newsweek--2020-12-01--Trump Proves the Most Philo-Semitic President—To America's Benefit | Opinion

Amid great uncertainty , the Trump administration is dedicating critical time and resources to bolstering America 's strategic position with respect to the tip of the spear of the global jihadist movement , Iran , by seeking to strengthen Iran 's greatest rival and America 's greatest friend in the Middle East , Israel .
In so doing , it is putting the finishing touches on the most philo-Semitic term in American history—to the benefit of our national interest .
The proof is in the pudding of an Iran that has found itself checked in its pursuit of regional hegemony @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and its interests from Iran and its Islamist partners and proxies alike—all while America has been able to avoid new military entanglements and reduce the size and scope of existing ones .
What presidents do at the end of their terms speaks volumes about their true nature .
And when it comes to matters of foreign policy , actions concerning Israel—the West 's frontline in a region marked by Islamist tyranny—serve as a vital litmus test on war and peace , and our civilization and its enemies .
In this regard , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Trump in the waning days of his first term , and those of President Obama at the end of his second term—both of which involved Israel—could not be more stark .
Nor could it be more salient in the event the latter 's vice president—poised to reprise much of his boss 's agenda , with alumni in tow—soon assumes the Oval Office .
Consider some of the Trump administration 's moves in recent weeks .
On November 19 , the State Department announced new guidelines mandating that goods produced in areas of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ' biblical homeland , often referred to as the `` West Bank '' —under Israeli control be labeled `` Israel , '' `` Product of Israel '' or `` Made in Israel '' for purposes of export to the United States .
This reversed the Obama-Biden administration 's re-issuance of guidance in 2016 that explicitly forbade such labeling .
As several senators supportive of the Trump administration policy noted , revised guidance was imperative because `` a future administration [ such as a Biden one ] could choose to enforce these [ Obama-era @ @ @ @ @ @ @ produced in Judea and Samaria , making them prime targets for BDS [ Boycott , Divestment and Sanctions movement-led ] boycotts . ''
President Obama , it should be noted , had signed anti-BDS legislation into law , but refused to administer it with respect to Israeli `` settlements '' in Judea and Samaria .
The State Department released a related statement declaring it U.S. policy to `` combat anti-Semitism everywhere in the world and in whatever form it appears , including all forms of discrimination and hatred rooted in anti-Semitism . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ this conviction , given its view of Judea and Samaria .
Foggy Bottom resolved to conduct a review of all organizations affiliated with or supportive of the BDS movement in order to ensure that no State Department funds be directed to any such entity , given its view that the global BDS campaign is anti-Semitic because `` anti-Zionism is anti-Semitism . ''
These proclamations coincided with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo 's most recent trip to Israel , in which he visited a winery in Judea and Samaria , marking the first such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the strategically significant Golan Heights , where he reiterated the administration 's position in support of Israeli sovereignty over it .
Several weeks prior , the Trump administration had permitted U.S. citizens born in Jerusalem , for the first time , to list their place of birth as `` Israel . ''
The Obama administration had litigated against this , right up to the Supreme Court .
The Trump administration thus cemented its positions on Israeli sovereignty , particularly regarding Israel 's most cherished territorial possessions—which are under greatest threat from its adversaries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world that seeks to marginalize and alienate it due to cowardice in the face of , or complicity with , said adversaries .
While affirming its respect for the realities on the ground in Israel , rooted in a view that lasting peace requires recognizing truth , the Trump administration also apparently sought to continue bolstering the growing U.S.-Israel-Arab anti-Iranian partnership .
Sec .
Pompeo departed Israel for Saudi Arabia , where he is rumored to have participated in , or at least helped broker , a meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Salman to discuss Iran and normalization of relations .
Supposedly , the meeting did not bear fruit on normalization , with the Saudis hedging , given the prospect of a potential Biden administration .
Nevertheless , the U.S.-led effort to build on the Abraham Accords , Sudan-Israel normalization and various sub rosa dealings between Israel and the Islamic world has demonstrated a desire to further solidify Israel 's position , as part of a broader bulwark against Iran .
The benefits of such a bulwark accrue to an America that can shoulder less @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
These events come amid intrigue pertaining to the mullocracy .
In recent days , Iran 's leading nuclear scientist , Mohsen Fakhrizadeh , was assassinated .
Days prior , it leaked that al Qaeda 's number two , Abu Muhammad al-Masri , was also killed on the streets of Tehran—a testament to the fact that Iran is the linchpin of the global , Sunni-Shia jihadist movement .
News reports also claim that President Trump recently requested options on striking Iranian nuclear facilities .
We do not know what roles , if any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of their Arab partners may have played in the acts taken to-date , the veracity of rumors regarding potential future actions , or the motives behind the leaks .
But what is clear is that the Trump administration is doing what it can , where it can , to protect America and its interests from a wounded Iran—which is licking its chops at a potential Biden presidency that could rescue it—in its support of Israel .
Consider , on the other hand , that the Obama-Biden administration spent its waning days seeking to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It abstained from United Nations Security Council Resolution ( UNSCR ) 2334 , in contravention of longstanding U.S. policy to veto such measures .
As per the associated United Nations ( U.N. ) press release , UNSCR 2334 claimed `` Israel 's Settlements Have No Legal Validity '' and `` Constitute [ a ] Flagrant Violation of International Law . ''
It cast Israel as an `` occupying power . ''
It deemed illegitimate Israel 's construction on its own land , and treated lands surrendered by those who sought to destroy Israel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ territory . ''
It threatened Israel 's right to its holiest sites in Jerusalem .
It opened the door to lawfare in international courts against the Jewish state , and paved the way for increased BDS activity .
It overturned the U.N. resolution stipulating that in a future peace negotiation , Israel would only cede some portion of lands claimed in response to the 1967 invasion , consistent with its security needs .
As Newsweek columnist Caroline Glick summarized it : `` Resolution 2334 serve [ d ] to criminalize Israel and its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to exist , while embracing Palestinian terrorists and empowering them in their war to annihilate Israel . ''
Unbeknownst to observers at the time , the Obama-Biden administration allegedly did more than merely abstain .
In March 2019 , The New York Times reported that according to an anonymous former administration official , the White House had cynically pushed for the resolution not to be brought before the UNSC prior to the 2016 presidential election , in order to protect Hillary Clinton .
Others asserted that the Obama-Biden administration played a much bigger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bringing of the resolution to the floor .
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu was adamant that the Obama-Biden team led the effort to see it passed .
This was the capstone for an Obama-Biden administration that had punished Israel , while promoting its sworn enemies , with a litany of words and deeds , beginning with the infamous Islamist-emboldening 2009 Cairo address , and hitting its apex with the Iran nuclear deal .
President Trump challenged UNSCR 2334 itself , before he was inaugurated ; moved the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all prior administrations had failed to enact ; vacated the Iran nuclear deal ; imposed a `` maximum pressure '' campaign on the mullocracy ; and executed the architect of its monstrous and sprawling terror apparatus .
To name a few other actions : President Trump has doggedly defended Israel at the infamously hostile U.N. , slashing funding for and even withdrawing from its most anti-Israel agencies , and voting against its most odious resolutions , where predecessors had merely abstained ; closed the PLO 's Washington , D.C. office over its unwillingness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hundreds of millions of dollars in aid that would have been ended up in the hands of Palestinian-Arab terrorists ; and protected pro-Israel Jews from discrimination on college campuses .
The Trump administration effectuated a total sea change on Israel , its adversaries and the adversaries of America .
In so doing , President Trump has executed a `` peace through strength '' agenda , of which a defense of Jews and the Jewish state , and an assault on their worst adversaries , has been an integral part .
It would be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who , based on past policy and indicated personnel , would not have executed any of these Trump agenda items , and would likely undo those he could .
Though the leftists , and among them the Jews who overwhelmingly vote Democrat , will never give him credit for it , President Trump has proven to be the ultimate defender of Judeo-Christian Western civilization .
Ben Weingarten is a senior fellow at the London Center for Policy Research , fellow at the Claremont Institute and senior contributor to The Federalist .
He is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Omar and the Progressive-Islamist Takeover of the Democratic Party ( Bombardier , 2020 ) .
Ben is the founder and CEO of ChangeUp Media LLC , a media consulting and production company .
Subscribe to his newsletter at bit.ly/bhwnews , and follow him on Twitter @ bhweingarten .
The views expressed in this article are the writer 's own .

