alternet--2020-11-26--'Mother of all superspreader events': Expert warns daily COVID deaths 'will double' in days after Th

'Mother of all superspreader events': Expert warns daily COVID deaths 'will double' in days after Thanksgiving

As millions of Americans are traveling across the country this Thanksgiving , ignoring CDC guidance to stay home and not mix households , a medical expert warns daily COVID-19 deaths will soon double .
`` It 's potentially the mother of all superspreader events , '' Dr. Jonathan Reiner , a professor of medicine at George Washington University , tells CNN Thursday .
The U.S. saw more than 181,000 new cases on Wednesday .
Current daily deaths are now about 2000 per day .
Dr. Reiner says they could come close to 4000 per day soon .
`` I expect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the next 10 days , '' Reiner says .
`` We 'll be seeing close to 4,000 deaths a day . ''
There 's already been a massive increase in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations over the past few weeks , fueling the potential for spread – and death .
`` Every day since November 3 , '' CNN reports , `` more than 100,000 new infections have been reported .
Every day for more than two weeks , climbing hospitalizations hit another national record .
And every single day , hundreds of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both Tuesday and Wednesday recording a daily death toll of more than 2,100 deaths . ''
The CDC projects another 60,000 deaths in less than four weeks , 321,000 total coronavirus deaths by December 19 .

As millions of Americans are traveling across the country this Thanksgiving, ignoring CDC guidance to stay home and not mix households, a medical expert warns daily COVID-19 deaths will soon double.
"It's potentially the mother of all superspreader events," Dr. Jonathan Reiner, a professor of medicine at George Washington University, tells CNN Thursday.
The U.S. saw more than 181,000 new cases on Wednesday. Current daily deaths are now about 2000 per day. Dr. Reiner says they could come close to 4000 per day soon.
"I expect that the daily death rate will double in the next 10 days," Reiner says. "We'll be seeing close to 4,000 deaths a day."
There's already been a massive increase in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations over the past few weeks, fueling the potential for spread – and death.
"Every day since November 3," CNN reports, "more than 100,000 new infections have been reported. Every day for more than two weeks, climbing hospitalizations hit another national record. And every single day, hundreds of Americans die of the virus, with both Tuesday and Wednesday recording a daily death toll of more than 2,100 deaths."
The CDC projects another 60,000 deaths in less than four weeks, 321,000 total coronavirus deaths by December 19.


alternet--2020-11-26--‘Kraken’ attorney's message for Trump fans: Make checks payable to Sidney Powell

Today we learned why mobster Don Donald Trump wanted the wildest of his wild-eyed attorneys ejected unceremoniously from his so-called legal team : She was trying to cut into his action .
Yes , TV attorney Sidney Powell can grift with the best of them .
Now that Powell has `` unleashed the Kraken '' with the help of a copy editor who was smoking the Kraken , it 's time to resolve one of the burning questions of the QAnon universe : `` How can we ever show our appreciation to Sidney Powell ? ''
It turns out you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a ruse so shameless that Powell is n't bothering to have your payment made out to the 501 C-4 political `` organization '' she formed .
Just pay the woman directly .
You can goose step your way to www.sidneypowell.com and press the `` Donate Now '' button to support the `` Legal Defense Fund for the American Republic . ''
First thing you 'll see is a nice photo of Sidney Powell captioned `` KRAKEN RELEASER . ''
Scroll down and you 'll see some small links to the lawsuits followed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' button .
That 's where you get chumped , as they say in the world of scams .
Look no further than https : //defendingtherepublic.org .
Would you like to `` support our mission and the welfare of the American Republic ? ''
Just write out your check to `` Sidney Powell , PC . ''
She 's not even bothering to have her pigeons use the name of her `` organization . ''
As the UK 's DailyMail.com reported , Powell 's `` Legal Defense Fund '' website was apparently set @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she appeared on Lou Dobbs show on Fox .
The DailyMail.com had this to say : `` Powell , whose outlandish theory earned a rebuke from the President , has founded a legal defense fund under the Internal Revenue Service category 501 ( c ) ( 4 ) .
The IRS says that 501 ( c ) ( 4 ) should normally apply to social welfare organizations and community groups like homeowners associations .
It can be used for lobbying activities , but the deductions are not tax deductible like those for nonprofits @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Defense fund says that `` millions of dollars must be raised to defend the Republic as these lawsuits continue to be filed to ensure victory '' for Trump , even though he has now essentially admitted defeat to Joe Biden by allowing the transition to go ahead . ''
The good news is that Powell 's lawsuits in Georgia and Michigan presumably will wind up shortly on the trash heap of legal history .
Not that the judges of the U.S. `` Districct Court Northern Distrcoict '' are n't going to give her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Daily Mail summed up the case pretty well in its headline today : `` Fired Trump lawyer Sidney Powell claims Iran and China used Venezuelan voting machine software to rig election in favor of Biden and says 96,000 absentee ballots in Georgia were NOT recorded – in typo-ridden lawsuits with flimsy expert evidence . ''
Powell promised the faithful she 'd be `` releasing the kraken '' which we all then learned is some sort of legendary sea monster .
That had to sound perfect to the Trump base , which surely will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ couple of little sea urchins that Powell actually unleashed .
Everyone gets what they want : Trump world can talk for years about how the stealing of the 2020 election from Dear Leader was all laid out in 104 pages of judicial scholarship that the Deep State judges were paid off not to consider .
As for Powell , she is guaranteed a life of permanent stardom in the right-wing stratosphere .
Sidney Powell may have released the Kraken .
But apparently , she gets to hold onto the cash .

Today we learned why mobster Don Donald Trump wanted the wildest of his wild-eyed attorneys ejected unceremoniously from his so-called legal team: She was trying to cut into his action.
Yes, TV attorney Sidney Powell can grift with the best of them.
Now that Powell has "unleashed the Kraken" with the help of a copy editor who was smoking the Kraken, it's time to resolve one of the burning questions of the QAnon universe: "How can we ever show our appreciation to Sidney Powell?"
It turns out you can send her a check as part of a ruse so shameless that Powell isn't bothering to have your payment made out to the 501 C-4 political "organization" she formed. Just pay the woman directly.
You can goose step your way to www.sidneypowell.com and press the "Donate Now" button to support the "Legal Defense Fund for the American Republic." First thing you'll see is a nice photo of Sidney Powell captioned "KRAKEN RELEASER." Scroll down and you'll see some small links to the lawsuits followed by a much larger "DONATE BELOW" button.
That's where you get chumped, as they say in the world of scams.
Look no further than https://defendingtherepublic.org. Would you like to "support our mission and the welfare of the American Republic?"
Just write out your check to "Sidney Powell, PC." She's not even bothering to have her pigeons use the name of her "organization."
As the UK's DailyMail.com reported, Powell's "Legal Defense Fund" website was apparently set up November 11, a day after she appeared on Lou Dobbs show on Fox. The DailyMail.com had this to say: "Powell, whose outlandish theory earned a rebuke from the President, has founded a legal defense fund under the Internal Revenue Service category 501(c)(4). The IRS says that 501(c)(4) should normally apply to social welfare organizations and community groups like homeowners associations. It can be used for lobbying activities, but the deductions are not tax deductible like those for nonprofits.
"The website for The Legal Defense fund says that "millions of dollars must be raised to defend the Republic as these lawsuits continue to be filed to ensure victory" for Trump, even though he has now essentially admitted defeat to Joe Biden by allowing the transition to go ahead."
The good news is that Powell's lawsuits in Georgia and Michigan presumably will wind up shortly on the trash heap of legal history. Not that the judges of the U.S. "Districct Court Northern Distrcoict" aren't going to give her case the seriousness it deserves.
The Daily Mail summed up the case pretty well in its headline today: "Fired Trump lawyer Sidney Powell claims Iran and China used Venezuelan voting machine software to rig election in favor of Biden and says 96,000 absentee ballots in Georgia were NOT recorded – in typo-ridden lawsuits with flimsy expert evidence."
Powell promised the faithful she'd be "releasing the kraken" which we all then learned is some sort of legendary sea monster. That had to sound perfect to the Trump base, which surely will be happy to make do with the couple of little sea urchins that Powell actually unleashed.
Everyone gets what they want: Trump world can talk for years about how the stealing of the 2020 election from Dear Leader was all laid out in 104 pages of judicial scholarship that the Deep State judges were paid off not to consider. As for Powell, she is guaranteed a life of permanent stardom in the right-wing stratosphere.
Sidney Powell may have released the Kraken. But apparently, she gets to hold onto the cash.


alternet--2020-11-26--Conservative explains why Trump’s primary motivation in pardoning Michael Flynn was to protect himse

Conservative explains why Trump’s primary motivation in pardoning Michael Flynn was to protect himself

