newsweek--2020-12-08--Despite Predictions, Shelby v. Holder Did Not Lead to Voter Suppression | Opinion

One thing is crystal clear amid the contentious fights occurring over the outcome of the 2020 presidential election : predictions that certain states would `` backslide '' into discriminatory voter suppression following the Supreme Court 's 2013 Shelby County v. Holder decision were completely wrong .
Turnout in both presidential and congressional elections in those states has risen significantly since that decision .
When the Supreme Court handed down its ruling , the Shelby County decision was unjustly criticized and misunderstood by many who claimed the decision abrogated the Voting Rights Act .
That claim was simply not true .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ nationwide ban on racial discrimination in the voting context—is alive and well today .
It has been so effective that discriminatory practices by state and local officials have become a rare exception rather than the rule .
What was at stake in Shelby County was Section 5 , an emergency provision passed in 1965 that was only supposed to last five years but was successively renewed by Congress .
Under Section 5 , certain jurisdictions could not make any changes to their voting laws without first getting the approval—referred to as `` preclearance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a federal court in Washington , D.C .
The coverage formula was designed to capture those states , and only those states , that were engaging in blatant discrimination .
In determining which states would be covered by the preclearance requirement , Congress took into account the low registration and turnout caused by discriminatory practices .
Specifically , it covered states that had maintained a test or device as a prerequisite to voting and had voter registration or turnout of less than 50 percent in the 1964 , 1968 , or 1972 presidential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Alaska , Arizona , Georgia , Louisiana , Mississippi , South Carolina , Texas and Virginia .
No one disputed that Section 5 was needed in 1965 , and hence the Court upheld its constitutionality because of the widespread and extensive discrimination in the segregationist South .
But the majority rightly said in Shelby County that the preclearance requirement—an extraordinary intrusion into state sovereignty—was no longer constitutional because it had not been updated to reflect modern conditions .
In an opinion by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg , the four dissenting justices claimed that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ minority rights '' and predicted that without it , there would be `` backsliding '' by state and local governments returning to their old ways of discriminating .
As several national elections have taken place since the decision , we can now evaluate whether Ginsburg 's prediction was justified .
Since Congress thought voter turnout was an appropriate measure of discriminatory practices when it passed Section 5 , it is still a relevant measure to show how wrong the dissenters were about what would happen without Section 5 in place .
As the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ justices were wrong to view these states through a lens that saw only the decades-old past .
Turnout has generally gone up , not down , in all of the formerly covered states , sometimes beating the national average .
The United States Election Project ( USEP ) calculates turnout based on the Voting Eligible Population or VEP , which begins with the voting-age population of each state and subtracts individuals who are ineligible to vote , such as non-citizens and felons who have not yet had their ability to vote restored .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ rate from USEP for the highest office on the ballot .
The national VEP turnout in the 2012 presidential election—before Shelby County—was 58 percent .
The national VEP turnout in 2016—after Shelby County—was 59.2 percent .
So turnout went up nationally that year and went up again in this year 's election , which the USEP pegs at 66.6 percent .
The VEP turnout also either went up or stayed virtually the same in the nine formerly covered states .
Alabama 's turnout in 2012 was 58.6 percent ; in 2016 it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , steadily rising after Shelby County .
Over the same three elections Georgia went from 59 to 59.1 to 67.7 .
Alaska from 52.6 to 54.9 to 68.8 .
Louisiana went from 60.2 to 60 to 64.4 .
Mississippi went from 59.3 to 55.2 to 60.2 .
South Carolina went from 56.3 to 56.7 to 60.4 .
Texas climbed steadily from 49.6 to 51.4 to 60.4 .
Even Virginia jumped from 66.1 in 2012 and 2016 to 73 this year .
Note that all of these turnout rates are about or higher than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Similar increases happened in congressional elections ( which have much lower turnout ) in the USEP numbers .
For example , the VEP turnout in Alabama in 2014 was 32.9 percent , rising to 46.9 percent in 2018 .
Georgia , which has been the subject of many recent claims of voter suppression , went from 33.4 percent in 2014 to 46.9 percent in 2018 , while Mississippi went from only 29 percent in 2014 to 42.7 percent in 2018 .
There is no `` voter suppression '' epidemic in the U.S. , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Such claims are a myth created to oppose any effort to implement common-sense reforms designed to improve the security and integrity of the election process , like requiring an ID to vote or ensuring that states maintain accurate , up-to-date voter-registration rolls .
There is no need to reimpose Section 5 on states that left their discriminatory pasts behind—there has been no `` backsliding . ''
Hans von Spakovsky is a senior legal fellow and manager of the Election Law Reform Initiative at the Heritage Foundation .
The views expressed in this @ @ @ @ @ @ @

One thing is crystal clear amid the contentious fights occurring over the outcome of the 2020 presidential election: predictions that certain states would "backslide" into discriminatory voter suppression following the Supreme Court's 2013 Shelby County v. Holder decision were completely wrong. Turnout in both presidential and congressional elections in those states has risen significantly since that decision.
When the Supreme Court handed down its ruling, the Shelby County decision was unjustly criticized and misunderstood by many who claimed the decision abrogated the Voting Rights Act. That claim was simply not true. The act's main provision—a permanent, nationwide ban on racial discrimination in the voting context—is alive and well today. It has been so effective that discriminatory practices by state and local officials have become a rare exception rather than the rule.
What was at stake in Shelby County was Section 5, an emergency provision passed in 1965 that was only supposed to last five years but was successively renewed by Congress. Under Section 5, certain jurisdictions could not make any changes to their voting laws without first getting the approval—referred to as "preclearance"—of the U.S. Justice Department or a federal court in Washington, D.C.
The coverage formula was designed to capture those states, and only those states, that were engaging in blatant discrimination. In determining which states would be covered by the preclearance requirement, Congress took into account the low registration and turnout caused by discriminatory practices. Specifically, it covered states that had maintained a test or device as a prerequisite to voting and had voter registration or turnout of less than 50 percent in the 1964, 1968, or 1972 presidential elections. Those states were Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia.
No one disputed that Section 5 was needed in 1965, and hence the Court upheld its constitutionality because of the widespread and extensive discrimination in the segregationist South. But the majority rightly said in Shelby County that the preclearance requirement—an extraordinary intrusion into state sovereignty—was no longer constitutional because it had not been updated to reflect modern conditions.
Voting stickers on display at the Magic Castle on November 03, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. Tibrina Hobson/Getty
In an opinion by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the four dissenting justices claimed that Section 5 was "vital to protecting minority rights" and predicted that without it, there would be "backsliding" by state and local governments returning to their old ways of discriminating. As several national elections have taken place since the decision, we can now evaluate whether Ginsburg's prediction was justified.
Since Congress thought voter turnout was an appropriate measure of discriminatory practices when it passed Section 5, it is still a relevant measure to show how wrong the dissenters were about what would happen without Section 5 in place. As the 2020 turnout numbers show, the dissenting justices were wrong to view these states through a lens that saw only the decades-old past. Turnout has generally gone up, not down, in all of the formerly covered states, sometimes beating the national average.
The United States Election Project (USEP) calculates turnout based on the Voting Eligible Population or VEP, which begins with the voting-age population of each state and subtracts individuals who are ineligible to vote, such as non-citizens and felons who have not yet had their ability to vote restored. The following numbers are the VEP turnout rate from USEP for the highest office on the ballot.
The national VEP turnout in the 2012 presidential election—before Shelby County—was 58 percent. The national VEP turnout in 2016—after Shelby County—was 59.2 percent. So turnout went up nationally that year and went up again in this year's election, which the USEP pegs at 66.6 percent.
The VEP turnout also either went up or stayed virtually the same in the nine formerly covered states. Alabama's turnout in 2012 was 58.6 percent; in 2016 it was 58.8 and in 2020 it was 63.1, steadily rising after Shelby County. Over the same three elections Georgia went from 59 to 59.1 to 67.7. Alaska from 52.6 to 54.9 to 68.8. Louisiana went from 60.2 to 60 to 64.4. Mississippi went from 59.3 to 55.2 to 60.2. South Carolina went from 56.3 to 56.7 to 60.4. Texas climbed steadily from 49.6 to 51.4 to 60.4. Even Virginia jumped from 66.1 in 2012 and 2016 to 73 this year. Note that all of these turnout rates are about or higher than Congress's key 50 percent measure.
Similar increases happened in congressional elections (which have much lower turnout) in the USEP numbers. For example, the VEP turnout in Alabama in 2014 was 32.9 percent, rising to 46.9 percent in 2018. Georgia, which has been the subject of many recent claims of voter suppression, went from 33.4 percent in 2014 to 46.9 percent in 2018, while Mississippi went from only 29 percent in 2014 to 42.7 percent in 2018.
There is no "voter suppression" epidemic in the U.S., contrary to the charges made by some. Such claims are a myth created to oppose any effort to implement common-sense reforms designed to improve the security and integrity of the election process, like requiring an ID to vote or ensuring that states maintain accurate, up-to-date voter-registration rolls. There is no need to reimpose Section 5 on states that left their discriminatory pasts behind—there has been no "backsliding."
Hans von Spakovsky is a senior legal fellow and manager of the Election Law Reform Initiative at the Heritage Foundation.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.


newsweek--2020-12-08--Trump's Final Weeks Bring Risk of Regional Iran War With Tinderbox of Sanctions, Assassination and S

Trump's Final Weeks Bring Risk of Regional Iran War With Tinderbox of Sanctions, Assassination and Soleimani Anniversary

