newsweek--2020-12-30--China to Visit Africa First for 30th Year in Row, Signaling Priority in Ties

China 's top diplomat will travel to five African countries next year for his first trip abroad , continuing a three-decade tradition in which Beijing has prioritized the continent in its public diplomacy .
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin confirmed during a press conference Wednesday in Beijing that Foreign Minister Wang Yi would head to Africa .
China 's most senior diplomat was set to travel to Nigeria , the Democratic Republic of Congo , Botswana , Tanzania and Seychelles from January 4 through 9 .
`` Since 1991 , Africa has been the destination for the Chinese foreign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Wang Wenbin said .
`` State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi 's visit this time is a continuation of this fine tradition , which demonstrates the high importance China attaches to its relationship with Africa . ''
He highlighted joint work between China and Africa in battling the novel coronavirus pandemic , which has hampered much international travel and disrupted life across the globe .
`` Since the outbreak of COVID-19 , China and Africa have worked in solidarity to fight against the epidemic , a testament to our brotherhood @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This visit also shows China 's sincerity and determination in deepening friendly relations with African countries in the post-COVID era . ''
The disease was first detected in the central Chinese city of Wuhan but has since spread worldwide , infecting around 82.5 million people and killing 1.8 million .
China saw a relatively speedy recovery but others , especially in the West , continue to suffer the worst of the illness .
African countries , on the other hand , have fared comparatively well , with only one country—South Africa—registering more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ others just topping 100,000 .
Mutual successes are paving the way for what Wang Wenbin called further promotion of the `` traditional friendship between China and Africa '' as they now enter this `` post-COVID era , '' a period that seems some time away for much of the rest of the world .
New Year 's Day will mark the beginning of the final year for target goals laid out by the 2018 Forum on China–Africa Cooperation ( FOCAC ) summit .
All 54 countries of Africa have participated in the group @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tiny landlocked nation once known as Swaziland , whose leader became the first head of state to die of COVID-19 while in office earlier this month .
FOCAC held an extraordinary summit in June in order to address the COVID-19 pandemic , during which Chinese President Xi Jinping vowed that `` China will continue to do whatever it can to support Africa 's response to COVID-19 . ''
Beyond COVID-19 cooperation , decades-long cooperation between China and Africa is rooted in a variety of ties embodied by growing economic and political relations .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ China Caucus , told Newsweek that the Chinese foreign minister 's decision to choose Africa for his first stop next year `` is hardly a surprise for many Sinologists , as China maintains quite a large political and economic presence throughout Africa , and the trip emphasizes the importance the Chinese Communist Party places on the continent . ''
The Black China Caucus seeks to amplify Black expert voices on the subject of China and its role in international affairs .
He said Chinese engagement with African countries has produced tangible results .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ implementation of China 's foreign policy objectives , China has witnessed remarkable growth in its trade and investment in many African countries since the turn of the century , '' Akpaninyie said .
`` China and African leaders participate in triennial summits that regularly culminate in millions of dollars in pledges of assistance , loans , and other forms of economic engagement . ''
China has granted up to $ 178 billion in loans to 52 African nations over the past two decades , according to the School of Advanced and International Studies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of these investments have been organized in line with the intercontinental Belt and Road Initiative , a global series of infrastructure and energy projects declared by Xi in 2013 .
`` China 's trillion dollar infrastructure initiative has also gained a foothold on the continent as many African leaders try to secure a project along the Belt and Road Initiative , '' Akpaninyie told Newsweek .
`` While China looks to continue this tradition , its diplomatic prioritization of Africa is needed to ensure its longstanding ties with the continent remain strong .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ footprint in Africa since then , opening its first overseas base in Djibouti—where other countries such as the United States and France have a presence as well—three years ago .
China is the second-largest financial donor and among the top 10 international troop contributors to United Nations peacekeeping missions , deploying around 2,500 personnel to nine missions , including those in Africa .
But China 's presence in Africa has been controversial for some , eliciting criticism both within Africa and abroad .
`` Amid growing criticism about its handling of COVID-19 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ African immigrants in China , the sustainability of its lending practices , and allegations of corruption , China has witnessed a fresh wave of anti-Chinese sentiment on the continent in 2020 , '' Akpaninyie said .
While this issue was not new , he predicted potential impact on the thriving ties between China and Africa should the trend worsen .
`` Anti-Chinese sentiment is not a new development , as it has been an enduring feature of China-Africa relations , '' he said .
`` However , the increasing backlash against China may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economic and diplomatic partner to many countries in Africa .
Whether these concerns will transform China 's relationships with African nations , only time will tell . ''
One relationship that has deteriorated is that between China and its top international competitor , the U.S. , which has increasingly warned African countries away from Chinese capital .
Under President Donald Trump , Washington has adopted a hard line against Beijing , accusing its leadership of exploitative economic and trade practices .
`` Unfortunately , PRC investments often consist of opaque loans made by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , for projects that do not allow any non-PRC bidders , '' a State Department spokesperson recently told Newsweek .
`` The United States offers a positive alternative .
Our transparent , private sector-driven model comes with a proven track record for delivering sustainable growth , reducing poverty , and fostering technological innovation . ''
U.S. companies have also invested hundreds of billions of dollars in Africa since 2000 , and the State Department issued a new push in October to accelerate the Africa Prosper Initiative first announced in June of last year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Since its inception , the program claims to have closed more than 280 deals , surpassing $ 22 billion in more than 30 countries and 25 business sectors .
Concerns over China 's interactions with Africa played prominently in this year 's annual United States-China Economic and Security Review Commission report to Congress published earlier this month .
`` Over the last two decades , China has reinvigorated its longstanding ties to African countries , placing the continent squarely at the center of its ambitions to become a global political and economic leader @ @ @ @ @ @ @ obtained by Newsweek , read .
In addition to leveraging its economic ambitions , the report said that the ruling Chinese Communist Party `` has used the influence it gains from its political engagement with African countries to enlist African support for its geopolitical objectives , diminishing the impact of U.S. diplomacy in African countries and in the international system . ''
The report was described by its authors as the first of its kind to describe China `` surpassing '' the U.S. in economic , diplomatic , technological and military fields rather @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It also accused China of a number of abuses in a quest to lead the international order , and recommended a range of tougher U.S. measures meant to monitor Chinese activities abroad and restrict the country 's access to U.S. markets .
In remarks sent to Newsweek at the time by Beijing 's embassy in Washington , Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying called the report `` ideologically biased against China . ''
`` There is no factual basis for the vilification and smear of China in various reports it has fabricated , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Some people in the United States can not extricate themselves from the Cold War and zero-sum game thinking .
All that meet their eyes are conspiracies , pitfalls and threats . ''
China overtook the U.S. as Africa 's top trading partner in 2009 , and the People 's Republic has managed to duplicate that success in the West , surpassing the U.S. as the European Union 's top trading partner earlier this year .
In yet another sign of China 's rising economic clout—and yet another stub to U.S. warnings—China and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , even as the incoming administration of President-elect Joe Biden sought early talks ahead of the deal 's finalization .
Hua said the latest win for China was also a win for the world .
`` The agreement will provide greater market access , better business environment , stronger institutional protection and brighter cooperation prospects for two-way investment , '' she tweeted .
`` It also represents a key contribution by China & the EU—two vast markets—to building an open world economy . ''