When President Donald Trump announced , on Wednesday afternoon , November 25 , that he was granting former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn a presidential pardon , many of Trump 's critics were appalled but not surprised .
Trump also pardoned long-time ally and GOP operative Roger Stone , and many Trump critics believe that a pardon for his former campaign manager , Paul Manafort — who is now serving time in federal prison — is almost certain .
One of Trump 's persistent critics on the right , Never Trump conservative David Frum , analyzes the Flynn pardon in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Trump 's primary motivation was trying to save his own skin .
`` Here 's the first and most important thing to understand about the crime for which President Trump just pardoned former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn : Flynn did not lie to protect himself , '' Frum argues .
`` He lied to protect Donald Trump . ''
Flynn did n't lie to just anyone — he lied to the FBI — and he lied about his communications with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak in December 2016 , which was President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ office and the month before Trump was sworn in as president .
`` In the first set of conversations , '' Frum recalls , `` Flynn urged Kislyak to oppose a United Nations Security Council resolution condemning Israeli settlement activity .
The second set occurred a week later , while Flynn was on holiday in the Dominican Republic .
There , Flynn sought to convince Kislyak to persuade the Russian government not to retaliate against the United States , over a round of sanctions punishing Russia for intervening in the 2016 election to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on to say that in December 2016 , Flynn `` surely did not know what specifically he was protecting Trump against .
But here 's what Flynn did know : Trump wanted to undo the sanctions President Obama had imposed on Russia .
That mission would be made easier if Russia did not escalate in response to the Obama sanctions .
Flynn sensed that Trump 's preferred Russia policy was based on motives that everybody around Trump recognized as dangerous , even if they could not quite define where the danger lay .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ about the conversation , Flynn acted like a man aware of a terrible secret that must be concealed at all costs . ''
According to Frum , `` Trump is now pardoning Flynn to reward him for that concealment , as Trump has already commuted Roger Stone 's sentence , to reward him for his lying . ''
And Frum wonders if Trump will pardon Manafort before he leaves office on January 20 , 2021 .
`` A big question mark hovers over the head of Paul Manafort , the man most deeply @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` Manafort has kept his mouth firmly closed .
His silence helped defeat Robert Mueller 's investigation , limiting its effort to determine what , precisely , transpired between Trump and Russia .
On trial and in prison , Manafort has not talked .
Is his reward from Trump coming ? ''
Frum wraps up his article by wondering if Trump will try to pardon himself .
`` Worse may be pending , should Trump follow these self-protecting pardons with an attempt at a self-pardon , '' the Never Trump conservative argues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Court will rule whether a self-pardon is valid .
Enough legal scholars argue that it would not be that Trump 's attorneys should worry that a self-pardon wo n't stick .
But if Trump can buy silence with his pardons of others , he might not even need to pardon himself .
The thing we do know for certain is that an administration that began amid charges of conspiracy is ending with an effort at obstruction . ''

When President Donald Trump announced, on Wednesday afternoon, November 25, that he was granting former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn a presidential pardon, many of Trump's critics were appalled but not surprised. Trump also pardoned long-time ally and GOP operative Roger Stone, and many Trump critics believe that a pardon for his former campaign manager, Paul Manafort — who is now serving time in federal prison — is almost certain. One of Trump's persistent critics on the right, Never Trump conservative David Frum, analyzes the Flynn pardon in an article for The Atlantic and stresses that Trump's primary motivation was trying to save his own skin.
"Here's the first and most important thing to understand about the crime for which President Trump just pardoned former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn: Flynn did not lie to protect himself," Frum argues. "He lied to protect Donald Trump."
Flynn didn't lie to just anyone — he lied to the FBI — and he lied about his communications with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak in December 2016, which was President Barack Obama's last full month in office and the month before Trump was sworn in as president.
"In the first set of conversations," Frum recalls, "Flynn urged Kislyak to oppose a United Nations Security Council resolution condemning Israeli settlement activity. The second set occurred a week later, while Flynn was on holiday in the Dominican Republic. There, Flynn sought to convince Kislyak to persuade the Russian government not to retaliate against the United States, over a round of sanctions punishing Russia for intervening in the 2016 election to help Donald Trump."
Frum goes on to say that in December 2016, Flynn "surely did not know what specifically he was protecting Trump against. But here's what Flynn did know: Trump wanted to undo the sanctions President Obama had imposed on Russia. That mission would be made easier if Russia did not escalate in response to the Obama sanctions. Flynn sensed that Trump's preferred Russia policy was based on motives that everybody around Trump recognized as dangerous, even if they could not quite define where the danger lay. So, when asked by the FBI about the conversation, Flynn acted like a man aware of a terrible secret that must be concealed at all costs."
According to Frum, "Trump is now pardoning Flynn to reward him for that concealment, as Trump has already commuted Roger Stone's sentence, to reward him for his lying." And Frum wonders if Trump will pardon Manafort before he leaves office on January 20, 2021.
"A big question mark hovers over the head of Paul Manafort, the man most deeply implicated of all," Frum observes. "Manafort has kept his mouth firmly closed. His silence helped defeat Robert Mueller's investigation, limiting its effort to determine what, precisely, transpired between Trump and Russia. On trial and in prison, Manafort has not talked. Is his reward from Trump coming?"
Frum wraps up his article by wondering if Trump will try to pardon himself.
"Worse may be pending, should Trump follow these self-protecting pardons with an attempt at a self-pardon," the Never Trump conservative argues. "Ultimately, the U.S. Supreme Court will rule whether a self-pardon is valid. Enough legal scholars argue that it would not be that Trump's attorneys should worry that a self-pardon won't stick. But if Trump can buy silence with his pardons of others, he might not even need to pardon himself. The thing we do know for certain is that an administration that began amid charges of conspiracy is ending with an effort at obstruction."


alternet--2020-11-26--Donor sues Tea Party group for $2.5 million after it failed to show evidence of widespread voter fra

Donor sues Tea Party group for $2.5 million after it failed to show evidence of widespread voter fraud

True the Vote , a far-right Tea Party-associated group founded in Houston in 2009 , has described its mission as fighting voter fraud — and critics have slammed True the Vote for promoting voter suppression , especially in communities of color .
The group has been busy this year , vowing to `` investigate , litigate and expose suspected illegal balloting and fraud in the 2020 general election . ''
But Fred Eshelman , a North Carolina-based money manager and True the Vote donor , is suing True the Vote for $ 2.5 million for failing to show evidence of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ keeping him up-to-date on its efforts .
Newsweek 's Darragh Roche reports that Eshelman , who founded the company Eshelman Ventures LLC , `` now wants his money back because True the Vote did not provide him with information about their progress and he believes they ca n't achieve what they claimed . ''
True the Vote , which was founded by Tea Party supporter Catherine Engelbrecht 11 years ago , filed four lawsuits after the November 3 election but has dropped all of them—and in an official statement on November 17 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we stand by the voters ' testimony that was brought forth , barriers to advancing our arguments , coupled with constraints on time , made it necessary for us to pursue a different path . ''
True the Vote called its efforts to challenge the 2020 election results Validate the Vote , promising lawsuits in seven battleground states and claiming that it would use `` sophisticated data modeling and statistical analysis to identify potential illegal or fraudulent balloting . ''
Eshelman donated $ 2 million to True the Vote on November 5 and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But now , Eshelman wants his $ 2.5 million back and is saying that when he asked for updates , he was `` met with vague responses , platitudes and empty promises . ''
True the Vote is an offshoot of the King Street Patriots , a Texas-based Tea Party group founded by Engelbrecht .
During its 11-year history , True the Vote has been alleging voter fraud on the part of Democrats and has pushed for strict voter ID laws — inspiring critics to say that her real goal is voter suppression @

True the Vote, a far-right Tea Party-associated group founded in Houston in 2009, has described its mission as fighting voter fraud — and critics have slammed True the Vote for promoting voter suppression, especially in communities of color. The group has been busy this year, vowing to "investigate, litigate and expose suspected illegal balloting and fraud in the 2020 general election." But Fred Eshelman, a North Carolina-based money manager and True the Vote donor, is suing True the Vote for $2.5 million for failing to show evidence of voter fraud this election year and not keeping him up-to-date on its efforts.
Newsweek's Darragh Roche reports that Eshelman, who founded the company Eshelman Ventures LLC, "now wants his money back because True the Vote did not provide him with information about their progress and he believes they can't achieve what they claimed."
True the Vote, which was founded by Tea Party supporter Catherine Engelbrecht 11 years ago, filed four lawsuits after the November 3 election but has dropped all of them—and in an official statement on November 17, True the Vote announced, "while we stand by the voters' testimony that was brought forth, barriers to advancing our arguments, coupled with constraints on time, made it necessary for us to pursue a different path."
True the Vote called its efforts to challenge the 2020 election results Validate the Vote, promising lawsuits in seven battleground states and claiming that it would use "sophisticated data modeling and statistical analysis to identify potential illegal or fraudulent balloting." Eshelman donated $2 million to True the Vote on November 5 and another $500,000 the following week. But now, Eshelman wants his $2.5 million back and is saying that when he asked for updates, he was "met with vague responses, platitudes and empty promises."
True the Vote is an offshoot of the King Street Patriots, a Texas-based Tea Party group founded by Engelbrecht. During its 11-year history, True the Vote has been alleging voter fraud on the part of Democrats and has pushed for strict voter ID laws — inspiring critics to say that her real goal is voter suppression.


