newsweek--2020-11-30--NATO Ambassador Latest Trump Administration Official to Acknowledge Biden's Election Win

U.S .
Ambassador to NATO Kay Bailey Hutchison on Monday acknowledged that President-elect Joe Biden won the 2020 election despite the fact that President Donald Trump has yet to concede the election .
Trump nominated Hutchison in June 2017 , and the Senate confirmed her appointment the following August .
She represents the U.S. among the political and military union of 30 European and North American countries .
Biden was declared the winner by most media outlets three weeks ago .
`` President-elect Biden certainly is pro-NATO , '' Hutchinson said in a Monday virtual news conference in Brussels , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work in a transition for a new administration coming in and we 're going to make sure it is smooth ... so they have all the information they need to determine what the policy is , '' she continued .
`` That 's what we have in democracies and that 's what we are going to produce . ''
`` President-elect Biden certainly is pro-NATO , '' she added .
`` I served with him in the United States Senate and I know he is very much a multi-lateral organization supporter .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to have allies , and I think that is ongoing from this administration to the next administration . ''
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg and European Union leaders have also recognized Biden as the U.S. president-elect .
On November 10 , U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo there would be `` a smooth transition to a second Trump administration . ''
Before becoming NATO Ambassador , Hutchinson served in the Texas House of Representatives , was Texas State Treasurer and became Texas ' first female U.S. senator .
She has also practiced law .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ described NATO as `` obsolete '' and accused the organization of unfairly ripping off the U.S. since the U.S. pays more for the group 's military forces than other member nations .
In September , government officials expressed worries that Trump would withdraw the U.S. from NATO if he won a second term , a move that some experts said would largely benefit Russian President Vladimir Putin .
Biden is expected to reaffirm the U.S. bond with NATO and could reverse several Trump-era troop withdrawals that would 've affected NATO allies , The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign for comment .
As recently as Sunday , Trump has alleged massive and unprecedented election fraud committed in part , he claims , by Republicans and possibly the FBI and Justice Department .
Roughly 39 Trump campaign court cases alleging widespread fraud in key swing states have all failed , been dismissed or withdrawn , mostly for lack of evidence .

U.S. Ambassador to NATO Kay Bailey Hutchison on Monday acknowledged that President-elect Joe Biden won the 2020 election despite the fact that President Donald Trump has yet to concede the election.
Trump nominated Hutchison in June 2017, and the Senate confirmed her appointment the following August. She represents the U.S. among the political and military union of 30 European and North American countries. Biden was declared the winner by most media outlets three weeks ago.
"President-elect Biden certainly is pro-NATO," Hutchinson said in a Monday virtual news conference in Brussels, Belgium.
"We are going to work in a transition for a new administration coming in and we're going to make sure it is smooth... so they have all the information they need to determine what the policy is," she continued. "That's what we have in democracies and that's what we are going to produce."
U.S. President Donald Trump reacts to a question during a news conference in the Briefing Room of the White House on September 27, 2020 in Washington, DC. Trump is preparing for the first presidential debate with former Vice President and Democratic Nominee Joe Biden on September 29th in Cleveland, Ohio. Joshua Roberts/Getty
"President-elect Biden certainly is pro-NATO," she added. "I served with him in the United States Senate and I know he is very much a multi-lateral organization supporter. We like to have allies, he likes to have allies, and I think that is ongoing from this administration to the next administration."
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg and European Union leaders have also recognized Biden as the U.S. president-elect. On November 10, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo there would be "a smooth transition to a second Trump administration."
Before becoming NATO Ambassador, Hutchinson served in the Texas House of Representatives, was Texas State Treasurer and became Texas' first female U.S. senator. She has also practiced law.
In the past, Trump has publicly described NATO as "obsolete" and accused the organization of unfairly ripping off the U.S. since the U.S. pays more for the group's military forces than other member nations.
In September, government officials expressed worries that Trump would withdraw the U.S. from NATO if he won a second term, a move that some experts said would largely benefit Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Biden is expected to reaffirm the U.S. bond with NATO and could reverse several Trump-era troop withdrawals that would've affected NATO allies, The Hill reported.
Newsweek contacted the Biden campaign for comment.
As recently as Sunday, Trump has alleged massive and unprecedented election fraud committed in part, he claims, by Republicans and possibly the FBI and Justice Department. Roughly 39 Trump campaign court cases alleging widespread fraud in key swing states have all failed, been dismissed or withdrawn, mostly for lack of evidence.


newsweek--2020-11-30--Arizona Governor Ducey Appears to Ignore Call from Trump or Pence While Certifying Election Results

Republican Arizona Governor Doug Ducey may have ignored a phone call from President Donald Trump or Vice President Mike Pence while certifying President-elect Joe Biden as the winner of the state on Monday .
Ducey indicated in July that his cell phone is set to play `` Hail to the Chief '' when receiving a call from Trump or Pence .
In a video of Ducey signing documents cementing Biden 's win on Monday , the song can be faintly heard before the governor is shown pulling a phone out of his coat pocket , putting it on his desk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I 've got a relationship with the president and when there 's a need in Arizona , I talk to him directly , '' Ducey said during a July 9 press conference .
`` We 've had so much outreach personally from both the president and the vice president that I had to change the ringtone on my phone .
And it rings 'Hail to the Chief , ' because I did n't want to miss another phone call directly from the White House to help the state of Arizona . ''
Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first Democrat to win the state since former President Bill Clinton in 1996 .
Ducey , who first acknowledged that Biden won the state last week , joined with other top officials to sign off on the certification on Monday , while remarking that the state conducts elections `` well '' and that its `` system is strong . ''
In addition to earning Biden 11 Electoral College votes , the certification of Arizona 's election also paves the way for Democratic Senator-elect Mark Kelly to quickly take office .
Kelly , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in November , is expected to be sworn in on Wednesday .
GOP control of the Senate will be reduced to a 52-48 advantage after Kelly takes office , with control during the next session set to be determined by results of two January 5 runoff elections in Georgia .
If Democrats win both contests , the party will have full control of Congress—despite the Senate being split 50-50 , since Vice President-elect Kamala Harris would have a deciding vote to break any ties .
Although it was not clear whether the sounding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had actually received and ignored a phone call from either Trump or Pence while signing the certification papers , the president reacted to news of the certification with anger while continuing to tout evidence-free conspiracy theories about voter fraud on Twitter .
`` Why is he rushing to put a Democrat in office , especially when so many horrible things concerning voter fraud are being revealed at the hearing going on right now , '' Trump tweeted .
`` What is going on with @ dougducey ?
Republicans will long remember ! ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a makeshift `` hearing '' protesting the results at a Phoenix hotel around the same time of the certification , after GOP leadership in the state legislature denied a request for a formal hearing .
Multiple legal challenges attempting to overturn the election outcome have failed in Arizona and several other states .
Newsweek reached out to the White House for comment .

Republican Arizona Governor Doug Ducey may have ignored a phone call from President Donald Trump or Vice President Mike Pence while certifying President-elect Joe Biden as the winner of the state on Monday.
Ducey indicated in July that his cell phone is set to play "Hail to the Chief" when receiving a call from Trump or Pence. In a video of Ducey signing documents cementing Biden's win on Monday, the song can be faintly heard before the governor is shown pulling a phone out of his coat pocket, putting it on his desk and slightly shaking his head.
"I've got a relationship with the president and when there's a need in Arizona, I talk to him directly," Ducey said during a July 9 press conference. "We've had so much outreach personally from both the president and the vice president that I had to change the ringtone on my phone. And it rings 'Hail to the Chief,' because I didn't want to miss another phone call directly from the White House to help the state of Arizona."
HE'LL GET BACK TO YOU Back in July, Gov. Ducey said he changed his White House ringtone to "Hail to The Chief" so he wouldn't miss a call from Trump/Pence. Guess who called while Ducey was certifying Arizona's election? (7 secs in) pic.twitter.com/bzBGpfSIDf — Brahm Resnik (@brahmresnik) November 30, 2020
Biden won Arizona by 10,457 votes, becoming the first Democrat to win the state since former President Bill Clinton in 1996. Ducey, who first acknowledged that Biden won the state last week, joined with other top officials to sign off on the certification on Monday, while remarking that the state conducts elections "well" and that its "system is strong."
Arizona Governor Doug Ducey attends a dinner with President Donald Trump at the White House in Washington, D.C. on May 21, 2018. SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty
In addition to earning Biden 11 Electoral College votes, the certification of Arizona's election also paves the way for Democratic Senator-elect Mark Kelly to quickly take office. Kelly, who unseated outgoing Republican Senator Martha McSally in November, is expected to be sworn in on Wednesday.
GOP control of the Senate will be reduced to a 52-48 advantage after Kelly takes office, with control during the next session set to be determined by results of two January 5 runoff elections in Georgia. If Democrats win both contests, the party will have full control of Congress—despite the Senate being split 50-50, since Vice President-elect Kamala Harris would have a deciding vote to break any ties.
Although it was not clear whether the sounding of the presidential ringtone meant that Ducey had actually received and ignored a phone call from either Trump or Pence while signing the certification papers, the president reacted to news of the certification with anger while continuing to tout evidence-free conspiracy theories about voter fraud on Twitter.
"Why is he rushing to put a Democrat in office, especially when so many horrible things concerning voter fraud are being revealed at the hearing going on right now," Trump tweeted. "What is going on with @dougducey? Republicans will long remember!"
Why is he rushing to put a Democrat in office, especially when so many horrible things concerning voter fraud are being revealed at the hearing going on right now. @OANN What is going on with @dougducey? Republicans will long remember! https://t.co/XILGaHcyw7 — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 30, 2020
Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani held a makeshift "hearing" protesting the results at a Phoenix hotel around the same time of the certification, after GOP leadership in the state legislature denied a request for a formal hearing. Multiple legal challenges attempting to overturn the election outcome have failed in Arizona and several other states.
Newsweek reached out to the White House for comment.


newsweek--2020-11-30--Could Faithless Electors Flip the Presidential Election for Trump?

