newsweek--2020-11-18--Jeremy Corbyn Banned From Sitting as a Labour MP - What Happens Now?

Former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn has been reinstated into the party following a 19-day suspension but he will not be allowed to sit as an MP with the parliamentary party .
Labour Leader Sir Keir Starmer has refused to restore the whip to Corbyn , the act of allowing him party legitimacy , which would allow him to continue sitting as one of the party 's MPs .
Starmer said : `` Jeremy Corbyn 's actions in response to the EHRC [ Equalities and Human Rights Commission ] report undermined and set back our work in restoring trust and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to tackle antisemitism .
In those circumstances , I have taken the decision not to restore the whip to Jeremy Corbyn .
I will keep this situation under review . ''
It is a move that has been welcomed by The Board of Deputies , the largest and oldest Jewish communal organization in the U.K , who tweeted : `` We welcome Keir Starmer 's decision to withhold the whip from Jeremy Corbyn ... We continue to say that 'zero tolerance ' must mean precisely that , whether for antisemites or their apologists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the days of bitter infighting in the party would be over under a new Labour leadership , they may have to wait a while yet .
For Keir Starmer , the original suspension meant damaging relations with the Corbynite wing of the party and now with the suspension being lifted , it also means he will have won few allies on the center and right of the party .
Mish Rahman , a member of the party 's national executive committee ( NEC ) says the suspension of Corbyn was an anti-democratic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` delighted '' with the result of the panel before Starmer decided not to reinstate Corbyn back into the party .
He feels that the suspension of Corbyn is an attempt by the current party leadership to sideline the left .
`` The future of the left in the Party is bright .
We 've recently won a majority of CLP reps onto the NEC , showing there is a socialist majority within the Party .
And the Momentum-backed slate , 'Socialist Future ' , swept the board in the Young Labour elections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ socialist .
Divided parties do n't win elections and attacks on members must stop .
It 's members ' ideas , energy and commitment that will drive our party to victory . ''
Corbyn , the MP for Islington North , who has been a party member for 55 years , was suspended for saying that the scale of anti-Semitism in the party had been 'overstated ' in response to a report by the Equalities and Human Rights Commission ( EHRC ) , the U.K. 's equalities watchdog , which investigated allegations of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ found that under Corbyn 's leadership , the party was responsible for `` unlawful acts of discrimination and harassment '' .
His reinstatement as a member has opened old wounds in the party over anti-Semitism .
The Jewish Labour Movement , the largest organization of Jewish Labour members , warned the decision to reinstate Corbyn will embolden those who agreed with his `` grossly offensive '' remarks that resulted in his suspension .
The Board of Deputies called the initial decision to reinstate Corbyn a `` retrograde step '' in its relation with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : `` For Jeremy Corbyn 's allies on the NEC ( National Executive Committee ) to expedite his case whilst hundreds of other cases languished under his tenure , and his confected non-apology earlier today adds insult to injury . ''
Some Jewish senior Labour politicians have welcomed Starmer 's actions .
Margaret Hodge MP said the decision to withhold the whip from Corbyn was the right one .
She tweeted : `` Yesterday has shown once again just how broken and unjust the existing complaints system is .
It has caused untold @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , undermined progress made and made me question my own place in the party .
`` As Corbyn has refused to himself accept the findings of the EHRC report , refused to apologise for his actions and refused to take any responsibility , withholding the whip is the right decision . ''
Meanwhile , Sir Keir could have a fight on his hands with the party 's single biggest donor , the trade union Unite .
Upon learning that Corbyn 's suspension was to be lifted , the union 's general secretary , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's readmission is the correct , fair and unifying decision .
As a party we now move forward to implement the EHRC 's recommendations and redouble our efforts to inspire voters about Keir 's 10 pledges . ''
Labour 's internal battles are from over , not just over anti-Semitism , but also over the overall direction the party should take .
Jon Lansman , former chair of Momentum , a pro-Corbyn grassroots group within the party , tweeted : `` The decision not to restore the whip to Corbyn just announced has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ party 's disciplinary process , making it subservient to the parliamentary party and embedding `` political interference '' .
`` The whip was only removed because he had been suspended ! ''
Sir Keir 's refusal to restore the whip to Corbyn , could lead to even greater anger among his supporters than his initial suspension , many of whom are also calling for members who have been disciplined for expressing support for Corbyn 's original response to the EHRC report to also be reinstated in the party .

Former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn has been reinstated into the party following a 19-day suspension but he will not be allowed to sit as an MP with the parliamentary party.
Labour Leader Sir Keir Starmer has refused to restore the whip to Corbyn, the act of allowing him party legitimacy, which would allow him to continue sitting as one of the party's MPs.
Starmer said: "Jeremy Corbyn's actions in response to the EHRC [Equalities and Human Rights Commission] report undermined and set back our work in restoring trust and confidence in the Labour Party's ability to tackle antisemitism. In those circumstances, I have taken the decision not to restore the whip to Jeremy Corbyn. I will keep this situation under review."
It is a move that has been welcomed by The Board of Deputies, the largest and oldest Jewish communal organization in the U.K, who tweeted: "We welcome Keir Starmer's decision to withhold the whip from Jeremy Corbyn... We continue to say that 'zero tolerance' must mean precisely that, whether for antisemites or their apologists."
If some had been hoping that the days of bitter infighting in the party would be over under a new Labour leadership, they may have to wait a while yet.
For Keir Starmer, the original suspension meant damaging relations with the Corbynite wing of the party and now with the suspension being lifted, it also means he will have won few allies on the center and right of the party.
Mish Rahman, a member of the party's national executive committee (NEC) says the suspension of Corbyn was an anti-democratic factional attack on the left but was "delighted" with the result of the panel before Starmer decided not to reinstate Corbyn back into the party.
He feels that the suspension of Corbyn is an attempt by the current party leadership to sideline the left.
"The future of the left in the Party is bright. We've recently won a majority of CLP reps onto the NEC, showing there is a socialist majority within the Party. And the Momentum-backed slate, 'Socialist Future', swept the board in the Young Labour elections. The future of Labour is undoubtedly socialist. Divided parties don't win elections and attacks on members must stop. It's members' ideas, energy and commitment that will drive our party to victory."
Corbyn, the MP for Islington North, who has been a party member for 55 years, was suspended for saying that the scale of anti-Semitism in the party had been 'overstated' in response to a report by the Equalities and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), the U.K.'s equalities watchdog, which investigated allegations of anti-Semitism in the Labour party.
It found that under Corbyn's leadership, the party was responsible for "unlawful acts of discrimination and harassment". His reinstatement as a member has opened old wounds in the party over anti-Semitism.
The Jewish Labour Movement, the largest organization of Jewish Labour members, warned the decision to reinstate Corbyn will embolden those who agreed with his "grossly offensive" remarks that resulted in his suspension.
The Board of Deputies called the initial decision to reinstate Corbyn a "retrograde step" in its relation with the Jewish community.
A statement added: "For Jeremy Corbyn's allies on the NEC (National Executive Committee) to expedite his case whilst hundreds of other cases languished under his tenure, and his confected non-apology earlier today adds insult to injury."
Jeremy Corbyn has been reinstated into the Labour Party Getty
Some Jewish senior Labour politicians have welcomed Starmer's actions. Margaret Hodge MP said the decision to withhold the whip from Corbyn was the right one.
She tweeted: "Yesterday has shown once again just how broken and unjust the existing complaints system is. It has caused untold hurt and anguish across the Jewish community, undermined progress made and made me question my own place in the party.
"As Corbyn has refused to himself accept the findings of the EHRC report, refused to apologise for his actions and refused to take any responsibility, withholding the whip is the right decision."
Meanwhile, Sir Keir could have a fight on his hands with the party's single biggest donor, the trade union Unite.
Upon learning that Corbyn's suspension was to be lifted, the union's general secretary, Len McCluskey tweeted: "Jeremy Corbyn's readmission is the correct, fair and unifying decision. As a party we now move forward to implement the EHRC's recommendations and redouble our efforts to inspire voters about Keir's 10 pledges."
Labour's internal battles are from over, not just over anti-Semitism, but also over the overall direction the party should take.
Jon Lansman, former chair of Momentum, a pro-Corbyn grassroots group within the party, tweeted: "The decision not to restore the whip to Corbyn just announced has driven a coach and horses through the party's disciplinary process, making it subservient to the parliamentary party and embedding "political interference".
"The whip was only removed because he had been suspended!"
Sir Keir's refusal to restore the whip to Corbyn, could lead to even greater anger among his supporters than his initial suspension, many of whom are also calling for members who have been disciplined for expressing support for Corbyn's original response to the EHRC report to also be reinstated in the party.