alternet--2020-11-26--Sidney Powell suffers another setback as Georgia GOP county chair demands removal from 'kraken' elec

Sidney Powell suffers another setback as Georgia GOP county chair demands removal from 'kraken' election lawsuit

Georgia is one of the states where Republican lawyer Sidney Powell is trying to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election and making baseless claims of widespread voter fraud .
And on Thanksgiving , Jason Shepherd — the Republican Party chairman for Cobb County , Georgia — demanded to be removed from Powell 's lawsuit in that state .
Shepherd told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution , `` We ( Sidney Powell 's associate and I ) discussed the Cobb GOP being a plaintiff , and I was open to it considering ( a ) multitude of troubling issues we 've @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we needed more information to at least make sure the executive officers were in agreement to us being a party in the suit . ''
The Cobb County GOP chairman is complaining that Powell failed to provide the information that was needed for him to be a part of the lawsuit .
`` I called Powell 's associate to state we were , unfortunately , not going to be able to be part of the suit , '' Shepherd told the Journal-Constitution .
`` She confirmed she understood .
Guess this is what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ minute . ''
In the 2020 presidential election , President-elect Joe Biden won 306 electoral votes in addition to defeating President Donald Trump by more than 6 million in the popular vote .
Trump 's campaign and Republican lawyers have been fighting the election results in multiple swing states , from Georgia to Pennsylvania , Michigan and Wisconsin .
Some prominent Republicans — including Sen. Mitt Romney , GOP strategist Karl Rove and former Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge — have acknowledged Biden as president-elect .
But Powell , former New York City @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have kept insisting , without evidence , that Trump was the victim of widespread voter fraud and vowed to keep fighting in court .
Powell has been mocked unmercifully by her critics for promising to `` release the kraken '' with lawsuits in Michigan and Georgia lawsuits .
In Norse mythology , a kraken is a giant sea monster — and the phrase `` release the kraken '' was used in the 1981 fantasy film , `` Clash of the Titans . ''
Powell has also been slammed by her critics for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Georgia lawsuits , inspiring some social media users to joke that she wo n't be able to `` release the kraken '' if she ca n't even be bothered to proofread her own lawsuits .

Georgia is one of the states where Republican lawyer Sidney Powell is trying to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election and making baseless claims of widespread voter fraud. And on Thanksgiving, Jason Shepherd — the Republican Party chairman for Cobb County, Georgia — demanded to be removed from Powell's lawsuit in that state.
Shepherd told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "We (Sidney Powell's associate and I) discussed the Cobb GOP being a plaintiff, and I was open to it considering (a) multitude of troubling issues we've seen just in Cobb County. But we needed more information to at least make sure the executive officers were in agreement to us being a party in the suit."
The Cobb County GOP chairman is complaining that Powell failed to provide the information that was needed for him to be a part of the lawsuit.
"I called Powell's associate to state we were, unfortunately, not going to be able to be part of the suit," Shepherd told the Journal-Constitution. "She confirmed she understood. Guess this is what happens when you wait until the last minute."
In the 2020 presidential election, President-elect Joe Biden won 306 electoral votes in addition to defeating President Donald Trump by more than 6 million in the popular vote. Trump's campaign and Republican lawyers have been fighting the election results in multiple swing states, from Georgia to Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin. Some prominent Republicans — including Sen. Mitt Romney, GOP strategist Karl Rove and former Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge — have acknowledged Biden as president-elect. But Powell, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and other GOP lawyers have kept insisting, without evidence, that Trump was the victim of widespread voter fraud and vowed to keep fighting in court.
Powell has been mocked unmercifully by her critics for promising to "release the kraken" with lawsuits in Michigan and Georgia lawsuits. In Norse mythology, a kraken is a giant sea monster — and the phrase "release the kraken" was used in the 1981 fantasy film, "Clash of the Titans."
Powell has also been slammed by her critics for the typos that appeared in the Michigan and Georgia lawsuits, inspiring some social media users to joke that she won't be able to "release the kraken" if she can't even be bothered to proofread her own lawsuits.


alternet--2020-11-26--British journalist Mehdi Hasan slams Bill Maher for ‘brazen Islamophobia’ during a no-nonsense inter

British journalist Mehdi Hasan slams Bill Maher for ‘brazen Islamophobia’ during a no-nonsense interview

Bill Maher , the outspoken host of `` Real Time With Bill Maher '' on HBO , has often been highly critical of organized religion — although he has said he considers Judaism the `` coolest '' of the western religions because it promotes a better quality of life on Earth .
Progressive firebrand Mehdi Hasan , whose program , `` The Mehdi Hasan Show , '' debuted on Peacock in October , discussed Maher 's views on Islam during an interview for the Daily Beast — and he accused Maher of being `` pretty brazen '' in his `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Muslim who now lives in the United States , told the Beast , `` There is subtle Islamophobia , and I would n't put Bill Maher in the 'subtle ' category .
He 's pretty brazen .
This is a guy who says Islam acts like the mafia — and the guy who says stuff like , 'Muslims bring that desert stuff to the West . '
I mean , that 's not just Islamophobia , that 's old-fashioned racism . ''
Hasan went on to say , `` Making references to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ come from the desert , do n't live in the desert , and most Muslim Americans have no ties to a desert ?
He 's said so many things , and we can go through a long litany of outrageous and racist statements he 's said about Muslims and Islam — and not just that , statements that have offended African-American communities and other communities . ''
The 41-year-old Peacock host , who is also known for his work with al Jazeera and The Intercept , argued that `` prominent Democrats still go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even though the `` Real Time '' host has a history of making anti-Islam statements .
Hasan told the Beast , `` Some people have pushed back at him , but you 'll notice that he never has any kind of 'mainstream Muslims ' to come on and talk .
He only has the Muslims who will come on and bash Islam , and he gets away with it .
You talk about 'cancel culture ' — well , where is it ?
Bill Maher still has a very prominent show . ''

Bill Maher, the outspoken host of "Real Time With Bill Maher" on HBO, has often been highly critical of organized religion — although he has said he considers Judaism the "coolest" of the western religions because it promotes a better quality of life on Earth. Progressive firebrand Mehdi Hasan, whose program, "The Mehdi Hasan Show," debuted on Peacock in October, discussed Maher's views on Islam during an interview for the Daily Beast — and he accused Maher of being "pretty brazen" in his "Islamophobia."
Hasan, a British Muslim who now lives in the United States, told the Beast, "There is subtle Islamophobia, and I wouldn't put Bill Maher in the 'subtle' category. He's pretty brazen. This is a guy who says Islam acts like the mafia — and the guy who says stuff like, 'Muslims bring that desert stuff to the West.' I mean, that's not just Islamophobia, that's old-fashioned racism."
Hasan went on to say, "Making references to the desert, when most Muslims don't come from the desert, don't live in the desert, and most Muslim Americans have no ties to a desert? He's said so many things, and we can go through a long litany of outrageous and racist statements he's said about Muslims and Islam — and not just that, statements that have offended African-American communities and other communities."
The 41-year-old Peacock host, who is also known for his work with al Jazeera and The Intercept, argued that "prominent Democrats still go on (Maher's) show" even though the "Real Time" host has a history of making anti-Islam statements.
Hasan told the Beast, "Some people have pushed back at him, but you'll notice that he never has any kind of 'mainstream Muslims' to come on and talk. He only has the Muslims who will come on and bash Islam, and he gets away with it. You talk about 'cancel culture' — well, where is it? Bill Maher still has a very prominent show."


alternet--2020-11-26--Justice Sotomayor pens scathing dissent to COVID ruling: This ‘will only exacerbate the Nation’s suf

Justice Sotomayor pens scathing dissent to COVID ruling: This ‘will only exacerbate the Nation’s suffering’

Justice Sonia Sotomayor blasted her more conservative colleagues for barring New York state from reimposing coronavirus restrictions on religious gatherings .
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 , in a late-night emergency ruling , that state officials could not reimpose limits on churches and synagogues to prevent the spread of the highly contagious virus , and Sotomayor penned a scathing dissent that was joined by Justice Elena Kagan .
`` Amidst a pandemic that has already claimed over a quarter million American lives , the Court today enjoins one of New York 's public health measures aimed at containing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most severe outbreaks , '' Sotomayor wrote .
The court had rejected challenges to those restrictions in California and Nevada in May and July , when Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was still alive , and Sotomayor does n't understand the reversal .
`` I see no justification for the Court 's change of heart , and I fear that granting applications such as the one filed by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn ( Diocese ) will only exacerbate the Nation 's suffering , '' she wrote .
She rejected the majority 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against by the restrictions , saying that COVID-19 risks were vastly different in houses of worship than other public spaces .
`` Unlike religious services … bike repair shops and liquor stores generally do not feature customers gathering inside to sing and speak together for an hour or more at a time , '' she wrote .
`` Justices of this Court play a deadly game in second guessing the expert judgment of health officials about the environments in which a contagious virus , now infecting a million Americans each week , spreads @ @ @ @

