newsweek--2020-12-11--Cam Newton Stats Compared to Tom Brady as Patriots QB Benched

Cam Newton was benched for the second time this season as the New England Patriots were routed 24-3 by the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday Night Football .
Newton had completed nine of his 16 passes for 119 yards and had rushed for 16 yards over seven carries by the time he was replaced by Jarrett Stidham with just over 10 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter .
Much like the rest of the Patriots offense , Newton endured a dismal night in Los Angeles , throwing a crucial interception in the second quarter and being sacked four times for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Patriots lost 18-12 at home to the Denver Broncos in Week 4 .
The Rams ' dominant defense forced consecutive three-and-outs on the Patriots ' first two drives , before Kenny Young picked off Newton 's pass on the third play of New England 's third drive and returned it for a 79-yard touchdown , the longest pick-six of the season , to give Los Angeles a 17-0 lead .
Bill Belichick , however , gave no indication Newton will be benched for the Patriots ' trip to Miami in Week 15 and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2011 NFL Draft remained the Patriots starting quarterback .
`` Great question .
I 'm really glad you asked that .
Cam 's our quarterback , '' Belichick replied when asked whether Newton would be benched next week .
After throwing for just 84 yards in the win over the Arizona Cardinals in Week 12 and for only 69 yards in the 45-0 rout of the Los Angeles Chargers last week , Newton 's 119 passing yards were his highest tally since he passed for 365 yards on November 22 against the Houston @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tom Brady was heralded as the Patriots chance to implement a different offense from the one they had run for the best part of the past two decades and arguably the only silver lining in losing the six-time Super Bowl champion .
While Newton has shown flashes of brilliance and Brady 's first season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers has been far from perfect , Newton 's numbers highlight some of the Patriots ' issues in the passing game .
Newton ranks 23rd in the NFL in terms of passing yards with 2,172 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ passed for 3,300 yards so far this season , the eighth-most in the league .
To put things into context , Brady has thrown for more yards in the last three quarters of football he has played than Newton has done in the last three games and has 28 passing touchdowns to Newton 's five .
The Patriots quarterback has thrown twice as many interceptions than he has touchdowns , but has one fewer pick than his predecessor .
Newton 's figures in completion percentage and average yards per attempt are also slightly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and 7.2 yards to 7 yards respectively .
However , Newton 's current streak of 15 consecutive starts with one or fewer passing touchdowns is the longest in the NFL since Sam Bradford went 16 straight games without throwing more than one touchdown pass between 2010 and 2012 .
On the other side of the coin , Newton has 11 rushing touchdowns this season , the third-most in the NFL and the most of any quarterback this season—Brady has three .
The Patriots entered Thursday Night Football with the third-best rushing offense in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ throughout the game , producing a modest 107 yards at a paltry 3.7 yards per carry .
It was the first time since Week 7 New England did not score a rushing touchdown .
With the rushing offense neutralized , the Patriots ' issues in the passing game were again laid bare and it is no coincidence five of their seven losses this season have come in games in which they have rushed for 120 yards or fewer .
Newton was first benched in the Patriots ' 33-6 loss against the San Francisco @ @ @ @ @ @ @ responded by leading the Patriots to four wins in the next six games during which he averaged a 66.2 percent completion rate and seven yards per attempt .
With their playoffs hopes hanging by a thread , the Patriots will hope for a similar response over the next three weeks .

Cam Newton was benched for the second time this season as the New England Patriots were routed 24-3 by the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday Night Football.
Newton had completed nine of his 16 passes for 119 yards and had rushed for 16 yards over seven carries by the time he was replaced by Jarrett Stidham with just over 10 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.
Much like the rest of the Patriots offense, Newton endured a dismal night in Los Angeles, throwing a crucial interception in the second quarter and being sacked four times for the second time this season since the Patriots lost 18-12 at home to the Denver Broncos in Week 4.
The Rams' dominant defense forced consecutive three-and-outs on the Patriots' first two drives, before Kenny Young picked off Newton's pass on the third play of New England's third drive and returned it for a 79-yard touchdown, the longest pick-six of the season, to give Los Angeles a 17-0 lead.
Bill Belichick, however, gave no indication Newton will be benched for the Patriots' trip to Miami in Week 15 and insisted the first overall pick of the 2011 NFL Draft remained the Patriots starting quarterback.
"Great question. I'm really glad you asked that. Cam's our quarterback," Belichick replied when asked whether Newton would be benched next week.
After throwing for just 84 yards in the win over the Arizona Cardinals in Week 12 and for only 69 yards in the 45-0 rout of the Los Angeles Chargers last week, Newton's 119 passing yards were his highest tally since he passed for 365 yards on November 22 against the Houston Texans.
Newton's arrival to replace Tom Brady was heralded as the Patriots chance to implement a different offense from the one they had run for the best part of the past two decades and arguably the only silver lining in losing the six-time Super Bowl champion. While Newton has shown flashes of brilliance and Brady's first season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers has been far from perfect, Newton's numbers highlight some of the Patriots' issues in the passing game.
Cam Newton #1 of the New England Patriots watches from the sideline during the fourth quarter in the game against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium on December 10 in Inglewood, California. Harry How/Getty
Newton ranks 23rd in the NFL in terms of passing yards with 2,172, comfortably behind Brady, who has passed for 3,300 yards so far this season, the eighth-most in the league.
To put things into context, Brady has thrown for more yards in the last three quarters of football he has played than Newton has done in the last three games and has 28 passing touchdowns to Newton's five.
The Patriots quarterback has thrown twice as many interceptions than he has touchdowns, but has one fewer pick than his predecessor. Newton's figures in completion percentage and average yards per attempt are also slightly better than Brady's—66.1 percent to 64.8 percent and 7.2 yards to 7 yards respectively.
However, Newton's current streak of 15 consecutive starts with one or fewer passing touchdowns is the longest in the NFL since Sam Bradford went 16 straight games without throwing more than one touchdown pass between 2010 and 2012.
On the other side of the coin, Newton has 11 rushing touchdowns this season, the third-most in the NFL and the most of any quarterback this season—Brady has three.
The Patriots entered Thursday Night Football with the third-best rushing offense in the NFL but were kept in check throughout the game, producing a modest 107 yards at a paltry 3.7 yards per carry. It was the first time since Week 7 New England did not score a rushing touchdown.
With the rushing offense neutralized, the Patriots' issues in the passing game were again laid bare and it is no coincidence five of their seven losses this season have come in games in which they have rushed for 120 yards or fewer.
Newton was first benched in the Patriots' 33-6 loss against the San Francisco 49ers, a move to which he responded by leading the Patriots to four wins in the next six games during which he averaged a 66.2 percent completion rate and seven yards per attempt.
With their playoffs hopes hanging by a thread, the Patriots will hope for a similar response over the next three weeks.


newsweek--2020-12-11--How the White House Followed the Science to Enable a Quick Vaccine | Opinion