newsweek--2020-11-18--Americans Must Have Honest Elections | Opinion

The focus on counting votes for Donald Trump in the presidential election misses the deeper and more frightening part of the current election mess .
It is not primarily President Trump whose rights have been trampled and whose liberty is being threatened .
It is the American people 's .
Our constitutional system requires the rule of law to survive .
When the Founding Fathers wrote that all people are `` endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights , that among these are life , liberty and the pursuit of happiness , '' they understood that the rule of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those rights .
Equality before the law must begin with equality at the ballot box .
This belief in the importance of voting is what inspired the suffragette movement for women to vote and the Civil Rights movement for African Americans to vote in the 19th and 20th centuries .
The intensity of the presidential election is shining a spotlight on potential election cheating on a scale which threatens the survival of our freedoms .
Whatever happens to President Trump 's reelection efforts , we have an absolute obligation to dig into every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , not just Trump .
Systemic corruption and vote theft was a major issue in the 19th century .
Both Roosevelts—Theodore and Franklin—began their careers as reformers taking on the New York political machine .
A major characteristic of the reform movement after 1900 was its focus on election corruption .
Lincoln Steffens 's great work , The Shame of the Cities , outlined step by step how sick the system had become .
A wave of election law and civil service reform dramatically reduced the power of machine politicians .
While some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was never reformed , for example ) , the overall system was reasonably honest .
In 2000 , the Florida system 's inadequacies drew national attention and Gov .
Jeb Bush drove through a set of reforms which gave Florida one of the most honest and accurate voting systems in the country .
As John McLaughlin notes , the state `` changed the election laws to make it more secure , transparent and traceable .
You need to produce voter ID to vote in person .
Absentees are verified .
Every voter can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been counted . ''
Meanwhile , in the last decade , the Democrats have worked to make elections easier to steal .
Andrea Widburg wrote in The American Thinker that Democrats `` have steadily chipped away at other election legitimacy gatekeepers , such as identification checks and signature matches . ''
This made elections in Democrat-run states vulnerable to fraud , Widburg wrote .
Consider the states of Nevada and Georgia .
First , consider what former Nevada attorney general Adam Laxalt , quoting The Las Vegas Sun , had to say about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ acknowledged the Legislature , which is majority Democratic , reshaped state election law last summer to offer mail balloting to every active registered voter due to the coronavirus pandemic .
The law allows challenges of in-person votes , but not of mailed-in ballots. ''
... We can not challenge mail-in ballots .
`` Wayne Thorley , who served until Oct. 19 as Secretary of State Barbara Cegavske 's top elections administrator , testified that there is currently no legal mechanism for observers to challenge mail-in ballots. ''
...
In Las Vegas we have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rolls .
We have an avalanche of misdelivered ballots , ballots in the trash , on top of mailboxes , loose in apartment buildings , on the ground .
Remember Clark County [ wo n't ] allow observation or challenging of signatures .
Laxalt even tweeted that one address had received 19 ballots—only one of which was correct .
Further , he asserted there are more than 600,000 ballots in Nevada which no Republican has been allowed to see .
Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger seems intimidated by Stacy Abrams and her multimillion-dollar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
According to Widburg , another `` type of fraud involves counting .
Data-crunchers have produced powerful evidence that electronic voting machines in contested states were set to switch votes from Trump to Biden ... .
There 's strong evidence that the same pro-Biden code that showed up in Michigan also affected votes in Georgia . ''
Widburg asserts that vote counters also refused to verify signatures on mailed-in ballots .
`` The refusal to check signatures or otherwise try to validate mail-in ballots has created hugely anomalous rejection rates , '' Widburg @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these fraud controls , Raffensperger also ordered the counties to finish the process by 3 P.M. on Saturday .
Georgia received roughly 5 million votes .
It 's ludicrous to believe they can properly be recounted in one and a half days . ''
David Shafer , the state Republican party chairman , said the rejection rate for absentee ballots in 2018 was 3.5 percent but the rejection rate in 2020 , at least according to data from the secretary of state 's website , was 0.3 percent .
So absentee balloting jumped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rate dropped by 90 percent .
Shafer continues : `` The Democrats claim the decline was because of training efforts by leftwing groups and new procedures for 'curing ' rejected absentee ballots .
Although that may account for some of the decline , I am suspicious that the massive increase in ballots ... simply overwhelmed the verification system . ''
Michigan , Pennsylvania and Wisconsin also have examples of ballots needing reexamination .
The American people deserve a system which is open , transparent and reliable .
They need to know that every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effort at cheating will be stopped .
The American people deserve to have this counting process continued until it is clear every questionable ballot has been reviewed .
To read , hear , and watch more of Newt 's commentary , visit Gingrich360.com .
The views expressed in this article are the writer 's own .

The focus on counting votes for Donald Trump in the presidential election misses the deeper and more frightening part of the current election mess.
It is not primarily President Trump whose rights have been trampled and whose liberty is being threatened. It is the American people's.
Our constitutional system requires the rule of law to survive.
When the Founding Fathers wrote that all people are "endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness," they understood that the rule of law was at the heart of protecting those rights.
Equality before the law must begin with equality at the ballot box.
This belief in the importance of voting is what inspired the suffragette movement for women to vote and the Civil Rights movement for African Americans to vote in the 19th and 20th centuries.
The intensity of the presidential election is shining a spotlight on potential election cheating on a scale which threatens the survival of our freedoms.
Whatever happens to President Trump's reelection efforts, we have an absolute obligation to dig into every allegation of corruption to safeguard every American, not just Trump.
Systemic corruption and vote theft was a major issue in the 19th century. Both Roosevelts—Theodore and Franklin—began their careers as reformers taking on the New York political machine. A major characteristic of the reform movement after 1900 was its focus on election corruption. Lincoln Steffens's great work, The Shame of the Cities, outlined step by step how sick the system had become.
A wave of election law and civil service reform dramatically reduced the power of machine politicians. While some pockets of corruption remained (Philadelphia apparently was never reformed, for example), the overall system was reasonably honest.
In 2000, the Florida system's inadequacies drew national attention and Gov. Jeb Bush drove through a set of reforms which gave Florida one of the most honest and accurate voting systems in the country. As John McLaughlin notes, the state "changed the election laws to make it more secure, transparent and traceable. You need to produce voter ID to vote in person. Absentees are verified. Every voter can check to make sure their vote has been counted."
Meanwhile, in the last decade, the Democrats have worked to make elections easier to steal. Andrea Widburg wrote in The American Thinker that Democrats "have steadily chipped away at other election legitimacy gatekeepers, such as identification checks and signature matches." This made elections in Democrat-run states vulnerable to fraud, Widburg wrote.
Gwinnett County election workers handle ballots as part of the recount for the 2020 presidential election at the Beauty P. Baldwin Voter Registrations and Elections Building on November 16, 2020 in Lawrenceville, Georgia. Megan Varner/Getty
Consider the states of Nevada and Georgia. First, consider what former Nevada attorney general Adam Laxalt, quoting The Las Vegas Sun, had to say about the Nevada election:
"Judge Wilson acknowledged the Legislature, which is majority Democratic, reshaped state election law last summer to offer mail balloting to every active registered voter due to the coronavirus pandemic. The law allows challenges of in-person votes, but not of mailed-in ballots."... We cannot challenge mail-in ballots. "Wayne Thorley, who served until Oct. 19 as Secretary of State Barbara Cegavske's top elections administrator, testified that there is currently no legal mechanism for observers to challenge mail-in ballots."... In Las Vegas we have countless examples of loose ballots and bad rolls. We have an avalanche of misdelivered ballots, ballots in the trash, on top of mailboxes, loose in apartment buildings, on the ground. Remember Clark County [won't] allow observation or challenging of signatures.
Laxalt even tweeted that one address had received 19 ballots—only one of which was correct. Further, he asserted there are more than 600,000 ballots in Nevada which no Republican has been allowed to see.
As for Georgia, Widburg wrote,
The Georgia recount may be as corrupt as the election itself. On Friday morning, Georgia began to recount the votes it received on November 3. However, within a short time, reports came in that the recount process was being conducted with as little respect for transparency as the original vote count. Without that transparency, this recount is a waste of taxpayer time and money.
Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger seems intimidated by Stacy Abrams and her multimillion-dollar election project and its high-powered Washington lawyers.
According to Widburg, another "type of fraud involves counting. Data-crunchers have produced powerful evidence that electronic voting machines in contested states were set to switch votes from Trump to Biden.... There's strong evidence that the same pro-Biden code that showed up in Michigan also affected votes in Georgia."
Widburg asserts that vote counters also refused to verify signatures on mailed-in ballots.
"The refusal to check signatures or otherwise try to validate mail-in ballots has created hugely anomalous rejection rates," Widburg said. "Not content with removing these fraud controls, Raffensperger also ordered the counties to finish the process by 3 P.M. on Saturday. Georgia received roughly 5 million votes. It's ludicrous to believe they can properly be recounted in one and a half days."
David Shafer, the state Republican party chairman, said the rejection rate for absentee ballots in 2018 was 3.5 percent but the rejection rate in 2020, at least according to data from the secretary of state's website, was 0.3 percent. So absentee balloting jumped from 223,576 to 1,316,847 but the error rate dropped by 90 percent.
Shafer continues: "The Democrats claim the decline was because of training efforts by leftwing groups and new procedures for 'curing' rejected absentee ballots. Although that may account for some of the decline, I am suspicious that the massive increase in ballots...simply overwhelmed the verification system."
Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin also have examples of ballots needing reexamination.
The American people deserve a system which is open, transparent and reliable. They need to know that every legal vote will be counted and every effort at cheating will be stopped.
The American people deserve to have this counting process continued until it is clear every questionable ballot has been reviewed.
To read, hear, and watch more of Newt's commentary, visit Gingrich360.com.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.


newsweek--2020-11-18--'FBI' Season 3: Has Ebonée Noel Left the CBS Show?

FBI Season 3 is now airing on CBS , and the premiere welcomed a new cast member in Special Agent Tiffany Wallace ( played by Katherine Renee Turner ) .
She was introduced in Season 3 , Episode 1 as the new partner for Stuart Scola ( John Boyd ) .
This , however , left fans wondering exactly what had happened to his previous partner , Kristen Chazal , and whether the actor who plays her Ebonée Noel has left the series .
Though there has been no official announcement , there are some signs that Noel may have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for example , the actor had a bio on the cast section of CBS ' FBI page .
At the time of writing , however , that bio has gone .
On Noel 's own Twitter , she has not tweeted anything about the show since the early months of 2020 , and has not released anything about it on Instagram since last year , when she regularly used to post images from the set .
This absence has been noted by viewers of FBI .
One fan , for example , tweeted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just gone ?
What happened to Ebonee Neal ?
Why did she leave ?
Why did they bring a new black chick to take her place a minute in ?
Which is ...
I 'm not even going to touch that .
And I get making her opposite of Kristen but must she be so unlikable ? ''
Another was a bigger fan of new agent Tiffany , tweeting : `` I 'm a little disappointed that Kristen left FBI but I 'm loving the new person . ''
Previously , many thought @ @ @ @ @ @ @ finale , when her character was the victim of a brutal stabbing .
However , she was revealed to have survived when the show returned in January 2020 .
This was referenced by one FBI viewer on Twitter , who wrote : `` why keep Kristen alive at Christmas just to quietly write her out at the start of the next season ? ''
Though this has not been confirmed , Noel has been a staunch supporter of Black Lives Matter on her Twitter , which may have led her to her feeling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ glamorizes police , especially as some activists rallied against what they called `` copaganda '' shows .
Speaking to Forbes in reactions to BLM criticisms about his show , FBI creator Dick Wolf said : `` We have always adapted to current events in a nonpolitical way and our viewers can expect us to keep doing so ... We are listening to everything going on right now . ''
Newsweek has reached out to a representative for Ebonée Noel .
FBI Season 3 airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m .
ET / 8 p.m. @ @ @ @

