newsweek--2020-11-16--Georgia Secretary of State Calls for Resignation of County Election Director After 2,600 Ballots Dis

Georgia Secretary of State Calls for Resignation of County Election Director After 2,600 Ballots Discovered

After an audit revealed 2,600 ballots that were not counted in the November presidential election , the Georgia Secretary of State 's Office called for the resignation of a county election official on Monday .
The ballots were discovered during a hand recount of the state 's votes .
President Donald Trump 's re-election campaign had filed lawsuits in several battleground states , including Georgia , alleging impropriety during the election process .
The race between Trump and projected President-elect Joe Biden remained tight with the Associated Press showing Biden ahead of Trump on Monday night by three-tenths of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against rigged voting machines being a factor in his projected loss , state election official Gabriel Sterling said Monday the uncounted ballots were a result of human error .
`` There was no issues with any of the equipment ; they just did n't scan these ballots , it looks like , or the card was not put through properly , '' Sterling said .
Describing the error as an `` amazing blunder , '' Gabriel said that the Secretary of State 's office would like to see Floyd County elections director Robert @ @ @ @ @ @ @ too important of an issue to have allowed to happen this way . ''
Newsweek reached out to the Floyd County Board of Elections and Registration for comment .
Sterling said that the newly-discovered ballots only changed the margin between Trump and Biden by roughly 800 votes , a number insufficient to alter the projected outcome of the Georgia election .
An investigator has already been called in to find out why the ballots were not tabulated .
Discrepancies of this nature have not been found in any other Georgia county so far @ @ @ @ @ @ @ widespread election manipulation , although those claims have been mostly unsubstantiated .
Many lawsuits filed by Trump 's re-election campaign disputing the legality of the voting process have been dismissed by judges .
On Wednesday , Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger ordered a hand recount of all presidential ballots statewide in order to `` build confidence '' in the results .
Some members of the GOP have asserted that Raffensperger was complicit in alleged election fraud in Georgia .
Republican Georgia Senators Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue called for Raffensperger 's resignation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election process had been mismanaged .
`` The mismanagement and lack of transparency from the Secretary of State is unacceptable , '' Loeffler and Perdue wrote in a joint statement .
`` Honest elections are paramount to the foundation of our democracy .
The Secretary of State has failed to deliver honest and transparent elections .
He has failed the people of Georgia , and he should step down immediately . ''
Raffensberger responded to Loeffler and Perdue 's request by saying that his resignation was `` not going to happen . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and the voters will be the one to fire me , '' Raffensperger said .

After an audit revealed 2,600 ballots that were not counted in the November presidential election, the Georgia Secretary of State's Office called for the resignation of a county election official on Monday.
The ballots were discovered during a hand recount of the state's votes. President Donald Trump's re-election campaign had filed lawsuits in several battleground states, including Georgia, alleging impropriety during the election process. The race between Trump and projected President-elect Joe Biden remained tight with the Associated Press showing Biden ahead of Trump on Monday night by three-tenths of a percentage point. Although Trump has railed against rigged voting machines being a factor in his projected loss, state election official Gabriel Sterling said Monday the uncounted ballots were a result of human error.
"There was no issues with any of the equipment; they just didn't scan these ballots, it looks like, or the card was not put through properly," Sterling said.
Describing the error as an "amazing blunder," Gabriel said that the Secretary of State's office would like to see Floyd County elections director Robert Brady step down "because this was too important of an issue to have allowed to happen this way."
Newsweek reached out to the Floyd County Board of Elections and Registration for comment.
Georgia state election official Gabriel Sterling said Monday that a county elections board failed to scan 2,600 ballots cast in November's presidential election. Megan Varner/Getty
Sterling said that the newly-discovered ballots only changed the margin between Trump and Biden by roughly 800 votes, a number insufficient to alter the projected outcome of the Georgia election. An investigator has already been called in to find out why the ballots were not tabulated. Discrepancies of this nature have not been found in any other Georgia county so far.
Trump blamed Biden's win on widespread election manipulation, although those claims have been mostly unsubstantiated. Many lawsuits filed by Trump's re-election campaign disputing the legality of the voting process have been dismissed by judges. On Wednesday, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger ordered a hand recount of all presidential ballots statewide in order to "build confidence" in the results.
Some members of the GOP have asserted that Raffensperger was complicit in alleged election fraud in Georgia. Republican Georgia Senators Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue called for Raffensperger's resignation in November, claiming that Georgia's election process had been mismanaged.
"The mismanagement and lack of transparency from the Secretary of State is unacceptable," Loeffler and Perdue wrote in a joint statement. "Honest elections are paramount to the foundation of our democracy. The Secretary of State has failed to deliver honest and transparent elections. He has failed the people of Georgia, and he should step down immediately."
Raffensberger responded to Loeffler and Perdue's request by saying that his resignation was "not going to happen."
"The voters of Georgia hired me, and the voters will be the one to fire me," Raffensperger said.


newsweek--2020-11-16--Hate Crimes Under Trump Surged Nearly 20 Percent Says FBI Report