Amid great uncertainty, the Trump administration is dedicating critical time and resources to bolstering America's strategic position with respect to the tip of the spear of the global jihadist movement, Iran, by seeking to strengthen Iran's greatest rival and America's greatest friend in the Middle East, Israel.
In so doing, it is putting the finishing touches on the most philo-Semitic term in American history—to the benefit of our national interest.
The proof is in the pudding of an Iran that has found itself checked in its pursuit of regional hegemony, and reduced jihadist violence against America and its interests from Iran and its Islamist partners and proxies alike—all while America has been able to avoid new military entanglements and reduce the size and scope of existing ones.
What presidents do at the end of their terms speaks volumes about their true nature. And when it comes to matters of foreign policy, actions concerning Israel—the West's frontline in a region marked by Islamist tyranny—serve as a vital litmus test on war and peace, and our civilization and its enemies.
In this regard, the contrast between the policies and proclamations of President Trump in the waning days of his first term, and those of President Obama at the end of his second term—both of which involved Israel—could not be more stark. Nor could it be more salient in the event the latter's vice president—poised to reprise much of his boss's agenda, with alumni in tow—soon assumes the Oval Office.
Consider some of the Trump administration's moves in recent weeks.
On November 19, the State Department announced new guidelines mandating that goods produced in areas of Judea and Samaria—the heart of the Jews' biblical homeland, often referred to as the "West Bank"—under Israeli control be labeled "Israel," "Product of Israel" or "Made in Israel" for purposes of export to the United States. This reversed the Obama-Biden administration's re-issuance of guidance in 2016 that explicitly forbade such labeling. As several senators supportive of the Trump administration policy noted, revised guidance was imperative because "a future administration [such as a Biden one] could choose to enforce these [Obama-era] rules and thereby differentiate Israeli goods produced in Judea and Samaria, making them prime targets for BDS [Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement-led] boycotts." President Obama, it should be noted, had signed anti-BDS legislation into law, but refused to administer it with respect to Israeli "settlements" in Judea and Samaria.
The State Department released a related statement declaring it U.S. policy to "combat anti-Semitism everywhere in the world and in whatever form it appears, including all forms of discrimination and hatred rooted in anti-Semitism." The Obama-Biden administration clearly did not share this conviction, given its view of Judea and Samaria. Foggy Bottom resolved to conduct a review of all organizations affiliated with or supportive of the BDS movement in order to ensure that no State Department funds be directed to any such entity, given its view that the global BDS campaign is anti-Semitic because "anti-Zionism is anti-Semitism."
These proclamations coincided with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's most recent trip to Israel, in which he visited a winery in Judea and Samaria, marking the first such high-level U.S. visit. Pompeo also toured the strategically significant Golan Heights, where he reiterated the administration's position in support of Israeli sovereignty over it.
Several weeks prior, the Trump administration had permitted U.S. citizens born in Jerusalem, for the first time, to list their place of birth as "Israel." The Obama administration had litigated against this, right up to the Supreme Court.
The Trump administration thus cemented its positions on Israeli sovereignty, particularly regarding Israel's most cherished territorial possessions—which are under greatest threat from its adversaries, a potential Biden administration and a world that seeks to marginalize and alienate it due to cowardice in the face of, or complicity with, said adversaries.
While affirming its respect for the realities on the ground in Israel, rooted in a view that lasting peace requires recognizing truth, the Trump administration also apparently sought to continue bolstering the growing U.S.-Israel-Arab anti-Iranian partnership. Sec. Pompeo departed Israel for Saudi Arabia, where he is rumored to have participated in, or at least helped broker, a meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to discuss Iran and normalization of relations. Supposedly, the meeting did not bear fruit on normalization, with the Saudis hedging, given the prospect of a potential Biden administration. Nevertheless, the U.S.-led effort to build on the Abraham Accords, Sudan-Israel normalization and various sub rosa dealings between Israel and the Islamic world has demonstrated a desire to further solidify Israel's position, as part of a broader bulwark against Iran. The benefits of such a bulwark accrue to an America that can shoulder less of a burden, with Iran checked.
These events come amid intrigue pertaining to the mullocracy. In recent days, Iran's leading nuclear scientist, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, was assassinated. Days prior, it leaked that al Qaeda's number two, Abu Muhammad al-Masri, was also killed on the streets of Tehran—a testament to the fact that Iran is the linchpin of the global, Sunni-Shia jihadist movement. News reports also claim that President Trump recently requested options on striking Iranian nuclear facilities.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Kobi Gideon/GPO via getty Images
We do not know what roles, if any, the U.S., Israel or any of their Arab partners may have played in the acts taken to-date, the veracity of rumors regarding potential future actions, or the motives behind the leaks. But what is clear is that the Trump administration is doing what it can, where it can, to protect America and its interests from a wounded Iran—which is licking its chops at a potential Biden presidency that could rescue it—in its support of Israel.
Consider, on the other hand, that the Obama-Biden administration spent its waning days seeking to land a knockout blow against Israel. It abstained from United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 2334, in contravention of longstanding U.S. policy to veto such measures. As per the associated United Nations (U.N.) press release, UNSCR 2334 claimed "Israel's Settlements Have No Legal Validity" and "Constitute [a] Flagrant Violation of International Law." It cast Israel as an "occupying power." It deemed illegitimate Israel's construction on its own land, and treated lands surrendered by those who sought to destroy Israel, including East Jerusalem, "Palestinian territory." It threatened Israel's right to its holiest sites in Jerusalem. It opened the door to lawfare in international courts against the Jewish state, and paved the way for increased BDS activity. It overturned the U.N. resolution stipulating that in a future peace negotiation, Israel would only cede some portion of lands claimed in response to the 1967 invasion, consistent with its security needs.
As Newsweek columnist Caroline Glick summarized it: "Resolution 2334 serve[d] to criminalize Israel and its people and to undermine Israel's right to exist, while embracing Palestinian terrorists and empowering them in their war to annihilate Israel."
Unbeknownst to observers at the time, the Obama-Biden administration allegedly did more than merely abstain. In March 2019, The New York Times reported that according to an anonymous former administration official, the White House had cynically pushed for the resolution not to be brought before the UNSC prior to the 2016 presidential election, in order to protect Hillary Clinton. Others asserted that the Obama-Biden administration played a much bigger role in the drafting, lobbying and bringing of the resolution to the floor. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu was adamant that the Obama-Biden team led the effort to see it passed.
This was the capstone for an Obama-Biden administration that had punished Israel, while promoting its sworn enemies, with a litany of words and deeds, beginning with the infamous Islamist-emboldening 2009 Cairo address, and hitting its apex with the Iran nuclear deal.
President Trump challenged UNSCR 2334 itself, before he was inaugurated; moved the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, fulfilling a formerly bipartisan U.S. commitment that all prior administrations had failed to enact; vacated the Iran nuclear deal; imposed a "maximum pressure" campaign on the mullocracy; and executed the architect of its monstrous and sprawling terror apparatus.
To name a few other actions: President Trump has doggedly defended Israel at the infamously hostile U.N., slashing funding for and even withdrawing from its most anti-Israel agencies, and voting against its most odious resolutions, where predecessors had merely abstained; closed the PLO's Washington, D.C. office over its unwillingness to enter negotiations with Israel; cut hundreds of millions of dollars in aid that would have been ended up in the hands of Palestinian-Arab terrorists; and protected pro-Israel Jews from discrimination on college campuses.
The Trump administration effectuated a total sea change on Israel, its adversaries and the adversaries of America. In so doing, President Trump has executed a "peace through strength" agenda, of which a defense of Jews and the Jewish state, and an assault on their worst adversaries, has been an integral part.
It would be imperiled under a President Joe Biden, who, based on past policy and indicated personnel, would not have executed any of these Trump agenda items, and would likely undo those he could.
Though the leftists, and among them the Jews who overwhelmingly vote Democrat, will never give him credit for it, President Trump has proven to be the ultimate defender of Judeo-Christian Western civilization.
Ben Weingarten is a senior fellow at the London Center for Policy Research, fellow at the Claremont Institute and senior contributor to The Federalist. He is the author of American Ingrate: Ilhan Omar and the Progressive-Islamist Takeover of the Democratic Party (Bombardier, 2020). Ben is the founder and CEO of ChangeUp Media LLC, a media consulting and production company. Subscribe to his newsletter at bit.ly/bhwnews, and follow him on Twitter @bhweingarten.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.


newsweek--2020-12-01--QAnon Supporters Think Biden's Medical Boot Is Hiding Ankle Monitor Following Secret Arrest

Supporters of the conspiracy theory QAnon , who believe several falsehoods and have made a number of inaccurate predictions down the years , have now turned their attention to Joe Biden 's foot .
It was revealed over the weekend that President-elect Biden had fractured his right foot while playing with his dog Major .
`` Initial X-rays are reassuring that there is no obvious fracture and he will be getting an additional CT for more detailed imaging , '' his doctor , Kevin O'Connor , said in a statement .
`` It is anticipated that he will likely require @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Following the news , followers of the baseless theory who think that Donald Trump has been waging a secret war against the `` deep state , '' have regurgitated similar theories used against Hillary Clinton and John McCain , suggesting Biden is wearing a medical boot to hide an ankle monitor because he has been arrested .
`` Biden has an ankle bracelet .
Biden did n't hurt his foot .
He 's got ankle cuffs on , '' tweeted Joyce Ramgatie , along with the hashtags 'QANON and # WWG1WGA—an abbreviation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go one we go all . ''
`` Amazing how common right ankle injuries are with these criminals ... , '' added Twitter user @ Springjack73 , again along with hashtags used by QAnon supporters .
The claim that leading Democratic figures will soon be getting arrested—a moment known as `` the storm '' —has been one of the most prominent beliefs of QAnon supporters .
This notion is based on message board posts by someone claiming to be `` Q , '' the shadowy figure purportedly at the heart of the plot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who many believe to be Trump himself ) .
In October 2017 , Q claimed Hillary Clinton would soon be arrested .
The fact that this nor any other claim has come to fruition has not deterred QAnon supporters , who instead have frequently altered their beliefs and found meaning in events to suit their conspiracy theories .
This includes Trump losing the election to Biden still being part of the overall plan .
The conspiracy theorists have previously said that Clinton wearing a foot brace in 2017 was proof that she was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she had been arrested .
A similar claim was also made for McCain while he wore a medical boot the same year .
Outlandish theories later suggested the senator did not die of brain cancer but instead killed himself ahead of his trial at Guantanamo Bay for aiding Islamic terrorists .
Other QAnon supporters believe that McCain was actually sentenced to death by a military tribunal following a secret trial .
`` In QAnon world , politicians only wear medical boots in order to conceal a tracking monitor after their arrest , never @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with bad bones , '' tweeted Travis View , host of the QAnon Anonymous podcast .
`` So the reports about Biden 's injury are going to excite online conspiracists . ''