FBI Season 3 is now airing on CBS, and the premiere welcomed a new cast member in Special Agent Tiffany Wallace (played by Katherine Renee Turner). She was introduced in Season 3, Episode 1 as the new partner for Stuart Scola (John Boyd). This, however, left fans wondering exactly what had happened to his previous partner, Kristen Chazal, and whether the actor who plays her Ebonée Noel has left the series.
Though there has been no official announcement, there are some signs that Noel may have left the series. In September, for example, the actor had a bio on the cast section of CBS' FBI page. At the time of writing, however, that bio has gone.
On Noel's own Twitter, she has not tweeted anything about the show since the early months of 2020, and has not released anything about it on Instagram since last year, when she regularly used to post images from the set.
This absence has been noted by viewers of FBI. One fan, for example, tweeted: "Wait, so Kristen is just gone? What happened to Ebonee Neal? Why did she leave? Why did they bring a new black chick to take her place a minute in? Which is ... I'm not even going to touch that. And I get making her opposite of Kristen but must she be so unlikable?"
Another was a bigger fan of new agent Tiffany, tweeting: "I'm a little disappointed that Kristen left FBI but I'm loving the new person."
Ebonée Noel was missing from the first episode of 'FBI' Season 3. CBS
Previously, many thought that Noel was leaving after the winter finale, when her character was the victim of a brutal stabbing. However, she was revealed to have survived when the show returned in January 2020.
This was referenced by one FBI viewer on Twitter, who wrote: "why keep Kristen alive at Christmas just to quietly write her out at the start of the next season?"
Though this has not been confirmed, Noel has been a staunch supporter of Black Lives Matter on her Twitter, which may have led her to her feeling uncomfortable about appearing on a show that glamorizes police, especially as some activists rallied against what they called "copaganda" shows.
Speaking to Forbes in reactions to BLM criticisms about his show, FBI creator Dick Wolf said: "We have always adapted to current events in a nonpolitical way and our viewers can expect us to keep doing so...We are listening to everything going on right now."
Newsweek has reached out to a representative for Ebonée Noel.
FBI Season 3 airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. CT on CBS.


newsweek--2020-11-18--'The Masked Singer' Eliminations: Who Were the Celebs Hiding Behind Whatchamacallit and Serpent's Co

'The Masked Singer' Eliminations: Who Were the Celebs Hiding Behind Whatchamacallit and Serpent's Costumes?

Group B was chopped down to two members following Wednesday night 's double elimination episode of The Masked Singer .
Crocodile , Seahorse , Whatchamacallit and Serpent rocked the stage with their performances , however , the latter two did n't get enough votes to stay in the competition and their true identities were finally revealed .
Whatchamacallit was first to get the axe after delivering an energetic cover of `` Lean Back '' by Terror Squad .
Although the mystery rapper was showered with praise from judges Ken Jeong , Robin Thicke , Nicole Scherzinger and Jenny McCarthy , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or Crocodile 's pipes .
So he was ordered to remove his mask but not before the judges took their final guesses of his identity .
Originally Jeong thought NBA star Damian Lillard may be the one moonlighting as Whatchamacallit , but following the hairy monster 's performance on Wednesday , Jeong had a change of heart .
He switched his first impression guess to Lonzo Ball .
Thicke 's first impression guess was Tyler the Creator , but after Whatchamacallit dropped hints about `` others absorbing the spotlight , '' Thicke started @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Today show host Michael Strahan hiding behind the costume .
Whatchamacallit 's panther clues initially had McCarthy thinking he may be actor Winston Duke , but all the high-fives , whistles and crowns in her clue reel got McCarthy to thinking it was basketball star Devin Booker .
Scherzinger originally guessed it was The Addams Family character Cousin Itt , but she too decided it was a basketball player and changed her guess to Carmelo Anthony .
After a few `` Take it off '' chants from the crowd , Whatchamacallit finally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be none other than Lonzo Ball , leaving the judges and host Nick Cannon completely shocked that Jeong was actually right .
`` I love music .
I love performing .
So this kind of brought it all together , and I knew my mom watches this so it 's gone definitely put a smile on her face when she see me , '' Ball said .
`` The best part of this is just coming out here doing what I love to do without anybody judging me .
I had fun @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who performed `` Cool '' by the Jonas Brothers , was up next for unmasking but got to hear who the judges thought he was first .
Jeong 's first impression guess for Serpent was Usher , but he decided not to stick with that assumption and suggested Daveed Diggs .
Scherzinger originally guessed it was Okieriete Onaodowan from Hamilton posing as Serpent but all the medical hints in Serpents ' clue reel led her to believe it was the singing surgeon Dr. Elvis .
The medical clues also convinced McCarthy that Serpent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Legend .
She switched her first impression guess to Taye Diggs .
Meanwhile , Thicke first thought Serpent was Boyz II Men singer Wanya Morris but he switched his guess to Donald Faison .
Serpent took the mask off and revealed his true identity .
Turns out Scherzinger was right .
Serpent was Dr. Elvis Francois .
`` This is unbelievable , '' Francois said of his experience on the show .
`` It 's a once in a lifetime kind of situation—very different from what I do on a day to day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forget for the rest of my life . ''
With Ball and Francois out of the competition , that leaves Seahorse and Crocodile as the last remaining members of Group B .
The Masked Singer airs on Fox on Wednesdays at 8 p.m .
ET .

Group B was chopped down to two members following Wednesday night's double elimination episode of The Masked Singer. Crocodile, Seahorse, Whatchamacallit and Serpent rocked the stage with their performances, however, the latter two didn't get enough votes to stay in the competition and their true identities were finally revealed.
Whatchamacallit was first to get the axe after delivering an energetic cover of "Lean Back" by Terror Squad. Although the mystery rapper was showered with praise from judges Ken Jeong, Robin Thicke, Nicole Scherzinger and Jenny McCarthy, it just couldn't compete with Seahorse or Crocodile's pipes. So he was ordered to remove his mask but not before the judges took their final guesses of his identity.
Originally Jeong thought NBA star Damian Lillard may be the one moonlighting as Whatchamacallit, but following the hairy monster's performance on Wednesday, Jeong had a change of heart. He switched his first impression guess to Lonzo Ball.
Thicke's first impression guess was Tyler the Creator, but after Whatchamacallit dropped hints about "others absorbing the spotlight," Thicke started thinking it may be former NFL player and Today show host Michael Strahan hiding behind the costume.
Whatchamacallit performs on "The Masked Singer." The mystery singer was eliminated on Season 4, episode 8, which aired on Fox on November 18, 2020. Michael Becker/Fox
Whatchamacallit's panther clues initially had McCarthy thinking he may be actor Winston Duke, but all the high-fives, whistles and crowns in her clue reel got McCarthy to thinking it was basketball star Devin Booker. Scherzinger originally guessed it was The Addams Family character Cousin Itt, but she too decided it was a basketball player and changed her guess to Carmelo Anthony.
After a few "Take it off" chants from the crowd, Whatchamacallit finally revealed himself. The singer turned out to be none other than Lonzo Ball, leaving the judges and host Nick Cannon completely shocked that Jeong was actually right.
"I love music. I love performing. So this kind of brought it all together, and I knew my mom watches this so it's gone definitely put a smile on her face when she see me," Ball said. "The best part of this is just coming out here doing what I love to do without anybody judging me. I had fun performing for y'all."
Serpent, who performed "Cool" by the Jonas Brothers, was up next for unmasking but got to hear who the judges thought he was first.
Jeong's first impression guess for Serpent was Usher, but he decided not to stick with that assumption and suggested Daveed Diggs. Scherzinger originally guessed it was Okieriete Onaodowan from Hamilton posing as Serpent but all the medical hints in Serpents' clue reel led her to believe it was the singing surgeon Dr. Elvis. The medical clues also convinced McCarthy that Serpent wasn't her original guess of John Legend. She switched her first impression guess to Taye Diggs. Meanwhile, Thicke first thought Serpent was Boyz II Men singer Wanya Morris but he switched his guess to Donald Faison.
Serpent took the mask off and revealed his true identity. Turns out Scherzinger was right. Serpent was Dr. Elvis Francois.
"This is unbelievable," Francois said of his experience on the show. "It's a once in a lifetime kind of situation—very different from what I do on a day to day basis, but something I'll never forget for the rest of my life."
With Ball and Francois out of the competition, that leaves Seahorse and Crocodile as the last remaining members of Group B.
The Masked Singer airs on Fox on Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET.


newsweek--2020-11-18--'What Bible Have You Been Reading': Ex-Navy SEAL Rips Georgia Sen. Candidate Warnock Over 'Cannot Se

'What Bible Have You Been Reading': Ex-Navy SEAL Rips Georgia Sen. Candidate Warnock Over 'Cannot Serve God and Military' Remark