As new vaccines enter the market , it is hard to think of a public program that has yielded a larger return so quickly for our country and the world than President Donald Trump 's Operation Warp Speed .
The program designed to speed up COVID vaccine development has been a historic success of public-private partnership , a victory for deregulation and a clear example of a government following the science .
Costly blanket shutdowns and other behavioral forms of virus mitigation have not been able to produce long-run reductions in COVID damage across the globe , but R & @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out to be a cheaper alternative to prevent disease than behavioral change .
Both of us can confirm that , in its ongoing work , the White House was already in the proper mindset to enact Warp Speed 's approach of deregulation and private partnerships at the time the disease hit our shores .
Much attention had been paid to the value of deregulating the Food and Drug Administration as part of the president 's overall deregulatory agenda , long before COVID hit us .
This was partly fueled by Chicago economics-style thinking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ skepticism of excessive health care regulation .
Generic entry and competition were freed up to contribute to the first decline in drug prices in 50 years in 2019 .
Right-to-try legislation was passed allowing patients not to be bound by one-size-fits all FDA decisions .
In addition , a 2019 report by the Council of Economic Advisers recommended public-private partnerships to enhance vaccine development in a pandemic .
The report prompted an immediate executive order a week later that turned out to be a great intellectual foundation for the Domestic Policy Council 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vaccine .
When COVID-19 emerged , the White House was ready and expeditiously applied the report 's deregulatory and fiscal lessons to streamline FDA approval for vaccines and their parallel manufacturing on a large scale .
In collaboration with the White House , the FDA , beaten up by early missteps on COVID testing deployment , vowed to cut regulatory red tape on the vaccine and therapeutic side .
It was FDA staff who coined the term `` Operation Warp Speed '' and rallied to reach out to vaccine developers as well as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and component capacity online faster .
Rather than waiting for companies to contact them , they proactively reached out so leadership and technical experts all received information at the same time , cutting down on bureaucratic hurdles and delays .
Central to the fiscal effort of Warp Speed was to have government funds follow private-sector science by funding private production of vaccines parallel to approval or awarding future purchase commitments .
The president 's initiative was successful because it used public funds to fuel the superior performance of private-sector science .
Had we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ development of a vaccine , chances are we would hardly be closer now than we were 11 months ago when the pandemic hit us .
It seems difficult to imagine that many previous presidents would have turned so rapidly to the private sector .
A more likely scenario may have been a repeat of the mistakes that led to the COVID testing rollout , which relied on our government agencies to develop tests—a dysfunctional system the president inherited before quickly directing the private sector to take over .
For both the deregulatory and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president , for all the criticism he received , was in many meetings relentlessly pressuring bureaucracies—and the political appointees who head them—to move faster .
His private-sector mindset—making demands and setting timelines to fit the urgent need of consumers rather than government agencies—is now paying off .
Many have claimed that the president did not take the COVID threat seriously .
But his actions and frustration with the agencies ' slowness dispel this narrative .
First , the president enacted the most drastic infection control measure to date when the disease arrived : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ example of a government response to a disease outbreak coming faster than the private sector response .
Second , he oversaw the biggest mobilization of the private sector since WWII to raise hospital capacity .
Third , he oversaw the most severe government-induced reduction of economic activity in history .
Fourth , he enabled the CARES Act , which was the largest stimulus or liquidity measure ever passed , working with the Federal Reserve to extend liquidity further .
Add that to directing the fastest therapeutics and vaccine development in history through Warp @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which of these historic actions failed to take the virus seriously ?
The societal rate of return on Warp Speed will be enormous , both because the benefits are so large and because they are arriving so quickly .
The quick marketing of a successful vaccine that this roughly $ 10 billion program has enabled has had returns estimated around $ 1.8 trillion to the U.S. alone , making the world return multiples higher .
A minuscule fraction of this value will be paid back to the people who generated it , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ life science industry 's life-extending innovations .
If anything , COVID has made it abundantly clear that rewarding people who are in the business of curing or limiting dreadful diseases of others is a good thing .
The success of Warp Speed is a clear illustration that deregulation of many bureaucracies within the Department of Health and Human Services would benefit patients suffering from diseases other than COVID .
Patient-disease groups are often the loudest ones arguing for a more dynamic health care bureaucracy .
However , elected representatives trying to correct this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` politics '' interfere with out-of-touch health bureaucrats who do not understand the full consequences of their actions .
But Warp Speed proves that scientific barriers are often not the challenge in delivering medicines safely and quickly .
Bureaucracies , when properly motivated and staffed with good people , can respond and cut many unneeded steps out of the normal process .
Even those most critical of deregulation are now asking to be first in line for the vaccines such deregulation enabled .
While the staff at FDA has been working harder to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they can be expected to in normal times , their efforts in working more collaboratively with industry have shown the way for a potentially bright deregulated future for America 's patients .
Joseph Grogan served as an Assistant to the President as Director of the Domestic Policy Council 2019-20 .
Tomas J. Philipson is a professor of public policy at the University of Chicago and served as a member and acting chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers 2017-2020 .
The views expressed in this article are the writers ' own @

As new vaccines enter the market, it is hard to think of a public program that has yielded a larger return so quickly for our country and the world than President Donald Trump's Operation Warp Speed. The program designed to speed up COVID vaccine development has been a historic success of public-private partnership, a victory for deregulation and a clear example of a government following the science. Costly blanket shutdowns and other behavioral forms of virus mitigation have not been able to produce long-run reductions in COVID damage across the globe, but R&D and medical innovation is again turning out to be a cheaper alternative to prevent disease than behavioral change.
Both of us can confirm that, in its ongoing work, the White House was already in the proper mindset to enact Warp Speed's approach of deregulation and private partnerships at the time the disease hit our shores. Much attention had been paid to the value of deregulating the Food and Drug Administration as part of the president's overall deregulatory agenda, long before COVID hit us. This was partly fueled by Chicago economics-style thinking in the White House, including appropriate skepticism of excessive health care regulation. Generic entry and competition were freed up to contribute to the first decline in drug prices in 50 years in 2019. Right-to-try legislation was passed allowing patients not to be bound by one-size-fits all FDA decisions. In addition, a 2019 report by the Council of Economic Advisers recommended public-private partnerships to enhance vaccine development in a pandemic. The report prompted an immediate executive order a week later that turned out to be a great intellectual foundation for the Domestic Policy Council's push for accelerated development of a COVID vaccine. When COVID-19 emerged, the White House was ready and expeditiously applied the report's deregulatory and fiscal lessons to streamline FDA approval for vaccines and their parallel manufacturing on a large scale.
In collaboration with the White House, the FDA, beaten up by early missteps on COVID testing deployment, vowed to cut regulatory red tape on the vaccine and therapeutic side. It was FDA staff who coined the term "Operation Warp Speed" and rallied to reach out to vaccine developers as well as private-sector partners who could help bring manufacturing and component capacity online faster. Rather than waiting for companies to contact them, they proactively reached out so leadership and technical experts all received information at the same time, cutting down on bureaucratic hurdles and delays.
Central to the fiscal effort of Warp Speed was to have government funds follow private-sector science by funding private production of vaccines parallel to approval or awarding future purchase commitments. The president's initiative was successful because it used public funds to fuel the superior performance of private-sector science. Had we waited for the government to lead the development of a vaccine, chances are we would hardly be closer now than we were 11 months ago when the pandemic hit us. It seems difficult to imagine that many previous presidents would have turned so rapidly to the private sector. A more likely scenario may have been a repeat of the mistakes that led to the COVID testing rollout, which relied on our government agencies to develop tests—a dysfunctional system the president inherited before quickly directing the private sector to take over.
For both the deregulatory and fiscal response of Warp Speed, the president, for all the criticism he received, was in many meetings relentlessly pressuring bureaucracies—and the political appointees who head them—to move faster. His private-sector mindset—making demands and setting timelines to fit the urgent need of consumers rather than government agencies—is now paying off.
US President Donald Trump signed an executive at the Operation Warp Speed Vaccine Summit on December 08, 2020 in Washington, DC. Tasos Katopodis/Getty
Many have claimed that the president did not take the COVID threat seriously. But his actions and frustration with the agencies' slowness dispel this narrative.
First, the president enacted the most drastic infection control measure to date when the disease arrived: the Chinese travel ban, a rare example of a government response to a disease outbreak coming faster than the private sector response. Second, he oversaw the biggest mobilization of the private sector since WWII to raise hospital capacity. Third, he oversaw the most severe government-induced reduction of economic activity in history. Fourth, he enabled the CARES Act, which was the largest stimulus or liquidity measure ever passed, working with the Federal Reserve to extend liquidity further. Add that to directing the fastest therapeutics and vaccine development in history through Warp Speed, and one may ask, which of these historic actions failed to take the virus seriously?
The societal rate of return on Warp Speed will be enormous, both because the benefits are so large and because they are arriving so quickly. The quick marketing of a successful vaccine that this roughly $10 billion program has enabled has had returns estimated around $1.8 trillion to the U.S. alone, making the world return multiples higher. A minuscule fraction of this value will be paid back to the people who generated it, in keeping with a general pattern for the life science industry's life-extending innovations. If anything, COVID has made it abundantly clear that rewarding people who are in the business of curing or limiting dreadful diseases of others is a good thing.
The success of Warp Speed is a clear illustration that deregulation of many bureaucracies within the Department of Health and Human Services would benefit patients suffering from diseases other than COVID. Patient-disease groups are often the loudest ones arguing for a more dynamic health care bureaucracy. However, elected representatives trying to correct this problem are often told to not let "politics" interfere with out-of-touch health bureaucrats who do not understand the full consequences of their actions.
But Warp Speed proves that scientific barriers are often not the challenge in delivering medicines safely and quickly. Bureaucracies, when properly motivated and staffed with good people, can respond and cut many unneeded steps out of the normal process. Even those most critical of deregulation are now asking to be first in line for the vaccines such deregulation enabled. While the staff at FDA has been working harder to get us out of the pandemic than they can be expected to in normal times, their efforts in working more collaboratively with industry have shown the way for a potentially bright deregulated future for America's patients.
Joseph Grogan served as an Assistant to the President as Director of the Domestic Policy Council 2019-20. Tomas J. Philipson is a professor of public policy at the University of Chicago and served as a member and acting chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers 2017-2020.
The views expressed in this article are the writers' own.