President-elect Joe Biden 's electoral victory has brought much talk of a revival in ties with Iran , perhaps even an end to the tension and military posturing that has punctuated the last four years under President Donald Trump .
But even on his way out of the White House , Trump appears intent on breaking the regime in Tehran .
Combined with recent and upcoming events , experts warn that there is a heightened risk of war breaking out .
The administration is imposing ever-more stringent sanctions on Iran and its officials , seeking to punish the regime for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nuclear deal with Trump and for its continued regional activities .
On November 27 , Iran 's top nuclear scientist Dr. Mohsen Fakhrizadehwas killed by an unidentified hit squad on a country road outside Tehran , which the regime said bore the hallmarks of an Israeli operation .
All the attackers escaped .
Iran blamed Israel and vowed revenge .
It appears unlikely that such a sophisticated operation could take place without American knowledge or even approval , but the Trump Administration has so far refused to comment .
The White House , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all declined to comment on the record when asked for information on the assassination by Newsweek .
Israel has not confirmed or denied responsibility per longstanding policy , but multiple media reports have cited unnamed U.S. intelligence officials crediting the Israelis .
The coming weeks will be fraught , and more violence is possible .
The situation could turn `` terribly dangerous for the region and beyond , '' Agnes Callamard , the United Nations Human Rights Council special rapporteur on extrajudicial , summary or arbitrary executions , told Newsweek .
Fakhrizadeh 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ General Qassem Soleimani was killed by an American drone strike in Baghdad .
Soleimani was one of the most powerful members of the regime and its foreign operations mastermind , and his killing brought the U.S. and Iran to the brink of war .
`` We are back to a January 3 scenario , '' Callamard said referring to the Soleimani strike , `` where everyone—most governments and people like me—were extremely worried about the possibility of escalation . ''
Iran retaliated for the Soleimaini strike with ballistic missile attacks on two Iraqi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 100 .
But Iranian officials have continued to vow further action to avenge the slain commander , and the first anniversary is coming up .
Iran 's Gen. Hossein Salami , who replaced Soleimani , said in September : `` Mr. Trump !
Our revenge for martyrdom of our great general is obvious , serious and real . ''
Israel on Thursday warned that Iran may strike back at Israeli interests or civilians in a range of regional nations , while the U.S. is reportedly temporarily drawing down staff numbers at its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attack on either nation or its interests could provoke a broader crisis .
Sina Toossi , a senior research analyst at the nonprofit National Iranian American Council , said any Iranian response would likely be calibrated to avoid war , something Tehran has been wary of throughout Trump 's time in office .
`` Iran will retaliate for the assassination of scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh in a way that will be aimed at demonstrating a cost for such actions against it but avoiding war , '' Toossi predicted .
`` Iran will likely bide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way and may target Israeli interests and civilians abroad . ''
Toossi cited the examples of the 1992 bombing of the Israeli consulate in Buenos Aires that killed 29—a response to the Israeli assassination of Hezbollah leader Abbas Musawi—and the bombing of a tourist bus in Bulgaria in 2012 that killed five Israelis—a presumed response to the assassination of multiple Iranian nuclear scientists in Iran .
However , Toossi is more concerned about the other side .
`` Trump and Netanyahu will continue to up the ante with Iran in the next 50 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Newsweek .
`` They will be risking a total regional war at the tail end of a president who ran on ending 'endless wars . '
If such a conflict erupts , Trump will be bereft of domestic or international support , and will lock the U.S. into yet another needless strategic quagmire in the Middle East . ''
Upping the ante could mean more sanctions , assassinations , cyber strikes like the 2010 Stuxnet attack , or more overt military measures against Iranian targets or allies in Iraq and Syria , or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the hypothetical of more assassinations of Iranian scientists , for example , Callamard responded : `` If you are correct , I will be extremely concerned . ''
She explained : `` Because it will violate international law on a repeated basis ; because it will weaken the international system and the United Nations and the Security Council ; because it preempts any kind of non-violent attempt to solve those very serious issues related to Iran 's nuclear weapons program . ''
Iran is holding out for Biden , who wants to rejoin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deal that Trump abandoned in 2018 with Israeli backing .
Sanctions relief might be on the cards if the regime can make it to January 20 without a war , a distasteful result for Trump 's Iran hawks and Netanyahu .
Indeed , Fakhrizadeh 's assassination and fresh sanctions appear to be designed to hamstring any Biden effort to revive dialogue , empowering the hardliners in Iran and pushing Tehran to lash out .
`` We can expect Trump and company to continue to search for ways to decisively kill any potential for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ predicted .
`` But short of direct military strikes on Iran 's nuclear facilities , which would spark all-out war , there is little they can do .
`` Sabotage and assassinations have little tangible impact on Iran 's nuclear capabilities , with the real goal being to bait Iran into over-reaction , empower Iranian hardliners , and increase the political cost in Tehran for pursuing negotiations with the United States . ''
The Iranian parliament has already passed a new measure ordering the country 's nuclear energy agency to enrich and stockpile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but if highly enriched suitable for a nuclear bomb .
And June 's election looks set to replace moderate President Hassan Rouhani with a conservative , perhaps one from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps .
`` The parliamentary bill has satiated Iranian hardliners on the nuclear front for now , and still leaves the door open to Iran returning to the nuclear deal if the U.S. returns , '' Toossi said of last week 's developments .
`` President-elect Biden will now be faced with a nuclear crisis with Iran at the beginning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and most feasible path for him to alleviate this crisis is to take immediate steps to return to the nuclear deal , predicated on Iran returning to full compliance as well .
This is still a possibility . ''
Rouhani and Zarif have repeatedly said that Iran remains open to resurrecting the JCPOA .
But each new assassination or round of sanctions chips away at its foundations , and at the domestic strength of the moderates who favor engaging with Washington .
The remaining weeks of Trump 's term could yet bring more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iran use grief and outrage as a springboard to amass more power .

President-elect Joe Biden's electoral victory has brought much talk of a revival in ties with Iran, perhaps even an end to the tension and military posturing that has punctuated the last four years under President Donald Trump.
But even on his way out of the White House, Trump appears intent on breaking the regime in Tehran. Combined with recent and upcoming events, experts warn that there is a heightened risk of war breaking out.
The administration is imposing ever-more stringent sanctions on Iran and its officials, seeking to punish the regime for its repeated refusal to negotiate a new nuclear deal with Trump and for its continued regional activities.
On November 27, Iran's top nuclear scientist Dr. Mohsen Fakhrizadehwas killed by an unidentified hit squad on a country road outside Tehran, which the regime said bore the hallmarks of an Israeli operation. All the attackers escaped. Iran blamed Israel and vowed revenge.
It appears unlikely that such a sophisticated operation could take place without American knowledge or even approval, but the Trump Administration has so far refused to comment.
The White House, State Department, and National Security Council all declined to comment on the record when asked for information on the assassination by Newsweek.
Israel has not confirmed or denied responsibility per longstanding policy, but multiple media reports have cited unnamed U.S. intelligence officials crediting the Israelis.
The coming weeks will be fraught, and more violence is possible. The situation could turn "terribly dangerous for the region and beyond," Agnes Callamard, the United Nations Human Rights Council special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, told Newsweek.
Fakhrizadeh's killing is the most significant since Major General Qassem Soleimani was killed by an American drone strike in Baghdad. Soleimani was one of the most powerful members of the regime and its foreign operations mastermind, and his killing brought the U.S. and Iran to the brink of war.
"We are back to a January 3 scenario," Callamard said referring to the Soleimani strike, "where everyone—most governments and people like me—were extremely worried about the possibility of escalation."
Iran retaliated for the Soleimaini strike with ballistic missile attacks on two Iraqi bases housing U.S. troops, injuring more than 100. But Iranian officials have continued to vow further action to avenge the slain commander, and the first anniversary is coming up.
Iran's Gen. Hossein Salami, who replaced Soleimani, said in September: "Mr. Trump! Our revenge for martyrdom of our great general is obvious, serious and real."
Israel on Thursday warned that Iran may strike back at Israeli interests or civilians in a range of regional nations, while the U.S. is reportedly temporarily drawing down staff numbers at its oft-targeted embassy in Baghdad.
An Iranian-linked attack on either nation or its interests could provoke a broader crisis.
Sina Toossi, a senior research analyst at the nonprofit National Iranian American Council, said any Iranian response would likely be calibrated to avoid war, something Tehran has been wary of throughout Trump's time in office.
"Iran will retaliate for the assassination of scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh in a way that will be aimed at demonstrating a cost for such actions against it but avoiding war," Toossi predicted. "Iran will likely bide its time and react in an indirect way and may target Israeli interests and civilians abroad."
Toossi cited the examples of the 1992 bombing of the Israeli consulate in Buenos Aires that killed 29—a response to the Israeli assassination of Hezbollah leader Abbas Musawi—and the bombing of a tourist bus in Bulgaria in 2012 that killed five Israelis—a presumed response to the assassination of multiple Iranian nuclear scientists in Iran.
However, Toossi is more concerned about the other side. "Trump and Netanyahu will continue to up the ante with Iran in the next 50 or so days," he told Newsweek.
"They will be risking a total regional war at the tail end of a president who ran on ending 'endless wars.' If such a conflict erupts, Trump will be bereft of domestic or international support, and will lock the U.S. into yet another needless strategic quagmire in the Middle East."
Upping the ante could mean more sanctions, assassinations, cyber strikes like the 2010 Stuxnet attack, or more overt military measures against Iranian targets or allies in Iraq and Syria, or other parts of the region.
To the hypothetical of more assassinations of Iranian scientists, for example, Callamard responded: "If you are correct, I will be extremely concerned."
Iraqi riot police stand near a poster of Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani, who was killed in a U.S. drone strike in Baghdad, in a square in the Iraqi capital on December 3, 2020. AHMAD AL-RUBAYE/AFP via Getty Images/Getty
She explained: "Because it will violate international law on a repeated basis; because it will weaken the international system and the United Nations and the Security Council; because it preempts any kind of non-violent attempt to solve those very serious issues related to Iran's nuclear weapons program."
Iran is holding out for Biden, who wants to rejoin the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action nuclear deal that Trump abandoned in 2018 with Israeli backing. Sanctions relief might be on the cards if the regime can make it to January 20 without a war, a distasteful result for Trump's Iran hawks and Netanyahu.
Indeed, Fakhrizadeh's assassination and fresh sanctions appear to be designed to hamstring any Biden effort to revive dialogue, empowering the hardliners in Iran and pushing Tehran to lash out.
"We can expect Trump and company to continue to search for ways to decisively kill any potential for the deal being resuscitated," Toossi predicted.
"But short of direct military strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities, which would spark all-out war, there is little they can do.
"Sabotage and assassinations have little tangible impact on Iran's nuclear capabilities, with the real goal being to bait Iran into over-reaction, empower Iranian hardliners, and increase the political cost in Tehran for pursuing negotiations with the United States."
The Iranian parliament has already passed a new measure ordering the country's nuclear energy agency to enrich and stockpile more uranium, used in nuclear power but if highly enriched suitable for a nuclear bomb.
And June's election looks set to replace moderate President Hassan Rouhani with a conservative, perhaps one from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
"The parliamentary bill has satiated Iranian hardliners on the nuclear front for now, and still leaves the door open to Iran returning to the nuclear deal if the U.S. returns," Toossi said of last week's developments.
"President-elect Biden will now be faced with a nuclear crisis with Iran at the beginning of his administration.
"The easiest and most feasible path for him to alleviate this crisis is to take immediate steps to return to the nuclear deal, predicated on Iran returning to full compliance as well. This is still a possibility."
Rouhani and Zarif have repeatedly said that Iran remains open to resurrecting the JCPOA. But each new assassination or round of sanctions chips away at its foundations, and at the domestic strength of the moderates who favor engaging with Washington.
The remaining weeks of Trump's term could yet bring more such challenges, as conservative forces in Iran use grief and outrage as a springboard to amass more power.


