alternet--2020-12-21--COVID-19 pandemic will be followed by the ‘new Roaring 20s’ and ‘relentless social interactions’: ep

COVID-19 pandemic will be followed by the ‘new Roaring 20s’ and ‘relentless social interactions’: epidemiologist

It was a year ago , in December 2019 , that reports of an aggressive new coronavirus started coming out of Mainland China .
Since then , according to Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore , the COVID-19 pandemic has killed more than 1.6 million people worldwide and over 317,000 people in the United States — making it the world 's deadliest health crisis since the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918/1919 .
But if history repeats itself , Yale professor and epidemiologist Dr. Nicholas A. Christakis predicts , the social distancing of 2020 will be followed by a post-pandemic boom in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the book , `` Apollo 's Arrow : The Profound and Enduring Impact of Coronavirus on the Way We Live . ''
And The Guardian 's Jessica Glenza notes that according to Christakis , `` one of the arguments in the book is that what 's happening to us may seem to so many people to be alien and unnatural , but plagues are not new to our species — they 're just new to us . ''
Although the term `` social distancing '' is associated with the COVID-19 pandemic , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 100 years ago during the 1918/1919 pandemic .
But only a few years later , social activity was booming in the United States .
The 1920s went down in history as the Roaring '20s and the era of Prohibition , bootleggers , Flappers , jazz bands and the wild dance parties depicted in `` The Great Gatsby . ''
Social conservatives and anti-feminists of the 1920s angrily railed against Flappers and their bob haircuts , which only made the bob more popular — and it 's still a popular hairstyle today .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ against Black jazz culture during the Roaring '20s , the more popular Louis Armstrong , Fletcher Henderson and Duke Ellington became .
According to Christakis , the Roaring 1920s will have a sequel 100 years later : the Roaring 2020s .
`` Here is the comfort that might be taken in Christakis ' observations of disease over millennia : plagues and pandemics end , '' Glenza explains .
`` They always end .
They ended even before we had vaccines to respond to them .
And how we react to these germs — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ determines the force with which they hit our society .
Further , while distributing vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna will be one of the greatest public health challenges of our time , they also represent one of humankind 's great achievements . ''
Dr. Anthony Fauci , expert immunologist , has been expressing optimism about the COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna .
Medical workers are now being vaccinated .
And Christakis told The Guardian , `` we 're the first generation of humans alive who has ever faced this threat that allows @ @ @ @ @ @ @ medicines .
It 's miraculous . ''
The COVID-19 pandemic , like the 1918/1919 pandemic , is likely to see a darkest-before-the-dawn scenario .
December 2020 has seen some of the pandemic 's deadliest days so far .
But post-pandemic , the survivors , Christakis says , will be longing for human interaction — not unlike those who survived the 1918/1919 pandemic and lived to experience the Roaring 1920s .
According to Glenza , `` once pandemics end , often there is a period in which people seek out extensive social interaction , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ second 'Roaring 20s ' just as after the 1918 flu pandemic . ''
Christakis explains , `` during epidemics , you get increases in religiosity .
People become more abstentious , they save money , they get risk-averse — and we 're seeing all of that now just as we have for hundreds of years during epidemics… .
In 2024 , all of those ( pandemic trends ) will be reversed .
People will relentlessly seek out social interactions . ''

It was a year ago, in December 2019, that reports of an aggressive new coronavirus started coming out of Mainland China. Since then, according to Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, the COVID-19 pandemic has killed more than 1.6 million people worldwide and over 317,000 people in the United States — making it the world's deadliest health crisis since the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918/1919. But if history repeats itself, Yale professor and epidemiologist Dr. Nicholas A. Christakis predicts, the social distancing of 2020 will be followed by a post-pandemic boom in social activity.
Christakis is the author of the book, "Apollo's Arrow: The Profound and Enduring Impact of Coronavirus on the Way We Live." And The Guardian's Jessica Glenza notes that according to Christakis, "one of the arguments in the book is that what's happening to us may seem to so many people to be alien and unnatural, but plagues are not new to our species — they're just new to us."
Although the term "social distancing" is associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, there was also plenty of it more than 100 years ago during the 1918/1919 pandemic. But only a few years later, social activity was booming in the United States. The 1920s went down in history as the Roaring '20s and the era of Prohibition, bootleggers, Flappers, jazz bands and the wild dance parties depicted in "The Great Gatsby." Social conservatives and anti-feminists of the 1920s angrily railed against Flappers and their bob haircuts, which only made the bob more popular — and it's still a popular hairstyle today. Similarly, the more Christian fundamentalists railed against Black jazz culture during the Roaring '20s, the more popular Louis Armstrong, Fletcher Henderson and Duke Ellington became.
According to Christakis, the Roaring 1920s will have a sequel 100 years later: the Roaring 2020s.
"Here is the comfort that might be taken in Christakis' observations of disease over millennia: plagues and pandemics end," Glenza explains. "They always end. They ended even before we had vaccines to respond to them. And how we react to these germs — through social distancing, for example — determines the force with which they hit our society. Further, while distributing vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna will be one of the greatest public health challenges of our time, they also represent one of humankind's great achievements."
Dr. Anthony Fauci, expert immunologist, has been expressing optimism about the COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna. Medical workers are now being vaccinated. And Christakis told The Guardian, "we're the first generation of humans alive who has ever faced this threat that allows them to respond in real-time with efficacious medicines. It's miraculous."
The COVID-19 pandemic, like the 1918/1919 pandemic, is likely to see a darkest-before-the-dawn scenario. December 2020 has seen some of the pandemic's deadliest days so far. But post-pandemic, the survivors, Christakis says, will be longing for human interaction — not unlike those who survived the 1918/1919 pandemic and lived to experience the Roaring 1920s.
According to Glenza, "once pandemics end, often there is a period in which people seek out extensive social interaction, and which Christakis predicts will be a second 'Roaring 20s' just as after the 1918 flu pandemic."
Christakis explains, "during epidemics, you get increases in religiosity. People become more abstentious, they save money, they get risk-averse — and we're seeing all of that now just as we have for hundreds of years during epidemics…. In 2024, all of those (pandemic trends) will be reversed. People will relentlessly seek out social interactions."


alternet--2020-12-21--'It's nuts!' GOP lawmaker unloads on Trump for hosting martial law summit in the Oval Office

Rep. Adam Kinzinger ( R-IL ) on Monday tore into President Donald Trump for hosting a summit at the White @ @ @ @ @ he was implored to declare martial law in a desperate bid to retain power .
@ @ @ @ @ was asked what he thought of disgraced former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn floating @ @ @ @ @ results of the 2020 election void and then deploy the United States military to do @ @ @ @ @ .
`` I think it 's nuts , '' he said .
`` I think @ @ @ @ @ people that do n't necessarily understand what martial law is .
They know it basically @ @ @ @ @ is basically the federal military coming in and suspending the authority of state or local @ @ @ @ @ on to demolish some of the other conspiracy theories being floated by the president 's @ @ @ @ @ ! '
GOP lawmaker unloads on Trump for hosting martial law summit at the White @

Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) on Monday tore into President Donald Trump for hosting a summit at the White House last week in which he was implored to declare martial law in a desperate bid to retain power.
Appearing on CNN, Kinzinger was asked what he thought of disgraced former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn floating a plan to declare the results of the 2020 election void and then deploy the United States military to do a re-do of the vote.
"I think it's nuts," he said. "I think there's a lot of people that don't necessarily understand what martial law is. They know it basically sounds ominous. Martial law is basically the federal military coming in and suspending the authority of state or local governments."
Kinzinger went on to demolish some of the other conspiracy theories being floated by the president's allies.
Watch the video below.
'It's nuts!' GOP lawmaker unloads on Trump for hosting martial law summit at the White House youtu.be


alternet--2020-12-21--How a post-election GOP 'civil war' could 'tear the party apart': reporter