newsweek--2020-12-11--Son Accused of Murdering Parents After Police Find Bodies in Family Home

A man has been charged with murder after law enforcement discovered his parents dead in their home in Middleborough , Massachusetts .
Ryan True , 21 , was arrested on Thursday morning after police found two bodies in the home on Highland Street .
The victims were identified as Renee True , 55 , and David True , 52 .
The three lived in the home together , according to 7News Boston .
Police visited the home at around 6:30 a.m. local time after being alerted by one of the victim 's co-workers that the individual had not turned up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a statement released on Thursday : `` Middleborough police were requested to perform a well-being check at a home at 3 Highland Street .
Upon arrival , police officers located the bodies of a man and a woman inside the home .
`` Middleborough Police contacted the Massachusetts State Police Detectives assigned to the Plymouth County District Attorney 's Office and the scene was secured and an investigation commenced . ''
True was apprehended without incident a short distance from the house and has been charged with two counts of murder .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Police Chief Joseph Perkins said at a press conference on Thursday : `` I 'd like to reassure the community that this was not a random act of violence , and they have no reason to fear living in the community of Middleborough . ''
Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz , said : `` This is a tragic and horrifying situation for obviously the family of the deceased and also here in the town of Middleborough .
This is a beautiful little community , and this does not happen here very often @ @ @ @ @ @ @ victims told NBC Boston that Renee True had been a school bus driver in the area since 2007 .
`` I do n't think anybody knew there was anything going on , any issues .
Nice , wonderful people , you ca n't say anything bad about them , '' they said .
An autopsy will be performed to determine the victims ' cause of death .
Both Massachusetts State Police and Middleborough police are working together on the investigation .
Earlier this year , a Tennessee man was found guilty of fatally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after finding out they would no longer pay his bills .
Joel Guy Jr. was deemed guilty of first-degree murder for killing Joel Guy Sr. , 61 , and Lisa Guy , 55 , inside their home in 2016 .

A man has been charged with murder after law enforcement discovered his parents dead in their home in Middleborough, Massachusetts.
Ryan True, 21, was arrested on Thursday morning after police found two bodies in the home on Highland Street. The victims were identified as Renee True, 55, and David True, 52. The three lived in the home together, according to 7News Boston.
Police visited the home at around 6:30 a.m. local time after being alerted by one of the victim's co-workers that the individual had not turned up at work.
Middleborough law enforcement said in a statement released on Thursday: "Middleborough police were requested to perform a well-being check at a home at 3 Highland Street. Upon arrival, police officers located the bodies of a man and a woman inside the home.
"Middleborough Police contacted the Massachusetts State Police Detectives assigned to the Plymouth County District Attorney's Office and the scene was secured and an investigation commenced."
True was apprehended without incident a short distance from the house and has been charged with two counts of murder. He is currently in police custody.
Police discovered the victims' bodies in a home in Middleborough Christopher Furlong/Getty Images
Police Chief Joseph Perkins said at a press conference on Thursday: "I'd like to reassure the community that this was not a random act of violence, and they have no reason to fear living in the community of Middleborough."
Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz, said: "This is a tragic and horrifying situation for obviously the family of the deceased and also here in the town of Middleborough. This is a beautiful little community, and this does not happen here very often fortunately."
A neighbor of the victims told NBC Boston that Renee True had been a school bus driver in the area since 2007.
"I don't think anybody knew there was anything going on, any issues. Nice, wonderful people, you can't say anything bad about them," they said.
An autopsy will be performed to determine the victims' cause of death. Both Massachusetts State Police and Middleborough police are working together on the investigation.
Earlier this year, a Tennessee man was found guilty of fatally stabbing his parents and dismembering their bodies after finding out they would no longer pay his bills. Joel Guy Jr. was deemed guilty of first-degree murder for killing Joel Guy Sr., 61, and Lisa Guy, 55, inside their home in 2016.


newsweek--2020-12-11--42% of Voters Say Trump Will Be Known as 'One of Worst' Presidents in History: Fox News Poll

In a recent Fox News poll , 42 percent of respondents said that history would remember President Donald Trump as one of the worst presidents of all time .
The poll also found that 54 percent of respondents have an unfavorable view of Trump , 52 percent disapprove of the job he 's doing as president , 55 percent think the country is worse off today than it was four years ago , the same percentage disapprove of his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and 53 percent disapprove of his handling of immigration and healthcare .
Regarding Trump 's recent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ percent say they do n't think the election was stolen , 56 percent say Trump 's overturn efforts have weakened democracy and 57 percent said they did n't want to see Trump run for president again in 2024 .
The poll was conducted between December 6 and 9 by calling a random national sample of 1,007 registered voters , 239 of whom were contacted via landline and 768 who were contacted via cellphone .
The survey method also used proportionate numbers of respondents from each state meant to reflect the number of voters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points .
However , the poll showed 52 percent approving of Trump 's handling of the economy .
Despite that , 63 percent said they 'd rate the current economic conditions as fair to poor .
Also , 40 percent of respondents said they expected the economy to improve , whereas only 35 percent said they expected it to worsen .
When asked if they felt their families were better off now than four years ago , 33 percent said yes , 30 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about the same .
A handful of polls since the election have shown Trump 's favorability to be slipping as that of his political opponent , President-elect Joe Biden has risen .
A November 30 Gallup poll showed Biden 's favorability rating to be 55 percent—6 percent higher than Trump 's record-high of 49 percent last April .
Biden 's favorability rating just after the election was 13 points higher than Trump 's was after he won the 2016 presidential election .
Gallup also found around the same date that Biden 's favorability @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Trump 's among Democrats .
While 12 percent of Republicans expressed a favorable opinion of Biden , only 3 percent of Democrats had a favorable opinion of Trump .
Independents also preferred Biden to Trump , with 55 percent having a favorable opinion of Biden compared to 36 percent for the president .
Gallup has said that most winners of presidential elections get a post-election boost in favorability ratings .
After Trump won the 2016 election , his Gallup favorability rating rose from 34 percent to 42 percent .
But even then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rating of any presidential election winner since 2000 .
Newsweek contacted the Trump campaign for comment .

In a recent Fox News poll, 42 percent of respondents said that history would remember President Donald Trump as one of the worst presidents of all time.
The poll also found that 54 percent of respondents have an unfavorable view of Trump, 52 percent disapprove of the job he's doing as president, 55 percent think the country is worse off today than it was four years ago, the same percentage disapprove of his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and 53 percent disapprove of his handling of immigration and healthcare.
Regarding Trump's recent attempts to overturn the elections, 58 percent say they don't think the election was stolen, 56 percent say Trump's overturn efforts have weakened democracy and 57 percent said they didn't want to see Trump run for president again in 2024.
In a recent Fox News poll, 42 percent of respondents said that President Donald Trump would go down as one of the worst president in history. In this December 5, 2020 photo, Trump gestures while speaking during a rally to support Republican Senate candidates in Valdosta, Georgia. Andrew Caballero-Reynolds / AFP/Getty
The poll was conducted between December 6 and 9 by calling a random national sample of 1,007 registered voters, 239 of whom were contacted via landline and 768 who were contacted via cellphone. The survey method also used proportionate numbers of respondents from each state meant to reflect the number of voters in each state.
The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
However, the poll showed 52 percent approving of Trump's handling of the economy. Despite that, 63 percent said they'd rate the current economic conditions as fair to poor. Also, 40 percent of respondents said they expected the economy to improve, whereas only 35 percent said they expected it to worsen.
When asked if they felt their families were better off now than four years ago, 33 percent said yes, 30 percent said no and 36 percent said about the same.
A handful of polls since the election have shown Trump's favorability to be slipping as that of his political opponent, President-elect Joe Biden has risen.
A November 30 Gallup poll showed Biden's favorability rating to be 55 percent—6 percent higher than Trump's record-high of 49 percent last April. Biden's favorability rating just after the election was 13 points higher than Trump's was after he won the 2016 presidential election.
Gallup also found around the same date that Biden's favorability rating among Republicans was four times that of Trump's among Democrats. While 12 percent of Republicans expressed a favorable opinion of Biden, only 3 percent of Democrats had a favorable opinion of Trump.
Independents also preferred Biden to Trump, with 55 percent having a favorable opinion of Biden compared to 36 percent for the president.
Gallup has said that most winners of presidential elections get a post-election boost in favorability ratings. After Trump won the 2016 election, his Gallup favorability rating rose from 34 percent to 42 percent. But even then, he had the lowest overall favorability rating of any presidential election winner since 2000.
Newsweek contacted the Trump campaign for comment.


