenfield isn't so sure.
The journalist argues, "Though it appears the rightful winner is heading to the White House in January, this post-election season has revealed that those 'guardrails' are dangerously weak — and in some cases nonexistent. It was heartening to see state and local officials of both parties, and state and federal judges, resist the demands of Trump and his allies to reject the results. But the fact that it came to that at all is troubling — and shows just how plausible it would be for things to break the other way next time."
According to Greenfield, Trump has given future authoritarians "very powerful lessons in just how to steal an election" — and those lessons range from "convince your voters that the election has been stolen from them" to "make sure local and state officials are loyal" to "open the door to state legislatures seizing the vote."
"What Republicans have learned from this election — apart from their willingness to dismiss as utterly irrelevant the fact that their candidate lost by 7 million popular votes — is that the ancient machinery of conducting elections is rusted, frail and highly vulnerable," Greenfield warns. "They have seen exactly where the stress points of the system are, and how to pressure those stress points, and how it is raw political pressure — not lawsuits or procedural know-how — that offers them the most leverage."


alternet--2020-11-27--'We're not able to process what's about to happen to us': Shep Smith highlights doctors' warnings on

'We're not able to process what's about to happen to us': Shep Smith highlights doctors' warnings on COVID

At several points during Salon 's recent conversation with CNBC anchor Shepard Smith , he talks about noise .
`` The noise is just so loud .
You 've got have some quiet time , '' he said , referring to the space he carves out for himself during the workday when he retreats to his spartan office , puts his feet up and listens to music to harvest a little peace from the day 's cacophony .
This philosophy also guides his approach to `` The News with Shepard Smith , '' and it shows .
Each weeknight at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sept. 30 launch , Smith delivers the news of the day , regardless of what it may be , with an old-school broadcast anchor 's mellow sobriety .
Pressing events of the day top the hour and from there Smith and his correspondents zero in on an assortment of issues that stand to have significant local and regional impact .
`` We try to find stories .
.
.
tell them factually and dig into data a lot , and then hear from people about how they feel about the issues through their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ affected them , '' he explained .
`` And we 're not looking for , 'How do you feel about what he said ? '
or 'How you feel about what she said ? '
We 're trying to just seek the truth , find the truth and tell the truth in context and with perspective . ''
Having spent 23 years with Fox News , Shepard 's new chapter at CNBC intentionally veers away from the argumentative clamor and enraged punditry that has defined cable news in the 21st century .
Instead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so rare and refreshing that people presumed it to be extinct : fact-based reporting , delivered calmly by a plain-spoken anchor uninterested in ginning up arguments .
When developing each day 's story slate , Smith says he and his staff adhere to a set of sensible axioms : Get it right .
Add in whatever context is important .
Explain why the story they 're covering matters because of what the consequences will be , if those are known consequences .
Then put it into perspective , historical and otherwise .
His @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cycle of back and forth fueled by false equivalency and both sides-ism .
`` We have to ignore the signal and focus on the prize , '' Smith told Salon .
`` There 's a lot of , 'Look over here ! '
in life , and there 's always been a lot of 'Look over here . '
But 'Look over here ' gets a lot more juice than it ever did before because of all of these media ecosystems .
And it can overtake you . ''
`` This other stuff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ point , '' he added , referring to the poisonous politics of the last five years and the amplified flurry of lies and hyperbole accompanying it , `` and we 'll cover the trials and tribulations along with it , we 'll cover the uprisings and the demonstrations .
And we 'll hear from people about how they think about things .
But we 're on a different road .
It 's the road less traveled , and I 'm enjoying it . ''
In case you 've forgotten , as so many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he 's referring is that it used to be the main road .
The road .
In the days of broadcast anchor supremacy and CNN 's earliest era , the news was a straight-laced enterprise guided by policy , data and expert insight , and what leaders said and did received more space than broad interpretations of the meaning of what they tweeted .
When Smith was first rising through the cable news ranks , he distinguished himself during Hurricane Katrina by careful reporting what he saw on the ground , allowing his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the horror overwhelmed him .
I pointed that out to him as an asset .
He views the memory differently .
`` My goal is always to not let emotions get in the way .