China's top diplomat will travel to five African countries next year for his first trip abroad, continuing a three-decade tradition in which Beijing has prioritized the continent in its public diplomacy.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin confirmed during a press conference Wednesday in Beijing that Foreign Minister Wang Yi would head to Africa. China's most senior diplomat was set to travel to Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Botswana, Tanzania and Seychelles from January 4 through 9.
"Since 1991, Africa has been the destination for the Chinese foreign minister's first overseas visit each year," Wang Wenbin said. "State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi's visit this time is a continuation of this fine tradition, which demonstrates the high importance China attaches to its relationship with Africa."
He highlighted joint work between China and Africa in battling the novel coronavirus pandemic, which has hampered much international travel and disrupted life across the globe.
"Since the outbreak of COVID-19, China and Africa have worked in solidarity to fight against the epidemic, a testament to our brotherhood," Wang Wenbin added. "This visit also shows China's sincerity and determination in deepening friendly relations with African countries in the post-COVID era."
The disease was first detected in the central Chinese city of Wuhan but has since spread worldwide, infecting around 82.5 million people and killing 1.8 million. China saw a relatively speedy recovery but others, especially in the West, continue to suffer the worst of the illness.
African countries, on the other hand, have fared comparatively well, with only one country—South Africa—registering more than a million cases, and just several others just topping 100,000.
Mutual successes are paving the way for what Wang Wenbin called further promotion of the "traditional friendship between China and Africa" as they now enter this "post-COVID era," a period that seems some time away for much of the rest of the world.
A group of performers hold Chinese flags during the inauguration ceremony of Ivory Coast's new 60,000-seat Olympic stadium, built with the help of China, in Ebimpe, outside Abidjan, on October 3 ahead of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations. China's Belt and Road Initiative brings capital across Asia and into Africa and beyond, extending across the world. ISSOUF SANOGO/AFP/Getty Images
New Year's Day will mark the beginning of the final year for target goals laid out by the 2018 Forum on China–Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) summit. All 54 countries of Africa have participated in the group with the exception of Eswatini, the tiny landlocked nation once known as Swaziland, whose leader became the first head of state to die of COVID-19 while in office earlier this month.
FOCAC held an extraordinary summit in June in order to address the COVID-19 pandemic, during which Chinese President Xi Jinping vowed that "China will continue to do whatever it can to support Africa's response to COVID-19." Beyond COVID-19 cooperation, decades-long cooperation between China and Africa is rooted in a variety of ties embodied by growing economic and political relations.
Mark Akpaninyie, co-founder of the Black China Caucus, told Newsweek that the Chinese foreign minister's decision to choose Africa for his first stop next year "is hardly a surprise for many Sinologists, as China maintains quite a large political and economic presence throughout Africa, and the trip emphasizes the importance the Chinese Communist Party places on the continent."
The Black China Caucus seeks to amplify Black expert voices on the subject of China and its role in international affairs. He said Chinese engagement with African countries has produced tangible results.
Read more Could South China Sea Conflict Heat Up Before Joe Biden Presidency? Could South China Sea Conflict Heat Up Before Joe Biden Presidency?
"Playing a central role in the implementation of China's foreign policy objectives, China has witnessed remarkable growth in its trade and investment in many African countries since the turn of the century," Akpaninyie said. "China and African leaders participate in triennial summits that regularly culminate in millions of dollars in pledges of assistance, loans, and other forms of economic engagement."
China has granted up to $178 billion in loans to 52 African nations over the past two decades, according to the School of Advanced and International Studies' China Africa Research Initiative. Many of these investments have been organized in line with the intercontinental Belt and Road Initiative, a global series of infrastructure and energy projects declared by Xi in 2013.
"China's trillion dollar infrastructure initiative has also gained a foothold on the continent as many African leaders try to secure a project along the Belt and Road Initiative," Akpaninyie told Newsweek. "While China looks to continue this tradition, its diplomatic prioritization of Africa is needed to ensure its longstanding ties with the continent remain strong."
China has also expanded its military footprint in Africa since then, opening its first overseas base in Djibouti—where other countries such as the United States and France have a presence as well—three years ago. China is the second-largest financial donor and among the top 10 international troop contributors to United Nations peacekeeping missions, deploying around 2,500 personnel to nine missions, including those in Africa.
The 14th Senior Officials' Meeting of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation is held on December 10 in Beijing, China. The forum incorporates every African country with the exception of Eswatini, which instead has diplomatic ties with Taiwan, a self-ruling island claimed by China. TPG/Getty Images
But China's presence in Africa has been controversial for some, eliciting criticism both within Africa and abroad.
"Amid growing criticism about its handling of COVID-19, ongoing anti-black discrimination and alleged mistreatment of African immigrants in China, the sustainability of its lending practices, and allegations of corruption, China has witnessed a fresh wave of anti-Chinese sentiment on the continent in 2020," Akpaninyie said.
While this issue was not new, he predicted potential impact on the thriving ties between China and Africa should the trend worsen.
"Anti-Chinese sentiment is not a new development, as it has been an enduring feature of China-Africa relations," he said. "However, the increasing backlash against China may downgrade its comfortable standing as an all-weather economic and diplomatic partner to many countries in Africa. Whether these concerns will transform China's relationships with African nations, only time will tell."
One relationship that has deteriorated is that between China and its top international competitor, the U.S., which has increasingly warned African countries away from Chinese capital.
Under President Donald Trump, Washington has adopted a hard line against Beijing, accusing its leadership of exploitative economic and trade practices.
Read more Chinese Exports Hit Record High Despite Donald Trump's Trade War Chinese Exports Hit Record High Despite Donald Trump's Trade War
"Unfortunately, PRC investments often consist of opaque loans made by PRC state-owned banks disbursed to PRC contractors, for projects that do not allow any non-PRC bidders," a State Department spokesperson recently told Newsweek. "The United States offers a positive alternative. Our transparent, private sector-driven model comes with a proven track record for delivering sustainable growth, reducing poverty, and fostering technological innovation."
U.S. companies have also invested hundreds of billions of dollars in Africa since 2000, and the State Department issued a new push in October to accelerate the Africa Prosper Initiative first announced in June of last year to increase U.S. investment into Africa.
Since its inception, the program claims to have closed more than 280 deals, surpassing $22 billion in more than 30 countries and 25 business sectors.
Concerns over China's interactions with Africa played prominently in this year's annual United States-China Economic and Security Review Commission report to Congress published earlier this month.
"Over the last two decades, China has reinvigorated its longstanding ties to African countries, placing the continent squarely at the center of its ambitions to become a global political and economic leader," the report, which was obtained by Newsweek, read.
In addition to leveraging its economic ambitions, the report said that the ruling Chinese Communist Party "has used the influence it gains from its political engagement with African countries to enlist African support for its geopolitical objectives, diminishing the impact of U.S. diplomacy in African countries and in the international system."
A graphic prepared by the United States-China Economic and Security Review Commission for its 2020 report published December 1 shows China's relationship with various African countries. United States-China Economic and Security Review Commission
The report was described by its authors as the first of its kind to describe China "surpassing" the U.S. in economic, diplomatic, technological and military fields rather than just "catching up." It also accused China of a number of abuses in a quest to lead the international order, and recommended a range of tougher U.S. measures meant to monitor Chinese activities abroad and restrict the country's access to U.S. markets.
In remarks sent to Newsweek at the time by Beijing's embassy in Washington, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying called the report "ideologically biased against China."
"There is no factual basis for the vilification and smear of China in various reports it has fabricated," Hua said earlier this month. "Some people in the United States cannot extricate themselves from the Cold War and zero-sum game thinking. All that meet their eyes are conspiracies, pitfalls and threats."
China overtook the U.S. as Africa's top trading partner in 2009, and the People's Republic has managed to duplicate that success in the West, surpassing the U.S. as the European Union's top trading partner earlier this year.
In yet another sign of China's rising economic clout—and yet another stub to U.S. warnings—China and the EU signed a landmark investment agreement, even as the incoming administration of President-elect Joe Biden sought early talks ahead of the deal's finalization.
Hua said the latest win for China was also a win for the world.
"The agreement will provide greater market access, better business environment, stronger institutional protection and brighter cooperation prospects for two-way investment," she tweeted. "It also represents a key contribution by China & the EU—two vast markets—to building an open world economy."


newsweek--2020-12-30--California Casket Builder Running Out of Wood for Coffins As COVID Deaths Increase by 600%

Wood that is used to build coffins is becoming increasingly hard to come by in Southern California as the number of COVID-19 deaths continues rising throughout the state , a casket builder told The Daily Beast this week .
On Wednesday , California Governor Gavin Newsom said health officials reported 432 COVID-19 deaths on December 29 , which state data shows is the highest number of virus-related deaths reported on a single day in the state since the start of the pandemic .
Compared with the 70 deaths reported at the end of November , the number of virus-related deaths @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 600 percent over the 70 deaths reported in a single day at the end of November , with more than 200 deaths per day reported on several days over the last month .
California 's seven-day average of daily COVID-19 deaths was 239 based on state data updated through December 29 , Newsom said .
According to projections from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation , the state 's current death count of 24,958 could surpass 70,000 virus deaths by early April .
Funeral homes and casket builders in Southern California @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a result of the state 's recent COVID-19 death surge .
One funeral home in Los Angeles County told the news outlet its 20-foot refrigerated trailer was not sufficient for holding the decedents sent to the facility .
Some hospital morgues further south in San Diego County also had to start sending decedents to the county medical examiner 's office for storage after exceeding their capacities earlier this week .
Auriel 'Guero ' Suarez , the owner of Universal Caskets Manufacturing Corporation in Los Angeles County , said supplies of cheaper wood @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is getting scarce , especially pine , which is the most inexpensive , '' Suarez told The Beast , adding that it was an issue he has not previously encountered in his five decades of experience in the industry .
Bob Achermann , the executive director of the California Funeral Directors Association , told the news outlet the spacing issues at funeral homes were creating `` almost a triage situation , where funeral homes are figuring out what space they have . ''
Achermann told Newsweek the storage issue was a bigger problem @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of materials for building caskets , while he identified as a problem he has `` not heard much about . ''
California became the first U.S. state last week to report more than 2 million total COVID-19 cases since the start of the pandemic .
On Wednesday , the state 's first case of a new COVID-19 variant that is believed to be highly contagious was identified in a patient in Southern California , making the state the second in the U.S. to confirm the existence of the variant known as B.1.1.7 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the presence of the variant on Tuesday .

Wood that is used to build coffins is becoming increasingly hard to come by in Southern California as the number of COVID-19 deaths continues rising throughout the state, a casket builder told The Daily Beast this week.
On Wednesday, California Governor Gavin Newsom said health officials reported 432 COVID-19 deaths on December 29, which state data shows is the highest number of virus-related deaths reported on a single day in the state since the start of the pandemic. Compared with the 70 deaths reported at the end of November, the number of virus-related deaths reported Wednesday represents an increase of more than 600 percent over the 70 deaths reported in a single day at the end of November, with more than 200 deaths per day reported on several days over the last month.
California's seven-day average of daily COVID-19 deaths was 239 based on state data updated through December 29, Newsom said. According to projections from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, the state's current death count of 24,958 could surpass 70,000 virus deaths by early April.
Funeral homes and casket builders in Southern California are running out of space and resources as a result of the state's recent COVID-19 death surge. One funeral home in Los Angeles County told the news outlet its 20-foot refrigerated trailer was not sufficient for holding the decedents sent to the facility. Some hospital morgues further south in San Diego County also had to start sending decedents to the county medical examiner's office for storage after exceeding their capacities earlier this week.
Casket builders and funeral homes in Southern California are reportedly running out of supplies and space as COVID-19 continues surging throughout the state. In the photo above, clinicians work in the former lobby of Providence St. Mary Medical Center, which has been converted into a care space to treat suspected COVID patients, amid a surge in COVID-19 cases in Southern California on December 23, 2020 in Apple Valley, California. Mario Tama/Getty
Auriel 'Guero' Suarez, the owner of Universal Caskets Manufacturing Corporation in Los Angeles County, said supplies of cheaper wood in particular were dwindling.
"Wood is getting scarce, especially pine, which is the most inexpensive," Suarez told The Beast, adding that it was an issue he has not previously encountered in his five decades of experience in the industry.
Bob Achermann, the executive director of the California Funeral Directors Association, told the news outlet the spacing issues at funeral homes were creating "almost a triage situation, where funeral homes are figuring out what space they have."
Achermann told Newsweek the storage issue was a bigger problem throughout California on Wednesday than the availability of materials for building caskets, while he identified as a problem he has "not heard much about."
California became the first U.S. state last week to report more than 2 million total COVID-19 cases since the start of the pandemic. On Wednesday, the state's first case of a new COVID-19 variant that is believed to be highly contagious was identified in a patient in Southern California, making the state the second in the U.S. to confirm the existence of the variant known as B.1.1.7.
Colorado was the first state to report the presence of the variant on Tuesday.