newsweek--2020-12-11--FDA Approves Pfizer's COVID-19 Vaccine for Emergency Use

The Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) approved Pfizer 's vaccine to protect against the new coronavirus on Friday night , authorizing the immunization for emergency use in the United States .
The federal agency 's decision marked a significant and long-awaited milestone amid the nation 's ongoing COVID-19 response .
After a number of leading biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies moved to the forefront of the global race for a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine , Pfizer 's candidate became the first to receive an official nod from the FDA .
Although the immunization is not yet approved for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( EUA ) will allow medical professionals to administer it under certain circumstances .
In this case , high-risk groups , such as front line workers and nursing home residents , will receive the vaccination prior to broader approval and widespread distribution .
The first shipment will be of around 2.9 million doses , according to the New York Times .
Pfizer and Moderna 's respective COVID-19 vaccines each emerged as promising candidates last month , when analyses of late-stage clinical trials indicated the immunizations were highly , and comparably , effective .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ company BioNTech to develop its vaccine , announced the results of its trial analyses during the first week of November .
At the time , it said that early data placed the immunization 's effectiveness at 90 percent .
About one week later , Moderna said results of its own analyses indicated the company 's candidate was 94 percent effective at preventing COVID-19 .
The United Kingdom approved Pfizer 's vaccine in early December and began distributing doses on December 7 .
News of both vaccine candidates ' reported efficacy drew immediate praise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dr. Anthony Fauci , a leading member of Donald Trump 's Coronavirus Task Force and director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases ( NIAID ) , shared insights about how a viable immunization could impact the trajectory of the U.S. virus outbreak soon after , as the nation recorded new diagnoses and hospitalizations in record-breaking numbers .
`` If you have a highly efficacious vaccine , and only a relatively small 40 or 50 percent of the people get vaccinated , you 're not going to get the herd immunity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an appearance on CBS News ' Face the Nation November 22 .
The infectious disease expert also underscored the legitimacy of an FDA-approved candidate , noting that authorization means the general population can trust the immunization is safe and effective .
`` When the American public hears that , you should be assured that that is the case , '' he said .
`` And if you get an overwhelming majority of the people vaccinated with a highly efficacious vaccine , we can , reasonably quickly , get to the herd immunity that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country . ''
As of Friday , more than 15.8 million people have tested positive for COVID-19 in the U.S. since last spring , according to Johns Hopkins University 's tracker .
Of them , 294,715 people have died .

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Pfizer's vaccine to protect against the new coronavirus on Friday night, authorizing the immunization for emergency use in the United States.
The federal agency's decision marked a significant and long-awaited milestone amid the nation's ongoing COVID-19 response.
After a number of leading biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies moved to the forefront of the global race for a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine, Pfizer's candidate became the first to receive an official nod from the FDA. Although the immunization is not yet approved for widespread distribution, the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) will allow medical professionals to administer it under certain circumstances. In this case, high-risk groups, such as front line workers and nursing home residents, will receive the vaccination prior to broader approval and widespread distribution. The first shipment will be of around 2.9 million doses, according to the New York Times.
A COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer and German biotechnology company BioNTech received an emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday. The logo of US multinational pharmaceutical company Pfizer, is pictured at a factory in Puurs, where Covid-19 vaccines are being produced for Britain, on December 3, 2020. KENZO TRIBOUILLARD/AFP via Getty Images
Pfizer and Moderna's respective COVID-19 vaccines each emerged as promising candidates last month, when analyses of late-stage clinical trials indicated the immunizations were highly, and comparably, effective.
Pfizer, which partnered with German biotechnology company BioNTech to develop its vaccine, announced the results of its trial analyses during the first week of November. At the time, it said that early data placed the immunization's effectiveness at 90 percent. About one week later, Moderna said results of its own analyses indicated the company's candidate was 94 percent effective at preventing COVID-19. The United Kingdom approved Pfizer's vaccine in early December and began distributing doses on December 7.
News of both vaccine candidates' reported efficacy drew immediate praise from health officials. Top U.S. immunologist Dr. Anthony Fauci, a leading member of Donald Trump's Coronavirus Task Force and director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), shared insights about how a viable immunization could impact the trajectory of the U.S. virus outbreak soon after, as the nation recorded new diagnoses and hospitalizations in record-breaking numbers.
"If you have a highly efficacious vaccine, and only a relatively small 40 or 50 percent of the people get vaccinated, you're not going to get the herd immunity you need," Fauci explained during an appearance on CBS News' Face the Nation November 22. The infectious disease expert also underscored the legitimacy of an FDA-approved candidate, noting that authorization means the general population can trust the immunization is safe and effective.
"When the American public hears that, you should be assured that that is the case," he said. "And if you get an overwhelming majority of the people vaccinated with a highly efficacious vaccine, we can, reasonably quickly, get to the herd immunity that would be a blanket of protection for the country."
As of Friday, more than 15.8 million people have tested positive for COVID-19 in the U.S. since last spring, according to Johns Hopkins University's tracker. Of them, 294,715 people have died.


newsweek--2020-12-11--Iowa Church Clears $5 Million of Medical Debt for Christmas, and Aims for Millions More

Some Iowans may receive an unexpected holiday gift this year : the freedom from medical debt .
By partnering with a debt-forgiveness charity called RIP Medical Debt , the Capitol Hill Lutheran Church in Des Moines purchased $ 5 million dollars in medical debt within the state .
Reverend Minna Bothwell told the Des Moines Register on Thursday that the idea of making the gesture came from members of her congregation .
RIP Medical Debt , a non-profit organization , abolishes large amounts of medical debt after purchasing it at a discount from collection agencies .
Bothwell said she asked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it would take to forgive all the medical debt in Polk County .
They responded , 'With what you have , you could forgive debt in all of Iowa . '
'' In a video posted to Facebook in November , Bothwell said that Capitol Hill Lutheran Church `` purchased all of Iowa 's medical debt that RIP had access to , a total of $ 5 million .
And we are going to forgive every cent of it . ''
Bothwell also announced that her congregation would start a second donation drive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ medical debt in the neighboring state of Missouri .
`` 2020 has been a rough year for everyone , '' Bothwell told the Register .
Hopefully , when people receive this news , they start the year off better with a significant weight off their shoulders . ''
According to RIP Medical Debt 's website , the organization purchases medical debt portfolios for individuals near the poverty line .
Once the debt is bought and forgiven , the charity sends out forgiveness notices and allows individuals who have been impacted by heavy medical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As of December 11 , RIP Medical Debt has forgiven over $ 2,923,061,000 in debt .
Many Americans have struggled with medical debt , particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic .
As non-essential businesses closed in order to curb the spread of the virus , workers for those businesses lost their jobs .
For many , their health insurance was connected to their employment .
According to a survey taken by Credit Karma in August of almost 20 million members , approximately $ 45 billion of medical debt has been placed into collections , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in debt per member .
In March , a coronavirus economic stimulus package called the CARES Act extended some financial relief to Americans .
Those provisions , including extended unemployment benefits and a moratorium on evictions , are expected to expire at the end of December .
After weeks of negotiations , lawmakers from both the GOP and the Democrat Party unveiled a new economic stimulus bill with a price tag of roughly $ 908 billion .
The bill proposes a temporary raise of unemployment benefits by $ 300 per week for 16 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pushing for stimulus checks to be added to the bill in addition to the rise in unemployment benefits .
Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders called for checks in the amount of $ 1,200 to be sent to eligible Americans as part of the new proposal .
`` I will insist that any agreement in terms of a COVID-19 relief package must include not only strong unemployment benefits , '' Sanders said in a Friday floor speech , `` but a $ 1,200 direct payment for the working families of this country similarly structured to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of March . ''
Newsweek reached out to Sanders 's office for comment .