A former Navy SEAL has criticized comments made by in a 2011 sermon by now-Democratic Georgia Senatorial candidate Reverend Raphael Warnock in which Warnock said that `` nobody can serve God and the military . ''
Warnock 's campaign has said the comment only make sense in view of the wider sermon in which it occurred .
Warnock 's April 2011 sermon , entitled `` When Truth Meets Power , '' has resurfaced online now that the reverend is entering a January runoff election that will determine which political party controls the Senate .
In the sermon , Warnock encouraged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rather than acquiring power .
In the clip of the sermon shared on Twitter by Former NAVY Seal Eli Crane , Warnock says , `` America , nobody can serve God and the military .
You ca n't serve God and money .
You can not serve God and mammon at the same time .
America , choose ye this day who you will serve .
Choose ye this day . ''
`` That 's obviously a problematic message for many of us who are veterans and also call ourselves Christians , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Warnock 's comment .
`` It 's also problematic when you compare it with the Word of God , '' Crane added , citing Gideon , Joshua and David and other Biblical warrior who `` God used to remove and wipe wickedness and evil from the earth . ''
Crane then went on to say that one can not claim to be both a Christian and a Democrat .
`` The Democratic Party in 2020 is a godless demonic party , '' Crane said .
`` It 's the party of abortion .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It 's the party of social justice .
It 's the party of socialism .
It 's the party of defund the police , and none of those things align with a Biblical worldview . ''
Despite his claim , numerous Christian pastors and congregants embrace progressive political aims supporting reproductive rights , transgender people , social equality , and the financing of non-police community programs as real-world ways to follow the Christian command to help the less fortunate and `` love thy neighbor . ''
`` So Mr. Warnock , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you out .
I do n't know what Bible you 've been reading brother .
But it ai n't .
It ai n't the one written by the King of Kings . ''
The `` King of Kings '' is a Biblical title for Jesus Christ .
Religious historians do n't think that Jesus himself wrote the Bible , but rather that 40 or more authors wrote the Bible 's 66 books , according to The International Bible Society .
Nevertheless , some Christians assert that God and Jesus are the Bible 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who wrote it .
While Republican politicians and media figures have criticized Warnock for his comments , Terrence Clark , communications director for the Warnock campaign , said in a statement to Fox News , `` This sermon is based on a biblical verse that reads 'No man can serve two masters ... Ye can not serve God and mammon , ' a biblical term for wealth .
Reverend Warnock was speaking about the need to commit to moral life before pursuing other priorities . ''

A former Navy SEAL has criticized comments made by in a 2011 sermon by now-Democratic Georgia Senatorial candidate Reverend Raphael Warnock in which Warnock said that "nobody can serve God and the military." Warnock's campaign has said the comment only make sense in view of the wider sermon in which it occurred.
Warnock's April 2011 sermon, entitled "When Truth Meets Power," has resurfaced online now that the reverend is entering a January runoff election that will determine which political party controls the Senate. In the sermon, Warnock encouraged Americans to devote their lives to service rather than acquiring power.
In the clip of the sermon shared on Twitter by Former NAVY Seal Eli Crane, Warnock says, "America, nobody can serve God and the military. You can't serve God and money. You cannot serve God and mammon at the same time. America, choose ye this day who you will serve. Choose ye this day."
A Navy veteran criticized Democratic Georgia Senate candidate Reverend Raphael Warnock for his comments from a 2011 sermon in which Warnock said that one cannot serve both God and the military. In this November 3, 2020 photo, Warnock speaks at an Election Day event in Atlanta, Georgia. Jessica McGowan/Getty
"That's obviously a problematic message for many of us who are veterans and also call ourselves Christians," Crane said in a video responding to Warnock's comment.
"It's also problematic when you compare it with the Word of God," Crane added, citing Gideon, Joshua and David and other Biblical warrior who "God used to remove and wipe wickedness and evil from the earth."
Crane then went on to say that one cannot claim to be both a Christian and a Democrat.
"The Democratic Party in 2020 is a godless demonic party," Crane said. "It's the party of abortion. It's the party of gender dysphoria. It's the party of social justice. It's the party of socialism. It's the party of defund the police, and none of those things align with a Biblical worldview."
Despite his claim, numerous Christian pastors and congregants embrace progressive political aims supporting reproductive rights, transgender people, social equality, and the financing of non-police community programs as real-world ways to follow the Christian command to help the less fortunate and "love thy neighbor."
"So Mr. Warnock," Crane continued, "I'm calling you out. I don't know what Bible you've been reading brother. But it ain't. It ain't the one written by the King of Kings."
Navy Seal @EliCrane_CEO just TORCHED Georgia Democrat Raphael Warnock, who is running against @KLoeffler in the runoff, for saying you "cannot serve God and the military."
"I don't know what Bible you've been reading, brother." pic.twitter.com/MnA2etIk7x — Dinesh D'Souza (@DineshDSouza) November 18, 2020
The "King of Kings" is a Biblical title for Jesus Christ. Religious historians don't think that Jesus himself wrote the Bible, but rather that 40 or more authors wrote the Bible's 66 books, according to The International Bible Society. Nevertheless, some Christians assert that God and Jesus are the Bible's true authors because they spoke through those who wrote it.
While Republican politicians and media figures have criticized Warnock for his comments, Terrence Clark, communications director for the Warnock campaign, said in a statement to Fox News, "This sermon is based on a biblical verse that reads 'No man can serve two masters... Ye cannot serve God and mammon,' a biblical term for wealth. Reverend Warnock was speaking about the need to commit to moral life before pursuing other priorities."
Newsweek contacted Warnock's campaign for comment.


newsweek--2020-11-18--Iran Seeks Air, Land and Sea Defense Cooperation with Iraq as More U.S. Troops to Leave

Iran has sought to shore up air , land and sea defense cooperation with neighboring Iraq , seeking a series of security deals as its rival , the United States , pulls out more troops in an effort to draw down its protracted war effort in the Middle East .
Just one day before the Pentagon 's acting chief announced the decision to reduce the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan and Iraq to 2,500 by January 15 as part of Trump 's plans to end the United States ' `` perpetual war '' abroad , Revolutionary Guard aerospace commander @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the United States on Monday in part of a series of meetings between senior Iranian and Iraqi military officials in Tehran .
`` The United States is always seeking Iraq 's oil wells , as well as the disintegration of Iraq and the division of its nation and officials , '' Hajizadeh said .
Trump has acknowledged his desire to maintain control of natural resources in the Middle East but has also promised to bring about an end to lengthy , costly military interventions across the world .
In Iraq , both the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ militant group ( ISIS ) but the defeat of the jihadis and the White House 's exit from a multilateral nuclear deal has brought about a sharp escalation in tensions with Tehran .
This animosity erupted earlier this year with the U.S. killing of Revolutionary Guard Quds Force commander Major General Qassem Soleimani and Iraq 's Popular Mobilization Forces second-in-command Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis at Baghdad International Airport .
Hajizadeh said the peoples of Iran and Iraq `` would never forget '' their deaths and swore revenge for the explosive act that pit two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Baghdad has continued to seek close cooperation with Washington even after the event but on Monday Iraq 's defense chief stressed the importance of his nation 's collaboration with Tehran .
Iraqi Defense Minister Lieutenant General Juma Anad Saadoun gave similar assurances Saturday to his Iranian counterpart Brigadier General Amir Hatami and on Sunday to Iranian military chief of staff Major General Mohammad Hossein Baqeri , who said the two countries have drafted an agreement to formally boost their joint military efforts .
Baqeri said this included providing Iraqi forces with arms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by international law until last month 's expiration of a United Nations arms embargo the U.S. fought unsuccessfully to extend .
The two countries discussed specific areas of cooperation in a number of fields .
Saadoun also met Sunday with Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Shamkhani .
The pair consulted on reinforcing security on their 1,000-mile border , with the senior Iranian official saying defense cooperation between the two nations `` guarantees regional stability and security , and must be promoted to strategic levels and be institutionalized , '' according to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ naval commander Rear Admiral Ali Reza Tangsiri sat down that same day with Iraqi navy chief Rear Admiral Ahmed Jassim al-Ma'arij for a dialogue on defending their maritime borders in the Persian Gulf .
When it comes to securing the skies , Iranian Army Ground Force Airborne Division commander General Yousef Qorbani spoke Sunday with his Iraqi counterpart General Samir Zaki Hussein about joint helicopter work among other topics .
On Tuesday , Iranian Air Force commander Brigadier General Aziz Nasirzadeh and his Iraqi counterpart Lieutenant General Shahab Jahid Ali al-Shakarachi discussed coordination @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the mutual development of their air forces .
Iran and Iraq have a complex history , having fought in a 1980s war in which the U.S. tacitly backed both sides .
Tehran later established ties with the fellow Shiite Muslim-led administration that came to power in Baghdad after the U.S. invasion that overthrew Iraqi President Saddam Hussein .
The country has since been at the center of a struggle for regional influence between the U.S. and Iran , a contest in which the stakes have risen substantially in recent years .
As @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the latest U.S. drawdown was announced , four rockets that Iraq 's official Security Media Cell said were launched from the Al-Amin Al-Thaniyah neighborhood in New Baghdad 's Al-Alf Dar district struck the capital 's Green Zone , a secure section of the city hosting international buildings including Washington 's massive , militarized embassy .
Such anonymous attacks , often targeting U.S. forces , have become increasingly common over the past two years as U.S.-Iran tensions have risen dramatically , and were often attributed by Iraqi authorities to unspecified `` outlaws '' and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iraq 's Kataib Hezbollah , a member of Iraq 's Popular Mobilization Forces , claimed the latest assault had been staged by U.S. forces to distract from Trump 's projected electoral loss at home .
Trump has discussed little of foreign policy since media outlets last week declared Biden the victor in the 2020 vote , but a Monday report in The New York Times cited four current and former U.S. officials attesting that the president sought military options for bombing Iran 's Natanz nuclear facility last week .
The site is believed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ times larger than permitted under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action ( JCPOA ) , the 2015 nuclear agreement abandoned two and a half years ago by the Trump administration .
The U.S. sanctions that followed have wrecked Iran 's economy and fueled the worsening feud between the two longtime foes , but Iran has pledged to relive up to its commitments should Biden return to the JCPOA as promised .
Responding to reports of the latest U.S. military threat , Iranian mission to the United Nations spokesperson Alireza Miryousefi was ready , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Iran has proven to be capable of using its legitimate military might to prevent or respond to any melancholy adventure from any aggressor , '' Miryousefi tweeted .
`` Trump 's withdrawal from # JCPOA & his cruel sanctions have not changed the peaceful nature of Iran 's peaceful program . ''