newsweek--2020-12-08--'Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War' Update 1.07 Fixes Next-Gen Crashes - Patch Notes

Call of Duty : Black Ops Cold War update 1.07 has landed on all platforms .
While the newly released update does n't address the weapon balance issues some players may be having , it goes a long way toward fixing problems with spawns , crashes and more .
Read the full patch notes courtesy of a Treyarch blog post .
• Addressed an issue where Prestige Levels and Prestige Icons could display inaccurately in lobby menus .
• Addressed an issue where the Prestige 1 icon could display in place of the Commander rank icon in the After Action @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the reward animation could sometimes appear corrupted in the After Action Report .
• TDM , Domination , Kill Confirmed , and Hardpoint on Moscow and Crossroads Strike .
• Hardcore Motherland Moshpit also available in Quick Play ( TDM , Domination , Kill Confirmed ) .
• Available Dec. 8 until the launch of Season One .
• Addressed an issue where Mastery camos were not progressing properly for some players , despite being earned .
• Reduced the number of kills without dying from 3 to 2 for launcher and M79 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where the Hardpoint could be captured behind a crate on zone 4 .
• Zone 1 adjusted to provide more balanced cover for both teams .
• Moved zone 4 to the adjacent tents to provide more opportunities for the attacking team .
• Additional attacker spawns added closer to mid-map when B has been captured .
• Reduced spawn protection time to reduce frequency of protection nullifying explosives ( e.g .
War Machine ) for extended periods of time .
• Addressed an issue where players could collide when redeploying from a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where players could land on each other and die if they waited until they were auto-deployed during Infil .
• Addressed an issue where players could get stuck by mantling in certain spots on Alpine .
• Addressed an issue where Containers could spawn inside objects .
• Reduced spawn rates of the Gunship , Chopper Gunner , and VTOL Escort .
• Addressed an issue where the Cruise Missile HUD effects could be seen in the Redeploy menu .
• Addressed an issue where the Hind could exit the playable space in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dust and threat perception effects could display on the overhead camera .
• Addressed an issue with Party invites in Fireteam : Dirty Bomb .
• Adjusted the interact radius on mounted turrets to be easier to get onto .
• Added options in Custom Games Scorestreaks settings for Score Reset On Death and Scorestreak Death Penalty , allowing players to set the percentage of score lost on death from 0 % ( Disabled ) to 100 % ( all score lost on death ) .
• Addressed an issue where players could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ round-based modes .
• Addressed an animation issue with the Hauer 77 when firing the last shot while aiming down sights .
• Addressed an issue where launchers could lock onto Stationary Turrets in Combined Arms .
• Addressed an issue that could prevent thermal scopes from showing a thermal overlay when riding a vehicle .
• Care Package explosion will no longer damage teammates in Hardcore .
• Addressed an issue that could cause the Care Package to go through the roof in Checkmate .
• Addressed an issue where the Tactical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enemies with the Combat Bow .
• Addressed an issue where damaging a Cruise Missile would not display a hit marker .
• Addressed an issue with the VTOL Escort camera when it would be destroyed from going out of bounds .
• The Chopper Gunner will now follow its correct shorter path on Crossroads Strike instead of its wider path from Combined Arms .
• Parachutes can now be activated where applicable in all modes in Crossroads .
• Parachutes can now be activated where applicable in all modes in Armada .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the explosive barrels would never detonate in Garrison .
• The Trophy System will now destroy incoming Trophy Systems .
• Addressed an issue where the Trophy System occasionally would not destroy incoming projectiles .
• Addressed an issue where shooting your own Trophy System could show enemy infantry hit markers .
• The Assault Pack will now be destroyed if an enemy uses it .
• Addressed an issue where a player could earn double score events if two Field Mics were overlapping .
• Addressed an issue where the camera could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ switching from driver to passenger while aiming down sights in a vehicle .
• Addressed an issue where players could spawn with corrupted animations if they squad-spawned onto a Dirt Bike as a passenger .
• Fixed a rare crash that could occur when a player was dismembered by an explosive .
• Addressed an issue where performing Finishing Moves on enemies while being downed would not count toward the Stone Operator unlock challenge .
• Addressed an issue when Jump and Mantle were bound to the Mouse Wheel .
• Addressed an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ • Addressed an issue with mic status icon not displaying properly in the Party tab .
• Addressed an issue where a character 's exert audio for a weapon melee could be delayed .
• Addressed an issue where players were not immediately killed when being downed while in water .
• Addressed an issue causing progress on the Trapper Challenge to get stuck at 255 .
• Addressed an issue that caused incorrect Mastery camo progression information to display .
• Addressed an issue where incorrect Prestige Icons could display in Zombies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sometimes caused the player 's primary weapon camo to appear on a Knife equipped as a secondary weapon .
• Addressed an issue with incorrect Engagement Range data for some weapons for Zombies .
• Killing Blows will now register properly for Zombies in Combat Record .
• Elite Eliminations will now register properly for Zombies in Combat Record .
• Addressed issues with text overlapping or extending outside the panel in the Intel menus .
• Addressed issues with 3D models not properly orienting in Intel menus .
• Addressed an issue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the Zombies lobby on PlayStation platforms .
• Added new Season One Intel to discover in `` Die Maschine '' .
• Addressed an issue that sometimes caused zombies to get stuck inside a spawn location .
• Addressed an issue that caused zombies to incorrectly use their ranged attack in specific locations .
• Addressed an issue that caused zombies to path incorrectly when Decoys were used in specific locations .
• Addressed an issue that caused the incorrect floor of the mini-map from appearing after spectating .
• Addressed an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on a quest character when viewed with the flashlight .
• Addressed an issue that caused ammo to be incorrectly deducted from the D.I.E .
Electrobolt while using Aether Shroud .
• Addressed an issue that caused the incorrect weapon rarity to appear for the player 's weapon after respawning .
• Addressed an issue that caused the duplication of weapons using the Arsenal under specific circumstances .
• Addressed an issue that caused the Take Damage and Recover Health Trial from granting progress when recovering the bonus health granted by Jugger-Nog .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ specific Trial from granting a reward .
• Addressed an issue that prevented some weapons from appearing in the cycle animation when using the Mystery Box .
• Addressed a rare issue that could cause the Main Quest to stop progressing at the Decontamination step .
• Addressed an issue that caused incorrect icons to display when pinging certain weapons .
• Addressed an issue that could prevent certain voiceover lines from playing .
• Addressed an issue that could occur where the Pause menu could n't be closed when interacting with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ caused a mix of visual effects from different Ammo Mods to display when navigating the Skills menu .
• Added options to turn off various UI elements and features .
• Added new Season One Intel to discover in Onslaught .
• Addressed a rare issue that could cause a redundant Perk to be granted from power-ups .
• Addressed an issue with text wrapping in Windowed mode .
• Addressed an issue that could cause a blurry screen with NVIDIA Ansel when using a sniper scope .
As promised by Treyarch late @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Black Ops Cold War update 1.07 is squarely focused on quality-of-life fixes above all else .
In other words , there are many resolutions for issues like progression glitches , crashes and incorrect UI displays .
These might not be as interesting or impactful as a wide variety of weapon balance adjustments , but they are just as important .
Especially for those playing on PS5 , any potential fix for system crashes is generally a good thing , as some have said their shiny new consoles have broken under stress .
So @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way of gameplay tweaks here , we would argue the problems that received attention were a bit more pressing .
And , while there is n't much on the gameplay front to speak of , that does n't mean there are absolutely no changes to the meta at all .
The spawn adjustments in particular look to be extremely important .
With increased cover and more balanced locations , it should be slightly harder to spawn kill .
Any possible advantages for certain teams in multiplayer have been neutralized as well .
Adjustments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ casual play , and they require less careful consideration than gun balance .
Those easier challenges and fresh Zombies intel are a nice bonus too .
While Black Ops Cold War update 1.07 by no means drastically alters the game as players know it , it was a critical patch that primes us for Season 1 on December 16 .
Call of Duty : Black Ops Cold War is available now on PS5 , PS4 , Xbox Series X|S , Xbox One and PC .
What are your thoughts on Black Ops Cold @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your crashes on PS5 ?
Tell us in the comments section !

