washingtontimes--2020-11-22--Trump election challenge tougher after Pennsylvania dismissal

President Trump ’ s legal team is preparing appeals and new lawsuits for Monday , not letting a string of courtroom losses end its quest to overturn the projected outcome of the Nov. 3 election .
The uphill battle became a steeper climb after a federal judge in Pennsylvania dismissed with prejudice the campaign ’ s last major legal challenge to the election .
The setback prompted some of Mr. Trump ’ s closest allies to intensify calls for him to give up the litigation .
“ Quite frankly , the conduct of the president ’ s legal team has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New Jersey Gov .
Chris Christie told ABC ’ s “ This Week.
” Mr. Christie was the first of Mr. Trump ’ s major 2016 presidential-primary rivals to endorse him and also helped him prepare for the 2020 presidential debates .
But Mr. Trump ’ s campaign vowed to fight on to keep presumptive President-elect Joseph R. Biden out of the White House .
The lawyers are working on an appeal of the dismissed Pennsylvania case to the 3rd U.S .
Circuit Court of Appeals and setting their sights on a showdown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s decision turns out to help us in our strategy to get expeditiously to the U.S. Supreme Court .
Although we fully disagree with this opinion , we ’ re thankful to the Obama-appointed judge for making this anticipated decision quickly , rather than simply trying to run out the clock , ” the Trump campaign ’ s top lawyers , Rudolph W. Giuliani and Jenna Ellis , said in a statement .
A notice of appeal was filed Sunday and the campaign also demanded a second recount in Georgia .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for mail-in ballots , and they ’ ve hinted at a major election-fraud lawsuit to come .
At press conferences and in interviews , the president ’ s lawyers said they have evidence of widespread voter fraud that lowered Mr. Trump ’ s vote tally while increasing Mr. Biden ’ s total .
They also said Democratic-run cities coordinated to keep Republican poll watchers from reviewing mail-in ballots and alleged manipulation of the voting machines used in more than two dozen states .
None of their lawsuits thus far alleged a widespread conspiracy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Powell , who appeared along side Mr. Trump ’ s lawyers at last week ’ s press conference , has been the main attorney accusing voting software of security issues .
On Sunday , the campaign issued a statement appearing to distance itself from Ms. Powell .
“ Sidney Powell is practicing law on her own .
She is not a member of the Trump Legal Team .
She is also not a lawyer for the President in his personal capacity , ” said Mr. Giuliani and Ms. Ellis .
In the dismissed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lawyers argued that state officials caused a constitutional crisis by treating Republican and Democratic voters differently .
They asked the federal court to halt certification of the results .
The lawsuit , which was filed in the Middle District of Pennsylvania , argued that Republican counties were not allowed to cure mail-in ballots while voters in Democratic counties were able to fix errors with their absentee ballots before Election Day .
The lawsuit aimed to throw out more than 600,000 ballots from heavily Democratic counties around Pittsburgh and Philadelphia .
Judge Matthew Brann @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , dismissed the case Saturday .
In a blistering opinion , he chastised the Trump legal team for what he said was an attempt to disenfranchise 7 million voters .
He said the president ’ s lawyers presented “ strained legal arguments without merit and speculative accusations ” that he said were “ unsupported by evidence.
” “ In the United States of America , this can not justify the disenfranchisement of a single voter , let alone all the voters of its sixth most populated state .
Our people , laws , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ judge wrote in dismissing the case “ with prejudice , ” meaning it can not be refiled .
Josh Shapiro , Pennsylvania ’ s Democratic attorney general , took to Twitter to comment on Saturday ’ s ruling , saying “ Another one bites the dust.
” “ Other than politics , how do you lose a case where large numbers of voters , far more than you need to flip Pennsylvania , are disenfranchised ?
Vote Observers thrown out of counting rooms .
People going to vote finding out they have already @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home !
” he tweeted .
The Trump campaign made similar arguments in a Michigan lawsuit , accusing the city of Detroit of election irregularities .
The campaign withdrew that lawsuit Thursday .
In Pennsylvania , where the deadline to certify results is Monday , Mr. Biden is leading Mr. Trump by more than 80,000 votes or 1.2 percentage points .
In Michigan , where the certification deadline is Dec. 13 , Mr. Biden is ahead by more than 155,000 votes or 2.8 percentage points .
Pennsylvania ’ s counties must certify their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ secretary of the commonwealth and its top elections official .
She will then make her own certification and Gov .
Tom Wolf , a Democrat , will alert the winning candidate ’ s electors , so they can appear in the Capitol in Harrisburg on Dec. 14 to vote .
Nearly three weeks after the election , Mr. Trump appears far from his goal of reversing the projected outcome .
The most likely path to victory for Mr. Trump would have been through Pennsylvania .
If he prevailed there somehow , he would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ loss in at least two other states to reach the 270 electoral votes required to win the White House .
A Trump-requested recount is now underway in two Wisconsin counties .
Mr. Trump tails Mr. Biden in the state by about 20,600 votes or 0.7 percentage points .
Wisconsin ’ s certification deadline is Dec. 1 .
The first recount in Georgia closed Mr. Biden ’ s winning margin by some , but did not come close to overturning the initial 14,000-vote margin .
Mr. Trump ’ s team petitioned the state Saturday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they want to look at signatures on mail-in ballots to throw out any that are suspect of fraud .
“ We are focused on ensuring that every aspect of Georgia State Law and the U.S. Constitution are followed so that every legal vote is counted .
President Trump and his campaign continue to insist on an honest recount in Georgia , which has to include signature matching and other vital safeguards .
Without signature matching , this recount would be a sham and again allow for illegal votes to be counted .
If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would be as phony as the initial vote count and recount .
Let ’ s stop giving the People false results , ” Mr. Trump ’ s lawyers said in a statement .
The original hand recount uncovered more than 3,000 ballots that had not originally been tabulated .
It did not change the outcome .
Mr. Biden took the state ’ s 16 electoral college votes by about 12,600 votes or a 0.2 % margin ⦁ This article was based in part on wire service reports .

President Trump’s legal team is preparing appeals and new lawsuits for Monday, not letting a string of courtroom losses end its quest to overturn the projected outcome of the Nov. 3 election.
The uphill battle became a steeper climb after a federal judge in Pennsylvania dismissed with prejudice the campaign’s last major legal challenge to the election. The setback prompted some of Mr. Trump’s closest allies to intensify calls for him to give up the litigation.
“Quite frankly, the conduct of the president’s legal team has been a national embarrassment,” former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie told ABC’s “This Week.”
Mr. Christie was the first of Mr. Trump’s major 2016 presidential-primary rivals to endorse him and also helped him prepare for the 2020 presidential debates.
But Mr. Trump’s campaign vowed to fight on to keep presumptive President-elect Joseph R. Biden out of the White House.
The lawyers are working on an appeal of the dismissed Pennsylvania case to the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and setting their sights on a showdown in the Supreme Court.
SEE ALSO: Trump appeals Pennsylvania dismissal of bid to block vote certification
“Today’s decision turns out to help us in our strategy to get expeditiously to the U.S. Supreme Court. Although we fully disagree with this opinion, we’re thankful to the Obama-appointed judge for making this anticipated decision quickly, rather than simply trying to run out the clock,” the Trump campaign’s top lawyers, Rudolph W. Giuliani and Jenna Ellis, said in a statement.
A notice of appeal was filed Sunday and the campaign also demanded a second recount in Georgia. This time it’s demanding signature analysis for mail-in ballots, and they’ve hinted at a major election-fraud lawsuit to come.
At press conferences and in interviews, the president’s lawyers said they have evidence of widespread voter fraud that lowered Mr. Trump’s vote tally while increasing Mr. Biden’s total.
They also said Democratic-run cities coordinated to keep Republican poll watchers from reviewing mail-in ballots and alleged manipulation of the voting machines used in more than two dozen states.
None of their lawsuits thus far alleged a widespread conspiracy or fraud involving voting software.
Sidney Powell, who appeared along side Mr. Trump’s lawyers at last week’s press conference, has been the main attorney accusing voting software of security issues.
SEE ALSO: Lisa Murkowski calls on Trump to end court fight, start transition
On Sunday, the campaign issued a statement appearing to distance itself from Ms. Powell.
“Sidney Powell is practicing law on her own. She is not a member of the Trump Legal Team. She is also not a lawyer for the President in his personal capacity,” said Mr. Giuliani and Ms. Ellis.
In the dismissed Pennsylvania case, the president’s lawyers argued that state officials caused a constitutional crisis by treating Republican and Democratic voters differently. They asked the federal court to halt certification of the results.
The lawsuit, which was filed in the Middle District of Pennsylvania, argued that Republican counties were not allowed to cure mail-in ballots while voters in Democratic counties were able to fix errors with their absentee ballots before Election Day.
The lawsuit aimed to throw out more than 600,000 ballots from heavily Democratic counties around Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.
Judge Matthew Brann, who was appointed by President Obama, dismissed the case Saturday. In a blistering opinion, he chastised the Trump legal team for what he said was an attempt to disenfranchise 7 million voters.
He said the president’s lawyers presented “strained legal arguments without merit and speculative accusations” that he said were “unsupported by evidence.”
“In the United States of America, this cannot justify the disenfranchisement of a single voter, let alone all the voters of its sixth most populated state. Our people, laws, and institutions demand more,” the judge wrote in dismissing the case “with prejudice,” meaning it cannot be refiled.
Josh Shapiro, Pennsylvania’s Democratic attorney general, took to Twitter to comment on Saturday’s ruling, saying “Another one bites the dust.”
Mr. Trump called the ruling politically motivated.
“Other than politics, how do you lose a case where large numbers of voters, far more than you need to flip Pennsylvania, are disenfranchised? Vote Observers thrown out of counting rooms. People going to vote finding out they have already voted through a fake ballot — go home!” he tweeted.
The Trump campaign made similar arguments in a Michigan lawsuit, accusing the city of Detroit of election irregularities. The campaign withdrew that lawsuit Thursday.
In Pennsylvania, where the deadline to certify results is Monday, Mr. Biden is leading Mr. Trump by more than 80,000 votes or 1.2 percentage points. In Michigan, where the certification deadline is Dec. 13, Mr. Biden is ahead by more than 155,000 votes or 2.8 percentage points.
Pennsylvania’s counties must certify their results Monday for Kathy Boockvar, the secretary of the commonwealth and its top elections official. She will then make her own certification and Gov. Tom Wolf, a Democrat, will alert the winning candidate’s electors, so they can appear in the Capitol in Harrisburg on Dec. 14 to vote.
Nearly three weeks after the election, Mr. Trump appears far from his goal of reversing the projected outcome.
The most likely path to victory for Mr. Trump would have been through Pennsylvania. If he prevailed there somehow, he would also need to reverse his projected loss in at least two other states to reach the 270 electoral votes required to win the White House.
A Trump-requested recount is now underway in two Wisconsin counties. Mr. Trump tails Mr. Biden in the state by about 20,600 votes or 0.7 percentage points. Wisconsin’s certification deadline is Dec. 1.
The first recount in Georgia closed Mr. Biden’s winning margin by some, but did not come close to overturning the initial 14,000-vote margin.
Mr. Trump’s team petitioned the state Saturday for another recount. This time, they want to look at signatures on mail-in ballots to throw out any that are suspect of fraud.
“We are focused on ensuring that every aspect of Georgia State Law and the U.S. Constitution are followed so that every legal vote is counted. President Trump and his campaign continue to insist on an honest recount in Georgia, which has to include signature matching and other vital safeguards. Without signature matching, this recount would be a sham and again allow for illegal votes to be counted. If there is no signature matching, this would be as phony as the initial vote count and recount. Let’s stop giving the People false results,” Mr. Trump’s lawyers said in a statement.
The original hand recount uncovered more than 3,000 ballots that had not originally been tabulated. It did not change the outcome. Mr. Biden took the state’s 16 electoral college votes by about 12,600 votes or a 0.2% margin
• This article was based in part on wire service reports.
• Alex Swoyer can be reached at aswoyer@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-11-22--Wisconsin congressman says he tested positive for COVID-19