Iran has sought to shore up air, land and sea defense cooperation with neighboring Iraq, seeking a series of security deals as its rival, the United States, pulls out more troops in an effort to draw down its protracted war effort in the Middle East.
Just one day before the Pentagon's acting chief announced the decision to reduce the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan and Iraq to 2,500 by January 15 as part of Trump's plans to end the United States' "perpetual war" abroad, Revolutionary Guard aerospace commander Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh railed against the United States on Monday in part of a series of meetings between senior Iranian and Iraqi military officials in Tehran.
"The United States is always seeking Iraq's oil wells, as well as the disintegration of Iraq and the division of its nation and officials," Hajizadeh said.
Trump has acknowledged his desire to maintain control of natural resources in the Middle East but has also promised to bring about an end to lengthy, costly military interventions across the world. In Iraq, both the U.S. and Iran battled the Islamic State militant group (ISIS) but the defeat of the jihadis and the White House's exit from a multilateral nuclear deal has brought about a sharp escalation in tensions with Tehran.
This animosity erupted earlier this year with the U.S. killing of Revolutionary Guard Quds Force commander Major General Qassem Soleimani and Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces second-in-command Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis at Baghdad International Airport.
Hajizadeh said the peoples of Iran and Iraq "would never forget" their deaths and swore revenge for the explosive act that pit two nations Iraq considers partners against one another. Baghdad has continued to seek close cooperation with Washington even after the event but on Monday Iraq's defense chief stressed the importance of his nation's collaboration with Tehran.
Iraqi Defense Minister Lieutenant General Juma Anad Saadoun gave similar assurances Saturday to his Iranian counterpart Brigadier General Amir Hatami and on Sunday to Iranian military chief of staff Major General Mohammad Hossein Baqeri, who said the two countries have drafted an agreement to formally boost their joint military efforts.
A supporter of the paramilitary Popular Mobilization Forces stands before a banner showing the faces of (L to R) slain Iraqi paramilitary commander Abu Mahdi Al-Muhandis and Revolutionary Guard Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani during a demonstration outside the entrance to the Iraqi capital Baghdad's highly-fortified Green Zone on November 7. Several hundred protesters gathered in the Iraqi capital on Saturday afternoon to demand U.S. troops leave the country in accordance with a parliament vote earlier this year. AHMAD AL-RUBAYE/AFP/Getty Images
Baqeri said this included providing Iraqi forces with arms and equipment, an arrangement long restricted by international law until last month's expiration of a United Nations arms embargo the U.S. fought unsuccessfully to extend.
The two countries discussed specific areas of cooperation in a number of fields.
Saadoun also met Sunday with Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Shamkhani. The pair consulted on reinforcing security on their 1,000-mile border, with the senior Iranian official saying defense cooperation between the two nations "guarantees regional stability and security, and must be promoted to strategic levels and be institutionalized," according to the semi-official Tasnim News Agency.
Revolutionary Guard naval commander Rear Admiral Ali Reza Tangsiri sat down that same day with Iraqi navy chief Rear Admiral Ahmed Jassim al-Ma'arij for a dialogue on defending their maritime borders in the Persian Gulf.
When it comes to securing the skies, Iranian Army Ground Force Airborne Division commander General Yousef Qorbani spoke Sunday with his Iraqi counterpart General Samir Zaki Hussein about joint helicopter work among other topics. On Tuesday, Iranian Air Force commander Brigadier General Aziz Nasirzadeh and his Iraqi counterpart Lieutenant General Shahab Jahid Ali al-Shakarachi discussed coordination on the aerial battle against militant groups and the mutual development of their air forces.
Iran and Iraq have a complex history, having fought in a 1980s war in which the U.S. tacitly backed both sides. Tehran later established ties with the fellow Shiite Muslim-led administration that came to power in Baghdad after the U.S. invasion that overthrew Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.
The country has since been at the center of a struggle for regional influence between the U.S. and Iran, a contest in which the stakes have risen substantially in recent years.
As the Iran-Iraq meetings wrapped up Tuesday and the latest U.S. drawdown was announced, four rockets that Iraq's official Security Media Cell said were launched from the Al-Amin Al-Thaniyah neighborhood in New Baghdad's Al-Alf Dar district struck the capital's Green Zone, a secure section of the city hosting international buildings including Washington's massive, militarized embassy.
Such anonymous attacks, often targeting U.S. forces, have become increasingly common over the past two years as U.S.-Iran tensions have risen dramatically, and were often attributed by Iraqi authorities to unspecified "outlaws" and by the U.S. to Iran-aligned militias.
A Nasr missile is fired from an Iranian warship during the second day of a military exercise in the Persian Gulf, near the strategic strait of Hormuz in southern Iran in this photo shared September 11. Iran has made strides in domestically produced weapons and other military equipment. Iranian Army Office/AFP/Getty Images
Iraq's Kataib Hezbollah, a member of Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces, claimed the latest assault had been staged by U.S. forces to distract from Trump's projected electoral loss at home.
Trump has discussed little of foreign policy since media outlets last week declared Biden the victor in the 2020 vote, but a Monday report in The New York Times cited four current and former U.S. officials attesting that the president sought military options for bombing Iran's Natanz nuclear facility last week.
The site is believed to be hosting a uranium stockpile 12 times larger than permitted under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the 2015 nuclear agreement abandoned two and a half years ago by the Trump administration. The U.S. sanctions that followed have wrecked Iran's economy and fueled the worsening feud between the two longtime foes, but Iran has pledged to relive up to its commitments should Biden return to the JCPOA as promised.
Responding to reports of the latest U.S. military threat, Iranian mission to the United Nations spokesperson Alireza Miryousefi was ready, willing and able to defend itself.
"Iran has proven to be capable of using its legitimate military might to prevent or respond to any melancholy adventure from any aggressor," Miryousefi tweeted. "Trump's withdrawal from #JCPOA & his cruel sanctions have not changed the peaceful nature of Iran's peaceful program."


newsweek--2020-11-18--75% of Republicans Believe Voter Fraud Benefited Biden Amid Trump's Refusal to Concede: Poll

Poll findings released on Wednesday show that an overwhelming majority of Republicans believe widespread election fraud benefited President-elect Joe Biden over incumbent President Donald Trump .
Although the final results are still contingent upon the counting of certain ballots in some areas , many major media outlets have declared Biden the winner of the election .
Biden has already announced members of his transition teams and White House staff .
Trump , however , claimed that he actually won the election and has alleged widespread voter fraud .
Trump 's allegations , although unsubstantiated , have resonated with some Republicans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vox and Data for Progress , 57 percent of Republicans polled said they strongly agreed that voter fraud helped Biden in the election .
Those Republicans who somewhat agreed that fraud helped Biden numbered 18 percent .
In total , 75 percent of Republicans polled agreed to some degree that Biden 's victory was aided by election manipulation .
Trump 's refusal to concede to Biden could have an effect on the election results , according to 44 percent of the Republicans polled , which would allow Trump to remain in office .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ believed that Trump 's actions can not change the results of the election , giving Biden the presidency .
Newsweek reached out to the Biden transition team for comment .
The Vox/Data for Progress poll was conducted online on November 16 from a pool of 1,160 likely voters and carried a margin of error of plus or minus 2.9 percentage points .
Weighting for the poll factored in age , gender , education , race and voting history .
On Sunday , Trump made his opinion about the presidential race clear .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tweeted .
Twitter flagged the post with a disclaimer that `` Multiple sources called this election differently . ''
Trump 's refusal to concede has affected the expected transfer of power to a Biden administration in January .
Biden said Wednesday that his transition teams are not being given all the information they need to move forward , particularly in regards to the COVID-19 pandemic .
`` There 's a whole of things that are just—we do n't have available to us , '' Biden said during a virtual meeting with health care @ @ @ @ @ @ @ soon , we 're going to be behind by weeks for months . ''
Trump 's administration has also not allowed Biden 's teams access to federal office space and resources .
Intelligence briefings , traditionally given to the President-elect , have also been withheld forcing Biden to rely on national security experts from outside the White House for information .
Trump has not given public remarks since Friday when he appeared in the Rose Garden to discuss the development of a coronavirus .
While reiterating that his administration would not place the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to early acknowledge Biden 's projected win .
`` Hopefully , the , the—whatever happens in the future , who knows which administration will be , '' Trump said .
`` I guess time will tell , but I can tell you this administration will not go into a lockdown . ''
Trump left the briefing without taking questions from reporters .

Poll findings released on Wednesday show that an overwhelming majority of Republicans believe widespread election fraud benefited President-elect Joe Biden over incumbent President Donald Trump.
Although the final results are still contingent upon the counting of certain ballots in some areas, many major media outlets have declared Biden the winner of the election. Biden has already announced members of his transition teams and White House staff. Trump, however, claimed that he actually won the election and has alleged widespread voter fraud. Trump's allegations, although unsubstantiated, have resonated with some Republicans.
In a poll published Wednesday by Vox and Data for Progress, 57 percent of Republicans polled said they strongly agreed that voter fraud helped Biden in the election. Those Republicans who somewhat agreed that fraud helped Biden numbered 18 percent. In total, 75 percent of Republicans polled agreed to some degree that Biden's victory was aided by election manipulation.
Trump's refusal to concede to Biden could have an effect on the election results, according to 44 percent of the Republicans polled, which would allow Trump to remain in office. However, 41 percent of Republicans surveyed believed that Trump's actions cannot change the results of the election, giving Biden the presidency.
Newsweek reached out to the Biden transition team for comment.
Some Republicans believe that President-elect Joe Biden's projected victory in the U.S. election was assisted by widespread voter fraud, according to a poll released on Wednesday. Joe Raedle/Getty
The Vox/Data for Progress poll was conducted online on November 16 from a pool of 1,160 likely voters and carried a margin of error of plus or minus 2.9 percentage points. Weighting for the poll factored in age, gender, education, race and voting history.
On Sunday, Trump made his opinion about the presidential race clear. "I WON THE ELECTION!" Trump tweeted. Twitter flagged the post with a disclaimer that "Multiple sources called this election differently."
I WON THE ELECTION! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 16, 2020
Trump's refusal to concede has affected the expected transfer of power to a Biden administration in January. Biden said Wednesday that his transition teams are not being given all the information they need to move forward, particularly in regards to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"There's a whole of things that are just—we don't have available to us," Biden said during a virtual meeting with health care workers, "which unless made available soon, we're going to be behind by weeks for months."
Trump's administration has also not allowed Biden's teams access to federal office space and resources. Intelligence briefings, traditionally given to the President-elect, have also been withheld forcing Biden to rely on national security experts from outside the White House for information.
Trump has not given public remarks since Friday when he appeared in the Rose Garden to discuss the development of a coronavirus. While reiterating that his administration would not place the U.S. in another lockdown, Trump seemed to early acknowledge Biden's projected win.
"Hopefully, the, the—whatever happens in the future, who knows which administration will be," Trump said. "I guess time will tell, but I can tell you this administration will not go into a lockdown."
Trump left the briefing without taking questions from reporters.