Hate crimes have surged nearly 20 percent during the administration of President Donald Trump , according to a new FBI report on hate crime statistics .
The report also shows that hate-motivated murders , largely committed by white supremacists , spiked to their highest number in 28 years .
The FBI 's annual reports on hate crime statistics show that hate crimes have increased from 6,121 incidents in 2016 to 7,314 in 2019 , a 19.49 percent increase .
Hate-motivated murders spiked to a total of 51 in 2019 , the highest number in nearly 3 decades , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conducted by the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism ( CSHE ) at California State University .
The next-highest number of hate-motivated murders occurred in 2018 with 24 murders .
The third-highest number occurred in 1993 and 1995 , with 20 murders happening each of those years .
The 2019 tally of total hate crimes represents the highest level reported by the FBI in almost a decade .
The second-highest annual total of hate crime incidents in the last decade occurred in 2010 with 7,699 incidents .
Of 2019 's hate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ race , ethnicity or ancestry ; 20.1 percent were motivated by religion ; 16.7 percent were motivated by sexual orientation ; 2.7 percent by gender identity ; 2 percent by disability and 0.9 percent by gender .
These percentages all fall within 2 percent points of previous totals reported by the FBI over the last four years .
A majority of the hate crime incidents occurred in California , New York , Washington , New Jersey and Texas .
The greatest increases happened amongst Black people , Jewish people , gay men and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crimes involved assault or destruction or vandalism of property , the next most reported type of hate-motivated crimes were theft and robbery .
The CSHE found that 39 of the 51 hate-motivated murder victims in 2019 were killed by white supremacists , including the 23 victims killed in the August 3 , 2019 mass shooting in El Paso , Texas .
Murders committed by white supremacists have gradually increased under Trump , from 3 in 2016 to 12 in 2017 and then 17 in 2018 .
Generally speaking , hate crimes fell during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from 7,783 incidents in 2008 to 6,121 by the end of his presidency in 2016 , a difference of over 21 percent .
The FBI 's latest report on hate crimes was compiled using data from 15,588 law enforcement agencies detailing each hate crime 's incident , victims , offenders and location .
In total , the agencies reported 7,314 criminal incidents and 8,559 related offenses motivated by bias against someone 's race , ethnicity , ancestry , religion , sexual orientation , disability , gender and gender identity .
Nikki Singh—a spokesperson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Coalition—told Voice of America that the FBI 's figures likely lower than the actual number of hate-motivated incidents as targeted communities may avoid reporting incidents to legal authorities for fear of continued discrimination .

Hate crimes have surged nearly 20 percent during the administration of President Donald Trump, according to a new FBI report on hate crime statistics. The report also shows that hate-motivated murders, largely committed by white supremacists, spiked to their highest number in 28 years.
The FBI's annual reports on hate crime statistics show that hate crimes have increased from 6,121 incidents in 2016 to 7,314 in 2019, a 19.49 percent increase.
Hate-motivated murders spiked to a total of 51 in 2019, the highest number in nearly 3 decades, according to an analysis of the FBI's data conducted by the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism (CSHE) at California State University. The next-highest number of hate-motivated murders occurred in 2018 with 24 murders. The third-highest number occurred in 1993 and 1995, with 20 murders happening each of those years.
The 2019 tally of total hate crimes represents the highest level reported by the FBI in almost a decade. The second-highest annual total of hate crime incidents in the last decade occurred in 2010 with 7,699 incidents.
Hate crimes have increased 19.49 percent during the Trump administration, according to newly released statistics from the FBI. In this photo illustration, a knife-wielding attacker threatens a walking person. MrKornFlakes/Getty
Of 2019's hate crimes, 57.6 percent were motivated by race, ethnicity or ancestry; 20.1 percent were motivated by religion; 16.7 percent were motivated by sexual orientation; 2.7 percent by gender identity; 2 percent by disability and 0.9 percent by gender.
These percentages all fall within 2 percent points of previous totals reported by the FBI over the last four years.
A majority of the hate crime incidents occurred in California, New York, Washington, New Jersey and Texas.
The greatest increases happened amongst Black people, Jewish people, gay men and Latinos. While a majority of the crimes involved assault or destruction or vandalism of property, the next most reported type of hate-motivated crimes were theft and robbery.
The CSHE found that 39 of the 51 hate-motivated murder victims in 2019 were killed by white supremacists, including the 23 victims killed in the August 3, 2019 mass shooting in El Paso, Texas. Murders committed by white supremacists have gradually increased under Trump, from 3 in 2016 to 12 in 2017 and then 17 in 2018.
Generally speaking, hate crimes fell during the administration of former-President Barack Obama, from 7,783 incidents in 2008 to 6,121 by the end of his presidency in 2016, a difference of over 21 percent.
The FBI's latest report on hate crimes was compiled using data from 15,588 law enforcement agencies detailing each hate crime's incident, victims, offenders and location. In total, the agencies reported 7,314 criminal incidents and 8,559 related offenses motivated by bias against someone's race, ethnicity, ancestry, religion, sexual orientation, disability, gender and gender identity.
Nikki Singh—a spokesperson with human rights organization, the Sikh Coalition—told Voice of America that the FBI's figures likely lower than the actual number of hate-motivated incidents as targeted communities may avoid reporting incidents to legal authorities for fear of continued discrimination.


newsweek--2020-11-16--Lindsey Graham Denies Urging Georgia Election Official to Toss Out Legal Absentee Ballots: 'That's R

Lindsey Graham Denies Urging Georgia Election Official to Toss Out Legal Absentee Ballots: 'That's Ridiculous'

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham on Monday denied an allegation that he and other Republicans have pressured Georgia 's top election official to toss out legal absentee ballots in a bid to overturn President-elect Joe Biden 's slim win in the Peach State .
`` That 's ridiculous , '' the South Carolina lawmaker told reporters on Capitol Hill about the claim from Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger , who is also a Republican .
`` What I 'm trying to find out was , how do you verify signatures on mail-in ballots in these states that are just the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Washington Post that apart from Graham 's inquiry into Georgia 's signature-matching process , the Senate Judiciary Committee chairman and Trump confidant also asked whether Raffensperger had the ability to invalidate all mail-in ballots in counties that have higher rates of nonmatching signatures .
Biden leads Trump by little more than 14,100 votes in Georgia , which has n't voted for a Democratic presidential candidate since Bill Clinton in 1996 .
The state is amid a post-election audit that is being conducted by hand .
Raffensperger told the outlet that he was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Graham `` was wanting to '' toss out ballots that were legally cast .
Only a court possesses the authority to do so , Raffensperger added .
Graham denied that he ever made such a request and questioned the newspaper 's reporting , despite Raffensperger 's interview being on the record .
`` I do n't trust The Washington Post on anything , '' Graham responded when pressed by Newsweek about Raffensperger 's remarks .
`` He needs to call me , tell me that .
Until he calls me and tells @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to believe a word .
I had a very pleasant conversation with him .
I actually enjoyed talking with him . ''
Graham 's concern about the matching signatures echoed the baseless claims that have been levied by Republicans and President Donald Trump about widespread election fraud in battleground states .
Georgia 's two GOP senators—Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue , who are in high-stake runoff races slated for January 5 that could determine which party controls the Senate—have called on Raffensperger to resign over assertions that he has mishandled vote irregularities , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Graham said Trump did not ask him to phone Raffensperger and that he did not brief the president about the conversation afterward .
`` I actually thought it was a good conversation , '' Graham said .
`` I learned a lot about it .
Rather than hearing all these internet things , I just called the guy and say , 'how does it work , how can you make it better ? '
'' The Post also reported that on Friday , the same day Graham and Raffensperger spoke , a federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ local lawyer and Trump supporter that questioned the state 's signature-matching process and rules for voters to correct errors .
Raffensperger told The Post he will fight the lawsuit , citing a concern for voters ' ballot privacy .
Trump also tweeted that same day , falsely claiming he `` won the state '' even after it was called for Biden .
`` Georgia Secretary of State , a so-called Republican ( RINO ) , wo n't let the people checking the ballots see the signatures for fraud .
Why ? ''
the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whole process is very unfair and close to meaningless .
Everyone knows that we won the state . ''