President Ronald Reagan , in the 1980s , famously said that he considered someone who agreed with him 70 % of the time to be a 70 % ally rather than a 30 % enemy .
But among President Donald Trump 's diehard devotees , anything less than 100 % agreement with the president is a sacrilege .
And journalist Sasha Abramsky , in an article published by The Nation on December 18 , examines post-election tensions between Republicans who are acknowledging Joe Biden as president-elect and Republicans who are encouraging Trump to keep fighting the election results .
With @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the election results having been rejected by one court after another and the Electoral College having certified Biden 's victory , even Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and outgoing Attorney General William Barr have said that they consider Biden president-elect .
Some Trump devotees are now slamming McConnell and Barr as RINOs : Republicans in Name Only , which is ironic in light of how aggressive a defender of Trump Barr and McConnell have been .
Now , even McConnell and Barr are n't MAGA enough .
`` A civil war is now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Abramsky explains .
`` The Electoral College has met and confirmed Joe Biden 's victory , Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has finally agreed to call Biden the president-elect , Russian President Vladimir Putin has congratulated Biden on his victory — and yet , stateside , the Trump cultists continue to scheme and foment ever-more-fantastical assaults on democracy . ''
McConnell , journalist Jonathan Easley notes in an article for The Hill , is hoping to avoid a battle on the Senate floor on January 3 , when Congress will vote to certify @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Senate majority leader has asked GOP senators not to join Rep. Mo Brooks of Alabama in resisting the election results , but Sen.-elect Tommy Tuberville is siding with Brooks rather than McConnell .
The `` Trump cultists '' Abramsky cites as especially unhinged include attorney Sidney Powell and long-time Trump loyalist Stephen Miller , who has declared that the campaign must keep fighting the election results right up until January 20 , 2021 .
`` Not to be outdone in the crazy sweepstakes , Sidney Powell , the Trump campaign 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ diatribe against McConnell 's Taiwanese American wife , '' Abramsky notes .
According to Abramsky , `` It 's tempting to dismiss all of this as simply the noisy , irrational coda to a brutal election season .
But it 's more complex than that .
Trump is desperately fighting for his personal survival , but McConnell has abandoned him ; ergo , Trump must now turn his rhetorical guns against the Senate leader .
For his part , McConnell has clearly concluded that it 's in his political interest to cut his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and his supporters ' threats for the next few weeks , in order to maintain his political power into the Biden presidency . ''
Abramsky concludes the article by stressing that a post-election `` civil war '' among Republicans could inflict major damage on the GOP .
`` Given Trump 's despotic ambitions and his clear intent to maintain an iron grip on the GOP and its base in the coming years — and given the moral black hole so many GOP elected officials have managed to sink themselves into over the past @ @ @ @ @ @ @ see how this confrontation does n't end up tearing the party apart , '' Abramsky writes .
`` I had hoped Trump 's candidacy in 2016 would perform that vital role — that it would break a rotten party wide open for all to see the vacuum at its core .
It did n't happen then .
In these final weeks of 2020 and of Trump 's rancid regime , it seems to be happening now . ''

President Ronald Reagan, in the 1980s, famously said that he considered someone who agreed with him 70% of the time to be a 70% ally rather than a 30% enemy. But among President Donald Trump's diehard devotees, anything less than 100% agreement with the president is a sacrilege. And journalist Sasha Abramsky, in an article published by The Nation on December 18, examines post-election tensions between Republicans who are acknowledging Joe Biden as president-elect and Republicans who are encouraging Trump to keep fighting the election results.
With the Trump campaign's legal challenges to the election results having been rejected by one court after another and the Electoral College having certified Biden's victory, even Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and outgoing Attorney General William Barr have said that they consider Biden president-elect. Some Trump devotees are now slamming McConnell and Barr as RINOs: Republicans in Name Only, which is ironic in light of how aggressive a defender of Trump Barr and McConnell have been. Now, even McConnell and Barr aren't MAGA enough.
"A civil war is now percolating within the Republican Party," Abramsky explains. "The Electoral College has met and confirmed Joe Biden's victory, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has finally agreed to call Biden the president-elect, Russian President Vladimir Putin has congratulated Biden on his victory — and yet, stateside, the Trump cultists continue to scheme and foment ever-more-fantastical assaults on democracy."
McConnell, journalist Jonathan Easley notes in an article for The Hill, is hoping to avoid a battle on the Senate floor on January 3, when Congress will vote to certify the Electoral College votes of December 14. The Senate majority leader has asked GOP senators not to join Rep. Mo Brooks of Alabama in resisting the election results, but Sen.-elect Tommy Tuberville is siding with Brooks rather than McConnell.
The "Trump cultists" Abramsky cites as especially unhinged include attorney Sidney Powell and long-time Trump loyalist Stephen Miller, who has declared that the campaign must keep fighting the election results right up until January 20, 2021.
"Not to be outdone in the crazy sweepstakes, Sidney Powell, the Trump campaign's recently departed attorney, retweeted a racist diatribe against McConnell's Taiwanese American wife," Abramsky notes.
According to Abramsky, "It's tempting to dismiss all of this as simply the noisy, irrational coda to a brutal election season. But it's more complex than that. Trump is desperately fighting for his personal survival, but McConnell has abandoned him; ergo, Trump must now turn his rhetorical guns against the Senate leader. For his part, McConnell has clearly concluded that it's in his political interest to cut his losses now and endure Trump's rants and his supporters' threats for the next few weeks, in order to maintain his political power into the Biden presidency."
Abramsky concludes the article by stressing that a post-election "civil war" among Republicans could inflict major damage on the GOP.
"Given Trump's despotic ambitions and his clear intent to maintain an iron grip on the GOP and its base in the coming years — and given the moral black hole so many GOP elected officials have managed to sink themselves into over the past four years — it's hard to see how this confrontation doesn't end up tearing the party apart," Abramsky writes. "I had hoped Trump's candidacy in 2016 would perform that vital role — that it would break a rotten party wide open for all to see the vacuum at its core. It didn't happen then. In these final weeks of 2020 and of Trump's rancid regime, it seems to be happening now."


alternet--2020-12-21--American carnage: Let's never forget the Republicans who enabled this catastrophe

It may seem as if President Donald Trump has done nothing since losing to Joe Biden but watch TV and rage tweet about his stolen election fantasy , however , he 's actually been quite busy .
He 's reportedly considering a military coup or an executive order to seize the voting machines in swing states that Biden won .
He spent a lot of energy pushing Attorney General Bill Barr to pursue some of his wild theories about the alleged election theft and pressed him to appoint a Special Counsel to investigate Biden 's son Hunter .
He 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government of those he considers disloyal , particularly at the Pentagon , where he has spent the final few weeks of his presidency installing some of his closest collaborators for reasons that remain unclear .
So you ca n't say he is doing nothing — he 's just not doing his job .
Last week , we were informed that there was a major cyber intrusion into both business and government by what the intelligence services and private security companies believe was the Russian government .
By all accounts , it is an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump had nothing to say about this for days until this weekend when he downplayed the attack : Needless to say , he has also been silent about the worst public health crisis America has faced in over a century as COVID-19 once again surges across the country , filling up hospitals and morgues at a frightening pace .
According to the Washington Post , one of his closest advisers , speaking anonymously , said , `` I think he 's just done with covid I think he put it on a timetable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
.
.
It just exceeded the amount of time he gave it . ''
Trump is known for projecting his own dark thoughts onto others so I suppose it 's not even ironic that he spent most of the fall campaign insisting that after November 4th , nobody would talk about COVID anymore .
For instance , he told the Republican Convention that it was all fake news , that `` they want to make our numbers look as bad as possible for the election . ''
At one campaign rally on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crowd : This Christmas week , our country is losing an American every 33 seconds to Covid , Covid , Covid .
As the Washington Post 's Philip Bump points out , `` every time you listen to Bing Crosby 's 'White Christmas , ' about five people have died of the virus between the beginning and the end of the song . ''
The death toll is over 318,000 and climbing .
Oddly enough , Trump ca n't even tear himself away from his scheming about the election he indisputably lost six @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the successful approvals of the vaccines .
All he could bring himself to do was whine pitifully to the press that they 'd better not give Biden credit because it was all his doing .
He has barely mentioned the successful rollouts of the first two vaccines on his hysterical Twitter feed .
This is in keeping with his attitude about the crisis from the beginning .
You may recall that both the Washington Post and the New York Times have done deep reporting on the administration 's crisis response from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their desperate attempt to re-open the economy in the spring to this summer 's surprise surge .
They are all excellent , long-form `` tick-tock '' pieces of how this emergency unfolded and unraveled .
It was very bad in the beginning and has n't gotten any better since .
In the latest installment , a report from the Washington Post called `` The inside story of how Trump 's denial , mismanagement and magical thinking led to the pandemic 's dark winter , '' reporters Yasmeen Abutaleb , Josh Dawsey , Ashley @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a narrative that would be farcical if it were n't so very , very tragic : If Trump and his cohorts had made even the slightest effort to encourage mitigation strategies and public health guidelines instead of fighting them all the way , they could have saved tens of thousands of lives .
The vaccines are , as the Post puts it , a `` triumph of scientific ingenuity and bureaucratic efficiency '' but they do n't make up for the fact that the president , whom they describe as being `` perpetually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ monumentally dysfunctional federal response that was the direct cause of proportionally more deaths in the U.S. than in other developed countries .
It is an embarrassment that is laid directly at his feet : He would not listen to the scientists because they did n't tell him what he wanted to hear .
That is the story of his presidency , is n't it ?
It 's got to be happy talk or Trump does n't want to hear it .
But let 's not forget all the Republicans who enabled this catastrophe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take the measures that might have spared lives to their accomplices in Congress who refused to save businesses from going under so they would n't feel compelled to open up prematurely .
Instead , they all genuflected to the man who ca n't hear bad news without falling apart .
For instance , Sen. Marco Rubio , R-Fl.
, actually had the temerity to post a picture of him getting the vaccine before everyone else : The argument for doing that is that we need important and famous people , regardless of their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ others will know it 's safe .
I have a sneaking suspicion that I could count the number of people who will be reassured by Marco Rubio getting the vaccine on one hand , however .
But ok , perhaps this is what we must do .
Still , how infuriating for him to have the gall to then post this : The obtuseness on display by a man who has excused the grotesquely incompetent response to this crisis having the nerve to lecture people who tried to save lives and businesses with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is almost too much to bear .
This is on Trump , to be sure .
But all of his Republican accomplices were right there with him .
They could n't bring themselves to do what was necessary to help the economy weather the crisis and instead decided that it was better to let businesses struggle and hundreds of thousands of Americans die over these past few months .
Even though the Republicans finally agreed to a $ 900 billion relief package late Sunday evening , i 's very late and far from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mitch McConnell , R-Ky. , Republicans only came to the table after months of stalling to help the two GOP Senators in the Georgia runoff election .
The carnage they 've helped create is unforgivable .