Recognize them , use them as inspiration and guidance sometimes , but not to express them , '' he said .
`` I like to get excited about things when there are things about which everyone should be excited , and to be sad about things , about which everyone should be sad , but in measured ways @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just now , you said , 'You let your emotions take over , ' '' he continued .
`` They did n't .
They won . ''
In his view , emotions got the best of him because what he was seeing and reporting starkly contradicted the party line that was coming out of the White House and being repeated by other reporters and pundits , including those at Fox News .
In recalling the memory , Smith is passionate as he describes witnessing firsthand the dire suffering in his midst and his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the cavalry had arrived , that people where getting food , medical attention and water when that simply was n't true .
`` I know New Orleans .
I 'm a child of Mississippi .
And I know its greatness and its horrors .
There are so many dynamic cities around the world that are both things .
And I know the Lower Ninth Ward .
I know the poverty and I know how it is systematic and systemic .
And I know that certain categories of people have been kept in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a way out and now they 're flooded and dying . ''
He continued , thinking back to what he may have said at the time , `` 'All of you , maybe you 're mistaken , maybe you 're misled , but you are telling untruths about what 's happening here .
And as a result of your untruth , more people are dying . '
I could n't believe it was happening .
I could n't believe that people in a building thousands of miles away were telling me that what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' `` And I 'm like , 'Wait , wait , wait , no , no , I 'm here .
You 're reading , but I 'm seeing and smelling .
I do n't need the Associated Press to tell me what 's happening here , because I happen to be in the right place . '
'' For the better part of the last quarter century , the route Smith has chosen for his program has been all but abandoned on cable .
Early on in `` The News '' run @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be trounced in ratings .
They were right .
While October ratings for Fox News and MSNBC surged with the rising excitement and anxiety leading up to the presidential election , the audience for `` The News with Shepard Smith '' averaged around 272,000 viewers between Sept.30 and Oct. 22 , coming in behind its 7 p.m. competitors on MSNBC , CNN and Fox News .
For a bit more perspective on Fox News , both `` Hannity '' and `` Tucker Carlson Tonight '' broke the 6 million viewer threshold in October @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Masked Singer '' on Fox – that 's Fox broadcast , not cable – in broadcasts that aired during the last week of October .
However , let 's add a bit of context as well : Carlson 's and Sean Hannity 's programs are the linchpins supporting Smith 's former home , the dominant news network for a decade and a half .
CNBC is a small business news network powered by `` Shark Tank '' and `` Jay Leno 's Garage , '' and whatever attention it snagged in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ something terrible that Lou Dobbs said .
According to Nielsen ratings data , over the first month that `` The News '' has aired , it increased the audience by 120 % year over year , when `` Shark Tank '' reruns aired in its timeslot .
And its audience may be small , but it is slowly growing .
On Nov. 16 the program enjoyed its highest viewership yet in it 's the 25-to-54 target demographic .
It 's been averaging around 268,000 viewers over the last eight weeks .
A CNBC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the progress `` The News '' has made thus far .
`` Not only is CNBC a new entrant in the general news genre , but news viewers are creatures of habit , and it takes a long time to change those habits , '' the spokesperson shared in an emailed statement , adding that Smith 's audience far exceeds that of the last regular news program to air on CNBC in the 7 p.m .
ET timeslot , which was `` The Kudlow Report '' way back in the first quarter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tempted to write off Smith 's classic approach to TV news , the cable news field has entered a period of flux .
Numbers for `` The News '' may never approximate Fox News , MSNBC or CNN audience levels , but even their ratings are coming off the historic highs they rode during Donald Trump 's presidency .
Much has been reported about disillusioned Fox News viewers migrating over to more far-right leaning and conspiracy theory-driven outlets such as Newsmax and One America News Network , and if that is the case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ commensurate number of viewers seeking out the kind of straight , no chaser delivery that Smith purveys .
Because as many people are realizing , and Smith told me , there 's too much noise .
`` And all of that noise is destructive . ''
Not all of that destruction he 's talking about is figurative .
The biggest challenge Smith foresees in the immediate future is n't ratings , which do n't trouble him owing to his sense of perspective .