With President Donald Trump 's continued refusal to concede the presidential election to President-elect Joe Biden , some observers have seen Trump 's only way to overturn the certified election results and remain in power is by changing the rules for the U.S .
Electoral College .
Whether a plan like that could work would depend on how many state-appointed representatives to the Electoral College became `` faithless electors , '' changing their vote midstream and casting their electoral ballots for Trump .
The U.S. employs an electoral college system in order to officially declare the winner of a presidential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state can allocate to a candidate must reflect that state 's number of senators and representatives .
Because each state must elect 2 Senators and have at least one Congressional district , every state must have at least 3 electoral votes .
In total , there are 538 electoral votes presidential candidates must vie for .
In order to win the Electoral College , a candidate must receive at least 270 electoral votes .
According to projections by the Associated Press , Biden is expected to receive 306 electoral votes , more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Trump is projected to receive 232 votes in the Electoral College .
However , if some electors change their minds and decide to vote for Trump , that number could be altered .
According to the political website FairVote , 17 states do not have laws in place that require electors to cast their ballots for the pledged candidate .
Biden is the projected victor in 7 of those states .
Illinois and Pennsylvania , both states with no faithless elector laws which Biden won , have 20 electoral ballots each .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the vote while Trump received 48.8 percent of the vote .
In Illinois , Trump garnered 40.5 percent of the vote to Biden 's 57.6 percent of the popular vote .
If Trump were able to flip the results in either or both of those states , he still would not have enough votes to carry the Electoral College .
If all the electors in those 7 states—Georgia , Illinois , New Hampshire , New Jersey , New York , Pennsylvania and Rhode Island—were to become faithless and cast their ballots for Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ electoral votes which would give Trump a total of 339 electoral votes .
That would be more than enough votes to obtain a second term in the White House .
The odds of that happening , however , are relatively narrow .
Most electors are chosen by the party of the winning candidate in a specific state .
It is expected that those electors would cast their electoral ballots for their party 's candidate .
Republicans in Pennsylvania have filed litigation on behalf of Trump 's re-election campaign alleging that the state 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lawsuit asked that more than 2.5 million mail-in ballots be discarded or , failing that , for the GOP-majority state legislature to choose the state 's electors .
However , a Pennsylvania state law states that electors are to be selected by the party of the winning candidate .
In Pennsylvania , Biden received approximately 3,459,923 votes to Trump 's 3,378,263 votes .
Trump may have attempted to have new electors appointed in states where laws against faithless electors are in effect .
In November , Trump invited Michigan Republican House Speaker Lee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Shirkey to the White House .
While some observers expressed concerns that Trump would try to flip the state 's Biden win , Chatfield and Shirkey said in a joint statement that would not be the case .
`` We have not yet been made aware of any information that would change the outcome of the election in Michigan and as legislative leaders , we will follow the law and follow the normal process regarding Michigan 's electors , just as we have said throughout this election , '' read the November statement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Wisconsin have also stated they would not move to change the electors in their states .
Members of the GOP have filed lawsuits in Michigan attempting to claim widespread voter fraud .
In litigation filed Monday , attorney Sidney Powell asked that the state 's election tallies be decertified due to `` hundreds and thousands of illegal , ineligible , duplicate or purely fictitious ballots in the State of Michigan , that constitute a multiple of Biden 's purported lead in the State . ''
According to the Associated Press , Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Michigan while Trump received 47.8 percent .
Michigan has 16 electoral votes .
Rumors that Trump would attempt to place GOP-friendly electors into states where Biden is expected to receive the full electoral vote are unsubstantiated .
Newsweek reached out to President-elect Biden 's transition team for comment .

With President Donald Trump's continued refusal to concede the presidential election to President-elect Joe Biden, some observers have seen Trump's only way to overturn the certified election results and remain in power is by changing the rules for the U.S. Electoral College. Whether a plan like that could work would depend on how many state-appointed representatives to the Electoral College became "faithless electors," changing their vote midstream and casting their electoral ballots for Trump.
The U.S. employs an electoral college system in order to officially declare the winner of a presidential election. The number of electors a state can allocate to a candidate must reflect that state's number of senators and representatives. Because each state must elect 2 Senators and have at least one Congressional district, every state must have at least 3 electoral votes. In total, there are 538 electoral votes presidential candidates must vie for.
In order to win the Electoral College, a candidate must receive at least 270 electoral votes. According to projections by the Associated Press, Biden is expected to receive 306 electoral votes, more than is required to be formally declared president. Trump is projected to receive 232 votes in the Electoral College. However, if some electors change their minds and decide to vote for Trump, that number could be altered.
According to the political website FairVote, 17 states do not have laws in place that require electors to cast their ballots for the pledged candidate. Biden is the projected victor in 7 of those states.
President Donald Trump has claimed victory in the 2020 U.S. presidential election, although the race has been widely called for President-elect Joe Biden. Erin Schaff-Pool/Getty
Illinois and Pennsylvania, both states with no faithless elector laws which Biden won, have 20 electoral ballots each. Biden won Pennsylvania with 50 percent of the vote while Trump received 48.8 percent of the vote. In Illinois, Trump garnered 40.5 percent of the vote to Biden's 57.6 percent of the popular vote. If Trump were able to flip the results in either or both of those states, he still would not have enough votes to carry the Electoral College.
If all the electors in those 7 states—Georgia, Illinois, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island—were to become faithless and cast their ballots for Trump, he would receive an extra 107 electoral votes which would give Trump a total of 339 electoral votes. That would be more than enough votes to obtain a second term in the White House.
The odds of that happening, however, are relatively narrow. Most electors are chosen by the party of the winning candidate in a specific state. It is expected that those electors would cast their electoral ballots for their party's candidate.
Republicans in Pennsylvania have filed litigation on behalf of Trump's re-election campaign alleging that the state's mail-in voting laws are unconstitutional. The lawsuit asked that more than 2.5 million mail-in ballots be discarded or, failing that, for the GOP-majority state legislature to choose the state's electors. However, a Pennsylvania state law states that electors are to be selected by the party of the winning candidate. In Pennsylvania, Biden received approximately 3,459,923 votes to Trump's 3,378,263 votes.
Trump may have attempted to have new electors appointed in states where laws against faithless electors are in effect. In November, Trump invited Michigan Republican House Speaker Lee Chatfield and Michigan Republican Majority Leader Mike Shirkey to the White House. While some observers expressed concerns that Trump would try to flip the state's Biden win, Chatfield and Shirkey said in a joint statement that would not be the case.
President-elect Joe Biden is projected to receive 306 electoral votes, more than enough for the Electoral College to officially declare Biden the U.S. president. Mark Makela/Getty
"We have not yet been made aware of any information that would change the outcome of the election in Michigan and as legislative leaders, we will follow the law and follow the normal process regarding Michigan's electors, just as we have said throughout this election," read the November statement.
GOP lawmakers in Arizona, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin have also stated they would not move to change the electors in their states.
Members of the GOP have filed lawsuits in Michigan attempting to claim widespread voter fraud. In litigation filed Monday, attorney Sidney Powell asked that the state's election tallies be decertified due to "hundreds and thousands of illegal, ineligible, duplicate or purely fictitious ballots in the State of Michigan, that constitute a multiple of Biden's purported lead in the State."
According to the Associated Press, Biden received 50.6 percent of the vote in Michigan while Trump received 47.8 percent. Michigan has 16 electoral votes.
Rumors that Trump would attempt to place GOP-friendly electors into states where Biden is expected to receive the full electoral vote are unsubstantiated.
Newsweek reached out to President-elect Biden's transition team for comment.


newsweek--2020-11-30--COVID-Ravaged Match-Up Between Ravens and Steelers Moved — Again

The NFL announced Monday evening that the game between the Baltimore Ravens at the Pittsburgh Steelers has been moved to Wednesday afternoon .
Originally scheduled for Thanksgiving night , this is the third time in six days it has been moved because of COVID-19 issues .
Prior to Thanksgiving Day , the Ravens reported multiple people within the organization had tested positive for the coronavirus , including quarterback Lamar Jackson , who was last season 's MVP .
The NFL moved the game from Thursday 's prime-time slot to Sunday afternoon , and then again to Tuesday night .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moved again to Wednesday .
`` These decisions were made out of an abundance of caution to ensure the health and safety of players , coaches and game day personnel and in consultation with medical experts , '' the NFL said in a statement .
Here is the new schedule for the game : Who : Baltimore Ravens ( 6-4 ) at Pittsburgh Steelers ( 10-0 ) When : 3:40 p.m .
ET , Wednesday ( Dec. 2 , 2020 ) TV : NBC If played , this will be the first Wednesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cowboys played the New York Giants in the 2012 season opener , which was moved so it would n't conflict with Barack Obama 's speech at the Democratic National Convention on a Thursday night .
The Steelers are the only undefeated team in the NFL , and they have a half-game lead over the Kansas City Chiefs ( 10-1 ) for the best record in the AFC .
The team with the best record will get the No .
1 overall seed , and the only first-round bye .
Furthermore , the top @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as long as they stay unbeaten in the playoffs .
There have been 12 Ravens players , including Jackson and Pro Bowl players—defensive end Calais Campbell , tight end Mark Andrews , outside linebacker Matthew Judon , running back Mark Ingram and fullback Patrick Ricard—who tested positive for the coronavirus .
The Ravens have 10 other players who have come in close contact with people who have tested positive , which puts them in the `` high-risk '' category .
The Ravens issued a statement Monday saying that they will continue moving forward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against the Baltimore .
`` As we continue to follow the advice of the NFL 's health experts , as well as the Ravens ' medical professionals , we are preparing for our game against the Steelers , '' the team 's statement said .
`` Players arrived already prepared to work out on the field , and they did not enter the locker room or training room . ''