Supporters of the conspiracy theory QAnon, who believe several falsehoods and have made a number of inaccurate predictions down the years, have now turned their attention to Joe Biden's foot.
It was revealed over the weekend that President-elect Biden had fractured his right foot while playing with his dog Major.
"Initial X-rays are reassuring that there is no obvious fracture and he will be getting an additional CT for more detailed imaging," his doctor, Kevin O'Connor, said in a statement. "It is anticipated that he will likely require a walking boot for several weeks."
Following the news, followers of the baseless theory who think that Donald Trump has been waging a secret war against the "deep state," have regurgitated similar theories used against Hillary Clinton and John McCain, suggesting Biden is wearing a medical boot to hide an ankle monitor because he has been arrested.
"Biden has an ankle bracelet. Biden didn't hurt his foot . He's got ankle cuffs on," tweeted Joyce Ramgatie, along with the hashtags 'QANON and #WWG1WGA—an abbreviation of the QAnon slogan "where we go one we go all."
"Amazing how common right ankle injuries are with these criminals...," added Twitter user @Springjack73, again along with hashtags used by QAnon supporters.
QAnon influencers are already baselessly claiming Biden having to wear a cast due to a foot injury means he's going to have a tracking monitor on because he's been secretly arrested. https://t.co/lMcywEhhTk pic.twitter.com/q1I0Jfsmhi — Alex Kaplan (@AlKapDC) November 30, 2020
The claim that leading Democratic figures will soon be getting arrested—a moment known as "the storm"—has been one of the most prominent beliefs of QAnon supporters.
This notion is based on message board posts by someone claiming to be "Q," the shadowy figure purportedly at the heart of the plot to expose deep state satanic pedophiles (who many believe to be Trump himself).
In October 2017, Q claimed Hillary Clinton would soon be arrested. The fact that this nor any other claim has come to fruition has not deterred QAnon supporters, who instead have frequently altered their beliefs and found meaning in events to suit their conspiracy theories. This includes Trump losing the election to Biden still being part of the overall plan.
The conspiracy theorists have previously said that Clinton wearing a foot brace in 2017 was proof that she was also wearing a secret ankle monitor because she had been arrested.
A similar claim was also made for McCain while he wore a medical boot the same year. Outlandish theories later suggested the senator did not die of brain cancer but instead killed himself ahead of his trial at Guantanamo Bay for aiding Islamic terrorists.
Other QAnon supporters believe that McCain was actually sentenced to death by a military tribunal following a secret trial.
"In QAnon world, politicians only wear medical boots in order to conceal a tracking monitor after their arrest, never because politicians tend to be old people with bad bones," tweeted Travis View, host of the QAnon Anonymous podcast.
"So the reports about Biden's injury are going to excite online conspiracists."


newsweek--2020-12-01--Donald Trump Touts Nevada Inspection as Key States Certify Joe Biden Win

President Donald Trump has spoken of elections equipment in Nevada used for the 2020 vote being inspected as he continues to push his fraud claims while major states certify Joe Biden 's win .
The president previously made allegations of irregularities in Nevada and tweeted shortly after midnight about equipment being examined in Clark County .
`` A judge in Nevada has ordered Clark County officials to allow an inspection of the elections equipment and sealed containers used in the 2020 election by 1:00 P.M. tomorrow , '' he tweeted .
Trump did not specify further details on the order @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for further comment .
Attorney Sidney Powell , who was distanced from the Trump campaign but continues to pursue election-related lawsuits , spoke about her former colleague Jess Binnall getting a `` discovery order '' in Nevada when asked by Fox News ' Sean Hannity if people had been able to examine Dominion voting machines .
Binnall retweeted the president 's message about equipment inspection .
Newsweek has contacted Binnall for comment on the order mentioned by Powell .
Trump 's comments on Nevada come with Wisconsin and Arizona having certified their election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wins .
Trump 's campaign has made allegations of foul play in each of those states .
Nevada certified its results previously .
Officials in the state said there has been no evidence of widespread voter fraud and that the election was conducted fairly .
News network calls have seen Biden deemed the presidential election winner , though Trump continues to dispute this even as states certify their outcomes .
According to the Associated Press ' calls , Biden has won 306 Electoral College votes—surpassing the 270 majority needed for victory .
Thus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lawsuits have failed to alter the outcomes in any states .
In a previous statement on certifications , Trump 2020 Senior Legal Adviser Jenna Ellis said : `` Certification by state officials is simply a procedural step .
We are going to continue combatting election fraud around the country as we fight to count all the legal votes .
Americans must be assured that the final results are fair and legitimate . ''
Newsweek has contacted the Trump campaign for further comment on states certifying results .
Biden has labeled Trump 's refusal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' and has focussed on the transition process .
Biden has been appointing key staff and the General Services Administration has also signed off on access to resources facilitating the process .

President Donald Trump has spoken of elections equipment in Nevada used for the 2020 vote being inspected as he continues to push his fraud claims while major states certify Joe Biden's win.
The president previously made allegations of irregularities in Nevada and tweeted shortly after midnight about equipment being examined in Clark County.
"A judge in Nevada has ordered Clark County officials to allow an inspection of the elections equipment and sealed containers used in the 2020 election by 1:00 P.M. tomorrow," he tweeted.
Trump did not specify further details on the order. Newsweek has contacted the Trump campaign for further comment.
A judge in Nevada has ordered Clark County officials to allow an inspection of the elections equipment and sealed containers used in the 2020 election by 1:00 P.M. tomorrow. @RichardGrenell @AdamLaxalt @mschlapp — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 1, 2020
Attorney Sidney Powell, who was distanced from the Trump campaign but continues to pursue election-related lawsuits, spoke about her former colleague Jess Binnall getting a "discovery order" in Nevada when asked by Fox News' Sean Hannity if people had been able to examine Dominion voting machines.
Binnall retweeted the president's message about equipment inspection. Newsweek has contacted Binnall for comment on the order mentioned by Powell.
Trump's comments on Nevada come with Wisconsin and Arizona having certified their election results, both of which were Biden wins. Trump's campaign has made allegations of foul play in each of those states.
Nevada certified its results previously. Officials in the state said there has been no evidence of widespread voter fraud and that the election was conducted fairly.
Read more Jon Ossoff Hopes for Biden Visit to Georgia as Trump Plans GOP Rally Jon Ossoff Hopes for Biden Visit to Georgia as Trump Plans GOP Rally
News network calls have seen Biden deemed the presidential election winner, though Trump continues to dispute this even as states certify their outcomes.
According to the Associated Press' calls, Biden has won 306 Electoral College votes—surpassing the 270 majority needed for victory. Thus far, Trump and his allies' lawsuits have failed to alter the outcomes in any states.
In a previous statement on certifications, Trump 2020 Senior Legal Adviser Jenna Ellis said: "Certification by state officials is simply a procedural step. We are going to continue combatting election fraud around the country as we fight to count all the legal votes. Americans must be assured that the final results are fair and legitimate."
Newsweek has contacted the Trump campaign for further comment on states certifying results.
Biden has labeled Trump's refusal to concede as "an embarrassment," and has focussed on the transition process.
Biden has been appointing key staff and the General Services Administration has also signed off on access to resources facilitating the process.


newsweek--2020-12-01--The Best PS5 Accessories: PlayStation 5 Headphones, Remotes, Controllers and More