Some Iowans may receive an unexpected holiday gift this year: the freedom from medical debt.
By partnering with a debt-forgiveness charity called RIP Medical Debt, the Capitol Hill Lutheran Church in Des Moines purchased $5 million dollars in medical debt within the state. Reverend Minna Bothwell told the Des Moines Register on Thursday that the idea of making the gesture came from members of her congregation. RIP Medical Debt, a non-profit organization, abolishes large amounts of medical debt after purchasing it at a discount from collection agencies.
Bothwell said she asked RIP Medical Debt "how much money it would take to forgive all the medical debt in Polk County. They responded, 'With what you have, you could forgive debt in all of Iowa.'"
In a video posted to Facebook in November, Bothwell said that Capitol Hill Lutheran Church "purchased all of Iowa's medical debt that RIP had access to, a total of $5 million. And we are going to forgive every cent of it."
Bothwell also announced that her congregation would start a second donation drive in order to purchase all of the medical debt in the neighboring state of Missouri.
"2020 has been a rough year for everyone," Bothwell told the Register. Hopefully, when people receive this news, they start the year off better with a significant weight off their shoulders."
A Lutheran church in Iowa partnered with a non-profit organization to wipe out $5 million in medical debt across the state. iStock/Getty
According to RIP Medical Debt's website, the organization purchases medical debt portfolios for individuals near the poverty line. Once the debt is bought and forgiven, the charity sends out forgiveness notices and allows individuals who have been impacted by heavy medical debt to begin rebuilding their credit. As of December 11, RIP Medical Debt has forgiven over $2,923,061,000 in debt.
Many Americans have struggled with medical debt, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. As non-essential businesses closed in order to curb the spread of the virus, workers for those businesses lost their jobs. For many, their health insurance was connected to their employment. According to a survey taken by Credit Karma in August of almost 20 million members, approximately $45 billion of medical debt has been placed into collections, which works out to roughly $2,200 in debt per member.
In March, a coronavirus economic stimulus package called the CARES Act extended some financial relief to Americans. Those provisions, including extended unemployment benefits and a moratorium on evictions, are expected to expire at the end of December.
After weeks of negotiations, lawmakers from both the GOP and the Democrat Party unveiled a new economic stimulus bill with a price tag of roughly $908 billion. The bill proposes a temporary raise of unemployment benefits by $300 per week for 16 weeks. However, some lawmakers are pushing for stimulus checks to be added to the bill in addition to the rise in unemployment benefits. Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders called for checks in the amount of $1,200 to be sent to eligible Americans as part of the new proposal.
"I will insist that any agreement in terms of a COVID-19 relief package must include not only strong unemployment benefits," Sanders said in a Friday floor speech, "but a $1,200 direct payment for the working families of this country similarly structured to what was included in the CARES package of March."
Newsweek reached out to Sanders's office for comment.


newsweek--2020-12-11--Eric Swalwell Report Fits Bill of China Spy Pattern Identified By FBI

A California lawmaker who a recent media report alleges to have been targeted by a Chinese espionage operation fits the bill of Beijing 's intelligence behavior as identified by the FBI .
An investigation published Wednesday by Axios named Democratic Representative Eric Swalwell as among a number of high-profile individuals in the San Francisco area courted between 2011 and 2015 by Chinese national Christine Fang , also known as Fang Fang , as part of a plot orchestrated by China 's security services .
FBI spokesperson Carol Cratty declined Newsweek 's request to discuss the matter , saying the Bureau @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reports . ''
Asked about the broader threat posed by Chinese espionage to U.S. national security , she referred Newsweek to comments made in July by FBI Director Christopher Wray at a virtual event hosted by the Hudson Institute .
`` The greatest long-term threat to our nation 's information and intellectual property , and to our economic vitality , is the counterintelligence and economic espionage threat from China , '' Wray said at the time .
Among the targets he specified for such operations were policymakers , who Wray said were sometimes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deceptive influence efforts . ''
Newsweek previously obtained a copy of a 2019 Chinese think tank report that ranked U.S. governors based on their views toward China .
Out of the 50 , 17 were labeled as `` friendly ; '' 14 as `` ambiguous '' and six as `` hardline , '' with the rest branded `` unclear . ''
Jamestown Foundation fellow Matthew Brazil said China 's Ministry of State Security has a record of pursuing U.S. politicians on both sides of the aisle .
`` If you look at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ districts [ in the Bay Area ] , they 're dominated by Democrats , '' Brazil told Newsweek .
`` But of course , MSS and other agencies have also targeted Republicans in the past , they just go for the right opportunities with long term results in mind . ''
Brazil , a former U.S. Army officer , diplomat and corporate security manager who , with Peter Mattis , co-authored Chinese Communist Espionage : An Intelligence Primer , indicated this strategy dates back decades .
He said it predates the People 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country 's civil war against a nationalist government that was ultimately forced into exile in Taiwan with the Communist victory of 1949 .
Brazil said The idea today , he said , was not necessarily to exert control over individuals but `` to prompt someone to be more sympathetic to China , to view China as a less threatening nation than otherwise . ''
In Swalwell 's case , Brazil said there was no indication the former Democratic presidential candidate did anything wrong , nor did the Axios report accuse him of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Swalwell was warned by the FBI about Fang and cut off ties with her in 2015 .
Statements by his office mirror this account .
`` Rep. Swalwell , long ago , provided information about this person — whom he met more than eight years ago , and whom he has n't seen in nearly six years — to the FBI , '' Swalwell 's office told Axios .
`` To protect information that might be classified , he will not participate in your story . ''
A statement offered to the San @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Richman also cleared the congressman .
`` The FBI has now reaffirmed that Rep. Swalwell was never suspected of wrongdoing in this matter , '' Richman told the outlet .
`` In addition , the Republican and Democratic congressional leadership were informed that Rep. Swalwell was not suspected of wrongdoing .
No concerns were raised on either side of the aisle at that time or over the past five years . ''
Swalwell himself has also indicated to Politico and CNN that the leaks to Axios may have been sanctioned by the administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inquiry as a member of the House Judiciary and Intelligence committees .
When Jason Miller , principal at SHW Partners and senior adviser to President Donald Trump , shared a Daily Caller article placing Swalwell at the same February 2013 event as an unnamed individual who is also accused of being a Chinese spy while working as a staffer for Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein of California , Swalwell hit back with a personal attack .
`` Just a reminder : pay your child support @ JasonMillerinDC , '' Swalwell tweeted early Friday .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dad is a deadbeat .
Feed them for the holidays . ''
Others implicated in alleged Chinese intelligence plots include Baimadajie Angwang , an NYPD officer arrested in September on suspicion of using law enforcement databases to collect information on members of New York 's Tibetan community .
A report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies lists 147 publicly reported instances of Chinese espionage directed at the U.S. since 2000 .
Sixty-one percent of actors were Chinese military or government employees , 28 % were private Chinese citizens , and 10 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ persons ) .
Thirty-six percent of incidents sought to acquire military technology , 47 % sought to acquire commercial technologies , and 14 % sought to acquire information on U.S. civilian agencies or politicians , according to the report .
Three-quarters of the cases occurred in the last 10 years .
A number of scientists and academics involved in some of these incidents have been slapped with espionage charges for allegedly carrying out or attempting to carry out the collection of sensitive materials on behalf of Beijing .
This trend was referenced by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made Wednesday at the Georgia Institute of Technology .
`` It is time for the balance to be struck to both maintain our competitive advantage and protect the American advantage from the threats that the Chinese Communist Party has clearly stated they intend to , the costs they intend to impose upon us , '' Pompeo said .
The following day , he referred to China as `` the largest , most significant threat to our national security anywhere on the global stage today . ''
Chinese Foreign Ministry Hua Chunying dismissed the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ completely wrong , disgraceful and intolerable '' during a regular press briefing Thursday in Beijing .
`` Pompeo 's speech , filled with ideological bias , brazenly smears China and the CPC and stigmatizes China-U.S. education exchange , '' Hua said .
`` It fully exposed his malign intent to deliberately sabotage China-U.S. friendship and cooperation . ''