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham on Monday denied an allegation that he and other Republicans have pressured Georgia's top election official to toss out legal absentee ballots in a bid to overturn President-elect Joe Biden's slim win in the Peach State.
"That's ridiculous," the South Carolina lawmaker told reporters on Capitol Hill about the claim from Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who is also a Republican. "What I'm trying to find out was, how do you verify signatures on mail-in ballots in these states that are just the center of attention?"
Raffensperger told The Washington Post that apart from Graham's inquiry into Georgia's signature-matching process, the Senate Judiciary Committee chairman and Trump confidant also asked whether Raffensperger had the ability to invalidate all mail-in ballots in counties that have higher rates of nonmatching signatures.
Biden leads Trump by little more than 14,100 votes in Georgia, which hasn't voted for a Democratic presidential candidate since Bill Clinton in 1996. The state is amid a post-election audit that is being conducted by hand.
Raffensperger told the outlet that he was stunned and it "sure looked like" Graham "was wanting to" toss out ballots that were legally cast. Only a court possesses the authority to do so, Raffensperger added.
Graham denied that he ever made such a request and questioned the newspaper's reporting, despite Raffensperger's interview being on the record.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-SC, speaks during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on a probe of the FBIs Russia investigation on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC on November 10. Photo by SUSAN WALSH/POOL/AFP/Getty
"I don't trust The Washington Post on anything," Graham responded when pressed by Newsweek about Raffensperger's remarks. "He needs to call me, tell me that. Until he calls me and tells me that, I'm not going to believe a word. I had a very pleasant conversation with him. I actually enjoyed talking with him."
Graham's concern about the matching signatures echoed the baseless claims that have been levied by Republicans and President Donald Trump about widespread election fraud in battleground states. Georgia's two GOP senators—Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue, who are in high-stake runoff races slated for January 5 that could determine which party controls the Senate—have called on Raffensperger to resign over assertions that he has mishandled vote irregularities, despite no evidence of irregularities occurring.
Graham said Trump did not ask him to phone Raffensperger and that he did not brief the president about the conversation afterward.
"I actually thought it was a good conversation," Graham said. "I learned a lot about it. Rather than hearing all these internet things, I just called the guy and say, 'how does it work, how can you make it better?'"
The Post also reported that on Friday, the same day Graham and Raffensperger spoke, a federal lawsuit was filed in Georgia by a local lawyer and Trump supporter that questioned the state's signature-matching process and rules for voters to correct errors. Raffensperger told The Post he will fight the lawsuit, citing a concern for voters' ballot privacy.
Trump also tweeted that same day, falsely claiming he "won the state" even after it was called for Biden.
"Georgia Secretary of State, a so-called Republican (RINO), won't let the people checking the ballots see the signatures for fraud. Why?" the president wrote. "Without this the whole process is very unfair and close to meaningless. Everyone knows that we won the state."


newsweek--2020-11-16--About 2,600 Unscanned Ballots Discovered in Georgia Election Recount

Election officials in Georgia discovered approximately 2,600 unscanned ballots during the state 's election audit , which is currently being conducted by hand .
Gabriel Sterling , the state 's voting system implementation manager , told reporters during a virtual news conference on Monday that the blunder in Floyd County was the only such incident of its kind discovered during the statewide audit thus far .
`` It looks like it was half of an early vote box , essentially , that did not get uploaded into their election night recording system , '' Sterling said .
`` It 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ equipment issue–it 's a person not executing their job properly . ''
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger has called upon the Floyd County elections director to step down in light of the discovery , Sterling said .
`` This was too important of an issue to be allowed to happen this way , '' Sterling said .
The addition of those previously untallied ballots resulted in an approximately 800-vote gain for President Donald Trump in Georgia , Sterling said .
That gain alone will not be enough for Trump to overtake President-elect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ approximately 14,000 votes in the state before the unscanned Floyd County votes were discovered .
Sterling said an elections investigator has been sent to Floyd County to determine how the mishap occurred .
`` They had these ballots in their ballot manifests , '' Sterling said of Floyd County .
`` They had them there , and they were counted in the audit .
When they finished the audit , they had , like , 41,000 votes .
On the election night reporting , they only had 38,000 votes .
And that 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rees , the chairman of Floyd County 's Board of Elections , told Newsweek that county election officials scanned all ballots during the initial vote count .
`` Our audit total completed Saturday did show an increase of about 2,600 more ballots than what was reported on election night , '' Rees told Newsweek .
`` We did scan everything on Election Day so these are not extra ballots .
`` We are working with a Dominion rep to try to find out what caused this discrepancy , '' Rees said , referring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ used in Georgia and in 27 other states across the country .
`` We have narrowed it down to one early voting location where we did have a problem with one of the vote scanners .
We will go at it again tomorrow and hopefully find where the problem is . ''
Sterling said state election officials were `` perturbed '' when they learned of the uncounted ballots .
`` There is no good explanation as to why you would n't upload those numbers , other than just gross incompetence , '' he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ national race for Biden on November 7 , Trump has yet to concede , and his campaign has filed lawsuits questioning the election outcome in several states .
Georgia has been of particular interest this election cycle due to the slim margin with which Biden leads and Georgia 's history as a traditionally red state .
The last time a Democratic presidential candidate won Georgia was in 1992 .
When Raffensperger announced last week that the statewide recount would be done by hand , he said he expected it could be completed by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said that allegations of widespread voter fraud are unsubstantiated , though both have said election officials will continue to investigate such allegations , as well as those of ballot mishandling , as the recount continues .

