newsweek--2020-12-28--Nashville Bomb Damage to AT&T Exposes Vulnerability of U.S. Infrastructure

Frank Figliuzzi , the former assistant director for counterintelligence at the FBI , said that the Christmas Day bombing in Nashville , Tennessee should be a `` wake-up call '' about the vulnerability of U.S. infrastructure .
The warning came as AT & T continued its work to restore all its services after the bombing caused regional disruption to the communication network .
CEO Jeff McElfresh said Sunday some customers were still experiencing outages more than 48 hours later .
Officials named Anthony Quinn Warner as the person responsible for Friday morning 's blast outside an AT & T transmission @ @ @ @ @ @ @ died in the bombing .
Moments before an RV exploded , a warning was heard from the vehicle that a bomb was going to go off .
The explosion affected cell phone service and disrupted hospital and police service systems throughout Tennessee as well as parts of Alabama and Kentucky .
In an appearance on CBS ' Face the Nation on Sunday , Figliuzzi warned the blast revealed how `` relatively easy '' it is for a single individual to cause such disruption and warned that the public needs to be `` extremely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ copycat attacks in the future .
`` I think this is a wake-up call and a warning for all of us about how vulnerable our infrastructure is , how relatively easy it is for a single individual to do this , '' Figliuzzi told Margaret Brennan .
`` Now , we 've concentrated post-9/11 on getting our hands around all the chemical companies ' mass orders of precursors for known explosives , and look what an individual can do on his or her own when they simply amass quantities of things that are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the public needs to be `` extremely vigilant about those around them that are talking about acting out or that might be able to do this . ''
`` Shop owners and companies who are seeing smaller orders of precursors , that 's where our vulnerability is , '' he added .
Asked by Brennan about reports that Warner was thought to have had issued with 5G technology and conspiracy theories related to it , Figliuzzi replied that `` there 's tremendous dangerous polarization and it 's being fueled by social media @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investigators are examining whether the AT & T building , not far from the company 's landmark office tower , was deliberately targeted in the bombing .
Nashville Mayor John Cooper characterized the bombing as an attack on infrastructure on Face the Nation .
In Sunday 's statement , McElfresh said the AT & T building sustained `` significant damage '' in the blast .
`` In the hours that followed the explosion , our local service remained intact through temporary battery power , '' he said .
`` Unfortunately , a combination @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fire damage took out a number of backup power generators intended to provide power to the batteries , '' prompting service disruptions across Tennessee , Kentucky , and Alabama .
Restoring service was complicated by the need to maintain the integrity of an active crime scene .
`` Given its importance to customers and first responders , we prioritized restoration of wireless service , '' McElfresh said .
`` As of now , 96 % of our wireless network is restored , 60 % of our business services are restored , and 86 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ services are restored .
`` I am proud to work with so many dedicated individuals who left their family holiday celebrations and willingly answered the call to work non-stop over the last few days to restore service under some extremely challenging conditions . ''
McElfresh added that wireless data overages in the area would be waived for customers in the impacted area .

Frank Figliuzzi, the former assistant director for counterintelligence at the FBI, said that the Christmas Day bombing in Nashville, Tennessee should be a "wake-up call" about the vulnerability of U.S. infrastructure.
The warning came as AT&T continued its work to restore all its services after the bombing caused regional disruption to the communication network. CEO Jeff McElfresh said Sunday some customers were still experiencing outages more than 48 hours later.
Officials named Anthony Quinn Warner as the person responsible for Friday morning's blast outside an AT&T transmission building in downtown Nashville and said he died in the bombing.
Moments before an RV exploded, a warning was heard from the vehicle that a bomb was going to go off. The explosion affected cell phone service and disrupted hospital and police service systems throughout Tennessee as well as parts of Alabama and Kentucky.
In an appearance on CBS' Face the Nation on Sunday, Figliuzzi warned the blast revealed how "relatively easy" it is for a single individual to cause such disruption and warned that the public needs to be "extremely vigilant" due to the possibility of copycat attacks in the future.
.@FrankFigliuzzi1 tells @margbrennan the #Nashville bombing was a "wakeup call" to how easy it is for a single individual to carry out an attack of this nature.
Says notion of a "copycat is very real and we should be concerned about it" pic.twitter.com/qnEeIu7Whx — Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) December 27, 2020
"I think this is a wake-up call and a warning for all of us about how vulnerable our infrastructure is, how relatively easy it is for a single individual to do this," Figliuzzi told Margaret Brennan.
"Now, we've concentrated post-9/11 on getting our hands around all the chemical companies' mass orders of precursors for known explosives, and look what an individual can do on his or her own when they simply amass quantities of things that are under the radar screen."
Figliuzzi said the public needs to be "extremely vigilant about those around them that are talking about acting out or that might be able to do this."
"Shop owners and companies who are seeing smaller orders of precursors, that's where our vulnerability is," he added.
Asked by Brennan about reports that Warner was thought to have had issued with 5G technology and conspiracy theories related to it, Figliuzzi replied that "there's tremendous dangerous polarization and it's being fueled by social media conspiracy theorists out there."
#Nashville conspiracies: @FrankFigliuzzi1 says conspiracies that the #nashvillebombing was related to 5G technology shows "there is tremendous dangerous polarization and it is being fueled by social media"
He stresses vigilance in the U.S. ahead of #InaugurationDay pic.twitter.com/l4BoayEv2h — Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) December 27, 2020
Federal investigators are examining whether the AT&T building, not far from the company's landmark office tower, was deliberately targeted in the bombing.
Nashville Mayor John Cooper characterized the bombing as an attack on infrastructure on Face the Nation.
In Sunday's statement, McElfresh said the AT&T building sustained "significant damage" in the blast. "In the hours that followed the explosion, our local service remained intact through temporary battery power," he said.
"Unfortunately, a combination of the explosion and resulting water and fire damage took out a number of backup power generators intended to provide power to the batteries," prompting service disruptions across Tennessee, Kentucky, and Alabama.
Restoring service was complicated by the need to maintain the integrity of an active crime scene. "Given its importance to customers and first responders, we prioritized restoration of wireless service," McElfresh said.
"As of now, 96% of our wireless network is restored, 60% of our business services are restored, and 86% of our consumer broadband and entertainment services are restored.
"I am proud to work with so many dedicated individuals who left their family holiday celebrations and willingly answered the call to work non-stop over the last few days to restore service under some extremely challenging conditions."
McElfresh added that wireless data overages in the area would be waived for customers in the impacted area.


newsweek--2020-12-28--Robert Reich: Trump's Vilest Legacy? America's Acceptance | Opinion

Most of the 74,222,957 Americans who voted to reelect Donald Trump—46.8 percent of the votes cast in the 2020 presidential election—do n't hold Trump accountable for what he 's done to America .
Their acceptance of Trump 's behavior will be his vilest legacy .
Nearly forty years ago , political scientist James Q. Wilson and criminologist George Kelling observed that a broken window left unattended in a community signals that no one cares if windows are broken there .
The broken window is thereby an invitation to throw more stones and break more windows .
The message : Do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ done it and got away with it .
The broken window theory has led to picayune and arbitrary law enforcement in poor communities .
But America 's most privileged and powerful have been breaking big windows with impunity .
In 2008 , Wall Street nearly destroyed the economy .
The Street got bailed out while millions of Americans lost their jobs , savings , and homes .
Yet not no major Wall Street executive ever went to jail .
In more recent years , top executives of Purdue Pharmaceuticals , along with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it , knew the dangers of OxyContin but did nothing .
Executives at Wells Fargo Bank pushed bank employees to defraud customers .
Executives at Boeing hid the results of tests showing its 737 Max Jetliner was unsafe .
Police chiefs across America looked the other way as police under their command repeatedly killed innocent Black Americans .
Here , too , they 've got away with it .
These windows remain broken .
Trump has brought impunity to the highest office in the land , wielding a wrecking ball to the most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ message ?
A president can obstruct special counsels ' investigations of his wrongdoing , push foreign officials to dig up dirt on political rivals , fire inspectors general who find corruption , order the entire executive branch to refuse congressional subpoenas , flood the Internet with fake information about his opponents , refuse to release his tax returns , accuse the press of being `` fake media '' and `` enemies of the people , '' and make money off his presidency .
And he can get away with it .
Almost half @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his reelection .
A president can also lie about the results of an election without a shred of evidence—and yet , according to polls , be believed by the vast majority of those who voted for him .
Not only has he shattered the norm for presidential pardons—usually granted because of a petitioner 's good conduct after conviction and service of sentence—but he 's pardoned people who themselves shattered windows .
By pardoning them , he has rendered them unaccountable for their acts .
They include aides convicted of lying to the FBI @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protect him ; his son-in-law 's father , who pleaded guilty to tax evasion , witness tampering , illegal campaign contributions , and lying to the Federal Election Commission ; Blackwater security guards convicted of murdering Iraqi civilians , including women and children ; Border Patrol agents convicted of assaulting or shooting unarmed suspects ; and Republican lawmakers and their aides found guilty of fraud , obstruction of justice and campaign finance violations .
It 's not simply the size of the broken window that undermines standards , according to Wilson and Kelling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to look the other way .
If no one is held accountable , norms collapse .
Trump may face a barrage of lawsuits when he leaves office , possibly including criminal charges .
But it 's unlikely he 'll go to jail .
Presidential immunity or a self-pardon will protect him .
Prosecutorial discretion would almost certainly argue against indictment , in any event .
No former president has ever been convicted of a crime .
The mere possibility of a criminal trial for Trump would ignite a partisan brawl across the nation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ power of future presidents—strengthening congressional oversight , fortifying the independence of inspectors general , demanding more financial disclosure , increasing penalties on presidential aides who break laws , restricting the pardon process , and so on .
But Congress—a co-equal branch of government under the Constitution— can not rein in rogue presidents .
And the courts do n't want to weigh in on political questions .
The appalling reality is that Trump may get away with it .
And in getting away with it he will have changed and degraded the norms governing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's broken are invitations to a future president to break even more .
Nothing will correct this unless or until an overwhelming majority of Americans recognize and condemn what has occurred .
Robert B. Reich is an American political commentator , professor and author .
He served in the administrations of Presidents Gerald Ford , Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton .
Reich 's latest book , The System : Who Rigged It , How We Fix It , is out now .
The views expressed in this article are the writer 's own @