It may seem as if President Donald Trump has done nothing since losing to Joe Biden but watch TV and rage tweet about his stolen election fantasy, however, he's actually been quite busy.
He's reportedly considering a military coup or an executive order to seize the voting machines in swing states that Biden won. He spent a lot of energy pushing Attorney General Bill Barr to pursue some of his wild theories about the alleged election theft and pressed him to appoint a Special Counsel to investigate Biden's son Hunter. He's also been engaged in purging the federal government of those he considers disloyal, particularly at the Pentagon, where he has spent the final few weeks of his presidency installing some of his closest collaborators for reasons that remain unclear.
So you can't say he is doing nothing — he's just not doing his job.
Last week, we were informed that there was a major cyber intrusion into both business and government by what the intelligence services and private security companies believe was the Russian government. By all accounts, it is an unprecedented case of cyber-espionage, however, Trump had nothing to say about this for days until this weekend when he downplayed the attack:
Needless to say, he has also been silent about the worst public health crisis America has faced in over a century as COVID-19 once again surges across the country, filling up hospitals and morgues at a frightening pace. According to the Washington Post, one of his closest advisers, speaking anonymously, said, "I think he's just done with covid I think he put it on a timetable and he's done with covid. . . . It just exceeded the amount of time he gave it." Trump is known for projecting his own dark thoughts onto others so I suppose it's not even ironic that he spent most of the fall campaign insisting that after November 4th, nobody would talk about COVID anymore. For instance, he told the Republican Convention that it was all fake news, that "they want to make our numbers look as bad as possible for the election." At one campaign rally on October 24th, he told his ecstatic crowd:
"That's all I hear about now. That's all I hear. Turn on television—'Covid, Covid, Covid, Covid, Covid, Covid.' A plane goes down. 500 people dead, they don't talk about it. Covid, Covid, Covid, Covid.' By the way, on November 4, you won't hear about it anymore,"
This Christmas week, our country is losing an American every 33 seconds to Covid, Covid, Covid. As the Washington Post's Philip Bump points out, "every time you listen to Bing Crosby's 'White Christmas,' about five people have died of the virus between the beginning and the end of the song." The death toll is over 318,000 and climbing.
Oddly enough, Trump can't even tear himself away from his scheming about the election he indisputably lost six weeks ago to take a victory lap for the successful approvals of the vaccines. All he could bring himself to do was whine pitifully to the press that they'd better not give Biden credit because it was all his doing. He has barely mentioned the successful rollouts of the first two vaccines on his hysterical Twitter feed.
This is in keeping with his attitude about the crisis from the beginning.
You may recall that both the Washington Post and the New York Times have done deep reporting on the administration's crisis response from the emergence of the virus in January to their desperate attempt to re-open the economy in the spring to this summer's surprise surge. They are all excellent, long-form "tick-tock" pieces of how this emergency unfolded and unraveled. It was very bad in the beginning and hasn't gotten any better since.
In the latest installment, a report from the Washington Post called "The inside story of how Trump's denial, mismanagement and magical thinking led to the pandemic's dark winter," reporters Yasmeen Abutaleb, Josh Dawsey, Ashley Parker, and Philip Rucker lay out a narrative that would be farcical if it weren't so very, very tragic: If Trump and his cohorts had made even the slightest effort to encourage mitigation strategies and public health guidelines instead of fighting them all the way, they could have saved tens of thousands of lives.
The vaccines are, as the Post puts it, a "triumph of scientific ingenuity and bureaucratic efficiency" but they don't make up for the fact that the president, whom they describe as being "perpetually in denial," has led a monumentally dysfunctional federal response that was the direct cause of proportionally more deaths in the U.S. than in other developed countries. It is an embarrassment that is laid directly at his feet:
The catastrophe began with Trump's initial refusal to take seriously the threat of a once-in-a-century pandemic. But, as officials detailed, it has been compounded over time by a host of damaging presidential traits — his skepticism of science, impatience with health restrictions, prioritization of personal politics over public safety, undisciplined communications, chaotic management style, indulgence of conspiracies, proclivity toward magical thinking, allowance of turf wars and flagrant disregard for the well-being of those around him.
He would not listen to the scientists because they didn't tell him what he wanted to hear. That is the story of his presidency, isn't it? It's got to be happy talk or Trump doesn't want to hear it.
But let's not forget all the Republicans who enabled this catastrophe. From the governors who refused to take the measures that might have spared lives to their accomplices in Congress who refused to save businesses from going under so they wouldn't feel compelled to open up prematurely. Instead, they all genuflected to the man who can't hear bad news without falling apart.
For instance, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fl., actually had the temerity to post a picture of him getting the vaccine before everyone else:
The argument for doing that is that we need important and famous people, regardless of their politics, to get vaccinated so that others will know it's safe. I have a sneaking suspicion that I could count the number of people who will be reassured by Marco Rubio getting the vaccine on one hand, however. But ok, perhaps this is what we must do. Still, how infuriating for him to have the gall to then post this:
The obtuseness on display by a man who has excused the grotesquely incompetent response to this crisis having the nerve to lecture people who tried to save lives and businesses with almost no support from the federal government is almost too much to bear.
This is on Trump, to be sure. But all of his Republican accomplices were right there with him. They couldn't bring themselves to do what was necessary to help the economy weather the crisis and instead decided that it was better to let businesses struggle and hundreds of thousands of Americans die over these past few months. Even though the Republicans finally agreed to a $900 billion relief package late Sunday evening, i's very late and far from being enough. According to Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., Republicans only came to the table after months of stalling to help the two GOP Senators in the Georgia runoff election. The carnage they've helped create is unforgivable.


alternet--2020-12-21--Trump allies floating increasingly 'anti-democratic' ideas as their ‘desperation’ grows — and offici

Trump allies floating increasingly 'anti-democratic' ideas as their ‘desperation’ grows — and officials are 'scared'

President Donald Trump ca n't stand rejection , and his campaign has had a lot of it since the 2020 presidential election — from judge after judge dismissing his legal team 's election lawsuits to the Electoral College certifying President-elect Joe Biden 's victory .
Following all that rejection , journalist Charlotte Klein stresses in an article published by Vanity Fair on December 20 , Trump and his supporters are resorting to increasingly extreme ideas in the hope of preventing Biden from being inaugurated less than a month from now .
`` Having effectively exhausted his legal options — at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Republicans , have shut down the president 's unprecedented attempt to overturn his defeat through the courts — Donald Trump is apparently now entertaining even more anti-democratic paths to preserving his power , '' Klein explains .
`` During a White House meeting on Friday , nearly a week after the Electoral College certified Joe Biden 's victory , Trump reportedly discussed invoking martial law to overturn his losing election result — a strategy one of the meeting 's attendees , former national security adviser and recent pardon recipient Michael Flynn , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' According to New York Times reporters Maggie Haberman and Zolan Kanno-Youngs , far-right Republican attorney Sidney Powell was also present in the White House during that Friday , December 18 meeting with the president — who floated the idea of choosing her as a special counsel to oversee an investigation of voter fraud .
Powell , in her lawsuits , has been alleging that Trump was the victim of widespread voter fraud during the election but has offered no proof of it .
Others who were present during that meeting included attorney @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cipollone and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows .
Klein writes , `` As others in the room pointed out Powell 's failure thus far to support her fraud claims with verifiable evidence , ( Powell ) 'accused other Trump advisers of being quitters , ' according to the Times .
Another reported an idea weighed during Friday 's meeting was an executive order to seize voting machines to examine them for alleged fraud , after Giuliani separately asked the Department of Homeland Security to do so earlier in the week — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is n't the only Trump supporter who has been urging Trump to declare martial law .
Far-right Georgia-based attorney Lin Wood , who has been working closely with Powell on election-related lawsuits , has also made that frightening recommendation : Haberman and Axios ' Jonathan Swan have both posted tweets noting how worried some people in Trump 's circle have been about the increasingly extreme ideas they are hearing : Klein points out that `` concern about the president 's increasingly desperate quest to remain in power has intensified among those in Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ senior administration official , quoted anonymously , told Axios , `` People who are concerned and nervous are n't the weak-kneed bureaucrats that we loathe .
These are people who have endured arguably more insanity and mayhem than any administration officials in history . ''