He says he 's steeling himself for the time leading @ @ @ @ @ @ @ describes as `` the cold , cold , beginning of 2021 , when it 's unimaginably sad and horrible everywhere . ''
`` Because I talk to doctors – I talked to Dr. [ Scott ] Gottlieb , I talked to Dr. [ Anthony ] Fauci .
I talked to a lot of doctors who I do n't talk to on the air and they all say the same thing : We 're not able to process what 's about to happen to us . ''
This is Smith coming to me , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on-air figure , but the person who railed at the irresponsible distortion of facts as he watched bodies float by in Katrina 's floodwaters .
Over Zoom you can see the humanity and concern registering on his face and perhaps hear it catching in his voice a bit .
`` Death and suffering is horrible in the little places where I 've been and experienced them .
You know , Columbine , the Oklahoma City Bombing , 9/11 , they were all in one place – 9/11 was in a few places and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for us .
It did n't happen in their town . ''
`` Now , '' he continued , `` It 's going to be happening every town .
And we 're going to be so sad , if the doctors are right .
And sadness is so destructive . ''
During those times , he said , the role of `` The News '' will be to find the heroes in the chaos .
We have to give some people who are inspiring , and who doing it in their own little @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to inspire them to inspire .
Which is why he stressed his program 's dedication to finding the light , not to goose ratings .
The vaccines , he said , are a light .
So is the culture 's renewed focus on women 's issues and its nascent efforts to take an anti-racist stance .
`` Everyone seems to agree that we can not continue to exist this divided .
It will conquer us .
We have to find ways to come together .
And , you know , as a gay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if we know get each other better , it 's all going to be easier . ''
Amazingly the CNBC anchor has a hopeful view of what lies ahead for TV news .
I feel like eventually we 're going to look back and this will be just a little blip in time when people got confused about what was true and what was n't .
.
.
They got distracted and did n't realize , and , ' I really was misinformed .
And I need to go back to a trusted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more careful about how I consume , ' '' he said .
`` But we 're in the middle of it and we have to figure out how to get out of it .
I do n't know what the answer is .
.
.
I do n't know how it 's all corrected .
I do n't know what policies and changes need to be made .
But I know that we 're trying to do it , just ourselves , and we begin by focusing and tuning it out . ''

At several points during Salon's recent conversation with CNBC anchor Shepard Smith, he talks about noise. "The noise is just so loud. You've got have some quiet time," he said, referring to the space he carves out for himself during the workday when he retreats to his spartan office, puts his feet up and listens to music to harvest a little peace from the day's cacophony.
This philosophy also guides his approach to "The News with Shepard Smith," and it shows. Each weeknight at 7 p.m. Eastern since the program's Sept. 30 launch, Smith delivers the news of the day, regardless of what it may be, with an old-school broadcast anchor's mellow sobriety. Pressing events of the day top the hour and from there Smith and his correspondents zero in on an assortment of issues that stand to have significant local and regional impact.
"We try to find stories . . . tell them factually and dig into data a lot, and then hear from people about how they feel about the issues through their own personal experiences and how it's affected them," he explained. "And we're not looking for, 'How do you feel about what he said?' or 'How you feel about what she said?' We're trying to just seek the truth, find the truth and tell the truth in context and with perspective."
Having spent 23 years with Fox News, Shepard's new chapter at CNBC intentionally veers away from the argumentative clamor and enraged punditry that has defined cable news in the 21st century. Instead, "The News" offers something so rare and refreshing that people presumed it to be extinct: fact-based reporting, delivered calmly by a plain-spoken anchor uninterested in ginning up arguments.
When developing each day's story slate, Smith says he and his staff adhere to a set of sensible axioms: Get it right. Add in whatever context is important. Explain why the story they're covering matters because of what the consequences will be, if those are known consequences. Then put it into perspective, historical and otherwise.
His show intentionally declines to participate in the cycle of back and forth fueled by false equivalency and both sides-ism.
"We have to ignore the signal and focus on the prize," Smith told Salon. "There's a lot of, 'Look over here!' in life, and there's always been a lot of 'Look over here.' But 'Look over here' gets a lot more juice than it ever did before because of all of these media ecosystems. And it can overtake you."