JANESVILLE , Wis. ( AP ) - U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday , according to @ @ @ @ @ lawmaker , who represents Wisconsin ’ s 1st congressional district .
The congressman said he @ @ @ @ @ the weekend and contacted his health care provider while at home in Janesville , Wisconsin @ @ @ @ @ all of last week working in Washington , D.C. “ Following CDC guidelines , I @ @ @ @ @ continue serving the people of Southeast Wisconsin from my home in Janesville , ” he @ @ @ @ @ elected in 2018 and held on to his seat in November for Wisconsin ’ s @ @ @ @ @ includes Kenosha and Racine counties and portions of Milwaukee , Rock , Walworth and Waukesha @ @

JANESVILLE, Wis. (AP) - U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday, according to a statement from the Republican lawmaker, who represents Wisconsin’s 1st congressional district.
The congressman said he began experiencing mild symptoms over the weekend and contacted his health care provider while at home in Janesville, Wisconsin.
Steil said he spent all of last week working in Washington, D.C.
“Following CDC guidelines, I am immediately quarantining and will continue serving the people of Southeast Wisconsin from my home in Janesville,” he said.
Steil was first elected in 2018 and held on to his seat in November for Wisconsin’s 1st congressional district, which includes Kenosha and Racine counties and portions of Milwaukee, Rock, Walworth and Waukesha counties.


washingtontimes--2020-11-22--Trump campaign legal team distances itself from Powell

WASHINGTON ( AP ) - Perhaps Sidney Powell has gone too far for even Rudy Giuliani this time .
The Trump campaign ’ s legal team moved to distance itself Sunday from the firebrand conservative attorney after a tumultuous several days in which Powell made multiple incorrect statements about the voting process , unspooled unsupported and complex conspiracy theories and vowed to “ blow up ” Georgia with a “ biblical ” court filing .
“ Sidney Powell is practicing law on her own .
She is not a member of the Trump Legal Team .
She is also not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ personal capacity , ” Giuliani and another lawyer for Trump , Jenna Ellis , said in a statement .
There was no immediate clarification from the campaign and Powell did not immediately return an email seeking comment .
The statement hints at further tumult for a legal team that has lost case after case in contested states as it works to overturn the results of the Nov. 3 election .
Law firms have withdrawn from cases , and in the latest blow , a federal judge dismissed on Saturday night the Trump campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of votes in Pennsylvania in a blistering ruling that described the arguments as “ strained ” and “ unsupported by evidence.
” Trump had heralded Powell ’ s role as one of his lawyers , tweeting last week that she was part of a team of “ wonderful lawyers and representatives ” spearheaded by Giuliani .
But the terse Sunday evening statement was the latest sign of wariness over her approach even within some conservative circles .
Fox News host Tucker Carlson said on his show last week that his team had asked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but that Powell had provided none .
Powell made headlines with her statements at a Thursday news conference where , joined by Giuliani and Ellis , she incorrectly suggested that a server hosting evidence of voting irregularities was located in Germany , that voting software used by Georgia and other states was created at the direction of late Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and that votes for Trump had probably been switched in favor of President-elect Joe Biden .
In a subsequent interview with Newsmax , she appeared to accuse Georgia ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its Republican secretary of state of being part of a conspiracy involving a voting-system contract award that she contends harmed Trump ’ s reelection bid .
“ Georgia ’ s probably going to be the first state I ’ m going to blow up and Mr. Kemp and the secretary of state need to go with it , ” she said , later adding that a court filing she hoped to submit this week involving the state would be “ biblical.
” The status of that lawsuit was unclear Sunday night .
Powell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over last year as the lead lawyer for Trump ’ s former national security adviser Michael Flynn , who pleaded guilty in special counsel Robert Mueller ’ s Russia investigation .
Since then , a federal judge rejected her claims of prosecutorial misconduct and has responded quizzically to some of her arguments , including her suggestion at a hearing several weeks ago that her conversations with Trump about the Flynn case were privileged .
She has supported a Justice Department motion to dismiss the Flynn prosecution , a request that remains pending before @ @ @ @ @ @

WASHINGTON (AP) - Perhaps Sidney Powell has gone too far for even Rudy Giuliani this time.
The Trump campaign’s legal team moved to distance itself Sunday from the firebrand conservative attorney after a tumultuous several days in which Powell made multiple incorrect statements about the voting process, unspooled unsupported and complex conspiracy theories and vowed to “blow up” Georgia with a “biblical” court filing.
“Sidney Powell is practicing law on her own. She is not a member of the Trump Legal Team. She is also not a lawyer for the President in his personal capacity,” Giuliani and another lawyer for Trump, Jenna Ellis, said in a statement.
There was no immediate clarification from the campaign and Powell did not immediately return an email seeking comment.
The statement hints at further tumult for a legal team that has lost case after case in contested states as it works to overturn the results of the Nov. 3 election. Law firms have withdrawn from cases, and in the latest blow, a federal judge dismissed on Saturday night the Trump campaign’s effort to block the certification of votes in Pennsylvania in a blistering ruling that described the arguments as “strained” and “unsupported by evidence.”
Trump had heralded Powell’s role as one of his lawyers, tweeting on November 14 that she was part of a team of “wonderful lawyers and representatives” spearheaded by Giuliani.
But the terse Sunday evening statement was the latest sign of wariness over her approach even within some conservative circles. Fox News host Tucker Carlson said on his show last week that his team had asked Powell for evidence to support her claims, but that Powell had provided none.
Powell made headlines with her statements at a Thursday news conference where, joined by Giuliani and Ellis, she incorrectly suggested that a server hosting evidence of voting irregularities was located in Germany, that voting software used by Georgia and other states was created at the direction of late Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and that votes for Trump had probably been switched in favor of President-elect Joe Biden.
In a subsequent interview with Newsmax, she appeared to accuse Georgia’s Republican governor, Brian Kemp, and its Republican secretary of state of being part of a conspiracy involving a voting-system contract award that she contends harmed Trump’s reelection bid.
“Georgia’s probably going to be the first state I’m going to blow up and Mr. Kemp and the secretary of state need to go with it,” she said, later adding that a court filing she hoped to submit this week involving the state would be “biblical.”
The status of that lawsuit was unclear Sunday night.
Chris Krebs, who was recently fired by Trump as director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, tweeted Sunday night that “any claims of vote count manipulation” in Georgia “were nonsense from day 1” since the systems in the state had paper records that were validated in the recount.
Powell, a former federal prosecutor, took over last year as the lead lawyer for Trump’s former national security adviser Michael Flynn, who pleaded guilty in special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation.
Since then, a federal judge rejected her claims of prosecutorial misconduct and has responded quizzically to some of her arguments, including her suggestion at a hearing several weeks ago that her conversations with Trump about the Flynn case were privileged.
She has supported a Justice Department motion to dismiss the Flynn prosecution, a request that remains pending before U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan.
_____
Follow Eric Tucker at http://www.twitter.com/etuckerAP


washingtontimes--2020-11-22--Washington COVID-19 hospitalizations reach record high level

SEATTLE ( AP ) - The number of people who were hospitalized in Washington to receive treatment for the coronavirus has reached a record high , forcing hospitals to make changes to meet the influx of patients , health officials said .
There were 762 people receiving hospital care for the virus in Washington as of Saturday , KOMO-TV reports .
“ I am very , very worried about it , ” Washington State Hospital Association CEO Cassie Sauer said .
Leaders from hospitals statewide met last week to consider strategies to ensure they have room to care for COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Every hospital is now making a plan for how they ’ re going to cancel elective surgeries so they ’ re looking at their cases , especially those that would require long hospital stays after surgery and making plans that they may need to cancel those , ” Sauer said .
The cancellations under consideration to make room for coronavirus patients include joint and heart valve replacements and some cancer surgeries , Sauer said .
At the Swedish First Hill campus of Seattle ’ s Swedish Medical Center , 10 coronavirus patients @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hours Wednesday .
“ We ’ ve reduced in-patient elective surgeries to allow us to expand our in-patient urgent and emergency medical beds , ” Dr. Elizabeth Wako said .
“ Our teams are tired .
They are fatigued but they are resilient and we will continue to fight COVID.
” For most people , the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms , such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks .
For some - especially older adults and people with existing health problems - it can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and death .