President Donald Trump can't stand rejection, and his campaign has had a lot of it since the 2020 presidential election — from judge after judge dismissing his legal team's election lawsuits to the Electoral College certifying President-elect Joe Biden's victory. Following all that rejection, journalist Charlotte Klein stresses in an article published by Vanity Fair on December 20, Trump and his supporters are resorting to increasingly extreme ideas in the hope of preventing Biden from being inaugurated less than a month from now.
"Having effectively exhausted his legal options — at least 86 judges, including dozens appointed by Republicans, have shut down the president's unprecedented attempt to overturn his defeat through the courts — Donald Trump is apparently now entertaining even more anti-democratic paths to preserving his power," Klein explains. "During a White House meeting on Friday, nearly a week after the Electoral College certified Joe Biden's victory, Trump reportedly discussed invoking martial law to overturn his losing election result — a strategy one of the meeting's attendees, former national security adviser and recent pardon recipient Michael Flynn, had recently proposed on cable television."
According to New York Times reporters Maggie Haberman and Zolan Kanno-Youngs, far-right Republican attorney Sidney Powell was also present in the White House during that Friday, December 18 meeting with the president — who floated the idea of choosing her as a special counsel to oversee an investigation of voter fraud. Powell, in her lawsuits, has been alleging that Trump was the victim of widespread voter fraud during the election but has offered no proof of it.
Others who were present during that meeting included attorney Rudy Giuliani, White House Counsel Pat Cipollone and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows.
Klein writes, "As others in the room pointed out Powell's failure thus far to support her fraud claims with verifiable evidence, (Powell) 'accused other Trump advisers of being quitters,' according to the Times. Another reported an idea weighed during Friday's meeting was an executive order to seize voting machines to examine them for alleged fraud, after Giuliani separately asked the Department of Homeland Security to do so earlier in the week — apparently to no avail."
Flynn isn't the only Trump supporter who has been urging Trump to declare martial law. Far-right Georgia-based attorney Lin Wood, who has been working closely with Powell on election-related lawsuits, has also made that frightening recommendation:
Haberman and Axios' Jonathan Swan have both posted tweets noting how worried some people in Trump's circle have been about the increasingly extreme ideas they are hearing:
Klein points out that "concern about the president's increasingly desperate quest to remain in power has intensified among those in Trump's circle," noting that a senior administration official, quoted anonymously, told Axios, "People who are concerned and nervous aren't the weak-kneed bureaucrats that we loathe. These are people who have endured arguably more insanity and mayhem than any administration officials in history."


alternet--2020-12-21--Mental health expert explains how to survive the ongoing emotional abuse of the Trump era

Donald Trump has been abusing the American people for at least four years .
The abuse is physical , through Trump and his administration 's willfully negligent response to the coronavirus pandemic , which has now killed more than 300,000 Americans .
In addition , Trump has encouraged political violence against his perceived enemies , including Democrats , antifascists , Black Lives Matter activists , journalists and others .
The abuse is financial .
Trump and the Republican Party have enacted policies — both before and during the coronavirus pandemic — that have severely harmed the economy , worsened social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public 's money to the very richest individuals and corporations .
Trump and his party 's policies have resulted in record unemployment and job losses , rampant hunger and poverty , and millions of Americans living under threat of eviction and homelessness .
The abuse is emotional .
Trump and his allies have caused the American people to suffer a type of collective post-traumatic stress disorder .
Trumpism as a society-wide emotional and mental pathology is also shown by the way Trump 's `` white working class '' supporters ( and even more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ form of Stockholm syndrome in which they identify with the abuser and `` love '' his mistreatment of them .
In the 2020 election , Trump was soundly defeated by Joe Biden .
But like other abusers , Trump will not stop his cruel and vile behavior .
Moreover , the American people 's decision to `` break up '' with him has caused Trump to rage and become even more abusive .
Trump has attempted a coup against democracy and the American people , and has amplified his use of stochastic terrorism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Even after Trump ( likely ) leaves office next month , he will continue to claim that he is the `` real president '' of the United States and interfere with the normal functioning of government and society whenever and however he can .
In all probability , Donald Trump will continue to be a menacing and nearly omnipresent figure in American life , culture and politics for years to come .
He is America 's very own authoritarian stalker .
How can the American people escape Trump , and begin to heal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
To explore that I recently spoke with Dr. Seth Norrholm , whom I have interviewed twice before .
He is a translational neuroscientist and one of the world 's leading experts on PTSD and fear .
He is currently the scientific director at the Neuroscience Center for Anxiety , Stress , and Trauma ( NeuroCAST ) in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences at the Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit .
Norrholm has also contributed several essays to Salon , co-authored with clinical psychologist Alan Blotcky and others @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the combination of Trump 's emotional and other abuse is a chronic stressful event that will have health impacts on the American people for years into the future , and that the Republican Party , the right-wing media and Trump 's followers have been enabling this ongoing abuse of the American people .
He warns that this abusive pattern , in combination with the mass death of the coronavirus pandemic , may lead to a form of survivor 's guilt among the American people , which will require national mourning and intervention @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clarity and length .
Donald Trump and his regime have also afflicted massive and traumatic stress on the American people , so it is not surprising that we are collectively dealing with PTSD , anxiety and depression .
Even after leaving office , Trump is still going to be a large presence in American life .
Using the traumatic stress , abuse and PTSD model , what happens when the abuser refuses to leave the victim alone but continues to harass and stalk them , as Trump is likely to do for years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the case with many abusive relationships .
There will be some type of formal legal action taken , such as a divorce or restraining order .
There will be some attempt by the abuser to push the boundaries of the restraining order , for example .
That can involve physical stalking or online stalking .
They may make a dummy account to track and stalk their target online as well .
The relationship is formally dissolved , but the abusive elements still remain .
Now , if we think of Trump as being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people , this is unique in the country 's history .
He is soon to be the former president .
Assuming things go as planned , Joe Biden will be inaugurated on Jan. 20 .
Those elements of the election and transition of power are akin to the formal process of ending a relationship legally .
But with the president of the United States , there 's a lot of continuation there .
He 's still referred to as `` Mr. President , '' he still gets a security detail , and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ having served in the office .
We 've never really had to confront a continuation with a malicious president .
What do we do as a country with someone like Donald Trump who is so pathological , so evil and so corrupt ?
With a former president who has those traits , and still quite a bit of symbolic power in the country and world ?
Abusers will continue to claim that the victims are in a relationship with them even when it is over .
They often claim their former partners as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump is going to do this by claiming that he is still the `` real president '' and that Joe Biden is illegitimate and a fraud .
That is part of the alternate reality that abusers and malignant narcissists create for themselves .
It is an example of gaslighting and the other forms of lying intended to get the abused person to the point where they begin to doubt themselves .
They ask , `` Am I crazy , or is he crazy ? ''
The victim can become disoriented in terms of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trying to maintain an alternative reality by stating , `` I am the president . ''
There are a few ways to understand what Trump is doing there .
First , I do believe he is a con man and a grifter .
The longer he keeps up this fight , the more money he can generate .
Regardless of his apparent psychopathology , Trump has the ability to seek wealth , power and adulation .
Second , he fears exposure both legally and as a fraud .
That is why he keeps @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unusual about this situation is that there are 74 million people , Trump 's voters , along with his party , his cabinet members and others , to help keep Trump in his alternate reality .
There are so many enablers for Trump and his delusions .
That is very different from the typical domestic abuse situation .
Trump has a team of `` surrogate abusers . ''
The worst thing one can do for a malignant narcissist or an abuser like Donald Trump is to tell him or her that they are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and false persona .
Because then not only is this person pathologically telling themselves how special they are and how superior they are , but they have an echo chamber that is telling them the same thing .
Clinical work and other research show that the most dangerous time in an abusive relationship is the end .
That is when there is likely to be an escalation of some sort .
This is when the abuser is most likely to be their most volatile .
What has Trump and his allies ' emotional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ done to us collectively ?
The last four years with Donald Trump have been a major chronic , continuous , stressful event .
It has created a state of anxiety and unpredictability that was present on almost a daily basis .
That is different from a typical PTSD case , where a person can identify one or more discrete events that happened in their life and from which there are post-traumatic consequences .
An example would be a combat veteran who was hit by an IED or a motor vehicle accident victim who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distinct events .
Therapeutically , a clinician would try to isolate that event for the patient , to point out that the likelihood of experiencing something like that again is quite low , for the most part .
We help the patient to better see reality .
There are ways to work through and process that type of post-traumatic situation .
Trump 's time in office and what he did to the country is very different .
One has to recognize that the source of the persistent state of stress is not going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are we as a society going to do with that problem ?
I believe that there need to be task forces comprised of experts in domestic violence and mental health and other medical professionals .
Their job would be to do community outreach .
Some specifics as to what Trump and these years with him have done to the American people : There are adverse psychological , physical , and cardiovascular problems ; gastrointestinal problems ; appetite , diet and sleep problems .
Trump and his stress have likely caused new addictions , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Such problems are increased with a chronic stressor .
Suicidal ideation has likely increased under Trump .
Combine that with the COVID pandemic and the country is going to be struggling with a psychological tsunami of problems that will need to be addressed .
Donald Trump and his time in office will be studied for years to come by social psychologists as well as mental health professionals .
It is a textbook example of a pathocracy , and how a society can be manipulated into collective anti-social behavior by a pathological leader @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's recent rally in Georgia , which In so many ways was a crystallization of his evil and dark charisma .
As an expert on mental health and neuroscience , what did you see at that event ?
It was a confluence of psychological phenomena .
There was the psychopathology and disordered personality of Donald Trump on full display for an hour and 40 minutes .
But the crowd also demonstrated the cult dynamic that exists between Trump and his followers .
Trump likely could be diagnosed with several personality disorders .
Beyond @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to say that his personality as a whole is disordered .
At Trump 's Georgia rally , he showed his grandiosity , his sense of superiority and his disdain for people he views as inferior .
Do not overlook how Trump 's grandiosity is attractive to his followers .
It is appealing , like a drug for them .
That is part of the collective narcissism where Trump 's grandiosity spills over onto his followers , who are then empowered , in some cases , into becoming reckless , violent and aggressive .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ with us or you 're an enemy .
From a cult perspective , it is either all or nothing in terms of reality and loyalty .
And there were , of course , literally hundreds of lies told by Trump at the rally .
As part of Trump 's god complex and his followers ' feelings of shared omnipotence , he is offering the cult members a type of promised land .
Trump 's promised land is a White America in which there are no immigrants , everyone is rich and there is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the shared omnipotence of Trump 's cult , members are told that they must not stray from the flock or oppose him or criticize him — because if they do , they are out , the relationship collapses .
Trump 's power over his followers is extreme .
What role did the coronavirus play at Trump 's rally in Georgia ?
That event was a literal death cult meeting , in which where people were not wearing masks during a deadly pandemic .
Outright denial .
Not believing that the threat is real @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interesting cult tactic here .
He told his followers that the coronavirus was nothing to fear , then he got it and recovered ( without highlighting the extraordinary care and treatment he received ) and as such `` demonstrated '' to them that if they get it , nothing really bad will happen .
Moreover , it 's a reinforcement of the idea that the cult leader will protect me and all will be fine .
For those Americans who have survived the pandemic and the other horrors of Trump 's time in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of survivor 's guilt ?
Absolutely .
There are going to be a significant number of people in this country with survivor 's guilt , which is the idea that somebody did not survive , and I did , and then trying to reconcile why that is .
In addition , there will be a large number of people who will continue to masks in the future because they are hypersensitive to this trauma .
I believe we will also see more people becoming `` preppers '' because of the pandemic and all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ One of the things that will need to happen , in terms of healing from Trump-related PTSD and the pandemic , is some type of national closure .
I believe the best way to accomplish that is to have an annual national day of remembrance .
There should also be a monument constructed on the National Mall as a reminder of the losses from the pandemic , and also a warning and symbol of not forgetting the political and social factors that led to this disaster .
We can not let this disaster @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vaccines for the coronavirus have already been approved and are being distributed .
Will Trump 's followers agree to be vaccinated ?
In a cult , logic does not matter .
Consider that at first Trump was calling it a hoax .
Then he was talking about miracle cures .
Then he started talking about a vaccine .
Trump has taken his followers all the way from , `` This thing does n't exist , '' to `` We 'll have a vaccine out to you shortly , '' a feat of true @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a logical pattern is not necessary .
If Donald Trump is delivering the message , there does not need to be any logic for his followers to listen to him .