A California lawmaker who a recent media report alleges to have been targeted by a Chinese espionage operation fits the bill of Beijing's intelligence behavior as identified by the FBI.
An investigation published Wednesday by Axios named Democratic Representative Eric Swalwell as among a number of high-profile individuals in the San Francisco area courted between 2011 and 2015 by Chinese national Christine Fang, also known as Fang Fang, as part of a plot orchestrated by China's security services.
FBI spokesperson Carol Cratty declined Newsweek's request to discuss the matter, saying the Bureau "has no comment on the news reports."
Asked about the broader threat posed by Chinese espionage to U.S. national security, she referred Newsweek to comments made in July by FBI Director Christopher Wray at a virtual event hosted by the Hudson Institute.
"The greatest long-term threat to our nation's information and intellectual property, and to our economic vitality, is the counterintelligence and economic espionage threat from China," Wray said at the time.
Among the targets he specified for such operations were policymakers, who Wray said were sometimes subject to "indirect, covert, deceptive influence efforts."
This picture taken on November 6, 2018 shows a Chinese and U.S. flag at a booth during the first China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai. Relations between the two countries have undergone a major deterioration in relations since President Donald Trump took office in 2017. JOHANNES EISELE/AFP/Getty Images
Newsweek previously obtained a copy of a 2019 Chinese think tank report that ranked U.S. governors based on their views toward China. Out of the 50, 17 were labeled as "friendly;" 14 as "ambiguous" and six as "hardline," with the rest branded "unclear."
Jamestown Foundation fellow Matthew Brazil said China's Ministry of State Security has a record of pursuing U.S. politicians on both sides of the aisle.
"If you look at the congressional districts and State Senate and Assembly districts [in the Bay Area], they're dominated by Democrats," Brazil told Newsweek. "But of course, MSS and other agencies have also targeted Republicans in the past, they just go for the right opportunities with long term results in mind."
Brazil, a former U.S. Army officer, diplomat and corporate security manager who, with Peter Mattis, co-authored Chinese Communist Espionage: An Intelligence Primer, indicated this strategy dates back decades. He said it predates the People's Republic itself, echoing tactics used during the country's civil war against a nationalist government that was ultimately forced into exile in Taiwan with the Communist victory of 1949.
The idea today, he said, was not necessarily to exert control over individuals but "to prompt someone to be more sympathetic to China, to view China as a less threatening nation than otherwise."
In Swalwell's case, Brazil said there was no indication the former Democratic presidential candidate did anything wrong, nor did the Axios report accuse him of any misconduct.
The report found that Swalwell was warned by the FBI about Fang and cut off ties with her in 2015. Statements by his office mirror this account.
"Rep. Swalwell, long ago, provided information about this person — whom he met more than eight years ago, and whom he hasn't seen in nearly six years — to the FBI," Swalwell's office told Axios. "To protect information that might be classified, he will not participate in your story."
A statement offered to the San Francisco Chronicle by Swalwell's spokesperson Josh Richman also cleared the congressman.
"The FBI has now reaffirmed that Rep. Swalwell was never suspected of wrongdoing in this matter," Richman told the outlet. "In addition, the Republican and Democratic congressional leadership were informed that Rep. Swalwell was not suspected of wrongdoing. No concerns were raised on either side of the aisle at that time or over the past five years."
Swalwell himself has also indicated to Politico and CNN that the leaks to Axios may have been sanctioned by the administration for his work into the presidential impeachment inquiry as a member of the House Judiciary and Intelligence committees.
When Jason Miller, principal at SHW Partners and senior adviser to President Donald Trump, shared a Daily Caller article placing Swalwell at the same February 2013 event as an unnamed individual who is also accused of being a Chinese spy while working as a staffer for Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein of California, Swalwell hit back with a personal attack.
"Just a reminder: pay your child support @JasonMillerinDC," Swalwell tweeted early Friday. "Kids shouldn't go hungry because Dad is a deadbeat. Feed them for the holidays."
Representative Eric Swalwell (D-CA) listens during the House Judiciary committee hearing on "Oversight of the Department of Justice: Political Interference and Threats to Prosecutorial Independence", on Capitol Hill on June 24 in Washington, D.C. Swalwell is not accused of any wrongdoing in his alleged contacts with a Chinese national suspected of espionage. ANNA MONEYMAKER/AFP/Getty Images
Others implicated in alleged Chinese intelligence plots include Baimadajie Angwang, an NYPD officer arrested in September on suspicion of using law enforcement databases to collect information on members of New York's Tibetan community.
A report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies lists 147 publicly reported instances of Chinese espionage directed at the U.S. since 2000. Sixty-one percent of actors were Chinese military or government employees, 28% were private Chinese citizens, and 10% were non-Chinese actors (usually U.S. persons). Thirty-six percent of incidents sought to acquire military technology, 47% sought to acquire commercial technologies, and 14% sought to acquire information on U.S. civilian agencies or politicians, according to the report.
Three-quarters of the cases occurred in the last 10 years. A number of scientists and academics involved in some of these incidents have been slapped with espionage charges for allegedly carrying out or attempting to carry out the collection of sensitive materials on behalf of Beijing.
This trend was referenced by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in remarks made Wednesday at the Georgia Institute of Technology.
"It is time for the balance to be struck to both maintain our competitive advantage and protect the American advantage from the threats that the Chinese Communist Party has clearly stated they intend to, the costs they intend to impose upon us," Pompeo said.
The following day, he referred to China as "the largest, most significant threat to our national security anywhere on the global stage today."
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying dismissed the top U.S. diplomat's remarks as "completely wrong, disgraceful and intolerable" during a regular press briefing Thursday in Beijing.
"Pompeo's speech, filled with ideological bias, brazenly smears China and the CPC and stigmatizes China-U.S. education exchange," Hua said. "It fully exposed his malign intent to deliberately sabotage China-U.S. friendship and cooperation."


newsweek--2020-12-11--GOP Lawmakers in Missouri Propose Bills Making It Legal to Hit Protesters With Cars

Missouri state Republican lawmakers have introduced legislation allowing drivers to legally run over protesters with their vehicles .
Two bills introduced this month by Republican Missouri state Representative Adam Schnelting and Republican state Senator-elect Rick Brattin would remove legal liabilities for drivers striking protesters , or those at gatherings deemed to be `` unlawful '' demonstrations , with their vehicles .
`` The Fleeing Motorist Protection Act ensures that motorists who are trapped in their vehicle during a riot are civilly and criminally protected under state law , '' Schnelting tweeted on Thursday .
`` If your grandparents are caught @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , they should n't be held liable for inadvertently hitting a rioter if they flee the scene in order to save those in the car from physical danger . ''
The bill does not allow vehicular assault or acts of `` gross negligence . ''
It would instead apply only to those who drive into a person while attempting `` to flee in a motor vehicle from an unlawful or riotous assemblage . ''
There were over 100 instances of drivers striking protesters at Black Lives Matter protests that took place across the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wall Street Journal .
Memes popular in some far-right social media circles encouraged and celebrated drivers intentionally injuring or killing the protesters with their vehicles , using hashtags like # AllLivesSplatter and # RunThemDown .
On Friday , Schnelting insisted that the bill was aimed at protecting his constituents and objected to the notion that it was aimed at protesters while sharing a local news article headlined `` Missouri bills push to protect drivers if they hit protesters '' on Twitter .
`` Misleading headline , '' Schnelting tweeted .
`` The Fleeing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ & mobs , not 'protestors ' .
Peaceful protesting is a very American idea , one that I will support until the day I die . ''
Brattin 's bill , which was prefiled on December 1 , similarly absolves drivers of any liability but does not excuse acts of gross negligence .
The legislation also seeks to strip employment benefits from government employees determined to have taken part in `` rioting '' or `` unlawful assembly . ''
Unlike Schnelting 's bill , it explicitly proposes allowing vehicles to strike protesters , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
`` Any person operating a motor vehicle who injures another person with the motor vehicle shall not be liable for any damages if , at the time of the injury : ( 1 ) The person operating the motor vehicle was exercising due care ; and ( 2 ) The person injured was blocking traffic in a public right-of-way while participating in a protest or demonstration , '' the text of the bill reads .
Several Republican officials from across the country have made similar proposals this year , including Florida @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suggested allowing drivers to legally kill or injure protesters as long as they are deemed to be `` fleeing for safety from a mob . ''