Justice Sonia Sotomayor blasted her more conservative colleagues for barring New York state from reimposing coronavirus restrictions on religious gatherings.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4, in a late-night emergency ruling, that state officials could not reimpose limits on churches and synagogues to prevent the spread of the highly contagious virus, and Sotomayor penned a scathing dissent that was joined by Justice Elena Kagan.
"Amidst a pandemic that has already claimed over a quarter million American lives, the Court today enjoins one of New York's public health measures aimed at containing the spread of COVID–19 in areas facing the most severe outbreaks," Sotomayor wrote.
The court had rejected challenges to those restrictions in California and Nevada in May and July, when Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was still alive, and Sotomayor doesn't understand the reversal.
"I see no justification for the Court's change of heart, and I fear that granting applications such as the one filed by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn (Diocese) will only exacerbate the Nation's suffering," she wrote.
She rejected the majority's argument that religious groups were unfairly discriminated against by the restrictions, saying that COVID-19 risks were vastly different in houses of worship than other public spaces.
"Unlike religious services … bike repair shops and liquor stores generally do not feature customers gathering inside to sing and speak together for an hour or more at a time," she wrote. "Justices of this Court play a deadly game in second guessing the expert judgment of health officials about the environments in which a contagious virus, now infecting a million Americans each week, spreads most easily."


alternet--2020-11-26--Conservative activist slams GOP 'war on Thanksgiving' claims as total nonsense: 'We are in the middl

Conservative activist slams GOP 'war on Thanksgiving' claims as total nonsense: 'We are in the middle of a pandemic'

After years of pushing former Fox News pundit Bill O'Reilly 's `` War on Christmas '' nonsense , far-right Republican culture warriors have a new meme : the so-called `` War on Thanksgiving . ''
Republicans and allies of outgoing President Donald Trump have been making the ludicrous claim that Democrats who are encouraging social distancing measures on Thanksgiving oppose the holiday .
But Never Trump conservative Tim Miller , in an article published by The Bulwark on Thanksgiving , slams the `` War on Thanksgiving '' meme as total nonsense — stressing that trying to slow down the spread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ same as attacking Thanksgiving .
Miller has a very conservative background .
He was active in the Republican National Committee , served as communications director for former Florida Gov .
Jeb Bush and supported the late Republican Sen. John McCain for president in 2008 .
But the Never Trumper , this week in his Bulwark newsletter , announced that he has finally decided to leave the GOP .
And the `` War on Thanksgiving '' nonsense is a perfect example of why Miller decided that his former party was beyond salvation .
Miller @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time of national solidarity .
Our nurses and emergency-room doctors should be celebrated like conquering heroes .
Our leaders should raise us up and enjoin us to participate in this great struggle on behalf of our fellow man .
To triumph over the virus with the meeting of American innovation through the coming vaccines and our generous , frontier spirit… .
Instead , we have a president whose focus is entirely on his effort to perpetrate a fraud on the American public and convince his voters that they live in a communist junta @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Never Trumper goes on to cite some examples of Republicans who have claimed that there is a `` War on Thanksgiving , '' including Sen. Ted Cruz , Rep. Dan Crenshaw , Rep. Lee Zeldin and Rep. Chip Roy .
Cruz , for example , tweeted , in all caps , `` COME AND TAKE MY TURKEY , '' and Roy declared , `` I will do whatever I want on Thanksgiving . ''
`` Well , here 's the deal , Chip and Lee and Dan and Ted , '' Miller writes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what we want this Thanksgiving .
But one thing that most people have learned by the time they are adults is that they do n't get to do whatever they want whenever they want .
And this year , we are in the middle of a fucking pandemic that has killed over 260,000 people ( in the United States ) and is once again starting to overwhelm hospitals around the country .
So , our wants and desires conflict with the broader interests of our nation .
It 's a concept that grown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some Democrats as well in his article — not for claiming that there is a `` War on Thanksgiving , '' but for not adhering to the social distancing measures they are encouraging .
The ex-Republican argues that although Democrats are generally offering good advice in response to the pandemic , they need to follow that advice .
Miller explains , `` While nearly all of the prominent Democratic leaders are saying the right thing , it ca n't go unmentioned that many of them are refusing to practice what they preach .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ is flying to Mississippi — through Houston — to see his mother for Thanksgiving .
Three states !
Thirty minutes before his flight took off , he tweeted , 'Avoid travel , if you can . '
You serious , Clark ?
!
Andrew Cuomo was bringing his mother up to Albany until he got shamed out of it .
Gavin Newsom held an indoor event at the posh French Laundry restaurant in Yountville .
This is part of the whole leadership deal : if you are asking other people to make sacrifices @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you have to do it too . ''
One Democrat Miller cites as exemplary , however , is President-elect Joe Biden .
`` For months , '' Miller notes , `` ( Biden ) was ridiculed by right-wing provocateurs and Trump himself for modeling responsible behavior .
'Virtue signaling !
, ' they bellowed .
But he never bowed to their taunts .
He never caved when TV pundits mocked his drive-in rallies or his small , socially distant events .
And throughout the transition , he has said and done the right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ready to handle this crisis .
This is normal .
This is what we would expect from someone who strives to lead a country made up of people who have common purpose and aspire to be the hope of the world . ''

After years of pushing former Fox News pundit Bill O'Reilly's "War on Christmas" nonsense, far-right Republican culture warriors have a new meme: the so-called "War on Thanksgiving." Republicans and allies of outgoing President Donald Trump have been making the ludicrous claim that Democrats who are encouraging social distancing measures on Thanksgiving oppose the holiday. But Never Trump conservative Tim Miller, in an article published by The Bulwark on Thanksgiving, slams the "War on Thanksgiving" meme as total nonsense — stressing that trying to slow down the spread of COVID-19 on Thanksgiving is hardly the same as attacking Thanksgiving.
Miller has a very conservative background. He was active in the Republican National Committee, served as communications director for former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and supported the late Republican Sen. John McCain for president in 2008. But the Never Trumper, this week in his Bulwark newsletter, announced that he has finally decided to leave the GOP. And the "War on Thanksgiving" nonsense is a perfect example of why Miller decided that his former party was beyond salvation.
Miller explains, "This should be a time of national solidarity. Our nurses and emergency-room doctors should be celebrated like conquering heroes. Our leaders should raise us up and enjoin us to participate in this great struggle on behalf of our fellow man. To triumph over the virus with the meeting of American innovation through the coming vaccines and our generous, frontier spirit…. Instead, we have a president whose focus is entirely on his effort to perpetrate a fraud on the American public and convince his voters that they live in a communist junta where elections are rigged."
The Never Trumper goes on to cite some examples of Republicans who have claimed that there is a "War on Thanksgiving," including Sen. Ted Cruz, Rep. Dan Crenshaw, Rep. Lee Zeldin and Rep. Chip Roy. Cruz, for example, tweeted, in all caps, "COME AND TAKE MY TURKEY," and Roy declared, "I will do whatever I want on Thanksgiving."
"Well, here's the deal, Chip and Lee and Dan and Ted," Miller writes. "We all want to do what we want this Thanksgiving. But one thing that most people have learned by the time they are adults is that they don't get to do whatever they want whenever they want. And this year, we are in the middle of a fucking pandemic that has killed over 260,000 people (in the United States) and is once again starting to overwhelm hospitals around the country. So, our wants and desires conflict with the broader interests of our nation. It's a concept that grown men would understand."
Miller criticizes some Democrats as well in his article — not for claiming that there is a "War on Thanksgiving," but for not adhering to the social distancing measures they are encouraging. The ex-Republican argues that although Democrats are generally offering good advice in response to the pandemic, they need to follow that advice.
Miller explains, "While nearly all of the prominent Democratic leaders are saying the right thing, it can't go unmentioned that many of them are refusing to practice what they preach. My hometown mayor, Michael Hancock, is flying to Mississippi — through Houston — to see his mother for Thanksgiving. Three states! Thirty minutes before his flight took off, he tweeted, 'Avoid travel, if you can.' You serious, Clark?! Andrew Cuomo was bringing his mother up to Albany until he got shamed out of it. Gavin Newsom held an indoor event at the posh French Laundry restaurant in Yountville. This is part of the whole leadership deal: if you are asking other people to make sacrifices for the good of the whole, you have to do it too."
One Democrat Miller cites as exemplary, however, is President-elect Joe Biden.
"For months," Miller notes, "(Biden) was ridiculed by right-wing provocateurs and Trump himself for modeling responsible behavior. 'Virtue signaling!,' they bellowed. But he never bowed to their taunts. He never caved when TV pundits mocked his drive-in rallies or his small, socially distant events. And throughout the transition, he has said and done the right things focused on getting his incoming administration ready to handle this crisis. This is normal. This is what we would expect from someone who strives to lead a country made up of people who have common purpose and aspire to be the hope of the world."