The NFL announced Monday evening that the game between the Baltimore Ravens at the Pittsburgh Steelers has been moved to Wednesday afternoon. Originally scheduled for Thanksgiving night, this is the third time in six days it has been moved because of COVID-19 issues.
Prior to Thanksgiving Day, the Ravens reported multiple people within the organization had tested positive for the coronavirus, including quarterback Lamar Jackson, who was last season's MVP.
The NFL moved the game from Thursday's prime-time slot to Sunday afternoon, and then again to Tuesday night. The league stated Monday that it has been moved again to Wednesday.
"These decisions were made out of an abundance of caution to ensure the health and safety of players, coaches and game day personnel and in consultation with medical experts," the NFL said in a statement.
Here is the new schedule for the game:
Who: Baltimore Ravens (6-4) at Pittsburgh Steelers (10-0)
When: 3:40 p.m. ET, Wednesday (Dec. 2, 2020)
TV: NBC
Outside linebacker Bud Dupree #48 of the Pittsburgh Steelers chases quarterback Lamar Jackson #8 of the Baltimore Ravens in the first quarter at M&T Bank Stadium on November 01, 2020 in Baltimore, Maryland. Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images
If played, this will be the first Wednesday game in the NFL since the Dallas Cowboys played the New York Giants in the 2012 season opener, which was moved so it wouldn't conflict with Barack Obama's speech at the Democratic National Convention on a Thursday night.
The Steelers are the only undefeated team in the NFL, and they have a half-game lead over the Kansas City Chiefs (10-1) for the best record in the AFC. The team with the best record will get the No. 1 overall seed, and the only first-round bye. Furthermore, the top seed gets home-field advantage throughout the playoffs as long as they stay unbeaten in the playoffs.
There have been 12 Ravens players, including Jackson and Pro Bowl players—defensive end Calais Campbell, tight end Mark Andrews, outside linebacker Matthew Judon, running back Mark Ingram and fullback Patrick Ricard—who tested positive for the coronavirus.
The Ravens have 10 other players who have come in close contact with people who have tested positive, which puts them in the "high-risk" category.
The Ravens issued a statement Monday saying that they will continue moving forward with preparations for this week's game against the Baltimore.
"As we continue to follow the advice of the NFL's health experts, as well as the Ravens' medical professionals, we are preparing for our game against the Steelers," the team's statement said. "Players arrived already prepared to work out on the field, and they did not enter the locker room or training room."


newsweek--2020-11-30--Senator Calls Stimulus Deadlock 'Stupidity On Steroids' Amid Bipartisan Push for Checks Before Chris

Senator Calls Stimulus Deadlock 'Stupidity On Steroids' Amid Bipartisan Push for Checks Before Christmas

Democratic Senator Mark Warner called the ongoing stimulus deadlock `` stupidity on steroids '' on Monday amid a bipartisan push to deliver further relief to Americans before Christmas .
Eight months have passed since President Donald Trump signed the CARES Act and negotiations for a second stimulus package have been ongoing for more than five months with no deal in sight .
As Americans head into the holiday season with no financial support amid the worsening pandemic , a group of at least nine Senators from both sides of the political aisle have reportedly formed a group to push through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Warner confirmed that he was a member of the informal bipartisan group trying to break the stalemate in an appearance on MSNBC .
`` It would be stupidity on steroids if Congress did n't act before the holiday , '' the senator said .
`` The idea that people are going to lose unemployment before the holidays or be pushed out of apartments January 1st , or that we 're not going to give adequate funding for testing or vaccine distribution , it would be the worst self-inflicted harm in recent times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that both sides of the political aisle must compromise to reach a deal .
`` The Democrats are n't going to get what they want with their $ 2 trillion plan , and clearly , the so-called skinny plan is not nearly enough to provide a bridge , '' he explained .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell 's $ 500 billion skinny stimulus proposal would not provide enough funds for a second round of checks .
The deadline to pass the next federal budget falls on December 11 and Congress must approve another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a government shutdown .
Warner and the group 's discussions include figuring out a way to get lawmakers to seize on the window to approve a stimulus package .
However , given how far apart Democrats and Republicans remain in negotiations , most congressional lawmakers do not think the chances of that are very likely .
Both sides have agreed on another round of $ 1,200 checks earlier this year , so that would likely be included in the package .
But Democrats have refused to budge on opposing Republicans ' demand for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't want to include billions of dollars in aid to Democratic states .
If a package that includes checks is passed by December 21 , Americans would likely be able to receive a payment by December 31 .
McConnell and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer both emphasized the need for additional relief on Monday .
`` There 's no reason , none , why we should not deliver another major pandemic relief package , '' the Republican said .
`` We need a true bipartisan bill , not 'this is our bill , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can bring us together , '' the Democrat added .

Democratic Senator Mark Warner called the ongoing stimulus deadlock "stupidity on steroids" on Monday amid a bipartisan push to deliver further relief to Americans before Christmas.
Eight months have passed since President Donald Trump signed the CARES Act and negotiations for a second stimulus package have been ongoing for more than five months with no deal in sight.
As Americans head into the holiday season with no financial support amid the worsening pandemic, a group of at least nine Senators from both sides of the political aisle have reportedly formed a group to push through a stimulus bill during the lame-duck session.
Warner confirmed that he was a member of the informal bipartisan group trying to break the stalemate in an appearance on MSNBC. "It would be stupidity on steroids if Congress didn't act before the holiday," the senator said.
Democratic Senator Mark Warner returns to the Senate floor following a recess in the Senate impeachment trial of President Donald Trump on January 30, 2020 in Washington, DC. Samuel Corum/Getty
"The idea that people are going to lose unemployment before the holidays or be pushed out of apartments January 1st, or that we're not going to give adequate funding for testing or vaccine distribution, it would be the worst self-inflicted harm in recent times," he continued.
Warner believes that both sides of the political aisle must compromise to reach a deal. "The Democrats aren't going to get what they want with their $2 trillion plan, and clearly, the so-called skinny plan is not nearly enough to provide a bridge," he explained. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's $500 billion skinny stimulus proposal would not provide enough funds for a second round of checks.
The deadline to pass the next federal budget falls on December 11 and Congress must approve another spending bill by that date to avoid a government shutdown. Warner and the group's discussions include figuring out a way to get lawmakers to seize on the window to approve a stimulus package. However, given how far apart Democrats and Republicans remain in negotiations, most congressional lawmakers do not think the chances of that are very likely.
Both sides have agreed on another round of $1,200 checks earlier this year, so that would likely be included in the package. But Democrats have refused to budge on opposing Republicans' demand for liability reform, while the GOP doesn't want to include billions of dollars in aid to Democratic states.
If a package that includes checks is passed by December 21, Americans would likely be able to receive a payment by December 31.
McConnell and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer both emphasized the need for additional relief on Monday. "There's no reason, none, why we should not deliver another major pandemic relief package," the Republican said. "We need a true bipartisan bill, not 'this is our bill, take it or leave it' that can bring us together," the Democrat added.
Warner's office declined Newsweek's request for further comment.


newsweek--2020-11-30--Trump Seeks to Exclude Undocumented Immigrants from Political Representation in Last Major SC Battle

The conservative-leaning Supreme Court seemed uncertain of the Trump administration 's last-ditch attempt to block undocumented immigrants from political representation on Monday .
In July , President Donald Trump issued a memo outlining a policy of excluding undocumented immigrants from the U.S. census count .
The policy could reshape the country 's political landscape for the next decade because the census is used to determine the number of representatives each state has in the U.S. House of Representatives .
The Constitution requires that House seats be apportioned based on the `` whole number of persons '' in each state , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ status .
The Trump administration has claimed that the word `` persons '' may not apply to undocumented immigrants , prompting skepticism during oral arguments in the Supreme Court on Monday .
`` It says 'persons , ' this started in 1820 , you know , and they 've always counted people who were here and not naturalized , and this has never happened before that you excluded illegal aliens , and it has a lot of negative effects on the states , '' Justice Steven Breyer told acting Solicitor General Jeff Wall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` I mean , what do you—what do you want to say ? ''
he added .
`` They 're persons , are n't they ? ''
The Supreme Court blocked attempt to include a question about citizenship status on the census last year .
Justice Amy Coney Barrett , Trump 's latest addition to the court , questioned the reasoning behind the administration 's latest effort to change the census .
`` A lot of the historical evidence and longstanding practice really cuts against your position , '' Barrett said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ founding era , an inhabitant was a dweller who lives or resides in a place . ''
`` If an undocumented person has been in the country for , say , 20 years , you know , even if illegally , '' she added .
`` Why would ... such a person not have a settled residence here ? ''
The administration asked the court to intervene in the matter urgently after a number of challenges against the policy were successful in lower courts .
The Census Bureau is expected to send a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 31 , with Trump then transmitting the numbers to Congress in early January .
Wall said that the bureau was `` not currently on pace '' to get the report to the president by the end of the year , raising the possibility that a delay could lead to President-elect Joe Biden taking on the task instead after Trump leaves office on January 20 .
Because of the possibility of a delay , as well as uncertainty about the final numbers and Trump 's intentions , several justices suggested they may choose to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the case .
If the court ultimately decides to allow the policy to remain in place and the Trump administration does move forward , additional legal challenges are likely .
Newsweek reached out to the White House for comment .