newsweek--2020-12-30--Watch: Bowl Trophy Smashes to Pieces During a Dancing Badger Celebration

The Wisconsin Badgers found themselves in an early hole against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons on Wednesday at the Duke 's Mayo Bowl , but the Badgers dug back and won , 42-28 .
Wisconsin had four interceptions in the second half that they turned into 21 points .
The Badgers , who found themselves down , 14-0 , early in the game , stormed back to tie the game , 14-14 , at halftime .
The Badgers took a 42-21 lead before Wake Forest scored a touchdown in the game 's final seconds .
Wisconsin , a perennial power @ @ @ @ @ @ @ awarded a trophy that had a Lenox crystal shaped like a football .
They went back to their locker room , and this is where the fun began—and not just for the Badgers football team .
Wisconsin quarterback Graham Mertz is shown dancing with the trophy , and then he fumbles it to the carpeted locker room .
The crystal football fell from its cradle and smashed into pieces in this viral video tweet .
`` Yeah , I dropped it , '' Mertz said afterwards .
`` That 's on me .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chryst joked about the trophy splintering into so many pieces .
`` We just wanted everybody to have a piece of that trophy , '' Chryst jokingly said .
Wisconsin finished its season 4-3 after a sluggish start and having several games canceled because of COVID-19 issues .
As for the Badgers on Wednesday at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte , North Carolina , Mertz completed 11-of-17 passes for 130 yards with one touchdown .
He also ran for a pair of 1-yard touchdowns , the second of which tied the game @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the second half when the Badgers defense snagged four interceptions , running most of them deep into Wake Forest territory for quick scoring drives .
At the end of the game , Wisconsin players grabbed a water bucket that had Duke 's Mayo in big letters , prompting the ESPN announcers to make their audience believe it was a bucket of mayonnaise that would get dumped on Cryst 's head to celebrate the win .
In reality , it turned out to be water that the players dumped on their coach .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ passing yards and two touchdowns on 20-of-37 passing , but it was his four interception throws—most directly to a Wisconsin defender—that led to Wake 's deficit .
Wake Forest ( 4-5 ) had two receivers with at least 100 yards .
Jaquarii Roberson had eight catches for 131 yards and three touchdowns , and Donavon Greene had six receptions for 122 yards .
Taylor Morin added five catches for 91 yards .

The Wisconsin Badgers found themselves in an early hole against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons on Wednesday at the Duke's Mayo Bowl, but the Badgers dug back and won, 42-28.
Wisconsin had four interceptions in the second half that they turned into 21 points. The Badgers, who found themselves down, 14-0, early in the game, stormed back to tie the game, 14-14, at halftime. The Badgers took a 42-21 lead before Wake Forest scored a touchdown in the game's final seconds.
Wisconsin, a perennial power from the Big Ten conference, was awarded a trophy that had a Lenox crystal shaped like a football. They went back to their locker room, and this is where the fun began—and not just for the Badgers football team.
Wisconsin quarterback Graham Mertz is shown dancing with the trophy, and then he fumbles it to the carpeted locker room. The crystal football fell from its cradle and smashed into pieces in this viral video tweet.
"Yeah, I dropped it,'' Mertz said afterwards. "That's on me. It happened.''
Wisconsin coach Paul Chryst joked about the trophy splintering into so many pieces.
"We just wanted everybody to have a piece of that trophy,'' Chryst jokingly said.
Linebacker and game MVP Jack Sanborn #57 of the Wisconsin Badgers celebrates with his team following their victory over the Wake Forest Demon Deacons in the Duke's Mayo Bowl at Bank of America Stadium on December 30, 2020 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images
Wisconsin finished its season 4-3 after a sluggish start and having several games canceled because of COVID-19 issues.
As for the Badgers on Wednesday at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, Mertz completed 11-of-17 passes for 130 yards with one touchdown. He also ran for a pair of 1-yard touchdowns, the second of which tied the game at 21-21.
The game broke open in the second half when the Badgers defense snagged four interceptions, running most of them deep into Wake Forest territory for quick scoring drives.
At the end of the game, Wisconsin players grabbed a water bucket that had Duke's Mayo in big letters, prompting the ESPN announcers to make their audience believe it was a bucket of mayonnaise that would get dumped on Cryst's head to celebrate the win. In reality, it turned out to be water that the players dumped on their coach.
Wake Forest quarterback Sam Hartmann had 318 passing yards and two touchdowns on 20-of-37 passing, but it was his four interception throws—most directly to a Wisconsin defender—that led to Wake's deficit.
Wake Forest (4-5) had two receivers with at least 100 yards. Jaquarii Roberson had eight catches for 131 yards and three touchdowns, and Donavon Greene had six receptions for 122 yards. Taylor Morin added five catches for 91 yards.


newsweek--2020-12-30--'Horrific... Nuts': Republican Tears Into Josh Hawley for Opposing Biden Win Certification

Republican Representative Denver Riggleman of Virginia called Missouri GOP Senator Josh Hawley 's decision to challenge the results of the Electoral College vote `` horrific '' during a Monday appearance on MSNBC .
President-elect Joe Biden won both the popular and electoral votes in the November election .
But President Donald Trump has baselessly alleged that widespread election fraud caused Biden 's win , and has encouraged Republicans in Congress to challenge the official count of the electoral votes , which would confirm Biden 's win .
Hawley is the first Senator to announce that he would challenge the vote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chose to join Hawley 's efforts could be doing it for political reasons .
`` Politically for them it might be great for their base , for their fundraising , for things like that but , nationally , it 's horrific , '' Riggleman told MSNBC .
`` I find it amazing that right now we have Republicans that are actually objecting to Federalism and wanting sort of this overthrow or this sort of 'let 's throw out the electoral voters , let 's ignore the states , we 've already litigated this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And the only thing I can say is it 's nuts . ''
Riggleman implied that Hawley decided to go along with the electoral vote challenge because he `` must have talked to some individuals who thought that his fundraising could go much higher if he were to do something like this . ''
Newsweek reached out to Hawley 's office for comment .
In a statement released on Wednesday , Hawley said he could not `` vote to certify the electoral college on January 6 without raising the fact that some states @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their own state election laws . ''
Hawley also said that corporations including Facebook and Twitter interfered in the November election to favor Biden .
`` At the very least , Congress should investigate allegations of voter fraud and adopt measures to secure the integrity of our elections , '' Hawley added .
`` But Congress has so far failed to act . ''
Democrats have strongly denounced Hawley 's decision .
In a Wednesday appearance on CNN , Maryland Democrat Senator Chris Van Hollen described Hawley 's choice as `` grossly irresponsible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` going and undermining even more public confidence in our democratic process , siding with the false Trump narrative that somehow the election was , you know , fraudulently won by Joe Biden and what he 's done now is throw this up for a vote in the House and the Senate . ''
Republicans challenging the electoral vote are unlikely to overturn the election in Trump 's favor .
If a challenge is submitted , lawmakers can take up to two hours to debate the objection while the vote count is delayed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on whether to allow the contested results to be counted .
Both the House and the Senate must agree on the final decision .
Objecting to the congressional electoral vote count could be one of Trump 's final avenues to retaining the presidency .
However , members of Trump 's legal team have pledged to continue filing lawsuits on his behalf until Inauguration Day .
In a statement issued in December , Trump 's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani and legal adviser Jenna Ellis said they would `` continue to champion election integrity until @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''