"This other stuff is going to fade away at some point," he added, referring to the poisonous politics of the last five years and the amplified flurry of lies and hyperbole accompanying it, "and we'll cover the trials and tribulations along with it, we'll cover the uprisings and the demonstrations. And we'll hear from people about how they think about things. But we're on a different road. It's the road less traveled, and I'm enjoying it."
In case you've forgotten, as so many have, that metaphorical road to which he's referring is that it used to be the main road. The road. In the days of broadcast anchor supremacy and CNN's earliest era, the news was a straight-laced enterprise guided by policy, data and expert insight, and what leaders said and did received more space than broad interpretations of the meaning of what they tweeted.
When Smith was first rising through the cable news ranks, he distinguished himself during Hurricane Katrina by careful reporting what he saw on the ground, allowing his emotions to show through at times when the horror overwhelmed him.
I pointed that out to him as an asset. He views the memory differently.
"My goal is always to not let emotions get in the way. Recognize them, use them as inspiration and guidance sometimes, but not to express them," he said. "I like to get excited about things when there are things about which everyone should be excited, and to be sad about things, about which everyone should be sad, but in measured ways."
"And you said that just now, you said, 'You let your emotions take over,'" he continued. "They didn't. They won."
In his view, emotions got the best of him because what he was seeing and reporting starkly contradicted the party line that was coming out of the White House and being repeated by other reporters and pundits, including those at Fox News.
In recalling the memory, Smith is passionate as he describes witnessing firsthand the dire suffering in his midst and his shock at hearing officials tell the public that the cavalry had arrived, that people where getting food, medical attention and water when that simply wasn't true.
"I know New Orleans. I'm a child of Mississippi. And I know its greatness and its horrors. There are so many dynamic cities around the world that are both things. And I know the Lower Ninth Ward. I know the poverty and I know how it is systematic and systemic. And I know that certain categories of people have been kept in a place and they don't have a way out and now they're flooded and dying."
He continued, thinking back to what he may have said at the time, "'All of you, maybe you're mistaken, maybe you're misled, but you are telling untruths about what's happening here. And as a result of your untruth, more people are dying.' I couldn't believe it was happening. I couldn't believe that people in a building thousands of miles away were telling me that what I was seeing wasn't true."
"And I'm like, 'Wait, wait, wait, no, no, I'm here. You're reading, but I'm seeing and smelling. I don't need the Associated Press to tell me what's happening here, because I happen to be in the right place.'"
For the better part of the last quarter century, the route Smith has chosen for his program has been all but abandoned on cable. Early on in "The News" run, critics predicted Smith's show would be trounced in ratings. They were right. While October ratings for Fox News and MSNBC surged with the rising excitement and anxiety leading up to the presidential election, the audience for "The News with Shepard Smith" averaged around 272,000 viewers between Sept.30 and Oct. 22, coming in behind its 7 p.m. competitors on MSNBC, CNN and Fox News.
For a bit more perspective on Fox News, both "Hannity" and "Tucker Carlson Tonight" broke the 6 million viewer threshold in October. Carlson's ratings even beat "The Masked Singer" on Fox – that's Fox broadcast, not cable – in broadcasts that aired during the last week of October.
However, let's add a bit of context as well: Carlson's and Sean Hannity's programs are the linchpins supporting Smith's former home, the dominant news network for a decade and a half. CNBC is a small business news network powered by "Shark Tank" and "Jay Leno's Garage," and whatever attention it snagged in the mediasphere tended to be the result of something terrible that Lou Dobbs said.
According to Nielsen ratings data, over the first month that "The News" has aired, it increased the audience by 120% year over year, when "Shark Tank" reruns aired in its timeslot. And its audience may be small, but it is slowly growing. On Nov. 16 the program enjoyed its highest viewership yet in it's the 25-to-54 target demographic. It's been averaging around 268,000 viewers over the last eight weeks.
A CNBC spokesperson stated that the network is pleased with the progress "The News" has made thus far.
"Not only is CNBC a new entrant in the general news genre, but news viewers are creatures of habit, and it takes a long time to change those habits," the spokesperson shared in an emailed statement, adding that Smith's audience far exceeds that of the last regular news program to air on CNBC in the 7 p.m. ET timeslot, which was "The Kudlow Report" way back in the first quarter of 2014.