Most of the 74,222,957 Americans who voted to reelect Donald Trump—46.8 percent of the votes cast in the 2020 presidential election—don't hold Trump accountable for what he's done to America. Their acceptance of Trump's behavior will be his vilest legacy.
Nearly forty years ago, political scientist James Q. Wilson and criminologist George Kelling observed that a broken window left unattended in a community signals that no one cares if windows are broken there. The broken window is thereby an invitation to throw more stones and break more windows. The message: Do whatever you want here because others have done it and got away with it.
The broken window theory has led to picayune and arbitrary law enforcement in poor communities. But America's most privileged and powerful have been breaking big windows with impunity.
In 2008, Wall Street nearly destroyed the economy. The Street got bailed out while millions of Americans lost their jobs, savings, and homes. Yet not no major Wall Street executive ever went to jail.
In more recent years, top executives of Purdue Pharmaceuticals, along with the members of the Sackler family who own it, knew the dangers of OxyContin but did nothing. Executives at Wells Fargo Bank pushed bank employees to defraud customers. Executives at Boeing hid the results of tests showing its 737 Max Jetliner was unsafe. Police chiefs across America looked the other way as police under their command repeatedly killed innocent Black Americans.
Here, too, they've got away with it. These windows remain broken.
Trump has brought impunity to the highest office in the land, wielding a wrecking ball to the most precious windowpane of all—American democracy.
The message? A president can obstruct special counsels' investigations of his wrongdoing, push foreign officials to dig up dirt on political rivals, fire inspectors general who find corruption, order the entire executive branch to refuse congressional subpoenas, flood the Internet with fake information about his opponents, refuse to release his tax returns, accuse the press of being "fake media" and "enemies of the people," and make money off his presidency.
And he can get away with it. Almost half of the electorate will even vote for his reelection.
A president can also lie about the results of an election without a shred of evidence—and yet, according to polls, be believed by the vast majority of those who voted for him.
Trump's recent pardons have broken double-paned windows.
Not only has he shattered the norm for presidential pardons—usually granted because of a petitioner's good conduct after conviction and service of sentence—but he's pardoned people who themselves shattered windows. By pardoning them, he has rendered them unaccountable for their acts.
They include aides convicted of lying to the FBI and threatening potential witnesses in order to protect him; his son-in-law's father, who pleaded guilty to tax evasion, witness tampering, illegal campaign contributions, and lying to the Federal Election Commission; Blackwater security guards convicted of murdering Iraqi civilians, including women and children; Border Patrol agents convicted of assaulting or shooting unarmed suspects; and Republican lawmakers and their aides found guilty of fraud, obstruction of justice and campaign finance violations.
It's not simply the size of the broken window that undermines standards, according to Wilson and Kelling. It's the willingness of society to look the other way. If no one is held accountable, norms collapse.
Trump may face a barrage of lawsuits when he leaves office, possibly including criminal charges. But it's unlikely he'll go to jail. Presidential immunity or a self-pardon will protect him. Prosecutorial discretion would almost certainly argue against indictment, in any event. No former president has ever been convicted of a crime. The mere possibility of a criminal trial for Trump would ignite a partisan brawl across the nation.
Congress may try to limit the power of future presidents—strengthening congressional oversight, fortifying the independence of inspectors general, demanding more financial disclosure, increasing penalties on presidential aides who break laws, restricting the pardon process, and so on.
But Congress—a co-equal branch of government under the Constitution—cannot rein in rogue presidents. And the courts don't want to weigh in on political questions.
The appalling reality is that Trump may get away with it. And in getting away with it he will have changed and degraded the norms governing American presidents. The giant windows he's broken are invitations to a future president to break even more.
Nothing will correct this unless or until an overwhelming majority of Americans recognize and condemn what has occurred.
Robert B. Reich is an American political commentator, professor and author. He served in the administrations of Presidents Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton. Reich's latest book, The System: Who Rigged It, How We Fix It, is out now.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.


newsweek--2020-12-28--Donald Trump Takes Heat Off Georgia GOP on Stimulus, But Clash Looms Over $2,000 Checks

President Donald Trump lifted some of the pressure off Republican Senators David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler on Sunday night as he signed the $ 900 billion stimulus package ahead of their key Georgia runoff elections next month .
Releasing a statement , the president said he wanted `` wasteful '' elements of the bill to be removed , and repeated his call for Congress to increase the size of stimulus checks to $ 2,000 and provide additional direct assistance to American families .
`` As President of the United States it is my responsibility to protect the people of our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that was caused by the China Virus , '' Trump said .
He later claimed that `` much more money '' was on the way .
His decision to sign the new coronavirus stimulus bill and spending package removed the prospect of a government shutdown on Monday night and ensured millions of Americans would start to receive long-awaited relief amid high unemployment and personal debt .
Sens .
Loeffler and Perdue ( R-GA ) thanked the president for releasing the stimulus funds as the January 5 Georgia Senate runoff elections loomed .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` great deal of work '' to be done on curbing `` wasteful '' spending in the package .
Releasing a joint statement , the senators said : `` The coronavirus pandemic grinded to a halt the greatest economic turnaround in American history , and Democrats are hellbent on a socialist agenda that prioritizes wasteful , irresponsible spending over the wellbeing of American people .
`` We look forward to continuing to fight alongside the president in his relentless pursuit to keep America great . ''
However , it is not clear whether @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same page as Trump when it comes to the issue of higher stimulus checks .
The president last week called on lawmakers to pass a bill that would replace the $ 600 stimulus checks provided under the latest relief package with $ 2,000 checks , and it appears the matter is heading for a vote in the Senate .
Asked whether she would support the boost to direct relief , Loeffler told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution : `` I 'll certainly look at supporting it if it repurposes wasteful spending for that , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Perdue declined to comment on his stance on the matter .
Newsweek has contacted the Perdue and Loeffler campaigns for further comment .
The Democratic challengers Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock have seized on the possible split between their Republican rivals and Trump on the matter of stimulus checks .
Releasing a statement last week , the Warnock campaign said the president was right to push for the extra relief and called on Congress to `` swiftly increase '' the size of stimulus checks .
Ossoff has also sided with Trump on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a `` joke '' and `` insult '' to Americans who have waited months for the second coronavirus relief belief .
The Democratic-controlled House will kickstart the battle to more than triple the size of stimulus checks on Monday with a floor vote on providing $ 2,000 checks instead of the standing $ 600 payments .
If the proposal passes , the Republican Senate will then have to decide whether it will consider the legislation .
Sen. Josh Hawley ( R-MO ) , a rare proponent of higher stimulus checks within the Senate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the party leadership had agreed to a vote on the $ 2,000 amount .

President Donald Trump lifted some of the pressure off Republican Senators David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler on Sunday night as he signed the $900 billion stimulus package ahead of their key Georgia runoff elections next month.
Releasing a statement, the president said he wanted "wasteful" elements of the bill to be removed, and repeated his call for Congress to increase the size of stimulus checks to $2,000 and provide additional direct assistance to American families.
"As President of the United States it is my responsibility to protect the people of our country from the economic devastation and hardship that was caused by the China Virus," Trump said. He later claimed that "much more money" was on the way.
His decision to sign the new coronavirus stimulus bill and spending package removed the prospect of a government shutdown on Monday night and ensured millions of Americans would start to receive long-awaited relief amid high unemployment and personal debt.
Sens. Loeffler and Perdue (R-GA) thanked the president for releasing the stimulus funds as the January 5 Georgia Senate runoff elections loomed. But the pair also said there was a "great deal of work" to be done on curbing "wasteful" spending in the package.
Releasing a joint statement, the senators said: "The coronavirus pandemic grinded to a halt the greatest economic turnaround in American history, and Democrats are hellbent on a socialist agenda that prioritizes wasteful, irresponsible spending over the wellbeing of American people.
"We look forward to continuing to fight alongside the president in his relentless pursuit to keep America great."
However, it is not clear whether either of the GOP senators are on the same page as Trump when it comes to the issue of higher stimulus checks.
The president last week called on lawmakers to pass a bill that would replace the $600 stimulus checks provided under the latest relief package with $2,000 checks, and it appears the matter is heading for a vote in the Senate.
Asked whether she would support the boost to direct relief, Loeffler told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution: "I'll certainly look at supporting it if it repurposes wasteful spending for that, yes."
The paper reported that Perdue declined to comment on his stance on the matter.
Newsweek has contacted the Perdue and Loeffler campaigns for further comment.
The Democratic challengers Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock have seized on the possible split between their Republican rivals and Trump on the matter of stimulus checks.
Releasing a statement last week, the Warnock campaign said the president was right to push for the extra relief and called on Congress to "swiftly increase" the size of stimulus checks.
Ossoff has also sided with Trump on the matter, calling the $600 checks a "joke" and "insult" to Americans who have waited months for the second coronavirus relief belief.
The Democratic-controlled House will kickstart the battle to more than triple the size of stimulus checks on Monday with a floor vote on providing $2,000 checks instead of the standing $600 payments.
If the proposal passes, the Republican Senate will then have to decide whether it will consider the legislation.
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO), a rare proponent of higher stimulus checks within the Senate GOP, tweeted on Sunday night that the party leadership had agreed to a vote on the $2,000 amount.