SEATTLE (AP) - The number of people who were hospitalized in Washington to receive treatment for the coronavirus has reached a record high, forcing hospitals to make changes to meet the influx of patients, health officials said.
There were 762 people receiving hospital care for the virus in Washington as of Saturday, KOMO-TV reports.
“I am very, very worried about it,” Washington State Hospital Association CEO Cassie Sauer said.
Leaders from hospitals statewide met last week to consider strategies to ensure they have room to care for COVID-19 patients as the hospitalization rate climbs.
“Every hospital is now making a plan for how they’re going to cancel elective surgeries so they’re looking at their cases, especially those that would require long hospital stays after surgery and making plans that they may need to cancel those,” Sauer said.
The cancellations under consideration to make room for coronavirus patients include joint and heart valve replacements and some cancer surgeries, Sauer said.
At the Swedish First Hill campus of Seattle’s Swedish Medical Center, 10 coronavirus patients were admitted within a span of five hours Wednesday.
“We’ve reduced in-patient elective surgeries to allow us to expand our in-patient urgent and emergency medical beds,” Dr. Elizabeth Wako said. “Our teams are tired. They are fatigued but they are resilient and we will continue to fight COVID.”
For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some - especially older adults and people with existing health problems - it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death.


washingtontimes--2020-11-22--Ron Klain warns Trump will mismanage vaccine distribution

Presumptive President-elect Joseph R. Biden ’ s team on Sunday warned that President Trump will mismanage the distribution of vaccines the same way he botched getting coronavirus tests to Americans .
The charge added new urgency to Mr. Biden ’ s demand for formal transition meetings with the Trump administration .
Democrats have made the pandemic , which is flaring out of control , the focus of their grumbles with Mr. Trump , who is contesting the election results despite a string of court losses and diminishing support among Republicans .
Ron Klain , who Mr. Biden tapped as his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sunday that fewer than 1-in-3 Americans got a coronavirus test on the Trump administration ’ s watch , which he said was a forecast of problems to come with the distribution of vaccines .
“ Now the question is how can we get 100 % of Americans a vaccine in short order and that is a challenge that I think the American people are right to be skeptical about in terms of the way in which the Trump administration would handle it and that ’ s a challenge that is largely going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mr. Klain said on ABC ’ s “ This Week ” program .
“ The sooner we can get briefed on those plans , the sooner we can get our experts in with their experts , I think the more confidence everyone can have that those plans will proceed apace in 2021.
” Mr. Biden ’ s team is simultaneously applying pressure on Senate Republicans to work with them on new coronavirus relief legislation in a lame-duck session .
Kate Bedingfield , Mr. Biden ’ s deputy campaign manager , said Mr. Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on coronavirus relief legislation and intends to push for the legislation as a priority before the New Year .
“ He believes that we need to get a relief bill done in the lame duck , ” Ms. Bedingfield said on “ Fox News Sunday.
” “ People are hurting all over the country , people need money in their pockets to make rent , they need money in their pockets to afford groceries .
Small businesses need that money , teachers need that money .
Tough decisions about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being made all over this country because Congress won ’ t move forward on a package.
” The Trump administration repeatedly made entreaties to House Democrats to pass a relief package as soon as possible .
Debates over the vaccine handoff and economic relief are unfolding while the coronavirus spreads through much of the country .
Over 83,000 people are hospitalized for COVID-19 in the U.S. , which is more than double the number of hospitalizations a month ago and worse than the springtime crush in the Northeast or summer surge across the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of daily reported cases is at 170,000 — by far the highest of the pandemic — and over 1,400 Americans are dying from the disease each day , adding to the world-leading death toll of over 256,000 .
The situation forced Republican governors in North Dakota , Iowa and elsewhere to back off previous resistance and mandate masks in their states .
Other governors are trying nighttime curfews to slow the spread of the virus , saying they ’ re less damaging than lockdowns .
At the federal level , the Centers for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to travel over Thanksgiving or take precautions if they do mix households .
They ’ re worried the holiday will allow the virus to spread even more .
Mr. Trump has emphasized pharmaceutical interventions instead of mitigation measures .
The Food and Drug Administration over the weekend approved the “ antibody cocktail ” from Regeneron Pharmaceuticals that Mr. Trump received during his bout with the virus in early October .
Mr. Trump was so impressed that he dubbed it a “ cure.
” The administration and Regeneron struck a $ 450 million agreement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drug .
“ Importantly , the administration has already invested nearly half a billion dollars to support large-scale manufacturing of Regeneron ’ s antibody treatment so that it can reach U.S. hospitals quicker for those who need it — free of charge — to help prevent infection , speedup recovery times , and reduce symptoms , ” White House spokesman Michael Bars said .
The monoclonal antibodies help people with mild-or-moderate illness avoid hospitalization .
Eli Lilly and Co. is distributing a similar drug , though both versions are of finite supply , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Scientists are hoping the mix of new therapies and other mitigation measures will keep the virus in check as the world waits on vaccines .
Anthony Fauci , the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , said forthcoming versions from Moderna and Pfizer — the latter drugmaker asked the FDA for emergency-use authorization on Friday — should be an incentive to double-down on basic precautions for a few more months .
“ Recognize the difficulty of the situation we ’ re in .
Do the public health measures , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that we will get from the vaccines , ” Dr. Fauci told NBC ’ s “ Meet the Press.
” Moncef Slaoui , who oversees vaccine development for the White House , said Sunday on CNN that he thinks the first group of Americans could begin getting immunized in about three weeks .
Mr. Slaoui said the government will begin shipping vaccines to state distribution hubs within 24 hours of the vaccines ’ receiving emergency-use approval from the FDA , likely next month .
State plans call for health care workers to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workers , older adults and people with high-risk medical conditions .
The general public should get access to the shots by late March or April .
Pressed about whether the Trump administration working with Mr. Biden ’ s team would produce greater success for widespread immunization , Mr. Slaoui said that he was available to explain the federal government ’ s approach to Mr. Biden ’ s team if they contacted him .
“ We are focused frankly on making sure that the vaccines are made available as quickly as possible and distributed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the political complex that surrounds us , ” Mr. Slaoui said on the ABC News show .
“ Of course , we would hope that transition happens quietly and smoothly and we are here to serve the American people and the American population , and we will do our best.
” Precisely who in a Biden administration would handle the different agencies ’ response to coronavirus is unknown but clues could come early this week .
Mr. Klain said Mr. Biden will announce his first nominees for Cabinet positions on Tuesday .
Mr. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Biden team ’ s role in distributing the vaccine over the Trump administration ’ s role in overseeing vaccine development .
“ Vaccines don ’ t save lives , vaccinations save lives , ” said Mr. Klain .
“ And so the scientific work that ’ s been done to get this vaccine to the place where it can be approved by the FDA hopefully very very soon is just the first step .
The much bigger step is actually getting those vaccinations to the American people .
”

Presumptive President-elect Joseph R. Biden’s team on Sunday warned that President Trump will mismanage the distribution of vaccines the same way he botched getting coronavirus tests to Americans.
The charge added new urgency to Mr. Biden’s demand for formal transition meetings with the Trump administration.
Democrats have made the pandemic, which is flaring out of control, the focus of their grumbles with Mr. Trump, who is contesting the election results despite a string of court losses and diminishing support among Republicans.
Ron Klain, who Mr. Biden tapped as his White House chief of staff, said Sunday that fewer than 1-in-3 Americans got a coronavirus test on the Trump administration’s watch, which he said was a forecast of problems to come with the distribution of vaccines.
“Now the question is how can we get 100% of Americans a vaccine in short order and that is a challenge that I think the American people are right to be skeptical about in terms of the way in which the Trump administration would handle it and that’s a challenge that is largely going to fall on the Biden administration,” Mr. Klain said on ABC’s “This Week” program. “The sooner we can get briefed on those plans, the sooner we can get our experts in with their experts, I think the more confidence everyone can have that those plans will proceed apace in 2021.”
Mr. Biden’s team is simultaneously applying pressure on Senate Republicans to work with them on new coronavirus relief legislation in a lame-duck session.
SEE ALSO: AstraZeneca reports promising results from coronavirus vaccine trial
Kate Bedingfield, Mr. Biden’s deputy campaign manager, said Mr. Biden would “absolutely” meet with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on coronavirus relief legislation and intends to push for the legislation as a priority before the New Year.
“He believes that we need to get a relief bill done in the lame duck,” Ms. Bedingfield said on “Fox News Sunday.” “People are hurting all over the country, people need money in their pockets to make rent, they need money in their pockets to afford groceries. Small businesses need that money, teachers need that money. Tough decisions about layoffs of firefighters and essential workers are being made all over this country because Congress won’t move forward on a package.”
The Trump administration repeatedly made entreaties to House Democrats to pass a relief package as soon as possible.
Debates over the vaccine handoff and economic relief are unfolding while the coronavirus spreads through much of the country.
Over 83,000 people are hospitalized for COVID-19 in the U.S., which is more than double the number of hospitalizations a month ago and worse than the springtime crush in the Northeast or summer surge across the Sun Belt.
The seven-day rolling average of daily reported cases is at 170,000 — by far the highest of the pandemic — and over 1,400 Americans are dying from the disease each day, adding to the world-leading death toll of over 256,000.
The situation forced Republican governors in North Dakota, Iowa and elsewhere to back off previous resistance and mandate masks in their states. Other governors are trying nighttime curfews to slow the spread of the virus, saying they’re less damaging than lockdowns.
At the federal level, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention implored Americans not to travel over Thanksgiving or take precautions if they do mix households. They’re worried the holiday will allow the virus to spread even more.
Mr. Trump has emphasized pharmaceutical interventions instead of mitigation measures.
The Food and Drug Administration over the weekend approved the “antibody cocktail” from Regeneron Pharmaceuticals that Mr. Trump received during his bout with the virus in early October. Mr. Trump was so impressed that he dubbed it a “cure.”
The administration and Regeneron struck a $450 million agreement to scale up the production of the drug.
“Importantly, the administration has already invested nearly half a billion dollars to support large-scale manufacturing of Regeneron’s antibody treatment so that it can reach U.S. hospitals quicker for those who need it — free of charge — to help prevent infection, speedup recovery times, and reduce symptoms,” White House spokesman Michael Bars said.
The monoclonal antibodies help people with mild-or-moderate illness avoid hospitalization. Eli Lilly and Co. is distributing a similar drug, though both versions are of finite supply, so doctors need to prioritize patients.
Scientists are hoping the mix of new therapies and other mitigation measures will keep the virus in check as the world waits on vaccines.
Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said forthcoming versions from Moderna and Pfizer — the latter drugmaker asked the FDA for emergency-use authorization on Friday — should be an incentive to double-down on basic precautions for a few more months.
“Recognize the difficulty of the situation we’re in. Do the public health measures, but be prepared for some serious help that we will get from the vaccines,” Dr. Fauci told NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
Moncef Slaoui, who oversees vaccine development for the White House, said Sunday on CNN that he thinks the first group of Americans could begin getting immunized in about three weeks. Mr. Slaoui said the government will begin shipping vaccines to state distribution hubs within 24 hours of the vaccines’ receiving emergency-use approval from the FDA, likely next month.
State plans call for health care workers to be vaccinated first, followed by other essential workers, older adults and people with high-risk medical conditions. The general public should get access to the shots by late March or April.
Pressed about whether the Trump administration working with Mr. Biden’s team would produce greater success for widespread immunization, Mr. Slaoui said that he was available to explain the federal government’s approach to Mr. Biden’s team if they contacted him.
“We are focused frankly on making sure that the vaccines are made available as quickly as possible and distributed as efficiently as possible, regardless of the political complex that surrounds us,” Mr. Slaoui said on the ABC News show. “Of course, we would hope that transition happens quietly and smoothly and we are here to serve the American people and the American population, and we will do our best.”
Precisely who in a Biden administration would handle the different agencies’ response to coronavirus is unknown but clues could come early this week. Mr. Klain said Mr. Biden will announce his first nominees for Cabinet positions on Tuesday.
Mr. Klain also sought to elevate the importance of the Biden team’s role in distributing the vaccine over the Trump administration’s role in overseeing vaccine development.
“Vaccines don’t save lives, vaccinations save lives,” Mr. Klain said. “And so the scientific work that’s been done to get this vaccine to the place where it can be approved by the FDA hopefully very very soon is just the first step. The much bigger step is actually getting those vaccinations to the American people.”
• Tom Howell Jr. contributed to this report.
• Ryan Lovelace can be reached at rlovelace@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-11-22--Allen, Herbert propel Chargers to 34-28 victory over Jets