alternet--2020-11-26--Comcast got $1 billion in public subsidies — now its hiking prices for new data fees

The only thing more American holiday season than conservatives pretending that liberals want to destroy them , is telecommunication companies telling consumers that right around the holiday season they are going to raise the prices of their services for bullshit reasons and there 's nothing you can do about it .
And as we head into Thanksgiving and then a grand consumerist run toward the birth of baby Jesus and the festival of lights Comcast has announced that it will be hiking TV and internet prices , as well as hidden fees !
U S A !
The reason the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is that these fees are not included in promotional packages .
This means that if you just signed up for a service , or are still technically inside of that promotional period , while you wo n't have your promotional costs change , you will have your `` Broadcast TV '' fee and your Regional Sports Network fee boosted .
U S A !
U S A !
Wait until you hear Comcast 's excuse for these hikes in price !
Arstechnica reports that Comcast released a statement saying that , `` Rising @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sports—continue to be the biggest factors driving price increases for all content distributors and their customers , not just Comcast .
We 're continuing to work hard to manage these costs for our customers while investing in our network to provide the best , most reliable broadband service in the country and the flexibility to choose our industry-leading video platform with X1 or the highest quality streaming product with Flex , the only free streaming TV device with voice remote that 's included with broadband service . ''
Wild .
Also strange as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NBC Universal—one of those `` content distributors '' that are clearly `` driving price increases . ''
One of the oldest arguments in the world against the consolidation of media content distributors and telecommunication companies was that this very bogus thing would happen , and just get worse .
The absurdity of it all is something that TechDirt 's Karl Bode wrote about in what is arguably the greatest news headline on the subject in the history of headlines , `` Comcast Tells Customers They May Lose Access To Comcast Channels If Comcast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As for the second excuse Comcast gives , investment in their network , let 's remind everyone that since the Republican tax giveaway , telecommunications companies across the board ( as well as most big businesses ) have slowed down their infrastructural spending , not increased it .
When you consider the spending that these companies do on infrastructure is built into their profit projections years in advance , it means that these companies are pulling back on infrastructure the more money they pocket because there is no reason to actually provide the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ controlled areas .
The reason there is no reason is that there is no law or accountability to the American consumer .
Telecommunications giants like Comcast make many billions of dollars in profit with `` hidden fees . ''
These are the fees that companies are somehow allowed to forget to mention when they are offering up big new deals to new customers .
The level of consumer complaints against Comcast are almost cartoonish .
But , even before the Trump administration used former Verizon lawyer and shill Ajit Pai to do away @ @ @ @ @ @ @ always at the very short end of the stick with telecommunications monopolies like Comcast , Charter , Verizon , and AT & T .

The only thing more American holiday season than conservatives pretending that liberals want to destroy them, is telecommunication companies telling consumers that right around the holiday season they are going to raise the prices of their services for bullshit reasons and there's nothing you can do about it. And as we head into Thanksgiving and then a grand consumerist run toward the birth of baby Jesus and the festival of lights Comcast has announced that it will be hiking TV and internet prices, as well as hidden fees! U S A!
The reason the hidden fees hike is an important note is that these fees are not included in promotional packages. This means that if you just signed up for a service, or are still technically inside of that promotional period, while you won't have your promotional costs change, you will have your "Broadcast TV" fee and your Regional Sports Network fee boosted. U S A! U S A! Wait until you hear Comcast's excuse for these hikes in price!
Arstechnica reports that Comcast released a statement saying that, "Rising programming costs—most notably for broadcast TV and sports—continue to be the biggest factors driving price increases for all content distributors and their customers, not just Comcast. We're continuing to work hard to manage these costs for our customers while investing in our network to provide the best, most reliable broadband service in the country and the flexibility to choose our industry-leading video platform with X1 or the highest quality streaming product with Flex, the only free streaming TV device with voice remote that's included with broadband service."
Wild. Also strange as numerous people point out that Comcast owns NBC Universal—one of those "content distributors" that are clearly "driving price increases." One of the oldest arguments in the world against the consolidation of media content distributors and telecommunication companies was that this very bogus thing would happen, and just get worse. The absurdity of it all is something that TechDirt's Karl Bode wrote about in what is arguably the greatest news headline on the subject in the history of headlines, "Comcast Tells Customers They May Lose Access To Comcast Channels If Comcast Can't Agree With Comcast."
Either way, these fights have been getting increasingly worse over the last decade, with consumers routinely losing access to TV content they pay for -- and almost never getting a refund. Regulators in the Trump era effectively giving up on consumer protection hasn't helped. And while the added competition from streaming has helped matters somewhat, you can expect entirely new issues as the battle over gatekeeper dominance simply changes shape.
As for the second excuse Comcast gives, investment in their network, let's remind everyone that since the Republican tax giveaway, telecommunications companies across the board (as well as most big businesses) have slowed down their infrastructural spending, not increased it. When you consider the spending that these companies do on infrastructure is built into their profit projections years in advance, it means that these companies are pulling back on infrastructure the more money they pocket because there is no reason to actually provide the better promised services in their respective monopolistically controlled areas. The reason there is no reason is that there is no law or accountability to the American consumer.
Telecommunications giants like Comcast make many billions of dollars in profit with "hidden fees." These are the fees that companies are somehow allowed to forget to mention when they are offering up big new deals to new customers. The level of consumer complaints against Comcast are almost cartoonish. But, even before the Trump administration used former Verizon lawyer and shill Ajit Pai to do away with net neutrality protections, consumers were always at the very short end of the stick with telecommunications monopolies like Comcast, Charter, Verizon, and AT&T.


alternet--2020-11-26--#AmyCovidBarrett trends after SCOTUS blocks NY from limiting church attendance

Justice Amy Coney Barrett is the focus of many across this nation as they vent their ire and anger this @ @ @ @ @ Supreme Court jurist who cast the deciding vote in a decision that places religious rights @ @ @ @ @ the Supreme Court preemptively blocked New York Governor Andrew Cuomo from limiting the number of @ @ @ @ @ houses of worship , in a conservative-majority 5-4 decision that ignores science and common sense @ @ @ @ @ sided with the liberal wing in voting against the decision , and blasted his conservative @ @ @ @ @ Many are pointing to Justice Barrett 's repeated and apparently false claims that she would @ @ @ @ @ beliefs to sway her legal decisions .
The Nation 's Justice Correspondent Elie Mystal seemed @ @ @ @ @ are feeling today as they wrestle with celebrating a holiday designed for spending time with @ @ @ @ @ choosing to not to save lives .
Here 's what others are saying about Justice @ @ @

Justice Amy Coney Barrett is the focus of many across this nation as they vent their ire and anger this Thanksgiving Day on the newly-minted Supreme Court jurist who cast the deciding vote in a decision that places religious rights over all others.
Overnight the Supreme Court preemptively blocked New York Governor Andrew Cuomo from limiting the number of people who can congregate inside houses of worship, in a conservative-majority 5-4 decision that ignores science and common sense.
Chief Justice John Roberts sided with the liberal wing in voting against the decision, and blasted his conservative colleagues in his dissent.
Many are pointing to Justice Barrett's repeated and apparently false claims that she would never allow her extremist religious beliefs to sway her legal decisions.
The Nation's Justice Correspondent Elie Mystal seemed to reflect what many Americans are feeling today as they wrestle with celebrating a holiday designed for spending time with loved ones, but are choosing to not to save lives.
Here's what others are saying about Justice Barrett today:


alternet--2020-11-26--Pennsylvania judge halts further certification of election results — Gov. Wolf vows to appeal

The results of the 2020 presidential election are being challenged in Pennsylvania not only by President Donald Trump 's campaign , but also , by Republican Rep. Mike Kelly .
On November 21 , Kelly and other Trump allies filed a lawsuit challenging roughly 2.5 million mail-in ballots in Pennsylvania .
And on November 25 , the day before Thanksgiving , Commonwealth Court Judge Patricia McCullough , in response to Kelly 's lawsuit , ordered the certification of election results to be halted in Pennsylvania .
However , Pennsylvania had already certified the presidential election results earlier in the week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state 's 20 electoral votes .
McCullough has scheduled a hearing for November 27 , the day after Thanksgiving , and Pennsylvania Gov .
Tom Wolf is appealing the judge 's ruling .
Wolf 's administration , in an official statement , said that there is no `` conceivable justification '' for halting the certification of election results in Pennsylvania and declared , `` Since the birth of our nation nearly 250 years ago , no court has ever issued an order purporting to interfere with a state 's ascertainment of its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and his allies in Pennsylvania are arguing , in their lawsuit , that the state legislature , which is controlled by Republicans , did not follow correct procedures when it voted to expand mail-in voting in that state .
And it is no coincidence that the mail-in ballots that Kelly would like to throw out mostly favor Biden in the presidential race .
Democrats in Pennsylvania have slammed Kelly 's lawsuit as well as the Trump campaign 's Pennsylvania lawsuits as naked power grabs designed to overthrow perfectly legitimate election results .
Appearing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' the night before Thanksgiving , Pennsylvania Lt. Gov .
John Fetterman argued , in essence , that Pennsylvania Republicans are cutting their noses to spite their faces by trying to hold up the certification of election results in his state .
Fetterman told host Brian Williams that many Republican victories in Pennsylvania will not be certified if certifications are delayed .