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War update 1.07 has landed on all platforms. While the newly released update doesn't address the weapon balance issues some players may be having, it goes a long way toward fixing problems with spawns, crashes and more. Read the full patch notes courtesy of a Treyarch blog post.
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Update 1.07 Patch Notes
'Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War' update 1.07 arrives with minor multiplayer tweaks. Read the full patch notes here. 'Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War' is available now on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and PC. Treyarch/Activision
GLOBAL
Stability
Added crash fixes related to ray tracing on next-gen consoles.
General stability improvements.
Progression
Addressed an issue where Prestige Levels and Prestige Icons could display inaccurately in lobby menus.
Addressed an issue where the Prestige 1 icon could display in place of the Commander rank icon in the After Action Report.
UI
Addressed multiple issues for breadcrumbs appearing incorrectly throughout lobby menus.
Addressed an issue where the reward animation could sometimes appear corrupted in the After Action Report.
MULTIPLAYER
Playlists
Motherland Moshpit
TDM, Domination, Kill Confirmed, and Hardpoint on Moscow and Crossroads Strike.
Hardcore Motherland Moshpit also available in Quick Play (TDM, Domination, Kill Confirmed).
Available Dec. 8 until the launch of Season One.
Progression
Camos
Addressed an issue where Mastery camos were not progressing properly for some players, despite being earned.
Reduced the number of kills without dying from 3 to 2 for launcher and M79 camo Challenges.
Game Modes
Changes to spawns across many modes should make many queues more balanced. Treyarch/Activision
Hardpoint
Checkmate
Adjusted spawns for zones 1, 3, and 4.
Resolved an issue where the Hardpoint could be captured behind a crate on zone 4.
Garrison
Zone 1 adjusted to provide more balanced cover for both teams.
Adjusted spawns for zones 2 and 3.
Crossroads Strike
Adjusted spawns for all Hardpoint zones.
Moved zone 4 to the adjacent tents to provide more opportunities for the attacking team.
Moscow
Removed spawns near back statue for zone 3.
Control
Moscow
Adjusted attacker spawns to reduce travel time to objectives.
Additional attacker spawns added closer to mid-map when B has been captured.
Miami
Adjusted attacker spawns to reduce travel time to objectives.
Checkmate
Adjusted attacker spawns to reduce travel time to objectives.
Fireteam: Dirty Bomb
Gameplay
Reduced spawn protection time to reduce frequency of protection nullifying explosives (e.g. War Machine) for extended periods of time.
Addressed an issue where players could collide when redeploying from a Squad Wipe.
Addressed an issue where players could land on each other and die if they waited until they were auto-deployed during Infil.
Addressed an issue where players could get stuck by mantling in certain spots on Alpine.
Addressed an issue where Containers could spawn inside objects.
Scorestreaks
Reduced spawn rates of the Gunship, Chopper Gunner, and VTOL Escort.
Addressed an issue where the Cruise Missile HUD effects could be seen in the Redeploy menu.
Vehicles
Addressed an issue where the Hind could exit the playable space in Alpine.
HUD
Addressed an issue where dust and threat perception effects could display on the overhead camera.
Party Invites
Addressed an issue with Party invites in Fireteam: Dirty Bomb.
Combined Arms
Adjusted the interact radius on mounted turrets to be easier to get onto.
Custom Games
Added options in Custom Games Scorestreaks settings for Score Reset On Death and Scorestreak Death Penalty, allowing players to set the percentage of score lost on death from 0% (Disabled) to 100% (all score lost on death).
Round-Based Modes
Addressed an issue where players could be kicked for inactivity while spectating in round-based modes.
Weapons
Visuals
Added polish to visual kickback when hip-firing weapons.
Hauer 77
Addressed an animation issue with the Hauer 77 when firing the last shot while aiming down sights.
Launchers
Addressed an issue where launchers could lock onto Stationary Turrets in Combined Arms.
Optics
Addressed an issue that could prevent thermal scopes from showing a thermal overlay when riding a vehicle.
Scorestreaks
Care Package
Care Package explosion will no longer damage teammates in Hardcore.
Addressed an issue that could cause the Care Package to go through the roof in Checkmate.
Combat Bow
Addressed an issue where the Tactical Mask icon would incorrectly display when damaging enemies with the Combat Bow.
Cruise Missile
Addressed an issue where damaging a Cruise Missile would not display a hit marker.
VTOL Escort
Addressed an issue with the VTOL Escort camera when it would be destroyed from going out of bounds.
Chopper Gunner
The Chopper Gunner will now follow its correct shorter path on Crossroads Strike instead of its wider path from Combined Arms.
Maps
Crossroads
Parachutes can now be activated where applicable in all modes in Crossroads.
Added a unique 6v6 intermission camera on Crossroads Strike.
Armada
Parachutes can now be activated where applicable in all modes in Armada.
Garrison
Addressed an issue where one of the explosive barrels would never detonate in Garrison.
Field Upgrades
Trophy System
The Trophy System will now destroy incoming Trophy Systems.
Addressed an issue where the Trophy System occasionally would not destroy incoming projectiles.
Addressed an issue where shooting your own Trophy System could show enemy infantry hit markers.
Assault Pack
The Assault Pack will now be destroyed if an enemy uses it.
Field Mic
Addressed an issue where a player could earn double score events if two Field Mics were overlapping.
Vehicles
General
Added a new Helicopter Aiming Mode option.
Addressed an issue where the camera could clip through the player's head when switching from driver to passenger while aiming down sights in a vehicle.
Addressed an issue where players could spawn with corrupted animations if they squad-spawned onto a Dirt Bike as a passenger.
General
Stability
Fixed a rare crash that could occur when a player was dismembered by an explosive.
Finishing Moves
General clean-up and bug fixes for Finishing Moves.
Addressed an issue where performing Finishing Moves on enemies while being downed would not count toward the Stone Operator unlock challenge.
Gestures
Added voiceover to first-person Gestures.
Mouse and Keyboard
Addressed an issue when Jump and Mantle were bound to the Mouse Wheel.
Addressed an issue with mouse navigation in Theater.
Addressed an issue with mic status icon not displaying properly in the Party tab.
Addressed an issue with Voice Chat Volume setting functionality.
Improved mouse rotation controls for Weapon Inspect.
Audio
Addressed an issue where a character's exert audio for a weapon melee could be delayed.
Miscellaneous
Addressed an issue where players were not immediately killed when being downed while in water.
ZOMBIES
General
Progression
Addressed an issue causing progress on the Trapper Challenge to get stuck at 255.
Addressed an issue that caused incorrect Mastery camo progression information to display.
Addressed an issue where incorrect Prestige Icons could display in Zombies menus.
Addressed an issue that sometimes caused the player's primary weapon camo to appear on a Knife equipped as a secondary weapon.
Combat Record
Addressed an issue with incorrect Engagement Range data for some weapons for Zombies.
Killing Blows will now register properly for Zombies in Combat Record.
Elite Eliminations will now register properly for Zombies in Combat Record.
UI
Addressed issues with text overlapping or extending outside the panel in the Intel menus.
Addressed issues with 3D models not properly orienting in Intel menus.
Addressed an issue where additional Create-a-Class slots were not appearing in the Zombies lobby on PlayStation platforms.
Die Maschine
Stability
Added various stability fixes.
Intel
Added new Season One Intel to discover in "Die Maschine".
Gameplay
Closed various exploit areas.
Addressed an issue that sometimes caused zombies to get stuck inside a spawn location.
Addressed an issue that caused zombies to incorrectly use their ranged attack in specific locations.
Addressed an issue that caused zombies to path incorrectly when Decoys were used in specific locations.
Addressed an issue that caused the incorrect floor of the mini-map from appearing after spectating.
Addressed an issue that caused shadows to appear incorrectly on a quest character when viewed with the flashlight.
Weapons
Addressed an issue that caused ammo to be incorrectly deducted from the D.I.E. Electrobolt while using Aether Shroud.
Addressed an issue that caused the incorrect weapon rarity to appear for the player's weapon after respawning.
Addressed an issue that caused the duplication of weapons using the Arsenal under specific circumstances.
Trials
Addressed an issue that caused the Take Damage and Recover Health Trial from granting progress when recovering the bonus health granted by Jugger-Nog.
Addressed an issue that prevented a specific Trial from granting a reward.
Mystery Box
Addressed an issue that prevented some weapons from appearing in the cycle animation when using the Mystery Box.
Main Quest
Addressed a rare issue that could cause the Main Quest to stop progressing at the Decontamination step.
Ping
Addressed an issue that caused incorrect icons to display when pinging certain weapons.
Audio
Addressed an issue that could prevent certain voiceover lines from playing.
UI
Addressed an issue that could occur where the Pause menu couldn't be closed when interacting with the Arsenal.
Addressed an issue that caused a mix of visual effects from different Ammo Mods to display when navigating the Skills menu.
Dead Ops Arcade
Stability
Added various stability fixes.
Gameplay
Added Room of Judgment event.
Added various enemy AI tuning changes.
Added various weapon tuning changes.
General
Added Host Migration to Dead Ops Arcade.
Added options to turn off various UI elements and features.
Onslaught (PS4/PS5)
Intel
Added new Season One Intel to discover in Onslaught.
Gameplay
Added various enemy pathing fixes.
Addressed a rare issue that could cause a redundant Perk to be granted from power-ups.
PC
Stability
Added various stability fixes.
General
Addressed an issue with text wrapping in Windowed mode.
Addressed an issue that could cause a blurry screen with NVIDIA Ansel when using a sniper scope.
As promised by Treyarch late last week, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War update 1.07 is squarely focused on quality-of-life fixes above all else. In other words, there are many resolutions for issues like progression glitches, crashes and incorrect UI displays.
These might not be as interesting or impactful as a wide variety of weapon balance adjustments, but they are just as important. Especially for those playing on PS5, any potential fix for system crashes is generally a good thing, as some have said their shiny new consoles have broken under stress. So, while there's little in the way of gameplay tweaks here, we would argue the problems that received attention were a bit more pressing.
And, while there isn't much on the gameplay front to speak of, that doesn't mean there are absolutely no changes to the meta at all. The spawn adjustments in particular look to be extremely important. With increased cover and more balanced locations, it should be slightly harder to spawn kill.
Any possible advantages for certain teams in multiplayer have been neutralized as well. Adjustments like these can have major implications on casual play, and they require less careful consideration than gun balance. Those easier challenges and fresh Zombies intel are a nice bonus too.
While Black Ops Cold War update 1.07 by no means drastically alters the game as players know it, it was a critical patch that primes us for Season 1 on December 16.
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is available now on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and PC.
What are your thoughts on Black Ops Cold War update 1.07? Does it fix your crashes on PS5? Tell us in the comments section!