Republican Representative Denver Riggleman of Virginia called Missouri GOP Senator Josh Hawley's decision to challenge the results of the Electoral College vote "horrific" during a Monday appearance on MSNBC.
President-elect Joe Biden won both the popular and electoral votes in the November election. But President Donald Trump has baselessly alleged that widespread election fraud caused Biden's win, and has encouraged Republicans in Congress to challenge the official count of the electoral votes, which would confirm Biden's win. Hawley is the first Senator to announce that he would challenge the vote. Riggleman said Wednesday that Republicans who chose to join Hawley's efforts could be doing it for political reasons.
"Politically for them it might be great for their base, for their fundraising, for things like that but, nationally, it's horrific," Riggleman told MSNBC. "I find it amazing that right now we have Republicans that are actually objecting to Federalism and wanting sort of this overthrow or this sort of 'let's throw out the electoral voters, let's ignore the states, we've already litigated this and let's move forward.' And the only thing I can say is it's nuts."
Riggleman implied that Hawley decided to go along with the electoral vote challenge because he "must have talked to some individuals who thought that his fundraising could go much higher if he were to do something like this."
Newsweek reached out to Hawley's office for comment.
Missouri Republican Senator Josh Hawley became the first GOP senator to announce that he would challenge President-elect Joe Biden's win in the Electoral College in January. Greg Nash-Pool/Getty
In a statement released on Wednesday, Hawley said he could not "vote to certify the electoral college on January 6 without raising the fact that some states, particularly Pennsylvania, failed to follow their own state election laws." Hawley also said that corporations including Facebook and Twitter interfered in the November election to favor Biden.
"At the very least, Congress should investigate allegations of voter fraud and adopt measures to secure the integrity of our elections," Hawley added. "But Congress has so far failed to act."
Democrats have strongly denounced Hawley's decision. In a Wednesday appearance on CNN, Maryland Democrat Senator Chris Van Hollen described Hawley's choice as "grossly irresponsible."
Van Hollen said Hawley was "going and undermining even more public confidence in our democratic process, siding with the false Trump narrative that somehow the election was, you know, fraudulently won by Joe Biden and what he's done now is throw this up for a vote in the House and the Senate."
Republicans challenging the electoral vote are unlikely to overturn the election in Trump's favor. If a challenge is submitted, lawmakers can take up to two hours to debate the objection while the vote count is delayed. After reconvening, Congress would vote on whether to allow the contested results to be counted. Both the House and the Senate must agree on the final decision.
Objecting to the congressional electoral vote count could be one of Trump's final avenues to retaining the presidency. However, members of Trump's legal team have pledged to continue filing lawsuits on his behalf until Inauguration Day.
In a statement issued in December, Trump's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani and legal adviser Jenna Ellis said they would "continue to champion election integrity until legal vote is counted fairly and accurately."


newsweek--2020-12-30--Bernie Sanders Uses Trump Tweet to Bash GOP on Senate Floor: 'President Is Right!'

In a Wednesday speech on the Senate floor , Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders cited a tweet from Republican President Donald Trump calling for $ 2,000 stimulus checks to be sent to American adults struggling financially during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic .
The tweet , shared Wednesday by Trump simply stated , `` $ 2,000 ASAP . ''
Sanders had the tweet printed on a large display board to show his colleagues while making his Wednesday speech .
`` Nobody here has disagreed with Trump more times than I have , '' Sanders said , `` and yet here is what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ... .
So even on this issue , amazingly enough , the President of the United States is right ! ''
Elsewhere in his speech , Sanders said the issue of $ 2,000 checks `` goes beyond the struggles of the people of Vermont or Kentucky . ''
`` The majority leader might want to get on the phone and talk to working families in Kentucky and find out how they feel about the need for immediate help , '' Sanders said .
`` I have the strong feeling that the people of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people have remarked in New York . ''
The Internal Revenue Service ( IRS ) announced in a statement on Tuesday that the $ 600 payments have already started to be distributed through direct deposits and paper checks .
People will eventually be able to track their payments through the IRS website , though the government agency has n't said how soon this function will be operable .
On Tuesday , Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky refused to let senators vote on a proposal to increase the amount of the $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stimulus bill .
Instead , McConnell introduced a new proposal to approve $ 2000 stimulus checks with two measures : repealing Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act and establishing a commission to investigate Trump 's unsubstantiated claims of widespread voter fraud .
The additional measures tied to boosting direct payments would lend credence to the unproven belief , shared by some Republican voters , that the election was rigged against Trump .
If McConnell 's measure is passed by Senate Republicans , House Democrats could be forced to vote on the measure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against .
Republicans could then claim that Democrats killed an effort to approve $ 2,000 checks along with GOP attempts to stem foreign disinformation by repealing Section 230 and safeguarding elections by establishing a voter fraud commission .
McConnell is facing a barrage of backlash from Democrats and Democratic voters on social media for blocking the $ 2,000 checks , but some MAGA supporters praised him for turning the stimulus cudgel on Democrats .

In a Wednesday speech on the Senate floor, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders cited a tweet from Republican President Donald Trump calling for $2,000 stimulus checks to be sent to American adults struggling financially during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The tweet, shared Wednesday by Trump simply stated, "$2,000 ASAP." Sanders had the tweet printed on a large display board to show his colleagues while making his Wednesday speech.
"Nobody here has disagreed with Trump more times than I have," Sanders said, "and yet here is what the leader of the Republican party says.... So even on this issue, amazingly enough, the President of the United States is right!"
In a speech on the Senate floor on Wednesday, Democratic Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders cited a tweet from Republican President Donald Trump calling for $2,000 checks to be sent to American adults struggling economically during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. In this August 14, 2015, Sanders speaks at the Iowa Democratic Wing Ding in Clear Lake, Iowa. Win McNamee/Getty
Elsewhere in his speech, Sanders said the issue of $2,000 checks "goes beyond the struggles of the people of Vermont or Kentucky."
"The majority leader might want to get on the phone and talk to working families in Kentucky and find out how they feel about the need for immediate help," Sanders said. "I have the strong feeling that the people of Kentucky will respond no differently than the people have remarked in New York."
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced in a statement on Tuesday that the $600 payments have already started to be distributed through direct deposits and paper checks. People will eventually be able to track their payments through the IRS website, though the government agency hasn't said how soon this function will be operable.
On Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky refused to let senators vote on a proposal to increase the amount of the $600 checks in a recently passed congressional stimulus bill.
Instead, McConnell introduced a new proposal to approve $2000 stimulus checks with two measures: repealing Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act and establishing a commission to investigate Trump's unsubstantiated claims of widespread voter fraud.
The additional measures tied to boosting direct payments would lend credence to the unproven belief, shared by some Republican voters, that the election was rigged against Trump.
If McConnell's measure is passed by Senate Republicans, House Democrats could be forced to vote on the measure, and most are expected to vote against. Republicans could then claim that Democrats killed an effort to approve $2,000 checks along with GOP attempts to stem foreign disinformation by repealing Section 230 and safeguarding elections by establishing a voter fraud commission.
McConnell is facing a barrage of backlash from Democrats and Democratic voters on social media for blocking the $2,000 checks, but some MAGA supporters praised him for turning the stimulus cudgel on Democrats.
Newsweek contacted Sanders' office for comment.


newsweek--2020-12-30--Newsweek's Top 20 Sports Moments of 2020: Nos. 6-10

The countdown of Newsweek 's most memorable sports moments of 2020 continues today with the No .
6 spot up to No .
10 .
COVID-19 played its way into two of these , and the social justice movement worked its way into another .
There was a gender barrier broken and a Super Bowl win that was 50 years in the making .
Here are the next five moments of 2020 : No .
10 Chiefs win the Super Bowl The Kansas City Chiefs won their second-ever Super Bowl last February when they beat the San Francisco 49ers , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Reid and quarterback Patrick Mahomes led the Chiefs in the first Super Bowl win in 50 years .
Their previous Super Bowl win was over the Minnesota Vikings at Super Bowl IV in 1970 .
Mahomes was the Super Bowl LIV MVP , and it was Reid 's first Super Bowl title as a head coach .
The Chiefs trailed the 49ers , 20-10 , heading into the fourth quarter .
No .
9 Vanderbilt 's Sarah Fuller breaks gender barrier in major college football Sarah Fuller , a goalkeeper for the Vanderbilt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first female to play in a Power 5 football game when she kicked off to start the second half in a road game against Missouri .
Two weekes later , she became the first female to score in such a game when she cleanly drilled two extra points in a home loss to Tennessee .
Fuller broke that major gender barrier just weeks after she led the Commodores to an SEC soccer championship .
No .
8 NASCAR bans Confederate flag , noose found in Bubba Wallace 's garage In a summer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ began to feel the urgency to make changes .
NASCAR was one of the first sports to implement changes , and the first move was to ban the Confederate flag at all of its events and properties .
This came at the urging of Bubba Wallace , the only Black driver on NASCAR 's top circuit—the Cup Series .
NASCAR also eased its requirement of all drivers and teams to stand during the national anthem .
Later in the summer at the Talladega Speedway , a rope in Wallace 's garage appeared to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The FBI was brought in to investigate , and they found no harm or ill will was intended toward Wallace or his team .
No .
7 NBA abruptly postpones season , other leagues follow On March 10 , Utah Jazz player Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19 .
The next day , the NBA immediately postponed its 2019-20 season until further notice .
Then , on March 12 , dominoes fell in the sports world .
First , the NHL postponed , Major League Baseball postponed and the NCAA canceled all of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shutdown of sports officially began with the NBA , though .
No .
6 2020 Tokyo Olympics postponed a year The Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics postponed the Games by exactly one year after the COVID-19 pandemic looked like a legitimate threat .
Why then ?
The organizers in Tokyo , during the early stages of the pandemic , felt the virus would go away , and that the Games could go as scheduled .
As the summer neared , it appeared the virus would not go away so soon .
Several countries began @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Olympics , prompting the International Olympic Committee to postpone the Summer Games until 2021 .
This is the first time the modern Olympics have been postponed , and the first Games to not be held ( with the exception of years during World Wars I and II ) .
No .
11 Tom Brady leaves New England , signs with Tampa Bay No .
12 Michael Jordan documentary `` The Last Dance '' No .
13 Patrick Mahomes $ 500 million contract No .
14 Dodgers win 7th title , first since 1988 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with fans in stands No .
16 LeBron James makes 10th NBA Finals , wins fourth career title No .
17 Dustin Johnson wins the November Masters Tournament No .
18 NFL injuries No .
19 NFL 's Raiders move from Oakland to Las Vegas No .
20 U.S. Women 's Soccer demands equal pay , but judge dismisses the case • 2017 Astros coaches not around in 2020 for their cheating roles • Los Angeles wins two pro titles in same year ( Lakers/Dodgers ) • Dodgers ' Justin Turner pulled from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ celebration with no mask • Notre Dame football joins the ACC for one season • XFL halts operation and The Rock buys the league .