Missouri state Republican lawmakers have introduced legislation allowing drivers to legally run over protesters with their vehicles.
Two bills introduced this month by Republican Missouri state Representative Adam Schnelting and Republican state Senator-elect Rick Brattin would remove legal liabilities for drivers striking protesters, or those at gatherings deemed to be "unlawful" demonstrations, with their vehicles.
"The Fleeing Motorist Protection Act ensures that motorists who are trapped in their vehicle during a riot are civilly and criminally protected under state law," Schnelting tweeted on Thursday. "If your grandparents are caught in a mob and are being threatened, they shouldn't be held liable for inadvertently hitting a rioter if they flee the scene in order to save those in the car from physical danger."
The bill does not allow vehicular assault or acts of "gross negligence." It would instead apply only to those who drive into a person while attempting "to flee in a motor vehicle from an unlawful or riotous assemblage."
A protester is shown on the hood of a car during a demonstration against police brutality and racial injustice in New York City on June 1, 2020. BRYAN R. SMITH/AFP/Getty
There were over 100 instances of drivers striking protesters at Black Lives Matter protests that took place across the country this year, according to The Wall Street Journal. Memes popular in some far-right social media circles encouraged and celebrated drivers intentionally injuring or killing the protesters with their vehicles, using hashtags like #AllLivesSplatter and #RunThemDown.
On Friday, Schnelting insisted that the bill was aimed at protecting his constituents and objected to the notion that it was aimed at protesters while sharing a local news article headlined "Missouri bills push to protect drivers if they hit protesters" on Twitter.
"Misleading headline," Schnelting tweeted. "The Fleeing Motorist Protection Act protects motorists from rioters & mobs, not 'protestors'. Peaceful protesting is a very American idea, one that I will support until the day I die."
Brattin's bill, which was prefiled on December 1, similarly absolves drivers of any liability but does not excuse acts of gross negligence. The legislation also seeks to strip employment benefits from government employees determined to have taken part in "rioting" or "unlawful assembly." Unlike Schnelting's bill, it explicitly proposes allowing vehicles to strike protesters, or those "participating in a protest."
"Any person operating a motor vehicle who injures another person with the motor vehicle shall not be liable for any damages if, at the time of the injury: (1) The person operating the motor vehicle was exercising due care; and (2) The person injured was blocking traffic in a public right-of-way while participating in a protest or demonstration," the text of the bill reads.
Several Republican officials from across the country have made similar proposals this year, including Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who in September suggested allowing drivers to legally kill or injure protesters as long as they are deemed to be "fleeing for safety from a mob."


newsweek--2020-12-11--Supreme Court Rejects Attempt from Texas AG to Overturn Election Results

Friday evening , the Supreme Court denied the lawsuit filed by the Texas attorney general seeking to overturn the election , due to lack of standing under Article 3 of the Constitution .
`` Texas has not demonstrated a judicially cognizable interest in the manner in which another State conducts its elections .
All other pending motions are dismissed as moot , '' the Court wrote .
The legal saga began on Tuesday when Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton asked the high court to throw out the voting results in four battleground states—Georgia , Michigan , Pennsylvania and Wisconsin—that went @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump .
Paxton accused the states of exploiting the coronavirus pandemic to ignore federal and state election laws to skew the results of the November 3 election .
He specifically challenged the legality of mail-in ballots , which he alleged were placed in drop boxes with `` little or no chain of custody '' and were n't subject to strong signature verification requirements .
`` Their failure to abide by the rule of law casts a dark shadow of doubt over the outcome of the entire election , '' Paxton said in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Supreme Court step in to correct this egregious error . ''
Officials from each state sued by the attorney general quickly dismissed the charges .
Georgia Deputy Secretary of State Jordan Fuchs said the claims are `` false and irresponsible . ''
Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shaprio commented that `` these continued attacks on our fair and free election system are beyond meritless , beyond reckless .
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel told CNN that she felt sorry for Texas residents who have to foot the bill for the long-shot litigation .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ exceeding the necessary 270 to clinch victory in the state-by-state Electoral College , and leading in the national popular vote by more than 7 million votes .
So far , Trump has refused to concede the election and continues to baselessly claim that the contest was riddled with widespread voter fraud .
While legal experts quickly dismissed Paxton 's lawsuit , 17 states whose elections were won by Trump told the Supreme Court Wednesday that they supported Texas 's attempt to overturn the results .
Trump also filed a motion Wednesday to intervene @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a candidate .
On Thursday , 106 Republicans from the House of Representatives signed on to an amicus brief in the Texas lawsuit to invalidate millions of votes .
`` Most of my Republican colleagues in the House , and countless millions of our constituents across the country , now have serious concerns with the integrity of our election system .
The purpose of our amicus brief will be to articulate this concern and express our sincere belief that the great importance of this issue merits a full and careful consideration by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who led the effort to draft an amicus brief in the case , said in a statement to Newsweek .
Officials from Georgia , Michigan , Pennsylvania and Wisconsin did n't mince words in their responses to the case and asked the Supreme Court on Thursday to reject the lawsuit .
`` The court should not abide this seditious abuse of the judicial process , and should send a clear and unmistakable signal that such abuse must never be replicated , '' a brief for Pennsylvania said .
Georgia Attorney General Christopher @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This election cycle , Georgia did what the Constitution empowered it to do : it implemented processes for the election , administered the election in the face of logistical challenges brought on by COVID19 , and confirmed and certified the election results— again and again and again .
Yet Texas has sued Georgia anyway . ''
Ahead of the Supreme Court 's decision , Trump tweeted Friday that the court would show `` Wisdom and Courage '' if they ruled in favor of Texas .
`` If the Supreme Court shows great Wisdom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ win perhaps the most important case in history , and our Electoral Process will be respected again ! ''
the president wrote .

Friday evening, the Supreme Court denied the lawsuit filed by the Texas attorney general seeking to overturn the election, due to lack of standing under Article 3 of the Constitution.
"Texas has not demonstrated a judicially cognizable interest in the manner in which another State conducts its elections. All other pending motions are dismissed as moot," the Court wrote.
The legal saga began on Tuesday when Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton asked the high court to throw out the voting results in four battleground states—Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin—that went for President-elect Joe Biden over President Donald Trump.
Paxton accused the states of exploiting the coronavirus pandemic to ignore federal and state election laws to skew the results of the November 3 election. He specifically challenged the legality of mail-in ballots, which he alleged were placed in drop boxes with "little or no chain of custody" and weren't subject to strong signature verification requirements.
"Their failure to abide by the rule of law casts a dark shadow of doubt over the outcome of the entire election," Paxton said in a statement. "We now ask that the Supreme Court step in to correct this egregious error."
Officials from each state sued by the attorney general quickly dismissed the charges. Georgia Deputy Secretary of State Jordan Fuchs said the claims are "false and irresponsible." Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shaprio commented that "these continued attacks on our fair and free election system are beyond meritless, beyond reckless. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel told CNN that she felt sorry for Texas residents who have to foot the bill for the long-shot litigation.
Biden has amassed 306 electoral votes, exceeding the necessary 270 to clinch victory in the state-by-state Electoral College, and leading in the national popular vote by more than 7 million votes. So far, Trump has refused to concede the election and continues to baselessly claim that the contest was riddled with widespread voter fraud.
While legal experts quickly dismissed Paxton's lawsuit, 17 states whose elections were won by Trump told the Supreme Court Wednesday that they supported Texas's attempt to overturn the results. Trump also filed a motion Wednesday to intervene in the case in his personal capacity as a candidate.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks to reporters at a news conference outside the Supreme Court on Capitol Hill on June 9, 2016. Paxton filed a lawsuit on December 8 attempting to overturn election results in four battleground states that went for President-elect Joe Biden over President Donald Trump in the November 3 general election. Garbiella Demczuk/Getty
On Thursday, 106 Republicans from the House of Representatives signed on to an amicus brief in the Texas lawsuit to invalidate millions of votes.
"Most of my Republican colleagues in the House, and countless millions of our constituents across the country, now have serious concerns with the integrity of our election system. The purpose of our amicus brief will be to articulate this concern and express our sincere belief that the great importance of this issue merits a full and careful consideration by the Court," Representative Mike Johnson, who led the effort to draft an amicus brief in the case, said in a statement to Newsweek.
Officials from Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin didn't mince words in their responses to the case and asked the Supreme Court on Thursday to reject the lawsuit.
"The court should not abide this seditious abuse of the judicial process, and should send a clear and unmistakable signal that such abuse must never be replicated," a brief for Pennsylvania said.
Georgia Attorney General Christopher Carr wrote to the court: "This election cycle, Georgia did what the Constitution empowered it to do: it implemented processes for the election, administered the election in the face of logistical challenges brought on by COVID19, and confirmed and certified the election results— again and again and again. Yet Texas has sued Georgia anyway."
Ahead of the Supreme Court's decision, Trump tweeted Friday that the court would show "Wisdom and Courage" if they ruled in favor of Texas.
"If the Supreme Court shows great Wisdom and Courage, the American People will win perhaps the most important case in history, and our Electoral Process will be respected again!" the president wrote.


newsweek--2020-12-11--'ARK' Update 2.43 Expands Genesis 2 Chronicles on PS4 and Xbox: Patch Notes