The best PS5 accessories and PlayStation 5 headphones allow you to get more out of your new PS5 .
With these accessories , you can upgrade your PS5 to the next level with essential upgrades .
Sony offers several official PlayStation 5 accessories that will help you enjoy games like Astro 's Playroom , the new Marvel 's Spider-Man : Miles Morales and other great games , and those are just the start .
Whether you are outfitting the PS5 that is already in your room or prepping for when you find a PS5 in stock , we have you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ PS5 accessories you can buy includes a controller , PlayStation 5 headphones , extra storage , cameras and much more .
We 're seeing several PlayStation 5 accessories available , and that will increase as third-party companies step in with more upgrades and add-ons .
No matter if you are prepping the ultimate solo gaming setup or making the PS5 the center of your entertainment hub , we have something for you .
You can use many PS4 accessories with the PlayStation 5 .
Officially licensed steering wheels , flight sticks and arcade @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supported PS4 games .
You can use the PS4 controller but only with PS4 games .
What Are the Best PS5 Accessories ?
The best PS5 accessories depend on how you plan to use your console .
Here are our top picks so far ; If you plan to play a lot of first-person games , you definitely need a PlayStation 5 headset to get the best audio and take advantage of the new PS5 3D Audio .
For gamers looking for a multiplayer experience , a second DualSense controller and a charging @ @ @ @ @ @ @ money .
Gamers with huge libraries will likely want to invest in additional storage for their PS4 games .
If you plan to make the PS5 part of your entertainment setup , the multimedia remote is a great choice .
Streamers will absolutely want to explore the official PS5 camera .
The Pulse 3D wireless PlayStation 5 headphones allow you to game without bothering anyone else in the house , and they are designed to complement the style of the PS5 .
At $ 99.99 , they are a good value , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Audio feature on the PS5 .
Hidden noise-canceling microphones in the headphones allow you to chat without a boom mic sticking out .
The PS5 headphones also allow you to adjust game and chat audio .
These connect to both the PS5 and the PS4 and even work with the PSVR or a mobile device with an included cable .
You get up to 12 hours of play with the rechargeable battery .
Are you looking to play PS5 games with friends locally ?
If so , you need to get a second @ @ @ @ @ @ @ use your PS4 controller with the PlayStation 5 , you can only use it with older games .
To play local multiplayer in PS5 games , you will need a second DualSense controller .
The good news is that these are n't hard to find in stock right now , and with the new controller , you get the haptic feedback support and adaptive triggers so you can fully experience the games .
This way , Player 2 ca n't blame a bad controller for why they lost .
Buy at Amazon , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The DualSense Charging Station is a two-controller charger designed for the DuelSense Wireless Controllers .
With this base station , you get a place to store your controllers nicely , and they stay charged up for your gaming sessions .
Even if you are only rocking one controller , this is an excellent way to keep your gaming setup looking clean and to make sure your controller is charged without leaving a cable plugged into your console all the time .
Buy at Amazon , Walmart , GameStop and Best Buy .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lenses and integrates with the PS5 to get you up and streaming easily .
We love that this camera supports background removal to bring you to the front of the stream and how easily it works with the PlayStation 5 Twitch streaming .
The included mount makes it easy to place on top of your TV or below it , and it works with the broadcasting or when you use the share button on your controller .
Buy at Amazon , Walmart , GameStop and Best Buy .
The SteelSeries Arctis 7P wireless @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the PS5 , and they also work with the PS4 , PC , Nintendo Switch and Android .
So even if you are looking to build out your Ps5 accessories before your console arrives , you can start using these headphones today .
These headphones are fully compatible with the new 3D Audio technology that the PlayStation 5 uses and feature a Discord certified bi-directional microphone for in-game chat .
The battery life is rated at 24 hours on a charge .
Buy at Amazon , GameStop , SteelSeries and Best Buy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ perfect PlayStation 5 accessory for binge-watchers .
You get fast access to Disney+ , Netflix , Spotify and YouTube with dedicated buttons , plus you can control your TV , media playback and volume with the remote .
For long watching sessions , this is way more comfortable than holding a controller .
It 's also easier for many other people in the house to use while streaming if they are n't familiar with the PS5 controller .
Buy at Amazon , GameStop and Best Buy .
The WD Black Game Drive is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that you can use to store your PS4 games while playing on your PS5 .
The PS5 supports external drives , but only while playing PS4 games , so you will need to use the internal storage for your PS5 games .
The 4TB option can hold even sizable PS4 game libraries , and it is optimized to support gaming from the drive .
If you use this with your PS4 , you should easily be able to bring over your games without downloading them again .
Buy at Amazon and Best Buy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will allow you to play and charge when your DualSense controller batteries run low .
There are many available options , but we recommend going with one that is at least nine feet long for the convenience of reaching most gaming chairs and couches .
Plug one end into the PS5 and the other into your controller , and you can keep gaming while the controller charges .
Buy at Best Buy and Amazon .
To play online with the PS5 , you need a PlayStation Plus subscription .
This usually is $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , you can play online and many other benefits .
These include ; two free PS Plus games every month , exclusive discounts , 100Gb of cloud storage , in-game exclusives and Share Play support .
You also get the PlayStation Plus Collection , which includes popular PS4 games free as part of your subscription .
You can buy this monthly or directly on the console , but the best deals are online , where you can often find 50 perception off a PS Plus subscription .
Buy at CD Keys , Amazon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Newsweek may earn a commission from links on this page , but we only recommend products we back .
We participate in various affiliate marketing programs , which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites .

Here are the best PS5 accessories you can buy.
The best PS5 accessories and PlayStation 5 headphones allow you to get more out of your new PS5. With these accessories, you can upgrade your PS5 to the next level with essential upgrades.
Sony offers several official PlayStation 5 accessories that will help you enjoy games like Astro's Playroom, the new Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales and other great games, and those are just the start.
Whether you are outfitting the PS5 that is already in your room or prepping for when you find a PS5 in stock, we have you covered.
Our list of the best PS5 accessories you can buy includes a controller, PlayStation 5 headphones, extra storage, cameras and much more. We're seeing several PlayStation 5 accessories available, and that will increase as third-party companies step in with more upgrades and add-ons. No matter if you are prepping the ultimate solo gaming setup or making the PS5 the center of your entertainment hub, we have something for you.
You can use many PS4 accessories with the PlayStation 5. Officially licensed steering wheels, flight sticks and arcade stick controllers work with PS5 games and supported PS4 games. You can use the PS4 controller but only with PS4 games.
What Are the Best PS5 Accessories?
The best PS5 accessories depend on how you plan to use your console. Here are our top picks so far;
Pulse 3D Wireless PlayStation 5 Headset—$99.99 DualSense Wireless Controller—$69.99 DualSense Charging Station—$29.99 PlayStation HD Camera—$59.99 SteelSeries Arctis 7P Wireless—$149.99 PS5 Media Remote—$29.99 WD Black 4TB Game Drive—$99.99 USB C Play & Charge Cable—$9.99 PlayStation Plus Subscription—$31.99
If you plan to play a lot of first-person games, you definitely need a PlayStation 5 headset to get the best audio and take advantage of the new PS5 3D Audio.
For gamers looking for a multiplayer experience, a second DualSense controller and a charging base are the right places to spend money.
Gamers with huge libraries will likely want to invest in additional storage for their PS4 games. If you plan to make the PS5 part of your entertainment setup, the multimedia remote is a great choice. Streamers will absolutely want to explore the official PS5 camera.
Pulse 3D Wireless PlayStation 5 Headset—$99.99
The Sony Pulse 3D wireless PlayStation 5 headphones are a top pick. Sony
The Pulse 3D wireless PlayStation 5 headphones allow you to game without bothering anyone else in the house, and they are designed to complement the style of the PS5. At $99.99, they are a good value, and they take advantage of the new 3D Audio feature on the PS5.
Hidden noise-canceling microphones in the headphones allow you to chat without a boom mic sticking out. The PS5 headphones also allow you to adjust game and chat audio. These connect to both the PS5 and the PS4 and even work with the PSVR or a mobile device with an included cable. You get up to 12 hours of play with the rechargeable battery.
Buy at Amazon, Target and GameStop.
DualSense Wireless Controller—$69.99
Pick up a second DualSense controller for multiplayer action. Sony
Are you looking to play PS5 games with friends locally? If so, you need to get a second DualSense wireless controller. While you can use your PS4 controller with the PlayStation 5, you can only use it with older games. To play local multiplayer in PS5 games, you will need a second DualSense controller.
The good news is that these aren't hard to find in stock right now, and with the new controller, you get the haptic feedback support and adaptive triggers so you can fully experience the games. This way, Player 2 can't blame a bad controller for why they lost.
Buy at Amazon, Walmart, GameStop and Best Buy.
DualSense Charging Station—$29.99
The Sony DualSense Charger is great for keeping a clean setup. Sony
The DualSense Charging Station is a two-controller charger designed for the DuelSense Wireless Controllers. With this base station, you get a place to store your controllers nicely, and they stay charged up for your gaming sessions.
Even if you are only rocking one controller, this is an excellent way to keep your gaming setup looking clean and to make sure your controller is charged without leaving a cable plugged into your console all the time.
Buy at Amazon, Walmart, GameStop and Best Buy.
PlayStation HD Camera—$59.99
The PlayStation 5 HD Camera is a must have if you plan to stream on Twitch. Sony
The PlayStation HD Camera includes dual 1080P HD lenses and integrates with the PS5 to get you up and streaming easily. We love that this camera supports background removal to bring you to the front of the stream and how easily it works with the PlayStation 5 Twitch streaming.
The included mount makes it easy to place on top of your TV or below it, and it works with the broadcasting or when you use the share button on your controller.
Buy at Amazon, Walmart, GameStop and Best Buy.
SteelSeries Arctis 7P Wireless—$149.99
the SteelSeries Arctis 7P wireless PlayStation 5 headphones support 3D Audio. SteelSeries
The SteelSeries Arctis 7P wireless PlayStation 5 headphones are designed to work with the PS5, and they also work with the PS4, PC, Nintendo Switch and Android. So even if you are looking to build out your Ps5 accessories before your console arrives, you can start using these headphones today.
These headphones are fully compatible with the new 3D Audio technology that the PlayStation 5 uses and feature a Discord certified bi-directional microphone for in-game chat. The battery life is rated at 24 hours on a charge.
Buy at Amazon, GameStop, SteelSeries and Best Buy.
PS5 Media Remote—$29.99
Easily control your PS5 while watching TV shows or movies with the Media Remote. Sony
The PS5 Media Remote is the perfect PlayStation 5 accessory for binge-watchers. You get fast access to Disney+, Netflix, Spotify and YouTube with dedicated buttons, plus you can control your TV, media playback and volume with the remote.
For long watching sessions, this is way more comfortable than holding a controller. It's also easier for many other people in the house to use while streaming if they aren't familiar with the PS5 controller.
Buy at Amazon, GameStop and Best Buy.
WD Black 4TB Game Drive—$99.99
The WD Black Game Drive is perfect for keeping your PS4 game library connected to your PS5. Amazon
The WD Black Game Drive is an affordable and well-rated external hard drive that you can use to store your PS4 games while playing on your PS5. The PS5 supports external drives, but only while playing PS4 games, so you will need to use the internal storage for your PS5 games.
The 4TB option can hold even sizable PS4 game libraries, and it is optimized to support gaming from the drive. If you use this with your PS4, you should easily be able to bring over your games without downloading them again.
Buy at Amazon and Best Buy.
USB C Play & Charge Cable—$9.99
Play and charge your PS5 controller at the same time with this cable. Best Buy
A USB to USB C cable will allow you to play and charge when your DualSense controller batteries run low. There are many available options, but we recommend going with one that is at least nine feet long for the convenience of reaching most gaming chairs and couches.
Plug one end into the PS5 and the other into your controller, and you can keep gaming while the controller charges.
Buy at Best Buy and Amazon.
PlayStation Plus Subscription—$31.99
Unlock online mulitplayer and free games with PlayStation Plus. Sony
To play online with the PS5, you need a PlayStation Plus subscription. This usually is $59.99 a year. With PS Plus, you can play online and many other benefits. These include; two free PS Plus games every month, exclusive discounts, 100Gb of cloud storage, in-game exclusives and Share Play support. You also get the PlayStation Plus Collection, which includes popular PS4 games free as part of your subscription.
You can buy this monthly or directly on the console, but the best deals are online, where you can often find 50 perception off a PS Plus subscription.
Buy at CD Keys, Amazon, Walmart, GameStop and Best Buy.
Newsweek may earn a commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. We participate in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites.