And lest viewers be tempted to write off Smith's classic approach to TV news, the cable news field has entered a period of flux. Numbers for "The News" may never approximate Fox News, MSNBC or CNN audience levels, but even their ratings are coming off the historic highs they rode during Donald Trump's presidency.
Much has been reported about disillusioned Fox News viewers migrating over to more far-right leaning and conspiracy theory-driven outlets such as Newsmax and One America News Network, and if that is the case, then surely there must be a commensurate number of viewers seeking out the kind of straight, no chaser delivery that Smith purveys.
Because as many people are realizing, and Smith told me, there's too much noise. "And all of that noise is destructive."
Not all of that destruction he's talking about is figurative. The biggest challenge Smith foresees in the immediate future isn't ratings, which don't trouble him owing to his sense of perspective. He says he's steeling himself for the time leading up to Christmas and into what he describes as "the cold, cold, beginning of 2021, when it's unimaginably sad and horrible everywhere."
"Because I talk to doctors – I talked to Dr. [Scott] Gottlieb, I talked to Dr. [Anthony] Fauci. I talked to a lot of doctors who I don't talk to on the air and they all say the same thing: We're not able to process what's about to happen to us."
This is Smith coming to me, from his personal space – not the on-air figure, but the person who railed at the irresponsible distortion of facts as he watched bodies float by in Katrina's floodwaters. Over Zoom you can see the humanity and concern registering on his face and perhaps hear it catching in his voice a bit. "Death and suffering is horrible in the little places where I've been and experienced them. You know, Columbine, the Oklahoma City Bombing, 9/11, they were all in one place – 9/11 was in a few places and certainly affected everyone. But they cried for us. It didn't happen in their town."
"Now," he continued, "It's going to be happening every town. And we're going to be so sad, if the doctors are right. And sadness is so destructive."
During those times, he said, the role of "The News" will be to find the heroes in the chaos. We have to give some people who are inspiring, and who doing it in their own little way, to more people in order to inspire them to inspire.
Which is why he stressed his program's dedication to finding the light, not to goose ratings. The vaccines, he said, are a light. So is the culture's renewed focus on women's issues and its nascent efforts to take an anti-racist stance. "Everyone seems to agree that we cannot continue to exist this divided. It will conquer us. We have to find ways to come together. And, you know, as a gay guy, I've always known that if we know get each other better, it's all going to be easier."
Amazingly the CNBC anchor has a hopeful view of what lies ahead for TV news. I feel like eventually we're going to look back and this will be just a little blip in time when people got confused about what was true and what wasn't . . . They got distracted and didn't realize, and, ' I really was misinformed. And I need to go back to a trusted source. And I need to be more careful about how I consume,'" he said.
"But we're in the middle of it and we have to figure out how to get out of it. I don't know what the answer is . . . I don't know how it's all corrected. I don't know what policies and changes need to be made. But I know that we're trying to do it, just ourselves, and we begin by focusing and tuning it out."


alternet--2020-11-27--Fauci warns pandemic not expected to ease for holidays as US hospitalizations hit new record

After millions of people crowded into airports in recent days despite public health experts ' warnings against traveling for Thanksgiving—the Thursday holiday that coincided with a record number of coronavirus-related hospitalizations in the United States—the nation 's top infectious disease doctor expressed concerns that conditions could continue to worsen through the end of the year and beyond .
`` If the surge takes a turn of continuing to go up and you have the sustained greater than 100,000 infections a day and 1,300 deaths per day and the count keeps going up and up ...
I do n't see it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New Year 's holidays than during Thanksgiving , '' Dr. Anthony Fauci , director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , told USA TODAY .
In his interview with the newspaper last week , published Friday , Fauci shared how his own family is handling the winter holiday season in the midst of a deadly pandemic : Newsweek noted Friday that despite the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 's recommendation against traveling around Thanksgiving , `` nearly three million people passed through airport security checkpoints the Friday , Saturday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to the Transportation Security Administration . ''
As of Friday afternoon , the U.S. death toll topped 264,000 and the nation had seen more than 12.9 million confirmed cases , according to Johns Hopkins University 's global tracker .