Donald Trump has been abusing the American people for at least four years. The abuse is physical, through Trump and his administration's willfully negligent response to the coronavirus pandemic, which has now killed more than 300,000 Americans. In addition, Trump has encouraged political violence against his perceived enemies, including Democrats, antifascists, Black Lives Matter activists, journalists and others.
The abuse is financial. Trump and the Republican Party have enacted policies — both before and during the coronavirus pandemic — that have severely harmed the economy, worsened social inequality and diverted huge sums of the public's money to the very richest individuals and corporations. Trump and his party's policies have resulted in record unemployment and job losses, rampant hunger and poverty, and millions of Americans living under threat of eviction and homelessness.
The abuse is emotional. Trump and his allies have caused the American people to suffer a type of collective post-traumatic stress disorder. Trumpism as a society-wide emotional and mental pathology is also shown by the way Trump's "white working class" supporters (and even more so his non-white followers) manifest a form of Stockholm syndrome in which they identify with the abuser and "love" his mistreatment of them.
In the 2020 election, Trump was soundly defeated by Joe Biden. But like other abusers, Trump will not stop his cruel and vile behavior. Moreover, the American people's decision to "break up" with him has caused Trump to rage and become even more abusive.
Trump has attempted a coup against democracy and the American people, and has amplified his use of stochastic terrorism and other incitements to political violence. Even after Trump (likely) leaves office next month, he will continue to claim that he is the "real president" of the United States and interfere with the normal functioning of government and society whenever and however he can.
In all probability, Donald Trump will continue to be a menacing and nearly omnipresent figure in American life, culture and politics for years to come. He is America's very own authoritarian stalker.
How can the American people escape Trump, and begin to heal from his reign of terror and abuse? To explore that I recently spoke with Dr. Seth Norrholm, whom I have interviewed twice before. He is a translational neuroscientist and one of the world's leading experts on PTSD and fear. He is currently the scientific director at the Neuroscience Center for Anxiety, Stress, and Trauma (NeuroCAST) in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences at the Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit. Norrholm has also contributed several essays to Salon, co-authored with clinical psychologist Alan Blotcky and others.
In this conversation, Norrholm argues that the combination of Trump's emotional and other abuse is a chronic stressful event that will have health impacts on the American people for years into the future, and that the Republican Party, the right-wing media and Trump's followers have been enabling this ongoing abuse of the American people. He warns that this abusive pattern, in combination with the mass death of the coronavirus pandemic, may lead to a form of survivor's guilt among the American people, which will require national mourning and intervention.
This conversation has been edited for clarity and length.
Donald Trump and his regime have also afflicted massive and traumatic stress on the American people, so it is not surprising that we are collectively dealing with PTSD, anxiety and depression. Even after leaving office, Trump is still going to be a large presence in American life. Using the traumatic stress, abuse and PTSD model, what happens when the abuser refuses to leave the victim alone but continues to harass and stalk them, as Trump is likely to do for years to come?
Unfortunately, that is the case with many abusive relationships. There will be some type of formal legal action taken, such as a divorce or restraining order. There will be some attempt by the abuser to push the boundaries of the restraining order, for example. That can involve physical stalking or online stalking. They may make a dummy account to track and stalk their target online as well. The relationship is formally dissolved, but the abusive elements still remain.
Now, if we think of Trump as being in an abusive relationship with the American people, this is unique in the country's history. He is soon to be the former president. Assuming things go as planned, Joe Biden will be inaugurated on Jan. 20. Those elements of the election and transition of power are akin to the formal process of ending a relationship legally.
But with the president of the United States, there's a lot of continuation there. He's still referred to as "Mr. President," he still gets a security detail, and a lot of the perks and benefits of having served in the office. We've never really had to confront a continuation with a malicious president. What do we do as a country with someone like Donald Trump who is so pathological, so evil and so corrupt? With a former president who has those traits, and still quite a bit of symbolic power in the country and world?
Abusers will continue to claim that the victims are in a relationship with them even when it is over. They often claim their former partners as a type of personal property. Donald Trump is going to do this by claiming that he is still the "real president" and that Joe Biden is illegitimate and a fraud.
That is part of the alternate reality that abusers and malignant narcissists create for themselves. It is an example of gaslighting and the other forms of lying intended to get the abused person to the point where they begin to doubt themselves. They ask, "Am I crazy, or is he crazy?" The victim can become disoriented in terms of their core identity.
Donald Trump is trying to maintain an alternative reality by stating, "I am the president." There are a few ways to understand what Trump is doing there. First, I do believe he is a con man and a grifter. The longer he keeps up this fight, the more money he can generate. Regardless of his apparent psychopathology, Trump has the ability to seek wealth, power and adulation. Second, he fears exposure both legally and as a fraud. That is why he keeps up his alternate reality.
What is unusual about this situation is that there are 74 million people, Trump's voters, along with his party, his cabinet members and others, to help keep Trump in his alternate reality. There are so many enablers for Trump and his delusions. That is very different from the typical domestic abuse situation. Trump has a team of "surrogate abusers."
The worst thing one can do for a malignant narcissist or an abuser like Donald Trump is to tell him or her that they are correct or to otherwise validate the lies and false persona. Because then not only is this person pathologically telling themselves how special they are and how superior they are, but they have an echo chamber that is telling them the same thing.
Clinical work and other research show that the most dangerous time in an abusive relationship is the end. That is when there is likely to be an escalation of some sort. This is when the abuser is most likely to be their most volatile.
What has Trump and his allies' emotional and physical abuse of the American people done to us collectively?
The last four years with Donald Trump have been a major chronic, continuous, stressful event. It has created a state of anxiety and unpredictability that was present on almost a daily basis. That is different from a typical PTSD case, where a person can identify one or more discrete events that happened in their life and from which there are post-traumatic consequences. An example would be a combat veteran who was hit by an IED or a motor vehicle accident victim who survived a deadly crash.
Those are distinct events. Therapeutically, a clinician would try to isolate that event for the patient, to point out that the likelihood of experiencing something like that again is quite low, for the most part. We help the patient to better see reality. There are ways to work through and process that type of post-traumatic situation.
Trump's time in office and what he did to the country is very different. One has to recognize that the source of the persistent state of stress is not going anywhere anytime soon. Now, what are we as a society going to do with that problem? I believe that there need to be task forces comprised of experts in domestic violence and mental health and other medical professionals. Their job would be to do community outreach.
Some specifics as to what Trump and these years with him have done to the American people: There are adverse psychological, physical, and cardiovascular problems; gastrointestinal problems; appetite, diet and sleep problems. Trump and his stress have likely caused new addictions, as well as caused people to relapse. Such problems are increased with a chronic stressor.
Suicidal ideation has likely increased under Trump. Combine that with the COVID pandemic and the country is going to be struggling with a psychological tsunami of problems that will need to be addressed.
Donald Trump and his time in office will be studied for years to come by social psychologists as well as mental health professionals. It is a textbook example of a pathocracy, and how a society can be manipulated into collective anti-social behavior by a pathological leader. As an example, consider Trump's recent rally in Georgia, which In so many ways was a crystallization of his evil and dark charisma. As an expert on mental health and neuroscience, what did you see at that event?
It was a confluence of psychological phenomena. There was the psychopathology and disordered personality of Donald Trump on full display for an hour and 40 minutes. But the crowd also demonstrated the cult dynamic that exists between Trump and his followers. Trump likely could be diagnosed with several personality disorders. Beyond any specific one, it is safe to say that his personality as a whole is disordered. At Trump's Georgia rally, he showed his grandiosity, his sense of superiority and his disdain for people he views as inferior.
Do not overlook how Trump's grandiosity is attractive to his followers. It is appealing, like a drug for them. That is part of the collective narcissism where Trump's grandiosity spills over onto his followers, who are then empowered, in some cases, into becoming reckless, violent and aggressive.
The mindset is, you're either with us or you're an enemy. From a cult perspective, it is either all or nothing in terms of reality and loyalty. And there were, of course, literally hundreds of lies told by Trump at the rally.
As part of Trump's god complex and his followers' feelings of shared omnipotence, he is offering the cult members a type of promised land. Trump's promised land is a White America in which there are no immigrants, everyone is rich and there is no racial diversity. As part of the shared omnipotence of Trump's cult, members are told that they must not stray from the flock or oppose him or criticize him — because if they do, they are out, the relationship collapses. Trump's power over his followers is extreme.
What role did the coronavirus play at Trump's rally in Georgia? That event was a literal death cult meeting, in which where people were not wearing masks during a deadly pandemic.
Outright denial. Not believing that the threat is real. Ignorance. But Trump used an interesting cult tactic here. He told his followers that the coronavirus was nothing to fear, then he got it and recovered (without highlighting the extraordinary care and treatment he received) and as such "demonstrated" to them that if they get it, nothing really bad will happen. Moreover, it's a reinforcement of the idea that the cult leader will protect me and all will be fine.
For those Americans who have survived the pandemic and the other horrors of Trump's time in office, will they experience some type of survivor's guilt?
Absolutely. There are going to be a significant number of people in this country with survivor's guilt, which is the idea that somebody did not survive, and I did, and then trying to reconcile why that is. In addition, there will be a large number of people who will continue to masks in the future because they are hypersensitive to this trauma. I believe we will also see more people becoming "preppers" because of the pandemic and all the death, stress and isolation. One of the things that will need to happen, in terms of healing from Trump-related PTSD and the pandemic, is some type of national closure.
I believe the best way to accomplish that is to have an annual national day of remembrance. There should also be a monument constructed on the National Mall as a reminder of the losses from the pandemic, and also a warning and symbol of not forgetting the political and social factors that led to this disaster. We cannot let this disaster disappear from the public consciousness.
Two vaccines for the coronavirus have already been approved and are being distributed. Will Trump's followers agree to be vaccinated?
In a cult, logic does not matter. Consider that at first Trump was calling it a hoax. Then he was talking about miracle cures. Then he started talking about a vaccine. Trump has taken his followers all the way from, "This thing doesn't exist," to "We'll have a vaccine out to you shortly," a feat of true mental gymnastics. In cult psychology, a logical pattern is not necessary. If Donald Trump is delivering the message, there does not need to be any logic for his followers to listen to him.