newsweek--2020-12-28--When Is the Second Stimulus Check Coming Out? Payments Imminent as Donald Trump Signs Bill

After President Donald Trump caved to the mounting backlash and signed off another COVID-19 relief bill despite his opposition to it , $ 600 stimulus check payments are shortly due to be sent out to millions of people across the nation .
The bipartisan package was passed by Congress early last week and Trump eventually signed it into law on Sunday .
He had criticized the legislation , demanding $ 2,000 stimulus payments and for other measures , such as foreign aid , to be cut out .
Lawmakers are due to hold a vote on the higher-value stimulus checks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blocked after Trump had expressed support for a $ 2,000 per individual amount .
Under the now signed legislation , those eligible for payments are due to receive up to $ 600 per individual , half of the maximum for adults under the first stimulus check in the spring .
Below , Newsweek looks at when the payments might arrive .
Due to processes already being in place , it is expected payments could be issued quicker this time out .
The relief legislation gives the Internal Revenue Service ( IRS ) a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Those whose payments are not sent by that deadline will have to claim their funds when filing their tax returns next year , through the Recovery Rebate Credit .
According to Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin , speaking Monday , December 21 , payments could start being received within a week of Trump 's signature on the bill .
Commenting when the bill was initially expected to be signed off , he said on CNBC people would start receiving money at the start of the following week .
Chad Hooper , national president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) , which represents managers at the IRS , told Newsweek earlier this year he believes a second round of payments could be sent quicker than the first .
He said the agency `` could get out all of the payments more rapidly . ''
How Long Did it Take Last Time ?
The Internal Revenue Service distributed 81 million payments through electronic bank transfers within two weeks of the CARES Act being enacted around the end of March , according to a Government Accountability Office ( GAO ) report .
Those whose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ electronic payments generally saw a longer wait to receive their funds .
The GAO report stated that as of May 31 , 160.4 million payments had been distributed .
Newsweek has contacted the Treasury and the IRS for comment on the timescale for the distribution of direct payments .

After President Donald Trump caved to the mounting backlash and signed off another COVID-19 relief bill despite his opposition to it, $600 stimulus check payments are shortly due to be sent out to millions of people across the nation.
The bipartisan package was passed by Congress early last week and Trump eventually signed it into law on Sunday. He had criticized the legislation, demanding $2,000 stimulus payments and for other measures, such as foreign aid, to be cut out.
Lawmakers are due to hold a vote on the higher-value stimulus checks, which Republicans in Congress had previously blocked after Trump had expressed support for a $2,000 per individual amount.
Under the now signed legislation, those eligible for payments are due to receive up to $600 per individual, half of the maximum for adults under the first stimulus check in the spring.
Below, Newsweek looks at when the payments might arrive.
When Will Checks Arrive?
Due to processes already being in place, it is expected payments could be issued quicker this time out.
The relief legislation gives the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) a January 15 deadline to send out payments.
Those whose payments are not sent by that deadline will have to claim their funds when filing their tax returns next year, through the Recovery Rebate Credit.
According to Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, speaking Monday, December 21, payments could start being received within a week of Trump's signature on the bill.
Read more U.S. Needs Better Approach to COVID Sequencing: Ex-FDA Chief U.S. Needs Better Approach to COVID Sequencing: Ex-FDA Chief
Commenting when the bill was initially expected to be signed off, he said on CNBC people would start receiving money at the start of the following week.
Chad Hooper, national president of the Professional Managers Association (PMA), which represents managers at the IRS, told Newsweek earlier this year he believes a second round of payments could be sent quicker than the first. He said the agency "could get out all of the payments more rapidly."
How Long Did it Take Last Time?
The Internal Revenue Service distributed 81 million payments through electronic bank transfers within two weeks of the CARES Act being enacted around the end of March, according to a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report.
Those whose details were not on file for direct electronic payments generally saw a longer wait to receive their funds.
The GAO report stated that as of May 31, 160.4 million payments had been distributed.
Newsweek has contacted the Treasury and the IRS for comment on the timescale for the distribution of direct payments.


newsweek--2020-12-28--'I'm Trans Masculine And Just Gave Birth to My First Child'

I came out as trans masculine and non-binary nine years ago when I was 25 years old .
Although I did n't grow up wanting to be male , I had thought about what I would look like with a flat chest .
But I did n't hate my body , I just did n't feel totally comfortable in it .
When I was 25 I realized I would feel much more comfortable presenting as trans masculine and so I began my medical transition and taking testosterone .
Eight months later I had a double mastectomy in Florida .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more authentic version of myself after I transitioned , and I was surrounded by people who were mostly supportive during that time .
As I began to become more comfortable in my body they could see how much more comfortable in myself I was becoming .
I 've always had the support of my family which I feel very fortunate to have and overall , especially living in a big city like Seattle , my transition was definitely much easier than I think it could have been in the small town I grew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transition , around that time I also finished a degree in education and child development , and I had five years ' experience as a teacher 's assistant .
I had been a nanny before I transitioned , and I noticed that I immediately began to earn ten dollars more an hour as a trans masculine nanny .
I also started working with high profile families and travelling all over the world .
As a trans masculine travel nanny , I went everywhere from Morocco to Italy , all over the U.K. and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ terms of sexism and the privileges that really came with being a male nanny .
Although I identify as trans masculine rather than male , people often read me as a cisgender gay man .
So I 'm aware that it does make me more visible to live in my identity as a trans masculine person .
But I 'm very open on social media and of course , when you 're a nanny people do background checks .
Working with high profile families I disclose information about my identity immediately and then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it with kids as we build relationships .
That really helps expand their worlds as well .
I 've known for my entire life that I 've wanted children and I knew before I transitioned that I would want to carry at least one child .
Often when people are transitioning they might freeze their eggs .
I also thought about how I would feed my baby when I had my double mastectomy , those small decisions had to be made , and I do n't regret them one bit .
I do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wilder if I had n't taken care of myself and honored my identity back then .
However , there are certain parts of my story of becoming a parent that I have n't shared yet because I think they are Wilder 's pieces of the story to share .
How I became pregnant and whether or not I had planned to be a single parent are both elements of the story I believe are Wilder 's to share .
However , I have always had an intuition that I would spend a portion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parent .
I 'm open to parenting with another person but that person has n't come along yet .
I found out I was eight weeks pregnant on April 17 this year and I actually only discovered that because from weeks four to eight of my first trimester I had COVID-19 .
It was right at the beginning of the pandemic and I did n't know I was pregnant at the time so I did n't end up in hospital , but had I known there are a couple of nights when I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 100 percent taken myself to hospital .
Fortunately , I began to get better .
But two days later I started to feel really unwell again and that 's how I ended up at the doctors and discovered I was pregnant .
I also discovered the reason I was so sick was because I had Hyperemesis gravidarum ( HG ) , which is severe pregnancy sickness and other symptoms .
I went less than five days my whole pregnancy without throwing up .
Truthfully , I was really nervous going into the pregnancy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would really feel .
But being pregnant during a pandemic meant that I was n't going out in public , so I had less fear around how the world was going to see my body , which I think is why I was able to dive into social media a little more .
I carried very large with Wilder , even though Wilder was not a large baby .
So I think if I had been going out in public on a regular basis my experience would have been quite different .
Instead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ single day , just with my body , growing this baby .
Despite the sickness , it was the most beautiful experience I 've ever had .
I 've fallen in love with my body in ways that I 've never experienced before .
I had been on testosterone for nine years , and now I have been off testosterone for a year in order to carry Wilder , and it 's like parts of my body from my past are visiting .
It 's just been a really comforting feeling of welcoming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's not going to be forever .
So even if moments do feel dysphoric or uncomfortable , that 's OK .
Although I have had moments of insecurity , the fact that I was able to use parts of my body that I was born with , while living in a body that I feel at home in really allowed me to grow this child in a way that feels like they can be at home in my body , too .
I would n't have done it any other way .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that I wanted to have a home water birth and for my entire 10 hours of labor , I was only out of the water for 30 minutes .
I did experience pain , but my birth was the most amazing experience of my life .
It was really an out of body experience .
The thing I found about childbirth is that something happens and time does n't really exist anymore .
My midwives were all trained so there was n't a moment when I was scared , although there were moments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for an epidural !
But every time I said , `` I ca n't , '' my midwives would look at me and say , `` you are '' and we kept going .
Although it was amazing , there were some challenges , Wilder did n't breathe at first and needed some assistance , and there was a moment when we considered that we might have to transfer to the hospital .
At the end of my birth I did lose a fair amount of blood so I needed a shot to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bleeding .
But my birth has absolutely shaped the direction of my life ; I 'm now ready to go and get my certification as a doula .
I used to be a professional photographer and my goal is to get into birth photography and be a doula , especially helping fellow trans and non-binary people with their births .
My primary purpose for my visibility and sharing my pregnancy on social media is for other trans and non-binary people .
If I had not stumbled across someone else 's journey on YouTube @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't know if I would have had the words for my own identity and been able to start this transition .
Also , a friend of mine , Tristan , carried his child three years ago and was public about it .
He has supported me hugely along the way and guided me to set up some safety nets such as moderators on my social media .
People may see mainly positive comments on my social media , but in the background I have a team of five people who monitor all my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comments a day .
If I posted images of my pregnant body , they were often shared in hate groups .
Some days I get multiple death threats and my child has gotten death threats , so my moderators will only give me a heads up when the comments are all cleaned up and then I will go in sometimes and interact .
I do n't typically read private messages though , because sometimes things sneak through .
I 've lost track of the amount of times people hoped I had a miscarriage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That 's something that people like Tristan me have taught me how to deal with .
Had it not been for him and all of the other trans masculine people who have been pregnant before me , I would n't have known that I could have walked this path .
So , it was important for me not only to be visible but to make sure that that space was safe , which is really hard to do on social media .
The first few weeks with Wilder have been beautiful .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ entire life .
It has been all skin-on-skin all of the time .
Between the two of us I think we 've worn a shirt twice .
We 're mainly just hanging out at home .
I use a combination of Wilder 's assigned sex pronouns as well as `` they '' and `` them '' when it 's just the two of us , but when I am addressing the public , I 'm only using `` they '' and `` them . ''
I want to shield Wilder from other people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feel people assume that they have the right to know what somebody 's assigned sex is .
Until Wilder identifies with a gender , and they may not , I 'm not sharing that part of their story .
Being a parent has been amazing , but it 's been more challenging than I anticipated .
I had anticipated that parenting during the pandemic would n't be as difficult as being pregnant during a pandemic .
But the challenge is that I now have this beautiful child that I have wanted my entire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them with the world and connect with people the way I love connecting , which is in person .
Instead , I am terrified to take Wilder out into the world because of the pandemic .
Although my parents were here for the first two weeks of Wilder 's life , and it was great having them here , now I do n't have any support so it 's been pretty tiring .
But it 's also so beautiful .
Even though I 'm so exhausted , I still find myself staying awake @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , because I just ca n't get over how beautiful this life is .
Danny Wakefield is a sober , trans masculine father who thrives in educating people about the lives of trans folks through his social media platforms .
He recently gave birth to his first child , Wilder .
You can follow him on Facebook at Danny the trans dad and Instagram @ dannythetransdad .
All views expressed in this article are the author 's own .