newsweek--2020-12-08--Eco-Failure Jay Inslee is a Smart Political Ploy for Biden | Opinion

You 'd be hard pressed to find any meaningful environmental accomplishments from Washington governor Jay Inslee during his two terms .
He 's been an utter failure .
Yet he is reportedly under consideration for top jobs in the Joe Biden administration , including secretary of energy .
Weirdly , it 's his non-existent record that may give him an edge in landing a cabinet position .
Washington Post reporter David Fahrenthold claims Inslee `` is n't credited enough with how much he shaped Biden 's thinking '' on the environment .
A conspicuously timed joint press release from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state explaining succession of power should Inslee resign , released on the same day Biden unveiled his national security team , added to the rumors that Inslee is a contender for a spot .
Is Inslee qualified for any top job on national policy ?
Not even remotely .
Inslee undoubtedly talks a good game .
The failed presidential candidate branded himself as the ultimate climate change candidate .
Buoyed by glowing coverage , Inslee earned support from like-minded activists , though his campaign failed as badly as his environmental agenda in Washington @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attention on cutting C02 to `` defeat the climate crisis . ''
He often touts his state as `` a national leader in cutting greenhouse gas emissions . ''
During the last legislative session , Inslee signed a bill promising to cut emissions by 95 percent by 2050 .
But making bold proclamations to signal virtue on climate , without results , is classic Inslee .
Despite the governor 's many pledges , Washington has seen a roughly 8 percent increase in CO2 emissions since Inslee was elected .
What 's worse , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions in 2018 , according to the WA Department of Ecology .
Inslee 's highest legislative priority for cutting emissions was a low-carbon fuel standard .
Yet despite a state house and senate majority , Inslee could n't convince his own party to pass the bill out of committee for a second consecutive year .
After another summer of severe wildfires , which the governor dubbed `` climate fires , '' Inslee blamed climate change for their intensity .
He used the fires to push his climate brand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their leading cause .
According to the state 's own Department of Natural Resources , poor forest management and a lack of resources were the real culprits .
`` Washington 's forests are in a critical state .
Millions of acres are overcrowded , filled with diseased and dying trees , and at high risk for catastrophic wildfires , '' Public Lands Commissioner Hilary Franz wrote in a 2019 report .
She singles out the `` dense stands of trees and accumulations of forest fuels '' for producing `` intense , fast moving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't stop there .
Inslee failed to pass his carbon tax initiative , a court rejected his unilateral cap-and-trade diktat , activists scolded him on Puget Sound Chinook recovery and he nearly laid waste to Eastern Washington 's apple crops by illegally and unwittingly transferring maggot-infested apples to a quarantine zone .
Even with these failures , The New York Times says activists are pushing Biden to tap Inslee for an important role in shaping the country 's environmental policies .
As if what he could n't do in Washington , Inslee could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plan to ax U.S. coal plants in the next decade and reach net-zero emissions by 2045 .
Both unlikely scenarios , outlined in his agenda that nearly mirrors the Green New Deal , would have severe economic implications .
Biden may want to avoid the politics of lost jobs and bad energy policy , given the headache fracking caused him in Pennsylvania and the implications for the Democrats ' precarious House majority in the midterms .
However , Inslee 's superficial brand might be beneficial for Biden .
Inslee 's progressive bona fides @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feels owed a seat at the table .
Senator Bernie Sanders told the Associated Press it would be `` enormously insulting '' if progressives were n't represented in the Biden administration .
Squad members Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib are already on a warpath over their staffing choices being ignored .
The progressive base does n't know of Inslee 's failures—just his brand .
If Biden truly plans to pursue a `` Team of Rivals '' in his cabinet , eschewing divisive partisans as some reports suggest , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Washington governor .
Someone who talks a good progressive game—without advancing politically untenable positions that could hurt Democrats in the midterms—may serve Biden well in the first two years of his presidency .
He ca n't risk an Obama-era House shellacking that will strengthen Republicans leading into 2024 .
Assuming Republicans maintain the Senate , Majority Leader Mitch McConnell wo n't advance fringe cabinet choices if they could be effective .
But he also could face voter backlash if he says no to every Biden choice .
He 'll have to advance some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ non-threatening as Inslee ?
For Biden , the lack of results on energy or environmental policy wo n't matter until after the midterms .
Until then , he can easily scapegoat Republicans for the inaction , while hiding behind Inslee 's brand .
And if he needs someone to play the part and please progressives , without getting anything done that could hurt the administration , Inslee is Biden 's best bet .
Plus , it would give Washington a do-over for the governorship .
We could use it .
Jason Rantz is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the host of the Jason Rantz Show on KTTH Seattle , heard weekday afternoons .
You can subscribe to his podcast here and follow him on Twitter : @ jasonrantz .
The views expressed in this article are the writer 's own .

You'd be hard pressed to find any meaningful environmental accomplishments from Washington governor Jay Inslee during his two terms. He's been an utter failure. Yet he is reportedly under consideration for top jobs in the Joe Biden administration, including secretary of energy. Weirdly, it's his non-existent record that may give him an edge in landing a cabinet position.
Washington Post reporter David Fahrenthold claims Inslee "isn't credited enough with how much he shaped Biden's thinking" on the environment. A conspicuously timed joint press release from the Washington state attorney general and secretary of state explaining succession of power should Inslee resign, released on the same day Biden unveiled his national security team, added to the rumors that Inslee is a contender for a spot.
Is Inslee qualified for any top job on national policy? Not even remotely.
Inslee undoubtedly talks a good game. The failed presidential candidate branded himself as the ultimate climate change candidate. Buoyed by glowing coverage, Inslee earned support from like-minded activists, though his campaign failed as badly as his environmental agenda in Washington state.
The governor has focused his attention on cutting C02 to "defeat the climate crisis." He often touts his state as "a national leader in cutting greenhouse gas emissions." During the last legislative session, Inslee signed a bill promising to cut emissions by 95 percent by 2050. But making bold proclamations to signal virtue on climate, without results, is classic Inslee.
Despite the governor's many pledges, Washington has seen a roughly 8 percent increase in CO2 emissions since Inslee was elected. What's worse, the state released a decade-high 98.9 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions in 2018, according to the WA Department of Ecology.
Inslee's highest legislative priority for cutting emissions was a low-carbon fuel standard. Yet despite a state house and senate majority, Inslee couldn't convince his own party to pass the bill out of committee for a second consecutive year.
After another summer of severe wildfires, which the governor dubbed "climate fires," Inslee blamed climate change for their intensity. He used the fires to push his climate brand, even though climate change wasn't their leading cause. According to the state's own Department of Natural Resources, poor forest management and a lack of resources were the real culprits.
"Washington's forests are in a critical state. Millions of acres are overcrowded, filled with diseased and dying trees, and at high risk for catastrophic wildfires," Public Lands Commissioner Hilary Franz wrote in a 2019 report. She singles out the "dense stands of trees and accumulations of forest fuels" for producing "intense, fast moving wildfires."
Washington state governor Jay Inslee and other leaders speak to the press on March 28, 2020 in Seattle, Washington. Karen Ducey/Getty
The climate failures don't stop there. Inslee failed to pass his carbon tax initiative, a court rejected his unilateral cap-and-trade diktat, activists scolded him on Puget Sound Chinook recovery and he nearly laid waste to Eastern Washington's apple crops by illegally and unwittingly transferring maggot-infested apples to a quarantine zone.
Even with these failures, The New York Times says activists are pushing Biden to tap Inslee for an important role in shaping the country's environmental policies. As if what he couldn't do in Washington, Inslee could somehow do nationally.
Environmentalists like Inslee plan to ax U.S. coal plants in the next decade and reach net-zero emissions by 2045. Both unlikely scenarios, outlined in his agenda that nearly mirrors the Green New Deal, would have severe economic implications. Biden may want to avoid the politics of lost jobs and bad energy policy, given the headache fracking caused him in Pennsylvania and the implications for the Democrats' precarious House majority in the midterms.
However, Inslee's superficial brand might be beneficial for Biden.
Inslee's progressive bona fides could placate an increasingly restless base that feels owed a seat at the table. Senator Bernie Sanders told the Associated Press it would be "enormously insulting" if progressives weren't represented in the Biden administration. Squad members Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib are already on a warpath over their staffing choices being ignored.
The progressive base doesn't know of Inslee's failures—just his brand. If Biden truly plans to pursue a "Team of Rivals" in his cabinet, eschewing divisive partisans as some reports suggest, he should by all means turn to the Washington governor.
Someone who talks a good progressive game—without advancing politically untenable positions that could hurt Democrats in the midterms—may serve Biden well in the first two years of his presidency. He can't risk an Obama-era House shellacking that will strengthen Republicans leading into 2024.
Assuming Republicans maintain the Senate, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell won't advance fringe cabinet choices if they could be effective. But he also could face voter backlash if he says no to every Biden choice. He'll have to advance some progressives, so why not one as non-threatening as Inslee?
For Biden, the lack of results on energy or environmental policy won't matter until after the midterms. Until then, he can easily scapegoat Republicans for the inaction, while hiding behind Inslee's brand. And if he needs someone to play the part and please progressives, without getting anything done that could hurt the administration, Inslee is Biden's best bet. Plus, it would give Washington a do-over for the governorship. We could use it.
Jason Rantz is a frequent guest on Fox News and is the host of the Jason Rantz Show on KTTH Seattle, heard weekday afternoons. You can subscribe to his podcast here and follow him on Twitter: @jasonrantz.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.


newsweek--2020-12-08--Activists Warn Georgia County Closure of Early Voting Sites for Runoffs Harms Voters of Color Most