alternet--2020-12-21--Listen: Poisoned Russian opposition leader tricks agent into revealing details of the attack

Konstantin Kudryavtsev was among the Russian agents hired to tail Alexei Navalny , the Russian opposition leader who was poisoned in August but survived .
And Navalny , according to CNN , tricked Kudryavtsev into revealing some details about the plot against him .
`` A stunning disclosure from an agent who belonged to an elite toxins team in Russia 's FSB security service came in a lengthy phone call following the unmasking of the unit by CNN and the online investigative outfit Bellingcat last week , '' CNN reporters Tim Lister , Clarissa Ward and Sebastian Shukla explain in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` In what he was told was a debriefing , Konstantin Kudryavtsev also talked about others involved in the poisoning in the Siberian city of Tomsk , and how he was sent to clean things up . ''
Although Kudryavtsev thought he was talking to an agent for Russia 's National Security Council , he was actually talking to Navalny — who was poisoned by the nerve agent novichok and almost died .
Navalny has been a persistent critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin , who recently confirmed that Russian agents had been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wanted to stop short of killing him .
Putin said that if Russian agents actually wanted Navalny dead , `` they would 've probably finished it . ''
`` The Bellingcat-CNN investigation found that the FSB toxins team of about six to 10 agents trailed Navalny for more than three years , '' Lister , Ward and Shukla report .
`` After identifying most of the team , CNN and Bellingcat tried to contact them and their superiors . ''
Navalny , according to CNN , conducted a `` sting operation , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` carrying out an analysis of the poisoning operation '' — and his `` phone number was disguised as that of the headquarters of the FSB . ''
The opposition leader has been recovering from the poisoning in a secret location somewhere in Germany .
`` After Kudryavtsev confirmed his identity , Navalny said he 'd been tasked with getting ' a brief understanding from the team members : what went wrong , why was there a complete failure in Tomsk with Navalny ? '
Kudryavtsev 's responses in the 45-minute call provide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's involvement in poisoning Navalny… .
Most dramatically , Kudryavtsev provided a detailed account of how the nerve agent was applied to a pair of Navalny 's underpants . ''
The reporters note that `` toxicologists consulted by CNN say that if applied in granular form to clothes , the novichok would be absorbed through the skin when the victim begins to sweat '' and add , `` It appears the assailants used a solid form of the nerve agent , rather than a liquid or gel as had previously been detected in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Skripal in the United Kingdom . ''

Konstantin Kudryavtsev was among the Russian agents hired to tail Alexei Navalny, the Russian opposition leader who was poisoned in August but survived. And Navalny, according to CNN, tricked Kudryavtsev into revealing some details about the plot against him.
"A stunning disclosure from an agent who belonged to an elite toxins team in Russia's FSB security service came in a lengthy phone call following the unmasking of the unit by CNN and the online investigative outfit Bellingcat last week," CNN reporters Tim Lister, Clarissa Ward and Sebastian Shukla explain in an article published on December 21. "In what he was told was a debriefing, Konstantin Kudryavtsev also talked about others involved in the poisoning in the Siberian city of Tomsk, and how he was sent to clean things up."
Although Kudryavtsev thought he was talking to an agent for Russia's National Security Council, he was actually talking to Navalny — who was poisoned by the nerve agent novichok and almost died. Navalny has been a persistent critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who recently confirmed that Russian agents had been tailing Navalny but indicated that the agents wanted to stop short of killing him. Putin said that if Russian agents actually wanted Navalny dead, "they would've probably finished it."
"The Bellingcat-CNN investigation found that the FSB toxins team of about six to 10 agents trailed Navalny for more than three years," Lister, Ward and Shukla report. "After identifying most of the team, CNN and Bellingcat tried to contact them and their superiors."
Navalny, according to CNN, conducted a "sting operation," posing as an FSB agent who was "carrying out an analysis of the poisoning operation" — and his "phone number was disguised as that of the headquarters of the FSB." The opposition leader has been recovering from the poisoning in a secret location somewhere in Germany.
Lister, Ward and Shukla explain:
"After Kudryavtsev confirmed his identity, Navalny said he'd been tasked with getting 'a brief understanding from the team members: what went wrong, why was there a complete failure in Tomsk with Navalny?' Kudryavtsev's responses in the 45-minute call provide the first direct evidence of the unit's involvement in poisoning Navalny…. Most dramatically, Kudryavtsev provided a detailed account of how the nerve agent was applied to a pair of Navalny's underpants."
The reporters note that "toxicologists consulted by CNN say that if applied in granular form to clothes, the novichok would be absorbed through the skin when the victim begins to sweat" and add, "It appears the assailants used a solid form of the nerve agent, rather than a liquid or gel as had previously been detected in the attack against former double agent Sergei Skripal in the United Kingdom."
Listen below:


alternet--2020-12-21--The wealthiest people in this country are pushing to the front of the line to get vaccinated