newsweek--2020-12-01--New Washington COVID Rules Could Kill More Businesses Than Save Lives | Opinion

Amid a `` third wave '' of confirmed COVID-19 cases , Washington Governor Jay Inslee announced a series of mandates that have dramatically slowed the state 's economy .
The new rules treat the virus as if the 98.2 percent statewide survival rate is actually the death rate .
These mandates could very well kill more businesses than they might save lives .
It 's why so many businesses are struggling to understand this new lockdown .
Restaurants and bars are again closed for in-person service , forced to make due with only takeout or outdoor seating .
Gyms , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shutter , too .
Retail businesses and personal care services , like barbers and nail salons , can remain open , but are limited to just 25 percent capacity .
Professional services must mandate their employees work remotely when feasible , and not exceed 25 percent building capacity even if staff wear masks .
Real estate open houses are prohibited entirely .
These moves constitute an overreaction that will crush businesses at the worst possible time .
And they are most certainly not grounded in either sound science or sound data .
During @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Inslee warned that the state was experiencing a surge in cases , there were only two combined outbreaks tied to retail and restaurant—and zero tied to grocery stores , real estate , bars and personal service providers .
Yet these businesses suffer the greatest consequences of the new mandates .
Like many states , Washington 's economy was impacted by COVID-related shutdowns .
But thanks to a stable tech sector , the economy was able to stave off true calamity .
The state faces a roughly $ 4 billion budget shortfall—far less than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that .
But the tech sector 's success , buoyed by Seattle-based Amazon , hides a painful reality : Washingtonians are suffering well beyond what context-free unemployment numbers would otherwise indicate .
In Seattle , some restaurants , coffee shops and boutique retail shops owed their existence to a steady flow of Amazon employees as customers .
When Amazon and others shifted to a work-from-home model , nearby businesses took a significant hit .
Working from home , Amazon employees no longer stopped by for burgers and beers at Tom Douglas-owned Bravehorse Tavern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restaurateur announced he was permanently shuttering the restaurant , along with a second .
Other restaurants followed suit , with at least 40 permanently closing in the area .
In Downtown Seattle alone , at least 140 businesses permanently shut down according to the Downtown Seattle Association .
Now , just as downtown visitor traffic started to pick back up for the holiday shopping season , they 'll be forced to restrict access to their stores while likely also cutting back on staff hours .
The woes extend far outside of Seattle .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Boeing announced it would pull production of the 787 airliner out of Snohomish County .
This impacts at least 1,000 jobs , on top of the previously announced 12,600 layoffs and buyouts .
In Spokane County , 25- to 34-year-old workers have been hit the hardest .
They represent almost 50 percent of the total unemployed .
The tragic irony is that this age demographic represents just 2 percent of all deaths statewide .
Inslee has no plan in place to address the inevitable economic impacts of another ruinous shutdown .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sum of funds for business grants and loans , and also lacks any meaningful distribution plan .
The governor is waiting for federal funding to help .
There is a way to slow the spread of COVID , while also helping the economy .
It starts and ends with promoting mitigation efforts .
When public health officials tirelessly promoted mitigation efforts , from mask wearing to social distancing , COVID cases were manageable .
But in the few weeks leading into and through the November election , Inslee and others gave up on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fight against COVID .
Add less messaging to pandemic fatigue during a holiday season , and you have a recipe for a surge in cases .
It 's undoubtedly true that data show Washington is in the middle of a third wave .
There is an increase in cases and hospitalizations .
But public health officials stress that private social gatherings are responsible for the current surge .
It 's why the governor addressed the state with a plea to cancel Thanksgiving plans to travel to see family .
The retail industry and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ place , which is why they 're connected to so few outbreaks .
In Pierce , Walla Walla and Clark Counties , for example , less than 1 percent of COVID cases were traced to restaurants .
This new round of forced closures , warned Anthony Anton , president of the Washington Hospitality Association , will kill 100,000 jobs statewide .
That is a staggering statistic .
Why should restaurants suffer if they 're not responsible for the surge ?
Inslee explains that `` we have to reduce these transmissions any place we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are not a form of punishment .
Instead , Inslee asserts that `` we have to identify every single environment where this transition can take place '' —though , curiously , he has n't stopped the Seahawks from playing two home games at Lumen Field since his new mandates began .
We 're heading into the holiday season , where more family and friends will spend time with each other .
Inslee offers a ban on indoor social gatherings that he admits is unenforceable .
So the only mandates he 'll enforce are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't responsible for the current surge .
In what reality is that fair , and in what reality will that not decimate the state economy ?
Jason Rantz is a frequent guest on Fox News and is the host of the Jason Rantz Show on KTTH Seattle , heard weekday afternoons .
You can subscribe to his podcast here and follow him on Twitter : @ jasonrantz .
The views expressed in this article are the writer 's own .

Amid a "third wave" of confirmed COVID-19 cases, Washington Governor Jay Inslee announced a series of mandates that have dramatically slowed the state's economy. The new rules treat the virus as if the 98.2 percent statewide survival rate is actually the death rate. These mandates could very well kill more businesses than they might save lives. It's why so many businesses are struggling to understand this new lockdown.
Restaurants and bars are again closed for in-person service, forced to make due with only takeout or outdoor seating. Gyms, indoor movie theaters and bowling alleys must shutter, too.
Retail businesses and personal care services, like barbers and nail salons, can remain open, but are limited to just 25 percent capacity. Professional services must mandate their employees work remotely when feasible, and not exceed 25 percent building capacity even if staff wear masks. Real estate open houses are prohibited entirely.
These moves constitute an overreaction that will crush businesses at the worst possible time. And they are most certainly not grounded in either sound science or sound data.
During the first week of November, when Inslee warned that the state was experiencing a surge in cases, there were only two combined outbreaks tied to retail and restaurant—and zero tied to grocery stores, real estate, bars and personal service providers. Yet these businesses suffer the greatest consequences of the new mandates.
Like many states, Washington's economy was impacted by COVID-related shutdowns. But thanks to a stable tech sector, the economy was able to stave off true calamity. The state faces a roughly $4 billion budget shortfall—far less than an earlier forecast that had projected double that. But the tech sector's success, buoyed by Seattle-based Amazon, hides a painful reality: Washingtonians are suffering well beyond what context-free unemployment numbers would otherwise indicate.
In Seattle, some restaurants, coffee shops and boutique retail shops owed their existence to a steady flow of Amazon employees as customers. When Amazon and others shifted to a work-from-home model, nearby businesses took a significant hit.
Working from home, Amazon employees no longer stopped by for burgers and beers at Tom Douglas-owned Bravehorse Tavern. In July, the chef and restaurateur announced he was permanently shuttering the restaurant, along with a second. Other restaurants followed suit, with at least 40 permanently closing in the area.
In Downtown Seattle alone, at least 140 businesses permanently shut down according to the Downtown Seattle Association. Now, just as downtown visitor traffic started to pick back up for the holiday shopping season, they'll be forced to restrict access to their stores while likely also cutting back on staff hours.
The woes extend far outside of Seattle.
With the airline industry suffering so dramatically, Boeing announced it would pull production of the 787 airliner out of Snohomish County. This impacts at least 1,000 jobs, on top of the previously announced 12,600 layoffs and buyouts.
In Spokane County, 25- to 34-year-old workers have been hit the hardest. They represent almost 50 percent of the total unemployed. The tragic irony is that this age demographic represents just 2 percent of all deaths statewide.
Inslee has no plan in place to address the inevitable economic impacts of another ruinous shutdown. He acknowledges that he only has a paltry sum of funds for business grants and loans, and also lacks any meaningful distribution plan. The governor is waiting for federal funding to help.
Washington Governor Jay Inslee Elaine Thompson - Pool/Getty Images
There is a way to slow the spread of COVID, while also helping the economy. It starts and ends with promoting mitigation efforts.
When public health officials tirelessly promoted mitigation efforts, from mask wearing to social distancing, COVID cases were manageable. But in the few weeks leading into and through the November election, Inslee and others gave up on meaningful pleas to stay vigilant in the fight against COVID. Add less messaging to pandemic fatigue during a holiday season, and you have a recipe for a surge in cases.
It's undoubtedly true that data show Washington is in the middle of a third wave. There is an increase in cases and hospitalizations. But public health officials stress that private social gatherings are responsible for the current surge. It's why the governor addressed the state with a plea to cancel Thanksgiving plans to travel to see family.
The retail industry and restaurants have kept strict COVID protocols in place, which is why they're connected to so few outbreaks. In Pierce, Walla Walla and Clark Counties, for example, less than 1 percent of COVID cases were traced to restaurants. This new round of forced closures, warned Anthony Anton, president of the Washington Hospitality Association, will kill 100,000 jobs statewide. That is a staggering statistic.
Why should restaurants suffer if they're not responsible for the surge? Inslee explains that "we have to reduce these transmissions any place we can," arguing that the mandates are not a form of punishment. Instead, Inslee asserts that "we have to identify every single environment where this transition can take place"—though, curiously, he hasn't stopped the Seahawks from playing two home games at Lumen Field since his new mandates began.
We're heading into the holiday season, where more family and friends will spend time with each other. Inslee offers a ban on indoor social gatherings that he admits is unenforceable. So the only mandates he'll enforce are the ones against struggling businesses that aren't responsible for the current surge. In what reality is that fair, and in what reality will that not decimate the state economy?
Jason Rantz is a frequent guest on Fox News and is the host of the Jason Rantz Show on KTTH Seattle, heard weekday afternoons. You can subscribe to his podcast here and follow him on Twitter: @jasonrantz.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.