The countdown of Newsweek's most memorable sports moments of 2020 continues today with the No. 6 spot up to No. 10. COVID-19 played its way into two of these, and the social justice movement worked its way into another. There was a gender barrier broken and a Super Bowl win that was 50 years in the making.
Here are the next five moments of 2020:
No. 10
Chiefs win the Super Bowl
The Kansas City Chiefs won their second-ever Super Bowl last February when they beat the San Francisco 49ers, 31-20, in Miami. Coach Andy Reid and quarterback Patrick Mahomes led the Chiefs in the first Super Bowl win in 50 years. Their previous Super Bowl win was over the Minnesota Vikings at Super Bowl IV in 1970.
Mahomes was the Super Bowl LIV MVP, and it was Reid's first Super Bowl title as a head coach. The Chiefs trailed the 49ers, 20-10, heading into the fourth quarter.
No. 9
Vanderbilt's Sarah Fuller breaks gender barrier in major college football
Sarah Fuller, a goalkeeper for the Vanderbilt University women's soccer team, became the first female to play in a Power 5 football game when she kicked off to start the second half in a road game against Missouri.
Two weekes later, she became the first female to score in such a game when she cleanly drilled two extra points in a home loss to Tennessee. Fuller broke that major gender barrier just weeks after she led the Commodores to an SEC soccer championship.
Confederate flag merchandise is seen at a hut across the street from the Talladega Superspeedway prior to the NASCAR Cup Series GEICO 500 on June 22, 2020 in Talladega, Alabama. A noose was found in the garage stall of NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace at Talladega Superspeedway a week after the organization banned the Confederate flag at its facilities. Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images
No. 8
NASCAR bans Confederate flag, noose found in Bubba Wallace's garage
In a summer filled with social justice marches, sports began to feel the urgency to make changes. NASCAR was one of the first sports to implement changes, and the first move was to ban the Confederate flag at all of its events and properties. This came at the urging of Bubba Wallace, the only Black driver on NASCAR's top circuit—the Cup Series.
NASCAR also eased its requirement of all drivers and teams to stand during the national anthem.
Later in the summer at the Talladega Speedway, a rope in Wallace's garage appeared to look like a hangman's noose. The FBI was brought in to investigate, and they found no harm or ill will was intended toward Wallace or his team.
No. 7
NBA abruptly postpones season, other leagues follow
On March 10, Utah Jazz player Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19. The next day, the NBA immediately postponed its 2019-20 season until further notice. Then, on March 12, dominoes fell in the sports world. First, the NHL postponed, Major League Baseball postponed and the NCAA canceled all of its winter and sprig championships.
The shutdown of sports officially began with the NBA, though.
A man walks along a corridor past an official Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics advertisement board in the Shinjuku district of Tokyo on November 30, 2020. The Games were postponed a year because of COVID-19. Photo by PHILIP FONG/AFP via Getty Images
No. 6
2020 Tokyo Olympics postponed a year
The Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics postponed the Games by exactly one year after the COVID-19 pandemic looked like a legitimate threat. Why then? The organizers in Tokyo, during the early stages of the pandemic, felt the virus would go away, and that the Games could go as scheduled.
As the summer neared, it appeared the virus would not go away so soon. Several countries began indicating they would not attend the Tokyo Olympics, prompting the International Olympic Committee to postpone the Summer Games until 2021. This is the first time the modern Olympics have been postponed, and the first Games to not be held (with the exception of years during World Wars I and II).
Here's a recap of 11-20:
No. 11 Tom Brady leaves New England, signs with Tampa Bay
No. 12 Michael Jordan documentary "The Last Dance"
No. 13 Patrick Mahomes $500 million contract
No. 14 Dodgers win 7th title, first since 1988
No. 15 Football returns, many with fans in stands
No. 16 LeBron James makes 10th NBA Finals, wins fourth career title
No. 17 Dustin Johnson wins the November Masters Tournament
No. 18 NFL injuries
No. 19 NFL's Raiders move from Oakland to Las Vegas
No. 20 U.S. Women's Soccer demands equal pay, but judge dismisses the case
Honorable mentions:


newsweek--2020-12-30--Fact Check: Does Mike Pence Have Power to Decide Which Electors' Votes Count?

Representative Louie Gohmert ( R-Texas ) and a number of electors from Arizona sued Vice President Mike Pence in an effort to undermine the official counting of the 306 electoral votes that President-elect Joe Biden won in the 2020 election .
President Donald Trump and those loyal to him have tried to find multiple routes in the legal system to undermine the election results including filing lawsuits in various states such as Arizona , Pennsylvania , Michigan and Georgia .
All of those attempts have failed , leaving Gohmert 's lawsuit as Trump 's last chance .
Gohmert 's lawsuit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ results of the 2020 presidential election in which former Biden was deemed the victor .
According to Politico , the lawsuit claims that the Electoral Count Act , which laid out how the electoral vote counting process has worked since 1887 , is unconstitutional and that the 12th Amendment gives Pence `` exclusive authority and sole discretion to open and permit the counting of the electoral votes for a given state , and where there are competing slates of electors , or where there is objection to any single slate of electors , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or whether none , shall be counted . ''
If this language is accurate , Pence would be able to decide which electoral votes count and which do not , including the key swing states that led to Biden 's victory .
The lawsuit has received support from other Republican lawmakers .
Senator Josh Hawley ( R-Mo . )
declared on December 30 that he will not vote to certify the Electoral College votes when Congress is slated to formally count them on January 6 .
Representative Mo Brooks ( R-Ala. ) is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than 30 congressmen will object to the counting of the electoral votes .
Representative Adam Kinzinger ( R-Ill. ) , on the other hand , has criticized Brooks and Hawley for their attempts to overturn the election results .
According to The New York Times , electors for the Electoral College are usually legislators , party leaders or donors that are chosen every four years in each state ( and Washington , D.C. ) by the state 's political parties .
The electors meet in their individual states on the first Monday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote for president and vice president .
Whichever presidential candidate receives 270 of the 538 electoral votes first wins .
The amount of electoral votes each state has depends on that state 's population but every state gets at least three electoral votes so that smaller states are represented .
Biden received 306 electoral votes to Trump 's 232 .
On January 6 , Congress will meet in a joint session to formerly count the votes that the states submitted for the Electoral College .
According to NPR , Pence will perform his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and open the certificates , which will be read by appointed tellers from the House and Senate .
The 12th Amendment states that , `` The President of the Senate shall , in the presence of the Senate and House of Representatives , open all the certificates and the votes shall then be counted ; the person having the greatest number of votes for President , shall be the President , if such number be a majority of the whole number of electors appointed ; and if no person have such majority , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ numbers not exceeding three on the list of those voted for as President , the House of Representatives shall choose immediately , by ballot , the President . ''
In other words , the Constitution declares that all the vice president does is open the certificates so that the electoral votes can be formally counted .
Laurence Tribe , a constitutional law professor at Harvard Law School , spoke with Newsweek by phone about the role of the vice president in the electoral vote certification process .
`` The vice president has no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Tribe said .
`` From the beginning of the republic , the Constitution 's history has made clear that the vice president 's role in this special quadrennial joint session is purely ceremonial .
He does n't have to even truly count the votes .
He simply announces the vote count and in announcing it , he has no discretion whatsoever . ''
`` This lawsuit , by Gohmert and others , is ludicrous .
It 's a completely frivolous suit .
It asks for relief that no court could possibly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so it is a lawsuit that is dead on arrival . ''
Tribe went on to address the issue of the 12th Amendment mentioned in the lawsuit .
`` The 12th Amendment made some changes to Article 2 , but none of them changes the role of the vice president , '' he said .
`` He presides and opens the certificates , but he is not given any role . ''
George Washington University J.B. and Maurice C. Shapiro Professor of Public Interest Law Jonathan Turley addressed the issue of the constitutionality @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as the merit of the lawsuit against Pence .
`` The Act is poorly written and contains glaring undefined terms .
However , courts generally defer to Congress in the creation of rules governing its deliberations and decisions , '' Turley said in an email .
`` The role of the Vice President is hardly 'ceremonial ' as has been claimed but it is also not as substantial as this lawsuit claims .
The 12th Amendment simply states in pertinent part : 'The President of the Senate shall , in the presence of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ open all the certificates and the votes shall then be counted ... ' '' '' The lawsuit seems designed for more of a cathartic than constitutional purpose .
Even if elements of the Act were found unconstitutional [ which is unlikely ] , the court would be expected to sever the offending provisions rather than strike down the entire law .
Little would change in terms of the outcome even under that unlikely scenario .
The Republicans will challenge the electoral votes [ just as Democrats have done in prior elections ] .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the electoral vote count occurs , as multiple Republicans have promised will happen , a member from both the House and Senate must submit that objection in writing for it to be considered .
Then , members of the House and Senate go back to their separate chambers for no more than two hours and those members are allotted five minutes to argue for or against the objection .
After that , each chamber will vote .
Upholding the objection requires a majority vote with both the House and Senate agreeing on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reported that Pence declined to go along with the plan to interfere with the formal counting of electoral votes that was presented by Gohmert and the Arizona would-be electors that sued him .
Pence 's response to the lawsuit was revealed in a motion to expedite proceedings , but he has not made any public statements regarding the lawsuit or the notion that he could choose which electoral votes to count on January 6 .
The Constitution does not give the vice president the power to pick and choose which electoral votes get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ preside over the proceedings on January 6 and open the certificates to be officially counted .
If there are any objections , there is a procedure that will be followed .