The conservative-leaning Supreme Court seemed uncertain of the Trump administration's last-ditch attempt to block undocumented immigrants from political representation on Monday.
In July, President Donald Trump issued a memo outlining a policy of excluding undocumented immigrants from the U.S. census count. The policy could reshape the country's political landscape for the next decade because the census is used to determine the number of representatives each state has in the U.S. House of Representatives.
The Constitution requires that House seats be apportioned based on the "whole number of persons" in each state, without any caveats about immigration or citizenship status. The Trump administration has claimed that the word "persons" may not apply to undocumented immigrants, prompting skepticism during oral arguments in the Supreme Court on Monday.
"It says 'persons,' this started in 1820, you know, and they've always counted people who were here and not naturalized, and this has never happened before that you excluded illegal aliens, and it has a lot of negative effects on the states," Justice Steven Breyer told acting Solicitor General Jeff Wall, who was representing the Trump administration.
President Donald Trump watches as Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas swears in the newest addition to the nation's highest court, Justice Amy Coney Barrett, during a ceremony at the White House in Washington, D.C. on October 26, 2020. NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty
"I mean, what do you—what do you want to say?" he added. "They're persons, aren't they?"
The Supreme Court blocked attempt to include a question about citizenship status on the census last year. Justice Amy Coney Barrett, Trump's latest addition to the court, questioned the reasoning behind the administration's latest effort to change the census.
"A lot of the historical evidence and longstanding practice really cuts against your position," Barrett said. "There's evidence that in the founding era, an inhabitant was a dweller who lives or resides in a place."
"If an undocumented person has been in the country for, say, 20 years, you know, even if illegally," she added. "Why would... such a person not have a settled residence here?"
The administration asked the court to intervene in the matter urgently after a number of challenges against the policy were successful in lower courts. The Census Bureau is expected to send a final report to the president by December 31, with Trump then transmitting the numbers to Congress in early January.
Wall said that the bureau was "not currently on pace" to get the report to the president by the end of the year, raising the possibility that a delay could lead to President-elect Joe Biden taking on the task instead after Trump leaves office on January 20.
Because of the possibility of a delay, as well as uncertainty about the final numbers and Trump's intentions, several justices suggested they may choose to hold off on making an immediate ruling in the case. If the court ultimately decides to allow the policy to remain in place and the Trump administration does move forward, additional legal challenges are likely.
Newsweek reached out to the White House for comment.


newsweek--2020-11-30--Lindsey Graham Says Trump Should Attend Biden's Inauguration: 'It's Good for the Country'

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said Monday that President Donald Trump should attend the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden in January .
`` If Biden winds up winning , yeah , I think so , '' the Trump confidant told congressional reporters as he exited the Capitol .
`` I just think it 's good for the country , it 'd be good for [ Trump ] .
I hope Biden will come to his , '' he added with a slight chuckle .
Graham 's remarks were yet another step toward the realization that Biden won the election , even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many of his fellow Republicans on Capitol Hill , Graham has yet to acknowledge that Trump lost , as the president and his campaign continue to sow doubt in the democratic process and try to overturn Biden 's victory through legal filings lacking evidence .
They have yet to change the outcome in any state .
Trump is still a wildcard as to whether he 'll choose to attend the swearing-in of his Democratic successor on January 20 .
He is reportedly considering making an announcement for a 2024 presidential bid during the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the immense power that Trump still wields with his base among battle for Senate control , have refused to come out against him making another go at the White House .
But based on the president 's refusal to concede , his administration 's weeks-long delay in beginning the formal transition process , his repeated rhetoric about how the election was `` rigged '' against him and falsely claiming he was the true victor , it appears unlikely that Trump will want to attend .
Still , at least some Republicans , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . )
, the No .
4 Republican , have said Trump should participate and be there in-person .
`` I hope the president is there on Inaugural Day , '' Blunt told CNN over the weekend , adding that it 's `` likely '' Biden will be the one raising his right hand as he is sworn in—not Trump .
`` I think there 's a big role for President Trump .
I hope he embraces that and looks at how you move to whatever comes next for him , assuming that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appears it will . ''
Graham said he spoke with Trump over the weekend , a conversation in which Graham said he urged the president to `` keep it up '' with his fight to alter the election outcome in the courts .
`` He 's going to fight for every vote and push systems to get better , and I said , 'Keep it up , ' '' Graham said .
Asked whether it appeared Trump was coming to grip with reality about his defeat , Graham responded : `` I think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has and trying to deal with mail-in voting , and I 'm very worried about it to myself , quite frankly . ''

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said Monday that President Donald Trump should attend the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden in January.
"If Biden winds up winning, yeah, I think so," the Trump confidant told congressional reporters as he exited the Capitol. "I just think it's good for the country, it'd be good for [Trump]. I hope Biden will come to his," he added with a slight chuckle.
Graham's remarks were yet another step toward the realization that Biden won the election, even as he added a caveat.
Like many of his fellow Republicans on Capitol Hill, Graham has yet to acknowledge that Trump lost, as the president and his campaign continue to sow doubt in the democratic process and try to overturn Biden's victory through legal filings lacking evidence. They have yet to change the outcome in any state.
Trump is still a wildcard as to whether he'll choose to attend the swearing-in of his Democratic successor on January 20. He is reportedly considering making an announcement for a 2024 presidential bid during the inauguration. Republican lawmakers, fully aware of the immense power that Trump still wields with his base among battle for Senate control, have refused to come out against him making another go at the White House.
But based on the president's refusal to concede, his administration's weeks-long delay in beginning the formal transition process, his repeated rhetoric about how the election was "rigged" against him and falsely claiming he was the true victor, it appears unlikely that Trump will want to attend.
Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-SC) makes a statement after voting in the Judiciary Committee to move the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court out of committee and on to the Senate for a full vote on October 22 in Washington, DC. Photo by Samuel Corum/Getty
Still, at least some Republicans, such as Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), the No. 4 Republican, have said Trump should participate and be there in-person.
"I hope the president is there on Inaugural Day," Blunt told CNN over the weekend, adding that it's "likely" Biden will be the one raising his right hand as he is sworn in—not Trump. "I think there's a big role for President Trump. I hope he embraces that and looks at how you move to whatever comes next for him, assuming that this election works out the way it appears it will."
Graham said he spoke with Trump over the weekend, a conversation in which Graham said he urged the president to "keep it up" with his fight to alter the election outcome in the courts.
"He's going to fight for every vote and push systems to get better, and I said, 'Keep it up,'" Graham said.
Asked whether it appeared Trump was coming to grip with reality about his defeat, Graham responded: "I think he's focused on the challenges he has and trying to deal with mail-in voting, and I'm very worried about it to myself, quite frankly."


newsweek--2020-11-30--Florida Gov. Says State Will Remain Open Despite Nearing 1 Million COVID Cases

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said state residents will not have to contend with any additional pandemic-inspired lockdowns as the U.S. continues its battle with the novel coronavirus .
The Republican governor spoke against implementing any additional lockdowns or a statewide mask mandate during a Monday news conference at Boggy Creek Elementary School in Kissimmee as the state stood on the cusp of surpassing 1 million total COVID-19 infections since the start of the pandemic .
By Monday , November 30 , only two states—California and Texas—had met that same mark , while state health officials in Florida reported a total @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` no lockdowns , no fines , no school closures , '' DeSantis said .
`` No one 's losing their job because of a government dictate , nobody 's losing their livelihood or their business .
That is totally off the table . ''
When a reporter asked DeSantis if there was a possibility of introducing a statewide mask mandate , DeSantis posed a question of his own about states that have reported COVID-19 outbreaks despite having mask mandates .
`` At some point , does the observed experience matter ?
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I do n't think they work , '' DeSantis said .
`` People in Florida wear them when you go out—I mean , they do n't have to be strung up by a bayonet to do it .
Fining people is , I think , totally overboard . ''
School districts throughout the state will be required to continue offering in-person learning options for students , DeSantis said .
He contrasted his office 's approach to managing the pandemic with that of Democratic governors who have shifted school districts to virtual learning due @ @ @ @ @ @ @ data and the evidence is overwhelmingly clear : The virtual learning is just not the same as being in person , '' DeSantis said .
`` I would say that closing schools due to coronavirus is probably the biggest health blunder in modern American history . ''
DeSantis ' vow to keep schools open for in-person learning stands in contrast with states like New York , which was an early leader in total COVID-19 cases at the start of the pandemic , and California , which was on Monday just behind Texas in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ California , most schools are not allowed to open for in-person instruction if they reside in the state 's `` Tier 1 '' category , which is its most restrictive .
By Monday , November 30 , more than 99 percent of the state 's population was assigned to California 's most restrictive tier due to the virus ' spread .
Meanwhile , New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio recently reversed a decision to close the city 's schools after beginning the reopening process in September .
DeSantis said health experts have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in-person instruction whenever possible due to the difficulties students face with virtual learning .
Dr. Anthony Fauci , the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and member of President Donald Trump 's coronavirus task force , on Sunday advocated for schools to remain open during an appearance on ABC News ' This Week .
`` Schools will remain open for in-person instruction , and we will continue to offer parents choices for the spring semester , '' DeSantis said .
`` Every parent in Florida can take that to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the Florida Department of Health for comment but did not receive a response in time for publication .