The results of the 2020 presidential election are being challenged in Pennsylvania not only by President Donald Trump's campaign, but also, by Republican Rep. Mike Kelly. On November 21, Kelly and other Trump allies filed a lawsuit challenging roughly 2.5 million mail-in ballots in Pennsylvania. And on November 25, the day before Thanksgiving, Commonwealth Court Judge Patricia McCullough, in response to Kelly's lawsuit, ordered the certification of election results to be halted in Pennsylvania.
However, Pennsylvania had already certified the presidential election results earlier in the week, acknowledging that President-elect Joe Biden won the state's 20 electoral votes. McCullough has scheduled a hearing for November 27, the day after Thanksgiving, and Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf is appealing the judge's ruling.
Wolf's administration, in an official statement, said that there is no "conceivable justification" for halting the certification of election results in Pennsylvania and declared, "Since the birth of our nation nearly 250 years ago, no court has ever issued an order purporting to interfere with a state's ascertainment of its presidential electors until today."
Kelly and his allies in Pennsylvania are arguing, in their lawsuit, that the state legislature, which is controlled by Republicans, did not follow correct procedures when it voted to expand mail-in voting in that state. And it is no coincidence that the mail-in ballots that Kelly would like to throw out mostly favor Biden in the presidential race. Democrats in Pennsylvania have slammed Kelly's lawsuit as well as the Trump campaign's Pennsylvania lawsuits as naked power grabs designed to overthrow perfectly legitimate election results.
Appearing on MSNBC's "The 11th Hour" the night before Thanksgiving, Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman argued, in essence, that Pennsylvania Republicans are cutting their noses to spite their faces by trying to hold up the certification of election results in his state. Fetterman told host Brian Williams that many Republican victories in Pennsylvania will not be certified if certifications are delayed.


alternet--2020-11-26--A federal agency is gearing up to make wide-ranging policy changes on consumers’ access to their fin

A federal agency is gearing up to make wide-ranging policy changes on consumers’ access to their financial data

A federal agency is gearing up to make wide-ranging policy changes on consumers ' access to their financial data .
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ( CFPB ) is looking to implement the area of the 2010 Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act pertaining to a consumer 's rights to his or her own financial data .
It is detailed in section 1033 .
The agency has been laying the groundwork on this move for years , from requesting information in 2016 from financial institutions to hosting a symposium earlier this year on the problems of screen scraping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ collecting consumer data .
Now the agency , which was established by the Dodd-Frank Act , is asking for comments on this critical and controversial topic ahead of the proposed rulemaking .
Unlike other regulations that affect single industries , this could be all-encompassing because the consumer data rule touches almost every market the agency covers , according to the story in American Banker .
With the ruling , the agency seeks to clarify its compliance expectations and help establish market practices to ensure consumers have access to consumer financial data .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shape this evolving area of financial technology , or fintech , recognizing both the opportunities and the risks to consumers as more fintechs become enmeshed with their data and day-to-day lives .
Its goal is `` to better effectuate consumer access to financial records , '' as stated in the regulatory filing .
The agency , established after the economic crisis of 2008 to ensure consumers were never manipulated and scammed again for unscrupulous profit , went off the rails under Trump .
The current administration all but `` systematically neutered '' the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Brookings Institution .
The agency went from collecting $ 12 billion in fines for consumer abuses under its first director Richard Cordray , to collecting less than the cost of a half-decent sandwich over the first six months of this year .
That 's right , through the second quarter of 2020 , the CFPB collected just $ 8 from two civil penalties .
Faced with eroding consumer protection and the economically crippling coronavirus pandemic Americans need the CFPB to do its job and protect them .
So the agency is looking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ changing administrations , it 's not a foregone conclusion what will happen .
The issue is who really owns the financial data – the financial institution itself or the consumer .
It 's become quite convoluted with the growing ubiquity of fintech as third-party owners of this information .
Nearly 100 million American consumers use at least one finance app that takes data from their bank accounts , according to American Banker .
Consumers increasingly are turning to fintech to manage finances , using companies like Mint.com and data aggregators like Yodlee .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ turn over access to financial data via login credentials and security question answers to the fintech companies .
In turn , these companies act and access the financial accounts just like the consumers themselves .
And as part of the process , they become owners of the financial data , too .
One of the risks is that there usually is not a set window of ownership ; these third parties can own that information until a consumer changes the password , essentially .
While consumers who use these services agree to these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This proposed rulemaking coincides with the transition in government , which is important for a few reasons .
The current head of the CFPB , Kathy Kraninger , is criticized widely .
A recent Supreme Court ruling allows presidents to fire CFPB directors at will ; directors of the agency are no longer independent and immune from politics .
Second , a Biden administration almost certainly means more changes to the Dodd-Frank Act , assuming Biden will look to restore all of the law Trump gutted .
Trump took a hatchet to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ core pillars of financial reform , '' according to an article by The American Prospect .
Ever on the side of corporations and big banks , Trump , for examples , rolled back consumer and investor protections , reduced regulation of systemically significant banks 8.16 and stopped enforcing laws against financial predators .
So , the various players will jockey over what kind of guardrails get put in place going forward over what is expected to be a long battle .
With Biden overseeing the fight , at least it 's not an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the new president , it could be the stuff of legacies .

A federal agency is gearing up to make wide-ranging policy changes on consumers' access to their financial data.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is looking to implement the area of the 2010 Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act pertaining to a consumer's rights to his or her own financial data. It is detailed in section 1033.
The agency has been laying the groundwork on this move for years, from requesting information in 2016 from financial institutions to hosting a symposium earlier this year on the problems of screen scraping, a risky but common method of collecting consumer data.
Now the agency, which was established by the Dodd-Frank Act, is asking for comments on this critical and controversial topic ahead of the proposed rulemaking. Unlike other regulations that affect single industries, this could be all-encompassing because the consumer data rule touches almost every market the agency covers, according to the story in American Banker.
The Trump administration all but 'systematically neutered' the agency.
With the ruling, the agency seeks to clarify its compliance expectations and help establish market practices to ensure consumers have access to consumer financial data. The agency sees an opportunity here to help shape this evolving area of financial technology, or fintech, recognizing both the opportunities and the risks to consumers as more fintechs become enmeshed with their data and day-to-day lives.
Its goal is "to better effectuate consumer access to financial records," as stated in the regulatory filing.
The agency, established after the economic crisis of 2008 to ensure consumers were never manipulated and scammed again for unscrupulous profit, went off the rails under Trump. The current administration all but "systematically neutered" the agency, according to an article by The Brookings Institution.
The agency went from collecting $12 billion in fines for consumer abuses under its first director Richard Cordray, to collecting less than the cost of a half-decent sandwich over the first six months of this year. That's right, through the second quarter of 2020, the CFPB collected just $8 from two civil penalties.
Faced with eroding consumer protection and the economically crippling coronavirus pandemic Americans need the CFPB to do its job and protect them. So the agency is looking to implement section 1033. With the changing administrations, it's not a foregone conclusion what will happen.
The issue is who really owns the financial data – the financial institution itself or the consumer. It's become quite convoluted with the growing ubiquity of fintech as third-party owners of this information. Nearly 100 million American consumers use at least one finance app that takes data from their bank accounts, according to American Banker.
Consumers increasingly are turning to fintech to manage finances, using companies like Mint.com and data aggregators like Yodlee. To use these services, consumers must turn over access to financial data via login credentials and security question answers to the fintech companies.
In turn, these companies act and access the financial accounts just like the consumers themselves. And as part of the process, they become owners of the financial data, too. One of the risks is that there usually is not a set window of ownership; these third parties can own that information until a consumer changes the password, essentially. While consumers who use these services agree to these terms, the financial institutions may not.
This proposed rulemaking coincides with the transition in government, which is important for a few reasons. The current head of the CFPB, Kathy Kraninger, is criticized widely. A recent Supreme Court ruling allows presidents to fire CFPB directors at will; directors of the agency are no longer independent and immune from politics. Second, a Biden administration almost certainly means more changes to the Dodd-Frank Act, assuming Biden will look to restore all of the law Trump gutted.
Trump took a hatchet to the financial law, "dismantling the core pillars of financial reform," according to an article by The American Prospect. Ever on the side of corporations and big banks, Trump, for examples, rolled back consumer and investor protections, reduced regulation of systemically significant banks 8.16 and stopped enforcing laws against financial predators.
So, the various players will jockey over what kind of guardrails get put in place going forward over what is expected to be a long battle.
With Biden overseeing the fight, at least it's not an automatic forfeit for consumers. And for the new president, it could be the stuff of legacies.