Election officials in Georgia discovered approximately 2,600 unscanned ballots during the state's election audit, which is currently being conducted by hand.
Gabriel Sterling, the state's voting system implementation manager, told reporters during a virtual news conference on Monday that the blunder in Floyd County was the only such incident of its kind discovered during the statewide audit thus far.
"It looks like it was half of an early vote box, essentially, that did not get uploaded into their election night recording system," Sterling said. "It's unfortunate, but it's not an equipment issue–it's a person not executing their job properly."
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger has called upon the Floyd County elections director to step down in light of the discovery, Sterling said. "This was too important of an issue to be allowed to happen this way," Sterling said.
Members of the Gwinnett County adjudication review panel look over remaining scanned ballots at the Gwinnett Voter Registrations and Elections office on November 8, 2020 in Lawrenceville, Georgia. On Monday, state election officials announced that approximately 2,600 ballots were not initially scanned in Floyd County. Jessica McGowan/Getty
The addition of those previously untallied ballots resulted in an approximately 800-vote gain for President Donald Trump in Georgia, Sterling said. That gain alone will not be enough for Trump to overtake President-elect Joe Biden, who led Trump by approximately 14,000 votes in the state before the unscanned Floyd County votes were discovered.
Sterling said an elections investigator has been sent to Floyd County to determine how the mishap occurred.
"They had these ballots in their ballot manifests," Sterling said of Floyd County. "They had them there, and they were counted in the audit. When they finished the audit, they had, like, 41,000 votes. On the election night reporting, they only had 38,000 votes. And that's how it was discovered."
Tom Rees, the chairman of Floyd County's Board of Elections, told Newsweek that county election officials scanned all ballots during the initial vote count.
"Our audit total completed Saturday did show an increase of about 2,600 more ballots than what was reported on election night," Rees told Newsweek. "We did scan everything on Election Day so these are not extra ballots.
"We are working with a Dominion rep to try to find out what caused this discrepancy," Rees said, referring to the company that operates voting machines used in Georgia and in 27 other states across the country. "We have narrowed it down to one early voting location where we did have a problem with one of the vote scanners. We will go at it again tomorrow and hopefully find where the problem is."
Sterling said state election officials were "perturbed" when they learned of the uncounted ballots. "There is no good explanation as to why you wouldn't upload those numbers, other than just gross incompetence," he said.
Though official sources called the national race for Biden on November 7, Trump has yet to concede, and his campaign has filed lawsuits questioning the election outcome in several states. Georgia has been of particular interest this election cycle due to the slim margin with which Biden leads and Georgia's history as a traditionally red state. The last time a Democratic presidential candidate won Georgia was in 1992.
When Raffensperger announced last week that the statewide recount would be done by hand, he said he expected it could be completed by November 20. Raffensperger and Sterling have said that allegations of widespread voter fraud are unsubstantiated, though both have said election officials will continue to investigate such allegations, as well as those of ballot mishandling, as the recount continues.


newsweek--2020-11-16--California to Impose Harshest COVID Restrictions for 94% of Its Residents

California Governor Gavin Newsom said Monday that the vast majority of the those who live in the state will be facing increased public health restrictions as COVID-19 continues to surge .
Newsom announced that an `` emergency brake '' was being pulled on the state 's `` Blueprint for a Safer Economy '' guidelines , in response to a COVID-19 surge that has seen daily cases double over the past week .
More than 94 percent of the state 's population live in counties that meet the `` purple '' risk level , the tier with the most restrictive public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the alarm , '' Newsom said in a statement obtained by Newsweek .
`` California is experiencing the fastest increase in cases we have seen yet –faster than what we experienced at the outset of the pandemic or even this summer .
The spread of COVID-19 , if left unchecked , could quickly overwhelm our health care system and lead to catastrophic outcomes . ''
`` That is why we are pulling an emergency brake in the Blueprint for a Safer Economy , '' he added .
`` Now is the time to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all levels and Californians across the state – to flatten the curve again as we have done before . ''
A `` widespread '' public health risk now exists in 41 of the state 's 58 counties , with 28 counties that had previously seen their risk level reduced moving back to the purple level .
Another nine counties are moving into the `` red '' risk level , presenting a `` substantial '' risk , while two counties are moving to the `` orange , '' or moderate , risk level .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ implement the new restrictions , which include closing houses of worship , gyms , movie theaters and dine-in services at restaurants at the most restrictive tier .
With a few exceptions , the state is also requiring residents to wear face masks when they leave their homes .
California had over 1,032,000 COVID-19 cases , including more than 18,000 deaths , as of Monday , having eclipsed 1 million cases last week , according to Johns Hopkins University .
Testing has increased significantly while cases have climbed , with a 4.8 percent positivity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the average U.S. positivity rate , although the rate has sharply increased over the past few weeks .
`` The data we are seeing is very concerning .
We are in the midst of a surge , and time is of the essence .
Every day matters and every decision matters , '' California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly said .
`` Personal decisions are critical , and I am I imploring every Californian to stay home if they can , wear a mask whenever they leave their homes , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wash their hands . ''
Texas is the only other state to have surpassed 1 million COVID-19 cases , with more than 1,059,000 cases and over 20,000 deaths as of Monday .
The Lone Star State has a positivity rate that more than doubles that of California at 12.7 percent , while Kansas has the country 's highest testing positivity rate of 58.7 percent .
Nationally , over 1 million new cases have been added in the past week alone , with more than 100,000 cases being added per day during most of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to COVID-19 .
More than 68,000 were hospitalized with the virus as of Monday .