newsweek--2020-12-01--Iran Advances Nuclear Program While Demanding International Action on Top Scientist's Assassination

Iran 's parliament has approved a new draft measure ordering the country 's atomic energy agency to expand its activities far beyond that allowed under the beleaguered Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action ( JCPOA ) nuclear deal , as Tehran looks to respond to last week 's assassination of its top nuclear scientist .
Iran 's conservative-majority parliament on Tuesday approved the first reading of a `` strategic action plan '' that will order the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran to produce at least 120 kilograms of 20 percent enriched uranium annually .
It was approved by 251 of 260 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a second reading , the state-run Press TV reported .
Uranium must be highly enriched to around 90 percent to be used in nuclear weapons .
The technical step to jump from 20 to 90 percent is relatively simple , meaning a stock of 20 percent uranium would shorten Tehran 's so-called `` breakout time '' to a bomb if the regime decided to pursue one .
The JCPOA limited Iran to enriching uranium to a limit of 3.67 percent .
It also set a stockpile limit of 202.8 kilograms for this level @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stockpile 12 times this size , and of uranium enriched up to 4.5 percent .
Uranium enriched to between 3 and 5 percent can be used in nuclear power facilities .
The legislation will require the AEOI to increase its monthly output of low-enriched uranium with varying purity levels by at least 500 kilograms .
The bill will also stop international inspections of Iran 's nuclear sites by International Atomic Energy Agency officials , a central element of the JCPOA .
Parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said the bill was a sign that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' referring to international efforts to contain Iran 's nuclear program and American-Israeli covert actions to undermine it .
Iran has been violating the JCPOA piecemeal since Trump withdrew from the 2015 accord in 2018 .
But assassinations of top figures , possible sabotage of its nuclear sites and the American sanctions campaign has pushed Tehran to move further from dialogue .
Iranian officials are now furious after the killing of nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh—widely considered the father of Iran 's atomic program—by an unidentified hit squad in the city of Absard near @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Israel and the U.S. for the killing , and a report by The New York Times cited U.S. intelligence sources who said Israel was behind the operation .
If accurate , it is unclear whether President Donald Trump 's administration knew about the Israeli operation beforehand .
Trump is doubling down on his `` maximum pressure '' campaign against Iran in his last months in office , and observers have speculated his lame duck period might bring more direct military or covert action against Tehran to undermine its nuclear program and spoil President-Elect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the regime .
Iran has condemned the killing as an act of state terrorism characteristic of Israeli and American belligerence .
The regime 's leading figures have vowed revenge against those responsible .
Meanwhile , Tehran is demanding that international bodies condemn the assassination and take action against those accused of involvement .
Esmaeil Baghaei Hamaneh—Iran 's permanent representative to the United Nations and other international organizations in Geneva , Switzerland—said Tuesday that the UN must take a stand against Fakhrizadeh 's killing .
Hamaneh wrote to UN High Commissioner for Human @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heinous assassination '' bore hallmarks of Israeli involvement , according to the IRNA .
In Vienna , Iran 's IAEA envoy Kazem Gharibabadi said the agency must honor its obligations to its members .
`` The IAEA has an immediate and primary responsibility toward the member state that has accepted the highest level of the agency 's inspections , has the most transparent nuclear program as it implements various commitments , '' he told reporters Monday .
`` But its scientists are exposed to assassination threats or are targeted by terrorists , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or are targeted with sabotage , '' Gharibabadi said .
The UN has already condemned the attack .
A spokesperson for the organization said last week : `` We urge restraint and the need to avoid any actions that could lead to an escalation of tensions in the region ... We condemn any assassination or extrajudicial killing . ''
The European Union , meanwhile—a signatory of the JCPOA along with France and Germany—said the killing was `` a criminal act '' that `` runs counter to the principle of respect for human rights @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bloc also urged all sides to show `` calm and maximum restraint . ''

Iran's parliament has approved a new draft measure ordering the country's atomic energy agency to expand its activities far beyond that allowed under the beleaguered Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) nuclear deal, as Tehran looks to respond to last week's assassination of its top nuclear scientist.
Iran's conservative-majority parliament on Tuesday approved the first reading of a "strategic action plan" that will order the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran to produce at least 120 kilograms of 20 percent enriched uranium annually. It was approved by 251 of 260 lawmakers and will now be subject to a second reading, the state-run Press TV reported.
Uranium must be highly enriched to around 90 percent to be used in nuclear weapons. The technical step to jump from 20 to 90 percent is relatively simple, meaning a stock of 20 percent uranium would shorten Tehran's so-called "breakout time" to a bomb if the regime decided to pursue one.
The JCPOA limited Iran to enriching uranium to a limit of 3.67 percent. It also set a stockpile limit of 202.8 kilograms for this level of uranium. Iran already has a stockpile 12 times this size, and of uranium enriched up to 4.5 percent.
Uranium enriched to between 3 and 5 percent can be used in nuclear power facilities. The legislation will require the AEOI to increase its monthly output of low-enriched uranium with varying purity levels by at least 500 kilograms.
The bill will also stop international inspections of Iran's nuclear sites by International Atomic Energy Agency officials, a central element of the JCPOA.
Parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said the bill was a sign that the "one-sided game is over," referring to international efforts to contain Iran's nuclear program and American-Israeli covert actions to undermine it.
Iran has been violating the JCPOA piecemeal since Trump withdrew from the 2015 accord in 2018. But assassinations of top figures, possible sabotage of its nuclear sites and the American sanctions campaign has pushed Tehran to move further from dialogue.
Iranian officials are now furious after the killing of nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh—widely considered the father of Iran's atomic program—by an unidentified hit squad in the city of Absard near Tehran last week.
Tehran has blamed Israel and the U.S. for the killing, and a report by The New York Times cited U.S. intelligence sources who said Israel was behind the operation. If accurate, it is unclear whether President Donald Trump's administration knew about the Israeli operation beforehand.
Trump is doubling down on his "maximum pressure" campaign against Iran in his last months in office, and observers have speculated his lame duck period might bring more direct military or covert action against Tehran to undermine its nuclear program and spoil President-Elect Joe Biden's chances of reviving ties with the regime.
Iran has condemned the killing as an act of state terrorism characteristic of Israeli and American belligerence. The regime's leading figures have vowed revenge against those responsible.
Meanwhile, Tehran is demanding that international bodies condemn the assassination and take action against those accused of involvement.
Esmaeil Baghaei Hamaneh—Iran's permanent representative to the United Nations and other international organizations in Geneva, Switzerland—said Tuesday that the UN must take a stand against Fakhrizadeh's killing.
Hamaneh wrote to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet and said the "heinous assassination" bore hallmarks of Israeli involvement, according to the IRNA.
In Vienna, Iran's IAEA envoy Kazem Gharibabadi said the agency must honor its obligations to its members. "The IAEA has an immediate and primary responsibility toward the member state that has accepted the highest level of the agency's inspections, has the most transparent nuclear program as it implements various commitments," he told reporters Monday.
"But its scientists are exposed to assassination threats or are targeted by terrorists, and its nuclear facilities are exposed to aggression or are targeted with sabotage," Gharibabadi said.
The UN has already condemned the attack. A spokesperson for the organization said last week: "We urge restraint and the need to avoid any actions that could lead to an escalation of tensions in the region...We condemn any assassination or extrajudicial killing."
The European Union, meanwhile—a signatory of the JCPOA along with France and Germany—said the killing was "a criminal act" that "runs counter to the principle of respect for human rights the EU stands for." The bloc also urged all sides to show "calm and maximum restraint."


newsweek--2020-12-01--China Not Sorry for Doctored Pic of Australian Soldier Killing Afghan Child