alternet--2020-11-26--Step one: Defeat Trump — but now comes the hard part

Step one : Defeat Trump .
OK , now comes the hard part .
We have to take back the country , and what I really mean is take it `` forward , '' beyond situation normal — endless war , structural racism , consumer culture and ecological devastation — and into what one might call planetary stewardship .
This sounds , of course , absurd , as though there 's any facet of the American status quo , political or economic , that would abandon its interests and embrace a vision-in-progress : of a world that has transcended nationalism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a world that has transcended us-vs.-them thinking and dominion over Planet Earth .
Idealism , man !
There 's nothing Americans are better at than mocking it .
Nonetheless , beyond the mockery , I believe there is an enormous segment of the population that understands the need to create real peace and believes — or wants to believe — in a future that is not caged in the past .
Does such a movement have any resonance , any hope of political traction ?
`` I believe there is an enormous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need to create real peace and believes — or wants to believe — in a future that is not caged in the past .
Does such a movement have any resonance , any hope of political traction ? ''
Danny Sjursen puts it this way : `` What seems certain is that , as ever , salvation wo n't spring from the top .
Do n't count on Status-quo Joe to slaughter Washington 's sacred cows of foreign policy or on his national security team to topple the golden calves of American empire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ planetary salvation be willingly articulated by the mainstream media , which will report it only in binary terms : progressives vs. centrists , or whatever .
For instance , in a typically dismissive headline recently , NBC News informed us : `` Corporation-free zone : Progressives press Biden to lock out big business '' as he puts together his cabinet .
The job of the media is to turn a vision into a cliché — that 's the best way to prevent it from creating actual change .
You might say democracy itself @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The team Biden is putting together is full-speed-ahead military-industrial complex .
No matter how ravaged the world is from endless wars , they will continue and we will not talk about them .
America 's leadership role is 100 percent militaristic and selling weapons is what keeps everyone ( who matters ) happy .
Vince Cable , the former leader of the UK Liberal Democrats and a guy attuned to political realism , writing about the American political future in The Independent , believes there is only one way for money to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ address anything of value to the people who voted for him : `` a big injection of dollars and political support into the armed services .
.
.
.
`` This is the one cause for which conservative Republicans may be willing to spend unlimited amounts of public money .
The promise to build a new fighter jet in a Senator 's state is perhaps the one thing that might persuade him also to put more into health and education .
.
.
.
`` In the coming four years , Keynesian economics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. through a 'Green New Deal ' but it may come about with the help of defense spending . ''
So what 's coming up in the world beyond Trump is more of the same and then some : the relaunch of NATO , as Cable points out , and maybe a Cold War with China , along with `` big arms deals with Taiwan , Japan and India . ''
This all feeds `` a narrative , with which both Democrats and Republicans are aligned . ''
Militarized unity !
Of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the context progressives have to acknowledge ; it 's the only context we have , and thus it 's the context in which a vision of global healing and transcending militarism must emerge .
The cliché of American democracy would have us believe that the people have had their say and now it 's up to Biden to Make America Normal Again .
See you in four years !
The Americans who have taken to the streets this year — and millions who have n't — know otherwise .
Now it 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vibrant , to push for change at many levels with more urgency than ever .
As George Monbiot wrote : `` Trump stormed into the political vacuum .
Chaotic and unscrupulous , in some respects he offended the neoliberal consensus , ripping up trade agreements , while in others he reinforced it .
But the important point is that he was a monster the consensus created .
His success was a product of the fake unity and fake healing of elite political agreement .
When mainstream politics offered only humiliation and frustration , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anti-politics . ''
Trump was the opposite of a visionary .
He was a racist clown and liar who convinced almost half the electorate that his political incorrectness was real .
Now that things are allegedly returning to a pre-Trump , centrist normal , we must , as Monbiot put it , `` build and sustain social movements that are bigger than the Democratic Party . ''
Left to the Dems , these movements would never get political traction : And so much more !
Activists must seize the moment .
The vision @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and marginalized , must enter the political mainstream and begin to change the world .
The time is now .

Step one: Defeat Trump. OK, now comes the hard part.
We have to take back the country, and what I really mean is take it "forward," beyond situation normal — endless war, structural racism, consumer culture and ecological devastation — and into what one might call planetary stewardship.
This sounds, of course, absurd, as though there's any facet of the American status quo, political or economic, that would abandon its interests and embrace a vision-in-progress: of a world that has transcended nationalism, borders and war . . . of a world that has transcended us-vs.-them thinking and dominion over Planet Earth.
Idealism, man! There's nothing Americans are better at than mocking it. Nonetheless, beyond the mockery, I believe there is an enormous segment of the population that understands the need to create real peace and believes — or wants to believe — in a future that is not caged in the past. Does such a movement have any resonance, any hope of political traction?
"I believe there is an enormous segment of the population that understands the need to create real peace and believes — or wants to believe — in a future that is not caged in the past. Does such a movement have any resonance, any hope of political traction?"
Danny Sjursen puts it this way: "What seems certain is that, as ever, salvation won't spring from the top. Don't count on Status-quo Joe to slaughter Washington's sacred cows of foreign policy or on his national security team to topple the golden calves of American empire."
Nor will a vision of planetary salvation be willingly articulated by the mainstream media, which will report it only in binary terms: progressives vs. centrists, or whatever. For instance, in a typically dismissive headline recently, NBC News informed us: "Corporation-free zone: Progressives press Biden to lock out big business" as he puts together his cabinet. The job of the media is to turn a vision into a cliché — that's the best way to prevent it from creating actual change.
You might say democracy itself is essentially a cliché at this point. The team Biden is putting together is full-speed-ahead military-industrial complex. No matter how ravaged the world is from endless wars, they will continue and we will not talk about them. America's leadership role is 100 percent militaristic and selling weapons is what keeps everyone (who matters) happy.
Vince Cable, the former leader of the UK Liberal Democrats and a guy attuned to political realism, writing about the American political future in The Independent, believes there is only one way for money to be available for the Biden administration to address anything of value to the people who voted for him: "a big injection of dollars and political support into the armed services. . . .
"This is the one cause for which conservative Republicans may be willing to spend unlimited amounts of public money. The promise to build a new fighter jet in a Senator's state is perhaps the one thing that might persuade him also to put more into health and education. . . .
"In the coming four years, Keynesian economics is not going to be delivered in the U.S. through a 'Green New Deal' but it may come about with the help of defense spending."
So what's coming up in the world beyond Trump is more of the same and then some: the relaunch of NATO, as Cable points out, and maybe a Cold War with China, along with "big arms deals with Taiwan, Japan and India." This all feeds "a narrative, with which both Democrats and Republicans are aligned."
Militarized unity! Of course Biden understands this. And this is the context progressives have to acknowledge; it's the only context we have, and thus it's the context in which a vision of global healing and transcending militarism must emerge. The cliché of American democracy would have us believe that the people have had their say and now it's up to Biden to Make America Normal Again. See you in four years!
The Americans who have taken to the streets this year — and millions who haven't — know otherwise. Now it's time to keep our voices loud and vibrant, to push for change at many levels with more urgency than ever.
As George Monbiot wrote: "Trump stormed into the political vacuum. Chaotic and unscrupulous, in some respects he offended the neoliberal consensus, ripping up trade agreements, while in others he reinforced it. But the important point is that he was a monster the consensus created. His success was a product of the fake unity and fake healing of elite political agreement. When mainstream politics offered only humiliation and frustration, people turned to a virulent, demagogic anti-politics."
Trump was the opposite of a visionary. He was a racist clown and liar who convinced almost half the electorate that his political incorrectness was real. Now that things are allegedly returning to a pre-Trump, centrist normal, we must, as Monbiot put it, "build and sustain social movements that are bigger than the Democratic Party."
Left to the Dems, these movements would never get political traction:
• The movement not to defund but to rethink policing and, indeed, social order and security. Broken, impoverished communities need healing, not the presence of an occupying army. This is armed racism.
• The movement for empathy and compassion at the border, and for understanding that U.S. foreign policy is one of the major contributors to global displacement and the creation of refugees.
• The movement to demilitarize foreign policy, dismantle and abolish nuclear weapons, slash the military budget and rethink our relationship with Planet Earth. What does it mean that we all live on one planet?
• The movement to recognize and begin addressing the planet's climate emergency, move beyond fossil fuels, recycle all "waste" and reconnect with nature.
And so much more! Activists must seize the moment. The vision driving these movements, so long mocked and marginalized, must enter the political mainstream and begin to change the world. The time is now.


alternet--2020-11-26--Fox News ticker destroys Trump for ‘baselessly’ and ‘falsely’ claiming election was rigged