Six voting rights groups have written to election officials in Cobb County , Georgia , urging them not to reduce the number of early voting sites in the county as the state prepares for two Senate runoff elections on January 5 .
The groups warned that the closures would adversely affect voters of color .
Cobb County Director of Elections Janine Eveler said that a lack of manpower meant early voting sites would be reduced from 11 to 5 for the runoffs .
The runoffs will decide control of the Senate .
On Monday , the NAACP Legal Defense Fund @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voting groups , including the Georgia NAACP and ACLU Georgia , calling on Cobb County to reverse the decision .
`` While these closures are likely to adversely affect many Cobb County voters , we are especially concerned that these closures will be harmful to Cobb County 's Black and Latinx voters because many of the locations are in Black and Latinx communities , '' the 10-page letter said .
`` We urge you to maintain eleven advance voting locations for the upcoming runoff election . ''
Cobb County is the state 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of more than 760,000 .
President-elect Joe Biden won the county with 56 percent of the vote and it has been trending toward the Democrats , according to The Associated Press .
`` Advance voting opportunities are vital to ensuring voters can safely , securely , and freely participate in our democracy .
The COVID-19 pandemic , which is ravaging the nation , has had extremely harsh effects in Black and Latinx communities and makes in-person voting on Election Day an untenable option for many voters , '' the letter went on .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the reliability of the United States Postal Service , many voters are not comfortable requesting or casting absentee ballots by mail .
As demonstrated by the record turnout during the advance voting period for the 2020 general election , advance voting is the only acceptable option for safe and secure voting for many voters . ''
Writing on Twitter , the NAACP Legal Defense Fund said `` election officials plan to slash the number of early voting locations from eleven to five for the upcoming runoff election .
This move will harm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these polling places serve communities of color . ''
Cobb County initially had nine early voting locations before the November 3 election but this was increased to 11 as a result of record voter turnout .
Eveler , the county 's director of elections , said the number of sites would be reduced because of worker fatigue following an audit and recounts .
In response , the voting rights groups said they would provide assistance to the county `` including help recruiting and training poll workers or poll managers . ''
Cobb County @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the time of writing .
Early voting in the Senate runoffs begins on December 14 and will continue until New Year 's Eve .

Six voting rights groups have written to election officials in Cobb County, Georgia, urging them not to reduce the number of early voting sites in the county as the state prepares for two Senate runoff elections on January 5. The groups warned that the closures would adversely affect voters of color.
Cobb County Director of Elections Janine Eveler said that a lack of manpower meant early voting sites would be reduced from 11 to 5 for the runoffs. The runoffs will decide control of the Senate.
On Monday, the NAACP Legal Defense Fund sent a joint letter with five other voting groups, including the Georgia NAACP and ACLU Georgia, calling on Cobb County to reverse the decision.
Read more Lindsey Graham Blames Governor Kemp for GOP 'Civil War Brewing in Georgia' Lindsey Graham Blames Governor Kemp for GOP 'Civil War Brewing in Georgia'
"While these closures are likely to adversely affect many Cobb County voters, we are especially concerned that these closures will be harmful to Cobb County's Black and Latinx voters because many of the locations are in Black and Latinx communities," the 10-page letter said.
"We urge you to maintain eleven advance voting locations for the upcoming runoff election."
Cobb County is the state's third-most populous county, with a population of more than 760,000. President-elect Joe Biden won the county with 56 percent of the vote and it has been trending toward the Democrats, according to The Associated Press.
"Advance voting opportunities are vital to ensuring voters can safely, securely, and freely participate in our democracy. The COVID-19 pandemic, which is ravaging the nation, has had extremely harsh effects in Black and Latinx communities and makes in-person voting on Election Day an untenable option for many voters," the letter went on.
Cobb County, Georgia election officials plan to slash the number of early voting locations from eleven to five for the upcoming runoff election. This move will harm Black and Latinx voters as many of these polling places serve communities of color. https://t.co/H9SZxzAqPQ — Legal Defense Fund (@NAACP_LDF) December 7, 2020
"Moreover, due to widespread concerns with the reliability of the United States Postal Service, many voters are not comfortable requesting or casting absentee ballots by mail. As demonstrated by the record turnout during the advance voting period for the 2020 general election, advance voting is the only acceptable option for safe and secure voting for many voters."
Writing on Twitter, the NAACP Legal Defense Fund said "election officials plan to slash the number of early voting locations from eleven to five for the upcoming runoff election. This move will harm Black and Latinx voters as many of these polling places serve communities of color."
Cobb County initially had nine early voting locations before the November 3 election but this was increased to 11 as a result of record voter turnout. Eveler, the county's director of elections, said the number of sites would be reduced because of worker fatigue following an audit and recounts.
In response, the voting rights groups said they would provide assistance to the county "including help recruiting and training poll workers or poll managers." Cobb County had not responded to this suggestion at the time of writing. Early voting in the Senate runoffs begins on December 14 and will continue until New Year's Eve.


newsweek--2020-12-08--Pence Will Preemptively Pardon Trump Before Biden's Inauguration, NY AG Predicts

New York Attorney General Letitia James predicted on Tuesday that President Donald Trump will resign and allow Vice President Mike Pence , once he is sworn in as president , to pardon him before leaving office on January 20 .
James , who is currently conducting a civil investigation into Trump 's activities in New York , made the remarks during a Tuesday appearance on The View .
Although some have speculated that the president could issue himself a preemptive pardon before leaving office , the Democratic attorney general said that the option would not be legally feasible before indicating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is pardoned by enacting a scenario that would see Pence briefly serve as president .
`` The vast majority of legal scholars have indicated that he can not pardon himself , '' James said .
`` What he could do is step down and allow the vice president , Vice President Pence , to pardon him .
In all likelihood , I suspect that he will pardon his family members , his children , his son-in-law and individuals in his administration .
As well as some of his close associates . ''
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ point in time , he will step down and allow the vice president to pardon him , '' she added .
`` It 's important to understand that he 's pardoned from federal crimes , but he 's not pardoned from state crimes . ''
A presidential pardon would shield Trump from federal prosecution , but James said that a bill she had introduced , which was later passed by the New York state legislature , had closed loopholes surrounding pardons and would ensure that `` individuals such as the president of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the state level .
The attorney general is continuing to investigate Trump 's legal dealings in New York .
Last year , a lawsuit James had filed against the Trump Foundation , alleging that the president and his children had broken charity laws during the 2016 presidential campaign , was settled for $ 2 million .
Trump could face other legal issues in New York once he leaves office , including some that could potentially result in criminal charges .
Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance , Jr. is investigating Trump for alleged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Trump Organization . ''
Although James said the `` vast majority '' of legal experts agree that presidents can not pardon themselves , it is not clear how such an action would be viewed by courts if it were ever taken .
Some experts do argue that presidents do have the ability to self-pardon .
Trump has previously insisted that he has `` the absolute right ' to pardon himself .
Not long before former President Richard Nixon resigned in 1974 , the Department of Justice issued a memorandum stating that `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may be a judge in his own case , the President can not pardon himself . ''
The memo went on to outline a scenario where the president would declare himself `` temporarily unable to perform the duties of the office '' under the 25th Amendment while the vice president , serving as temporary acting president , would issue him a pardon .
Newsweek reached out to the White House for comment .

New York Attorney General Letitia James predicted on Tuesday that President Donald Trump will resign and allow Vice President Mike Pence, once he is sworn in as president, to pardon him before leaving office on January 20.
James, who is currently conducting a civil investigation into Trump's activities in New York, made the remarks during a Tuesday appearance on The View. Although some have speculated that the president could issue himself a preemptive pardon before leaving office, the Democratic attorney general said that the option would not be legally feasible before indicating that she believes Trump will ensure he is pardoned by enacting a scenario that would see Pence briefly serve as president.
"The vast majority of legal scholars have indicated that he cannot pardon himself," James said. "What he could do is step down and allow the vice president, Vice President Pence, to pardon him. In all likelihood, I suspect that he will pardon his family members, his children, his son-in-law and individuals in his administration. As well as some of his close associates."
"And then I suspect, at some point in time, he will step down and allow the vice president to pardon him," she added. "It's important to understand that he's pardoned from federal crimes, but he's not pardoned from state crimes."
President Donald Trump speaks to the press in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C. on December 7, 2020. Doug Mills-Pool/Getty
A presidential pardon would shield Trump from federal prosecution, but James said that a bill she had introduced, which was later passed by the New York state legislature, had closed loopholes surrounding pardons and would ensure that "individuals such as the president of the United States would not evade justice" at the state level.
The attorney general is continuing to investigate Trump's legal dealings in New York. Last year, a lawsuit James had filed against the Trump Foundation, alleging that the president and his children had broken charity laws during the 2016 presidential campaign, was settled for $2 million.
Trump could face other legal issues in New York once he leaves office, including some that could potentially result in criminal charges. Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance, Jr. is investigating Trump for alleged "extensive and protracted criminal conduct at the Trump Organization."
Although James said the "vast majority" of legal experts agree that presidents cannot pardon themselves, it is not clear how such an action would be viewed by courts if it were ever taken. Some experts do argue that presidents do have the ability to self-pardon. Trump has previously insisted that he has "the absolute right' to pardon himself.
Not long before former President Richard Nixon resigned in 1974, the Department of Justice issued a memorandum stating that "under the fundamental rule that no one may be a judge in his own case, the President cannot pardon himself."
The memo went on to outline a scenario where the president would declare himself "temporarily unable to perform the duties of the office" under the 25th Amendment while the vice president, serving as temporary acting president, would issue him a pardon.
Newsweek reached out to the White House for comment.


newsweek--2020-12-08--'The Voice' Eliminations: Who's Out and Who's In the Top 5 on Season 19?