I came out as trans masculine and non-binary nine years ago when I was 25 years old. Although I didn't grow up wanting to be male, I had thought about what I would look like with a flat chest. But I didn't hate my body, I just didn't feel totally comfortable in it. When I was 25 I realized I would feel much more comfortable presenting as trans masculine and so I began my medical transition and taking testosterone. Eight months later I had a double mastectomy in Florida.
I definitely felt like I was living a more authentic version of myself after I transitioned, and I was surrounded by people who were mostly supportive during that time. As I began to become more comfortable in my body they could see how much more comfortable in myself I was becoming. I've always had the support of my family which I feel very fortunate to have and overall, especially living in a big city like Seattle, my transition was definitely much easier than I think it could have been in the small town I grew up in.
In addition to my transition, around that time I also finished a degree in education and child development, and I had five years' experience as a teacher's assistant. I had been a nanny before I transitioned, and I noticed that I immediately began to earn ten dollars more an hour as a trans masculine nanny. I also started working with high profile families and travelling all over the world. As a trans masculine travel nanny, I went everywhere from Morocco to Italy, all over the U.K. and Japan. I noticed differences just in terms of sexism and the privileges that really came with being a male nanny.
Although I identify as trans masculine rather than male, people often read me as a cisgender gay man. So I'm aware that it does make me more visible to live in my identity as a trans masculine person. But I'm very open on social media and of course, when you're a nanny people do background checks. Working with high profile families I disclose information about my identity immediately and then I am able to have conversations about it with kids as we build relationships. That really helps expand their worlds as well.
I've known for my entire life that I've wanted children and I knew before I transitioned that I would want to carry at least one child. Often when people are transitioning they might freeze their eggs. I also thought about how I would feed my baby when I had my double mastectomy, those small decisions had to be made, and I don't regret them one bit. I don't think I would be here with Wilder if I hadn't taken care of myself and honored my identity back then.
However, there are certain parts of my story of becoming a parent that I haven't shared yet because I think they are Wilder's pieces of the story to share. How I became pregnant and whether or not I had planned to be a single parent are both elements of the story I believe are Wilder's to share. However, I have always had an intuition that I would spend a portion of my parenting journey as a solo parent. I'm open to parenting with another person but that person hasn't come along yet.
I found out I was eight weeks pregnant on April 17 this year and I actually only discovered that because from weeks four to eight of my first trimester I had COVID-19. It was right at the beginning of the pandemic and I didn't know I was pregnant at the time so I didn't end up in hospital, but had I known there are a couple of nights when I was very sick that I would have 100 percent taken myself to hospital.
Fortunately, I began to get better. But two days later I started to feel really unwell again and that's how I ended up at the doctors and discovered I was pregnant. I also discovered the reason I was so sick was because I had Hyperemesis gravidarum (HG), which is severe pregnancy sickness and other symptoms. I went less than five days my whole pregnancy without throwing up.
Truthfully, I was really nervous going into the pregnancy, I had no idea how I would really feel. But being pregnant during a pandemic meant that I wasn't going out in public, so I had less fear around how the world was going to see my body, which I think is why I was able to dive into social media a little more.
Danny Wakefield in the final stages of his pregnancy. Danny Wakefield
I carried very large with Wilder, even though Wilder was not a large baby. So I think if I had been going out in public on a regular basis my experience would have been quite different. Instead, I was home alone almost every single day, just with my body, growing this baby. Despite the sickness, it was the most beautiful experience I've ever had. I've fallen in love with my body in ways that I've never experienced before.
I had been on testosterone for nine years, and now I have been off testosterone for a year in order to carry Wilder, and it's like parts of my body from my past are visiting. It's just been a really comforting feeling of welcoming a friend back, knowing that it's not going to be forever. So even if moments do feel dysphoric or uncomfortable, that's OK.
Although I have had moments of insecurity, the fact that I was able to use parts of my body that I was born with, while living in a body that I feel at home in really allowed me to grow this child in a way that feels like they can be at home in my body, too. I wouldn't have done it any other way.
I knew from the moment I got pregnant that I wanted to have a home water birth and for my entire 10 hours of labor, I was only out of the water for 30 minutes. I did experience pain, but my birth was the most amazing experience of my life. It was really an out of body experience. The thing I found about childbirth is that something happens and time doesn't really exist anymore. My midwives were all trained so there wasn't a moment when I was scared, although there were moments of wanting to go to the hospital for an epidural! But every time I said, "I can't," my midwives would look at me and say, "you are" and we kept going.
Although it was amazing, there were some challenges, Wilder didn't breathe at first and needed some assistance, and there was a moment when we considered that we might have to transfer to the hospital. At the end of my birth I did lose a fair amount of blood so I needed a shot to help contract my uterus and stop the bleeding.
But my birth has absolutely shaped the direction of my life; I'm now ready to go and get my certification as a doula. I used to be a professional photographer and my goal is to get into birth photography and be a doula, especially helping fellow trans and non-binary people with their births.
Danny Wakefield shortly after giving birth to his first child, Wilder. ERIN LATTERELL BURK
My primary purpose for my visibility and sharing my pregnancy on social media is for other trans and non-binary people. If I had not stumbled across someone else's journey on YouTube when I was 25, I don't know if I would have had the words for my own identity and been able to start this transition. Also, a friend of mine, Tristan, carried his child three years ago and was public about it. He has supported me hugely along the way and guided me to set up some safety nets such as moderators on my social media.
People may see mainly positive comments on my social media, but in the background I have a team of five people who monitor all my pages and delete sometimes hundreds of hateful comments a day. If I posted images of my pregnant body, they were often shared in hate groups. Some days I get multiple death threats and my child has gotten death threats, so my moderators will only give me a heads up when the comments are all cleaned up and then I will go in sometimes and interact. I don't typically read private messages though, because sometimes things sneak through. I've lost track of the amount of times people hoped I had a miscarriage. It happened hundreds of times.
That's something that people like Tristan me have taught me how to deal with. Had it not been for him and all of the other trans masculine people who have been pregnant before me, I wouldn't have known that I could have walked this path. So, it was important for me not only to be visible but to make sure that that space was safe, which is really hard to do on social media.
The first few weeks with Wilder have been beautiful. This is what I have dreamed of my entire life. It has been all skin-on-skin all of the time. Between the two of us I think we've worn a shirt twice. We're mainly just hanging out at home.
I use a combination of Wilder's assigned sex pronouns as well as "they" and "them" when it's just the two of us, but when I am addressing the public, I'm only using "they" and "them." I want to shield Wilder from other people's prejudices or stereotypes and I also feel people assume that they have the right to know what somebody's assigned sex is. Until Wilder identifies with a gender, and they may not, I'm not sharing that part of their story.
Being a parent has been amazing, but it's been more challenging than I anticipated. I had anticipated that parenting during the pandemic wouldn't be as difficult as being pregnant during a pandemic. But the challenge is that I now have this beautiful child that I have wanted my entire life, and I want to share them with the world and connect with people the way I love connecting, which is in person.
Instead, I am terrified to take Wilder out into the world because of the pandemic. Although my parents were here for the first two weeks of Wilder's life, and it was great having them here, now I don't have any support so it's been pretty tiring.
But it's also so beautiful. Even though I'm so exhausted, I still find myself staying awake at night just to watch Wilder sleep, because I just can't get over how beautiful this life is.
Danny Wakefield is a sober, trans masculine father who thrives in educating people about the lives of trans folks through his social media platforms. He recently gave birth to his first child, Wilder. You can follow him on Facebook at Danny the trans dad and Instagram @dannythetransdad.
All views expressed in this article are the author's own.
As told to Jenny Haward.


newsweek--2020-12-28--NFL Playoff Standings, Likely Matchups After Sunday in Week 16