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said state residents will not have to contend with any additional pandemic-inspired lockdowns as the U.S. continues its battle with the novel coronavirus.
The Republican governor spoke against implementing any additional lockdowns or a statewide mask mandate during a Monday news conference at Boggy Creek Elementary School in Kissimmee as the state stood on the cusp of surpassing 1 million total COVID-19 infections since the start of the pandemic. By Monday, November 30, only two states—California and Texas—had met that same mark, while state health officials in Florida reported a total of 999,319 cases.
Florida will face "no lockdowns, no fines, no school closures," DeSantis said. "No one's losing their job because of a government dictate, nobody's losing their livelihood or their business. That is totally off the table."
When a reporter asked DeSantis if there was a possibility of introducing a statewide mask mandate, DeSantis posed a question of his own about states that have reported COVID-19 outbreaks despite having mask mandates.
"At some point, does the observed experience matter? I'm opposed to mandates, period. I don't think they work," DeSantis said. "People in Florida wear them when you go out—I mean, they don't have to be strung up by a bayonet to do it. Fining people is, I think, totally overboard."
School districts throughout the state will be required to continue offering in-person learning options for students, DeSantis said. He contrasted his office's approach to managing the pandemic with that of Democratic governors who have shifted school districts to virtual learning due to rising infection rates.
"The data and the evidence is overwhelmingly clear: The virtual learning is just not the same as being in person," DeSantis said. "I would say that closing schools due to coronavirus is probably the biggest health blunder in modern American history."
Students at Hillsborough High School wait in line to have temperature checked before entering the building on August 31, 2020 in Tampa, Florida. On Monday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said schools will be required to remain open for in-person instruction despite the ongoing battle with COVID-19. Octavio Jones/Getty
DeSantis' vow to keep schools open for in-person learning stands in contrast with states like New York, which was an early leader in total COVID-19 cases at the start of the pandemic, and California, which was on Monday just behind Texas in terms of total confirmed cases.
In California, most schools are not allowed to open for in-person instruction if they reside in the state's "Tier 1" category, which is its most restrictive. By Monday, November 30, more than 99 percent of the state's population was assigned to California's most restrictive tier due to the virus' spread.
Meanwhile, New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio recently reversed a decision to close the city's schools after beginning the reopening process in September.
DeSantis said health experts have widely recommended that schools remain open for in-person instruction whenever possible due to the difficulties students face with virtual learning. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and member of President Donald Trump's coronavirus task force, on Sunday advocated for schools to remain open during an appearance on ABC News' This Week.
"Schools will remain open for in-person instruction, and we will continue to offer parents choices for the spring semester," DeSantis said. "Every parent in Florida can take that to the bank."
Newsweek reached out to the Florida Department of Health for comment but did not receive a response in time for publication.


newsweek--2020-11-30--Florida on Track to Host 2 Biggest Football Games of 2020 Season Amid State's 1 Million COVID Cases

The state of Florida will certainly pass 1 million positive COVID-19 cases on Tuesday when the new reports surface from the state 's health department .
This comes as cases are on the rise around the country .
Meanwhile , Florida Gov .
Ron DeSantis has required that schools stay open .
What does this have to do with football ?
Well , in just a little more than a month , the college football national championship will be played in Miami .
And nearly a month after that , Super Bowl LV will be played in Tampa .
Florida @ @ @ @ @ @ @ college and professional football games , even though it 's been a limited capacity .
The state reported 6,658 new COVID cases on Monday , which brings the state 's total to 999,319 .
The sunshine state will hit the 1 million mark on Tuesday , following only Texas and California to have at least a million positive cases .
Despite rising cases , and a new flock of snow birds—those are the northerners escaping the colder weather for the subtropical climate—flocking to Florida , DeSantis maintained he wants to keep the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Closing schools due to coronavirus is probably the biggest public health blunder in modern American history , '' DeSantis said Monday during a news conference .
`` People who advocate closing schools for virus mitigation are effectively today 's flat-earthers . ''
DeSantis added that even though the state has reported more than 18,700 COVID deaths this year , Florida does n't compare to other states that have higher rates .
`` We 've seen cases increase but look at all the other states that are seeing them increase way , way more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you look at the per-capita hospitalizations , we are not even close to the top of the stuff .
So I think people should put it in perspective . ''
As for sports , all three pro football teams in Florida ( Tampa Bay Buccaneers , Miami Dolphins , Jacksonville Jaguars ) have allowed limited fans at their home games this season , as have the multitude of college teams in the state .
That means that all nine bowl games in the state , which is about one-fourth of all college bowl @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well .
Two bowl games in other states have already canceled their previously-scheduled games .
They are the New Era Pinstripe Bowl in New York City and the Sun Bowl in El Paso , Texas .
The College Football Playoff National Championship Game is scheduled for January 11 , 2021 , at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens , and Super Bowl LV is scheduled for February 7 , 2021 , at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa .

The state of Florida will certainly pass 1 million positive COVID-19 cases on Tuesday when the new reports surface from the state's health department. This comes as cases are on the rise around the country. Meanwhile, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has required that schools stay open.
What does this have to do with football? Well, in just a little more than a month, the college football national championship will be played in Miami. And nearly a month after that, Super Bowl LV will be played in Tampa.
Florida has allowed fans at high school, college and professional football games, even though it's been a limited capacity.
The state reported 6,658 new COVID cases on Monday, which brings the state's total to 999,319. The sunshine state will hit the 1 million mark on Tuesday, following only Texas and California to have at least a million positive cases.
Despite rising cases, and a new flock of snow birds—those are the northerners escaping the colder weather for the subtropical climate—flocking to Florida, DeSantis maintained he wants to keep the state open for schools and businesses.
"Closing schools due to coronavirus is probably the biggest public health blunder in modern American history," DeSantis said Monday during a news conference. "People who advocate closing schools for virus mitigation are effectively today's flat-earthers."
DeSantis added that even though the state has reported more than 18,700 COVID deaths this year, Florida doesn't compare to other states that have higher rates.
"We've seen cases increase but look at all the other states that are seeing them increase way, way more," DeSantis said. "If you look at the per-capita hospitalizations, we are not even close to the top of the stuff. So I think people should put it in perspective."
Super Bowl LV is scheduled for February 7, 2021, at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, home of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Super Bowl will likely have fans in the stands, even as the state of Florida gets ready to pass the 1 million mark of positive coronavirus cases. Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images
As for sports, all three pro football teams in Florida (Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Miami Dolphins, Jacksonville Jaguars) have allowed limited fans at their home games this season, as have the multitude of college teams in the state.
That means that all nine bowl games in the state, which is about one-fourth of all college bowl games, will likely have fans as well. Two bowl games in other states have already canceled their previously-scheduled games. They are the New Era Pinstripe Bowl in New York City and the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas.
The College Football Playoff National Championship Game is scheduled for January 11, 2021, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, and Super Bowl LV is scheduled for February 7, 2021, at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa.


newsweek--2020-11-30--Belarus Says Russia and Its Allies Must Stand Up to US-NATO After President Hints at Stepping Down