China has refused to apologize after a diplomat in its foreign ministry tweeted a Photoshopped image depicting an Australian soldier killing an Afghan child .
Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian pinned the viral tweet after its publication on Monday .
It remains live on Twitter with more than 45,000 likes despite an admission from the artist himself that the illustration was `` not factual . ''
Beijing doubled down on its position later the same day when foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying rejected Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison 's call for an apology .
`` You cited the Australian side 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ashamed .
Should n't the Australian government feel ashamed that some of its soldiers on official duty in Afghanistan committed such cruelties ? ''
Hua told a Bloomberg reporter , according to a read-out on the Chinese foreign ministry 's website .
The controversial image , which shows a smiling Australian soldier covering a young Afghan goatherd 's face with an Australian flag while slitting the child 's throat , was `` repugnant , '' Morrison said .
The doctored illustration is underscored by an English caption reading : `` Do n't be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you peace ! ''
Morrison described the Chinese diplomat 's tweet as `` deeply offensive to every Australian , '' adding that it `` diminishes [ China ] in the world 's eyes . ''
His government had contacted Twitter in a bid to have the post removed , he said .
Chinese state media publication Global Times , which operates under Communist Party newspaper People 's Daily , has run a series of editorials defending the Beijing diplomat and criticizing Canberra for its reaction , in light of last month 's damning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during the war in Afghanistan .
Australian special forces unlawfully killed 39 Afghan prisoners of war and civilians , including farmers , according to the Australian Defence Force report , the findings of which were made public .
The ADF recommended further criminal inquiries into 19 members of the country 's elite troops .
Among the recent articles on Global Times ' social media pages is a 1,000-word essay by the image 's creator , Wuhe Qilin , who admitted he made the picture in Photoshop .
The Beijing-based illustrator , who the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wolf Warrior artist , '' also published critical works about the death of George Floyd and the wider Black Lives Matter protests in the United States .
Wuhe Qilin , whose real name is unknown , said he found it `` hard to believe '' that Prime Minister Morrison would take issue with his work , given the Australian military 's recent report into alleged human rights abuses in Afghanistan .
`` Of course , the elements and the scene depicted in the illustration were not factual , '' he wrote in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Australian solder did not stand on an Australian flag and use it to cover the head of a young Afghan holding a lamb . ''
However , Wuhe Qilin insisted the illustration was created `` based on facts . ''
He said audiences should not focus on whether the image was real , but instead look at its content .
On Weibo , China 's Twitter-like microblogging service where Wuhe Qilin has just over 700,000 followers , the artist posted images of Morrison 's criticism on Monday and wrote : `` I hear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ? ''
He praised Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao for using his image , which was created on November 23 , calling his tweet `` mighty . ''
On Tuesday , New Zealand 's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern backed Australia , calling the Chinese diplomat 's tweet `` not factually correct . ''
Ardern said she had `` raised concerns with Chinese authorities '' but stopped short of further condemnation of China , which is the largest trading partner of both New Zealand and Australia .
The row over Zhao 's tweet comes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Beijing , which began with Australia 's call for an independent investigation into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic earlier this year .
The Chinese leadership has since taken punitive measures against Canberra , including all but banning coal imports and choking Australia 's wine industry by raising tariffs up to 200 percent .
In recent months , Beijing has accused Australia and other western nations of following the lead of the U.S. in being tough on China—unfairly , it claims .
In separate op-eds this week , Global Times described the Australian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. , '' while calling China a `` peace-loving country . ''
Since coming under attack by President Donald Trump over its handling of COVID-19 and its ongoing trade war with Washington , China has embraced social media platforms such as Twitter for its public diplomacy efforts , especially in its attempts to promote Chinese culture , despite its own citizens having no access to the website without the use of government-approved virtual private networks , or VPNs .
However , its recent sharp and aggressive stance on issues such as its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as well as its claim over the self-ruled island of Taiwan , has signaled a shift away from its soft power approach in favor of so-called `` Wolf Warrior '' diplomacy .
The phrase has origins in two nationalist movies titled Wolf Warrior and Wolf Warrior 2 .
It now describes a diplomatic style defined by confrontational rhetoric .

China has refused to apologize after a diplomat in its foreign ministry tweeted a Photoshopped image depicting an Australian soldier killing an Afghan child.
Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian pinned the viral tweet after its publication on Monday. It remains live on Twitter with more than 45,000 likes despite an admission from the artist himself that the illustration was "not factual."
Beijing doubled down on its position later the same day when foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying rejected Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison's call for an apology.
"You cited the Australian side's words that the Chinese government should be ashamed. Shouldn't the Australian government feel ashamed that some of its soldiers on official duty in Afghanistan committed such cruelties?" Hua told a Bloomberg reporter, according to a read-out on the Chinese foreign ministry's website.
Shocked by murder of Afghan civilians & prisoners by Australian soldiers. We strongly condemn such acts, &call for holding them accountable. pic.twitter.com/GYOaucoL5D — Lijian Zhao 赵立坚 (@zlj517) November 30, 2020
The controversial image, which shows a smiling Australian soldier covering a young Afghan goatherd's face with an Australian flag while slitting the child's throat, was "repugnant," Morrison said.
The doctored illustration is underscored by an English caption reading: "Don't be afraid, we are coming to bring you peace!"
Morrison described the Chinese diplomat's tweet as "deeply offensive to every Australian," adding that it "diminishes [China] in the world's eyes."
His government had contacted Twitter in a bid to have the post removed, he said.
Chinese state media publication Global Times, which operates under Communist Party newspaper People's Daily, has run a series of editorials defending the Beijing diplomat and criticizing Canberra for its reaction, in light of last month's damning report by the Australian military into crimes during the war in Afghanistan.
Australian special forces unlawfully killed 39 Afghan prisoners of war and civilians, including farmers, according to the Australian Defence Force report, the findings of which were made public. The ADF recommended further criminal inquiries into 19 members of the country's elite troops.
Among the recent articles on Global Times' social media pages is a 1,000-word essay by the image's creator, Wuhe Qilin, who admitted he made the picture in Photoshop.
The Beijing-based illustrator, who the newspaper had described previously as a "Wolf Warrior artist," also published critical works about the death of George Floyd and the wider Black Lives Matter protests in the United States.
Wuhe Qilin, whose real name is unknown, said he found it "hard to believe" that Prime Minister Morrison would take issue with his work, given the Australian military's recent report into alleged human rights abuses in Afghanistan.
"Of course, the elements and the scene depicted in the illustration were not factual," he wrote in the piece. "In reality, an Australian solder did not stand on an Australian flag and use it to cover the head of a young Afghan holding a lamb."
However, Wuhe Qilin insisted the illustration was created "based on facts." He said audiences should not focus on whether the image was real, but instead look at its content.
On Weibo, China's Twitter-like microblogging service where Wuhe Qilin has just over 700,000 followers, the artist posted images of Morrison's criticism on Monday and wrote: "I hear Morrison has some opinions about my illustration?"
He praised Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao for using his image, which was created on November 23, calling his tweet "mighty."
Cautious defense
On Tuesday, New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern backed Australia, calling the Chinese diplomat's tweet "not factually correct."
Ardern said she had "raised concerns with Chinese authorities" but stopped short of further condemnation of China, which is the largest trading partner of both New Zealand and Australia.
The row over Zhao's tweet comes amid rising economic tensions between Canberra and Beijing, which began with Australia's call for an independent investigation into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic earlier this year.
The Chinese leadership has since taken punitive measures against Canberra, including all but banning coal imports and choking Australia's wine industry by raising tariffs up to 200 percent.
In recent months, Beijing has accused Australia and other western nations of following the lead of the U.S. in being tough on China—unfairly, it claims.
In separate op-eds this week, Global Times described the Australian prime minister as a "warhound of the U.S.," while calling China a "peace-loving country."
Since coming under attack by President Donald Trump over its handling of COVID-19 and its ongoing trade war with Washington, China has embraced social media platforms such as Twitter for its public diplomacy efforts, especially in its attempts to promote Chinese culture, despite its own citizens having no access to the website without the use of government-approved virtual private networks, or VPNs.
However, its recent sharp and aggressive stance on issues such as its policies in Xinjiang and Hong Kong, as well as its claim over the self-ruled island of Taiwan, has signaled a shift away from its soft power approach in favor of so-called "Wolf Warrior" diplomacy.
The phrase has origins in two nationalist movies titled Wolf Warrior and Wolf Warrior 2. It now describes a diplomatic style defined by confrontational rhetoric.


newsweek--2020-12-01--'Virgin River': Everything the Cast and Crew Has Said About Season 3

Virgin River Season 3 has not been confirmed by Netflix , but there are some signs that filming has already begun on the new series as the current run of episodes sit at the top of the Netflix top 10 series chart .
Production Weekly wrote that shooting began on the third season way back in July , and locals in Vancouver have been spotting the stars on set .
Fans may be wondering why Netflix has not announced that the show is renewed when filming has already begun , but this is not without precedent .
Elite Season 3 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in full before Netflix officially renewed it .
Another hint that Virgin River Season 3 is well underway is the way that showrunner Sue Tenney has been talking about it in interviews .
While other Netflix show bosses are often circumspect about the future of their shows , Tenney has been giving hints that suggest a third season is already a foregone conclusion .
She told Parade , for example , of how , `` in a future season ( s ) , my co-executive producer Amy Robertson and I want to explore @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and as a group , under pressure . ''
When asked about some of the cliffhangers in Season 2 in that same interview , she also said that viewers would have to `` wait for Season 3 '' for answers .
In a TVLine interview , meanwhile , Tenney gave more specific hints about what fans could expect from Virgin River Season 3 .
For example , she said that the main plot of the next season would , `` go through trying to figure out who shot Jack , '' and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over several seasons . ''
As the Virgin River Netflix show is based on a series of 21 books by author Robyn Carr ( plus around a dozen short story anthologies ) , there is certainly plenty of scope for more stories to base future seasons on .
In the TVLine interview , Tenney said that one of the major plots in a potential Season 3 could be around Doc Mullins ( Tim Matheson ) .
She teased : `` Doc has some stuff going on [ next ] season [ including ] @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will challenge his relationship with Hope [ Annette O'Toole ] .
He 's going to rise to the challenge , but it is a real complication for him , especially for him practicing medicine going forward .
Will he be able to continue to do that ?
The clinic and town are his life , so we will seriously explore that . ''
The showrunner also teased that Season 3 could jump forward in time with `` a larger time jump than we had between Seasons 1 and 2 . ''
However , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ usual wait for more from the show .
If the show was able to go into production in early summer as reports suggest , a fall 2021 release date ( ie a year from now ) seems very likely .
Virgin River Seasons 1 and 2 are streaming now on Netflix .