The New York Jets wrecked another weekend of professional football with another win , this time beating the Cleveland Browns .
The Jets , who are now 2-13 , have a two-game winning streak , and pretty much knocked themselves out of the No .
1 draft pick next spring .
The Browns slipped to the No .
7 seed in the AFC , which is the final playoff spot , and still need a win at home against Pittsburgh in the final weekend to clinch a playoff spot .
The Kansas City Chiefs barely got past the hapless Atlanta @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Chiefs more importantly wrapped up the AFC 's top seed and first-round bye .
The Pittsburgh Steelers survived a scare against the Indianapolis Colts , the Titans flopped in Green Bay and the Miami Dolphins found magic in Las Vegas .
Meanwhile in the NFC , the Packers rolled up a big win in the snow , the Saints took care of the Vikings and the Seahawks won the West Division crown for the first time in four years .
The NFC East—a division with four teams , all with losing records—comes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three teams are still in contention .
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers , who have clinched a playoff spot for the first time in 13 years , can fully grasp the No .
5 seed in the NFC with a win this week , or with help from losses by other teams .
The Buffalo Bills play the New England Patriots on Monday night for a game that could help determine seeding in the AFC .
Should the Bills win , they would slide back into the No .
2 spot behind Kansas City @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the third seed .
Here are the NFL playoff teams , records and seedings after Sunday night ; AFC Playoff Standings No .
1 Kansas City ( 14-1 ) No .
2 Pittsburgh ( 12-3 ) No .
3 Buffalo ( 11-3 ) No .
4 Tennessee ( 10-5 ) No .
5 Miami ( 10-5 ) No .
6 .
Baltimore ( 10-5 ) No .
7 Cleveland ( 10-5 ) Outside looking in No .
8 Indianapolis ( 10-5 ) AFC Wild Card Round if it ended today ( top seed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kansas City , bye No .
2 Pittsburgh vs. Cleveland No .
3 Buffalo vs. Baltimore No .
4 Tennessee vs. Miami NFC Playoff Standings No .
1 Green Bay ( 12-3 ) No .
2 New Orleans ( 11-4 ) No .
3 Seattle ( 11-4 ) No .
4 Washington ( 6-9 ) No .
5 Tampa Bay ( 10-5 ) No .
6 Los Angeles Rams ( 9-6 ) No .
7 Chicago ( 8-7 ) Outside looking in No .
8 Arizona ( 8-7 ) NFC East teams still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other playoff possible from the East ) Dallas ( 6-9 ) , New York Giants ( 5-10 ) NFC Wild Card Round ( top seed gets home game ) No .
1 Green Bay , bye No .
2 New Orleans vs. Chicago No .
3 Seattle vs. LA Rams No .
4 Washington vs. Tampa Bay The NFL season still has one more week of regular season , and then the subsequent playoffs .
The Super Bowl is scheduled to be played in Tampa , Florida , in February .

The New York Jets wrecked another weekend of professional football with another win, this time beating the Cleveland Browns. The Jets, who are now 2-13, have a two-game winning streak, and pretty much knocked themselves out of the No. 1 draft pick next spring.
The Browns slipped to the No. 7 seed in the AFC, which is the final playoff spot, and still need a win at home against Pittsburgh in the final weekend to clinch a playoff spot.
The Kansas City Chiefs barely got past the hapless Atlanta Falcons at home on Sunday, but the Chiefs more importantly wrapped up the AFC's top seed and first-round bye. The Pittsburgh Steelers survived a scare against the Indianapolis Colts, the Titans flopped in Green Bay and the Miami Dolphins found magic in Las Vegas.
Ryan Fitzpatrick #14 of the Miami Dolphins celebrates his touchdown pass with Tua Tagovailoa #1, to take a 23-22 lead over the Las Vegas Raiders, during the fourth quarter at Allegiant Stadium on December 26, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Photo by Harry How/Getty Images
Meanwhile in the NFC, the Packers rolled up a big win in the snow, the Saints took care of the Vikings and the Seahawks won the West Division crown for the first time in four years.
The NFC East—a division with four teams, all with losing records—comes down to the final weekend, and three teams are still in contention.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who have clinched a playoff spot for the first time in 13 years, can fully grasp the No. 5 seed in the NFC with a win this week, or with help from losses by other teams.
The Buffalo Bills play the New England Patriots on Monday night for a game that could help determine seeding in the AFC. Should the Bills win, they would slide back into the No. 2 spot behind Kansas City, and Pittsburgh would drop back to the third seed.
Here are the NFL playoff teams, records and seedings after Sunday night;
AFC Playoff Standings
No. 1 Kansas City (14-1)
No. 2 Pittsburgh (12-3)
No. 3 Buffalo (11-3)
No. 4 Tennessee (10-5)
No. 5 Miami (10-5)
No. 6. Baltimore (10-5)
No. 7 Cleveland (10-5)
Outside looking in
No. 8 Indianapolis (10-5)
Eliminated: Las Vegas (7-8), New England (6-8), Denver (5-10), LA Chargers (6-9), Cincinnati (4-10-1), Houston (4-11), NY Jets (2-13), Jacksonville (1-14)
AFC Wild Card Round if it ended today (top seed gets home game)
No. 1 Kansas City, bye
No. 2 Pittsburgh vs. Cleveland
No. 3 Buffalo vs. Baltimore
No. 4 Tennessee vs. Miami
NFC Playoff Standings
No. 1 Green Bay (12-3)
No. 2 New Orleans (11-4)
No. 3 Seattle (11-4)
No. 4 Washington (6-9)
No. 5 Tampa Bay (10-5)
No. 6 Los Angeles Rams (9-6)
No. 7 Chicago (8-7)
Outside looking in
No. 8 Arizona (8-7)
NFC East teams still in contention for division title (no other playoff possible from the East)
Dallas (6-9), New York Giants (5-10)
Eliminated: Minnesota (6-9), San Francisco (6-9), Detroit (5--10), Carolina (5-10), Philadelphia (4-10-1), Atlanta (4-11)
NFC Wild Card Round (top seed gets home game)
No. 1 Green Bay, bye
No. 2 New Orleans vs. Chicago
No. 3 Seattle vs. LA Rams
No. 4 Washington vs. Tampa Bay
The NFL season still has one more week of regular season, and then the subsequent playoffs. The Super Bowl is scheduled to be played in Tampa, Florida, in February.


newsweek--2020-12-27--Aaron Rodgers Likely Iced the 2020 NFL MVP at Snowy Lambeau Field Sunday

The race for NFL 's 2020 MVP has come down to about four players going into the last weekend in December .
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers may have wrapped it up after Sunday night 's win in a snowstorm on the frozen tundra .
The four frontrunners for the 2020 NFL MVP heading into Christmas weekend were Rodgers , Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen , Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry .
The games mattered most for all four of those players , and Rodgers shined the brightest on the Sunday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Monday night at the New England Patriots .
Rodgers completed 21-of-25 passes for 231 yards and four touchdowns Sunday night on a cold , snowy night at Lambeau Field in Green Bay .
His completion percentage ( 84 % ) and touchdown numbers are stellar , but the total yardage might not seem like much .
However , he played against a Tennessee Titans defense that has been solid most of the year , the game was in a heavy-footed , snow-filled field and the Packers needed to win .
The Packers did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because of a balanced attack where the Packers also rushed for 234 yards and a pair of scores .
Rodgers looked in command for almost the entire game , unlike Mahomes on Sunday against a hapless Atlanta Falcons squad .
Green Bay ( 12-3 ) , which has already clinched the NFC North title and holds the top record in the conference , needed a win Sunday night to stay one game ahead of the New Orleans Saints and Seattle Seahawks , who are both 11-4 and nipping at Green Bay with just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did his usual business on Sunday , here 's what the other MVP favorites did Sunday ( Allen plays Monday night ) : Mahomes : 24-for-44 , 278 yards and 2 TDs with 1 INT Henry : 23 rushes for 98 yards , 0 TDs Allen : Monday night at New England Mahomes is rightfully considered among the MVP candidates because he 's the leader of the NFL 's top offense , and a team that is 14-1 .
He 's got more playmakers in his arsenal than Rodgers or Allen have at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rodgers has wide receiver Davante Adams and running back Aaron Jones , Mahomes has even more with wide receivers Tyreek Hill , Sammy Watkins , Mecole Hardman and Demarcus Robinson , the league 's top tight end in Travis Kelce and a slew of running backs with Clyde Edwards-Helaire , Le'Veon Bell and Darrel Williams .
Henry could win a rushing title for the second-consecutive year , but scoring no touchdowns on Sunday night might not have scored points with those who vote on the MVP award .
Allen has completed 351-of-511 passes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ season .
As for Mahomes , in 2020 he has completed 67.3 percent of his passes for an NFL-leading 4,462 yards .
He has thrown 36 touchdowns against just five interceptions .
Rodgers leads the league in touchdown passes with 44 , and he has just five interceptions as well .