Representative Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) and a number of electors from Arizona sued Vice President Mike Pence in an effort to undermine the official counting of the 306 electoral votes that President-elect Joe Biden won in the 2020 election.
President Donald Trump and those loyal to him have tried to find multiple routes in the legal system to undermine the election results including filing lawsuits in various states such as Arizona, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Georgia. All of those attempts have failed, leaving Gohmert's lawsuit as Trump's last chance.
We continue to hold out hope that there is a federal judge who understands that the fraud that stole this election will mean the end of our republic. This lawsuit would ensure that the VP can only accept electors legitimately and legally elected. https://t.co/1wenhJrRFY — Louie Gohmert (@replouiegohmert) December 29, 2020
The Claim
Gohmert's lawsuit is the latest attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in which former Biden was deemed the victor.
According to Politico, the lawsuit claims that the Electoral Count Act, which laid out how the electoral vote counting process has worked since 1887, is unconstitutional and that the 12th Amendment gives Pence "exclusive authority and sole discretion to open and permit the counting of the electoral votes for a given state, and where there are competing slates of electors, or where there is objection to any single slate of electors, to determine which electors' votes, or whether none, shall be counted."
If this language is accurate, Pence would be able to decide which electoral votes count and which do not, including the key swing states that led to Biden's victory.
The lawsuit has received support from other Republican lawmakers. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) declared on December 30 that he will not vote to certify the Electoral College votes when Congress is slated to formally count them on January 6.
Millions of voters concerned about election integrity deserve to be heard. I will object on January 6 on their behalf pic.twitter.com/kTaaPPJGHE — Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) December 30, 2020
Representative Mo Brooks (R-Ala.) is supporting Hawley's declaration, claiming that more than 30 congressmen will object to the counting of the electoral votes.
SENATOR JOSH HAWLEY (R-MO) JOINS 30+ CONGRESSMEN IN OBJECTING to electoral college vote submissions from states with such flawed election systems as to render their election results untrustworthy.
BAM! The fight for America’s Republic IS ON!
WATCH JANUARY 6, STARTING 1PM ET. pic.twitter.com/vjcUW9ec6U — Mo Brooks (@RepMoBrooks) December 30, 2020
Representative Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.), on the other hand, has criticized Brooks and Hawley for their attempts to overturn the election results.
Brother you’re a friend, but the only thing I’m surrendering to is the Constitution and the will of the people. I’m a fighter, and the Republic needs fighters to defend against descent into chaos. #RestoreOurGOP https://t.co/NWLFOMzSgp — Adam Kinzinger (@RepKinzinger) December 28, 2020
Internal monologue: “I want to be President so I decided to try to get POTUS tweet saying I’m great even though I know this isn’t going anywhere, but hey... I’ll blame someone else when it fails.” https://t.co/2YuSFZ1RSk — Adam Kinzinger (@RepKinzinger) December 30, 2020
The Facts
According to The New York Times, electors for the Electoral College are usually legislators, party leaders or donors that are chosen every four years in each state (and Washington, D.C.) by the state's political parties. The electors meet in their individual states on the first Monday after the second Wednesday of December to vote for president and vice president.
Whichever presidential candidate receives 270 of the 538 electoral votes first wins. The amount of electoral votes each state has depends on that state's population but every state gets at least three electoral votes so that smaller states are represented. Biden received 306 electoral votes to Trump's 232.
On January 6, Congress will meet in a joint session to formerly count the votes that the states submitted for the Electoral College. According to NPR, Pence will perform his duty as the president of the Senate and open the certificates, which will be read by appointed tellers from the House and Senate.
The 12th Amendment states that, "The President of the Senate shall, in the presence of the Senate and House of Representatives, open all the certificates and the votes shall then be counted; the person having the greatest number of votes for President, shall be the President, if such number be a majority of the whole number of electors appointed; and if no person have such majority, then from the persons having the highest numbers not exceeding three on the list of those voted for as President, the House of Representatives shall choose immediately, by ballot, the President."
In other words, the Constitution declares that all the vice president does is open the certificates so that the electoral votes can be formally counted.
Wow. This may be the dumbest law suit of all: @replouiegohmert suing @VP Pence to make him declare @realDonaldTrump the 46th POTUS on January 6. Jaw-droppingly stupid. https://t.co/rN8GUKBgGh — Laurence Tribe (@tribelaw) December 28, 2020
Laurence Tribe, a constitutional law professor at Harvard Law School, spoke with Newsweek by phone about the role of the vice president in the electoral vote certification process.
"The vice president has no power whatsoever in deciding which votes count," Tribe said. "From the beginning of the republic, the Constitution's history has made clear that the vice president's role in this special quadrennial joint session is purely ceremonial. He doesn't have to even truly count the votes. He simply announces the vote count and in announcing it, he has no discretion whatsoever."
"This lawsuit, by Gohmert and others, is ludicrous. It's a completely frivolous suit. It asks for relief that no court could possibly grant without completely crashing the Constitution, so it is a lawsuit that is dead on arrival."
Tribe went on to address the issue of the 12th Amendment mentioned in the lawsuit.
"The 12th Amendment made some changes to Article 2, but none of them changes the role of the vice president," he said. "He presides and opens the certificates, but he is not given any role."
George Washington University J.B. and Maurice C. Shapiro Professor of Public Interest Law Jonathan Turley addressed the issue of the constitutionality of the Electoral Count Act as well as the merit of the lawsuit against Pence.
"The Act is poorly written and contains glaring undefined terms. However, courts generally defer to Congress in the creation of rules governing its deliberations and decisions," Turley said in an email. "The role of the Vice President is hardly 'ceremonial' as has been claimed but it is also not as substantial as this lawsuit claims. The 12th Amendment simply states in pertinent part: 'The President of the Senate shall, in the presence of the Senate and House of Representatives, open all the certificates and the votes shall then be counted...'"
"The lawsuit seems designed for more of a cathartic than constitutional purpose. Even if elements of the Act were found unconstitutional [which is unlikely], the court would be expected to sever the offending provisions rather than strike down the entire law. Little would change in terms of the outcome even under that unlikely scenario. The Republicans will challenge the electoral votes [just as Democrats have done in prior elections].
NPR reported that if an objection to the electoral vote count occurs, as multiple Republicans have promised will happen, a member from both the House and Senate must submit that objection in writing for it to be considered. Then, members of the House and Senate go back to their separate chambers for no more than two hours and those members are allotted five minutes to argue for or against the objection. After that, each chamber will vote. Upholding the objection requires a majority vote with both the House and Senate agreeing on the objection.
On December 30, Politico reported that Pence declined to go along with the plan to interfere with the formal counting of electoral votes that was presented by Gohmert and the Arizona would-be electors that sued him. Pence's response to the lawsuit was revealed in a motion to expedite proceedings, but he has not made any public statements regarding the lawsuit or the notion that he could choose which electoral votes to count on January 6.
The Ruling
False.
The Constitution does not give the vice president the power to pick and choose which electoral votes get counted. Pence is authorized only to preside over the proceedings on January 6 and open the certificates to be officially counted. If there are any objections, there is a procedure that will be followed.


newsweek--2020-12-30--Doug Jones Missing Final Senate Votes After Wife Contracts COVID-19, Urges NDAA Veto Override

U.S .
Senator Doug Jones , the Alabama Democrat who stunningly won a seat in the conservative state three years ago , will miss the final votes of his short term because his wife has tested positive for COVID-19 .
In a video posted to Twitter , Jones , who lost his re-election bid this fall to former football coach Tommy Tuberville , announced that he 's quarantining and taking care of his wife , Louise .
`` She 's not feeling too good but is ok , as am I with a negative test , '' Jones tweeted with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be sworn in to replace Jones with the new term that starts Sunday .
`` It 's been an amazing time for me , my family .
Ya 'll take care .
We 'll see ya in the next chapter , '' Jones says in the video .
Jones , 66 , is thought to be on President-elect Joe Biden 's shortlist for attorney general—one of the few prominent Cabinet picks Biden has yet to name .
Jones , a former Clinton-appointed U.S. attorney , is known for having successfully prosecuted members of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bombing that killed four young girls in 1963 .
Incoming White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters Wednesday that Biden wo n't name an attorney general until after the first of the year .
Biden has previously said he was still mulling his options .
`` He is very thoughtful about how he makes decisions about who he will name to the cabinet , '' Psaki said .
`` He wants to make decisions about the remaining members of his cabinet in a thoughtful way , as he has with the ones @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee for the past year , worked on the National Defense Authorization Act that President Donald Trump vetoed last week .
The Senate 's override attempt is one of the votes he will miss by leaving office early .
`` Please , please vote to override that veto , '' Jones pleads in his video message to his colleagues .
`` It is so important for the security of this country , for our armed services , for the men and women in uniform , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 've worked so hard for .
`` I 'm disappointed that I was not there to help override this , but so glad i was there to help work on it and get it across the finish line , '' he adds .
The House successfully voted to override Trump 's veto earlier this week .
The Senate is expected to as well , but the upper chamber has n't yet acted as lawmakers bicker over an unrelated COVID-19 stimulus bill .
`` The Senate will stay on this important bill until we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Senate Majority Leaders Mitch McConnell , of Kentucky , told the chamber on Wednesday .