California Governor Gavin Newsom said Monday that the vast majority of the those who live in the state will be facing increased public health restrictions as COVID-19 continues to surge.
Newsom announced that an "emergency brake" was being pulled on the state's "Blueprint for a Safer Economy" guidelines, in response to a COVID-19 surge that has seen daily cases double over the past week. More than 94 percent of the state's population live in counties that meet the "purple" risk level, the tier with the most restrictive public health measures.
"We are sounding the alarm," Newsom said in a statement obtained by Newsweek. "California is experiencing the fastest increase in cases we have seen yet –faster than what we experienced at the outset of the pandemic or even this summer. The spread of COVID-19, if left unchecked, could quickly overwhelm our health care system and lead to catastrophic outcomes."
"That is why we are pulling an emergency brake in the Blueprint for a Safer Economy," he added. "Now is the time to do all we can – government at all levels and Californians across the state – to flatten the curve again as we have done before."
California Governor Gavin Newsom speaks during a press conference in Oakland, California on January 16, 2020 Justin Sullivan/Getty
A "widespread" public health risk now exists in 41 of the state's 58 counties, with 28 counties that had previously seen their risk level reduced moving back to the purple level. Another nine counties are moving into the "red" risk level, presenting a "substantial" risk, while two counties are moving to the "orange," or moderate, risk level.
The counties will have until Tuesday to implement the new restrictions, which include closing houses of worship, gyms, movie theaters and dine-in services at restaurants at the most restrictive tier. With a few exceptions, the state is also requiring residents to wear face masks when they leave their homes.
California had over 1,032,000 COVID-19 cases, including more than 18,000 deaths, as of Monday, having eclipsed 1 million cases last week, according to Johns Hopkins University. Testing has increased significantly while cases have climbed, with a 4.8 percent positivity rate that is less than half of the average U.S. positivity rate, although the rate has sharply increased over the past few weeks.
"The data we are seeing is very concerning. We are in the midst of a surge, and time is of the essence. Every day matters and every decision matters," California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly said. "Personal decisions are critical, and I am I imploring every Californian to stay home if they can, wear a mask whenever they leave their homes, limit mixing, practice physical distancing and wash their hands."
Texas is the only other state to have surpassed 1 million COVID-19 cases, with more than 1,059,000 cases and over 20,000 deaths as of Monday. The Lone Star State has a positivity rate that more than doubles that of California at 12.7 percent, while Kansas has the country's highest testing positivity rate of 58.7 percent.
Nationally, over 1 million new cases have been added in the past week alone, with more than 100,000 cases being added per day during most of November. Over 246,000 have died due to COVID-19. More than 68,000 were hospitalized with the virus as of Monday.


newsweek--2020-11-16--Joe Biden Says 'Nothing Macho' About Not Wearing Masks: 'We're at War'

President-elect Joe Biden reminded Americans that the U.S. is `` at war '' with the coronavirus and encouraged people to wear face masks during the upcoming holidays .
Biden has encouraged Americans to wear face masks to help curb the spread of the coronavirus .
President Donald Trump has offered mixed messages on mask wearing , often declining to wear one in public .
During his Monday remarks , Biden underlined the importance of wearing masks and the continuing threat of the coronavirus .
`` I just want to make sure that we 're able to be together next Thanksgiving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` It is an international crisis , it 's an international health crisis .
We 're at war with the virus , and it is , we 're at war for real . ''
`` There 's nothing macho about not wearing a mask , '' Biden added , calling back to a remark he made in May about Trump 's apparent distaste for wearing a face mask .
`` It 's just absolutely this macho stuff , '' Biden said .
`` It 's cost people 's lives . ''
Echoing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recommended holding Thanksgiving celebrations with a maximum of 10 people in attendance , observing social distancing and wearing face masks .
Newsweek reached out to the Biden transition team for further comment .
Biden has expressed support for a national mask mandate , although that may not be something he could enact as president .
Public health laws are currently enforceable on a state level but not a federal level , bringing the legality of a national mask mandate into question .
However , Biden said in October that his administration would mandate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
During an August speech , Biden said that if a nationwide mask mandate were enacted , `` the estimates are that we will save 40,000 lives in the next three months once that is done . ''
Trump criticized Biden 's support of a mask mandate during a coronavirus task force meeting in August .
`` We do not need to bring the full weight of the federal government down on law-abiding Americans to accomplish this goal , '' Trump said .
Republican Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts said on Tuesday that should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Biden administration , he would not support it .
`` If President-elect Biden is indeed confirmed to be the next president , and he approaches me about a mask mandate , '' Ricketts said , `` I would not be going along with a mask mandate . ''
Infectious diseases expert Dr. Anthony Fauci said during an October appearance on CNN that a nationwide mask mandate would be `` a great idea . ''
`` There 's going to be difficulty enforcing it , '' Fauci said , `` but if everyone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ important , and they mandate it and everybody pulls together and says , you know , we 're going to mandate it but let 's just do it , I think that would be a great idea . ''
Recent data indicated 11,503,287 positive cases of the coronavirus since the beginning of the pandemic with 252,441 fatalities attributable to COVID-19 .