The race for NFL's 2020 MVP has come down to about four players going into the last weekend in December. Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers may have wrapped it up after Sunday night's win in a snowstorm on the frozen tundra.
The four frontrunners for the 2020 NFL MVP heading into Christmas weekend were Rodgers, Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry.
The games mattered most for all four of those players, and Rodgers shined the brightest on the Sunday night game. Allen will play on Monday night at the New England Patriots.
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers #12 of the Green Bay Packers celebrates a touchdown pass to Equanimeous St. Brown #19 against the Tennessee Titans during the second quarter at Lambeau Field on December 27, 2020 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images
Rodgers completed 21-of-25 passes for 231 yards and four touchdowns Sunday night on a cold, snowy night at Lambeau Field in Green Bay. His completion percentage (84%) and touchdown numbers are stellar, but the total yardage might not seem like much. However, he played against a Tennessee Titans defense that has been solid most of the year, the game was in a heavy-footed, snow-filled field and the Packers needed to win.
The Packers did win, 40-14, and it was because of a balanced attack where the Packers also rushed for 234 yards and a pair of scores. Rodgers looked in command for almost the entire game, unlike Mahomes on Sunday against a hapless Atlanta Falcons squad.
Green Bay (12-3), which has already clinched the NFC North title and holds the top record in the conference, needed a win Sunday night to stay one game ahead of the New Orleans Saints and Seattle Seahawks, who are both 11-4 and nipping at Green Bay with just one game remaining now.
While Rodgers did his usual business on Sunday, here's what the other MVP favorites did Sunday (Allen plays Monday night):
Mahomes: 24-for-44, 278 yards and 2 TDs with 1 INT
Henry: 23 rushes for 98 yards, 0 TDs
Allen: Monday night at New England
Mahomes is rightfully considered among the MVP candidates because he's the leader of the NFL's top offense, and a team that is 14-1. He's got more playmakers in his arsenal than Rodgers or Allen have at their disposal.
Whereas people might say Rodgers has wide receiver Davante Adams and running back Aaron Jones, Mahomes has even more with wide receivers Tyreek Hill, Sammy Watkins, Mecole Hardman and Demarcus Robinson, the league's top tight end in Travis Kelce and a slew of running backs with Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Le'Veon Bell and Darrel Williams.
Henry could win a rushing title for the second-consecutive year, but scoring no touchdowns on Sunday night might not have scored points with those who vote on the MVP award.
Allen has completed 351-of-511 passes for 4,000 yards and 30 touchdowns this season.
As for Mahomes, in 2020 he has completed 67.3 percent of his passes for an NFL-leading 4,462 yards. He has thrown 36 touchdowns against just five interceptions.
Rodgers leads the league in touchdown passes with 44, and he has just five interceptions as well.


newsweek--2020-12-27--$2,000 Stimulus Checks Gain Momentum as Republicans, Democrats Press for New Vote

After President Donald Trump signed a COVID-19 stimulus package into law on Sunday night , lawmakers from both sides of the political aisle immediately pressed for a new vote to get $ 2,000 checks to Americans amid the worsening pandemic .
Trump repeatedly criticized the $ 900 billion bipartisan stimulus bill and a $ 1.4 trillion spending bill after both chambers of Congress passed the measures earlier this week following several months of stalled negotiations .
The president opposed the deal , calling it a `` disgrace , '' for only including a `` measly $ 600 '' in direct @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get our great people $ 2000 , '' he tweeted Saturday .
But he backed down on Sunday and signed the bill from his Mar-a-Lago estate , narrowly avoiding a government shutdown .
The president said Republicans have agreed to a new vote on $ 2,000 stimulus checks .
`` On Monday , the House will vote to increase payments to individuals from $ 600 to $ 2,000 , '' he wrote in a statement announcing his decision .
`` Therefore , a family of four would receive $ 5,200 . ''
Some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote for $ 2,000 stimulus checks on Sunday .
Others have already expressed opposition to boosting direct payments , indicating that the party could break with Trump on the record in the coming days .
Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina , a Trump loyalist who publicly supported larger payments after spending time with the president at his Florida golf club on Christmas , applauded the signing .
`` Congress will vote on additional stimulus checks and repealing Section 230—all wins for the American people , '' he tweeted .
`` Well done @ @ @ @ @ @ @ realDonaldTrump tonight says Senate leadership has promised votes on bills to increase the # covid relief payments to $ 2000 for working people AND to terminate # Section230 .
Let 's vote ! ''
said GOP Congressman Josh Hawley of Missouri .
Most Republican senators , including Senate Majority Leader Mitch Mitch McConnell , have remained silent on Trump 's sudden demand to fatten the checks .
Democrats and Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont , an independent , urged Trump to convince Republicans to back the measure on Sunday .
`` Finally .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and his Republican friends in the Senate to pass legislation to provide $ 2,000 in direct payments to the working class , '' Sanders tweeted .
Progressive Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez echoed Sanders ' remark .
`` Great , now he can sign @ RashidaTlaib and I 's amendment to bring the $ 600 checks to $ 2k , '' she tweeted .
`` The House will pass a bill to give Americans $ 2,000 checks .
Then I will move to pass it in the Senate .
No Democrats will object .
Will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chuck Schumer tweeted .
It remains to be seen whether Senate Republicans will pass the $ 2,000 direct payments .
On Thursday , House Republicans blocked an attempt by Democrats in the lower chamber to unanimously pass $ 2,000 checks , an expected move as opposition from fiscally conservative lawmakers had initially limited the payments to $ 600—half the $ 1,200 amount provided for Americans under the CARES Act earlier this year .
McConnell applauded Trump 's `` decision to get hundreds of billions of dollars of crucial COVID-19 relief out the door @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' on Sunday evening , but did not mention the new vote .
Newsweek reached out to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell for further comment .

After President Donald Trump signed a COVID-19 stimulus package into law on Sunday night, lawmakers from both sides of the political aisle immediately pressed for a new vote to get $2,000 checks to Americans amid the worsening pandemic.
Trump repeatedly criticized the $900 billion bipartisan stimulus bill and a $1.4 trillion spending bill after both chambers of Congress passed the measures earlier this week following several months of stalled negotiations. The president opposed the deal, calling it a "disgrace," for only including a "measly $600" in direct payments. "I simply want to get our great people $2000," he tweeted Saturday. But he backed down on Sunday and signed the bill from his Mar-a-Lago estate, narrowly avoiding a government shutdown.
The president said Republicans have agreed to a new vote on $2,000 stimulus checks. "On Monday, the House will vote to increase payments to individuals from $600 to $2,000," he wrote in a statement announcing his decision. "Therefore, a family of four would receive $5,200."
Some GOP lawmakers joined Democrats in pushing the vote for $2,000 stimulus checks on Sunday. Others have already expressed opposition to boosting direct payments, indicating that the party could break with Trump on the record in the coming days.
Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and former Democratic presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders stand together during his campaign event on February 10, 2020. Joe Raedle/Getty
Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a Trump loyalist who publicly supported larger payments after spending time with the president at his Florida golf club on Christmas, applauded the signing. "Congress will vote on additional stimulus checks and repealing Section 230—all wins for the American people," he tweeted. "Well done Mr. President!"
"@realDonaldTrump tonight says Senate leadership has promised votes on bills to increase the #covid relief payments to $2000 for working people AND to terminate #Section230. Let's vote!" said GOP Congressman Josh Hawley of Missouri.
Most Republican senators, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch Mitch McConnell, have remained silent on Trump's sudden demand to fatten the checks. Democrats and Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, an independent, urged Trump to convince Republicans to back the measure on Sunday.
"Finally. Now, Trump must get Mitch McConnell and his Republican friends in the Senate to pass legislation to provide $2,000 in direct payments to the working class," Sanders tweeted.
Progressive Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez echoed Sanders' remark. "Great, now he can sign @RashidaTlaib and I's amendment to bring the $600 checks to $2k," she tweeted.
"The House will pass a bill to give Americans $2,000 checks. Then I will move to pass it in the Senate. No Democrats will object. Will Senate Republicans?" Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer tweeted.
It remains to be seen whether Senate Republicans will pass the $2,000 direct payments. On Thursday, House Republicans blocked an attempt by Democrats in the lower chamber to unanimously pass $2,000 checks, an expected move as opposition from fiscally conservative lawmakers had initially limited the payments to $600—half the $1,200 amount provided for Americans under the CARES Act earlier this year.
McConnell applauded Trump's "decision to get hundreds of billions of dollars of crucial COVID-19 relief out the door and into the hands of American families" on Sunday evening, but did not mention the new vote.
Newsweek reached out to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell for further comment.


newsweek--2020-12-27--Nashville Police Releases Video of Christmas Day Explosion

The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department ( MNPD ) on Sunday evening released one video of the Christmas Day explosion that rocked the downtown area .
MNPD had a camera station at the intersection of 2nd Avenue N and Commerce Street .
A law enforcement officer can be seen walking around the intersection .
At the 17-second mark of the video , a huge explosion and bright fireball can be seen in the background , turning the downtown street into an eerie red color .
Here is the video posted Sunday night by MNPD : MNPD scoured through dozens of hours @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and officials stated that no `` suspicious '' person was ever seen leaving the vehicle that exploded .
This video released Sunday night is just one of many they investigated .
Law enforcement officers first responded to shots being fired around 5:30 a.m. on 2nd Avenue on Christmas morning .
Meanwhile , a suspicious camper van broadcast messages that warned people to leave the area .
MNPD was en route to the scene when the RV exploded outside of an AT & T transmission building .
The blast not only caused extensive damage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it affected cell phone coverage and disrupted hospital and police service systems throughout Tennessee and parts of Alabama and Kentucky .
Authorities have identified Anthony Quinn Warner as the Nashville bomber from Christmas morning and said he died in the explosion that injured three people .
`` Anthony Warner is the bomber , he was present when the bomb went off and he perished in the bombing , '' said U.S. Attorney Donald Cochran at a press briefing Sunday afternoon .
According to WKRN , DNA of human remains from the blast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ explosion happened in a downtown area of Nashville where there were several shops and restaurants .
No motive is known at the time , but authorities are looking into a possible link to Warner 's father 's former employment with BellSouth , which merged into AT & T in 2006 .
`` The fact that the father worked in the same company is definitely a lead investigators would pursue , '' an official , who wished to remain anonymous , told Newsweek .
`` In an investigation of this magnitude it would be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nexus between adverse employment action of the father , and the location of where the bombing took place . ''
There is speculation about Warner 's possible ties to conspiracy theories concerning 5G technology , as previously reported .
`` We 're looking at every possible motive that could be involved , '' said Douglas Korneski , special agent in charge of the FBI 's Memphis field office .
`` It 's just going to take us some time .
Our investigative team is turning over every stone . ''