It seems just like yesterday when coaches Blake Shelton , Gwen Stefani , Kelly Clarkson and John Legend were picking members for their teams on the 19th season of The Voice .
And now we 're headed to the finals .
The week started with nine contestants still in the running for the title of The Voice champion .
Carter Rubin , Tamara Jade , Ian Flanigan , John Holiday , Bailey Rae , Desz , Ben Allen , Jim Ranger and Cami Clune gave stunning performances during Monday 's semi-finals live show , however , their time was limited @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was left with the hard task of voting for the best artists of the night .
Show host Carson Daly revealed voter 's results during the elimination show on Tuesday , during which four artists with the most votes were named .
An instant save at the end of the show rounded out Season 19 's top five .
Although the show got off to a holly jolly start with a holiday performance from Clarkson and country music star Brett Eldredge , it was n't long before Daly announced the top performers of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kelly including Clune and Desz , the latter of whom received the highest number of America 's votes and is set to move on to the season finale .
Out of Team John members Rae , Holiday and Jade , the one to advance to the final round of the competition was Holiday .
Team Blake members Ranger and Flanagan were up next to find out their fates .
They both impressed their coach and voters with their sensational performances , however , it was Ranger who was named winner of the round @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the last remaining members of Team Gwen , Rubin secured the most of America 's votes , leading him to compete in the top five .
That left Allen , Flanigan , Rae , Jade and Clune having to duke it out in the instant save round , during which each of them performed one final time in attempts to get the most of America 's votes .
Up first was Allen , who performed a heartfelt cover of Matt Stell 's `` Prayed For You . ''
Clune was next to hit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Eilish 's `` When The Party 's Over , '' followed by Rae , who sang Hank Williams ' `` Your Cheatin ' Heart . ''
Jade delivered a stellar performance of the Nina Simone classic , `` Feeling Good , '' while Flanigan gave a swoon-worthy cover of Travis Tritt 's `` Anymore . ''
After a few minutes of flash voting on Twitter , America 's decision was delivered : voters chose to move Flanigan on to the Season 19 top five .
The Voice airs on NBC on Mondays and @ @ @ @ @ @ @

It seems just like yesterday when coaches Blake Shelton, Gwen Stefani, Kelly Clarkson and John Legend were picking members for their teams on the 19th season of The Voice. And now we're headed to the finals.
The week started with nine contestants still in the running for the title of The Voice champion. Carter Rubin, Tamara Jade, Ian Flanigan, John Holiday, Bailey Rae, Desz, Ben Allen, Jim Ranger and Cami Clune gave stunning performances during Monday's semi-finals live show, however, their time was limited. Following their semi-finals performances, America was left with the hard task of voting for the best artists of the night. Show host Carson Daly revealed voter's results during the elimination show on Tuesday, during which four artists with the most votes were named. An instant save at the end of the show rounded out Season 19's top five.
(L-R) Ian Flanigan, Tamera Jade and Ben Allen perform on "The Voice" on December 7, 2020. Four contestants were eliminated from the 19th Season of the NBC singing competition. Trae Patton/NBC
Although the show got off to a holly jolly start with a holiday performance from Clarkson and country music star Brett Eldredge, it wasn't long before Daly announced the top performers of the competition starting with members of Team Kelly including Clune and Desz, the latter of whom received the highest number of America's votes and is set to move on to the season finale.
Out of Team John members Rae, Holiday and Jade, the one to advance to the final round of the competition was Holiday. Team Blake members Ranger and Flanagan were up next to find out their fates. They both impressed their coach and voters with their sensational performances, however, it was Ranger who was named winner of the round. As for Rubin and Allen, the last remaining members of Team Gwen, Rubin secured the most of America's votes, leading him to compete in the top five.
That left Allen, Flanigan, Rae, Jade and Clune having to duke it out in the instant save round, during which each of them performed one final time in attempts to get the most of America's votes.
Up first was Allen, who performed a heartfelt cover of Matt Stell's "Prayed For You." Clune was next to hit the stage with her cover of Billie Eilish's "When The Party's Over," followed by Rae, who sang Hank Williams' "Your Cheatin' Heart." Jade delivered a stellar performance of the Nina Simone classic, "Feeling Good," while Flanigan gave a swoon-worthy cover of Travis Tritt's "Anymore."
After a few minutes of flash voting on Twitter, America's decision was delivered: voters chose to move Flanigan on to the Season 19 top five.
The Voice airs on NBC on Mondays and Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET.
The Voice Season 19, Episode 18 Finalists
Team Kelly: Desz
Team Gwen: Carter Rubin
Team Legend: John Holiday
Team Blake: Jim Ranger, Ian Flanigan
The Voice Season 19, Episode 18 Eliminated Artists
Team Kelly: Cami Clune
Team Gwen: Ben Allen
Team Legend: Bailey Rae, Tamara Jade


newsweek--2020-12-08--Republicans Rally Around Texas Election Lawsuit as AGs Rail Against 'Circus'

A number of Republicans are rallying around Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton 's lawsuit seeking to have the U.S. Supreme Court invalidate election results in Georgia , Pennsylvania , Michigan and Wisconsin as the attorneys general in the four battleground states railed against the longshot effort to overturn President Donald Trump 's loss .
Paxton , a Republican , has asked the court to allow a motion challenging the results in the four swing states by allowing each state 's lawmakers to decide their electors , rather than the voters .
The lawsuit is the latest long shot effort to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ states that President-elect Joe Biden has already won .
The Attorney Generals of the four states immediately condemned Paxton , a close ally of Trump who is currently facing allegations of bribery and abuse of his office .
`` The erosion of confidence in our democratic system is n't attributable to the good people of Michigan , Wisconsin , Georgia or Pennsylvania but rather to partisan officials , like Mr. Paxton , who place loyalty to a person over loyalty to their country , '' she said .
Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beyond meritless , beyond reckless '' lawsuit part of `` continued attacks on our fair and free election system . ''
`` This has become a circus , '' he added .
`` It is a scheme by the sitting president & his enablers to disregard the will of the people . ''
Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul , a Democrat , said he felt `` sorry for Texans that their tax dollars are being wasted on such a genuinely embarrassing lawsuit '' and vowed to defend against the `` attack on our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Attorney General Chris Carr , a Republican , denounced Paxton for being `` constitutionally , legally and factually wrong about Georgia . ''
The state 's deputy Secretary of State also called the lawsuit `` false and irresponsible . ''
However , a number of Republicans have indicated support for the suit , including some in the states that were sued by Paxton .
Nearly half—16 out of 34—of Georgia 's GOP state senators backed the lawsuit .
`` We applaud the State of Texas for recognizing that the failure of the State @ @ @ @ @ @ @ laws has violated the Equal Protection Act of the U.S. Constitution , '' the group said in a statement .
`` This systemic failure to follow the law has allowed misconduct , fraud , and irregularities throughout the voting process of this state . ''
Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott praised the suit , tweeting `` God Bless Texas . ''
He told a reporter that the case `` tries to accelerate the process , providing certainty and clarity about the entire election process .
The United States of America needs that .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ election results to be declared illegal over the state 's expansion of mail-in voting , which was passed over a year ago .
The state 's Supreme Court has already tossed out his challenge .
Trump praised Texas for having `` COURAGE AND BRILLIANCE ! ''
and White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said the case was `` HUGE . ''
Legal experts , however , have sided with the attorneys general , with some calling the lawsuit `` insane , '' `` utter garbage , '' `` outrageous , '' and `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
Texas Senators Ted Cruz and John Cornyn have yet to comment , and many Republicans have already broken with Trump 's efforts to overturn the election , with some having urged the president to concede .
Most outlets called the election for Biden a month ago .
The Democrat has secured 306 Electoral College votes , surpassing the 270 needed to win the presidency , but Trump , with 232 votes , has refused to concede .
His campaign has filed nearly 50 lawsuits in swing states alleging widespread voter fraud @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his favor .
But they have been largely unsuccessful and routinely tossed out of court over insufficient evidence .
Newsweek reached out to Paxton for comment .

A number of Republicans are rallying around Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's lawsuit seeking to have the U.S. Supreme Court invalidate election results in Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin as the attorneys general in the four battleground states railed against the longshot effort to overturn President Donald Trump's loss.
Paxton, a Republican, has asked the court to allow a motion challenging the results in the four swing states by allowing each state's lawmakers to decide their electors, rather than the voters. The lawsuit is the latest effort to reverse Trump's defeat in the battleground states that President-elect Joe Biden has already won.
The Attorney Generals of the four states immediately condemned Paxton, a close ally of Trump who is currently facing allegations of bribery and abuse of his office.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, a Democrat, called Paxton's efforts a "publicity stunt, not a serious legal pleading."
"The erosion of confidence in our democratic system isn't attributable to the good people of Michigan, Wisconsin, Georgia or Pennsylvania but rather to partisan officials, like Mr. Paxton, who place loyalty to a person over loyalty to their country," she said.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Tuesday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to invalidate four battleground states' election results. Gabriella Demczuk/Getty
Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, called the "beyond meritless, beyond reckless" lawsuit part of "continued attacks on our fair and free election system."
"This has become a circus," he added. "It is a scheme by the sitting president & his enablers to disregard the will of the people."
Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul, a Democrat, said he felt "sorry for Texans that their tax dollars are being wasted on such a genuinely embarrassing lawsuit" and vowed to defend against the "attack on our democracy."
A representative for Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr, a Republican, denounced Paxton for being "constitutionally, legally and factually wrong about Georgia." The state's deputy Secretary of State also called the lawsuit "false and irresponsible."
However, a number of Republicans have indicated support for the suit, including some in the states that were sued by Paxton.
Nearly half—16 out of 34—of Georgia's GOP state senators backed the lawsuit. "We applaud the State of Texas for recognizing that the failure of the State of Georgia to follow its own election laws has violated the Equal Protection Act of the U.S. Constitution," the group said in a statement. "This systemic failure to follow the law has allowed misconduct, fraud, and irregularities throughout the voting process of this state."
Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott praised the suit, tweeting "God Bless Texas." He told a reporter that the case "tries to accelerate the process, providing certainty and clarity about the entire election process. The United States of America needs that."
Pennsylvania Congressman Mike Kelly wants the election results to be declared illegal over the state's expansion of mail-in voting, which was passed over a year ago. The state's Supreme Court has already tossed out his challenge.
Trump praised Texas for having "COURAGE AND BRILLIANCE!" and White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said the case was "HUGE."
Legal experts, however, have sided with the attorneys general, with some calling the lawsuit "insane," "utter garbage," "outrageous," and "a press release masquerading as a lawsuit."
Texas Senators Ted Cruz and John Cornyn have yet to comment, and many Republicans have already broken with Trump's efforts to overturn the election, with some having urged the president to concede.
Most outlets called the election for Biden a month ago. The Democrat has secured 306 Electoral College votes, surpassing the 270 needed to win the presidency, but Trump, with 232 votes, has refused to concede. His campaign has filed nearly 50 lawsuits in swing states alleging widespread voter fraud and seeking to overturn the election in his favor. But they have been largely unsuccessful and routinely tossed out of court over insufficient evidence.
Newsweek reached out to Paxton for comment.