President-elect Joe Biden reminded Americans that the U.S. is "at war" with the coronavirus and encouraged people to wear face masks during the upcoming holidays.
Biden has encouraged Americans to wear face masks to help curb the spread of the coronavirus. President Donald Trump has offered mixed messages on mask wearing, often declining to wear one in public. During his Monday remarks, Biden underlined the importance of wearing masks and the continuing threat of the coronavirus.
"I just want to make sure that we're able to be together next Thanksgiving, next Christmas," Biden said. "It is an international crisis, it's an international health crisis. We're at war with the virus, and it is, we're at war for real."
"There's nothing macho about not wearing a mask," Biden added, calling back to a remark he made in May about Trump's apparent distaste for wearing a face mask. "It's just absolutely this macho stuff," Biden said. "It's cost people's lives."
Echoing the advice of health experts, Biden recommended holding Thanksgiving celebrations with a maximum of 10 people in attendance, observing social distancing and wearing face masks.
Newsweek reached out to the Biden transition team for further comment.
President-elect Joe Biden named mandatory masking as an important part of the U.S. economic recovery during a Monday address. Joe Raedle/Getty
Biden has expressed support for a national mask mandate, although that may not be something he could enact as president. Public health laws are currently enforceable on a state level but not a federal level, bringing the legality of a national mask mandate into question. However, Biden said in October that his administration would mandate masks on federally-owned property and public transportation.
During an August speech, Biden said that if a nationwide mask mandate were enacted, "the estimates are that we will save 40,000 lives in the next three months once that is done."
Trump criticized Biden's support of a mask mandate during a coronavirus task force meeting in August. "We do not need to bring the full weight of the federal government down on law-abiding Americans to accomplish this goal," Trump said.
Republican Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts said on Tuesday that should a national mask mandate be enacted under a Biden administration, he would not support it.
"If President-elect Biden is indeed confirmed to be the next president, and he approaches me about a mask mandate," Ricketts said, "I would not be going along with a mask mandate."
Infectious diseases expert Dr. Anthony Fauci said during an October appearance on CNN that a nationwide mask mandate would be "a great idea."
"There's going to be difficulty enforcing it," Fauci said, "but if everyone agrees that this is something that's important, and they mandate it and everybody pulls together and says, you know, we're going to mandate it but let's just do it, I think that would be a great idea."
Recent data indicated 11,503,287 positive cases of the coronavirus since the beginning of the pandemic with 252,441 fatalities attributable to COVID-19.


newsweek--2020-11-16--Rural Americans, Once 8 Times Less Likely to Die From COVID, Now Nearly 2.5 Times More Likely

When the coronavirus outbreak hit the U.S. in March , it was major cities like New York and Seattle that saw alarming rates of cases and deaths .
But as the nation moves into a so-called third-wave of the pandemic , rural Americans are now the ones being disproportionately affected by COVID-19 .
Analyzing the average death rate in non-metropolitan areas over the last 14 days , those living in rural areas are shown to be dying at a rate that is nearly 2.5 times higher than those living in metropolitan areas .
Data from the Centers for Diseases and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in metropolitan areas is 0.23 , compared with the 0.55 rate in non-metropolitan areas .
The impact on those living in rural areas versus urban areas seems to have swapped over the course of the pandemic .
In the first two weeks of the pandemic , between March 19 and April 2 , Americans in metropolitan areas were eight times more likely to die from COVID-19 compared to their rural counterparts .
However , as the nation faced a second wave over the summer , death rates in urban cities and rural towns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first week of August , death rates among Americans living in metropolitan areas and non-metropolitan areas was roughly the same .
By August 9 , the death rate of rural Americans had surpassed that of Americans living in urban areas—and the gap between the two has only continued to widen .
Americans who had previously been eight times less likely to die from COVID-19 are now nearly 2.5 times more likely to .
As cases began to rise over the summer in these locations , the CDC stated that the 46 million Americans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to these individuals ' greater likelihood of being in the high-risk category and having relatively less access to health care .
`` Worries about the consequences of COVID-19 outbreaks in rural areas of the US go back to the beginning of the pandemic , '' Charles DiMaggio , an injury epidemiologist at New York University , told Newsweek .
`` The rates of people with conditions that put them at risk of severe disease , things like high blood pressure and obesity , are higher than in urban areas .
Rural residents are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disabilities .
Couple that with fewer hospitals and ICU beds and it is a potentially disastrous scenario . ''
`` There are some potentially mitigating factors , '' DiMaggio said .
`` Clinicians have learned more about how to treat patients with COVID-19 , like placing patients in prone position to help with breathing .
And there are some treatments like dexamethasone that have been shown to decrease deaths in the most severely ill patients .
But I would be concerned that resources and staff may be stretched to the limit in some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , small hospitals are now facing greater risks as cases begin to spike and previous issues , such as staffing shortages and financial vulnerability , become magnified .
`` These rural hospitals are designed for primary care , general surgery , '' Alan Morgan , CEO of the National Rural Health Association , told USA Today .
`` They were never designed for a global pandemic response . ''
Morgan said that each of these critical-access hospitals has an average of one or two ventilators and that most lack ICU beds .
Rural @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years .
According to the National Rural Health Association , 136 rural hospitals have closed in the past decade .
`` Lower rates of health insurance coverage means rural people are less likely to get tested and seek treatment for COVID-19 , '' rural sociologist David Peters told Newsweek .
`` Even if they do seek treatment , rural hospitals are smaller , under-staffed , and [ lack enough ] ICU beds and medical staff to deal with infectious diseases .
There is very little rural hospitals can do to treat serious cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transfer to larger hospitals several hours away . ''
Peters also said that rural communities tend to have higher employment rates in sectors where there have been greater COVID-19 outbreaks , such as prisons , long-term care facilities , and large-scale livestock production and meat processing facilities .
Peters said the Midwest and Great Plains have also experienced greater coronavirus outbreaks because social norms have prevented the adoption of safety practices like mask wearing .
He said that both mask wearing and social distancing were politicized in an election year , with these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Being sparsely populated , rural communities depend on each other to make a living or to weather crises .
This is built in mutual trust and interaction that can only occur in face-to-face interactions .
Community services are provided by volunteers through local groups , '' Peters said .
`` Small towns can not afford paid staff to provide these services , as is done in large cities .
The same social connections that make rural places resilient also makes them more vulnerable to COVID-19 . ''
He added that the lack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rural businesses also made it difficult for these communities to move entirely online .
`` Online ordering and delivering of groceries or prescription drugs is not an option .
Most rural communities exist in a pre-virtual world , '' he said .
In an article published last month by nonprofit news site The Conversation , the University of Colorado 's Lauren Hughes and Roberto Silva wrote that in order to slow the rate of cases in rural hot spots , each area 's `` unique demographics , economies and perspectives '' need to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of risk in understandable terms for different types of activities can also help , such as how to exercise or socialize safely .
Working with trusted local messengers , such as business owners and faith leaders , can help convey evidence-based information , '' the authors wrote .
`` Planning is also essential , '' Hughes and Silva added .
`` Communities need to prepare so they can get supplies , testing and treatment when needed ; protect the most vulnerable community members ; educate the community ; and support people in isolation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 16 , the U.S. has reported over 11 million confirmed cases and more than 246,000 deaths .
In the last six days alone , more than 1 million Americans tested positive for COVID-19 .