INGLEWOOD , Calif. ( AP ) - It hasn ’ t taken long for Justin Herbert and Keenan Allen to become one of the more lethal quarterback-receiver duos in the NFL .
After Sunday , they can also add record setting .
Allen set a Chargers franchise mark with 16 receptions and Herbert became the first rookie quarterback with five games with three or more touchdown passes as Los Angeles held on for a 34-28 victory over the winless New York Jets to snap a three-game losing streak .
“ I didn ’ t think it was gon na be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Coach kept calling the number and Herbie kept throwing me the ball , ” said Allen , who became the first receiver in NFL history to have six games of 13 catches or more as the Chargers improved to 3-7 .
When asked when he thought it would be a prolific day , Allen said late in the first half , when he was already up to 10 receptions for 108 yards ( he finished with 146 yards ) .
Allen also reached a career milestone Sunday , going over 600 career @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fastest to reach that mark at 96 games .
“ He ’ s very rare to be that big and quick inside and we kind of took advantage of the slot defender with some good open concepts to him , ” coach Anthony Lynn said .
Herbert bounced back from a rough game last week at Miami .
He completed 37 of 49 passes for 366 yards , and continued to add to his list of rookie superlatives .
He extended his mark of multiple touchdown passes with seven and had his fifth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rookie in league history to reach that mark .
Herbert ’ s 39-yard connection with Mike Williams early in the second quarter made him only the fifth QB in league history to reach 20 TD passes in nine or fewer games .
It was also part of a first half that saw him have the most first-half completions ( 23 ) , attempts ( 31 ) and yards ( 277 ) by a rookie since at least 1991 .
Herbert also had a TD pass to Hunter Henry in the quarter as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I think we had a great plan going into the week and we went out there and executed .
Mike and Keenan stepped up big time so it made my job a lot easier out there , ” Herbert said .
Allen ’ s 13-yard TD in the third quarter to extend the lead for the Chargers ( 3-7 ) to 31-13 .
New York would rally to get within 34-28 in the fourth quarter on Frank Gore ’ s 1-yard run and Joe Flacco ’ s 6-yard pass to Chris Herndon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 32 with under a minute remaining before turning over the ball on downs .
The Jets - off to the worst start in franchise history - are the 21st team since the merger to begin a season 0-10 and were the first team eliminated from postseason consideration .
“ When we look at the tape , we ’ ll be able to evaluate that part of it to see if we could ’ ve done something different , ” said Jets coach Adam Gase of the early defensive struggles .
“ We were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it hard .
The ball was coming out pretty quick.
” Flacco was 15 of 30 for 205 yards with two touchdowns as he started his fourth game in place of the injured Sam Darnold .
He struggled in the first half , including a pick-6 in the first quarter to Tevaughn Campbell that gave the Chargers a 7-6 lead .
“ They are a defense that kind of spot drops and we felt like we could take some underneath just guaranteed completions early on in the game , and that didn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ So I think in the second half , we just made the decision to kind of attack ’ em and start to make it happen for ourselves anyway.
” Jets : RB La ’ Mical Perine and OT George Fant both suffered ankle injuries and did not return .
Fant will have an MRI .
Chargers : DE Uchenna Nwosu injured a shoulder during the second quarter and did not return .
CB Casey Hayward Jr. ( groin ) did not return after being injured in the second half .
Linebacker and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after being placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list on Saturday .
Ty Long had a punt blocked for the third time in four weeks as special teams mistakes once again affected the Chargers early and led to the Jets ‘ first touchdown .
Jets defensive lineman Henry Anderson blew by Joshua Kelley , giving Long no chance to get the kick off .
Quentin Williams recovered the ball on the Chargers 29 , and Perine went 5 yards up the middle to make it 6-0 .
It is the fourth straight game the Jets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Instead of risking a blocked punt late in the fourth quarter , Long ran into the end zone and took a safety .
The special teams problems were not confined to the Chargers .
Jets kicker Sam Ficken missed two extra points in his return from a groin injury that sidelined him for three games .

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) - It hasn’t taken long for Justin Herbert and Keenan Allen to become one of the more lethal quarterback-receiver duos in the NFL. After Sunday, they can also add record setting.
Allen set a Chargers franchise mark with 16 receptions and Herbert became the first rookie quarterback with five games with three or more touchdown passes as Los Angeles held on for a 34-28 victory over the winless New York Jets to snap a three-game losing streak.
“I didn’t think it was gonna be today. We just got it going. Coach kept calling the number and Herbie kept throwing me the ball,” said Allen, who became the first receiver in NFL history to have six games of 13 catches or more as the Chargers improved to 3-7.
When asked when he thought it would be a prolific day, Allen said late in the first half, when he was already up to 10 receptions for 108 yards (he finished with 146 yards).
Allen also reached a career milestone Sunday, going over 600 career receptions and tying Antonio Brown as the fastest to reach that mark at 96 games.
“He’s very rare to be that big and quick inside and we kind of took advantage of the slot defender with some good open concepts to him,” coach Anthony Lynn said.
Herbert bounced back from a rough game last week at Miami. He completed 37 of 49 passes for 366 yards, and continued to add to his list of rookie superlatives. He extended his mark of multiple touchdown passes with seven and had his fifth 300-yard passing game, becoming the fifth rookie in league history to reach that mark.
Herbert’s 39-yard connection with Mike Williams early in the second quarter made him only the fifth QB in league history to reach 20 TD passes in nine or fewer games. It was also part of a first half that saw him have the most first-half completions (23), attempts (31) and yards (277) by a rookie since at least 1991. Herbert also had a TD pass to Hunter Henry in the quarter as the Chargers had a 24-6 halftime advantage.
“I think we had a great plan going into the week and we went out there and executed. Mike and Keenan stepped up big time so it made my job a lot easier out there,” Herbert said.
Allen’s 13-yard TD in the third quarter to extend the lead for the Chargers (3-7) to 31-13. New York would rally to get within 34-28 in the fourth quarter on Frank Gore’s 1-yard run and Joe Flacco’s 6-yard pass to Chris Herndon.
New York drove to the Chargers 32 with under a minute remaining before turning over the ball on downs.
The Jets - off to the worst start in franchise history - are the 21st team since the merger to begin a season 0-10 and were the first team eliminated from postseason consideration.
“When we look at the tape, we’ll be able to evaluate that part of it to see if we could’ve done something different,” said Jets coach Adam Gase of the early defensive struggles. “We were trying to change things up and make it hard. The ball was coming out pretty quick.”
Flacco was 15 of 30 for 205 yards with two touchdowns as he started his fourth game in place of the injured Sam Darnold. He struggled in the first half, including a pick-6 in the first quarter to Tevaughn Campbell that gave the Chargers a 7-6 lead.
“They are a defense that kind of spot drops and we felt like we could take some underneath just guaranteed completions early on in the game, and that didn’t happen,” Flacco said. “So I think in the second half, we just made the decision to kind of attack ’em and start to make it happen for ourselves anyway.”
INJURIES
Jets: RB La’Mical Perine and OT George Fant both suffered ankle injuries and did not return. Fant will have an MRI.
Chargers: DE Uchenna Nwosu injured a shoulder during the second quarter and did not return. CB Casey Hayward Jr. (groin) did not return after being injured in the second half. Linebacker and leading tackler Kyzir White missed the game after being placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list on Saturday.
SPECIAL TEAMS WOES
Ty Long had a punt blocked for the third time in four weeks as special teams mistakes once again affected the Chargers early and led to the Jets’ first touchdown.
Jets defensive lineman Henry Anderson blew by Joshua Kelley, giving Long no chance to get the kick off. Quentin Williams recovered the ball on the Chargers 29, and Perine went 5 yards up the middle to make it 6-0. It is the fourth straight game the Jets have scored on their opening possession.
Instead of risking a blocked punt late in the fourth quarter, Long ran into the end zone and took a safety.
The special teams problems were not confined to the Chargers. Jets kicker Sam Ficken missed two extra points in his return from a groin injury that sidelined him for three games.
___
More AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL


washingtontimes--2020-11-22--Colorado veteran suicide rate higher than national average