More than any single event in recent memory , the COVID-19 pandemic revealed the gaping chasms of inequality in American society .
From the very outset it was accepted wisdom that `` essential workers , '' i.e.
, those forced to risk their lives in unsafe workplaces throughout the country , would include not only medical personnel such as doctors , nurses , and hospital orderlies ; not only police , firefighters and first responders ; not only operators of public transportation and critical government services such as postal workers ; but also the folks who worked behind cash registers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and those whose jobs involved the processing , delivery , preparation and transportation of food items and consumer goods that kept the moribund economy from congealing into a second Great Depression .
The `` essential '' nature of these workers was loudly touted by companies from Amazon to WalMart to Domino 's pizza , who extolled the selfless bravery of their employees in warm and touching TV ads , ads that served as a new type of PR for those same companies with sordid past track records about treatment of workers .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ executives of these companies bore the brunt of the pandemic not by interacting daily with a stressed and potentially infected public , but from their snug and expansive estates and second homes where they continued to bark orders and issue their edicts remotely .
And this was also the case with the so-called `` professional class , '' as six-figure income lawyers and corporate managers developed new ways to work from home , reallocating firm IT services and equipment while the lower-tiered employees such as clerks and secretaries were mostly told to return @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to keep their jobs at all .
Probably the most telling example of the disparities in treatment afforded between high managerial and service-level , clerical employees is the current , never-ending circus continuing to unfold in our Congress this weekend , in which financial and rent assistance to ordinary middle and lower income Americans is being held hostage to liability protections insisted upon by the corporate `` owner '' class in the persona of Republican Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell .
In short , this was never going to be an `` equal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been even more apparent in the medical treatment received by the wealthy as opposed to ordinary Americans , personified by no less than Donald Trump and his White house cronies who , being infected with the COVID-19 virus through their own carelessness and recklessness , nonetheless have instantly received the quickest , most cutting edge care available .
Nor are they alone—as described by Mark Sumner here , the gross disparity between medical treatment available to this countries ' richest citizens and its less fortunate ( but so `` essential '' ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who could n't work from home due to the very nature of their jobs , often with substandard health insurance , if any , was bound to surface before too long .
And now that multiple vaccines are looming , we are seeing the same sense of natural entitlement among the top 1 % playing out , as reports emerge daily of attempts by these same people to bribe their way to the front of the line for vaccination , the better to allow themselves to carry on with their lives as soon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ traveling and frolicking amongst their islands ( both metaphorical and real ones ) while the rest of Americans prepare to stand in line for months .
As reported by the Los Angeles Times : A few years ago , in what came as a bit of a surprise to my woefully provincial sensibilities , I first heard the term `` concierge medicine . ''
It refers to health care offered—at substantial cost—by an elite network of physicians and other medical providers designed to allow wealthier Americans ( who may not wish to dirty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ care provided to the vast majority of us ) access to the best medical treatment money can buy .
As described by Hayley Fowler , writing for the Miami Herald : The cost of such `` concierge care '' can run in excess of $ 250,000 per year , and guarantees , as noted in the LA Times article , personalized 24-hour access to physicians who provide their services to a small segment of wealthy clients .
These physicians ' groups have the financial wherewithal , for example to have immediately secured the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pfizer vaccine in cold storage at -94 degrees Fahrenheit for significant lengths of time .
That in itself provides these groups with a leg up on receiving the vaccine , despite whatever state restrictions may be in place as to who receives it .
Doctors in these `` boutiques '' confirm this .
One co-founder of a `` concierge '' medical service `` with clinics in New York , the Hamptons and Beverly Hills '' told the LA Times that his group started soliciting these expensive deep-cold freezers as soon as it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ market .
While the Trump administration has not yet been caught offering the vaccine for private distribution , these physicians groups feel it is just a matter of time before such allocations are made , in part due to the demanding and entitled nature of their patrons .
The LA Times specifically refers to instances of these `` concierge '' patients offering huge payments to these groups for the privilege of jumping to the first in line .
In one case a person asked if he could accelerate his receipt of the vaccine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' to a hospital .
And , as CNN reports , other physicians with `` A-list '' clients have been fielding hundreds of calls , all conveying the message , of course , that their money should give them priority : State officials quoted through these articles are adamant that they will do everything they can to prevent such `` line jumping '' and they are obviously sincere in that intent .
The LA Times article cites no instances yet of physicians succumbing to these types of pressures , but that is likely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and also because physicians fear the public consequences if they are found out providing the vaccine to those people whose only qualification to receive it is that they are not familiar with taking `` no '' for an answer .
Another concern described by the Times is the potential for wealthier people to arrange to have their symptoms `` fudged '' so that a minor history of asthma , for example , could be highlighted or stressed by their doctor for the purpose of receiving the vaccine on a priority basis .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ connected with pharmaceutical executives who believe they ought to warrant special treatment due to the nature of those relationships .
Beyond this , as reported by Stat News here , once a vaccine is developed that does not require such stringent storage , there is virtually no doubt that a `` black market '' will develop for it , with access provided to the highest bidder .
As bluntly emphasized by Timothy Egan this week , writing for the New York Times , this pandemic is hardly close to reaching its conclusion .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ be a living hell , with American deaths by March now expected to reach or exceed 500,000 .
We already know that the Trump administration will pay scant if any attention to the way this vaccine is allotted once it finally gets its act together on distribution .
It is the individual states that will ultimately determine the priority of how the vaccine is dispensed , at least officially .
Which brings us back to those so-called `` essential workers . ''
If they were as essential as they were roundly described in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would expect that , after health care workers ( which seems obvious ) they would be the first to receive the vaccine , right ?
As reported by Stat News , not necessarily : Again , it seems that the people who have the money will be prioritized to receive the vaccine , as well as—not coincidentally -- the people whose job it is to move money for those same people .
A more telling verdict on our society 's priorities could hardly be imagined .