When the coronavirus outbreak hit the U.S. in March, it was major cities like New York and Seattle that saw alarming rates of cases and deaths. But as the nation moves into a so-called third-wave of the pandemic, rural Americans are now the ones being disproportionately affected by COVID-19.
Analyzing the average death rate in non-metropolitan areas over the last 14 days, those living in rural areas are shown to be dying at a rate that is nearly 2.5 times higher than those living in metropolitan areas. Data from the Centers for Diseases and Control Prevention indicates that the death rate in metropolitan areas is 0.23, compared with the 0.55 rate in non-metropolitan areas.
The impact on those living in rural areas versus urban areas seems to have swapped over the course of the pandemic.
In the first two weeks of the pandemic, between March 19 and April 2, Americans in metropolitan areas were eight times more likely to die from COVID-19 compared to their rural counterparts.
However, as the nation faced a second wave over the summer, death rates in urban cities and rural towns began to even out. In the first week of August, death rates among Americans living in metropolitan areas and non-metropolitan areas was roughly the same.
By August 9, the death rate of rural Americans had surpassed that of Americans living in urban areas—and the gap between the two has only continued to widen. Americans who had previously been eight times less likely to die from COVID-19 are now nearly 2.5 times more likely to.
As cases began to rise over the summer in these locations, the CDC stated that the 46 million Americans in rural areas faced distinctive challenges due to these individuals' greater likelihood of being in the high-risk category and having relatively less access to health care.
"Worries about the consequences of COVID-19 outbreaks in rural areas of the US go back to the beginning of the pandemic," Charles DiMaggio, an injury epidemiologist at New York University, told Newsweek. "The rates of people with conditions that put them at risk of severe disease, things like high blood pressure and obesity, are higher than in urban areas. Rural residents are also generally older and often living with disabilities. Couple that with fewer hospitals and ICU beds and it is a potentially disastrous scenario."
A nurse cares for a coronavirus (COVID-19) patient in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at El Centro Regional Medical Center in hard-hit Imperial County on July 28, 2020 in El Centro, California. Rural Americans are now 2.5 times more likely to die from COVID-19 than those living in urban areas. Mario Tama/Getty
"There are some potentially mitigating factors," DiMaggio said. "Clinicians have learned more about how to treat patients with COVID-19, like placing patients in prone position to help with breathing. And there are some treatments like dexamethasone that have been shown to decrease deaths in the most severely ill patients. But I would be concerned that resources and staff may be stretched to the limit in some parts of the country."
However, small hospitals are now facing greater risks as cases begin to spike and previous issues, such as staffing shortages and financial vulnerability, become magnified.
"These rural hospitals are designed for primary care, general surgery," Alan Morgan, CEO of the National Rural Health Association, told USA Today. "They were never designed for a global pandemic response."
Morgan said that each of these critical-access hospitals has an average of one or two ventilators and that most lack ICU beds.
Rural hospitals have also struggled financially in recent years. According to the National Rural Health Association, 136 rural hospitals have closed in the past decade.
"Lower rates of health insurance coverage means rural people are less likely to get tested and seek treatment for COVID-19," rural sociologist David Peters told Newsweek. "Even if they do seek treatment, rural hospitals are smaller, under-staffed, and [lack enough] ICU beds and medical staff to deal with infectious diseases. There is very little rural hospitals can do to treat serious cases of COVID-19, with many patients requiring transfer to larger hospitals several hours away."
Peters also said that rural communities tend to have higher employment rates in sectors where there have been greater COVID-19 outbreaks, such as prisons, long-term care facilities, and large-scale livestock production and meat processing facilities.
Peters said the Midwest and Great Plains have also experienced greater coronavirus outbreaks because social norms have prevented the adoption of safety practices like mask wearing.
He said that both mask wearing and social distancing were politicized in an election year, with these practices marked as Democrat or Republican.
"Being sparsely populated, rural communities depend on each other to make a living or to weather crises. This is built in mutual trust and interaction that can only occur in face-to-face interactions. Community services are provided by volunteers through local groups," Peters said. "Small towns cannot afford paid staff to provide these services, as is done in large cities. The same social connections that make rural places resilient also makes them more vulnerable to COVID-19."
He added that the lack of broadband and the nature of many rural businesses also made it difficult for these communities to move entirely online.
"Online ordering and delivering of groceries or prescription drugs is not an option. Most rural communities exist in a pre-virtual world," he said.
In an article published last month by nonprofit news site The Conversation, the University of Colorado's Lauren Hughes and Roberto Silva wrote that in order to slow the rate of cases in rural hot spots, each area's "unique demographics, economies and perspectives" need to be factored in.
"Framing levels of risk in understandable terms for different types of activities can also help, such as how to exercise or socialize safely. Working with trusted local messengers, such as business owners and faith leaders, can help convey evidence-based information," the authors wrote.
"Planning is also essential," Hughes and Silva added. "Communities need to prepare so they can get supplies, testing and treatment when needed; protect the most vulnerable community members; educate the community; and support people in isolation and quarantine."
As of November 16, the U.S. has reported over 11 million confirmed cases and more than 246,000 deaths. In the last six days alone, more than 1 million Americans tested positive for COVID-19.


newsweek--2020-11-16--Police Arrest Florida Woman Who Allegedly Tweeted She'd 'Shoot' Governor DeSantis