newsweek--2020-11-18--2020 NBA Draft Live Results, Minnesota Takes Anthony Edwards as No. 1 Pick

The 2020 sports season has been like no other .
Once the COVID-19 global pandemic reached into the sports world and touched an NBA player last March , the sports world shut down , led by the NBA .
Sports leagues and seasons got postponed or canceled , major events got put on hold and the world seemed to pause .
The NBA pioneered an effort to not only temporarily stop its season , but showed a path to restarting its season—to at least bring some normalcy back to sports fans .
The NBA restarted its 2019-20 season during the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the exclusive NBA Bubble at Disney 's ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex .
The Los Angeles Lakers eventually won the NBA title just three weeks ago , defeating the Miami Heat in six games .
Now , it 's time for the league to restart , and it cranks up with Wednesday night 's 2020 NBA Draft .
The NBA on Tuesday announced its scheduled for the 2020-21 season , approved by the league and the NBA Players Association .
Dec. 11-19 Preseason games Dec. 22 NBA Season ( first half begins @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NBA Season ( second half begins ) May 18-21 Play-in tournament May 22-July 22 NBA Playoffs Before that begins , there 's the November 18 NBA Draft in 2020 Here are the NBA 's 2020 Draft , and Results .
• Philadelphia 76ers ( from OKC via Orlando and Philly ) • Utah Jazz ( from New York , from L.A. Clippers )

The first round draft board is seen during the 2019 NBA Draft at the Barclays Center on June 20, 2019 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images
The 2020 sports season has been like no other. Once the COVID-19 global pandemic reached into the sports world and touched an NBA player last March, the sports world shut down, led by the NBA.
Sports leagues and seasons got postponed or canceled, major events got put on hold and the world seemed to pause. The NBA pioneered an effort to not only temporarily stop its season, but showed a path to restarting its season—to at least bring some normalcy back to sports fans.
The NBA restarted its 2019-20 season during the 2020 summer, all in Orlando in the exclusive NBA Bubble at Disney's ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. The Los Angeles Lakers eventually won the NBA title just three weeks ago, defeating the Miami Heat in six games. Now, it's time for the league to restart, and it cranks up with Wednesday night's 2020 NBA Draft.
The NBA on Tuesday announced its scheduled for the 2020-21 season, approved by the league and the NBA Players Association.
Dec. 11-19 Preseason games
Dec. 22 NBA Season (first half begins)
March 5-10 All-Star break
March 11 NBA Season (second half begins)
May 18-21 Play-in tournament
May 22-July 22 NBA Playoffs
Before that begins, there's the November 18 NBA Draft in 2020
Here are the NBA's 2020 Draft, and Results.
FIRST ROUND
Minnesota Timberwolves — Anthony Edwards, SG (Georgia) Golden State Warriors — James Wiseman, C (Memphis) Charlotte Hornets — LaMelo Ball, PG (Australia) Chicago Bulls — Patrick Williams SF (Florida State) Cleveland Cavaliers — Isaac Okoro SF (Auburn) Atlanta Hawks — Onyeka Okongwu C (USC) Detroit Pistons — Killian Hayes PG (France) New York Knicks — Obi Toppin PF (Dayton) Washington Wizards —Deni Avdija SF (Israel) Phoenix Suns — Jalen Smith PF (Maryland) San Antonio Spurs — Devin Vassell SG (Florida State) Sacramento Kings —Tyrese Haliburton PG (Iowa State) New Orleans Pelicans — Kira Lewis Jr. PG (Alabama) Boston Celtics — Aaron Nesmith SF (Vanderbilt) Orlando Magic — Cole Anthony PG (North Carolina) Portland Trailblazers — Isaiah Stewart C (Washington) Minnesota Timberwolves — Aleksej Pokusevski PF (Serbia) Dallas Mavericks — Josh Green SG (Arizona) Brooklyn Nets —Saddiq Bey PF (Villanova) Miami Heat — Precious Achiuwa PF (Memphis) Philadelphia 76ers —Tyrese Maxey SG (Kentucky) Denver Nuggets — Zeke Nnaji PF (Arizona) New York Knicks — Leandro Bolmaro SG (Argentina) Milwaukee Bucks — R.J. Hampton PG (USA) Oklahoma City Thunder — Immanuel Quickley PG (Kentucky) Boston Celtics — Payton Pritchard PG (Oregon) Utah Jazz — Udola Azubike C (Kansas) Los Angeles Lakers — Jaden McDaniels PF (Washington) Toronto Raptors — Malachi Flynn PG (San Diego State) Boston Celtics — Desmond Bane SG (TCU)
SECOND ROUND


newsweek--2020-11-18--Joe Biden Says Stimulus Package Stalled Because Republicans Fear Retribution from Trump

President-elect Joe Biden on Wednesday blamed the ongoing stimulus deadlock on Republicans ' fear of retribution from President Donald Trump amid rising coronavirus cases in most U.S. states .
Biden expressed optimism that Republicans in Congress would address his party 's calls for state and local funding when Trump leaves office .
He also vowed to prioritize a stimulus deal after his inauguration .
In a virtual event with frontline health care workers , Biden suggested that the GOP has declined Democrats ' demand for local funding to be included in the next stimulus package because of their `` fear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Hopefully , when he 's gone , they 'll be more willing to do what they know should be done , has to be done , in order to save the communities they live in , '' he said .
Both sides of the political aisle believe that further stimulus is needed to address the economic fallout of the pandemic , but they are in disagreement over the amount that should be allocated to local governments .
The impasse has extended the months-long stimulus inaction .
It has been almost eight months @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Negotiations for another relief package have been ongoing for five months with no deal in sight .
Amid the delay , both sides have blamed each other for their inability to bring relief to Americans struggling to pay for rent and necessities as the pandemic rages .
Republicans have accused House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of using COVID to further her political agenda , while Democrats have criticized the GOP for refusing to allocate sufficient funding .
Biden 's latest comments implied that a deal will likely not be reached until next year .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ similarly lost hope at the prospect of more stimulus any time soon .
In early November , YouGov asked about 21,100 adults whether they thought Congress would `` pass a bill for a second COVID-19 stimulus package . ''
Just 4 percent of respondents said they believed it could happen within weeks and 7 percent said within the next month .
An additional 14 percent said `` before the end of the year '' and the largest group , consisting of 18 percent , said `` after January 2021 . ''
Last week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to decline Democrats ' push for a comprehensive relief package .
`` [ They ] are still looking at something dramatically larger , '' he said on Thursday .
`` That 's not a place I think we 're willing to go . ''
McConnell has stood firm on passing a targeted stimulus bill .
Newsweek reached out to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell 's office for further comment .

President-elect Joe Biden on Wednesday blamed the ongoing stimulus deadlock on Republicans' fear of retribution from President Donald Trump amid rising coronavirus cases in most U.S. states.
Biden expressed optimism that Republicans in Congress would address his party's calls for state and local funding when Trump leaves office. He also vowed to prioritize a stimulus deal after his inauguration.
In a virtual event with frontline health care workers, Biden suggested that the GOP has declined Democrats' demand for local funding to be included in the next stimulus package because of their "fear of retribution from the president."
"Hopefully, when he's gone, they'll be more willing to do what they know should be done, has to be done, in order to save the communities they live in," he said.
President-elect Joe Biden receives a briefing on national security in a Zoom meeting with advisors on November 17, 2020 in Wilmington, Delaware. Joe Raedle/Getty
Both sides of the political aisle believe that further stimulus is needed to address the economic fallout of the pandemic, but they are in disagreement over the amount that should be allocated to local governments. The impasse has extended the months-long stimulus inaction.
It has been almost eight months since Trump signed the CARES Act. Negotiations for another relief package have been ongoing for five months with no deal in sight. Amid the delay, both sides have blamed each other for their inability to bring relief to Americans struggling to pay for rent and necessities as the pandemic rages.
Republicans have accused House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of using COVID to further her political agenda, while Democrats have criticized the GOP for refusing to allocate sufficient funding.
Biden's latest comments implied that a deal will likely not be reached until next year. A recent poll shows that Americans have similarly lost hope at the prospect of more stimulus any time soon.
In early November, YouGov asked about 21,100 adults whether they thought Congress would "pass a bill for a second COVID-19 stimulus package." Just 4 percent of respondents said they believed it could happen within weeks and 7 percent said within the next month. An additional 14 percent said "before the end of the year" and the largest group, consisting of 18 percent, said "after January 2021."
Last week, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell continued to decline Democrats' push for a comprehensive relief package. "[They] are still looking at something dramatically larger," he said on Thursday. "That's not a place I think we're willing to go." McConnell has stood firm on passing a targeted stimulus bill.
Newsweek reached out to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's office for further comment.


newsweek--2020-11-18--Here Are All the Prominent Conservatives Who Have Joined Parler