COLORADO SPRINGS , Colo. ( AP ) - Suicide among U.S. military veterans reached record numbers in Colorado last year , with more than one former service member dying by suicide every week , a new report said .
A 2020 National Veteran Suicide Prevention report from the Department of Veterans Affairs said Colorado ’ s rate was “ significantly higher ” than the national rate , The Gazette reported Saturday .
Colorado recorded 43 deaths by suicide of male and female veterans per 100,000 in 2019 , compared with 32 deaths nationally per 100,000 in 2018 , the most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 217 veteran suicide deaths in Colorado last year was an all-time high and a 25 % increase over 2018 , according to Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and state violent-crime statistics .
There were 46,510 American adults who died by suicide in 2018 , including 6,435 veterans , an increase of 36 veteran deaths by suicide over 2017 , the VA report said .
Firearms accounted for 64.7 % of Colorado veteran suicide deaths in 2018 , compared to 51 % nationwide , the VA said .
“ There are people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , behavioral health director at Mount Carmel Veterans Service Center in Colorado Springs .
“ There are a lot of compounding factors .
”

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) - Suicide among U.S. military veterans reached record numbers in Colorado last year, with more than one former service member dying by suicide every week, a new report said.
A 2020 National Veteran Suicide Prevention report from the Department of Veterans Affairs said Colorado’s rate was “significantly higher” than the national rate, The Gazette reported Saturday.
Colorado recorded 43 deaths by suicide of male and female veterans per 100,000 in 2019, compared with 32 deaths nationally per 100,000 in 2018, the most current year for national statistics.
The 217 veteran suicide deaths in Colorado last year was an all-time high and a 25% increase over 2018, according to Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and state violent-crime statistics.
There were 46,510 American adults who died by suicide in 2018, including 6,435 veterans, an increase of 36 veteran deaths by suicide over 2017, the VA report said.
Firearms accounted for 64.7% of Colorado veteran suicide deaths in 2018, compared to 51% nationwide, the VA said.
“There are people really struggling,” said Kirsten Belaire, behavioral health director at Mount Carmel Veterans Service Center in Colorado Springs. “There are a lot of compounding factors.”


washingtontimes--2020-11-22--Joe Bundrant says environmental legislation threatens fishing in Akutan, Alaska

There isn ’ t a hospital in Akutan , Alaska .
Nor are there office buildings , parks , or scores of grocery stores , pharmacies , restaurants and the like .
What Akutan has is a fish-processing plant .
The entire community exists because of and for that plant , which sits hard against the Bering Sea , beneath slopes that in the summertime are as green as Ireland .
Akutan is a speck in the Aleutian Islands , the archipelago that extends southwest off the Alaska coast , about as far removed from Capitol Hill as you can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ others like it are imperiled by proposed environmental legislation now percolating in the House that would lower a regulatory boom on America ’ s saltwater fishing , said Joe Bundrant .
“ You ’ re talking about the livelihood of tens of thousands of people .
These are robust , vibrant communities , and in Washington they are trying to fix a problem that doesn ’ t exist , ” he said .
The fishing trade is in Mr. Bundrant ’ s blood .
He built Trident Seafoods , the largest seafood company @ @ @ @ @ @ @ humble fishing boat his father launched in 1973 .
Environmentalists rang alarm bells about overfishing for decades from pole to pole .
Whether it ’ s wild Alaska pollock , Mr. Bundrant ’ s main catch , or Patagonian toothfish , which appears on restaurant menus as “ Chilean sea bass.
” The activists warn that fish populations are dangerously depleted .
“ Have you ever had a McDonald ’ s Filet-O-Fish or a California roll ?
” he asked .
“ Then you ’ ve had wild Alaska Pollock.
” The legislation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Resources Committee is dubbed the Ocean-Based Climate Solutions Act .
Environmentalists herald it as a savior ; the seafood industry regards it as a death sentence for thousands of small fishing businesses .
The bill would extend a muscular regulatory arm over the seas , creating massive Marine Protected Areas ( MPAs ) that would ban commercial fishing across almost one-third of America ’ s Exclusive Economic Zone ( EEZ ) by 2030 .
It is part of an international campaign for the conservation of 30 % of land and water habitats aimed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of climate change .
Proponents refer to it as “ 30 by 30.
” Critics say the bill draws arbitrary lines across the ocean and takes claims of depleted fishing stock as fact , despite the absence of hard evidence .
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ’ s officials “ are the best fishery managers in the world , ” Mr. Bundrant said .
What ’ s more , the Alaskan constitution requires that sustainability of fisheries be the top priority for the state ’ s Fish and Game Department , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ water from the coast .
“ That ’ s not if an individual fisherman makes money as a priority , and that ’ s not if a processor makes money as a priority , ” Mr. Bundrant said .
“ That ’ s the salmon and the other fish ’ s sustainability as the No .
1 priority.
” Given the remote locale , the weather and the single focus of life — fishing — the crews in Alaska become an extended family , Mr. Bundrant said .
The way Trident handled the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ employs at peak season is indicative of those ties , he said .
In a feat akin to the dome the federal government erected over the imaginary town of Springfield in “ The Simpsons Movie , ” Trident effectively sealed off the Alaska communities where it operates .
Hundreds of people were quarantined in Anchorage hotels .
Flights were monitored , and security guards and cameras ensured no one broke the April seal .
“ There ’ s no hospital in Akutan , there ’ s no real infrastructure for getting people out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It simply wasn ’ t an option to introduce COVID there.
” The intense effort worked .
The quarantine included federal inspectors who accompany every fishing vessel at sea .
“ There is basically a cop on board every trip , making sure we aren ’ t violating fishing rules or regs , ” Mr. Bundrant said .
How many times has Trident been ticketed for such activity ?
“ Zero , ” he said .
As it stands now , fishers can take two metric tons out of the Bering Sea each @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the entire industry .
It includes all the wild Alaska pollock the boats net and all the King Crab trapped by the crews of the “ Deadliest Catch ” or any other fishing expedition .
The first three miles of salt water off the Alaska coast are policed by the state Fish and Game Department and that is where most of the salmon is caught .
Mr. Bundrant says fishers take roughly 20 % of the sea ’ s biomass each year , and the abundance of wild Alaska pollock remains obvious .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Russian fishers on the other side of the Bering Sea , and the fish is often sent to China and then imported to the United States , he said .
“ We ’ ve been doing this for 100 years and the populations are strong .
They just had the fifth consecutive record haul of sockeye salmon , ” he said .
Trident is now headquartered in Seattle , but Mr. Bundrant said he still feels roots stretching back to the state where he was born .
It ’ s one reason @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , “ wild Alaska pollock , ” which he said is recognized by fishermen around the world .
That ’ s thanks to Alaska officials from the dock to Washington , and Mr. Bundrant said he doesn ’ t have to spend a nickel lobbying Alaska ’ s three federal officials about the “ 30 by 30 ” bill .
“ Oh , no , they get it , ” he said .
“ They know this could literally destroy the lives of tens of thousands of people who work in their state.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ it calls alarmist science behind the legislation .
The NOAA website declares that wild Alaska pollock “ is a smart seafood choice because it is sustainably managed and responsibly harvested under U.S. regulations.
” Furthermore , the industry “ is one of the cleanest in terms of incidental catch of other species ( less than 1 % ) , ” and “ uses midwater trawl nets that , although sometimes making contact with the bottom , have minimal impact on habitat , ” according to the NOAA .
“ There is no legitimate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down this space , ” Mr. Bundrant said .
“ This all about human beings .
When you have fished for your whole life and your whole life is fishing , and they suddenly say you can ’ t fish here with no good science ?
It ’ s devastating .
”

THE BIG TALK
An occasional interview series with Americans who are challenging the status quo.
There isn’t a hospital in Akutan, Alaska. Nor are there office buildings, parks, or scores of grocery stores, pharmacies, restaurants and the like.
What Akutan has is a fish-processing plant.
The entire community exists because of and for that plant, which sits hard against the Bering Sea, beneath slopes that in the summertime are as green as Ireland.
Akutan is a speck in the Aleutian Islands, the archipelago that extends southwest off the Alaska coast, about as far removed from Capitol Hill as you can get.
But this remote outpost and others like it are imperiled by proposed environmental legislation now percolating in the House that would lower a regulatory boom on America’s saltwater fishing, said Joe Bundrant.
“You’re talking about the livelihood of tens of thousands of people. These are robust, vibrant communities, and in Washington they are trying to fix a problem that doesn’t exist,” he said.
The fishing trade is in Mr. Bundrant’s blood. He built Trident Seafoods, the largest seafood company in the United States, from a humble fishing boat his father launched in 1973.
Environmentalists rang alarm bells about overfishing for decades from pole to pole. Whether it’s wild Alaska pollock, Mr. Bundrant’s main catch, or Patagonian toothfish, which appears on restaurant menus as “Chilean sea bass.”
The activists warn that fish populations are dangerously depleted.
Mr. Bundrant disagrees.
“Have you ever had a McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish or a California roll?” he asked. “Then you’ve had wild Alaska Pollock.”
The legislation heard last week by the House National Resources Committee is dubbed the Ocean-Based Climate Solutions Act. Environmentalists herald it as a savior; the seafood industry regards it as a death sentence for thousands of small fishing businesses.
The bill would extend a muscular regulatory arm over the seas, creating massive Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) that would ban commercial fishing across almost one-third of America’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) by 2030.
It is part of an international campaign for the conservation of 30% of land and water habitats aimed at protecting biodiversity and mitigating the impact of climate change.
Proponents refer to it as “30 by 30.” Critics say the bill draws arbitrary lines across the ocean and takes claims of depleted fishing stock as fact, despite the absence of hard evidence.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s officials “are the best fishery managers in the world,” Mr. Bundrant said.
What’s more, the Alaskan constitution requires that sustainability of fisheries be the top priority for the state’s Fish and Game Department, which polices the first three miles of salt water from the coast.
“That’s not if an individual fisherman makes money as a priority, and that’s not if a processor makes money as a priority,” Mr. Bundrant said. “That’s the salmon and the other fish’s sustainability as the No. 1 priority.”
Given the remote locale, the weather and the single focus of life — fishing — the crews in Alaska become an extended family, Mr. Bundrant said.
The way Trident handled the COVID-19 crisis and the 9,000 people it employs at peak season is indicative of those ties, he said.
In a feat akin to the dome the federal government erected over the imaginary town of Springfield in “The Simpsons Movie,” Trident effectively sealed off the Alaska communities where it operates. Hundreds of people were quarantined in Anchorage hotels. Flights were monitored, and security guards and cameras ensured no one broke the April seal.
“There’s no hospital in Akutan, there’s no real infrastructure for getting people out quickly,” he said. “It simply wasn’t an option to introduce COVID there.”
The intense effort worked. The quarantine included federal inspectors who accompany every fishing vessel at sea.
“There is basically a cop on board every trip, making sure we aren’t violating fishing rules or regs,” Mr. Bundrant said.
How many times has Trident been ticketed for such activity? “Zero,” he said.
As it stands now, fishers can take 2 million metric tons out of the Bering Sea each year. That is the total for the entire industry. It includes all the wild Alaska pollock the boats net and all the King Crab trapped by the crews of the “Deadliest Catch” or any other fishing expedition.
The first three miles of salt water off the Alaska coast are policed by the state Fish and Game Department and that is where most of the salmon is caught.
Mr. Bundrant says fishers take roughly 20% of the sea’s biomass each year, and the abundance of wild Alaska pollock remains obvious. The same fish schools are also caught by Russian fishers on the other side of the Bering Sea, and the fish is often sent to China and then imported to the United States, he said.
“We’ve been doing this for 100 years and the populations are strong. They just had the fifth consecutive record haul of sockeye salmon,” he said.
Trident is now headquartered in Seattle, but Mr. Bundrant said he still feels roots stretching back to the state where he was born. It’s one reason he feels especially attached to the name, “wild Alaska pollock,” which he said is recognized by fishermen around the world.
That’s thanks to Alaska officials from the dock to Washington, and Mr. Bundrant said he doesn’t have to spend a nickel lobbying Alaska’s three federal officials about the “30 by 30” bill.
“Oh, no, they get it,” he said. “They know this could literally destroy the lives of tens of thousands of people who work in their state.”
The fishing community bristles at what it calls alarmist science behind the legislation. The NOAA website declares that wild Alaska pollock “is a smart seafood choice because it is sustainably managed and responsibly harvested under U.S. regulations.”
Furthermore, the industry “is one of the cleanest in terms of incidental catch of other species (less than 1%),” and “uses midwater trawl nets that, although sometimes making contact with the bottom, have minimal impact on habitat,” according to the NOAA.
“There is no legitimate science that is saying we should lock down this space,” Mr. Bundrant said. “This all about human beings. When you have fished for your whole life and your whole life is fishing, and they suddenly say you can’t fish here with no good science? It’s devastating.”
• James Varney can be reached at jvarney@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-11-22--Auburn imposes postseason ban for former assistant's scheme

Auburn ’ s basketball team won ’ t participate in postseason play this season as a self-imposed penalty stemming from a bribery scheme involving former assistant coach Chuck Person .
The university announced the self-imposed postseason ban on Sunday over Person ’ s steering young athletes toward advisers and managers in exchange for money .
Auburn said it has informed both the Southeastern Conference and the NCAA , which could opt to tack on more penalties .
“ This was a difficult decision but the right decision , ” Auburn coach Bruce Pearl said in a statement .
“ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They lost the opportunity for the postseason last year because of COVID , and now they will miss the postseason again .
“ It ’ s a two-year postseason penalty for them .
However , we need to take this penalty now to put it behind us.
” ” The school said it will continue to cooperate with the NCAA .
Auburn fired Person after he was accused in a 2017 federal probe into corruption in college basketball .
He later pleaded guilty to a bribery conspiracy charge .
Former Auburn center Austin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ season and forward Danjel Purifoy was held out for one season plus 30 % of a second .
“ We regret the impact this decision has on our student-athletes , yet it was made in the best long-term interest of the program , ” Auburn said in a statement .
“ Because of the ongoing matter , we will not comment further but hope for swift consideration and resolution of the matter.
” The Tigers are scheduled to open the season Thursday against Saint Joseph ’ s in Fort Myers , Florida .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ under Pearl , making their first Final Four in 2019 .
Auburn is replacing most of its key players from last season ’ s team , including No .
5 overall NBA draft Pick Isaac Okoro , who went to the Cleveland Cavaliers .
Drafted by the Indiana Pacers out of Auburn in 1986 , Person went on to play for five NBA teams over 13 seasons and was nicknamed “ The Rifleman ” .
In 2010 , he earned a championship ring as an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Lakers .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in financial trouble at the time , accepted $ 91,500 in bribes to parlay his relationships with top players to steer them to a financial adviser .
The adviser , however , was working as a government cooperator .
A federal judge sentenced Person to 200 hours of community service in July 2019 .

Auburn’s basketball team won’t participate in postseason play this season as a self-imposed penalty stemming from a bribery scheme involving former assistant coach Chuck Person.
The university announced the self-imposed postseason ban on Sunday over Person’s steering young athletes toward advisers and managers in exchange for money. Auburn said it has informed both the Southeastern Conference and the NCAA, which could opt to tack on more penalties.
“This was a difficult decision but the right decision,” Auburn coach Bruce Pearl said in a statement. “I hate it for our current players. They lost the opportunity for the postseason last year because of COVID, and now they will miss the postseason again.
“It’s a two-year postseason penalty for them. However, we need to take this penalty now to put it behind us.” ”
The school said it will continue to cooperate with the NCAA. Auburn fired Person after he was accused in a 2017 federal probe into corruption in college basketball. He later pleaded guilty to a bribery conspiracy charge.
Former Auburn center Austin Wiley was ruled ineligible for a full season and forward Danjel Purifoy was held out for one season plus 30% of a second.
“We regret the impact this decision has on our student-athletes, yet it was made in the best long-term interest of the program,” Auburn said in a statement. “Because of the ongoing matter, we will not comment further but hope for swift consideration and resolution of the matter.”
The Tigers are scheduled to open the season Thursday against Saint Joseph’s in Fort Myers, Florida. They have emerged as a national power under Pearl, making their first Final Four in 2019. Auburn is replacing most of its key players from last season’s team, including No. 5 overall NBA draft Pick Isaac Okoro, who went to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Drafted by the Indiana Pacers out of Auburn in 1986, Person went on to play for five NBA teams over 13 seasons and was nicknamed “The Rifleman”. In 2010, he earned a championship ring as an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Federal prosecutors said Person, who was in financial trouble at the time, accepted $91,500 in bribes to parlay his relationships with top players to steer them to a financial adviser.
The adviser, however, was working as a government cooperator.
A federal judge sentenced Person to 200 hours of community service in July 2019.


washingtontimes--2020-11-22--Lisa Murkowski calls on Trump to end court fight, start transition

Sen. Lisa Murkowski called on President Trump and his legal team to end their court fights on the 2020 election and begin the transition process .
The Alaska Republican issued a statement Sunday evening on Twitter saying that Democrat Joseph R. Biden had apparently won the election fair and square and the Trump administration should start preparing to turn over power on Jan. 20 .
“ Each state has worked to ensure a free and fair elections process .
President Trump has had the opportunity to litigate his claims , and the courts have found them without merit , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ add that further actions would be an effort to subvert the democratic process .
“ A pressure campaign on state legislators to influence the electoral outcome is not only unprecedented but inconsistent with our democratic process , ” she said .
Get ready to turn over the keys , she concluded .
“ It is time to begin the full and formal transition process , ” Ms. Murkowski said .
The Biden team has been complaining for a week , since the major news outlets all called the last few states for Mr. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , that the Trump administration has not been cooperating with their efforts to gain access to departments and information , as customary in the 2 1/2 months between the election and the inauguration .

Sen. Lisa Murkowski called on President Trump and his legal team to end their court fights on the 2020 election and begin the transition process.
The Alaska Republican issued a statement Sunday evening on Twitter saying that Democrat Joseph R. Biden had apparently won the election fair and square and the Trump administration should start preparing to turn over power on Jan. 20.
“Each state has worked to ensure a free and fair elections process. President Trump has had the opportunity to litigate his claims, and the courts have found them without merit,” Ms. Murkowski said, going on to add that further actions would be an effort to subvert the democratic process.
“A pressure campaign on state legislators to influence the electoral outcome is not only unprecedented but inconsistent with our democratic process,” she said.
Get ready to turn over the keys, she concluded.
“It is time to begin the full and formal transition process,” Ms. Murkowski said.
The Biden team has been complaining for a week, since the major news outlets all called the last few states for Mr. Biden and projected an Electoral College victory, that the Trump administration has not been cooperating with their efforts to gain access to departments and information, as customary in the 2 1/2 months between the election and the inauguration.
• Victor Morton can be reached at vmorton@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-11-22--Mexican church decries Senate's marijuana legalization vote

MEXICO CITY ( AP ) - Mexico ’ s Roman Catholic Church on Sunday criticized a vote in the Senate to legalize the possession , cultivation and use of small amounts of marijuana .
The bill adopted this past week must still go to the lower house of Congress for a vote .
It would legalize the possession of up to an ounce ( 28 grams ) of marijuana by adults as long as they did not consume it in front of children .
The bill also would authorize a person to grow up to six pot plants , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of licensing for larger-scale production and sale .
The Mexican Bishops Council said in a statement Sunday that Chamber of Deputies should modify the bill “ to emphasize health and public safety.
” “ The bill that was approved does not address the health damages that arise from an ever increasing use of marijuana , does not address the effects on families due to young people ’ s consumption of drugs , and does not contribute the to reducing and inhibiting exposure to drugs , ” the council wrote .
The church said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , “ public health and welfare are no longer the priority , and cede to the tastes of individuals , even though they may damage others .
The demands for irresponsible liberty for a few , are placed above the common good and health.
” Supporters of the measure argue it will help take the marijuana trade out of the hands of the country ’ s violent drug cartels , for whom it is still a source of huge illicit profits .
For several years , Mexico ‘ s Supreme Court has granted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their own use .

MEXICO CITY (AP) - Mexico’s Roman Catholic Church on Sunday criticized a vote in the Senate to legalize the possession, cultivation and use of small amounts of marijuana.
The bill adopted this past week must still go to the lower house of Congress for a vote.
It would legalize the possession of up to an ounce (28 grams) of marijuana by adults as long as they did not consume it in front of children. The bill also would authorize a person to grow up to six pot plants, and open the way for establishing a system of licensing for larger-scale production and sale.
The Mexican Bishops Council said in a statement Sunday that Chamber of Deputies should modify the bill “to emphasize health and public safety.”
“The bill that was approved does not address the health damages that arise from an ever increasing use of marijuana, does not address the effects on families due to young people’s consumption of drugs, and does not contribute the to reducing and inhibiting exposure to drugs,” the council wrote.
The church said that wit the approval of the bill, “public health and welfare are no longer the priority, and cede to the tastes of individuals, even though they may damage others. The demands for irresponsible liberty for a few, are placed above the common good and health.”
Supporters of the measure argue it will help take the marijuana trade out of the hands of the country’s violent drug cartels, for whom it is still a source of huge illicit profits.
For several years, Mexico’s Supreme Court has granted injunctions allowing individuals to grow pot for their own use.


washingtontimes--2020-11-22--Man seen exhaling on women outside Trump golf club charged

STERLING , Va. ( AP ) - A man seen forcefully exhaling on two women outside President Donald Trump ’ s Virginia golf course has been charged with assault .
Raymond Deskins , 61 , was charged with misdemeanor assault after a private citizen obtained a warrant through a county magistrate , the Loudoun County Sheriff ’ s Office said Sunday .
Deskin did not immediately return a request for comment .
Video widely shared on social media shows Deskins blowing air on two unidentified women after one of them asks him to get away and points out that he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ That ’ s assault ” one of the women said afterwards .
Virginia mandates masks be worn in certain locations to stop the spread of the coronavirus , but they are not required to be worn outside .
The altercation happened Saturday outside Trump National Golf Club , where the president was playing .
Protestors and supporters regularly gather outside the club ’ s entrance when he plays .
Deskin was wearing a Trump shirt and an inflatable pool tube with Trump ’ s likeness on it around his waist .
Several @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Supervisors sent a letter to law enforcement authorities Sunday asking for a full investigation .
The letter said the two women had been protesting the president outside the golf club .
The sheriff ’ s office said the altercation was investigated at the scene but was not witnessed by law enforcement and the video did not capture its entirety .
The sheriff ’ s office said it advised the two parties who said they ’ d been assaulted that they could seek a warrant through a county magistrate .

STERLING, Va. (AP) - A man seen forcefully exhaling on two women outside President Donald Trump’s Virginia golf course has been charged with assault.
Raymond Deskins, 61, was charged with misdemeanor assault after a private citizen obtained a warrant through a county magistrate, the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office said Sunday. Deskin did not immediately return a request for comment.
Video widely shared on social media shows Deskins blowing air on two unidentified women after one of them asks him to get away and points out that he’s not wearing a mask.
“That’s assault” one of the women said afterwards.
“I breathed on you,” Deskins replied.
Virginia mandates masks be worn in certain locations to stop the spread of the coronavirus, but they are not required to be worn outside.
The altercation happened Saturday outside Trump National Golf Club, where the president was playing. Protestors and supporters regularly gather outside the club’s entrance when he plays.
Deskin was wearing a Trump shirt and an inflatable pool tube with Trump’s likeness on it around his waist.
Several members of the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors sent a letter to law enforcement authorities Sunday asking for a full investigation. The letter said the two women had been protesting the president outside the golf club.
The sheriff’s office said the altercation was investigated at the scene but was not witnessed by law enforcement and the video did not capture its entirety. The sheriff’s office said it advised the two parties who said they’d been assaulted that they could seek a warrant through a county magistrate.


washingtontimes--2020-11-22--Sidney Powell 'not a member of the Trump Legal Team,' campaign says

President Trump ’ s legal team distanced itself Sunday evening from the attorney who has led the claims made against the security of voting software .
Sidney Powell , who appeared alongside Mr. Trump ’ s lawyers at a press conference last week , has alleged manipulation of voting machines used in more than two dozen states of lowering the president ’ s vote tally while increasing that of Democratic candidate Joseph R. Biden .
But on Sunday , the Trump campaign issued a statement appearing to distance itself from Ms. Powell ’ s claims , some of which have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sidney Powell is practicing law on her own .
She is not a member of the Trump Legal Team .
She is also not a lawyer for the President in his personal capacity , ” the Trump campaign ’ s top lawyers , Rudolph W. Giuliani and Jenna Ellis , said in a statement .
Ms. Powell took the distancing in stride and vowed to continue her legal fight .
“ I understand today ’ s press release .
I will coninue to represent # WeThePeople who had their votes for Trump and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dominion and Smartmatic , and we will be filing suit soon .
The chips will fall where they may , ” she said in a statement to CBS News .

President Trump’s legal team distanced itself Sunday evening from the attorney who has led the claims made against the security of voting software.
Sidney Powell, who appeared alongside Mr. Trump’s lawyers at a press conference last week, has alleged manipulation of voting machines used in more than two dozen states of lowering the president’s vote tally while increasing that of Democratic candidate Joseph R. Biden.
But on Sunday, the Trump campaign issued a statement appearing to distance itself from Ms. Powell’s claims, some of which have been dismissed as conspiracy theory.
“Sidney Powell is practicing law on her own. She is not a member of the Trump Legal Team. She is also not a lawyer for the President in his personal capacity,” the Trump campaign’s top lawyers, Rudolph W. Giuliani and Jenna Ellis, said in a statement.
Ms. Powell took the distancing in stride and vowed to continue her legal fight.
“I understand today’s press release. I will continue to represent #WeThePeople who had their votes for Trump and other Republicans stolen by massive fraud through Dominion and Smartmatic, and we will be filing suit soon. The chips will fall where they may,” she said in a statement to CBS News.
• Alex Swoyer can be reached at aswoyer@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-11-22--15-year-old arrested in Wisconsin mall shooting, police say

WAUWATOSA , Wis. — A 15-year-old boy was arrested in connection to a shooting at a suburban Milwaukee mall that @ @ @ @ @ said Sunday .
Wauwatosa Police Chief Barry Weber said the shooting happened during a dispute @ @ @ @ @ .
He said four “ innocent bystanders ” suffered what were believed to be non-life @ @ @ @ @ the suspect ran out of the mall alongside other other people .
“ We do @ @ @ @ @ of altercation , and that ’ s when the bullets started flying , ” Weber @ @ @ @ @ Sunday .
The name of the suspect has not been released , and authorities didn @ @ @ @ @ .
Investigators say they have recovered a firearm .
The mall was closed Saturday , @ @ @ @ @ overnight .
Shoppers were allowed back on Sunday , police said

WAUWATOSA, Wis. — A 15-year-old boy was arrested in connection to a shooting at a suburban Milwaukee mall that injured eight people, authorities said Sunday.
Wauwatosa Police Chief Barry Weber said the shooting happened during a dispute Friday afternoon between two groups. He said four “innocent bystanders” suffered what were believed to be non-life-threatening injuries. Investigators said the suspect ran out of the mall alongside other other people.
“We do know there was some sort of altercation, and that’s when the bullets started flying,” Weber said during a press conference Sunday.
The name of the suspect has not been released, and authorities didn’t announce charges Sunday. Investigators say they have recovered a firearm.
The mall was closed Saturday, and investigators were on scene overnight. Shoppers were allowed back on Sunday, police said


washingtontimes--2020-11-22--Police arrest 15-year-old boy in Wisconsin mall shooting

WAUWATOSA , Wis. ( AP ) - A 15-year-old boy was arrested in connection to a shooting at a suburban Milwaukee mall that injured eight people , authorities said Sunday .
Wauwatosa Police Chief Barry Weber said the shooting happened during a dispute Friday afternoon between two groups .
He said four “ innocent bystanders ” suffered what were believed to be non-life threatening injuries .
Investigators said the suspect ran out of the mall alongside other people .
“ We do know there was some sort of altercation , and that ’ s when the bullets started flying , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sunday .
The name of the suspect has not been released , and authorities didn ’ t announce charges Sunday The teen , who is a Milwaukee resident , was arrested Saturday evening , police said .
Authorities recovered a firearm during the arrest , but they did not clarify the teen ’ s role in the shooting .
Police said they made several other arrests .
Weber said police aren ’ t releasing photos of the suspect to protect the integrity of the ongoing investigation .
The mall was closed Saturday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Shoppers were allowed back on Sunday , police said .