ARK : Survival Evolved update 2.43 has just arrived on PS4 and Xbox , bringing new Genesis 2 Chronicles content to the game .
For those keeping tabs on the changes , they 've been outlined in the latest patch notes found in a Studio Wildcard forum post .
All acquired by clicking on the main menu options • Fixed a bug that allowed the Stego to continuously impale • Removed level up notification when a dino is already at max level • Fixed an issue that could cause a stall when using the teleporter and troughs • Fixed an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unable to fly even when it has been fueled • Before eating a Tropeo egg , you will now receive a warning before consuming it • Fixed an issue where the baby mantis could float in the air • Adjusted the Stego 's impale damage so that it scales with the level • Fixed a bug where a mounted rider could be killed after removing a Trope saddle As described above , the main addition found within ARK update 2.43 is new content to kick off the Genesis 2 Chronicles celebration .
For @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chronicles events over the past few years to drum up hype for upcoming expansions .
These updates feature new and free objectives for players to complete , typically focused on Explorer Notes scattered around various maps .
Find them all , and you 'll be privy to special cosmetics related to the Genesis Part II expansion releasing in March .
So far , survivors have been able to try their hand at unlocking Federation Exo boots .
A new twist in the conversation , however , is the surprise reveal of ARK 2 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ While the jury is still out on how the upcoming title will appeal to ARK 's passionate community , official social media sources have teased that item 's found in today 's update might be relevant to the new project .
After all , we already know the title follows the ongoing story of Santiago that 's already been established in the current game .
With that in mind , this patch might take that narrative one level deeper .
Beyond that , however , the list of meaningful changes is pretty thin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now on PC , Xbox One , PS4 , Switch , Mac and Linux .
What are your thoughts on ARK update 2.43 ?
Are you ready for the next chapter of Genesis 2 Chronicles ?
Tell us in the comments section !

ARK: Survival Evolved update 2.43 has just arrived on PS4 and Xbox, bringing new Genesis 2 Chronicles content to the game. For those keeping tabs on the changes, they've been outlined in the latest patch notes found in a Studio Wildcard forum post.
ARK update 2.43 patch notes
'ARK' update 2.43 has arrived on PS4 and Xbox with new Genesis 2 Chronicles content. Read the full patch notes below. 'ARK' is available now on PC,Xbox, PS4, Switch, Mac and Linux. Studio Wildcard
Exclusives!
Animated Series Raptor Costume
Santiago's Spear Skin
Santiago's Axe Skin
All acquired by clicking on the main menu options
Genesis Chronicles
Added HLN-A Explorer Notes 6-10 for Genesis Chronicles
Added TEK Suit V2 pants for Genesis Chronicles
Bug Fixes
Fixed a bug that allowed the Stego to continuously impale
Removed level up notification when a dino is already at max level
Fixed an exploit with FOV
Fixed a bug with the Aberration day/night cycle
Fixed an issue that could cause a stall when using the teleporter and troughs
Fixed an occurrence where the TEK Skiff would be unable to fly even when it has been fueled
Before eating a Tropeo egg, you will now receive a warning before consuming it
Fixed an exploit with Nvidia Ansel
Fixed an issue where the baby mantis could float in the air
Adjusted the Stego's impale damage so that it scales with the level
Fixed a bug where a mounted rider could be killed after removing a Trope saddle
Fixed a mesh exploit with the Crab
As described above, the main addition found within ARK update 2.43 is new content to kick off the Genesis 2 Chronicles celebration. For those unfamiliar, Studio Wildcard has used Chronicles events over the past few years to drum up hype for upcoming expansions. These updates feature new and free objectives for players to complete, typically focused on Explorer Notes scattered around various maps. Find them all, and you'll be privy to special cosmetics related to the Genesis Part II expansion releasing in March. So far, survivors have been able to try their hand at unlocking Federation Exo boots.
A new twist in the conversation, however, is the surprise reveal of ARK 2 during Thursday night's Game Awards. While the jury is still out on how the upcoming title will appeal to ARK's passionate community, official social media sources have teased that item's found in today's update might be relevant to the new project. After all, we already know the title follows the ongoing story of Santiago that's already been established in the current game. With that in mind, this patch might take that narrative one level deeper. Beyond that, however, the list of meaningful changes is pretty thin.
ARK: Survival Evolved is available now on PC, Xbox One, PS4, Switch, Mac and Linux.
What are your thoughts on ARK update 2.43? Are you ready for the next chapter of Genesis 2 Chronicles? Tell us in the comments section!


newsweek--2020-12-11--COVID Causes a Huge Decrease in College Enrollments, New Report Finds

A new report from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center reveals the alarming effects COVID-19 has had on college enrollment .
The key takeaway is that there was a decline of 21.7 percent of high school graduates who enrolled in college this fall .
However , the eight annual National College Progression Rates report indicates the pandemic had little impact on high school graduation in the school year 2019–2020 .
In fact , the change on high school graduation over last year was less than plus or minus 1.0 percent , regardless of income level , poverty level , minority @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But those same distinctions of income and location show COVID-19 had a remarkably larger impact on immediate college enrollments rates for graduates of high-poverty , low-income and urban high schools .
The 21.7 percent decline of students going to college immediately after high school represents a decline of nearly eight times the pre-pandemic loss rate .
( In 2019 , 2.8 percent fewer students enrolled for college immediately after high school than the year prior . )
Additionally , there were 29.2 percent fewer enrollments from graduates of low-income high schools , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those from higher-income high schools ; 26.4 percent fewer graduates of high-minority high schools enrolled in college versus a 18.0 percent decrease for low-minority high schools ; there was a 32.6 percent drop for high-poverty school graduates while schools with low-poverty rates saw a 16.4 percent decrease ; and 25.1 percent fewer graduates of urban high schools enrolled in college , while there were 19.8 percent fewer new enrollees from suburban high schools and 18.1 percent fewer from rural high schools .
The report also shows which colleges took the hardest hits in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a decrease of 13.8 percent in new enrollments this fall , compared to a 4.0 percent decrease in the fall of 2019 .
Private , nonprofit four-year schools had a loss of 28.6 percent in new students , continuing—although much rapidly—a trend from last year when there were 5.9 percent less new enrollments .
Community colleges felt the biggest hit , though .
Those schools saw a 30.3 percent decrease in new enrollments .
Last year , however , community colleges actually had a minute increase of 0.7 percent .
( For-profit , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were not shown in the report due to small numbers . )
The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center research looks at indicators of high school to `` college transition , persistence , and completion outcomes '' for high school graduates .
The data is based on data as of September 18 , for 2,324 high schools across the country with differing characteristics of income , minority , and urbanicity .

A new report from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center reveals the alarming effects COVID-19 has had on college enrollment. The key takeaway is that there was a decline of 21.7 percent of high school graduates who enrolled in college this fall.
Far fewer recent high school graduates enrolled in college this fall. Getty
However, the eight annual National College Progression Rates report indicates the pandemic had little impact on high school graduation in the school year 2019–2020. In fact, the change on high school graduation over last year was less than plus or minus 1.0 percent, regardless of income level, poverty level, minority level, or urbanicity of high schools. But those same distinctions of income and location show COVID-19 had a remarkably larger impact on immediate college enrollments rates for graduates of high-poverty, low-income and urban high schools.
The 21.7 percent decline of students going to college immediately after high school represents a decline of nearly eight times the pre-pandemic loss rate. (In 2019, 2.8 percent fewer students enrolled for college immediately after high school than the year prior.) Additionally, there were 29.2 percent fewer enrollments from graduates of low-income high schools, compared to a 16.9 percent drop from those from higher-income high schools; 26.4 percent fewer graduates of high-minority high schools enrolled in college versus a 18.0 percent decrease for low-minority high schools; there was a 32.6 percent drop for high-poverty school graduates while schools with low-poverty rates saw a 16.4 percent decrease; and 25.1 percent fewer graduates of urban high schools enrolled in college, while there were 19.8 percent fewer new enrollees from suburban high schools and 18.1 percent fewer from rural high schools.
The report also shows which colleges took the hardest hits in admissions. Public, four-year colleges had a decrease of 13.8 percent in new enrollments this fall, compared to a 4.0 percent decrease in the fall of 2019. Private, nonprofit four-year schools had a loss of 28.6 percent in new students, continuing—although much rapidly—a trend from last year when there were 5.9 percent less new enrollments. Community colleges felt the biggest hit, though. Those schools saw a 30.3 percent decrease in new enrollments. Last year, however, community colleges actually had a minute increase of 0.7 percent. (For-profit, four-year colleges and private, two-year colleges were not shown in the report due to small numbers.)
The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center research looks at indicators of high school to "college transition, persistence, and completion outcomes" for high school graduates. The data is based on data as of September 18, for 2,324 high schools across the country with differing characteristics of income, minority, and urbanicity.