U.S. Senator Doug Jones, the Alabama Democrat who stunningly won a seat in the conservative state three years ago, will miss the final votes of his short term because his wife has tested positive for COVID-19.
In a video posted to Twitter, Jones, who lost his re-election bid this fall to former football coach Tommy Tuberville, announced that he's quarantining and taking care of his wife, Louise.
"She's not feeling too good but is ok, as am I with a negative test," Jones tweeted with the video message.
Republican Tuberville will be sworn in to replace Jones with the new term that starts Sunday.
"It's been an amazing time for me, my family. Ya'll take care. We'll see ya in the next chapter," Jones says in the video.
Jones, 66, is thought to be on President-elect Joe Biden's shortlist for attorney general—one of the few prominent Cabinet picks Biden has yet to name.
Jones, a former Clinton-appointed U.S. attorney, is known for having successfully prosecuted members of the Ku Klux Klan for a church bombing that killed four young girls in 1963.
Incoming White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters Wednesday that Biden won't name an attorney general until after the first of the year. Biden has previously said he was still mulling his options.
"He is very thoughtful about how he makes decisions about who he will name to the cabinet," Psaki said. "He wants to make decisions about the remaining members of his cabinet in a thoughtful way, as he has with the ones prior."
Jones, who has been a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee for the past year, worked on the National Defense Authorization Act that President Donald Trump vetoed last week. The Senate's override attempt is one of the votes he will miss by leaving office early.
"Please, please vote to override that veto," Jones pleads in his video message to his colleagues. "It is so important for the security of this country, for our armed services, for the men and women in uniform, for the people of Alabama that we've worked so hard for.
"I'm disappointed that I was not there to help override this, but so glad i was there to help work on it and get it across the finish line," he adds.
The House successfully voted to override Trump's veto earlier this week. The Senate is expected to as well, but the upper chamber hasn't yet acted as lawmakers bicker over an unrelated COVID-19 stimulus bill.
"The Senate will stay on this important bill until we complete it one way or another," Senate Majority Leaders Mitch McConnell, of Kentucky, told the chamber on Wednesday.


newsweek--2020-12-30--McConnell Accuses Dems of Bullying After Kentucky Gov Endorses $2,000 Stimulus Checks

One day after Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear endorsed increasing stimulus checks to $ 2,000 , Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ( R-Ky. ) vowed to continue blocking a vote on the matter while insisting that there is `` no realistic path '' to passing it and complaining that he is being `` bullied '' over the issue by Democrats .
McConnell defended his position , and the lower $ 600 stimulus checks , while speaking from the Senate floor on Wednesday , while Senator Bernie Sanders ( I-Vt. ) promised to block a vote on overriding President Donald Trump 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Act ( NDAA ) until a standalone vote on the direct payments is held .
Beshear , a Democrat , joined the movement to increase payments on Tuesday , saying that McConnell not allowing the measure to pass would deprive `` our Kentucky families receiving an extra $ 5 billion . ''
`` The Senate is not going to be bullied into rushing out more borrowed money into the hands of Democrats rich friends who do n't need the help , '' McConnell said Wednesday .
`` We just approved almost a trillion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It struck a balance between broad support for all kinds of households and a lot more targeted relief for those who need [ more ] help than most . ''
`` We 're going to stay smart , we 're going to stay focused and we 're going to keep delivering on the needs for our nation , '' he added .
McConnell claimed that the bill was aimed at getting money to `` rich friends '' of Democrats , but the proposed $ 2,000 checks would only go to individuals making @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blocked an attempt by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer ( D-N.Y. ) to pass the increase by unanimous consent on Tuesday .
McConnell has insisted that the measure would not pass the upper chamber , although it appears that it could have passed if a vote were allowed since at least five GOP senators said they would support the increase when it was a standalone proposal .
Sen. Josh Hawley ( R-Mo . )
went as far as joining Sanders by vowing to block a vote on the NDAA veto until McConnell allows @ @ @ @ @ @ @ [ Sanders ] says he will slow down this vital bill unless he gets to muscle through another standalone proposal from Speaker Pelosi that would add roughly half a trillion dollars to the national debt , '' McConnell said .
`` Which does not align with what President Trump has suggested , and which has no realistic path to quickly pass the Senate . ''
At a Tuesday news briefing , Beshear suggested that McConnell was doing his state a disservice by nixing the move for larger checks .
The governor said that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ twice as much money if the proposal were approved , adding billions that could help stimulate the economy while also providing relief for those in economic distress .
`` If that effort is blocked , it 's going to deprive our Kentucky families of $ 5 billion that could help them through this pandemic and could certainly help our economy , could help every small business in every location across Kentucky , '' Beshear said .
After blocking the standalone vote , McConnell offered a new bill that ties the checks to two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act and establishing a commission to investigate unsubstantiated claims of massive voter fraud , something that Beshear dismissed as `` some political move . ''
The combined bill has little chance of passing the Democratic-controlled House , where the standalone bill passed by a vote of 275-134 , with the support of 44 Republicans .
Trump vetoed the NDAA because lawmakers did not agree to his demand to include a repeal of Section 230 in the legislation .
Although Trump has called for stimulus payments to increase @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social media after the standalone vote was blocked , on Wednesday McConnell said that he would not hold a vote on the matter because he wants to make sure that the president is `` comfortable '' with the legislation .
However , the majority leader is also in favor of overriding Trump 's veto .
`` To ensure the president was comfortable signing the bill into law , the Senate committed to beginning one process that would combine three of the president 's priorities , '' said McConnell .
`` The Senate is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issues that President Trump linked together just because Democrats are afraid to address two of them . ''
Newsweek reached out to McConnell 's office for comment .

One day after Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear endorsed increasing stimulus checks to $2,000, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) vowed to continue blocking a vote on the matter while insisting that there is "no realistic path" to passing it and complaining that he is being "bullied" over the issue by Democrats.
McConnell defended his position, and the lower $600 stimulus checks, while speaking from the Senate floor on Wednesday, while Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) promised to block a vote on overriding President Donald Trump's veto of the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) until a standalone vote on the direct payments is held. Beshear, a Democrat, joined the movement to increase payments on Tuesday, saying that McConnell not allowing the measure to pass would deprive "our Kentucky families receiving an extra $5 billion."
"The Senate is not going to be bullied into rushing out more borrowed money into the hands of Democrats rich friends who don't need the help," McConnell said Wednesday. "We just approved almost a trillion dollars in aid a few days ago. It struck a balance between broad support for all kinds of households and a lot more targeted relief for those who need [more] help than most."
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) attends a news conference in Washington, D.C. on December 15, 2020. Caroline Brehman-Pool/Getty
"We're going to stay smart, we're going to stay focused and we're going to keep delivering on the needs for our nation," he added.
McConnell claimed that the bill was aimed at getting money to "rich friends" of Democrats, but the proposed $2,000 checks would only go to individuals making under $75,000 per year. He blocked an attempt by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) to pass the increase by unanimous consent on Tuesday.
McConnell has insisted that the measure would not pass the upper chamber, although it appears that it could have passed if a vote were allowed since at least five GOP senators said they would support the increase when it was a standalone proposal.
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) went as far as joining Sanders by vowing to block a vote on the NDAA veto until McConnell allows a vote on relief checks.
"[Sanders] says he will slow down this vital bill unless he gets to muscle through another standalone proposal from Speaker Pelosi that would add roughly half a trillion dollars to the national debt," McConnell said. "Which does not align with what President Trump has suggested, and which has no realistic path to quickly pass the Senate."
At a Tuesday news briefing, Beshear suggested that McConnell was doing his state a disservice by nixing the move for larger checks. The governor said that the Kentucky economy would receive more than twice as much money if the proposal were approved, adding billions that could help stimulate the economy while also providing relief for those in economic distress.
"If that effort is blocked, it's going to deprive our Kentucky families of $5 billion that could help them through this pandemic and could certainly help our economy, could help every small business in every location across Kentucky," Beshear said.
After blocking the standalone vote, McConnell offered a new bill that ties the checks to two unrelated issues pushed by Trump: repealing Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act and establishing a commission to investigate unsubstantiated claims of massive voter fraud, something that Beshear dismissed as "some political move."
The combined bill has little chance of passing the Democratic-controlled House, where the standalone bill passed by a vote of 275-134, with the support of 44 Republicans.
Trump vetoed the NDAA because lawmakers did not agree to his demand to include a repeal of Section 230 in the legislation. Although Trump has called for stimulus payments to increase to $2,000 and blasted Republicans on social media after the standalone vote was blocked, on Wednesday McConnell said that he would not hold a vote on the matter because he wants to make sure that the president is "comfortable" with the legislation. However, the majority leader is also in favor of overriding Trump's veto.
"To ensure the president was comfortable signing the bill into law, the Senate committed to beginning one process that would combine three of the president's priorities," said McConnell. "The Senate is not going to split apart the three issues that President Trump linked together just because Democrats are afraid to address two of them."
Newsweek reached out to McConnell's office for comment.


newsweek--2020-12-30--Young Cyclists Wanted for Striking NYC Vehicle With Bikes, Breaking Windshield and Fleeing

A group of young people intentionally damaged a New York City driver 's vehicle while cycling through midtown Manhattan on Tuesday .
All of the individuals had left the scene when the driver subsequently filed a police report .
Law enforcement had not identified them , or determined their current whereabouts , about 24 hours later .
Multiple videos recorded during the incident continued to draw attention on Twitter Wednesday afternoon , with one garnering 1 million views .
Cellphone camera footage shows a cluster of individuals , whom witnesses described as teenagers , surrounding an SUV near Madison Square @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to strike its exterior with BMX bicycles or tread on top of the car itself , others gathered in the vicinity are heard cheering .
Near the most-viewed video 's end , one person seemingly associated with the group of cyclists kicks the vehicle 's windshield after jumping onto its hood .
The windshield was partially shattered .
Some social media users said they observed events that occurred before the incident was caught on video .
One , whose Twitter account was no longer publicly accessible on Wednesday afternoon , claimed some of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vehicle as it drove toward the intersection of Fifth Avenue and 21st Street .
The same social media user reportedly noted that one cyclist suffered a `` bloody lip '' and that this injury prompted the retaliation seen in the recorded footage .
Another social media user , also claiming to have witnessed the incident , refuted that recollection , saying `` the driver made a threatening move towards the kids because they were taking up the lines , slowing them down . ''
The New York City Police Department released a brief @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that individuals responsible for damaging the vehicle were `` wanted for criminal mischief . ''
An NYPD spokesperson told Newsweek on Wednesday afternoon the department 's investigation is ongoing and the details acquired so far were preliminary .
The spokesperson confirmed that a 36-year-old man was operating the vehicle that was damaged , identified as a 2019 BMW , and said he reported the incident to the NYPD .
The man estimated that damages to his car amounted to $ 250 , according to the spokesperson .
When officers arrived at the Manhattan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the cross streets `` to allow a large group of bicyclists to pass . ''
`` The victim further states that the bicyclists jumped onto the hood and windshield of his vehicle , causing approximately $ 250 worth of damages to his car , '' an official narrative , produced by the NYPD following Tuesday 's police report , read .
`` The individuals fled the location on bicycles to parts unknown .
The victim refused medical attention on scene . ''
The police spokesperson was unable to confirm that an older woman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a few Twitter users claimed .
In a number of tweets shared Tuesday , an individual who identified himself as the driver said his mother was a passenger in the car during the incident .
The NYPD asks anyone with additional information about the cyclists to report it to the department by calling 1-800-577-TIPS .