Virgin River Season 3 has not been confirmed by Netflix, but there are some signs that filming has already begun on the new series as the current run of episodes sit at the top of the Netflix top 10 series chart. Production Weekly wrote that shooting began on the third season way back in July, and locals in Vancouver have been spotting the stars on set.
Fans may be wondering why Netflix has not announced that the show is renewed when filming has already begun, but this is not without precedent. Elite Season 3, for example, was already shot in full before Netflix officially renewed it.
Another hint that Virgin River Season 3 is well underway is the way that showrunner Sue Tenney has been talking about it in interviews. While other Netflix show bosses are often circumspect about the future of their shows, Tenney has been giving hints that suggest a third season is already a foregone conclusion.
'Virgin River' Season 3 may already be filming. Netflix
She told Parade, for example, of how, "in a future season(s), my co-executive producer Amy Robertson and I want to explore how our characters will react both individually, and as a group, under pressure." When asked about some of the cliffhangers in Season 2 in that same interview, she also said that viewers would have to "wait for Season 3" for answers.
In a TVLine interview, meanwhile, Tenney gave more specific hints about what fans could expect from Virgin River Season 3. For example, she said that the main plot of the next season would, "go through trying to figure out who shot Jack," and that this could actually play out "over several seasons."
As the Virgin River Netflix show is based on a series of 21 books by author Robyn Carr (plus around a dozen short story anthologies), there is certainly plenty of scope for more stories to base future seasons on.
In the TVLine interview, Tenney said that one of the major plots in a potential Season 3 could be around Doc Mullins (Tim Matheson). She teased: "Doc has some stuff going on [next] season [including] a complication that will challenge him and will challenge his relationship with Hope [Annette O'Toole]. He's going to rise to the challenge, but it is a real complication for him, especially for him practicing medicine going forward. Will he be able to continue to do that? The clinic and town are his life, so we will seriously explore that."
The showrunner also teased that Season 3 could jump forward in time with "a larger time jump than we had between Seasons 1 and 2."
However, fans should not expect a longer than usual wait for more from the show. If the show was able to go into production in early summer as reports suggest, a fall 2021 release date (ie a year from now) seems very likely.
Virgin River Seasons 1 and 2 are streaming now on Netflix.


newsweek--2020-12-01--Fauci Tells Zuckerberg COVID Pandemic Won't End Unless 'Overwhelming Majority' Get Vaccinated

The COVID-19 pandemic wo n't end until the `` overwhelming majority '' of people in the U.S. get vaccinated , Dr. Anthony Fauci warned Monday .
With a rollout of safe treatments for the respiratory illness forecast to begin by the end of this year , the U.S. needs between 75 and 85 percent of the population to take a vaccine for the protection to be truly effective , the country 's top infectious disease expert said in a video interview with billionaire Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg .
`` I would like to see the overwhelming majority of the country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the second quarter [ of 2021 ] , '' he told Zuckerberg .
`` So when we get into the fall season the children can feel safe going back to school , teachers can feel safe they are not going to get infected , we get back to the economy being robust , restaurants can open ... that 's what I would like to see . ''
But the top scientist warned : `` You are not going to see it unless the overwhelming majority of people get vaccinated .
So in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the reluctant people get vaccinated sooner rather than later .
If they want to wait a month or two , that 's OK , but I do n't want them to wait six to eight to nine months . ''
Fauci , director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a member of the White House coronavirus task force , said that while initial doses will first go to citizens who are deemed as high risk , the general public should see widespread access to vaccinations by the second quarter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ July .
Fundamentally , Fauci said the more people who take the vaccine , the less chance the virus has to spread among the population—then driving down infection rates .
`` As long as you are susceptible , you are part of the problem , not part of the solution .
When you are protected , you are another person the virus ca n't impact .
If you are vulnerable , even if you do n't get a lot of symptoms , the fact you have been infected means you are inadvertently propagating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be part of the solution , get vaccinated , '' he told Zuckerberg in the interview this week .
Vaccine candidates to protect against COVID-19 from Pfizer/BioNTech , Moderna and AstraZeneca have shown promising results in clinical trials , with some claiming to be around 95 percent effective .
But results have not yet been peer-reviewed .
On Monday , Moderna said it was applying for Emergency Use Authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration , with its CEO Stéphane Bancel telling Fox Business that Americans could see doses arrive 24 hours @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suggested that 58 percent of Americans say they would take a COVID-19 vaccine .
While that 's below the needed statistic , the number was up from the 50 percent who said they would take it in September .
Based on that poll , 37 percent said they would avoid a vaccine due to the rushed rollout and 26 percent said they wanted to wait to confirm it was actually safe , Meanwhile , 12 percent of the survey said they `` do n't trust vaccines in general , '' Gallup said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ had contracted with multiple companies to make about 600 million doses of potential vaccine so far .
It is likely to first reach U.S. healthcare workers and citizens who are susceptible to contracting COVID .
He predicted the initial round would be completed by April , after which vaccines could be made available to the public , even via stores like CVS or Walgreens .
`` The challenge is going to be to convince people to get vaccinated , '' Facui conceded .
`` Because if you have a highly efficacious vaccine and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vaccinated , then you are not going to have that umbrella of protection . ''
The following graphic , provided by Statista , shows the total number of COVID vaccine does secured by governments as of November 20 , based on Duke University data .

The COVID-19 pandemic won't end until the "overwhelming majority" of people in the U.S. get vaccinated, Dr. Anthony Fauci warned Monday.
With a rollout of safe treatments for the respiratory illness forecast to begin by the end of this year, the U.S. needs between 75 and 85 percent of the population to take a vaccine for the protection to be truly effective, the country's top infectious disease expert said in a video interview with billionaire Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg.
"I would like to see the overwhelming majority of the country vaccinated before we get to the end of the second quarter [of 2021]," he told Zuckerberg.
"So when we get into the fall season the children can feel safe going back to school, teachers can feel safe they are not going to get infected, we get back to the economy being robust, restaurants can open... that's what I would like to see."
But the top scientist warned: "You are not going to see it unless the overwhelming majority of people get vaccinated. So in that sense I would like to see the reluctant people get vaccinated sooner rather than later. If they want to wait a month or two, that's OK, but I don't want them to wait six to eight to nine months."
Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a member of the White House coronavirus task force, said that while initial doses will first go to citizens who are deemed as high risk, the general public should see widespread access to vaccinations by the second quarter of next year, around April to July.
Fundamentally, Fauci said the more people who take the vaccine, the less chance the virus has to spread among the population—then driving down infection rates.
"As long as you are susceptible, you are part of the problem, not part of the solution. When you are protected, you are another person the virus can't impact. If you are vulnerable, even if you don't get a lot of symptoms, the fact you have been infected means you are inadvertently propagating the outbreak. If you want to be part of the solution, get vaccinated," he told Zuckerberg in the interview this week.
Live with Dr. Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert, discussing progress towards a Covid vaccine and how we can slow the spread of the virus...
Vaccine candidates to protect against COVID-19 from Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna and AstraZeneca have shown promising results in clinical trials, with some claiming to be around 95 percent effective. But results have not yet been peer-reviewed.
On Monday, Moderna said it was applying for Emergency Use Authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, with its CEO Stéphane Bancel telling Fox Business that Americans could see doses arrive 24 hours after authorization.
A November Gallup poll suggested that 58 percent of Americans say they would take a COVID-19 vaccine. While that's below the needed statistic, the number was up from the 50 percent who said they would take it in September.
Based on that poll, 37 percent said they would avoid a vaccine due to the rushed rollout and 26 percent said they wanted to wait to confirm it was actually safe, Meanwhile, 12 percent of the survey said they "don't trust vaccines in general," Gallup said.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg (L) spoke with one of the country’s top infectious disease experts, Dr. Anthony Fauci (R) via video-chat on Monday, November 30, 2020. Facebook/Zuck
According to Fauci, the federal government had contracted with multiple companies to make about 600 million doses of potential vaccine so far. It is likely to first reach U.S. healthcare workers and citizens who are susceptible to contracting COVID.
He predicted the initial round would be completed by April, after which vaccines could be made available to the public, even via stores like CVS or Walgreens.
"The challenge is going to be to convince people to get vaccinated," Facui conceded. "Because if you have a highly efficacious vaccine and only 50 percent of the country gets vaccinated, then you are not going to have that umbrella of protection."
The following graphic, provided by Statista, shows the total number of COVID vaccine does secured by governments as of November 20, based on Duke University data.