newsweek--2020-12-08--'Bachelorette' Spoilers: Tayshia Adams Hometown Choices, Winner Revealed

It 's nearly time for hometown dates on The Bachelorette , though Tuesday night 's episode will see Tayshia Adams still courting 11 men .
Despite that , the series already teased that `` Hometown Week '' is up next , leaving Adams with some dramatic cuts to make .
Adams will need to send seven men home to achieve her final four , but you do n't have to wait any longer to know which four men will introduce Adams to their family members .
Reality Steve reported the final four in his first spoilers post on Adams 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The men who will make it are Ivan , Zac C , Brendan and Ben .
No , Bennett and Noah wo n't make the cut after all of the drama they 've brought to the past few weeks of the series .
The four men are supposed to bring their families to the La Quinta Resort & Club , but only three families will show .
Apparently , Brendan 's family chose not to participate in filming , which could cause a problem in his love life .
Reality Steve also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his own , and wo n't be the Bachelorette 's final choice .
Before or after Brendan leaves , Ivan will also be sent home .
That puts Adams with Ben and Zac C as her final two .
While the final two week usually hosts some emotional drama , Reality Steve predicted that Adams 's lingering feelings for Brendan may cause some added tension as she decides which man to choose .
Ultimately , Adams will give her final rose to Zac C. The pair reportedly did n't get engaged during the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if anything , has changed since is still unknown .
So why Zac C ?
Adams and he were able to relate on divorce ( as she also did with Brendan ) but the draw to Zac was apparently in his honesty .
`` Brendan is who Tayshia wanted , '' Reality Steve stated .
`` And when he left , she was pretty distraught but still ended up picking somebody .
I was told Zac C. was the one who opened up to her the most and professed his love , whereas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so ultimately she picked Zac . ''
It appears Adams 's season is about to accelerate quickly .
She 'll be expected to let the other seven men go home before `` hometown week '' next week .
From there , the truly serious feelings will emerge leaving both Adams and the men prone to heartbreak .
The Bachelorette will air at 8 p.m .
ET Tuesday on ABC before returning next week .

Updated 12/14/20 at 3 p.m.: Reality Steve released new spoilers on Monday that claim his original final two spoilers were incorrect. Adams' final three men will be Ivan, Zac C. and Brendan, according to the update. Who will win the season, and if Adams is engaged, is currently unknown. For Reality Steve's full spoiler update, click here.
______________________________________________________________________
It's nearly time for hometown dates on The Bachelorette, though Tuesday night's episode will see Tayshia Adams still courting 11 men. Despite that, the series already teased that "Hometown Week" is up next, leaving Adams with some dramatic cuts to make.
Adams will need to send seven men home to achieve her final four, but you don't have to wait any longer to know which four men will introduce Adams to their family members.
Reality Steve reported the final four in his first spoilers post on Adams's season, which was published November 4. The men who will make it are Ivan, Zac C, Brendan and Ben. No, Bennett and Noah won't make the cut after all of the drama they've brought to the past few weeks of the series.
Brenda (L) accepts a rose from Bachelorette Tayshia Adams (R). Craig Sjodin/ABC
The four men are supposed to bring their families to the La Quinta Resort & Club, but only three families will show. Apparently, Brendan's family chose not to participate in filming, which could cause a problem in his love life. Reality Steve also revealed Brendan will leave The Bachelorette on his own, and won't be the Bachelorette's final choice.
Before or after Brendan leaves, Ivan will also be sent home. That puts Adams with Ben and Zac C as her final two. While the final two week usually hosts some emotional drama, Reality Steve predicted that Adams's lingering feelings for Brendan may cause some added tension as she decides which man to choose.
Ultimately, Adams will give her final rose to Zac C. The pair reportedly didn't get engaged during the season finale, though. What, if anything, has changed since is still unknown.
So why Zac C? Adams and he were able to relate on divorce (as she also did with Brendan) but the draw to Zac was apparently in his honesty. "Brendan is who Tayshia wanted," Reality Steve stated. "And when he left, she was pretty distraught but still ended up picking somebody. I was told Zac C. was the one who opened up to her the most and professed his love, whereas it was much tougher for Ben, so ultimately she picked Zac."
It appears Adams's season is about to accelerate quickly. She'll be expected to let the other seven men go home before "hometown week" next week. From there, the truly serious feelings will emerge leaving both Adams and the men prone to heartbreak.
The Bachelorette will air at 8 p.m. ET Tuesday on ABC before returning next week.


newsweek--2020-12-08--Donald Trump Aware of Aliens, 'On Verge' of Disclosing to Public, Israeli Ex-Space Chief Says

Professor Haim Eshed , who served as the head of Israel 's space program from 1981 to 2010 , said in a December interview that the existence of extraterrestrial beings was nearly exposed by President Donald Trump .
Eshed made the allegations in an interview with the Hebrew newspaper Yediot Aharanot on Sunday .
On Tuesday , the Jerusalem Post published some of Eshed 's quotes in English .
According to Eshed , aliens from a conglomeration called the Galactic Federation have been in touch with the governments of the U.S. and Israel .
However , the beings from outer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a secret .
`` The UFOs have asked not to publish that they are here , '' Eshed said , `` humanity is not ready yet . ''
`` Trump was on the verge of revealing , '' Eshed said , `` but the aliens in the Galactic Federation are saying : 'Wait , let people calm down first . '
They do n't want to start mass hysteria .
They want to first make us sane and understanding . ''
According to Eshed , aliens struck a deal with the U.S. government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also claimed that aliens and American astronauts were working together at a secret underground base on Mars .
Eshed claimed that the aliens `` are researching and trying to understand the whole fabric of the universe , and they want us as helpers . ''
No tangible evidence has been revealed to prove Eshed 's claims .
In December 2019 , Trump announced the formation of the U.S. Space Force as the country 's sixth branch of the Armed Forces .
Describing space as the `` world 's newest warfighting domain , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because of `` grave threats to national security . ''
While Trump has not explicitly expressed a belief in UFOs or alien life , he told Fox News in October that he would take a `` good , strong look '' into the existence of unidentified flying objects .
`` I heard that two days ago , '' Trump said , `` so I 'll check on that . ''
During a June interview conducted by his son , Donald Trump , Jr. , Trump hinted that he was in possession of classified @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Roswell , New Mexico .
`` I wo n't talk to you about what I know about it but it 's very interesting , '' Donald Trump said .
`` But Roswell is a very interesting place with a lot of people that would like to know what 's going on . ''
Sightings of UFOs have drawn the attention of the U.S. Department of Defense .
In August , the Pentagon confirmed the existence of a Navy task force that would examine unidentified aerial phenomena as potential threats .
`` The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take any incursions by unauthorized aircraft into our training ranges or designated airspace very seriously and examine each report , '' read an August statement from the Pentagon .
Newsweek reached out to the U.S. Space Force for comment .

Donald Trump has information about alien life and almost revealed it, only demurring after an intervention by the Galactic Federation, a former Israeli official said in a bizarre newspaper interview.
Professor Haim Eshed, who served as the head of Israel's space program from 1981 to 2010 spoke to the Hebrew newspaper Yediot Aharonot on Sunday. On Tuesday, the Jerusalem Post published some of Eshed's quotes in English and they contained the most incredible claims made about Trump, who has long being the center of conspiracy theories—some of which he has actively encouraged.
According to Eshed, aliens from an organization called the Galactic Federation have been in touch with the governments of the U.S. and Israel. Understandably, the aliens wanted to keep a low profile.
"The UFOs have asked not to publish that they are here," Eshed said, "humanity is not ready yet."
"Trump was on the verge of revealing," Eshed said, "but the aliens in the Galactic Federation are saying: 'Wait, let people calm down first.' They don't want to start mass hysteria. They want to first make us sane and understanding."
According to Eshed, aliens struck a deal with the U.S. government to do experiments on Earth. Eshed also claimed that aliens and American astronauts were working together at a secret underground base on Mars.
Eshed claimed that the aliens "are researching and trying to understand the whole fabric of the universe, and they want us as helpers."
The Jerusalem Post said it had found no evidence to substantiate Eshed's claims and neither has Newsweek.
According to an Israeli professor, President Donald Trump came near to revealing the existence of extraterrestrials to the world but was prevented by members of the Galactic Federation. Tasos Katopodis/Getty
Still, the interview is the latest in a string of events that has whipped speculation on the internet into a frenzy.
In December 2019, Trump announced the formation of the U.S. Space Force as the country's sixth branch of the Armed Forces. Describing space as the "world's newest warfighting domain," Trump said the Space Force was necessary because of "grave threats to national security."
While Trump has not explicitly expressed a belief in UFOs or alien life, he told Fox News in October that he would take a "good, strong look" into the existence of unidentified flying objects. "I heard that two days ago," Trump said, "so I'll check on that."
During a June interview conducted by his son, Donald Trump, Jr., Trump hinted that he was in possession of classified knowledge about the alleged alien crash site in Roswell, New Mexico.
"I won't talk to you about what I know about it but it's very interesting," Donald Trump said. "But Roswell is a very interesting place with a lot of people that would like to know what's going on."
Sightings of UFOs have drawn the attention of the U.S. Department of Defense. In August, the Pentagon confirmed the existence of a Navy task force that would examine unidentified aerial phenomena as potential threats. "The Department of Defense and the military departments take any incursions by unauthorized aircraft into our training ranges or designated airspace very seriously and examine each report," read an August statement from the Pentagon.
Newsweek reached out to the U.S. Space Force for comment.