Thanksgiving marked the country 's 24th consecutive day of over 100,000 new daily cases in the United States , with 110,611 infections and 1,232 deaths .
Ali Mokdad , professor of health metrics sciences at the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluations ( IHME ) and chief strategy officer for population health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ USA TODAY only about a fourth of all Covid-19 cases are reported in the United States due to testing limitations and undetected infections .
`` We should prevent getting Covid-19 especially at this time when we 're about to get a vaccine rolling out , '' Mokdad told the newspaper , referencing recent promising results from multiple late-stage vaccine trials .
`` We need to be extra careful these upcoming extra couple of weeks in order to avoid pain and suffering . ''
The IHME currently projects more than 336,800 total deaths from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and 441,254 daily infections—including those who are n't tested—for the United States alone by the end of the year .
The institute also projects a rise in the demand for hospital beds , including in intensive care units , by December 31 .
The Covid Tracking Project , a volunteer group launched by The Atlantic , reported that hospitalizations due to disease in the United States hit a record of 90,481 on Thursday , with 17,802 people in ICUs and 5,979 requiring ventilators .
The Hill noted that the project `` expects states @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and death statistics on Thanksgiving and the weekend after as people are focused on the holiday .
The experts predict that the numbers will then 'catch up ' in the following days . ''
The rest of the world is `` watching with trepidation—and at times disbelief—as coronavirus cases surge across the United States , and masses of Americans are choosing to follow through with plans to visit family and friends for this week 's Thanksgiving holiday anyway , '' according to the Washington Post , which cited experts and media reports from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ United Kingdom .
`` From Australia , this looks like a mindbogglingly dangerous chapter in the out-of-control American Covid-19 story , '' Ian Mackay , an associate professor of virology at the University of Queensland , told the Post in an email .
`` Sadly , for some , this will be a Thanksgiving that is remembered for all the wrong reasons . ''

After millions of people crowded into airports in recent days despite public health experts' warnings against traveling for Thanksgiving—the Thursday holiday that coincided with a record number of coronavirus-related hospitalizations in the United States—the nation's top infectious disease doctor expressed concerns that conditions could continue to worsen through the end of the year and beyond.
"If the surge takes a turn of continuing to go up and you have the sustained greater than 100,000 infections a day and 1,300 deaths per day and the count keeps going up and up... I don't see it being any different during the Christmas and New Year's holidays than during Thanksgiving," Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, toldUSA TODAY.
In his interview with the newspaper last week, published Friday, Fauci shared how his own family is handling the winter holiday season in the midst of a deadly pandemic:
Fauci said he's most likely scrapping Christmas plans this year as he did for Thanksgiving. Instead of receiving his three daughters this year, who live in different parts of the country, he opted to send his love over Zoom and enjoy a quiet dinner with his wife.
"For my own family, I'm saying we had a really great Thanksgiving and Christmas last year. We're looking forward to a really great Thanksgiving and Christmas in 2021," he said. "Let's now make the best of the situation and show our love and affection for people by keeping them safe."
Newsweeknoted Friday that despite the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's recommendation against traveling around Thanksgiving, "nearly three million people passed through airport security checkpoints the Friday, Saturday, and Sunday before the long weekend, according to the Transportation Security Administration."
As of Friday afternoon, the U.S. death toll topped 264,000 and the nation had seen more than 12.9 million confirmed cases, according to Johns Hopkins University's global tracker. Thanksgiving marked the country's 24th consecutive day of over 100,000 new daily cases in the United States, with 110,611 infections and 1,232 deaths.
Ali Mokdad, professor of health metrics sciences at the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluations (IHME) and chief strategy officer for population health at the University of Washington, told USA TODAY only about a fourth of all Covid-19 cases are reported in the United States due to testing limitations and undetected infections.
"We should prevent getting Covid-19 especially at this time when we're about to get a vaccine rolling out," Mokdad told the newspaper, referencing recent promising results from multiple late-stage vaccine trials. "We need to be extra careful these upcoming extra couple of weeks in order to avoid pain and suffering."
The IHME currently projects more than 336,800 total deaths from Covid-19, over 2,500 daily deaths, and 441,254 daily infections—including those who aren't tested—for the United States alone by the end of the year. The institute also projects a rise in the demand for hospital beds, including in intensive care units, by December 31.