As his country 's longtime leader teased the prospect of stepping down under pressure at home and abroad , a senior lawmaker in Belarus has called on members of a Russian-led defense alliance to band together against Western interference .
Anatoly Isachenko , the presidentially appointed deputy chairman of the upper chamber of the Belarusian parliament , told fellow legislators of the six-nation Collective Security Treaty Organization ( CSTO ) during the group 's 13th plenary session that allies Armenia , Belarus , Kazakhstan , Kyrgyzstan , Russia and Tajikistan face `` a difficult geopolitical situation , '' a challenge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want to highlight the increased risks of direct foreign interference in the internal affairs of the CSTO member states , '' Isachenko said , as quoted by the official Belarusian Telegraph Agency ( BelTA ) .
He blamed the West for fomenting troubles that affect Belarus .
`` Parliamentary diplomacy is meant to reduce tensions , '' Isachenko said , `` but individual parliaments of Western countries adopt all sorts of unfriendly resolutions .
All this is happening against the background of the crumbling international security architecture . ''
He specifically highlighted Washington @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Treaty , an agreement among 35 nations , including Belarus and Russia , to mutually allow foreign unarmed surveillance flights over one another 's territory .
Isachenko said the treaties that maintain peace are being abandoned by the states of the West .
`` The international legal mechanisms for arms control are eroding , '' he said .
The comment likely referred to the U.S. exit last year from the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces ( INF ) Treaty with Russia and the ongoing failure to renew the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty ( New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that represents the final such nuclear weapons deal between Washington and Moscow .
He called for the CSTO states to unite in the face of these challenges .
`` We can stand against such a difficult environment only by collective efforts , '' he said .
Several CSTO states were beset by unrest this year as political and security crises played out in the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic .
War broke out in late September between Armenia and its longtime rival Azerbaijan , a former CSTO member , over the territory of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan .
A series of bloody battles ensued , ending with Armenian concessions earlier this month and the deployment of a Russian peacekeeping force for years to come .
Popular protests erupted in Kyrgyzstan over last month 's parliamentary election , pushing President Sooronbay Jeenbekov to cancel the vote and ultimately resign amid allegations of ballot rigging .
Kyrgyz Prime Minister Sadyr Japarov briefly assumed his duties , but resigned earlier this month in order to run in the upcoming presidential elections in January .
In Belarus , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that have been regular occurrences since the disputed presidential election of August 9 that kept him in power .
But he appeared to abruptly reverse course after he was quoted Friday by BelTA as saying he backed the formation of a new constitution , and that this could mean his resignation .
`` If you want it and the nation votes in favor of it , it will happen , '' Lukashenko said of the new constitution .
`` I am not going to shape the constitution to suit my needs .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ once the new constitution is in place . ''
That same day , however , he detailed a Western plot , allegedly headed by neighboring U.S.-led North Atlantic Treaty Organization ( NATO ) allies like Poland , as well as Ukraine , to undermine Russia by fomenting chaos in Belarus .
The Belarusian leader touted his country 's rigid power vertical , warning he was within his right to wage war if need be to preserve his country 's sovereignty .
`` We all want sovereignty and independence , but independence is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during a Minsk hospital visit .
`` If the Belarusian people are ready to maintain this independence , to fight for it , no matter what it takes , let 's fight .
Otherwise , we will be thrown back , deprived of what we have , and will be forced to toil and moil for somebody else . ''
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also weighed in with a warning that Moscow would defend Minsk not only as fellow CSTO members but as two halves of their joint Union State during his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Vladimir Putin , for his part , identified `` the development of common approaches to countering the threats associated with interference in the internal affairs of sovereign states '' an important area of inter-parliamentary cooperation during a message to the latest CSTO session .
At a meeting Monday with the chief of the Eurasian Economic Union , a group involving all CSTO members except Tajikistan , Lukashenko indicated that an economic battle had already been initiated between the allies and their foreign foes , and that political and military issues were not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ begun , '' he said .
`` In fact , an open economic war is going on , and it is already turning into a diplomatic war or a mass media war , things are getting really tough .
I have already cited facts regarding the designs of some of our neighbors supported by some strong states . ''
Latvia , Lithuania and Poland have all denied conducting cross-border political interference against Lukashenko in Belarus , but have actively campaigned for him to resign , voicing support for his exiled opponent , Svetlana @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hoped that U.S. President-elect Joe Biden would come through with his `` strong position '' against Lukashenko .
`` I am sure that Joe Biden will fulfill his promises about his attitude to Belarus and this regime , '' she said Wednesday .
`` We know that he is standing for democracy and he will support Belarusian people and Belarusian society . ''
Last month , the former vice president called for stronger international sanctions against Belarus .
With Lukashenko still in power , Biden said he would `` join Svetlana Tikhanovskaya and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the peaceful transfer of power , the release of all political prisoners , and free and fair elections so the Belarusian people are finally able to exercise the democratic rights for which they have sacrificed so much . ''
Biden has questioned President Donald Trump 's resolve in getting tough on Lukashenko .
As protests by opposition supporters and crackdowns by security forces continue to play out in Belarus , the State Department issued a statement earlier this month saying the U.S. `` stands with those who remain detained and unaccounted for , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those who continue to peacefully assert their right to choose their leaders in free and fair elections . ''
The comment came days after Biden 's projected victory in the U.S. presidential election , a win Trump continues to dispute , alleging mass voter fraud in legal cases that have yet to be accepted in court .

As his country's longtime leader teased the prospect of stepping down under pressure at home and abroad, a senior lawmaker in Belarus has called on members of a Russian-led defense alliance to band together against Western interference.
Anatoly Isachenko, the presidentially appointed deputy chairman of the upper chamber of the Belarusian parliament, told fellow legislators of the six-nation Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) during the group's 13th plenary session that allies Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan face "a difficult geopolitical situation," a challenge exacerbated by external actors.
"I want to highlight the increased risks of direct foreign interference in the internal affairs of the CSTO member states," Isachenko said, as quoted by the official Belarusian Telegraph Agency (BelTA).
He blamed the West for fomenting troubles that affect Belarus.
"Parliamentary diplomacy is meant to reduce tensions," Isachenko said, "but individual parliaments of Western countries adopt all sorts of unfriendly resolutions. All this is happening against the background of the crumbling international security architecture."
He specifically highlighted Washington's withdrawal Tuesday from the Open Skies Treaty, an agreement among 35 nations, including Belarus and Russia, to mutually allow foreign unarmed surveillance flights over one another's territory.
Isachenko said the treaties that maintain peace are being abandoned by the states of the West.
"The international legal mechanisms for arms control are eroding," he said.
The comment likely referred to the U.S. exit last year from the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty with Russia and the ongoing failure to renew the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START), another bilateral non-proliferation agreement that represents the final such nuclear weapons deal between Washington and Moscow.
He called for the CSTO states to unite in the face of these challenges.
"We can stand against such a difficult environment only by collective efforts," he said.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, then-Kyrgyz President Sooronbai Jeenbekov, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon and Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) Secretary Valery Semerikov pose for a picture ahead of a CSTO summit of the Kyrgyz capital of Bishkek on November 28, 2019. The six-member alliance represents a bastion of military ties among former Soviet states. ALEXEY NIKOLSKY/SPUTNIK/AFP/Getty Images
Several CSTO states were beset by unrest this year as political and security crises played out in the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic.
War broke out in late September between Armenia and its longtime rival Azerbaijan, a former CSTO member, over the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, ruled by ethnic Armenians but internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan. A series of bloody battles ensued, ending with Armenian concessions earlier this month and the deployment of a Russian peacekeeping force for years to come.
Popular protests erupted in Kyrgyzstan over last month's parliamentary election, pushing President Sooronbay Jeenbekov to cancel the vote and ultimately resign amid allegations of ballot rigging. Kyrgyz Prime Minister Sadyr Japarov briefly assumed his duties, but resigned earlier this month in order to run in the upcoming presidential elections in January.
In Belarus, three-decade President Alexander Lukashenko has resisted demonstrations that have been regular occurrences since the disputed presidential election of August 9 that kept him in power. But he appeared to abruptly reverse course after he was quoted Friday by BelTA as saying he backed the formation of a new constitution, and that this could mean his resignation.
"If you want it and the nation votes in favor of it, it will happen," Lukashenko said of the new constitution. "I am not going to shape the constitution to suit my needs. I am not going to be the president once the new constitution is in place."
That same day, however, he detailed a Western plot, allegedly headed by neighboring U.S.-led North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies like Poland, as well as Ukraine, to undermine Russia by fomenting chaos in Belarus. The Belarusian leader touted his country's rigid power vertical, warning he was within his right to wage war if need be to preserve his country's sovereignty.
"We all want sovereignty and independence, but independence is a very expensive thing," Lukashenko said during a Minsk hospital visit. "If the Belarusian people are ready to maintain this independence, to fight for it, no matter what it takes, let's fight. Otherwise, we will be thrown back, deprived of what we have, and will be forced to toil and moil for somebody else."
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also weighed in with a warning that Moscow would defend Minsk not only as fellow CSTO members but as two halves of their joint Union State during his visit to Belarus on Wednesday.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, for his part, identified "the development of common approaches to countering the threats associated with interference in the internal affairs of sovereign states" an important area of inter-parliamentary cooperation during a message to the latest CSTO session.
At a meeting Monday with the chief of the Eurasian Economic Union, a group involving all CSTO members except Tajikistan, Lukashenko indicated that an economic battle had already been initiated between the allies and their foreign foes, and that political and military issues were not far behind.
"A confrontation has begun," he said. "In fact, an open economic war is going on, and it is already turning into a diplomatic war or a mass media war, things are getting really tough. I have already cited facts regarding the designs of some of our neighbors supported by some strong states."
Law enforcement officers run to block a road as Belarusian pensioners attend a rally to protest against police violence in Minsk, on November 30. Since an August election, Belarus has been gripped by massive protests that erupted after Belarus' leader secured a sixth term as president of the ex-Soviet republic. AFP/Getty Images
Latvia, Lithuania and Poland have all denied conducting cross-border political interference against Lukashenko in Belarus, but have actively campaigned for him to resign, voicing support for his exiled opponent, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya.
She recently told Newsweek she hoped that U.S. President-elect Joe Biden would come through with his "strong position" against Lukashenko.
"I am sure that Joe Biden will fulfill his promises about his attitude to Belarus and this regime," she said Wednesday. "We know that he is standing for democracy and he will support Belarusian people and Belarusian society."
Last month, the former vice president called for stronger international sanctions against Belarus. With Lukashenko still in power, Biden said he would "join Svetlana Tikhanovskaya and the people of Belarus in calling for the peaceful transfer of power, the release of all political prisoners, and free and fair elections so the Belarusian people are finally able to exercise the democratic rights for which they have sacrificed so much."
Biden has questioned President Donald Trump's resolve in getting tough on Lukashenko.
As protests by opposition supporters and crackdowns by security forces continue to play out in Belarus, the State Department issued a statement earlier this month saying the U.S. "stands with those who remain detained and unaccounted for, those who have been killed, and those who continue to peacefully assert their right to choose their leaders in free and fair elections."
The comment came days after Biden's projected victory in the U.S. presidential election, a win Trump continues to dispute, alleging mass voter fraud in legal cases that have yet to be accepted in court.


newsweek--2020-11-30--Over One-Third of African Americans Have Lost Someone Close to COVID: Poll