More than any single event in recent memory, the COVID-19 pandemic revealed the gaping chasms of inequality in American society. From the very outset it was accepted wisdom that "essential workers," i.e., those forced to risk their lives in unsafe workplaces throughout the country, would include not only medical personnel such as doctors, nurses, and hospital orderlies; not only police, firefighters and first responders; not only operators of public transportation and critical government services such as postal workers; but also the folks who worked behind cash registers at the Lowe's, the 7-11, and those whose jobs involved the processing, delivery, preparation and transportation of food items and consumer goods that kept the moribund economy from congealing into a second Great Depression.
The "essential" nature of these workers was loudly touted by companies from Amazon to WalMart to Domino's pizza, who extolled the selfless bravery of their employees in warm and touching TV ads, ads that served as a new type of PR for those same companies with sordid past track records about treatment of workers. Meanwhile, the highly compensated officers and executives of these companies bore the brunt of the pandemic not by interacting daily with a stressed and potentially infected public, but from their snug and expansive estates and second homes where they continued to bark orders and issue their edicts remotely.
And this was also the case with the so-called "professional class," as six-figure income lawyers and corporate managers developed new ways to work from home, reallocating firm IT services and equipment while the lower-tiered employees such as clerks and secretaries were mostly told to return to the office, if they were to keep their jobs at all. Probably the most telling example of the disparities in treatment afforded between high managerial and service-level, clerical employees is the current, never-ending circus continuing to unfold in our Congress this weekend, in which financial and rent assistance to ordinary middle and lower income Americans is being held hostage to liability protections insisted upon by the corporate "owner" class in the persona of Republican Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell.
In short, this was never going to be an "equal opportunity" pandemic. Its inherent unfairness has been even more apparent in the medical treatment received by the wealthy as opposed to ordinary Americans, personified by no less than Donald Trump and his White house cronies who, being infected with the COVID-19 virus through their own carelessness and recklessness, nonetheless have instantly received the quickest, most cutting edge care available. Nor are they alone—as described by Mark Sumner here, the gross disparity between medical treatment available to this countries' richest citizens and its less fortunate (but so "essential") workers, mostly those people of color who couldn't work from home due to the very nature of their jobs, often with substandard health insurance, if any, was bound to surface before too long.
And now that multiple vaccines are looming, we are seeing the same sense of natural entitlement among the top 1% playing out, as reports emerge daily of attempts by these same people to bribe their way to the front of the line for vaccination, the better to allow themselves to carry on with their lives as soon as possible, with an eye to traveling and frolicking amongst their islands (both metaphorical and real ones) while the rest of Americans prepare to stand in line for months.
As reported by the Los Angeles Times:
They're offering tens of thousands of dollars in cash, making their personal assistants pester doctors every day, and asking whether a five-figure donation to a hospital would help them jump the line.
The COVID-19 vaccine is here — and so are the wealthy people who want it first.
"We get hundreds of calls every single day," said Dr. Ehsan Ali, who runs Beverly Hills Concierge Doctor. His clients, who include Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber, pay between $2,000 and $10,000 a year for personalized care. "This is the first time where I have not been able to get something for my patients."
A few years ago, in what came as a bit of a surprise to my woefully provincial sensibilities, I first heard the term "concierge medicine." It refers to health care offered—at substantial cost—by an elite network of physicians and other medical providers designed to allow wealthier Americans (who may not wish to dirty their hands with the type of medical care provided to the vast majority of us) access to the best medical treatment money can buy. As described by Hayley Fowler, writing for the Miami Herald:
Many wealthy Americans pay for concierge medical services — a "kind of high-quality, primary care most Americans can't afford," the Los Angeles Times reported. Some of those services have already procured the expensive freezers needed to store the vaccine and put their patients on wait lists as soon as it becomes available for widespread distribution.
Doctors in boutique practices say they'll adhere to public health guidelines in determining who gets priority. But being on a waiting list at a practice that has special freezers and other high-quality resources means you're already near the front of the line once the supply opens up.
The cost of such "concierge care" can run in excess of $250,000 per year , and guarantees, as noted in the LA Times article, personalized 24-hour access to physicians who provide their services to a small segment of wealthy clients. These physicians' groups have the financial wherewithal, for example to have immediately secured the types of freezers necessary to hold the Pfizer vaccine in cold storage at -94 degrees Fahrenheit for significant lengths of time. That in itself provides these groups with a leg up on receiving the vaccine, despite whatever state restrictions may be in place as to who receives it.
Doctors in these "boutiques" confirm this. One co-founder of a "concierge" medical service "with clinics in New York, the Hamptons and Beverly Hills" told the LA Times that his group started soliciting these expensive deep-cold freezers as soon as it was apparent the vaccine would be on the market.
While the Trump administration has not yet been caught offering the vaccine for private distribution, these physicians groups feel it is just a matter of time before such allocations are made, in part due to the demanding and entitled nature of their patrons. The LA Times specifically refers to instances of these "concierge" patients offering huge payments to these groups for the privilege of jumping to the first in line. In one case a person asked if he could accelerate his receipt of the vaccine by making a $25,000 "donation" to a hospital. And, as CNN reports, other physicians with "A-list" clients have been fielding hundreds of calls, all conveying the message, of course, that their money should give them priority:
Dr. David Nazarian, of My Concierge MD in Beverly Hills, said a number of his A-list clients are contacting him, saying that money is no object if it helps them get the vaccine early. "They wanted it yesterday," said Nazarian. "We will play by the rules but are doing everything we can to secure and distribute the vaccine when its available to us."
State officials quoted through these articles are adamant that they will do everything they can to prevent such "line jumping" and they are obviously sincere in that intent. The LA Times article cites no instances yet of physicians succumbing to these types of pressures, but that is likely because the vaccine rollout has just begun, and also because physicians fear the public consequences if they are found out providing the vaccine to those people whose only qualification to receive it is that they are not familiar with taking "no" for an answer.
Another concern described by the Times is the potential for wealthier people to arrange to have their symptoms "fudged" so that a minor history of asthma, for example, could be highlighted or stressed by their doctor for the purpose of receiving the vaccine on a priority basis. And there are always those people closely connected with pharmaceutical executives who believe they ought to warrant special treatment due to the nature of those relationships. Beyond this, as reported by Stat News here, once a vaccine is developed that does not require such stringent storage, there is virtually no doubt that a "black market" will develop for it, with access provided to the highest bidder.
As bluntly emphasized by Timothy Egan this week, writing for the New York Times, this pandemic is hardly close to reaching its conclusion. The next three months are going to be a living hell, with American deaths by March now expected to reach or exceed 500,000. We already know that the Trump administration will pay scant if any attention to the way this vaccine is allotted once it finally gets its act together on distribution. It is the individual states that will ultimately determine the priority of how the vaccine is dispensed, at least officially.
Which brings us back to those so-called "essential workers." If they were as essential as they were roundly described in all of those solemn advertisements, one would expect that, after health care workers (which seems obvious) they would be the first to receive the vaccine, right?
As reported by Stat News, not necessarily:
"Essential workers" are expected to receive early access to the vaccine, and the definition of this category is open to interpretation by state health departments, creating a means for influential industries to lobby for priority. "The devil's going to be in the details of how the state runs their program," Lang said he tells his patients.
Members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), the federal panel recommending how to distribute the vaccines, want to prioritize essential workers to help ensure people of color, who are often the hardest hit by the virus, get early access. But the predominantly white workers in the financial services industry are also considered essential, according to guidance from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, which was referenced by ACIP, as well as executive orders from several states including New York, Illinois, Colorado, and California. Public-facing bank tellers face contagion risks in their work, but aren't the only financial services employees included.
"It was left a little bit nebulous but basically covered people who oil the movement of money, so exchanges, trading floors, trading operations, and people who keep money moving at the retail [banking] level," said Lang.
Again, it seems that the people who have the money will be prioritized to receive the vaccine, as well as—not coincidentally-- the people whose job it is to move money for those same people.
A more telling verdict on our society's priorities could hardly be imagined.


alternet--2020-12-21--'We were complicit': Former Trump DOJ lawyer 'haunted by' work for the president

Former Office of Legal Counsel attorney Erica Newland thought she could limit the impending damage by an incoming President Donald J. Trump – but she now says she was `` complicit '' in the damage he inflicted on American democracy .
Writing for The New York Times Sunday , Newland explained , `` If , early on , the Justice Department lawyers charged with selling the administration 's lies had emptied the ranks — withholding our talents and reputations and demanding the same of our professional peers — the work of defending President Trump 's policies would have been left @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his campaign .
Lawyers like Mr. [ Rudy ] Giuliani would have had to defend the Muslim ban in court . ''
Newland now offers an apology for not doing more to stop Trump 's attacks on American democracy .
`` No matter our intentions , we were complicit , '' she writes .
`` We collectively perpetuated an anti-democratic leader by conforming to his assault on reality . ''
Newland added , `` We may have been victims of the system , but we were also its instruments .
No matter how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from within , we did so as members of a professional class of government lawyers who enabled an assault on our democracy — an assault that nearly ended it . ''
Newland now says she is `` haunted by what I did '' during the Trump White House .
She has vowed to help `` lead by example , and do everything in our power to ensure this never happens again .
If we do n't , it will . ''

Former Office of Legal Counsel attorney Erica Newland thought she could limit the impending damage by an incoming President Donald J. Trump – but she now says she was "complicit" in the damage he inflicted on American democracy.
Writing for The New York Times Sunday, Newland explained, "If, early on, the Justice Department lawyers charged with selling the administration's lies had emptied the ranks — withholding our talents and reputations and demanding the same of our professional peers — the work of defending President Trump's policies would have been left to the types of attorneys now representing his campaign. Lawyers like Mr. [Rudy] Giuliani would have had to defend the Muslim ban in court."
Newland now offers an apology for not doing more to stop Trump's attacks on American democracy.
"No matter our intentions, we were complicit," she writes. "We collectively perpetuated an anti-democratic leader by conforming to his assault on reality."
Newland added, "We may have been victims of the system, but we were also its instruments. No matter how much any one of us pushed back from within, we did so as members of a professional class of government lawyers who enabled an assault on our democracy — an assault that nearly ended it."
Newland now says she is "haunted by what I did" during the Trump White House. She has vowed to help "lead by example, and do everything in our power to ensure this never happens again. If we don't, it will."


alternet--2020-12-21--Megachurch pastor who served as Trump evangelical advisor diagnosed with COVID after attending White

Megachurch pastor who served as Trump evangelical advisor diagnosed with COVID after attending White House party

Pastor Jentezen Franklin , the senior pastor at Georgia megachurch Free Chapel , tested positive for COVID-19 after attending a White House Christmas party with his daughter earlier this month , the Charlotte Observer reports .
Free Chapel pastor Javon Ruff announced the senior pastor 's diagnosis during a live-streamed in person service on Sunday .
Free Chapel spokesperson Tracy Page told McClatchy News that Franklin was `` exposed to an associate of the congregation '' on Thursday who was infected .
The spokesperson said the pastor `` is self isolating and abiding by all relevant CDC guidelines . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chapel — which Charlotte Observer reports has `` seven campuses in three states '' and resumed in-person services in September — said it will move the church 's candlelight service online `` due to the rise in COVID-19 cases in our area . ''
The church said the decision was made `` out of an abundance of caution . ''
`` Franklin also attended the September nomination ceremony for Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett at the White House Rose Garden ceremony , which was later identified as a superspreader event after several @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including the president and first lady Melania Trump , tested positive for the coronavirus .
Franklin tested negative following the ceremony , WQAD reports .
He has been an ally of the president 's and has served as an evangelical adviser to him .
He spoke at the Trump campaign 's event `` Evangelicals for Trump : Praise , Prayer , and Patriotism '' in Atlanta in July . ''

Pastor Jentezen Franklin, the senior pastor at Georgia megachurch Free Chapel, tested positive for COVID-19 after attending a White House Christmas party with his daughter earlier this month, the Charlotte Observer reports.
Free Chapel pastor Javon Ruff announced the senior pastor's diagnosis during a live-streamed in person service on Sunday.
Free Chapel spokesperson Tracy Page told McClatchy News that Franklin was "exposed to an associate of the congregation" on Thursday who was infected. The spokesperson said the pastor "is self isolating and abiding by all relevant CDC guidelines."
In a statement, the Gainesville-based Free Chapel — which Charlotte Observer reports has "seven campuses in three states" and resumed in-person services in September — said it will move the church's candlelight service online "due to the rise in COVID-19 cases in our area." The church said the decision was made "out of an abundance of caution."
Per the Charlotte Observer:
"Franklin also attended the September nomination ceremony for Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett at the White House Rose Garden ceremony, which was later identified as a superspreader event after several people in President Donald Trump's administration, including the president and first lady Melania Trump, tested positive for the coronavirus. Franklin tested negative following the ceremony, WQAD reports.
He has been an ally of the president's and has served as an evangelical adviser to him. He spoke at the Trump campaign's event "Evangelicals for Trump: Praise, Prayer, and Patriotism" in Atlanta in July."