Viewers of Fox & Friends were treated to a dose of the truth on Thursday when the show admitted that President Donald Trump has `` baselessly '' and `` falsely '' claimed that the 2020 election was rigged .
The message to Fox News viewers appeared on the network 's ticker graphic that is displayed at the bottom of the screen .
`` President Trump phoned into a meeting organized by Republicans in Pennsylvania Wed. , baseless claiming that the election was 'rigged ' and falsely claiming that he won it 'by a lot , ' '' the Fox News @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's legal efforts to challenge voting procedures in PA , MI and other states have been thrown out and his campaign has not produced sufficient evidence to back up claims of widespread voter fraud . ''
The ticker continued : `` At the hearing Wed. , Trump 's attorney Rudy Giuliani claimed Trump had potentially won VA , when in fact the state 's vote count shows Trump lost VA by over 450,000 votes . ''
According to the Fox News report , `` states where the Trump campaign has contested results , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NV , have all either certified or moved closer to certifying their results in the past week , further confirming President-elect Joe Biden 's victory . ''
Read the ticker in the Fox News video below .
Fox News ticker says Trump 'baselessly ' and 'falsely ' claimed election was rigged

Viewers of Fox & Friends were treated to a dose of the truth on Thursday when the show admitted that President Donald Trump has "baselessly" and "falsely" claimed that the 2020 election was rigged.
The message to Fox News viewers appeared on the network's ticker graphic that is displayed at the bottom of the screen.
"President Trump phoned into a meeting organized by Republicans in Pennsylvania Wed., baseless claiming that the election was 'rigged' and falsely claiming that he won it 'by a lot,'" the Fox News ticker reported. "Most of Trump's legal efforts to challenge voting procedures in PA, MI and other states have been thrown out and his campaign has not produced sufficient evidence to back up claims of widespread voter fraud."
The ticker continued: "At the hearing Wed., Trump's attorney Rudy Giuliani claimed Trump had potentially won VA, when in fact the state's vote count shows Trump lost VA by over 450,000 votes."
According to the Fox News report, "states where the Trump campaign has contested results, including GA, MI, PA and NV, have all either certified or moved closer to certifying their results in the past week, further confirming President-elect Joe Biden's victory."
Read the ticker in the Fox News video below.


alternet--2020-11-26--Trump embracing 'the very bunkered existence that he spent months accusing Joe Biden of living': jou

Trump embracing 'the very bunkered existence that he spent months accusing Joe Biden of living': journalists

Writing in the Daily Beast this Thursday , Asawin Suebsaeng and Sam Stein contend that in the wake of his loss to Joe Biden in the 2020 election , President Donald Trump has embraced `` the very bunkered existence that he spent months accusing Joe Biden of living . ''
`` Trump has n't taken questions in weeks .
He 's barely appeared in public , '' they write .
`` When he has , it 's been so brief and odd-sounding as to raise questions about the point of it all .
He claims to be fighting for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tangible activity in which he 's engaged has been golf . ''
Speaking to the Daily Beast , a senior administration official said that when it comes to Trump 's crusade to overturn the election 's results , his administration needs to be on board whether they agree with him or not .
`` Trump wants this to continue , '' the official said .
`` [ Basically ] everyone else has to fake it . ''
Suebsaeng and Stein wonder if Rudy Giuliani sometimes questions what would be if life had handed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being a mouthpiece for Trump 's conspiracies and `` spending the day before Thanksgiving literally anywhere else than a hotel conference room with mostly maskless fellow conspiracists and a number of no-name state lawmakers who seemed delighted to hear the president over a cell phone . ''
`` In a way , it is a fitting chapter to his marriage with Trump , which has been forged through years of scandal , saga , and political high-wire acts . ''
Read the full piece over at The Daily Beast .

Writing in the Daily Beast this Thursday, Asawin Suebsaeng and Sam Stein contend that in the wake of his loss to Joe Biden in the 2020 election, President Donald Trump has embraced "the very bunkered existence that he spent months accusing Joe Biden of living."
"Trump hasn't taken questions in weeks. He's barely appeared in public," they write. "When he has, it's been so brief and odd-sounding as to raise questions about the point of it all. He claims to be fighting for the future of democracy. But the most tangible activity in which he's engaged has been golf."
Speaking to the Daily Beast, a senior administration official said that when it comes to Trump's crusade to overturn the election's results, his administration needs to be on board whether they agree with him or not.
"Trump wants this to continue," the official said. "[Basically] everyone else has to fake it."
Suebsaeng and Stein wonder if Rudy Giuliani sometimes questions what would be if life had handed him a different script, other than being a mouthpiece for Trump's conspiracies and "spending the day before Thanksgiving literally anywhere else than a hotel conference room with mostly maskless fellow conspiracists and a number of no-name state lawmakers who seemed delighted to hear the president over a cell phone."
"In a way, it is a fitting chapter to his marriage with Trump, which has been forged through years of scandal, saga, and political high-wire acts."
Read the full piece over at The Daily Beast.


alternet--2020-11-26--‘Deadly game’: Legal experts blast Supreme Court’s dead-of-night decision enshrining ‘religious righ

‘Deadly game’: Legal experts blast Supreme Court’s dead-of-night decision enshrining ‘religious rights’ over all others

At 11:57 PM Wednesday , three minutes before the country tries to celebrate Thanksgiving during a pandemic , the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 for a group of Catholics and Jews who sued to prevent the State of New York from imposing restrictions in the future on the number of people who can gather in churches and synagogues .
`` The court 's ruling was at odds with earlier ones concerning churches in California and Nevada , '' The New York Times notes , reflecting the addition of Justice Amy Coney Barrett .
`` In those cases , decided in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the states ' governors to restrict attendance at religious services . ''
Legal experts are blasting the decision , one that makes clear this new , Trump-ified version of the Roberts court will rule exactly as critics warned : enshrining `` religious rights '' over all others .
This time Chief Justice Roberts sided with the liberal wing of his court , over the right wing jurists , including their newest member , Justice Amy Coney Barrett .
She was joined by Justices Clarence Thomas , Samuel Alito , Neil Gorsuch , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his dissent , Roberts blasted Kavanaugh : Justice Sonia Sotomayor brutally slammed her conservative colleagues in her dissent .
`` Justices of this Court play a deadly game in second guessing the expert judgment of health officials about the environments in which a contagious virus , now infecting a million Americans each week , spreads most easily . ''
And she made clear what 's at stake : '' Amidst a pandemic that has already claimed over a quarter million American lives , the Court today enjoins one of New York 's public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of COVID–19 in areas facing the most severe outbreaks . ''
`` Just before midnight , Thanksgiving Eve , the 5-4 Court 's newly consolidated conservative majority departed from precedent to elevate organized religion over state power to combat disease and save lives . ''
Here 's what other legal experts are saying : Lawyers ' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law President and Executive Director Kristen Clarke : University of Alabama Law School law professor , legal analyst at MSNBC and NBCNews , former U.S. Attorney Joyce Vance : Condé Nast Legal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hard then-Judge Amy Coney Bryant worked to try to convince Senators and all of America she would never allow her Catholic faith to interfere with her judgment : Cristian Farias , Writer In Residence at Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University :

At 11:57 PM Wednesday, three minutes before the country tries to celebrate Thanksgiving during a pandemic, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 for a group of Catholics and Jews who sued to prevent the State of New York from imposing restrictions in the future on the number of people who can gather in churches and synagogues.
"The court's ruling was at odds with earlier ones concerning churches in California and Nevada," The New York Times notes, reflecting the addition of Justice Amy Coney Barrett. "In those cases, decided in May and July, the court allowed the states' governors to restrict attendance at religious services."
Legal experts are blasting the decision, one that makes clear this new, Trump-ified version of the Roberts court will rule exactly as critics warned: enshrining "religious rights" over all others.
This time Chief Justice Roberts sided with the liberal wing of his court, over the right wing jurists, including their newest member, Justice Amy Coney Barrett. She was joined by Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch, and Brett Kavanaugh.
In fact, in his dissent, Roberts blasted Kavanaugh:
Justice Sonia Sotomayor brutally slammed her conservative colleagues in her dissent.
"Justices of this Court play a deadly game in second guessing the expert judgment of health officials about the environments in which a contagious virus, now infecting a million Americans each week, spreads most easily."
And she made clear what's at stake:
"Amidst a pandemic that has already claimed over a quarter million American lives, the Court today enjoins one of New York's public health measures aimed at containing the spread of COVID–19 in areas facing the most severe outbreaks."
Harvard University's Harvard Law School law professor Laurence Tribe set the scene:
"Just before midnight, Thanksgiving Eve, the 5-4 Court's newly consolidated conservative majority departed from precedent to elevate organized religion over state power to combat disease and save lives."
Here's what other legal experts are saying:
Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law President and Executive Director Kristen Clarke:
Former Watergate prosecutor Nick Akerman:
University of Alabama Law School law professor, legal analyst at MSNBC and NBCNews, former U.S. Attorney Joyce Vance:
Condé Nast Legal Affairs Editor Luke Zaleski reminds just how hard then-Judge Amy Coney Bryant worked to try to convince Senators and all of America she would never allow her Catholic faith to interfere with her judgment:
Cristian Farias, Writer In Residence at Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University: