washingtontimes--2020-12-06--Kelly Loeffler in debate warns Raphael Warnock will fall in line with radical Democrats

Sen. Kelly Loeffler said in a debate Sunday that the Rev .
Raphael Warnock is a “ socialist ” who wants to “ fundamentally change ” the nation and warned voters in Georgia that he will fall in line with radical elements of the Democratic Party if elected to the Senate .
“ The Democrats want to fundamentally change America , and the agent of change is my opponent , radical liberal Raphael Warnock — someone that has attacked police from the pulpit , someone who has attacked our military , someone that has agreed to raise taxes on hardworking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mr. Warnock countered that Ms. Loeffler , the wealthiest member of Congress , has engaged in the “ politics of distraction and division ” as a way to divert attention from her suspicious stock trades and from her failure to stand up for “ ordinary people ” struggling to make ends meet .
Mr. Warnock , senior pastor of the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church where the Rev .
Martin Luther King Jr. served as pastor , said Ms. Loeffler and her allies are spending millions of dollars on attack ads smearing him because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ does not have a case to be made for why she should stay in that seat.
” “ I am concerned that Washington is not focused on ordinary people , ” he said .
“ You can ’ t tell the difference between Washington backrooms and corporate boardrooms , and my opponent represents the worst of that kind of problem.
” Mr. Warnock said , “ Kelly Loeffler is out of touch.
” The showdown at the Atlanta Press Club came as Republicans have been growing uneasy over their prospects of defending their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Presumed President-elect Joseph R. Biden defeated President Trump there in the Nov. 3 election , making him the first Democratic presidential candidate to win Georgia in 28 years .
The pivotal Jan. 5 runoff races there between Ms. Loeffler and Mr. Warnock , and Republican Sen. David Perdue and Democrat Jon Ossoff , will determine how much wiggle room Mr. Biden will have with Congress on legislation .
The four contenders advanced to the runoff races after failing to capture 50 % of the vote in the Nov. 3 election .
If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , they will continue to call the shots in the Senate when it convenes next year .
If Democrats win both races , then the resulting 50-50 partisan divide would give Democrats control of the chamber based on presumed Vice President-elect Kamala D. Harris ’ tiebreaking vote .
The races have gotten lost in the shuffle at times while President Trump insists the results from Georgia and other states were rigged against him .
Mr. Trump stumped on behalf of the Republican senators Saturday in Georgia and again claimed that he won the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Loeffler and Mr. Perdue onto the stage , they were drowned out at times with chants of “ Stop the Steal.
” Mr. Trump has repeatedly accused Gov .
Brian Kemp and other Republicans in the state of turning a blind eye to massive voting fraud .
Republicans in the state have begged the president to stop the attacks , and national Republicans say behind the scenes that Mr. Trump has made a mess of the situation .
In the debate , Ms. Loeffler dodged direct questions over whether Mr. Trump lost the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Georgia trust our elections process , and the president has every right to every legal recourse , and that is what is taking place , ” she said .
“ The president was also clear that Georgians need to come out and vote for David Perdue and myself because of what is at stake this election.
” Mr. Warnock said Ms. Loeffler is “ playing political games trying to represent somebody who doesn ’ t live in Georgia.
” In other exchanges , Ms. Loeffler said Mr. Warnock is a communist sympathizer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attacks against the police and the military .
Mr. Warnock said he doesn ’ t want to defund the police and that Ms. Loeffler has taken his sermons out of context for political gain .
“ Had Kelly Loeffler listened to the sermon rather than make a cheap political point , she would have not used her advantage as a U.S. senator to make millions on a pandemic while playing it down to the people she was supposed to be representing , ” he said , alluding to stock trades made around the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Loeffler fired back , saying she is a Christian , a “ person of deep faith ” and doesn ’ t need to be lectured by someone who has “ also used the Bible to justify abortion.
” “ He ’ s out of step with Georgia ’ s values , ” she said .
The debate also coincided with a surge in COVID-19 cases in Georgia and other states and the news about the diagnosis of the disease of Trump attorney Rudolph W. Giuliani .
Ms. Loeffler said Democrats have blocked coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blocked efforts to bolster unemployment payments and has fought to “ take away people ’ s health care.
” Mr. Ossoff debated Sunday alongside an empty podium after Mr. Perdue refused to square off with his rival .
Mr. Ossoff said Mr. Perdue ’ s absence underscores his “ arrogance.
” He said the Republican doesn ’ t want to talk about the various investments he has made since the onset of the pandemic .
“ My message for the people of our state , at this moment of crisis , is your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your senator is refusing to answer questions and debate his opponent because he believes he shouldn ’ t have to , ” Mr. Ossoff said .
“ He believes this Senate seat belongs to him .
The Senate seat belongs to the people.
” Mr. Ossoff urged members of the audience to vote and reminded them that early voting starts in the state Dec. 14 .
“ David Perdue has been getting rich in office , and instead of taking public health expertise and guidance [ on COVID-19 ] from the [ Centers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ getting that to the people and implementing it into policy , he was buying up shares in manufacturers of vaccines and medical equipment , and he is not here because he is afraid he might incriminate himself in this debate.
” Abigail Sigler , a Georgia Republican Party spokeswoman , called Mr. Ossoff a liar and “ nothing more than an inexperienced , unaccomplished radical liberal who is running for Senate to be a rubber stamp for Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi ’ s radical socialist agenda .
”

Sen. Kelly Loeffler said in a debate Sunday that the Rev. Raphael Warnock is a “socialist” who wants to “fundamentally change” the nation and warned voters in Georgia that he will fall in line with radical elements of the Democratic Party if elected to the Senate.
“The Democrats want to fundamentally change America, and the agent of change is my opponent, radical liberal Raphael Warnock — someone that has attacked police from the pulpit, someone who has attacked our military, someone that has agreed to raise taxes on hardworking Georgians,” Ms. Loeffler said.
Mr. Warnock countered that Ms. Loeffler, the wealthiest member of Congress, has engaged in the “politics of distraction and division” as a way to divert attention from her suspicious stock trades and from her failure to stand up for “ordinary people” struggling to make ends meet.
Mr. Warnock, senior pastor of the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church where the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. served as pastor, said Ms. Loeffler and her allies are spending millions of dollars on attack ads smearing him because “she has clearly decided that she does not have a case to be made for why she should stay in that seat.”
“I am concerned that Washington is not focused on ordinary people,” he said. “You can’t tell the difference between Washington backrooms and corporate boardrooms, and my opponent represents the worst of that kind of problem.”
Mr. Warnock said, “Kelly Loeffler is out of touch.”
The showdown at the Atlanta Press Club came as Republicans have been growing uneasy over their prospects of defending their U.S. Senate majority by winning in Georgia.
Presumed President-elect Joseph R. Biden defeated President Trump there in the Nov. 3 election, making him the first Democratic presidential candidate to win Georgia in 28 years.
The pivotal Jan. 5 runoff races there between Ms. Loeffler and Mr. Warnock, and Republican Sen. David Perdue and Democrat Jon Ossoff, will determine how much wiggle room Mr. Biden will have with Congress on legislation.
The four contenders advanced to the runoff races after failing to capture 50% of the vote in the Nov. 3 election.
If Republicans successfully defend one of the seats, they will continue to call the shots in the Senate when it convenes next year. If Democrats win both races, then the resulting 50-50 partisan divide would give Democrats control of the chamber based on presumed Vice President-elect Kamala D. Harris’ tiebreaking vote.
The races have gotten lost in the shuffle at times while President Trump insists the results from Georgia and other states were rigged against him.
Mr. Trump stumped on behalf of the Republican senators Saturday in Georgia and again claimed that he won the election. When Mr. Trump called Ms. Loeffler and Mr. Perdue onto the stage, they were drowned out at times with chants of “Stop the Steal.”
Mr. Trump has repeatedly accused Gov. Brian Kemp and other Republicans in the state of turning a blind eye to massive voting fraud.
Republicans in the state have begged the president to stop the attacks, and national Republicans say behind the scenes that Mr. Trump has made a mess of the situation.
In the debate, Ms. Loeffler dodged direct questions over whether Mr. Trump lost the election.
“It is vitally important that Georgia trust our elections process, and the president has every right to every legal recourse, and that is what is taking place,” she said. “The president was also clear that Georgians need to come out and vote for David Perdue and myself because of what is at stake this election.”
Mr. Warnock said Ms. Loeffler is “playing political games trying to represent somebody who doesn’t live in Georgia.”
In other exchanges, Ms. Loeffler said Mr. Warnock is a communist sympathizer and has used the Bible to justify attacks against the police and the military.
Mr. Warnock said he doesn’t want to defund the police and that Ms. Loeffler has taken his sermons out of context for political gain.
“Had Kelly Loeffler listened to the sermon rather than make a cheap political point, she would have not used her advantage as a U.S. senator to make millions on a pandemic while playing it down to the people she was supposed to be representing,” he said, alluding to stock trades made around the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ms. Loeffler fired back, saying she is a Christian, a “person of deep faith” and doesn’t need to be lectured by someone who has “also used the Bible to justify abortion.”
“He’s out of step with Georgia’s values,” she said.
The debate also coincided with a surge in COVID-19 cases in Georgia and other states and the news about the diagnosis of the disease of Trump attorney Rudolph W. Giuliani.
Ms. Loeffler said Democrats have blocked coronavirus relief. Mr. Warnock said Ms. Loeffler blocked efforts to bolster unemployment payments and has fought to “take away people’s health care.”
Mr. Ossoff debated Sunday alongside an empty podium after Mr. Perdue refused to square off with his rival.
Mr. Ossoff said Mr. Perdue’s absence underscores his “arrogance.” He said the Republican doesn’t want to talk about the various investments he has made since the onset of the pandemic.
“My message for the people of our state, at this moment of crisis, is your senator feels entitled to your vote, your senator is refusing to answer questions and debate his opponent because he believes he shouldn’t have to,” Mr. Ossoff said. “He believes this Senate seat belongs to him. The Senate seat belongs to the people.”
Mr. Ossoff urged members of the audience to vote and reminded them that early voting starts in the state Dec. 14.
“David Perdue has been getting rich in office, and instead of taking public health expertise and guidance [on COVID-19] from the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] and getting that to the people and implementing it into policy, he was buying up shares in manufacturers of vaccines and medical equipment, and he is not here because he is afraid he might incriminate himself in this debate.”
Abigail Sigler, a Georgia Republican Party spokeswoman, called Mr. Ossoff a liar and “nothing more than an inexperienced, unaccomplished radical liberal who is running for Senate to be a rubber stamp for Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi’s radical socialist agenda.”
• Seth McLaughlin can be reached at smclaughlin@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-12-06--Illegal immigrants hop moving trains to evade capture

When Border Patrol agents caught up with Laura Escobar-Lopez last month , she had just hopped off a freight train she rode from Laredo to Robstown , Texas , they said .
She was an illegal immigrant from Mexico , and the smugglers she paid to get her over the line and deeper into the U.S. put her on the rails .
They told her to get off each time the train came to a stop , hide in the brush , and then jump back onto the train once it got moving again .
The goal : to get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drawing a tight noose around illegal immigration in southern Texas .
As President Trump ’ s border wall , faster deportations and coronavirus border restrictions continue to bite , smugglers are looking for new ways to get their customers into the U.S. and to their destinations in the interior .
They are packing trucks full of migrants , stuffing people inside spare tire compartments and tucking them underneath SUV seats .
Riding the rails has always been an option , but it has become a rising and dangerous trend particularly around Laredo , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the Border Patrol ’ s Laredo sector .
“ They ’ re just trying to slip through the cracks , ” he told The Washington Times .
“ They ’ re just trying to exploit everything.
” Jumping onto trains already in motion makes it tougher for migrants to get caught but is incredibly dangerous .
“ It doesn ’ t seem like they ’ re moving fast until you get right up there , and it ’ s the fastest thing , ” said Victor Manjarrez Jr. , a former Border @ @ @ @ @ @ @ professor at the University of Texas at El Paso .
One man had part of his foot severed this summer while trying to jump onto a moving train .
Other migrants are pushed by smugglers to climb down into grain hoppers , which are railway cars designed for hauling coal or feed and are tricky to get out of without a rope ladder .
It ’ s so dangerous that agents consider each person pulled from a grain hopper to be an official rescue case .
During the COVID-19 pandemic , the risks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in tight enclosed spaces with others for hours at a time , hardly ever with masks .
In September , agents found 11 people inside a grain hopper near Hebbronville , Texas , with a temperature topping 100 degrees .
The agents were able to get 10 out , but one was unconscious and twitching .
Figuring they didn ’ t have time to wait for the fire department , one agent went in , wrapped a rope around the man ’ s waist and pulled him out .
EMTs performed CPR until @ @ @ @ @ @ @ man , who was subsequently diagnosed with COVID-19 , survived .
Fortunately , I did not contract the virus , ” the agent said in an account released by the Border Patrol .
Things don ’ t always go well for the smugglers .
In an incident last year , Pedro Arciniega was serving as the foot guide , smuggling seven migrants in a grain hopper on a train from Laredo .
As the train pulled into Robstown , the migrants climbed up a rope ladder out of the grain hopper , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ himself out .
He ended up calling 911 and reporting himself stuck , and Border Patrol agents swooped in and nabbed him .
He pleaded guilty to alien smuggling and was sentenced to 27 months in a federal prison .
The most horrifying incident took place nearly 20 years ago but still sticks in memory along the border .
Eleven migrants climbed into an empty grain hopper at some point in northern Mexico or southern Texas and were sealed in from the outside .
They never made it out alive .
At some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , they died of dehydration and hypothermia .
Their bodies were discovered months later during a rail car check at a train yard in Oklahoma .
It took months of effort and hundreds of agents working parts of the case , but authorities managed to piece together what happened and brought charges against one of the smugglers who organized the trip , and against a Union Pacific Railroad conductor who sold schedule information to the smugglers .
Prosecutors said the smugglers lost track of the car , made only halfhearted efforts to track @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it to the railroad .
Mr. Manjarrez said smugglers , who often run both people and drugs across the border , chiefly use the trains for people .
The risk of losing control of a shipment of valuable narcotics is too high , and humans have usually paid at least part of their fees .
Plus , he said , trains can get groups through checkpoints quickly , freeing up guides to go back and get more groups .
Laredo has become a hot spot for illegal border activity in recent months , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ games for Border Patrol agents and smugglers .
As agents tightened inspections at a key highway checkpoint north of Laredo , it constricted the main pathway for people to get deeper into the U.S. Migrants began to backlog in and around Laredo as smugglers kept them holed up in stash houses while waiting for an opportunity to head out .
“ We are catching those loads , so they are holding on to those bodies a lot more , ” said Mr. Garza , the Border Patrol ’ s special operations chief in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and so did attempts to find new pathways beyond the highway .
That could account for the renewed focus on trains , and Mr. Garza said the Border Patrol is putting an additional focus on the railways .
The railway companies cooperate with the Border Patrol , and sometimes their employees are the first to report suspicious activity that leads to rescues and arrests .
The migrants don ’ t cross the border on the trains .
The risk for capture is too high , given Customs and Border Protection officers ’ border @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the border by swimming or floating across the Rio Grande .
Smugglers then help them jump onto the Kansas City Southern freight line heading into the interior of the U.S. Kansas City Southern says it works closely with CBP to try to stop the migrants .
A spokesperson said the trains are checked again in a rail yard north of the border and then at Hebbronville , the first stop for freight trains running from Laredo to Corpus Christi .
“ Frequently , these checks are performed by CBP and KCS at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in constant communication and coordination on this issue , ” the spokesperson said .
“ CBP and KCS coordinate closely to intercept trespassers on the KCS right of way and their occasional boarding of trains beyond the border , and who are safely removed when that happens.
” Although freight trains are the standard , agents have reported nabbing illegal immigrants using Amtrak , too .
In October 2019 , agents in Del Rio , Texas , arrested eight Ecuadorians trying to board the train en route to San Antonio .
The migrants @ @ @ @ @ @

When Border Patrol agents caught up with Laura Escobar-Lopez last month, she had just hopped off a freight train she rode from Laredo to Robstown, Texas, they said.
She was an illegal immigrant from Mexico, and the smugglers she paid to get her over the line and deeper into the U.S. put her on the rails. They told her to get off each time the train came to a stop, hide in the brush, and then jump back onto the train once it got moving again.
The goal: to get around the highway checkpoints that are increasingly drawing a tight noose around illegal immigration in southern Texas.
As President Trump’s border wall, faster deportations and coronavirus border restrictions continue to bite, smugglers are looking for new ways to get their customers into the U.S. and to their destinations in the interior. They are packing trucks full of migrants, stuffing people inside spare tire compartments and tucking them underneath SUV seats.
Riding the rails has always been an option, but it has become a rising and dangerous trend particularly around Laredo, said Rafael Garza, special operations supervisor for the Border Patrol’s Laredo sector.
“They’re just trying to slip through the cracks,” he told The Washington Times. “They’re just trying to exploit everything.”
Jumping onto trains already in motion makes it tougher for migrants to get caught but is incredibly dangerous.
“It doesn’t seem like they’re moving fast until you get right up there, and it’s the fastest thing,” said Victor Manjarrez Jr., a former Border Patrol sector chief who is now a professor at the University of Texas at El Paso.
One man had part of his foot severed this summer while trying to jump onto a moving train.
Other migrants are pushed by smugglers to climb down into grain hoppers, which are railway cars designed for hauling coal or feed and are tricky to get out of without a rope ladder.
It’s so dangerous that agents consider each person pulled from a grain hopper to be an official rescue case.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the risks are even higher. Migrants are stuck in tight enclosed spaces with others for hours at a time, hardly ever with masks.
In September, agents found 11 people inside a grain hopper near Hebbronville, Texas, with a temperature topping 100 degrees.
The agents were able to get 10 out, but one was unconscious and twitching. Figuring they didn’t have time to wait for the fire department, one agent went in, wrapped a rope around the man’s waist and pulled him out. EMTs performed CPR until they felt a pulse.
“The man, who was subsequently diagnosed with COVID-19, survived. Fortunately, I did not contract the virus,” the agent said in an account released by the Border Patrol.
Things don’t always go well for the smugglers.
In an incident last year, Pedro Arciniega was serving as the foot guide, smuggling seven migrants in a grain hopper on a train from Laredo.
As the train pulled into Robstown, the migrants climbed up a rope ladder out of the grain hopper, but Arciniega wasn’t able to pull himself out.
He ended up calling 911 and reporting himself stuck, and Border Patrol agents swooped in and nabbed him. He pleaded guilty to alien smuggling and was sentenced to 27 months in a federal prison.
The most horrifying incident took place nearly 20 years ago but still sticks in memory along the border.
Eleven migrants climbed into an empty grain hopper at some point in northern Mexico or southern Texas and were sealed in from the outside. They never made it out alive. At some point in the hours or days thereafter, they died of dehydration and hypothermia. Their bodies were discovered months later during a rail car check at a train yard in Oklahoma.
It took months of effort and hundreds of agents working parts of the case, but authorities managed to piece together what happened and brought charges against one of the smugglers who organized the trip, and against a Union Pacific Railroad conductor who sold schedule information to the smugglers.
Prosecutors said the smugglers lost track of the car, made only halfhearted efforts to track it down and never bothered to report it to the railroad.
Mr. Manjarrez said smugglers, who often run both people and drugs across the border, chiefly use the trains for people. The risk of losing control of a shipment of valuable narcotics is too high, and humans have usually paid at least part of their fees.
Plus, he said, trains can get groups through checkpoints quickly, freeing up guides to go back and get more groups.
Laredo has become a hot spot for illegal border activity in recent months, setting off a new round of cat-and-mouse games for Border Patrol agents and smugglers.
As agents tightened inspections at a key highway checkpoint north of Laredo, it constricted the main pathway for people to get deeper into the U.S. Migrants began to backlog in and around Laredo as smugglers kept them holed up in stash houses while waiting for an opportunity to head out.
“We are catching those loads, so they are holding on to those bodies a lot more,” said Mr. Garza, the Border Patrol’s special operations chief in Laredo.
Stash house seizures rose, and so did attempts to find new pathways beyond the highway.
That could account for the renewed focus on trains, and Mr. Garza said the Border Patrol is putting an additional focus on the railways.
The railway companies cooperate with the Border Patrol, and sometimes their employees are the first to report suspicious activity that leads to rescues and arrests.
The migrants don’t cross the border on the trains. The risk for capture is too high, given Customs and Border Protection officers’ border inspections.
Instead, they sneak across the border by swimming or floating across the Rio Grande. Smugglers then help them jump onto the Kansas City Southern freight line heading into the interior of the U.S.
Kansas City Southern says it works closely with CBP to try to stop the migrants.
A spokesperson said the trains are checked again in a rail yard north of the border and then at Hebbronville, the first stop for freight trains running from Laredo to Corpus Christi.
“Frequently, these checks are performed by CBP and KCS at the same time. KCS and CBP are in constant communication and coordination on this issue,” the spokesperson said. “CBP and KCS coordinate closely to intercept trespassers on the KCS right of way and their occasional boarding of trains beyond the border, and who are safely removed when that happens.”
Although freight trains are the standard, agents have reported nabbing illegal immigrants using Amtrak, too.
In October 2019, agents in Del Rio, Texas, arrested eight Ecuadorians trying to board the train en route to San Antonio. The migrants were paying $8,000 apiece.
• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-12-06--Acting Anchorage mayor tests positive for COVID-19

ANCHORAGE , Alaska ( AP ) - Austin Quinn-Davison , the acting mayor of Alaska ’ s largest city , is isolating at home after testing positive for COVID-19 , her office announced Sunday .
She felt cold-like symptoms beginning on Nov. 29 and isolated at home until taking a test the next day .
That test and another test came back negative .
However , Quinn-Davidson ’ s third test came back positive Saturday .
The 41-year-old is experiencing mild symptoms , the office said .
Her wife , Dr. Stephanie Quinn-Davidson , has tested negative and is not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ office said .
“ It ’ s so important to stay home and to get tested if you aren ’ t feeling well , ” Austin Quinn-Davidson said “ I ’ m grateful my symptoms are mild and thankful for the many free testing sites in Anchorage .
I will continue to isolate at home as directed by my health care provider.
” Quinn-Davidson became the acting mayor of Anchorage on Oct. 23 following the resignation of Mayor Ethan Berkowitz .
She ’ s the city ’ s first female mayor and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was formed in 1975 .

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - Austin Quinn-Davison, the acting mayor of Alaska’s largest city, is isolating at home after testing positive for COVID-19, her office announced Sunday.
She felt cold-like symptoms beginning on Nov. 29 and isolated at home until taking a test the next day. That test and another test came back negative. However, Quinn-Davidson’s third test came back positive Saturday.
The 41-year-old is experiencing mild symptoms, the office said. Her wife, Dr. Stephanie Quinn-Davidson, has tested negative and is not experiencing symptoms, the mayor’s office said.
“It’s so important to stay home and to get tested if you aren’t feeling well,” Austin Quinn-Davidson said “I’m grateful my symptoms are mild and thankful for the many free testing sites in Anchorage. I will continue to isolate at home as directed by my health care provider.”
Quinn-Davidson became the acting mayor of Anchorage on Oct. 23 following the resignation of Mayor Ethan Berkowitz. She’s the city’s first female mayor and the tenth mayor since the Municipality of Anchorage was formed in 1975.


washingtontimes--2020-12-06--Black leaders urge Newsom to pick Black woman for US Senate

SACRAMENTO , Calif. ( AP ) - A coalition of African American civil rights leaders say it would be a “ step backward ” if Gov .
Gavin Newsom does not pick a Black woman to replace Vice President-elect Kamala Harris in the U.S. Senate .
In a letter to Newsom , 28 civil rights leaders urged him to pick either U.S. Rep. Karen Bass from Los Angeles or U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee from Oakland .
Both are Black women .
Harris is the only Black woman in the U.S. Senate .
But she will leave that job in January @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president .
Newsom gets to pick who replaces Harris for the final two years of her Senate term .
He is facing pressure from various groups , including those wanting him to appoint California ’ s first Latino U.S. senator .
The letter was signed by leaders from the Southern Christian Leadership Conference of Southern California , Al Sharpton ’ s West Coast National Action Network , and the Los Angeles chapter of the NAACP , among others .
It says while one Black woman in the Senate is not enough , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ find any appointment other than Karen Bass or Barbara Lee to carry out the remainder of Vice President- Elect Harris ’ term as a step backwards in our struggle for equity and justice for all , ” the letter said .

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - A coalition of African American civil rights leaders say it would be a “step backward” if Gov. Gavin Newsom does not pick a Black woman to replace Vice President-elect Kamala Harris in the U.S. Senate.
In a letter to Newsom, 28 civil rights leaders urged him to pick either U.S. Rep. Karen Bass from Los Angeles or U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee from Oakland. Both are Black women.
Harris is the only Black woman in the U.S. Senate. But she will leave that job in January when she is sworn in as vice president.
Newsom gets to pick who replaces Harris for the final two years of her Senate term. He is facing pressure from various groups, including those wanting him to appoint California’s first Latino U.S. senator.
The letter was signed by leaders from the Southern Christian Leadership Conference of Southern California, Al Sharpton’s West Coast National Action Network, and the Los Angeles chapter of the NAACP, among others. It says while one Black woman in the Senate is not enough, “zero is unacceptable.”
“We would find any appointment other than Karen Bass or Barbara Lee to carry out the remainder of Vice President- Elect Harris’ term as a step backwards in our struggle for equity and justice for all,” the letter said.


washingtontimes--2020-12-06--Adrian Bejan, Duke University professor, ties coronavirus spread to Neanderthal retreat

There is a reason the coronavirus has swept from east to west and an explanation for some degree of its limited lethality as well : It ’ s in our DNA .
It ’ s not the virus , but susceptibility to it , said Adrian Bejan , a professor of mechanical engineering at Duke University .
“ The virus was flying around the globe like blood in the human body , ” Mr. Bejan said .
“ And I know why.
” Part of Mr. Bejan ’ s theory lies in his constructal law of thermodynamics , an element @ @ @ @ @ @ @ finite-size flow system to persist in time it must evolve so that it provides easier access to its currents.
” In layman ’ s English , organisms maximize the flow of what is important .
An aerial view of a big river delta , a mature oak tree and its leaves , and a lightning bolt all follow similar patterns per constructal law .
“ Things are obvious , irrefutable , yet seemingly disconnected , ” said Mr. Bejan , 72 , offering one observation that helped him develop the law .
COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tracing in reverse the path that humans first trod out of Africa .
On that original path , homo sapiens had three interbreeding events with Neanderthals .
Anthropologists consider these events sudden rather than gradual .
Today , those with the most Neanderthal DNA ( the maximum in any human is 4 % ) are the most at risk , Mr. Bejan said , and Africa has never suffered the massive infections once predicted for it .
He put forth his theory in a paper last week , “ Coronavirus invasion and Neanderthal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is today and how quickly those connections can be made , the outbreak pattern from China seeping westward tells the story , Mr. Bejan said .
“ The conflict between the easy explanation and the pattern in the data ( chronology , geography , spreading ) means only one thing : people on the globe are not uniformly susceptible to the coronavirus , ” he wrote .
“ If not equally susceptible , then why ?
“ The answer lies in a much older phenomenon that looks just like the virus spreading , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the opposite direction , ” the paper said .
“ The older phenomenon is the spreading of humans.
” Or , as Mr. Bejan put it in a recent conversation , “ We ’ re mutts ; not all dogs belong to the same breed.
” Mr. Bejan ’ s personal history also traces from east to west .
He was born under the communist heel in Romania , which he described as a horrible experience during which Moscow tried to crush all native language , history and culture .
“ I am @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” he said .
“ It ’ s a tragedy when someone comes with a big ax , trying to make a new design from scratch after they ’ ve plowed the old one over .
It is the most terrible crime , but one bound to be repeated , unfortunately.
” Mr. Bejan escaped during the Prague Spring of 1968 and came to America .
He earned three degrees at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and helped with submarine warfare during his doctoral studies .
“ The Hunt for Red October — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asked of the bestselling book and hit movie in which a Russian captain maneuvers his submarine into defection .
“ Well , that is exactly the sort of thing we were working on , and I was the guy translating all the Soviet articles into English.
” While corresponding with friends still behind the Iron Curtain , Mr. Bejan said , he answered their questions about the West with something he still believes .
“ Here , a policeman is your best friend ; there , he is your worst enemy , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he outlined the constructal law in books with modest titles such as “ Design in Nature : How the Constructal Law Governs Evolution in Biology , Physics , Technology and Social Organizations.
” The law also works , often unconsciously , in what humans have put on Earth , including highway systems that try to maximize traffic flow and the cooling system Mr. Bejan designed for laptop computers .
That design , along with his constructal theory , earned him the Benjamin Franklin Medal in 2018 from the Franklin Institute , which rewards @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been bestowed more than 120 times on future Nobel laureates .
Mr. Bejan earned his medal “ for his pioneering interdisciplinary contributions in thermodynamics and convection heat transfer that have improved the performance of engineering systems.
” Despite such intimidating language , Mr. Bejan said , his thinking is designed to simplify natural phenomena .
“ I realized I was not mimicking nature ; I was predicting it , ” he said .
Like severe acute respiratory syndrome ( SARS ) before it , COVID-19 originated in China , the landmass in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ events occurred in human evolution .
As the final such event , it was the one that transmitted the most Neanderthal DNA .
Because it would be foolish to think COVID-19 will be the last virus to strike the human race , he said , it is important to know how it follows an ancient map and acknowledge the patterns the good and bad , often unknowingly , have always traveled .
“ This will make it easier to track disease , and we ’ ll be better able to deliver help to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Mr. Bejan said .
With that knowledge , some humility is in order .
“ The voice of authority here on campus now says homo sapiens are all-powerful , nothing could compete with him , ” Mr. Bejan said .
“ Well , the Neanderthals were powerful , too .
They ’ d been around a long time .
”

THE BIG TALK
An occasional interview series with Americans who are challenging the status quo.
There is a reason the coronavirus has swept from east to west and an explanation for some degree of its limited lethality as well: It’s in our DNA.
It’s not the virus, but susceptibility to it, said Adrian Bejan, a professor of mechanical engineering at Duke University.
“The virus was flying around the globe like blood in the human body,” Mr. Bejan said. “And I know why.”
Part of Mr. Bejan’s theory lies in his constructal law of thermodynamics, an element of physics holding that “for a finite-size flow system to persist in time it must evolve so that it provides easier access to its currents.”
In layman’s English, organisms maximize the flow of what is important. An aerial view of a big river delta, a mature oak tree and its leaves, and a lightning bolt all follow similar patterns per constructal law.
“Things are obvious, irrefutable, yet seemingly disconnected,” said Mr. Bejan, 72, offering one observation that helped him develop the law.
COVID-19 followed an established trail, too, tracing in reverse the path that humans first trod out of Africa. On that original path, homo sapiens had three interbreeding events with Neanderthals. Anthropologists consider these events sudden rather than gradual.
Today, those with the most Neanderthal DNA (the maximum in any human is 4%) are the most at risk, Mr. Bejan said, and Africa has never suffered the massive infections once predicted for it.
He put forth his theory in a paper last week, “Coronavirus invasion and Neanderthal retreat.”
Given how connected the world is today and how quickly those connections can be made, the outbreak pattern from China seeping westward tells the story, Mr. Bejan said.
“The conflict between the easy explanation and the pattern in the data (chronology, geography, spreading) means only one thing: people on the globe are not uniformly susceptible to the coronavirus,” he wrote. “If not equally susceptible, then why?
“The answer lies in a much older phenomenon that looks just like the virus spreading, except that the older spreading happened in the opposite direction,” the paper said. “The older phenomenon is the spreading of humans.”
Or, as Mr. Bejan put it in a recent conversation, “We’re mutts; not all dogs belong to the same breed.”
Mr. Bejan’s personal history also traces from east to west.
He was born under the communist heel in Romania, which he described as a horrible experience during which Moscow tried to crush all native language, history and culture.
“I am very much an enemy of communism,” he said. “It’s a tragedy when someone comes with a big ax, trying to make a new design from scratch after they’ve plowed the old one over. It is the most terrible crime, but one bound to be repeated, unfortunately.”
Mr. Bejan escaped during the Prague Spring of 1968 and came to America. He earned three degrees at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and helped with submarine warfare during his doctoral studies.
“The Hunt for Red October — you know that plot?” he asked of the bestselling book and hit movie in which a Russian captain maneuvers his submarine into defection. “Well, that is exactly the sort of thing we were working on, and I was the guy translating all the Soviet articles into English.”
While corresponding with friends still behind the Iron Curtain, Mr. Bejan said, he answered their questions about the West with something he still believes. “Here, a policeman is your best friend; there, he is your worst enemy,” he said.
While at Duke, he outlined the constructal law in books with modest titles such as “Design in Nature: How the Constructal Law Governs Evolution in Biology, Physics, Technology and Social Organizations.”
The law also works, often unconsciously, in what humans have put on Earth, including highway systems that try to maximize traffic flow and the cooling system Mr. Bejan designed for laptop computers.
That design, along with his constructal theory, earned him the Benjamin Franklin Medal in 2018 from the Franklin Institute, which rewards breakthrough thinking in science and technology and has been bestowed more than 120 times on future Nobel laureates. Mr. Bejan earned his medal “for his pioneering interdisciplinary contributions in thermodynamics and convection heat transfer that have improved the performance of engineering systems.”
Despite such intimidating language, Mr. Bejan said, his thinking is designed to simplify natural phenomena.
“I realized I was not mimicking nature; I was predicting it,” he said.
Like severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) before it, COVID-19 originated in China, the landmass in which the last of three major interbreeding events occurred in human evolution. As the final such event, it was the one that transmitted the most Neanderthal DNA.
Because it would be foolish to think COVID-19 will be the last virus to strike the human race, he said, it is important to know how it follows an ancient map and acknowledge the patterns the good and bad, often unknowingly, have always traveled.
“This will make it easier to track disease, and we’ll be better able to deliver help to the people who need it the most,” Mr. Bejan said.
With that knowledge, some humility is in order.
“The voice of authority here on campus now says homo sapiens are all-powerful, nothing could compete with him,” Mr. Bejan said. “Well, the Neanderthals were powerful, too. They’d been around a long time.”
• James Varney can be reached at jvarney@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-12-06--Raphael Warnock backers rip 'out of context' attacks on Georgia Democrat

Georgia Democrat Raphael Warnock ‘ s Senate bid has plenty of money , celebrity support and a party apparatus behind it , but his most important ally may be “ context.
” Conservatives have used Mr. Warnock ‘ s comments about Israel , law enforcement and America ’ s character , along with his past support for controversial figures such as the Rev .
Jeremiah Wright of Chicago and the late communist dictator Fidel Castro of Cuba to depict the Baptist preacher and liberal activist as too left-wing for the state ’ s voters .
“ The biggest threat to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Warnock , ” said Nate Brand , a spokesman for the National Republican Senatorial Committee .
“ His past speeches , writings and letters have proven to be some of the most radical comments made by a major party candidate in recent American history .
Georgians know Warnock by his own words and actions , and they know he is too radical to represent the state in the U.S. Senate.
” But where Republicans are urging voters to connect the dots , Mr. Warnock and his backers insist his words and actions are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ defense has been used since the November elections kicked Georgia ’ s Senate races into runoff contests set for Jan. 5 .
Mr. Warnock and Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler are in a dead heat in the polls .
“ Anyone with basic biblical literacy would recognize Warnock ‘ s words , even ripped out of context as they were , ” declared a recent article in New York Magazine .
An Esquire magazine piece said that “ Republicans attack Raphael Warnock ‘ s sermons out of context , ” and a Politico story @ @ @ @ @ @ @ argue the GOP is taking Warnock ‘ s words out of context.
” Mr. Warnock is not the first politician to insist cherry-picked quotes put him in a false frame .
For nearly four years , President Trump ’ s supporters noted that he said white supremacists and their ilk “ should be condemned totally ” in his remarks after racial protest violence in Charlottesville , Virginia .
But it was his “ fine people on both sides ” words that his political foes used against him .
It remains to be seen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the context they did not extend to Mr. Trump .
Republicans started an aggressive ad campaign to remind voters about multiple times Mr. Warnock took positions they say are at odds with those of most Americans : ⦁ As a young pastor in 1995 , Mr. Warnock was associated with a Harlem church that invited Castro to its pulpit .
Democrats note that Mr. Warnock was not the one who extended the invitation .
⦁ After a 2018 trip , Mr. Warnock signed a letter comparing Israel ‘ s policy toward Palestinian neighbors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrats point to his recent claims of support for Israel .
⦁ On multiple occasions , Mr. Warnock defended Mr. Wright ‘ s seemingly anti-American and anti-Semitic remarks .
Democrats say the support was for a wider message from Mr. Wright .
⦁ Mr. Warnock ‘ s sermons as the head of the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta are cited in matters of respecting the military or law enforcement .
Democrats say they should be seen as broader observations on race and faith .
In Georgia ’ s jungle-style Nov. 3 special election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Loeffler was locked in a tough fight with fellow Republican Rep. Doug Collins for the Senate seat .
Now , with the Loeffler campaign focused on Mr. Warnock ‘ s past , the reverend insists he is not being portrayed accurately .
“ I think the country has been done a disservice by this constant playing over and over again of the same sound bites outside of context , ” he said at a recent press conference held , in part , to address the mounting criticism .
Former President Barack Obama , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ church became an issue in his 2008 run for the Democratic nomination , sprang to Mr. Warnock ‘ s defense .
Mr. Obama described the criticism against Mr. Warnock as “ garbage.
” There is certainly context surrounding each of Mr. Warnock ‘ s moments , as is the case for all speech .
It is true that in 1995 Mr. Warnock was not in a position at the Abyssinian Baptist Church to send invitations to speakers .
But it is also true that at that time , Black theology in Harlem was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a radical left-wing minister who preached “ Black liberation theology ” and whom Mr. Warnock warmly praised in a eulogy .
It was the environment that produced what The Washington Post in a report on Castro ’ s speech called “ a lovefest ” and a packed house chanting , “ Fidel !
Fidel !
Fidel !
” in praise .
When Mr. Wright preached “ God damn America ” and blamed past U.S. action for the Sept. 11 , 2001 , terrorist attacks , he was talking about a litany of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ less clear to whom he referred when he blamed “ them Jews ” after Mr. Obama distanced himself from his longtime pastor during the 2008 campaign .
Mr. Warnock has called Mr. Wright “ a prophet , ” and it was Mr. Warnock who came out to defend the fiery Chicago preacher when Mr. Obama ’ s campaign and others were distancing themselves .
On MSNBC last week , Mr. Warnock said , “ I know Jeremiah Wright .
I ’ m not an anti-Semite.
” His opponents noted that he did not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s remarks .
Those examples provide plenty of context , Republicans say , but on the charge of dubious support for Jews and Israel , they also cite Mr. Warnock ‘ s own words .
He signed on to a letter that compared Israeli policies to apartheid and was critical of the “ hardening of hearts ” of Israeli leaders .
In his sermons at Ebenezer Baptist Church , Mr. Warnock said Israel killed Palestinians “ like birds of prey.
” He was sharply critical of Mr. Trump ’ s decision to move @ @ @ @ @ @ @ step long opposed by Palestinians and their supporters .
Republicans insist Mr. Warnock ‘ s seemingly caustic remarks about law enforcement and the military reflect his disdain for those professions .
In 2011 , Mr. Warnock praised from the pulpit Troy Davis , who was executed for killing a police officer in Savannah , as “ a martyr and foot soldier.
” He also emphatically told his congregation that a man can not serve God and the military simultaneously .
In a sermon four years later , Mr. Warnock spoke of “ police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gangster and thug mentality.
” All of those comments come against a backdrop of widespread mistrust of law enforcement in many Black communities and an allusion to a biblical passage declaring that man can not serve “ God and mammon.
” Ms. Loeffler ‘ s campaign , along with a barrage of Republican ads in Georgia , is telling Georgian voters that there is simply too much controversy to be waved away .
“ For decades , Raphael Warnock has used his pulpit to oppose the Second Amendment , attack the police , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ embrace communists and Marxists alike , ” said campaign spokesman Stephen Lawson .
“ No matter how hard Warnock and the media try to explain away his words , Georgians know how radical he is when they hear him .
”

Georgia Democrat Raphael Warnock’s Senate bid has plenty of money, celebrity support and a party apparatus behind it, but his most important ally may be “context.”
Conservatives have used Mr. Warnock’s comments about Israel, law enforcement and America’s character, along with his past support for controversial figures such as the Rev. Jeremiah Wright of Chicago and the late communist dictator Fidel Castro of Cuba to depict the Baptist preacher and liberal activist as too left-wing for the state’s voters.
“The biggest threat to Raphael Warnock’s campaign is Raphael Warnock,” said Nate Brand, a spokesman for the National Republican Senatorial Committee. “His past speeches, writings and letters have proven to be some of the most radical comments made by a major party candidate in recent American history. Georgians know Warnock by his own words and actions, and they know he is too radical to represent the state in the U.S. Senate.”
But where Republicans are urging voters to connect the dots, Mr. Warnock and his backers insist his words and actions are “taken out of context.”
That defense has been used since the November elections kicked Georgia’s Senate races into runoff contests set for Jan. 5.
Mr. Warnock and Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler are in a dead heat in the polls.
“Anyone with basic biblical literacy would recognize Warnock’s words, even ripped out of context as they were,” declared a recent article in New York Magazine.
An Esquire magazine piece said that “Republicans attack Raphael Warnock’s sermons out of context,” and a Politico story said that “several Black religious leaders argue the GOP is taking Warnock’s words out of context.”
Mr. Warnock is not the first politician to insist cherry-picked quotes put him in a false frame. For nearly four years, President Trump’s supporters noted that he said white supremacists and their ilk “should be condemned totally” in his remarks after racial protest violence in Charlottesville, Virginia. But it was his “fine people on both sides” words that his political foes used against him.
It remains to be seen whether Georgia voters will offer Mr. Warnock the context they did not extend to Mr. Trump.
Republicans started an aggressive ad campaign to remind voters about multiple times Mr. Warnock took positions they say are at odds with those of most Americans:
• As a young pastor in 1995, Mr. Warnock was associated with a Harlem church that invited Castro to its pulpit. Democrats note that Mr. Warnock was not the one who extended the invitation.
• After a 2018 trip, Mr. Warnock signed a letter comparing Israel’s policy toward Palestinian neighbors to South Africa’s apartheid. Democrats point to his recent claims of support for Israel.
• On multiple occasions, Mr. Warnock defended Mr. Wright’s seemingly anti-American and anti-Semitic remarks. Democrats say the support was for a wider message from Mr. Wright.
• Mr. Warnock’s sermons as the head of the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta are cited in matters of respecting the military or law enforcement. Democrats say they should be seen as broader observations on race and faith.
In Georgia’s jungle-style Nov. 3 special election, Mr. Warnock escaped scrutiny because Ms. Loeffler was locked in a tough fight with fellow Republican Rep. Doug Collins for the Senate seat. Now, with the Loeffler campaign focused on Mr. Warnock’s past, the reverend insists he is not being portrayed accurately.
“I think the country has been done a disservice by this constant playing over and over again of the same sound bites outside of context,” he said at a recent press conference held, in part, to address the mounting criticism.
Former President Barack Obama, whose attendance at Mr. Wright’s church became an issue in his 2008 run for the Democratic nomination, sprang to Mr. Warnock’s defense.
Mr. Obama described the criticism against Mr. Warnock as “garbage.”
There is certainly context surrounding each of Mr. Warnock’s moments, as is the case for all speech. It is true that in 1995 Mr. Warnock was not in a position at the Abyssinian Baptist Church to send invitations to speakers. But it is also true that at that time, Black theology in Harlem was under the spell of James H. Cone, a radical left-wing minister who preached “Black liberation theology” and whom Mr. Warnock warmly praised in a eulogy.
It was the environment that produced what The Washington Post in a report on Castro’s speech called “a lovefest” and a packed house chanting, “Fidel! Fidel! Fidel!” in praise.
When Mr. Wright preached “God damn America” and blamed past U.S. action for the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, he was talking about a litany of genuine and perceived abuses. It is less clear to whom he referred when he blamed “them Jews” after Mr. Obama distanced himself from his longtime pastor during the 2008 campaign.
Mr. Warnock has called Mr. Wright “a prophet,” and it was Mr. Warnock who came out to defend the fiery Chicago preacher when Mr. Obama’s campaign and others were distancing themselves. On MSNBC last week, Mr. Warnock said, “I know Jeremiah Wright. I’m not an anti-Semite.” His opponents noted that he did not include any condemnation of Mr. Wright’s remarks.
Those examples provide plenty of context, Republicans say, but on the charge of dubious support for Jews and Israel, they also cite Mr. Warnock’s own words.
He signed on to a letter that compared Israeli policies to apartheid and was critical of the “hardening of hearts” of Israeli leaders. In his sermons at Ebenezer Baptist Church, Mr. Warnock said Israel killed Palestinians “like birds of prey.” He was sharply critical of Mr. Trump’s decision to move the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem, a step long opposed by Palestinians and their supporters.
Republicans insist Mr. Warnock’s seemingly caustic remarks about law enforcement and the military reflect his disdain for those professions.
In 2011, Mr. Warnock praised from the pulpit Troy Davis, who was executed for killing a police officer in Savannah, as “a martyr and foot soldier.” He also emphatically told his congregation that a man cannot serve God and the military simultaneously.
In a sermon four years later, Mr. Warnock spoke of “police power showing up in a kind of gangster and thug mentality.”
All of those comments come against a backdrop of widespread mistrust of law enforcement in many Black communities and an allusion to a biblical passage declaring that man cannot serve “God and mammon.”
Ms. Loeffler’s campaign, along with a barrage of Republican ads in Georgia, is telling Georgian voters that there is simply too much controversy to be waved away.
“For decades, Raphael Warnock has used his pulpit to oppose the Second Amendment, attack the police, condemn Israel, disparage the military and embrace communists and Marxists alike,” said campaign spokesman Stephen Lawson. “No matter how hard Warnock and the media try to explain away his words, Georgians know how radical he is when they hear him.”
• James Varney can be reached at jvarney@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-12-06--3 dead after house fire in Little Rock

3 dead after house fire in Little Rock

LITTLE ROCK , Ark .
( AP ) - Three people died after fire in a vacant house in downtown @ @ @ @ @ .
Two people died on the scene of Saturday ’ s fire , and a @ @ @ @ @ Sunday , according to a spokesperson for the Little Rock Fire Department .
Fire crews @ @ @ @ @ Saturday at a vacant home , KLRT-TV reported .
The spokesperson said the house was @ @ @ @ @ there was no gas or power in the building .
The fire marshal is investigating @ @ @ @ @ the fire .

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) - Three people died after fire in a vacant house in downtown Little Rock, authorities said.
Two people died on the scene of Saturday’s fire, and a man died at the hospital Sunday, according to a spokesperson for the Little Rock Fire Department.
Fire crews responded to a blaze early Saturday at a vacant home, KLRT-TV reported. The spokesperson said the house was listed as vacant, and there was no gas or power in the building.
The fire marshal is investigating to determine the cause of the fire.


washingtontimes--2020-12-06--Shooting at bonfire causes 6 non-life-threatening injuries

AUTRYVILLE , N.C. ( AP ) - A shooting after a fight at a late-night bonfire in North Carolina left @ @ @ @ @ , authorities said Sunday .
The Cumberland County Sheriff ’ s Office said it was @ @ @ @ @ Saturday to a gathering of a large group of people in Autryville , North Carolina @ @ @ @ @ males broke into a fight that ended with the shooting , the sheriff ’ s @ @ @ @ @ several people at the scene and continued to investigate Sunday .
Authorities say one of @ @ @ @ @ , and detectives continue to investigate .

AUTRYVILLE, N.C. (AP) - A shooting after a fight at a late-night bonfire in North Carolina left six people with non-life-threatening injuries, authorities said Sunday.
The Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office said it was dispatched at about 11:57 p.m. Saturday to a gathering of a large group of people in Autryville, North Carolina.
An argument between two males broke into a fight that ended with the shooting, the sheriff’s office said.
Detectives interviewed several people at the scene and continued to investigate Sunday. Authorities say one of the shooters has been identified, and detectives continue to investigate.


washingtontimes--2020-12-06--No. 1 Gonzaga pauses basketball competition through Dec. 14

SPOKANE , Wash. ( AP ) - Top-ranked Gonzaga paused basketball competition Sunday through Dec. 14 because of COVID-19 .
@ @ @ @ @ less than 90 minutes before the scheduled tip-off against No .
2 Baylor , the @ @ @ @ @ of two positive COVID-19 tests in the Bulldogs program .
Gonzaga last played Wednesday night @ @ @ @ @ .
11 West Virginia to improve to 3-0 .
The pause in competition wiped out @ @ @ @ @ Tarleton State , Thursday against Southern University , Saturday against Northern Arizona and Dec. 14 @ @ @

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) - Top-ranked Gonzaga paused basketball competition Sunday through Dec. 14 because of COVID-19.
On Saturday in Indianapolis, less than 90 minutes before the scheduled tip-off against No. 2 Baylor, the game was called off because of two positive COVID-19 tests in the Bulldogs program.
Gonzaga last played Wednesday night in Indianapolis, beating No. 11 West Virginia to improve to 3-0.
The pause in competition wiped out scheduled home games Tuesday against Tarleton State, Thursday against Southern University, Saturday against Northern Arizona and Dec. 14 against Idaho.


washingtontimes--2020-12-06--2 out of hospital after Texas petroleum facility fire

CORPUS CHRISTI , Texas ( AP ) - Two of the seven workers injured when a storage tank at a petroleum facility in Texas exploded after catching fire have been released from the hospital , while the remaining five are hospitalized in stable condition , officials said Sunday .
Corpus Christi Fire Department Deputy Chief Richie Quintero said Sunday that the cause of the explosion remains under investigation .
The seven employees of Shelton Services Inc. were cleaning an aboveground storage tank at Magellan Midstream Partners ’ Corpus Christi petroleum facility when the fire happened Saturday , Shelton Services said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the employees were released from a Corpus Christi hospital on Saturday while five others are in stable condition at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio .
Quintero has said that a shelter in place order that was issued after the blast was lifted shortly before noon Saturday , and there were no other injuries or property damage and no air contamination .
The fire was extinguished and firefighters had left the site by early Saturday afternoon .
Mark Calhoun , operations manager for Magellan Midstream Partners , has said the Magellan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ small refinery that was not affected by the blast .

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (AP) - Two of the seven workers injured when a storage tank at a petroleum facility in Texas exploded after catching fire have been released from the hospital, while the remaining five are hospitalized in stable condition, officials said Sunday.
Corpus Christi Fire Department Deputy Chief Richie Quintero said Sunday that the cause of the explosion remains under investigation.
The seven employees of Shelton Services Inc. were cleaning an aboveground storage tank at Magellan Midstream Partners’ Corpus Christi petroleum facility when the fire happened Saturday, Shelton Services said.
Shelton Services said Sunday that two of the employees were released from a Corpus Christi hospital on Saturday while five others are in stable condition at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio.
Quintero has said that a shelter in place order that was issued after the blast was lifted shortly before noon Saturday, and there were no other injuries or property damage and no air contamination. The fire was extinguished and firefighters had left the site by early Saturday afternoon.
Mark Calhoun, operations manager for Magellan Midstream Partners, has said the Magellan plant has 60 storage tanks and a small refinery that was not affected by the blast.


washingtontimes--2020-12-06--Rudy Giuliani cites election fraud video evidence ahead of new legal challenges

The Trump legal team ’ s top attorney , Rudolph W. Giuliani , is pointing to reams of evidence that expose a pattern of fraud and corruption in the Nov. 3 election that he thinks was directed by Democrats in Washington .
He accused the courts and media of ignoring the evidence .
Mr. Giuliani cited video footage and 1,000 sworn affidavits attesting that trucks , vans and suitcases full of suspect ballots were sneaked into voting centers in Georgia , Michigan , Nevada , Pennsylvania and Wisconsin .
The similarities of the reports of suspicious activity at the polls @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ This was a pattern that was set by somebody in Washington because everybody else carried it out exactly in the same way .
And they did it in the crooked cities , ” Mr. Giuliani said on Fox News ’ “ Sunday Morning Futures.
” “ They didn ’ t do it everywhere , ” he said .
“ They did it in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh and Detroit , in Milwaukee , in Atlanta .
They went to places where there ’ s a lot of corruption and the courts are not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ put it that way.
” “ How you can say this is unsupported when there are now tape after tape after tape ?
” More than a month after Election Day , President Trump and his allies won ’ t give up the fight to overturn the results .
His legal team this week is preparing another round of court appeals after judges on Friday tossed cases in Arizona and Nevada .
They also are pressuring state legislatures to intervene before state electors vote Dec. 14 to affirm a win for presumed President-elect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where Mr. Trump filed a lawsuit last week challenging more than 100,000 ballots , Republican officials fear his fraud claims are turning off voters in the crucial Jan. 5 runoff elections for U.S. Senate .
Georgia Lt. Gov .
Geoff Duncan , a Republican , said the Trump campaign is “ handing off a playbook to the Democrats ” on how to win the two races .
Democratic victories in the two races would cost Republicans control of the Senate .
“ I worry that this continuous fanning of the flames around misinformation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Mr. Duncan said on CNN ’ s “ State of the Union.
” “ The mountains of misinformation are not helping the process .
They ’ re only hurting it.
” At a campaign rally Saturday in Valdosta , Georgia , Mr. Trump urged voters to turn out for Republican Sens .
Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue on Jan. 5 despite frustrations with the election process .
“ We never lost an election .
We ’ re winning this election , ” Mr. Trump said .
“ They cheated and rigged our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ win it.
” The affidavits and video surveillance footage amassed by the Trump campaign can be compelling to a casual observer , but it hasn ’ t been enough to score Mr. Trump a win in courtrooms across the country .
The accusations potentially involve tens of thousands of ballots in battleground states where it could be enough to alter the outcome of the presidential election .
Although Attorney General William Barr declared last week that the Justice Department found no evidence of widespread voter fraud , many of Mr. Trump ‘ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election for Mr. Biden .
The claims include irregularities with Dominion Voting Systems ’ voting machines and ballot tabulation software , which was used in more than two dozen states .
Dominion defended the integrity of its election products and called the allegations mere conspiracy theories .
Some of the more striking allegations that Democrats stuffed the ballot box include : ⦁ A whistleblower working for a U.S .
Postal Service subcontractor claiming to have driven a truck carrying more than 100,000 ballots from Bethpage , New York , to Harrisburg , Pennsylvania @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s affidavit saying she saw a Biden-Harris van in the back of the voting center and people at the van filling out dozens of ballots .
⦁ Testimony of Republican poll monitors to a Michigan state Senate committee that they witnessed truckloads of absentee ballots delivered to a counting center in Detroit and Democratic poll workers scanning the same ballots multiple times through tabulation machines .
In Georgia , surveillance video that has surfaced shows five poll workers grabbing several suitcases concealed beneath a table and tablecloth after poll watchers leave the room @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that were run through tabulation machines for roughly two hours while the video , captured by security cameras , showed only the four poll workers in the room .
“ The VIDEO EVIDENCE being shown in the Georgia Senate Hearing is SHOCKING , ” Trump campaign attorney Jenna Ellis tweeted .
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger , a Republican , said the video does not reveal wrongdoing but shows business as usual at the county ’ s ballot tabulation center .
The “ suitcases ” were typical ballot containers , and they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not to obstruct foot traffic , according to a statement from his office .
Still , most Georgia voters aren ’ t comfortable with the election results and want Gov .
Brian Kemp , a Republican , to call a special session to require signature verification on absentee ballots , according to a poll released Saturday by McLaughlin & Associates , a Republican firm .
The survey found that 58 % of likely voters in Georgia want the state legislature to “ require signature verification for every mail-in ballot for the Jan. 5 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” versus 38 % who disagreed .
The Trump campaign ’ s lawsuit filed Friday in Georgia claimed that tens of thousands of illegal votes were tabulated , including 2,560 from felons , 2,423 from unregistered people , 66,247 underage voters , 1,043 people who were registered at post office boxes instead of actual residences , 4,926 people who moved and did not reregister to vote in their new places of residence , and 30,000 to 40,000 absentee ballots lacking signature matching .
After two recounts , Mr. Biden won Georgia by 12,670 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In Nevada , where another Trump appeal is pending , more than 85,000 mail-in ballots were challenged .
The Nevada Supreme Court certified the election for Mr. Biden last month , awarding him the state ’ s six electoral votes .
Mr. Biden defeated Mr. Trump in Nevada by 33,596 , or 2.4 percentage points .
In Arizona , state Republican Party Chair Kelli Ward is appealing her challenge of ballots cast in Maricopa County after a judge dismissed the case Friday .
Arizona results show Mr. Biden topping the president by about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Mr. Trump ‘ s attorneys are urging Republican lawmakers in Arizona , Pennsylvania and Michigan to probe suspected election irregularities and fraud , potentially overturning the results .
Michigan Republicans expressed concerns about reversing the results , but Republican lawmakers in Arizona and Pennsylvania sought more information .
Thirty-two Pennsylvania Republicans asked Gov .
Tom Wolf , a Democrat , to call a special assembly to probe the state ’ s election irregularities .
They cite the whistleblower ’ s information about driving a truckload of ballots from New York to Pennsylvania @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the issue .
Republican lawmakers in Arizona are demanding access to the state ’ s voting machines to perform a forensic examination of Dominion Voting Systems ’ software .
The most likely path to a postelection victory for Mr. Trump would have been through Pennsylvania .
If somehow he prevails there , then he would also need to reverse projected losses in at least two other states to reach the 270 electoral votes required to win the White House .
⦁ Valerie Richardson and Dave Boyer contributed to this report .

The Trump legal team’s top attorney, Rudolph W. Giuliani, is pointing to reams of evidence that expose a pattern of fraud and corruption in the Nov. 3 election that he thinks was directed by Democrats in Washington.
He accused the courts and media of ignoring the evidence.
Mr. Giuliani cited video footage and 1,000 sworn affidavits attesting that trucks, vans and suitcases full of suspect ballots were sneaked into voting centers in Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
The similarities of the reports of suspicious activity at the polls were no coincidence, he said.
“This was a pattern that was set by somebody in Washington because everybody else carried it out exactly in the same way. And they did it in the crooked cities,” Mr. Giuliani said on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures.”
“They didn’t do it everywhere,” he said. “They did it in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh and Detroit, in Milwaukee, in Atlanta. They went to places where there’s a lot of corruption and the courts are not exactly the fairest. Let’s put it that way.”
“How you can say this is unsupported when there are now tape after tape after tape?”
More than a month after Election Day, President Trump and his allies won’t give up the fight to overturn the results.
His legal team this week is preparing another round of court appeals after judges on Friday tossed cases in Arizona and Nevada. They also are pressuring state legislatures to intervene before state electors vote Dec. 14 to affirm a win for presumed President-elect Joseph R. Biden.
In Georgia, where Mr. Trump filed a lawsuit last week challenging more than 100,000 ballots, Republican officials fear his fraud claims are turning off voters in the crucial Jan. 5 runoff elections for U.S. Senate.
Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, a Republican, said the Trump campaign is “handing off a playbook to the Democrats” on how to win the two races. Democratic victories in the two races would cost Republicans control of the Senate.
“I worry that this continuous fanning of the flames around misinformation puts us in a negative position,” Mr. Duncan said on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “The mountains of misinformation are not helping the process. They’re only hurting it.”
At a campaign rally Saturday in Valdosta, Georgia, Mr. Trump urged voters to turn out for Republican Sens. Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue on Jan. 5 despite frustrations with the election process.
“We never lost an election. We’re winning this election,” Mr. Trump said. “They cheated and rigged our presidential election, but we will still win it.”
The affidavits and video surveillance footage amassed by the Trump campaign can be compelling to a casual observer, but it hasn’t been enough to score Mr. Trump a win in courtrooms across the country.
The accusations potentially involve tens of thousands of ballots in battleground states where it could be enough to alter the outcome of the presidential election.
Although Attorney General William P. Barr declared last week that the Justice Department found no evidence of widespread voter fraud, many of Mr. Trump’s supporters remain convinced that Democrats stole the election for Mr. Biden.
The claims include irregularities with Dominion Voting Systems’ voting machines and ballot tabulation software, which was used in more than two dozen states.
Dominion defended the integrity of its election products and called the allegations mere conspiracy theories.
Some of the more striking allegations that Democrats stuffed the ballot box include:
• A whistleblower working for a U.S. Postal Service subcontractor claiming to have driven a truck carrying more than 100,000 ballots from Bethpage, New York, to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
• A Nevada poll worker’s affidavit saying she saw a Biden-Harris van in the back of the voting center and people at the van filling out dozens of ballots.
• Testimony of Republican poll monitors to a Michigan state Senate committee that they witnessed truckloads of absentee ballots delivered to a counting center in Detroit and Democratic poll workers scanning the same ballots multiple times through tabulation machines.
In Georgia, surveillance video that has surfaced shows five poll workers grabbing several suitcases concealed beneath a table and tablecloth after poll watchers leave the room.
The suitcases were full of ballots that were run through tabulation machines for roughly two hours while the video, captured by security cameras, showed only the four poll workers in the room.
“The VIDEO EVIDENCE being shown in the Georgia Senate Hearing is SHOCKING,” Trump campaign attorney Jenna Ellis tweeted.
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a Republican, said the video does not reveal wrongdoing but shows business as usual at the county’s ballot tabulation center.
The “suitcases” were typical ballot containers, and they were put under the table so as not to obstruct foot traffic, according to a statement from his office.
Still, most Georgia voters aren’t comfortable with the election results and want Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican, to call a special session to require signature verification on absentee ballots, according to a poll released Saturday by McLaughlin & Associates, a Republican firm.
The survey found that 58% of likely voters in Georgia want the state legislature to “require signature verification for every mail-in ballot for the Jan. 5 runoff elections for the U.S. Senate,” versus 38% who disagreed.
The Trump campaign’s lawsuit filed Friday in Georgia claimed that tens of thousands of illegal votes were tabulated, including 2,560 from felons, 2,423 from unregistered people, 66,247 underage voters, 1,043 people who were registered at post office boxes instead of actual residences, 4,926 people who moved and did not reregister to vote in their new places of residence, and 30,000 to 40,000 absentee ballots lacking signature matching.
After two recounts, Mr. Biden won Georgia by 12,670 votes, or 0.2 percentage points.
In Nevada, where another Trump appeal is pending, more than 85,000 mail-in ballots were challenged.
The Nevada Supreme Court certified the election for Mr. Biden last month, awarding him the state’s six electoral votes. Mr. Biden defeated Mr. Trump in Nevada by 33,596, or 2.4 percentage points.
In Arizona, state Republican Party Chair Kelli Ward is appealing her challenge of ballots cast in Maricopa County after a judge dismissed the case Friday.
Arizona results show Mr. Biden topping the president by about 10,457 votes, or 0.3 percentage points.
Mr. Trump’s attorneys are urging Republican lawmakers in Arizona, Pennsylvania and Michigan to probe suspected election irregularities and fraud, potentially overturning the results.
Michigan Republicans expressed concerns about reversing the results, but Republican lawmakers in Arizona and Pennsylvania sought more information.
Thirty-two Pennsylvania Republicans asked Gov. Tom Wolf, a Democrat, to call a special assembly to probe the state’s election irregularities. They cite the whistleblower’s information about driving a truckload of ballots from New York to Pennsylvania as one of the reasons for investigating the issue.
Republican lawmakers in Arizona are demanding access to the state’s voting machines to perform a forensic examination of Dominion Voting Systems’ software.
The most likely path to a postelection victory for Mr. Trump would have been through Pennsylvania. If somehow he prevails there, then he would also need to reverse projected losses in at least two other states to reach the 270 electoral votes required to win the White House.
• Valerie Richardson and Dave Boyer contributed to this report.
• S.A. Miller can be reached at smiller@washingtontimes.com. • Alex Swoyer can be reached at aswoyer@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-12-06--Suspect sought in murder in small Colorado farming town

SAGUACHE , Colo. ( AP ) - Authorities in Colorado were searching for a 45-year-old man in connection with a @ @ @ @ @ Saguache early Sunday morning .
Suspect Donald Garcia was considered armed and dangerous , the @ @ @ @ @ .
He ’ s suspected in the killing of a Salida man in his 50s @ @ @ @ @ town of about 500 people that ’ s surrounded by mountains in south central Colorado @ @ @ @ @ County Sheriff ’ s office were called to a residence in the town just before @ @ @ @ @ report of an injured man .
They encountered the victim , who later died from @ @ @ @ @ said .
The victim ’ s name was withheld pending notification of his relatives .

SAGUACHE, Colo. (AP) - Authorities in Colorado were searching for a 45-year-old man in connection with a murder in the town of Saguache early Sunday morning.
Suspect Donald Garcia was considered armed and dangerous, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation said.
He’s suspected in the killing of a Salida man in his 50s in Saguache, an agricultural town of about 500 people that’s surrounded by mountains in south central Colorado.
Deputies with the Saguache County Sheriff’s office were called to a residence in the town just before 4:30 a.m. Sunday for a report of an injured man. They encountered the victim, who later died from his injuries, the bureau said.
The victim’s name was withheld pending notification of his relatives.


washingtontimes--2020-12-06--Oregon city council member slain in attempted burglary

PORTLAND , Ore. ( AP ) - A city councilor in a small town along the central Oregon coast has @ @ @ @ @ burglary of his home , authorities said Sunday .
Mark Campbell , 66 , died @ @ @ @ @ fighting an intruder , The Oregonian reported .
Dispatchers from the Lincoln County Sheriff ’ @ @ @ @ @ report of a burglary in progress at about 3:30 a.m. Sunday from a woman who @ @ @ @ @ the intruder .
Campbell was dead when deputies arrived .
No suspects have been arrested @ @ @ @ @ member of the Waldport City Council and prominent local business figure who co-owned the Crestview @ @ @

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - A city councilor in a small town along the central Oregon coast has been killed during an attempted burglary of his home, authorities said Sunday.
Mark Campbell, 66, died from injuries he received when fighting an intruder, The Oregonian reported. Dispatchers from the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office had received a report of a burglary in progress at about 3:30 a.m. Sunday from a woman who said her husband was fighting the intruder.
Campbell was dead when deputies arrived. No suspects have been arrested.
Campbell was a long-time member of the Waldport City Council and prominent local business figure who co-owned the Crestview Golf Course.


washingtontimes--2020-12-06--Biden picks Calif. AG Becerra to lead HHS, pandemic response

WASHINGTON ( AP ) - President-elect Joe Biden has picked California Attorney General Xavier Becerra to be his health secretary , putting a defender of the Affordable Care Act in a leading role to oversee his administration ’ s coronavirus response .
Separately , Biden picked a Harvard infectious disease expert , Dr. Rochelle Walensky , to head the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
If confirmed by the Senate , Becerra , 62 , will be the first Latino to head the Department of Health and Human Services , a $ 1-trillion-plus agency with 80,000 employees and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leading-edge medical research and health insurance programs covering more than 130 million Americans .
Biden ‘ s selection of Becerra was confirmed by two people familiar with the decision , who spoke on condition of anonymity ahead of a formal announcement anticipated Tuesday .
Two people also anonymously confirmed the choice of Walensky .
The post of CDC director does not require Senate confirmation .
Becerra , as the state of California ’ s top lawyer , has led the coalition of Democratic states defending “ Obamacare ” from the Trump administration ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a legal case awaiting a Supreme Court decision next year .
A former senior House Democrat , Becerra was involved in steering the Obama health law through Congress in 2009 and 2010 .
At the time he would tell reporters that one of his primary motivations was having tens of thousands of uninsured people in his Southern California district .
Becerra has a lawyer ’ s precise approach to analyzing problems and a calm demeanor .
But overseeing the coronavirus response will be the most complicated task he has ever contemplated .
By @ @ @ @ @ @ @ engaged in a mass vaccination campaign , the groundwork for which has been laid under the Trump administration .
Although the vaccines appear very promising , and no effort has been spared to plan for their distribution , it ’ s impossible to tell yet how well things will go when it ’ s time to get shots in the arms of millions of Americans .
Becerra won ’ t be going it alone .
Biden , who is expected to announce key health care picks as early as Tuesday , is taking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s virus response .
Businessman Jeff Zients is expected to be named as Biden ‘ s White House coronavirus coordinator .
An economic adviser to former President Barack Obama , Zients also led the rescue of the HealthCare.gov website after its disastrous launch in 2013 .
And former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy , a co-chair of Biden ’ s coronavirus task force , is expected to return in a new role akin to the top medical adviser .
But the core components of HHS are the boots on the ground of the government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Drug Administration oversees vaccines and treatments , while much of the underlying scientific and medical research comes from NIH .
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention takes the lead in detecting and containing the spread of diseases .
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services provides insurance coverage for more than 1 in 3 Americans , including vulnerable seniors , as well as many children and low-income people .
Under President Donald Trump , CDC was relegated to a lesser role after agency scientists issued a stark early warning that contradicted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under control , rattling financial markets .
The FDA was the target of repeated attacks from a president who suspected its scientists were politically motivated and who also wanted them to rubber-stamp unproven treatments .
As CDC director , Walensky would replace Dr. Robert Redfield , who accurately told the public coronavirus vaccines would not be available for most people until next year , only to be disparaged by Trump as “ confused.
” Walensky is a leading infectious disease specialist at Massachusetts General Hospital , and has devoted her career to combatting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the bureaucratic apparatus of the California attorney general ’ s office , as well as his success working with Republicans , helped seal the pick for Biden , said a person familiar with the process but not authorized to comment publicly .
Becerra had worked with Louisiana ’ s Republican attorney general to increase the availability of the COVID-19 drug treatment Remdesivir in their states .
He ’ s also worked closely with other Republican attorneys general on legal challenges against opioid manufacturers .
Early in California ’ s coronavirus response , Becerra @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had put in place to curtail the pandemic , including limits on religious gatherings .
Three churches in Southern California had sued Newsom , Becerra and other state officials because in-person church services had been halted .
Biden ‘ s offer was extended to Becerra on Friday .
The president-elect has been under pressure from the Congressional Hispanic Caucus to appoint Latinos to the Cabinet .
Becerra has been jokingly known in Democratic legal circles as the man who sued Trump more than anyone else .
Beyond health care , the California attorney @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from immigration to environmental policies .
Previously Becerra had served for more than a decade in Congress , representing parts of Los Angeles County .
He had also served in the California state assembly after attending law school at Stanford .
His mother was born in Jalisco , Mexico , and emigrated to the U.S. after marrying his father , a native of Sacramento , California , who had grown up in Mexico .
Becerra often cites his parents as his inspiration , saying they instilled in him a strong work ethic and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worked road construction jobs , while his mother was a clerical employee .
Becerra is married to Dr. Carolina Reyes , a physician who specializes in maternal and fetal health .
In an AP profile published last year , a lifelong friend of Becerra ‘ s said he learned to stay calm and self-controlled in high school as a varsity golfer and an exceptional poker player .
Becerra studied the advice of famous golfers while practicing with a set of used clubs costing less than $ 100 .
Lemire reported from Wilmington , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Zeke Miller and Kathleen Ronayne in Sacramento , California , contributed to this report .

RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR, MICHAEL BALSAMO and JONATHAN LEMIRE

WASHINGTON (AP) - President-elect Joe Biden has picked California Attorney General Xavier Becerra to be his health secretary, putting a defender of the Affordable Care Act in a leading role to oversee his administration’s coronavirus response.
Separately, Biden picked a Harvard infectious disease expert, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, to head the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
If confirmed by the Senate, Becerra, 62, will be the first Latino to head the Department of Health and Human Services, a $1-trillion-plus agency with 80,000 employees and a portfolio that includes drugs and vaccines, leading-edge medical research and health insurance programs covering more than 130 million Americans.
Biden’s selection of Becerra was confirmed by two people familiar with the decision, who spoke on condition of anonymity ahead of a formal announcement anticipated Tuesday.
Two people also anonymously confirmed the choice of Walensky. The post of CDC director does not require Senate confirmation.
Becerra, as the state of California’s top lawyer, has led the coalition of Democratic states defending “Obamacare” from the Trump administration’s latest effort to overturn it, a legal case awaiting a Supreme Court decision next year.
A former senior House Democrat, Becerra was involved in steering the Obama health law through Congress in 2009 and 2010. At the time he would tell reporters that one of his primary motivations was having tens of thousands of uninsured people in his Southern California district.
Becerra has a lawyer’s precise approach to analyzing problems and a calm demeanor.
But overseeing the coronavirus response will be the most complicated task he has ever contemplated. By next year, the U.S. will be engaged in a mass vaccination campaign, the groundwork for which has been laid under the Trump administration. Although the vaccines appear very promising, and no effort has been spared to plan for their distribution, it’s impossible to tell yet how well things will go when it’s time to get shots in the arms of millions of Americans.
Becerra won’t be going it alone. Biden, who is expected to announce key health care picks as early as Tuesday, is taking a team approach to his administration’s virus response.
Businessman Jeff Zients is expected to be named as Biden’s White House coronavirus coordinator. An economic adviser to former President Barack Obama, Zients also led the rescue of the HealthCare.gov website after its disastrous launch in 2013. And former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, a co-chair of Biden’s coronavirus task force, is expected to return in a new role akin to the top medical adviser.
But the core components of HHS are the boots on the ground of the government’s coronavirus response. The Food and Drug Administration oversees vaccines and treatments, while much of the underlying scientific and medical research comes from NIH. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention takes the lead in detecting and containing the spread of diseases. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services provides insurance coverage for more than 1 in 3 Americans, including vulnerable seniors, as well as many children and low-income people.
Under President Donald Trump, CDC was relegated to a lesser role after agency scientists issued a stark early warning that contradicted Trump’s assurances the virus was under control, rattling financial markets. The FDA was the target of repeated attacks from a president who suspected its scientists were politically motivated and who also wanted them to rubber-stamp unproven treatments.
As CDC director, Walensky would replace Dr. Robert Redfield, who accurately told the public coronavirus vaccines would not be available for most people until next year, only to be disparaged by Trump as “confused.” Walensky is a leading infectious disease specialist at Massachusetts General Hospital, and has devoted her career to combatting HIV/AIDS.
Becerra’s experience running the bureaucratic apparatus of the California attorney general’s office, as well as his success working with Republicans, helped seal the pick for Biden, said a person familiar with the process but not authorized to comment publicly. Becerra had worked with Louisiana’s Republican attorney general to increase the availability of the COVID-19 drug treatment Remdesivir in their states. He’s also worked closely with other Republican attorneys general on legal challenges against opioid manufacturers.
Early in California’s coronavirus response, Becerra defended broad shutdowns Gov. Gavin Newsom had put in place to curtail the pandemic, including limits on religious gatherings. Three churches in Southern California had sued Newsom, Becerra and other state officials because in-person church services had been halted.
Biden’s offer was extended to Becerra on Friday. The president-elect has been under pressure from the Congressional Hispanic Caucus to appoint Latinos to the Cabinet.
Becerra has been jokingly known in Democratic legal circles as the man who sued Trump more than anyone else. Beyond health care, the California attorney general’s lawsuits centered on issues from immigration to environmental policies.
Previously Becerra had served for more than a decade in Congress, representing parts of Los Angeles County. He had also served in the California state assembly after attending law school at Stanford.
His mother was born in Jalisco, Mexico, and emigrated to the U.S. after marrying his father, a native of Sacramento, California, who had grown up in Mexico.
Becerra often cites his parents as his inspiration, saying they instilled in him a strong work ethic and a desire for advancement. His father worked road construction jobs, while his mother was a clerical employee. Becerra is married to Dr. Carolina Reyes, a physician who specializes in maternal and fetal health.
In an AP profile published last year, a lifelong friend of Becerra’s said he learned to stay calm and self-controlled in high school as a varsity golfer and an exceptional poker player. Becerra studied the advice of famous golfers while practicing with a set of used clubs costing less than $100.
___
Lemire reported from Wilmington, Delaware. Associated Press reporters Aamer Madhani, Zeke Miller and Kathleen Ronayne in Sacramento, California, contributed to this report.