The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department (MNPD) on Sunday evening released one video of the Christmas Day explosion that rocked the downtown area.
MNPD had a camera station at the intersection of 2nd Avenue N and Commerce Street. A law enforcement officer can be seen walking around the intersection. At the 17-second mark of the video, a huge explosion and bright fireball can be seen in the background, turning the downtown street into an eerie red color.
Here is the video posted Sunday night by MNPD:
This is video of Friday morning's explosion recorded by an MNPD camera at 2nd Ave N & Commerce St. pic.twitter.com/3vaXhoUOAR — Metro Nashville PD (@MNPDNashville) December 28, 2020
MNPD scoured through dozens of hours from surveillance cameras in the area, and officials stated that no "suspicious" person was ever seen leaving the vehicle that exploded.
This video released Sunday night is just one of many they investigated.
Law enforcement officers first responded to shots being fired around 5:30 a.m. on 2nd Avenue on Christmas morning. Meanwhile, a suspicious camper van broadcast messages that warned people to leave the area.
MNPD was en route to the scene when the RV exploded outside of an AT&T transmission building.
This image provided by the Metro Nashville Police Department, a screengrab of surveillance footage, shows the recreational vehicle suspected of being used in the Christmas day bombing on December 25, 2020 in Nashville, Tennessee. Photo by Metro Nashville Police Department via Getty Images
The blast not only caused extensive damage to businesses in the nearby downtown area, it affected cell phone coverage and disrupted hospital and police service systems throughout Tennessee and parts of Alabama and Kentucky.
Authorities have identified Anthony Quinn Warner as the Nashville bomber from Christmas morning and said he died in the explosion that injured three people.
"Anthony Warner is the bomber, he was present when the bomb went off and he perished in the bombing," said U.S. Attorney Donald Cochran at a press briefing Sunday afternoon.
According to WKRN, DNA of human remains from the blast scene matched with Warner's.
The explosion happened in a downtown area of Nashville where there were several shops and restaurants.
No motive is known at the time, but authorities are looking into a possible link to Warner's father's former employment with BellSouth, which merged into AT&T in 2006.
"The fact that the father worked in the same company is definitely a lead investigators would pursue," an official, who wished to remain anonymous, told Newsweek.
"In an investigation of this magnitude it would be logical to see if there is a nexus between adverse employment action of the father, and the location of where the bombing took place."
There is speculation about Warner's possible ties to conspiracy theories concerning 5G technology, as previously reported.
"We're looking at every possible motive that could be involved," said Douglas Korneski, special agent in charge of the FBI's Memphis field office. "It's just going to take us some time. Our investigative team is turning over every stone."


newsweek--2020-12-27--'Attack on Titan' Season 4, Episode 5 Release Date Pushed Back a Week

As anime fans celebrate the New Year , they should know that the next episode of Attack on Titan 's final season wo n't release when they expect .
Episode 4 of the final season of Attack on Titan aired Sunday , December 27 .
Since the premiere of the fourth season on December 6 , a new episode has premiered in Japan and then a few hours later on anime streaming services like Crunchyroll and Funimation each Sunday .
That would suggest that the premiere of the fifth episode of Attack on Titan 's new season would be set @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that 's not actually the case .
According to notable translator Organic Dinosaur , the fifth episode of Attack on Titan wo n't air in Japan on January 3 ; instead , it will miss a week because of New Year 's programming .
While Attack on Titan fans wait for the next episode , they can also check out the premiere of the final season 's English dub .
Funimation announced Wednesday that its English dub of Attack on Titan Season 4 will debut on January 10 , the same day as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Japan .
If you ca n't wait to watch the first dubbed episode of the final season , Toonami—Cartoon Network 's weekly anime block of programming—confirmed that it will air the first dubbed episode of Attack on Titan Season 4 on Saturday , January 9 .
The New Year 's break is a great chance for anime fans to catch up on Attack on Titan before the fifth episode premieres .
All three seasons , including the recap movie , are available on anime streaming services to watch anywhere , at any time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the synopsis for Attack on Titan 's final season : '' It 's been four years since the Scout Regiment reached the shoreline , and the world looks different now .
Things are heating up as the fate of the Scout Regiment — and the people of Paradis — are determined at last .
However , Eren is missing .
Will he reappear before age-old tensions between Marleyans and Eldians result in the war of all wars ? ''
Here 's how to watch every episode of Attack on Titan to get ready @ @ @ @ @ @ @ offering a 14-day free trial of its premium service .
Like with other streaming services , you must sign up for an account and provide payment details .
There is also a free version of Crunchyroll that includes ads .
The Crunchyroll app is also available on PlayStation 4 , PlayStation 5 , Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S , as well as iOS and Android devices .
To watch all Attack on Titan episodes online , you can sign up for FunimationNow , which currently offers a free trial .
You 'll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but the first 14 days will be free .
FunimationNOW is available on iOS and Android devices , as well as the PlayStation and Microsoft stores .
The app is also now available on the Nintendo Switch , so you can watch the final episodes of Attack on Titan anywhere .
Hulu will also host the third episode of Attack on Titan Season 4 .
The streaming service is offering a free trial for new subscribers .
The Hulu app is available on iOS and Android devices , as well as gaming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stores and in the Nintendo eShop .
Hulu can also be downloaded on Roku and Amazon devices .
Certain Smart TVs also have the Hulu app , but we recommend checking in your Smart TV 's particular app store .
Here 's a list of supported devices that carry Hulu .
What do you think of the final season of Attack on Titan so far ?
Let us know in the comments section .

As anime fans celebrate the New Year, they should know that the next episode of Attack on Titan's final season won't release when they expect.
Episode 4 of the final season of Attack on Titan aired Sunday, December 27. Since the premiere of the fourth season on December 6, a new episode has premiered in Japan and then a few hours later on anime streaming services like Crunchyroll and Funimation each Sunday.
That would suggest that the premiere of the fifth episode of Attack on Titan's new season would be set for Sunday, January 3. But that's not actually the case.
According to notable translator Organic Dinosaur, the fifth episode of Attack on Titan won't air in Japan on January 3; instead, it will miss a week because of New Year's programming.
Please note that there will be no scheduled episode broadcast on 1/03 for either SNK: The Final Season or for the Boruto anime~ — OrganicDinosaur 🦖 (@OrganicDinosaur) December 8, 2020
NHK/MAAPA
While Attack on Titan fans wait for the next episode, they can also check out the premiere of the final season's English dub.
Funimation announced Wednesday that its English dub of Attack on Titan Season 4 will debut on January 10, the same day as the premiere of the fifth episode in Japan. If you can't wait to watch the first dubbed episode of the final season, Toonami—Cartoon Network's weekly anime block of programming—confirmed that it will air the first dubbed episode of Attack on Titan Season 4 on Saturday, January 9.
The New Year's break is a great chance for anime fans to catch up on Attack on Titan before the fifth episode premieres. All three seasons, including the recap movie, are available on anime streaming services to watch anywhere, at any time.
As a refresher, here's the synopsis for Attack on Titan's final season:
"It's been four years since the Scout Regiment reached the shoreline, and the world looks different now. Things are heating up as the fate of the Scout Regiment — and the people of Paradis — are determined at last. However, Eren is missing. Will he reappear before age-old tensions between Marleyans and Eldians result in the war of all wars?"
Here's how to watch every episode of Attack on Titan to get ready for the next release:
CRUNCHYROLL
Crunchyroll is offering a 14-day free trial of its premium service. Like with other streaming services, you must sign up for an account and provide payment details. There is also a free version of Crunchyroll that includes ads.
The Crunchyroll app is also available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S, as well as iOS and Android devices.
FUNIMATION
To watch all Attack on Titan episodes online, you can sign up for FunimationNow, which currently offers a free trial. You'll need to register a form of payment, but the first 14 days will be free.
FunimationNOW is available on iOS and Android devices, as well as the PlayStation and Microsoft stores. The app is also now available on the Nintendo Switch, so you can watch the final episodes of Attack on Titan anywhere.
HULU
Hulu will also host the third episode of Attack on Titan Season 4. The streaming service is offering a free trial for new subscribers.
The Hulu app is available on iOS and Android devices, as well as gaming consoles, via the PlayStation and Microsoft stores and in the Nintendo eShop. Hulu can also be downloaded on Roku and Amazon devices.
Certain Smart TVs also have the Hulu app, but we recommend checking in your Smart TV's particular app store. Here's a list of supported devices that carry Hulu.
What do you think of the final season of Attack on Titan so far? Let us know in the comments section.


newsweek--2020-12-28--'Disastrous': Trump Supporters Outraged After President Capitulates on Stimulus Bill