Over 30 percent of African Americans have known an individual that died from COVID-19 , according to polling data released Monday by the de Beaumont Foundation .
Coronavirus cases in the U.S. have risen in November and some experts expect there to be a further surge following the Thanksgiving holiday .
While a coronavirus vaccine is expected to begin distribution in December , recent data indicated more than 13 million positive U.S. cases of COVID-19 with 274,050 fatalities attributed to the virus .
Monday 's poll shows that 34 percent of African Americans have known a person who died because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ percent of those who responded to the poll said someone close to them had due to the coronavirus .
Along party lines , 30 percent of Democrats polled knew someone close to them who had died because of COVID-19 while 18 percent of Republicans said the virus had taken the life of someone they had known .
The poll also showed a disparity between demographics regarding how seriously people take the pandemic .
While 74 percent of the total respondent 's believed the COVID-19 spread was `` very serious '' or `` extremely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Americans agreed with that assessment .
However , while 62 percent of Democrats surveyed called the current pandemic `` extremely serious , '' only 33 percent of Republicans agreed .
The poll was conducted from a pool comprised of 800 U.S. registered voters and an oversample of 300 African Americans from November 21 to November 22 .
A margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points was assigned to the results .
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director Dr. Anthony Fauci said in June that Black people are more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` African Americans have suffered disproportionately from coronavirus disease , '' Fauci said on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services ' podcast Learning Curve .
`` They 've suffered in that their rate of infection is higher because of the nature of the economic status that many of them find themselves in when they 're outside working , being unable to physically separate . ''
Fauci added that a high incidence of underlying symptoms within the African American community put those individuals `` at much greater risk of suffering the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Newsweek reached out to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for comment .
Two COVID-19 vaccines may possibly receive Emergency Use Authorizations ( EUA ) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in December .
Vaccines from the pharmaceutical firm Moderna and a collaboration from the companies Pfizer and BioNTech are slated to be reviewed .
`` We are committed to expediting the development of COVID-19 vaccines , '' said FDA Commissioner Dr. Stephen M. Hahn and Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research director Dr. Peter Marks in a statement on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the expense of sound science and decision making .
We will not jeopardize the public 's trust in our science-based , independent review of these or any vaccines .
There 's too much at stake . ''
During a White House press conference in November , President Donald Trump appeared to take credit for the quick development of the vaccines .
`` You would n't have a vaccine if it were n't for me for another 4 years , '' Trump told reporters .
According to the FDA , there is currently `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prevention of COVID-19 . ''

Over 30 percent of African Americans have known an individual that died from COVID-19, according to polling data released Monday by the de Beaumont Foundation.
Coronavirus cases in the U.S. have risen in November and some experts expect there to be a further surge following the Thanksgiving holiday. While a coronavirus vaccine is expected to begin distribution in December, recent data indicated more than 13 million positive U.S. cases of COVID-19 with 274,050 fatalities attributed to the virus.
Monday's poll shows that 34 percent of African Americans have known a person who died because of COVID-19. In total, 23 percent of those who responded to the poll said someone close to them had due to the coronavirus. Along party lines, 30 percent of Democrats polled knew someone close to them who had died because of COVID-19 while 18 percent of Republicans said the virus had taken the life of someone they had known.
The poll also showed a disparity between demographics regarding how seriously people take the pandemic. While 74 percent of the total respondent's believed the COVID-19 spread was "very serious" or "extremely serious," 86 percent of African Americans agreed with that assessment. However, while 62 percent of Democrats surveyed called the current pandemic "extremely serious," only 33 percent of Republicans agreed.
The poll was conducted from a pool comprised of 800 U.S. registered voters and an oversample of 300 African Americans from November 21 to November 22. A margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points was assigned to the results.
Dr. Anthony Fauci said in June that individuals in Black communities had "suffered disproportionately" from COVID-19. Tasos Katopodis/Getty
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director Dr. Anthony Fauci said in June that Black people are more likely to be adversely affected by COVID-19.
"African Americans have suffered disproportionately from coronavirus disease," Fauci said on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' podcast Learning Curve. "They've suffered in that their rate of infection is higher because of the nature of the economic status that many of them find themselves in when they're outside working, being unable to physically separate."
Fauci added that a high incidence of underlying symptoms within the African American community put those individuals "at much greater risk of suffering the deleterious consequences, including death."
Newsweek reached out to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for comment.
Two COVID-19 vaccines may possibly receive Emergency Use Authorizations (EUA) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in December. Vaccines from the pharmaceutical firm Moderna and a collaboration from the companies Pfizer and BioNTech are slated to be reviewed.
"We are committed to expediting the development of COVID-19 vaccines," said FDA Commissioner Dr. Stephen M. Hahn and Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research director Dr. Peter Marks in a statement on the FDA website, "but not at the expense of sound science and decision making. We will not jeopardize the public's trust in our science-based, independent review of these or any vaccines. There's too much at stake."
During a White House press conference in November, President Donald Trump appeared to take credit for the quick development of the vaccines.
"You wouldn't have a vaccine if it weren't for me for another 4 years," Trump told reporters.
According to the FDA, there is currently "no FDA-approved or authorized vaccine for the prevention of COVID-19."


newsweek--2020-11-30--Watch This Frog Eat an Entire Snake in a Wild, Australian TikTok

If you hate snakes , you 're about to learn to love frogs even more .
In an absolutely wild TikTok , the most unlikely predator feasts on a snake in what can only be explained as part of the terrifying Australian animal kingdom .
Posted by TikTok user @ danimonteith on November 22 , the video has gained close to 34,000 likes from viewers who watched the gory scene unfold .
In it , a green frog casually snacks on a silver snake , one that seems to be a perfect size : it 's big enough to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the frog seems just large enough to be considered a predator .
Beware , the short video is gory .
As the frog chews on the snake 's tail , the reptile continues to slither and move its head around , seemingly in an attempt to break free from the frog 's hungry grip .
Later , though , the video cuts to show the ultimate gore : the bloody snake hangs dead and defeated as the frog continues to chomp on its tail end .
The people filming decided to cheer the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` go frog '' to wondering if the green amphibian would have been injured by any potential snake bite .
The otherwise unassuming frog may be assumed the underdog in most situations .
That could be what led the Australian social media users to champion the green frog as it feasted , apparently unbothered by the filming commotion .
A handful of TikTok commenters agreed , but many also felt for the snake as it met a slow death .
Those who commented on the video found the gross scene to be both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , though , that Australians may have a bit more knowledge about how the scene played out in real life .
Some assumed the people filming put the snake out of its misery so the frog could continue snacking without the reptile suffering any longer .
A few even called this common practice in Australia , user Johnie Papas even noting : `` You can tell who 's not from Australia .
You smashed the snake 's head in , did n't ya . ''
Regardless of what happened off-screen , it seems @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Many commenters took pity on the snake and claimed to hate seeing any animal suffer , be it at the hands of the humans watching , or at the appetite of the frog .
This is far from the first time an animal video of a natural , yet peculiar snack went viral .
Another video that caught attention online showed a giant alligator eating its second duck of the day in one .
Whichever wild kingdom meal you choose to view today , we hope it 's everything your super weird Internet @ @ @ @ @ @

If you hate snakes, you're about to learn to love frogs even more. In an absolutely wild TikTok, the most unlikely predator feasts on a snake in what can only be explained as part of the terrifying Australian animal kingdom.
Posted by TikTok user @danimonteith on November 22, the video has gained close to 34,000 likes from viewers who watched the gory scene unfold. In it, a green frog casually snacks on a silver snake, one that seems to be a perfect size: it's big enough to be a giant meal but small enough that the frog seems just large enough to be considered a predator.
Beware, the short video is gory. As the frog chews on the snake's tail, the reptile continues to slither and move its head around, seemingly in an attempt to break free from the frog's hungry grip. Later, though, the video cuts to show the ultimate gore: the bloody snake hangs dead and defeated as the frog continues to chomp on its tail end.
White-Lipped Green Tree Frog on palm leaf, Daintree Rainforest, Queenland, Australia. Tim Graham/Getty Images/Getty
The people filming decided to cheer the frog on, from saying things like "go frog" to wondering if the green amphibian would have been injured by any potential snake bite. The otherwise unassuming frog may be assumed the underdog in most situations. That could be what led the Australian social media users to champion the green frog as it feasted, apparently unbothered by the filming commotion. A handful of TikTok commenters agreed, but many also felt for the snake as it met a slow death.
Those who commented on the video found the gross scene to be both disgusting and oddly endearing. Some commented, though, that Australians may have a bit more knowledge about how the scene played out in real life. Some assumed the people filming put the snake out of its misery so the frog could continue snacking without the reptile suffering any longer. A few even called this common practice in Australia, user Johnie Papas even noting: "You can tell who's not from Australia. You smashed the snake's head in, didn't ya."
Regardless of what happened off-screen, it seems some TikTokers can't stop watching. Many commenters took pity on the snake and claimed to hate seeing any animal suffer, be it at the hands of the humans watching, or at the appetite of the frog.
This is far from the first time an animal video of a natural, yet peculiar snack went viral. Another video that caught attention online showed a giant alligator eating its second duck of the day in one.
Whichever wild kingdom meal you choose to view today, we hope it's everything your super weird Internet video tastes are asking for.


newsweek--2020-11-30--Republican Support for Biden Doubles Post-Election As Trump's Favorability Rating Drops: Poll