A growing list of Republican politicians and other prominent conservatives have quickly flocked to social media app Parler in the aftermath of the presidential election .
Republicans serving in the U.S. Senate who have opened Parler accounts include Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas , Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky and Sen. Mike Lee of Utah .
House Republicans have joined as well , including Rep. Devin Nunes of California , Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio and Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York .
Former Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley also has an account .
South Dakota Governor Kristi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the office of Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts announced that he had joined on Tuesday .
Several other GOP governors have not joined but have had fake accounts opened in their names .
Parler has had a base of conservative users since launching in 2018 , but user numbers have skyrocketed in 2020 .
Many of the new users joined after complaining that mainstream platforms like Twitter or Facebook were unfairly targeting them for spreading evidence-free claims of election fraud that have been touted by President Donald Trump .
When mainstream platforms began to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spreading misinformation over the summer , initially responding to false claims that voting by mail is rife with widespread fraud , many on the right reacted with outrage before joining alternatives like Parler .
Several members of the Trump family have their own Parler accounts .
Ivanka Trump announced this week that she was joining family members on the platform , including Tiffany Trump , Eric Trump and Lara Trump .
Trump 's attorney Rudy Giuliani also uses the app .
Trump himself does not have an account , although his campaign does @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the app include popular Fox News personalities Sean Hannity and Tucker Carlson , along with Fox Business anchor Maria Bartiromo .
Commentators Candice Owens , Charlie Kirk and Dan Bongino—who is an investor in the company—were early users .
Talk show host Glenn Beck made his first Parler post on Monday , remarking that he felt `` freer already '' since joining the platform .
Mark Levin and Steven Crowder , who also host shows on BlazeTV , were previously using the app .
Although most have opened Parler accounts while remaining @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have either left or threatened to leave mainstream platforms behind entirely .
Levin has repeatedly warned that he `` will not stay at Facebook or Twitter if they continue censoring '' him while promoting the app in the weeks after the election , although has yet to do so .
Far-right conspiracy theorists like Alex Jones and Jacob Wohl , along with others that have been banned from mainstream platforms , have also found a home on the app .
Laura Loomer , Milo Yiannopoulos , Gavin McInnes and Katie Hopkins all have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who have joined Parler include actors Dean Cain , Scott Baio , Anthony Sabato Jr. and Kirstie Alley .
Musicians Ted Nugent and Kaya Jones have accounts as well , while John Tesh left Twitter permanently in favor of the platform while urging fans to join him and `` say goodbye to viciousness and censorship . ''

A growing list of Republican politicians and other prominent conservatives have quickly flocked to social media app Parler in the aftermath of the presidential election.
Republicans serving in the U.S. Senate who have opened Parler accounts include Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky and Sen. Mike Lee of Utah. House Republicans have joined as well, including Rep. Devin Nunes of California, Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio and Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York.
Former Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley also has an account. South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem is on the platform, while the office of Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts announced that he had joined on Tuesday. Several other GOP governors have not joined but have had fake accounts opened in their names.
Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) and Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) are pictured outside the U.S. Senate impeachment trial of President Donald Trump in Washington, D.C. on January 25, 2020. Alex Wong/Getty
Parler has had a base of conservative users since launching in 2018, but user numbers have skyrocketed in 2020. Many of the new users joined after complaining that mainstream platforms like Twitter or Facebook were unfairly targeting them for spreading evidence-free claims of election fraud that have been touted by President Donald Trump.
When mainstream platforms began to censor or label Trump's posts for spreading misinformation over the summer, initially responding to false claims that voting by mail is rife with widespread fraud, many on the right reacted with outrage before joining alternatives like Parler.
Several members of the Trump family have their own Parler accounts. Ivanka Trump announced this week that she was joining family members on the platform, including Tiffany Trump, Eric Trump and Lara Trump. Trump's attorney Rudy Giuliani also uses the app. Trump himself does not have an account, although his campaign does.
Conservative political pundits who have flocked to the app include popular Fox News personalities Sean Hannity and Tucker Carlson, along with Fox Business anchor Maria Bartiromo. Commentators Candice Owens, Charlie Kirk and Dan Bongino—who is an investor in the company—were early users.
Talk show host Glenn Beck made his first Parler post on Monday, remarking that he felt "freer already" since joining the platform. Mark Levin and Steven Crowder, who also host shows on BlazeTV, were previously using the app.
Although most have opened Parler accounts while remaining active on Twitter and Facebook, some have either left or threatened to leave mainstream platforms behind entirely. Levin has repeatedly warned that he "will not stay at Facebook or Twitter if they continue censoring" him while promoting the app in the weeks after the election, although has yet to do so.
Far-right conspiracy theorists like Alex Jones and Jacob Wohl, along with others that have been banned from mainstream platforms, have also found a home on the app. Laura Loomer, Milo Yiannopoulos, Gavin McInnes and Katie Hopkins all have accounts.
Other celebrities with conservative views who have joined Parler include actors Dean Cain, Scott Baio, Anthony Sabato Jr. and Kirstie Alley. Musicians Ted Nugent and Kaya Jones have accounts as well, while John Tesh left Twitter permanently in favor of the platform while urging fans to join him and "say goodbye to viciousness and censorship."


newsweek--2020-11-18--Trump Nominee Confirmed as Federal Judge in Florida Despite No Trials Since Passing the Bar

The U.S. Senate confirmed the lifetime federal judgeship of Kathryn Kimball Mizelle on Wednesday despite the fact that she has not tried a case—civil or criminal—as lead or co-counsel since passing the bar .
Mizelle , a Washington , D.C.-based lawyer , will be one of the youngest federal judges in the nation at the age of 33 .
She was only admitted to the bar eight year ago .
After being nominated by President Donald Trump for a vacancy on the Tampa-based U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida , every Republican member on the Senate Judiciary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the full Senate .
Prior to her confirmation hearing in September , the ABA sent a letter to the committee raising concerns over Mizelle 's qualifications and lack of experience .
A `` substantial majority '' of the ABA 's standing committee determined her `` not qualified '' to fill the position .
The letter said failed to meet the committee 's criteria which requires `` a nominee to the federal bench ordinarily should have at least 12 years ' experience in the practice of law . ''
Mizelle has been an attorney @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the bar in 2012 .
`` This represents a rather marked departure from the 12 year minimum , '' Randall Noel , chairman of the association 's standing committee , wrote .
Noel said that the ABA sometimes makes exceptions for those with less experience if the nominee has `` substantial trial or courtroom experience and/or compensating accomplishments in the field of law , '' but argued that Mizelle did not have these qualifications .
Noel noted that the association took into account her clerkship in trial court and experience in federal grand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were not enough for her to meet the ABA 's `` minimum standard '' necessary for the role of a federal trial judge .
`` Her integrity and demeanor are not in question .
These attributes however simply do not compensate for the short time she has actually practiced law and her lack of meaningful trial experience , '' he concluded .
During the confirmation hearing , Senator Diane Feinstein asked Mizelle about the ABA 's rating , to which she instead referred to her year-long position as counsel to the associate U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's my experience as a career federal prosecutor that does make me equipped to do this job effectively , '' Mizelle said .
Before Mizelle 's nomination was presented on the Senate Floor , The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights penned an open letter calling on senators to oppose her confirmation .
`` It is deeply disturbing that someone like Ms. Mizelle – who was involved in many of the Trump administration 's most egregious civil rights rollbacks – would be rewarded for these actions with a lifetime appointment to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Leadership Conference , Vanita Gupta , wrote .
Gupta also noted that Mizelle is a member of the conservative Federalist Society , a common theme among Trump 's judicial picks .
All three of his Supreme Court nominees—Neil Gorsuch , Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett—are members of the Federalist Society .
Mizelle also has a personal connection to the society .
All three of her law school clerkships were with Federalist Society members , including Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas , who she has previously praised as `` the greatest living American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mizelle believes Justice Thomas to be 'the greatest living American , ' and pointedly emphasized that she offered this tribute 'with all sincerity , ' paints a highly disturbing picture of her own legal views and judicial philosophy , '' Gupta argued .
Newsweek reached out to Mizelle for comment but did not hear back before publication .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has rushed to confirm a number of Trump 's judicial picks since President-elect Joe Biden 's November 3 win .
Mizelle is among four other lifetime judges the Senate has @ @ @ @ @ @ @

The U.S. Senate confirmed the lifetime federal judgeship of Kathryn Kimball Mizelle on Wednesday despite the fact that she has not tried a case—civil or criminal—as lead or co-counsel since passing the bar.
Mizelle, a Washington, D.C.-based lawyer, will be one of the youngest federal judges in the nation at the age of 33. She was only admitted to the bar eight year ago.
After being nominated by President Donald Trump for a vacancy on the Tampa-based U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, every Republican member on the Senate Judiciary Committee voted to send her nomination to the full Senate.
Prior to her confirmation hearing in September, the ABA sent a letter to the committee raising concerns over Mizelle's qualifications and lack of experience. A "substantial majority" of the ABA's standing committee determined her "not qualified" to fill the position.
The letter said failed to meet the committee's criteria which requires "a nominee to the federal bench ordinarily should have at least 12 years' experience in the practice of law."
Mizelle has been an attorney for eight years since her admission to the bar in 2012.
"This represents a rather marked departure from the 12 year minimum," Randall Noel, chairman of the association's standing committee, wrote.
Noel said that the ABA sometimes makes exceptions for those with less experience if the nominee has "substantial trial or courtroom experience and/or
compensating accomplishments in the field of law," but argued that Mizelle did not have these qualifications.
Noel noted that the association took into account her clerkship in trial court and experience in federal grand jury proceedings, but decided her accomplishments were not enough for her to meet the ABA's "minimum standard" necessary for the role of a federal trial judge.
"Her integrity and demeanor are not in question. These attributes however simply do not compensate for the short time she has actually practiced law and her lack of meaningful trial experience," he concluded.
A screenshot of Kathryn Kimball Mizelle during her U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing on September 9, 2020. On Wednesday, the Senate voted to confirm her lifetime federal judgeship. U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee
During the confirmation hearing, Senator Diane Feinstein asked Mizelle about the ABA's rating, to which she instead referred to her year-long position as counsel to the associate U.S. attorney general.
"I think it's my experience as a career federal prosecutor that does make me equipped to do this job effectively," Mizelle said.
Before Mizelle's nomination was presented on the Senate Floor, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights penned an open letter calling on senators to oppose her confirmation.
"It is deeply disturbing that someone like Ms. Mizelle – who was involved in many of the Trump administration's most egregious civil rights rollbacks – would be rewarded for these actions with a lifetime appointment to the federal bench," president of the Leadership Conference, Vanita Gupta, wrote.
Gupta also noted that Mizelle is a member of the conservative Federalist Society, a common theme among Trump's judicial picks. All three of his Supreme Court nominees—Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett—are members of the Federalist Society.
Mizelle also has a personal connection to the society. All three of her law school clerkships were with Federalist Society members, including Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, who she has previously praised as "the greatest living American."
"The fact that Ms. Mizelle believes Justice Thomas to be 'the greatest living American,' and pointedly emphasized that she offered this tribute 'with
all sincerity,' paints a highly disturbing picture of her own legal views and judicial philosophy," Gupta argued.
UPDATE: Senate just confirmed Mizelle. Again: She was rated Not Qualified & is 8 years out of law school, which ABA said is "a rather marked departure from the 12 year minimum.”
Mizelle is the fifth lifetime judge confirmed in last 30 hours. Should send shockwaves across nation. https://t.co/VYY6QCyBIw — Vanita Gupta (@vanitaguptaCR) November 18, 2020
Newsweek reached out to Mizelle for comment but did not hear back before publication.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has rushed to confirm a number of Trump's judicial picks since President-elect Joe Biden's November 3 win.
Mizelle is among four other lifetime judges the Senate has confirmed in the last two days.