Conservatives , upset over President Donald Trump 's decision to sign the stimulus package on Sunday , took to social media to express their opinions .
Trump indicated in December that he would not pass the legislation as written , calling for Congress to amend certain aspects of the bill .
In addition to calling for an increase in direct assistance payments from $ 600 to $ 2,000 per every eligible American , Trump also called for the removal of other provisions that gave funding to `` wasteful '' projects .
On Sunday , Trump decided to sign the legislation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would provide Congress with a `` redlined version , item by item '' detailing changes he wanted to be made .
Some supporters of the president criticized his decision to sign the bill , including Newsmax host John Cardillo .
`` Trump enabled big govt .
to be more powerful , intrusive , and oppressive when he signed the COVID bill , '' Cardillo tweeted on Monday .
`` It was a disastrous capitulation any way you slice it . ''
`` Right now even though I am a Trump Supporter I am @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' wrote Twitter user Javier Santana on Sunday .
`` It was full of pork with money going into all sorts of slush funds for politicians to get their greedy hands on it .
I feel robbed as an American ! ''
`` Tonight was the end of any remaining hopes—delusional or otherwise—that Trump would remain in office for a second term , '' wrote conservative political commentator Mike Cernovich .
`` He capitulated totally , a pathetic act of weakness leaving a stain on his presidency .
Entered a lion , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pelosi 's favorite mutton . ''
Author David Reaboi called some Trump supporters `` delusional '' in his Monday tweet .
`` My biggest frustration lately with friends also on the Right is , they 're delusional about thinking Trump has leverage , '' Reaboi wrote .
`` He does not .
It 's depressing and infuriating , but whatever control he had over his own government evaporated about a week after Election Day .
Wish it was not so . ''
Conservatives on the social media site Parler also expressed their displeasure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are not happy about Trump signing the spending bill ... '' wrote the Parlertakes Twitter account , embedding a post from a Parler user called David .
`` I 'm out , '' David wrote .
`` I can not support this shit .
I 'm no longer a trump supporter .
Let it all burn to the ground . ''
The stimulus package was tied together with a spending bill that provided funding for the U.S. Government and other federally funded endeavors .
Among the spending allocations criticized by Trump were funding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ organizations and museums .
Despite Trump 's comments that Congress would look at his list of possible rescissions from the legislation , House Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Nita Lowey said Sunday that her committee would not agree to Trump 's requests .
`` President Trump has indicated that he will now send a rescissions package to Congress that aims to reverse funding his own administration requested and undo the careful bipartisan agreement he has just signed , '' Lowey wrote .
`` The House Appropriations Committee has jurisdiction over rescissions , and our Democratic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Trump . ''
Newsweek reached out to the White House and President-elect Joe Biden 's transition team for comment .

Conservatives, upset over President Donald Trump's decision to sign the stimulus package on Sunday, took to social media to express their opinions.
Trump indicated in December that he would not pass the legislation as written, calling for Congress to amend certain aspects of the bill. In addition to calling for an increase in direct assistance payments from $600 to $2,000 per every eligible American, Trump also called for the removal of other provisions that gave funding to "wasteful" projects. On Sunday, Trump decided to sign the legislation as written, although he said he would provide Congress with a "redlined version, item by item" detailing changes he wanted to be made.
Some supporters of the president criticized his decision to sign the bill, including Newsmax host John Cardillo. "Trump enabled big govt. to be more powerful, intrusive, and oppressive when he signed the COVID bill," Cardillo tweeted on Monday. "It was a disastrous capitulation any way you slice it."
Trump enabled big govt. to be more powerful, intrusive, and oppressive when he signed the COVID bill.
It was a disastrous capitulation any way you slice it. — John Cardillo (@johncardillo) December 28, 2020
"Right now even though I am a Trump Supporter I am highly upset Trump signed the stimulus bill," wrote Twitter user Javier Santana on Sunday. "It was full of pork with money going into all sorts of slush funds for politicians to get their greedy hands on it. I feel robbed as an American!"
Right now even though I am a Trump Supporter I am highly upset Trump signed the stimulus bill. It was full of pork with money going into all sorts of slush funds for politicians to get their greedy hands on it. I feel robbed as an American! — Javier Santana (@Teezy91611b) December 28, 2020
"Tonight was the end of any remaining hopes—delusional or otherwise—that Trump would remain in office for a second term," wrote conservative political commentator Mike Cernovich. "He capitulated totally, a pathetic act of weakness leaving a stain on his presidency. Entered a lion, left a lamb. Mitch's and Pelosi's favorite mutton."
Tonight was the end of any remaining hopes - delusional or otherwise - that Trump would remain in office for a second term.
He capitulated totally, a pathetic act of weakness leaving a stain on his presidency.
Entered a lion, left a lamb. Mitch’s and Pelosi’s favorite mutton. — Cerno (@Cernovich) December 28, 2020
Author David Reaboi called some Trump supporters "delusional" in his Monday tweet. "My biggest frustration lately with friends also on the Right is, they're delusional about thinking Trump has leverage," Reaboi wrote. "He does not. It's depressing and infuriating, but whatever control he had over his own government evaporated about a week after Election Day. Wish it was not so."
My biggest frustration lately with friends also on the Right is, they’re delusional about thinking Trump has leverage. He does not. It’s depressing and infuriating, but whatever control he had over his own government evaporated about a week after Election Day. Wish it was not so. https://t.co/0zE2nMvDJD — David Reaboi (@davereaboi) December 28, 2020
Conservatives on the social media site Parler also expressed their displeasure with Trump's decision. "Parlerphiles are not happy about Trump signing the spending bill..." wrote the Parlertakes Twitter account, embedding a post from a Parler user called David.
"I'm out," David wrote. "I cannot support this shit. I'm no longer a trump supporter. Let it all burn to the ground."
Parlerphiles are not happy about Trump signing the spending bill... pic.twitter.com/0NNervQg0q — Parlertakes🇺🇸 (@parlertakes) December 28, 2020
The stimulus package was tied together with a spending bill that provided funding for the U.S. Government and other federally funded endeavors. Among the spending allocations criticized by Trump were funding for foreign countries, and U.S. arts organizations and museums.
Despite Trump's comments that Congress would look at his list of possible rescissions from the legislation, House Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Nita Lowey said Sunday that her committee would not agree to Trump's requests.
"President Trump has indicated that he will now send a rescissions package to Congress that aims to reverse funding his own administration requested and undo the careful bipartisan agreement he has just signed," Lowey wrote. "The House Appropriations Committee has jurisdiction over rescissions, and our Democratic Majority will reject any recissions submitted by President Trump."
Newsweek reached out to the White House and President-elect Joe Biden's transition team for comment.


newsweek--2020-12-28--$2,000 Stimulus Checks Will Pass Senate Tuesday Unless GOP Blocks It, Schumer Says

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer ( D-N.Y. ) said Monday that the upper chamber will pass legislation that would increase stimulus checks from $ 600 to $ 2,000 on Tuesday unless the move is blocked by Republicans .
Schumer 's remarks came shortly after House Democrats , joined by 44 of their Republican colleagues , passed the Caring for Americans with Supplemental Help ( CASH ) Act .
President Donald Trump called checks to be increased last week , although he later signed legislation approving the lower amount .
Democrats quickly agreed to pursue the higher amount .
However , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ move and it is not at all clear whether Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ( R-Ky. ) and the rest of the GOP-controlled Senate will approve the measure .
`` Tomorrow I will move to pass the legislation in the Senate to quickly deliver Americans with $ 2,000 emergency checks .
Every Senate Democrat is for this much-needed increase in emergency financial relief , which can be approved tomorrow if no Republican blocks it—there is no good reason for Senate Republicans to stand in the way , '' Schumer said , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support for these $ 2,000 emergency checks from every corner of the country , '' he added .
`` Leader McConnell ought to make sure Senate Republicans do not stand in the way of helping to meet the needs of American workers and families who are crying out for help . ''
Although resistance to increasing the payment could scupper his plans , Schumer plans to force the Senate to vote on the legislation .
Under the chamber 's rules , any one member can request a vote .
However , approval would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to succeed , since any other member can also block the request .
If the chamber does vote on the measure , it could force Republican senators to choose between proving loyalty to Trump and their own party 's traditional reluctance to increase government spending due to conservative fiscal policies .
Given that Congress has not been unanimous in its support for stimulus checks of any amount , Schumer 's effort to force a vote is expected to fail .
Sen. Ron Johnson ( R-Wis. ) has already blocked two efforts to provide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the amount was too high .
Support for the CASH Act was also far from unanimous in the House , passing on a vote of 275-134 .
The 130 House Republicans who voted against the increase were joined by two Independents and two Democrats who broke ranks , including Rep. Kurt Schrader ( D-Ore. ) , who told Newsweek that the measure was `` a gratuitous political gesture that threatens our children 's future for short term political gain . ''
Newsweek reached out to McConnell 's office for comment .

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said Monday that the upper chamber will pass legislation that would increase stimulus checks from $600 to $2,000 on Tuesday unless the move is blocked by Republicans.
Schumer's remarks came shortly after House Democrats, joined by 44 of their Republican colleagues, passed the Caring for Americans with Supplemental Help (CASH) Act. President Donald Trump called checks to be increased last week, although he later signed legislation approving the lower amount. Democrats quickly agreed to pursue the higher amount. However, there has been some resistance to the move and it is not at all clear whether Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and the rest of the GOP-controlled Senate will approve the measure.
"Tomorrow I will move to pass the legislation in the Senate to quickly deliver Americans with $2,000 emergency checks. Every Senate Democrat is for this much-needed increase in emergency financial relief, which can be approved tomorrow if no Republican blocks it—there is no good reason for Senate Republicans to stand in the way," Schumer said, according to The Hill.
"There's strong support for these $2,000 emergency checks from every corner of the country," he added. "Leader McConnell ought to make sure Senate Republicans do not stand in the way of helping to meet the needs of American workers and families who are crying out for help."
Although resistance to increasing the payment could scupper his plans, Schumer plans to force the Senate to vote on the legislation. Under the chamber's rules, any one member can request a vote. However, approval would have to be unanimous for the maneuver to succeed, since any other member can also block the request.
If the chamber does vote on the measure, it could force Republican senators to choose between proving loyalty to Trump and their own party's traditional reluctance to increase government spending due to conservative fiscal policies.
Given that Congress has not been unanimous in its support for stimulus checks of any amount, Schumer's effort to force a vote is expected to fail. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) has already blocked two efforts to provide $1,200 checks this month, insisting the amount was too high.
Support for the CASH Act was also far from unanimous in the House, passing on a vote of 275-134. The 130 House Republicans who voted against the increase were joined by two Independents and two Democrats who broke ranks, including Rep. Kurt Schrader (D-Ore.), who told Newsweek that the measure was "a gratuitous political gesture that threatens our children's future for short term political gain."
Newsweek reached out to McConnell's office for comment.