A new Gallup poll shows that the post-election favorability rating for President Donald Trump has dipped three points over the last month to 42 percent , its lowest since August .
Meanwhile , Biden 's has risen 6 points to 55 percent , partly due to a doubling in Republican supporters from 6 percent to 12 percent .
The results , taken from a poll conducted from November 5 to 19 , show an overall decline in support for Trump , dropping from 95 among Republicans in October to 89 percent among the same group in November , and from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 36 percent among the same group in November .
The poll also showed an overall increase in support for Biden , rising from 6 percent among Republicans in October to 12 percent among the same group in November , and from 48 percent among Independents in October to 55 percent among the same group in November .
The polling organization , Gallup , said that most winners of presidential elections get a post-election boost in favorability ratings .
After Trump won the 2016 election , his Gallup favorability rating rose from 34 percent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he had the lowest overall favorability rating of any presidential election winner since 2000 .
`` Since 2000 , the winner 's postelection favorability reached the majority level in every election except 2016 , when Trump was the most personally unpopular presidential candidate in Gallup polling history , '' Gallup said in an explanation of its polling results .
Gallup 's poll was conducted by calling a random sample of 1,018 adults over the age 18 who live in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia .
A minimum of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ via cellphone and 30 percent responded via landline .
Despite the fact that Biden was declared the winner of the presidential election on November 7 and that 39 out of 40 Trump campaign lawsuits to overturn the vote in key swing states have failed , been dismissed or withdrawn , Trump still has n't conceded to Biden .
On the night of November 29 , Trump tweeted , `` NO WAY WE LOST THIS ELECTION ! ''
On the same day , Trump dialed into Maria Bartiromo 's show on Fox News , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Department of Justice might 've been involved in rigging the election against him , claimed without supporting evidence that thousands of dead people voted against him and also claimed that `` leaders of countries '' have called him to say , `` That 's the most messed-up election we have ever seen , '' though he did n't say which leaders allegedly called .
On Tuesday , November 17 , Trump fired Chris Krebs , the now-former director of Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency who was in charge of maintaining election security , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ improprieties and fraud—including dead people voting , Poll Watchers not allowed into polling locations , 'glitches ' in the voting machines which changed ... votes from Trump to Biden , late voting , and many more , '' Trump wrote in his tweet .
However , in an interview televised Sunday , former Krebs told the news program 60 Minutes , `` There is no foreign power that is flipping votes .
There 's no domestic actor flipping votes .
I did it right .
We did it right .
This was a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump campaign for comment .

A new Gallup poll shows that the post-election favorability rating for President Donald Trump has dipped three points over the last month to 42 percent, its lowest since August. Meanwhile, Biden's has risen 6 points to 55 percent, partly due to a doubling in Republican supporters from 6 percent to 12 percent.
The results, taken from a poll conducted from November 5 to 19, show an overall decline in support for Trump, dropping from 95 among Republicans in October to 89 percent among the same group in November, and from 38 percent among Independents in October to 36 percent among the same group in November.
The poll also showed an overall increase in support for Biden, rising from 6 percent among Republicans in October to 12 percent among the same group in November, and from 48 percent among Independents in October to 55 percent among the same group in November.
A new Gallup poll shows that President Donald Trump's overall favorability rating dropped three points over the last month to 42 percent while President-elect Joe Biden's rose, doubling among Republicans from 6 to 12 percent over the last month. In this September 6, 2012 photo, Biden walks on stage during the final day of the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina. Chip Somodevilla/Getty
The polling organization, Gallup, said that most winners of presidential elections get a post-election boost in favorability ratings. After Trump won the 2016 election, his Gallup favorability rating rose from 34 percent to 42 percent. But even then, he had the lowest overall favorability rating of any presidential election winner since 2000.
"Since 2000, the winner's postelection favorability reached the majority level in every election except 2016, when Trump was the most personally unpopular presidential candidate in Gallup polling history," Gallup said in an explanation of its polling results.
Gallup's poll was conducted by calling a random sample of 1,018 adults over the age 18 who live in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. A minimum of 70 percent of the respondents were polled via cellphone and 30 percent responded via landline.
Despite the fact that Biden was declared the winner of the presidential election on November 7 and that 39 out of 40 Trump campaign lawsuits to overturn the vote in key swing states have failed, been dismissed or withdrawn, Trump still hasn't conceded to Biden.
On the night of November 29, Trump tweeted, "NO WAY WE LOST THIS ELECTION!"
On the same day, Trump dialed into Maria Bartiromo's show on Fox News, claimed that said that the FBI and Department of Justice might've been involved in rigging the election against him, claimed without supporting evidence that thousands of dead people voted against him and also claimed that "leaders of countries" have called him to say, "That's the most messed-up election we have ever seen," though he didn't say which leaders allegedly called.
On Tuesday, November 17, Trump fired Chris Krebs, the now-former director of Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency who was in charge of maintaining election security, via Twitter.
"There were massive improprieties and fraud—including dead people voting, Poll Watchers not allowed into polling locations, 'glitches' in the voting machines which changed... votes from Trump to Biden, late voting, and many more," Trump wrote in his tweet.
However, in an interview televised Sunday, former Krebs told the news program 60 Minutes, "There is no foreign power that is flipping votes. There's no domestic actor flipping votes. I did it right. We did it right. This was a secure election."
Newsweek contacted the Trump campaign for comment.


newsweek--2020-11-30--California COVID Hospitalizations Reach Record High After Climbing Nearly 90% in Two Weeks

California is reporting a record uptick in patients hospitalized for COVID-19 symptoms , with the state 's latest figures denoting an increase approaching 90 percent since mid-November .
As of Sunday , close to 7,800 people were hospitalized across California after testing positive for the disease .
The state accounted for roughly 800 additional patients admitted to medical facilities today with suspected cases .
Like dozens of other U.S. states where virus cases climbed rapidly in recent weeks , California has also confirmed new infections in record high quantities over the past month .
Addressing the surge at a virtual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Newsom discussed the increasing pressure on the state 's health-care system and notified residents of potentially stringent new restrictions to come .
In light of the worrying outbreak trajectory , Newsom 's office and the California Department of Public Health ( CDPH ) categorized counties into tiers based on individual COVID-19 statistics .
Those that fall within the top tier , labeled `` purple , '' carry the most serious warning signs .
Almost 100 percent of California 's population resides in roughly 50 counties with purple designations this week .
Newsom said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those effected at the beginning of the pandemic in March , depending on COVID-19 hospitalization and ICU developments over the next several days .
California residents are already expected to comply with the terms of a limited stay-at-home order that took effect on November 21 , which prohibits group gatherings involving individuals from different households , as well as activities outside of personal residences in general , between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m .
The order will remain in effect for one month .
In Los Angeles County , a range of policies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Monday .
Almost two-thirds of California 's hospital beds were occupied on Monday , according to Newsom .
The bed count includes all hospitalized patients , about 11 percent of whom were admitted for health complications linked to COVID-19 .
Individuals with confirmed coronavirus infections accounted for 23 percent of occupied intensive care unit ( ICU ) beds statewide .
Three-fourths of California 's total ICU beds were filled by Monday .
Health officials anticipate hospital systems across the state 's most populous regions will be overwhelmed in one month 's time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ present rates .
Projections estimate that California 's total ICU capacity will exceed its maximum before December 24 , at which point its public health authorities suggest the state will require 112 percent of its current bed total to meet patients ' needs .
Newsweek reached out to Newsom 's office for further comment but did not receive a reply in time for publication .

California is reporting a record uptick in patients hospitalized for COVID-19 symptoms, with the state's latest figures denoting an increase approaching 90 percent since mid-November.
As of Sunday, close to 7,800 people were hospitalized across California after testing positive for the disease. The state accounted for roughly 800 additional patients admitted to medical facilities today with suspected cases. Like dozens of other U.S. states where virus cases climbed rapidly in recent weeks, California has also confirmed new infections in record high quantities over the past month.
Addressing the surge at a virtual press conference on Monday, Governor Gavin Newsom discussed the increasing pressure on the state's health-care system and notified residents of potentially stringent new restrictions to come.
In light of the worrying outbreak trajectory, Newsom's office and the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) categorized counties into tiers based on individual COVID-19 statistics. Those that fall within the top tier, labeled "purple," carry the most serious warning signs.
Almost 100 percent of California's population resides in roughly 50 counties with purple designations this week. Newsom said they could return to stay-at-home restrictions resembling those effected at the beginning of the pandemic in March, depending on COVID-19 hospitalization and ICU developments over the next several days.
California residents are already expected to comply with the terms of a limited stay-at-home order that took effect on November 21, which prohibits group gatherings involving individuals from different households, as well as activities outside of personal residences in general, between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. The order will remain in effect for one month. In Los Angeles County, a range of policies regulating businesses and public spaces took effect on Monday.
Almost two-thirds of California's hospital beds were occupied on Monday, according to Newsom. The bed count includes all hospitalized patients, about 11 percent of whom were admitted for health complications linked to COVID-19. Individuals with confirmed coronavirus infections accounted for 23 percent of occupied intensive care unit (ICU) beds statewide. Three-fourths of California's total ICU beds were filled by Monday.
A pedestrian walks past a closed storefront in Los Angeles on November 30. New restrictions limiting group gatherings and activity outside personal residences took effect across L.A. County on Monday, as the area reports a significant uptick in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images
Health officials anticipate hospital systems across the state's most populous regions will be overwhelmed in one month's time if COVID-19 transmission continues to persist at present rates. Projections estimate that California's total ICU capacity will exceed its maximum before December 24, at which point its public health authorities suggest the state will require 112 percent of its current bed total to meet patients' needs.
Newsweek reached out to Newsom's office for further comment but did not receive a reply in time for publication.