newsweek--2020-11-18--South Dakota Gov. Resists Statewide Mask Mandate as Weekly Positivity Rate Remains Second Highest in

South Dakota Gov. Resists Statewide Mask Mandate as Weekly Positivity Rate Remains Second Highest in the Country

South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem continued to resist a statewide mask mandate on Wednesday , telling reporters she does n't want to impose a mask order just `` to make people feel good '' as the state sees the highest positivity rate in the nation .
`` Over the past week , cases are on the rase in 48 states .
Some have said that my refusal to mandate masks is the reason why our cases are rising here in the state of South Dakota , and that is just not true , '' Noem said during a Wednesday press @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my refusal to advance harsh restrictions like lockdowns is another one of the reasons why our cases are rising and that is also not true . ''
The Republican governor added : `` There are 41 states that have some kind of a mask mandate .
Cases are on the rise in 39 of those 41 states . ''
Noem claimed that South Dakota 's mortality rate over the course of the pandemic remains below the national average and `` far below other states like New York . ''
However , the New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ death rate increased by nearly 50 percent in the last two weeks , bringing the total death toll to 674 as of Wednesday .
South Dakota also currently leads the nation in hospitalizations , with 658 currently hospitalized from COVID-19 per 1 million people as of Tuesday .
South Dakota 's 7-day positivity rate is currently over 55 percent , making it the second-highest in the nation after Wyoming , which reported a more than 70 percent positivity rate over the last seven days , according to data from Johns Hopkins University .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ rate was 58.4 percent .
While Wyoming Gov .
Mark Gordon has , like Noem , resisted issuing a statewide mask order , Iowa Gov .
Kim Reynolds , who has dismissed a mask mandate for months , announced on Monday that anyone over the age of 2 is required to wear a face covering indoors , noting `` the pandemic in Iowa is the worst it has ever been . ''
Iowa currently has the third-highest positivity rate in the nation at 51 percent in the past week .
South Dakota reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bringing its total to more than 67,000 total cases since the start of the pandemic , according to the COVID Tracking Project .
South Dakota and neighboring North Dakota have had some of the highest rates of COVID-19 infections , hospitalizations and deaths in the nation and the world in the past few weeks as the virus continues to ravage through the Midwest .
Despite the alarming data , Noem stands firm on her refusal to issue a statewide mask mandate for now .
`` I 've consistently said that people that want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people who do n't should n't be shamed because they choose not to , '' she said in the news conference .
`` It has been clear from the beginning that I 'm not in favor of mandating mask wearing , I do n't believe that I have the authority to mandate that , and that people can use their own personal responsibility to make a decision when it comes to mask . ''
She later said that she was more concerned with `` respect '' and how `` neighbors are treating neighbors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those who choose not to stay safe during a pandemic should still be treated with respect and understanding because it 's a `` personal decision . ''
She followed up that belief by saying that people who are concerned about the virus have the option to simply choose not to be around the people who are n't as careful .
Her remarks come just days after a South Dakota nurse 's tweet about working the front lines during the pandemic went viral , in which she explains that patients are dying from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's a real threat .
`` The ones that stick out are those who still do n't believe the virus is real .
The ones who scream at you for a magic medicine and that Joe Biden is going to ruin the USA .
All while gasping for breath on 100 % Vapotherm , '' Jodi Doering tweeted on Saturday .
`` They tell you there must be another reason they are sick .
They call you names and ask why you have to wear all that 'stuff ' because they do n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
In the last two weeks , there were 2,047 new cases per 100,000 people in South Dakota , according to Johns Hopkins University , meaning that approximately one of every 49 people tested positive .
Meanwhile , the governor 's office said last week that Noem , who is well-known in Republican circles for her hands-off approach , will not put a mask order into effect even if President-elect Joe Biden implements any federal COVID-19 orders .
`` It 's a good day for freedom , '' Noem 's office said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Argus Leader .
`` Joe Biden realizes that the president does n't have the authority to institute a mask mandate .
For that matter , neither does Governor Noem , which is why she has provided her citizens with the full scope of the science and trusted them to make the best decisions for themselves and their loved ones . ''
The governor 's spokeswoman Maggie Siedel questioned the effectiveness of masks in an email to the Associated Press this week .
`` The facts are simple : mask mandates , harsh lockdowns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't worked – in the United States or abroad , '' she wrote .
When asked for additional comment by Newsweek , Noem 's office referred the publication to remarks made at the press conference .

South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem continued to resist a statewide mask mandate on Wednesday, telling reporters she doesn't want to impose a mask order just "to make people feel good" as the state sees the highest positivity rate in the nation.
"Over the past week, cases are on the rase in 48 states. Some have said that my refusal to mandate masks is the reason why our cases are rising here in the state of South Dakota, and that is just not true," Noem said during a Wednesday press conference. "Others have said that my refusal to advance harsh restrictions like lockdowns is another one of the reasons why our cases are rising and that is also not true."
The Republican governor added: "There are 41 states that have some kind of a mask mandate. Cases are on the rise in 39 of those 41 states."
Noem claimed that South Dakota's mortality rate over the course of the pandemic remains below the national average and "far below other states like New York." However, the New York Times reports that the state's death rate increased by nearly 50 percent in the last two weeks, bringing the total death toll to 674 as of Wednesday. South Dakota also currently leads the nation in hospitalizations, with 658 currently hospitalized from COVID-19 per 1 million people as of Tuesday.
South Dakota's 7-day positivity rate is currently over 55 percent, making it the second-highest in the nation after Wyoming, which reported a more than 70 percent positivity rate over the last seven days, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Last week, South Dakota's positivity rate was 58.4 percent.
While Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon has, like Noem, resisted issuing a statewide mask order, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, who has dismissed a mask mandate for months, announced on Monday that anyone over the age of 2 is required to wear a face covering indoors, noting "the pandemic in Iowa is the worst it has ever been." Iowa currently has the third-highest positivity rate in the nation at 51 percent in the past week.
Governor of South Dakota Kristi Noem speaks as U.S. President Donald Trump listens during a meeting about the Governors Initiative on Regulatory Innovation in the Cabinet Room of the White House on December 16, 2019 in Washington, DC. Drew Angerer/Getty Images/Getty
South Dakota reported over 1,000 new cases on Wednesday, bringing its total to more than 67,000 total cases since the start of the pandemic, according to the COVID Tracking Project. South Dakota and neighboring North Dakota have had some of the highest rates of COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations and deaths in the nation and the world in the past few weeks as the virus continues to ravage through the Midwest.
Despite the alarming data, Noem stands firm on her refusal to issue a statewide mask mandate for now.
"I've consistently said that people that want to wear masks should wear masks and people who don't shouldn't be shamed because they choose not to," she said in the news conference. "It has been clear from the beginning that I'm not in favor of mandating mask wearing, I don't believe that I have the authority to mandate that, and that people can use their own personal responsibility to make a decision when it comes to mask."
She later said that she was more concerned with "respect" and how "neighbors are treating neighbors" in their communities, stating that those who choose not to stay safe during a pandemic should still be treated with respect and understanding because it's a "personal decision." She followed up that belief by saying that people who are concerned about the virus have the option to simply choose not to be around the people who aren't as careful.
Her remarks come just days after a South Dakota nurse's tweet about working the front lines during the pandemic went viral, in which she explains that patients are dying from the virus and still don't believe it's a real threat.
"The ones that stick out are those who still don't believe the virus is real. The ones who scream at you for a magic medicine and that Joe Biden is going to ruin the USA. All while gasping for breath on 100% Vapotherm," Jodi Doering tweeted on Saturday. "They tell you there must be another reason they are sick. They call you names and ask why you have to wear all that 'stuff' because they don't have COVID because it's not real."
In the last two weeks, there were 2,047 new cases per 100,000 people in South Dakota, according to Johns Hopkins University, meaning that approximately one of every 49 people tested positive.
Meanwhile, the governor's office said last week that Noem, who is well-known in Republican circles for her hands-off approach, will not put a mask order into effect even if President-elect Joe Biden implements any federal COVID-19 orders.
"It's a good day for freedom," Noem's office said in a statement to the Sioux Falls Argus Leader. "Joe Biden realizes that the president doesn't have the authority to institute a mask mandate. For that matter, neither does Governor Noem, which is why she has provided her citizens with the full scope of the science and trusted them to make the best decisions for themselves and their loved ones."
The governor's spokeswoman Maggie Siedel questioned the effectiveness of masks in an email to the Associated Press this week.
"The facts are simple: mask mandates, harsh lockdowns, massive testing and contact tracing haven't worked – in the United States or abroad," she wrote.
When asked for additional comment by Newsweek, Noem's office referred the publication to remarks made at the press conference.