WAUWATOSA, Wis. (AP) - A 15-year-old boy was arrested in connection to a shooting at a suburban Milwaukee mall that injured eight people, authorities said Sunday.
Wauwatosa Police Chief Barry Weber said the shooting happened during a dispute Friday afternoon between two groups. He said four “innocent bystanders” suffered what were believed to be non-life threatening injuries. Investigators said the suspect ran out of the mall alongside other people.
“We do know there was some sort of altercation, and that’s when the bullets started flying,” Weber said during a press conference Sunday.
The name of the suspect has not been released, and authorities didn’t announce charges Sunday
The teen, who is a Milwaukee resident, was arrested Saturday evening, police said. Authorities recovered a firearm during the arrest, but they did not clarify the teen’s role in the shooting. Police said they made several other arrests. Weber said police aren’t releasing photos of the suspect to protect the integrity of the ongoing investigation.
The mall was closed Saturday, and investigators were on scene overnight. Shoppers were allowed back on Sunday, police said.


washingtontimes--2020-11-22--Inside the Beltway: Trump's election challenge: 'It's just a simple legal process'

The large army of partisan forces who are in battle mode over President Trump ’ s challenge to the presidential election results have been given some advice by a certain North Dakota Republican .
“ I don ’ t know why we ’ re so easily offended by a president who ’ s carrying out all of his legal options in court — not enhancing or encouraging any riots or burnings of buildings , or beating up of Democrats coming out of Democratic meetings or events .
It ’ s just a simple legal process .
I don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ democracy , ” Sen. Kevin Cramer told NBC ’ s “ Meet the Press ” on Sunday .
“ We spent four years listening to news shows and liberals trying to discredit the Trump administration .
Everyone just relax and let it play out in a legal way .
We ’ ll be just fine , ” the lawmaker predicts .
President Trump ’ s election challenge is just about at full throttle , the intensity and drama increasing .
A new “ shocking ” lawsuit soon will be filed predicts Jordan Sekulow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s legal team who is focused on the constitutional aspects of the effort .
“ We have got lawsuits likely to be filed in Georgia on either Monday or Tuesday .
I can ’ t get into the details , ” Mr. Sekulow tells Newsmax TV .
“ What ’ s coming in Georgia will be shocking .
It ’ s nothing that we have talked before .
It ’ s not what you heard in the press conference either .
This is something completely separate , ” Mr. Sekulow told the network @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It ’ s coming this week , ” he said .
Meanwhile , Trump campaign attorney Sidney Powell also told the network that her team has “ tons ” of damning evidence and that the case will be “ biblical ” in scope .
Meanwhile , Judicial Watch is conducting independent investigations in Pennsylvania , Georgia , Arizona , Nevada , Michigan and Wisconsin — focused on the proper counting of those precious votes .
“ When you have a pause in counting , that indicates that fraud has taken place , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ watchdog group , also told Newsmax .
“ We have observed and researched and litigated elections for decades , and , as you might imagine , we are following this one extremely closely .
We will be deploying our weapon of choice , the Freedom of Information Act , to uncover the truth , ” he says .
Unrest is still very popular in academic circles .
A new analysis by College Fix finds that there have been 50 separate efforts to disarm , disband or defund university police at various campuses across @ @ @ @ @ @ @ news organization — which tracks liberal leanings of the nation ’ s bastions of higher leaning — based their findings on news articles , social media posts and online documentation .
“ These actions from students and faculty alike are motivated by the belief that policing is one of many systemic tools used by oppressors , ” the analysis said .
“ Panic buying of toilet paper hits U.S. stores again with new pandemic restrictions , ” reports Reuters , noting empty shelves in Target and Walmart and toilet-paper plants running 24/7 to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the scientific community have been on a roll about toilet paper for months .
An oft-quoted study by Britain ’ s Middlesex University revealed what causes the TP panic .
“ People who felt more threatened by Covid-19 stockpiled more toilet paper , ” the study noted , also emphasizing that emotional , conscientious people tended to hoard more .
“ Individuals higher in conscientiousness tended to stockpile more toilet paper .
These results emphasize the importance of clear communication by public authorities acknowledging anxiety and , at the same time , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the study , which was conducted in June and based on the opinion of 1,000 people in 22 countries .
New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo ’ s endless press conferences and public outreach during the ongoing coronavirus have earned him an Emmy for his performance before the camera .
No really .
He will receive the International Emmy Founders Award “ in recognition of his leadership during the Covid-19 pandemic and his masterful use of television to inform and calm people around the world , ” said the International Academy of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ behind the award .
“ The governor ’ s 111 daily briefings worked so well because he effectively created television shows , with characters , plot lines , and stories of success and failure .
People around the world tuned in to find out what was going on , and New York tough became a symbol of the determination to fight back , ” noted Bruce L. Paiser , president and CEO of the industry group .
New York Post columnist Michael Goodwin will have none of it .
“ Celebrating Andrew Cuomo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nuts unless it ’ s about his sinister efforts to make disaster appear to be success .
Otherwise , it is ghoulish , ” Mr. Goodwin writes .
“ In addition to the staggering death toll , his lockdowns are crushing the economy and his failure to keep schools open dooms the poorest children to a lifetime learning deficit .
The out-of-control crime on subways is also happening on his watch .
What , pray tell , is there to celebrate ?
” the columnist asks .
• 59 % of U.S. voters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote was counted accurately in the presidential election ; 35 % of those who voted for President Trump and 82 % of those who voted for Democratic nominee Joseph R. Biden agree .
• 26 % overall are “ somewhat confident ” their vote was counted accurately ; 37 % of Trump voters and 16 % of Biden voters agree .
• 35 % overall say the election was well run and administered ; 5 % of Trump voters and 64 % of Biden voters agree .
• 24 % overall say the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and administered ; 16 % of Trump voters and 30 % of Biden voters agree .
Source : A Pew Research Center poll of 10,399 registered U.S. voters conducted Nov. 12-17 ; the sample included 6,185 Biden voters and 3,829 Trump voters .

ANALYSIS:
‘JUST A SIMPLE LEGAL PROCESS’
The large army of partisan forces who are in battle mode over President Trump‘s challenge to the presidential election results have been given some advice by a certain North Dakota Republican.
“I don’t know why we’re so easily offended by a president who’s carrying out all of his legal options in court — not enhancing or encouraging any riots or burnings of buildings, or beating up of Democrats coming out of Democratic meetings or events. It’s just a simple legal process. I don’t think this is an attack on our democracy,” Sen. Kevin Cramer told NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday.
“We spent four years listening to news shows and liberals trying to discredit the Trump administration. Everyone just relax and let it play out in a legal way. We’ll be just fine,” the lawmaker predicts.
TRUMP’S LEGAL EAGLES
President Trump‘s election challenge is just about at full throttle, the intensity and drama increasing. A new “shocking” lawsuit soon will be filed predicts Jordan Sekulow, an attorney on Mr. Trump’s legal team who is focused on the constitutional aspects of the effort.
“We have got lawsuits likely to be filed in Georgia on either Monday or Tuesday. I can’t get into the details,” Mr. Sekulow tells Newsmax TV.
“What’s coming in Georgia will be shocking. It’s nothing that we have talked before. It’s not what you heard in the press conference either. This is something completely separate,” Mr. Sekulow told the network.
“Put up or shut up. It’s coming this week,” he said.
“It is likely a constitutional legal challenge,” predicts Eric Mack, a Newsmax analyst.
Meanwhile, Trump campaign attorney Sidney Powell also told the network that her team has “tons” of damning evidence and that the case will be “biblical” in scope.
Meanwhile, Judicial Watch is conducting independent investigations in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Arizona, Nevada, Michigan and Wisconsin — focused on the proper counting of those precious votes.
“When you have a pause in counting, that indicates that fraud has taken place,” Tom Fitton, president of the watchdog group, also told Newsmax.
“We have observed and researched and litigated elections for decades, and, as you might imagine, we are following this one extremely closely. We will be deploying our weapon of choice, the Freedom of Information Act, to uncover the truth,” he says.
IVY-COVERED HALLS
Unrest is still very popular in academic circles.
A new analysis by College Fix finds that there have been 50 separate efforts to disarm, disband or defund university police at various campuses across U.S. over last six months. The news organization — which tracks liberal leanings of the nation’s bastions of higher leaning — based their findings on news articles, social media posts and online documentation.
“These actions from students and faculty alike are motivated by the belief that policing is one of many systemic tools used by oppressors,” the analysis said.
TISSUE ISSUE STILL ON A ROLL
Toilet paper remains a gauge for the nation’s temperament.
“Panic buying of toilet paper hits U.S. stores again with new pandemic restrictions,” reports Reuters, noting empty shelves in Target and Walmart and toilet-paper plants running 24/7 to meet the demand.
Both the press and the scientific community have been on a roll about toilet paper for months. An oft-quoted study by Britain’s Middlesex University revealed what causes the TP panic.
“People who felt more threatened by Covid-19 stockpiled more toilet paper,” the study noted, also emphasizing that emotional, conscientious people tended to hoard more.
“Individuals higher in conscientiousness tended to stockpile more toilet paper. These results emphasize the importance of clear communication by public authorities acknowledging anxiety and, at the same time, transmitting a sense of control,” said the study, which was conducted in June and based on the opinion of 1,000 people in 22 countries.
‘GHOULISH’
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo‘s endless press conferences and public outreach during the ongoing coronavirus have earned him an Emmy for his performance before the camera. No really.
He will receive the International Emmy Founders Award “in recognition of his leadership during the Covid-19 pandemic and his masterful use of television to inform and calm people around the world,” said the International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences — the organization behind the award.
“The governor’s 111 daily briefings worked so well because he effectively created television shows, with characters, plot lines, and stories of success and failure. People around the world tuned in to find out what was going on, and New York tough became a symbol of the determination to fight back,” noted Bruce L. Paiser, president and CEO of the industry group.
Prior recipients include Al Gore, Oprah Winfrey and Steven Spielberg.
New York Post columnist Michael Goodwin will have none of it.
“Celebrating Andrew Cuomo’s handling of the virus is nuts unless it’s about his sinister efforts to make disaster appear to be success. Otherwise, it is ghoulish,” Mr. Goodwin writes.
“In addition to the staggering death toll, his lockdowns are crushing the economy and his failure to keep schools open dooms the poorest children to a lifetime learning deficit. The out-of-control crime on subways is also happening on his watch. What, pray tell, is there to celebrate?” the columnist asks.
POLL DU JOUR
• 59% of U.S. voters are “very confident” that their vote was counted accurately in the presidential election; 35% of those who voted for President Trump and 82% of those who voted for Democratic nominee Joseph R. Biden agree.
• 26% overall are “somewhat confident” their vote was counted accurately; 37% of Trump voters and 16% of Biden voters agree.
• 35% overall say the election was well run and administered; 5% of Trump voters and 64% of Biden voters agree.
• 24% overall say the election was “somewhat” well run and administered; 16% of Trump voters and 30% of Biden voters agree.
Source: A Pew Research Center poll of 10,399 registered U.S. voters conducted Nov. 12-17; the sample included 6,185 Biden voters and 3,829 Trump voters.
• Kindly follow Jennifer Harper on Twitter @HarperBulletin.
• Jennifer Harper can be reached at jharper@washingtontimes.com.