A group of young people intentionally damaged a New York City driver's vehicle while cycling through midtown Manhattan on Tuesday.
All of the individuals had left the scene when the driver subsequently filed a police report. Law enforcement had not identified them, or determined their current whereabouts, about 24 hours later.
Multiple videos recorded during the incident continued to draw attention on Twitter Wednesday afternoon, with one garnering 1 million views.
Cellphone camera footage shows a cluster of individuals, whom witnesses described as teenagers, surrounding an SUV near Madison Square Park. While several approach the vehicle to strike its exterior with BMX bicycles or tread on top of the car itself, others gathered in the vicinity are heard cheering. Near the most-viewed video's end, one person seemingly associated with the group of cyclists kicks the vehicle's windshield after jumping onto its hood. The windshield was partially shattered.
Some social media users said they observed events that occurred before the incident was caught on video. One, whose Twitter account was no longer publicly accessible on Wednesday afternoon, claimed some of the young cyclists latched on to the vehicle as it drove toward the intersection of Fifth Avenue and 21st Street. The same social media user reportedly noted that one cyclist suffered a "bloody lip" and that this injury prompted the retaliation seen in the recorded footage.
Another social media user, also claiming to have witnessed the incident, refuted that recollection, saying "the driver made a threatening move towards the kids because they were taking up the lines, slowing them down."
The New York City Police Department released a brief advisory notice regarding the incident, noting that individuals responsible for damaging the vehicle were "wanted for criminal mischief." An NYPD spokesperson told Newsweek on Wednesday afternoon the department's investigation is ongoing and the details acquired so far were preliminary.
The spokesperson confirmed that a 36-year-old man was operating the vehicle that was damaged, identified as a 2019 BMW, and said he reported the incident to the NYPD. The man estimated that damages to his car amounted to $250, according to the spokesperson. When officers arrived at the Manhattan intersection, the driver recalled stopping near the cross streets "to allow a large group of bicyclists to pass."
A New York Police Department car near the Saks Fifth Avenue department store in midtown Manhattan on December 4. The department is investigating a Tuesday incident in which a group of young cyclists intentionally damaged a vehicle at a Manhattan intersection. John Lamparski/Getty
"The victim further states that the bicyclists jumped onto the hood and windshield of his vehicle, causing approximately $250 worth of damages to his car," an official narrative, produced by the NYPD following Tuesday's police report, read. "The individuals fled the location on bicycles to parts unknown. The victim refused medical attention on scene."
The police spokesperson was unable to confirm that an older woman was also inside the vehicle, as a few Twitter users claimed. In a number of tweets shared Tuesday, an individual who identified himself as the driver said his mother was a passenger in the car during the incident.
The NYPD asks anyone with additional information about the cyclists to report it to the department by calling 1-800-577-TIPS.


newsweek--2020-12-30--Bernie Sanders Tells Mitch McConnell to Ask Kentucky Families How They Feel About $2K Checks

Senator Bernie Sanders accused Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of not acting in the best interests of his constituents in blocking Democratic attempts to pass legislation that would boost the $ 600 direct payment to $ 2,000 .
`` Let me just make it clear for the Majority Leader that 10 out of the poorest 25 counties in the United States of America are located in Kentucky , '' he said .
`` So maybe my colleague , the Majority Leader , might want to get on the phone and start talking to working families in Kentucky and find out how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ help in terms of a $ 2,000 check for adults . ''
In 2019 , 24/7 Wall Street ranked the top 25 worst counties to live in based on poverty , the percentage of adults who have at least a bachelor 's degree , and average life expectancy at birth .
Ten of the counties were located in Kentucky and the state was home to six of the top 10 worst counties .
In 2018 , a report from the U.S. Census Bureau found that three Kentucky counties were among the bottom five @ @ @ @ @ @ @ income .
Newsweek reached out to McConnell 's office for comment but did not receive a response prior to publication .
Sanders has been a leading advocate in Congress for $ 2,000 direct payments to qualifying individuals and households .
He first introduced legislation back in May , along with Senators Kamala Harris and Ed Markey , that called for monthly $ 2,000 checks to help Americans amid the coronavirus pandemic .
On Tuesday , Sanders tried to get the Senate to take up the bill passed by the House of Representatives that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the second relief package but McConnell objected .
`` The leaders of our country , President Trump , President-elect Biden , Minority Leader Chuck Schumer , the Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi are all in agreement : We have got to raise that direct payment to $ 2,000 .
That is where we are right now in this historic moment , '' Sanders said from the floor on Tuesday .
He added , `` Do we turn our backs on struggling working families , or do we respond to their pain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attempt from Senator Chuck Schumer ( D-NY ) to pass $ 2,000 stimulus checks through unanimous consent .
But the top Republican later introduced his own bill that would increase the $ 600 stimulus check to $ 2,000 , as well as a repeal to section 230 of the Communications Act of 1996 and funding for a commission to investigate voter fraud—which would be unlikely to pass .
The Kentucky lawmaker said Wednesday that the push to approve $ 2,000 stimulus checks has `` no realistic path to quickly pass the Senate .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Senate vote to override Trump 's veto of the National Defense Authorization Act , a crucial spending bill , unless McConnell allows a vote on the $ 2,000 payments .
`` Let me be clear : If Senator McConnell does n't agree to an up or down vote to provide the working people of our country a $ 2,000 direct payment , Congress will not be going home for New Year 's Eve .
Let 's do our job , '' Sanders said in a statement earlier this week .
On Wednesday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote on the NDAA as a `` political stunt . ''

Senator Bernie Sanders accused Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of not acting in the best interests of his constituents in blocking Democratic attempts to pass legislation that would boost the $600 direct payment to $2,000.
"Let me just make it clear for the Majority Leader that 10 out of the poorest 25 counties in the United States of America are located in Kentucky," he said. "So maybe my colleague, the Majority Leader, might want to get on the phone and start talking to working families in Kentucky and find out how they feel about the need for immediate help in terms of a $2,000 check for adults."
In 2019, 24/7 Wall Street ranked the top 25 worst counties to live in based on poverty, the percentage of adults who have at least a bachelor's degree, and average life expectancy at birth. Ten of the counties were located in Kentucky and the state was home to six of the top 10 worst counties. In 2018, a report from the U.S. Census Bureau found that three Kentucky counties were among the bottom five in the country when ranked by median income.
Newsweek reached out to McConnell's office for comment but did not receive a response prior to publication.
Sanders has been a leading advocate in Congress for $2,000 direct payments to qualifying individuals and households. He first introduced legislation back in May, along with Senators Kamala Harris and Ed Markey, that called for monthly $2,000 checks to help Americans amid the coronavirus pandemic.
On Tuesday, Sanders tried to get the Senate to take up the bill passed by the House of Representatives that would triple the $600 payment outlined in the second relief package but McConnell objected.
"The leaders of our country, President Trump, President-elect Biden, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, the Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi are all in agreement: We have got to raise that direct payment to $2,000. That is where we are right now in this historic moment," Sanders said from the floor on Tuesday.
He added, "Do we turn our backs on struggling working families, or do we respond to their pain?"
Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) leaves the senate floor on the U.S. Capitol on December 30, 2020 in Washington, D.C. Sanders slammed Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Wednesday for blocking a vote on legislation that would boost stimulus checks for Americans to $2,000. Tasos Katopodis/Getty
McConnell Tuesday also refused an attempt from Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to pass $2,000 stimulus checks through unanimous consent. But the top Republican later introduced his own bill that would increase the $600 stimulus check to $2,000, as well as a repeal to section 230 of the Communications Act of 1996 and funding for a commission to investigate voter fraud—which would be unlikely to pass.
The Kentucky lawmaker said Wednesday that the push to approve $2,000 stimulus checks has "no realistic path to quickly pass the Senate."
Read more Bernie Sanders Pulls a McConnell on Mitch McConnell Bernie Sanders Pulls a McConnell on Mitch McConnell
Sanders has vowed to filibuster the Senate vote to override Trump's veto of the National Defense Authorization Act, a crucial spending bill, unless McConnell allows a vote on the $2,000 payments.
"Let me be clear: If Senator McConnell doesn't agree to an up or down vote to provide the working people of our country a $2,000 direct payment, Congress will not be going home for New Year's Eve. Let's do our job," Sanders said in a statement earlier this week.
On Wednesday, McConnell slammed Sanders's moves against a vote on the NDAA as a "political stunt."