The Covid Tracking Project, a volunteer group launched by The Atlantic, reported that hospitalizations due to disease in the United States hit a record of 90,481 on Thursday, with 17,802 people in ICUs and 5,979 requiring ventilators. The Hillnoted that the project "expects states to report fewer testing, case, and death statistics on Thanksgiving and the weekend after as people are focused on the holiday. The experts predict that the numbers will then 'catch up' in the following days."
The rest of the world is "watching with trepidation—and at times disbelief—as coronavirus cases surge across the United States, and masses of Americans are choosing to follow through with plans to visit family and friends for this week's Thanksgiving holiday anyway," according to the Washington Post, which cited experts and media reports from Australia and Cameroon to Germany and the United Kingdom.
"From Australia, this looks like a mindbogglingly dangerous chapter in the out-of-control American Covid-19 story," Ian Mackay, an associate professor of virology at the University of Queensland, told the Post in an email. "Sadly, for some, this will be a Thanksgiving that is remembered for all the wrong reasons."


alternet--2020-11-27--Fox News analyst complains the media trashed Jared and Ivanka — and won’t do the same with Biden’s k

Fox News analyst complains the media trashed Jared and Ivanka — and won’t do the same with Biden’s kids

President Donald Trump once bragged , during an interview , that he considered nepotism a good thing — and in that sense , he practiced what he preached , hiring Ivanka Trump and her husband , Jared Kushner , as White House senior advisers despite their lack of experience in politics .
In contrast , President-elect Joe Biden has been picking highly experienced people for his administration .
And Fox News media analyst Howard Kurtz is claiming that there will be a double standard when it comes to mainstream media coverage of Biden 's picks .
Kurtz ' comments about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by New York Magazine journalist Olivia Nuzzi 's on the podcast `` The Fourth Estate . ''
Nuzzi argued that if the White House Correspondents Association are `` terrified of pissing off '' the Trump Administration , what will they be like under a Biden Administration ?
Kurtz claimed that journalists in the mainstream media have been afraid to say anything favorable about Ivanka Trump and Kushner for fear of offending their colleagues .
`` It 's like if you do n't trash Jared and Ivanka , you 're out of the cool @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Fox News media analyst also said , `` Look , I do n't think most reporters want to be patted on the head .
I do think they like to be respected and not attacked as an enemy of the American people and all of that… But there 's little question that much of the news business for the last four years has treated President Trump as a dangerous liar and used that to justify a blatant double standard in the coverage .
Most reporters happen to like Joe Biden personally .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a backlash from more left-wing journalists against any working reporter who dares to portray anybody from Trumpworld with a little bit of sympathy , treating them as human beings . ''

President Donald Trump once bragged, during an interview, that he considered nepotism a good thing — and in that sense, he practiced what he preached, hiring Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner, as White House senior advisers despite their lack of experience in politics. In contrast, President-elect Joe Biden has been picking highly experienced people for his administration. And Fox News media analyst Howard Kurtz is claiming that there will be a double standard when it comes to mainstream media coverage of Biden's picks.
Kurtz' comments about Biden's incoming administration followed an analysis by New York Magazine journalist Olivia Nuzzi's on the podcast "The Fourth Estate." Nuzzi argued that if the White House Correspondents Association are "terrified of pissing off" the Trump Administration, what will they be like under a Biden Administration?
Kurtz claimed that journalists in the mainstream media have been afraid to say anything favorable about Ivanka Trump and Kushner for fear of offending their colleagues.
"It's like if you don't trash Jared and Ivanka, you're out of the cool kids club," Kurtz claimed.
The Fox News media analyst also said, "Look, I don't think most reporters want to be patted on the head. I do think they like to be respected and not attacked as an enemy of the American people and all of that… But there's little question that much of the news business for the last four years has treated President Trump as a dangerous liar and used that to justify a blatant double standard in the coverage. Most reporters happen to like Joe Biden personally."
Kurtz claimed, "There is a backlash from more left-wing journalists against any working reporter who dares to portray anybody from Trumpworld with a little bit of sympathy, treating them as human beings."
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