Police arrested a woman in Palm Beach County , Florida , over the weekend , after she allegedly suggested that she would `` shoot '' Republican Governor Ron DeSantis , as well as Republican Senators Marco Rubio and Rick Scott , in a tweet posted several days earlier .
The woman , identified as 55-year-old Karen Jones of Lantana , reportedly told Palm Beach County authorities the sentiment included in her Thursday tweet was meant as a `` joke , '' according to the Miami Herald .
Booking records filed by the Palm Beach County Sheriff 's Office confirmed Jones @ @ @ @ @ @ @ following her Saturday arrest , and she was released on bond Sunday afternoon .
Records additionally showed that Jones was charged with three counts of intimidation for sending `` written threat [ s ] to kill . ''
The charge is classified as a second-degree felony under Florida law .
Jones ' arrest and charges came just over 48 hours after a post surfaced on Twitter , shared by an account that she ultimately claimed as her own , The Miami Herald reported .
According to the newspaper , which obtained a copy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , local authorities referenced the tweet directly in their documentation concerning Jones .
The social media post in question remained visible on Twitter late Monday afternoon .
Retweeting a message from Washington Post reporter Hamza Shaban , which originally referenced a Miami Herald article chronicling the governor 's push for `` anti-mob '' legislation in Florida , Jones reportedly wrote , `` DeSantis , Rick Scott and Marco Rubio are looting my state .
Imma shoot them . ''
DeSantis ' proposal targeted individuals accused of crimes related to riots and looting , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crack down on protests .
The proposal followed months of demonstrations against police brutality and racism that erupted in Florida , and across the U.S. , throughout the summer .
Critics of the proposed legislation fear its passage would expand Florida 's `` stand your ground '' law to allow civilian gun owners to shoot suspected looters or others suspected of crimes affecting businesses .
Palm Beach County Detective M. Horton reportedly acknowledged that Jones said the tweet was not shared with any intent to harm DeSantis , Scott or Rubio , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` When I made the observation that there were no commonly used terminology to show the post was a joke , Jones stated that anyone who follows her knows her sense of humor , '' Horton wrote , according to the Miami Herald .
Newsweek reached out to the Palm Beach County Sheriff 's Office for additional information and comments regarding Jones ' arrest and charges but did not receive a reply in time for publication .

Police arrested a woman in Palm Beach County, Florida, over the weekend, after she allegedly suggested that she would "shoot" Republican Governor Ron DeSantis, as well as Republican Senators Marco Rubio and Rick Scott, in a tweet posted several days earlier.
The woman, identified as 55-year-old Karen Jones of Lantana, reportedly told Palm Beach County authorities the sentiment included in her Thursday tweet was meant as a "joke," according to the Miami Herald. Booking records filed by the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office confirmed Jones was held in custody for one night following her Saturday arrest, and she was released on bond Sunday afternoon. Records additionally showed that Jones was charged with three counts of intimidation for sending "written threat[s] to kill." The charge is classified as a second-degree felony under Florida law.
Jones' arrest and charges came just over 48 hours after a post surfaced on Twitter, shared by an account that she ultimately claimed as her own, The Miami Herald reported. According to the newspaper, which obtained a copy of Palm Beach County detectives' affidavit, local authorities referenced the tweet directly in their documentation concerning Jones.
The social media post in question remained visible on Twitter late Monday afternoon. Retweeting a message from Washington Post reporter Hamza Shaban, which originally referenced a Miami Herald article chronicling the governor's push for "anti-mob" legislation in Florida, Jones reportedly wrote, "DeSantis, Rick Scott and Marco Rubio are looting my state. Imma shoot them."
DeSantis' proposal targeted individuals accused of crimes related to riots and looting, as part of his wider agenda to crack down on protests. The proposal followed months of demonstrations against police brutality and racism that erupted in Florida, and across the U.S., throughout the summer. Critics of the proposed legislation fear its passage would expand Florida's "stand your ground" law to allow civilian gun owners to shoot suspected looters or others suspected of crimes affecting businesses.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a Republican, delivers remarks at a news conference in Miami on July 13. A Palm Beach County resident was reportedly arrested over the weekend after posting a tweet that police saw as a threat to "shoot" DeSantis, as well as Republican Senators Marco Rubio and Rick Scott. Joe Raedle/Getty
Palm Beach County Detective M. Horton reportedly acknowledged that Jones said the tweet was not shared with any intent to harm DeSantis, Scott or Rubio, in the affidavit related to her arrest.
"When I made the observation that there were no commonly used terminology to show the post was a joke, Jones stated that anyone who follows her knows her sense of humor," Horton wrote, according to the Miami Herald.
Newsweek reached out to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office for additional information and comments regarding Jones' arrest and charges but did not receive a reply in time for publication.


newsweek--2020-11-16--Trump Administration Officials Face Tough Time Finding New Jobs

President Donald Trump may only have a couple of months left in his White House tenure , but former and current officials say his legacy will live on—and it may be at the expense of some of his closest followers .
Potential employers may be hesitant once they do their due diligence , one former senior Trump administration official said .
`` They 're going to turn over some rocks , and they 're going to find some genuine criminal misconduct , '' the former official , who worked for one of the United States ' largest federal agencies , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a workplace where the manager ran the operation `` like a Mafia boss , '' and believed this to be the case in other federal agencies as well .
Trump , the official said , `` set the tone for the administration , '' and others below `` followed that lead . ''
Since taking office in 2017 , at least eight of Trump 's associates have been jailed , and severe scrutiny continues to surround the records of others , including the president himself , who was impeached earlier this year on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Congress .
In addition to the concurrent federal and congressional investigations surrounding it , the Trump administration has also been defined by an unusually high turnover of positions , a rate accelerated in the wake of the president 's projected electoral loss and his decision to dispute the results of the race .
Some quit , others were fired , as was the former senior official with whom Newsweek spoke .
Regardless of how they left their positions in the administration , both face a common problem .
`` There 's just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
`` You 're tied to Trump better or worse , and that 's just the reality of it . ''
However , not all who 've gone through the administration have been vilified .
Some have made it out intact by standing up and speaking out .
Rachel Vindman is the wife of retired Army Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman , a former member of Trump 's National Security Council .
He was reassigned and escorted from the White House after providing testimony that supported the impeachment charges against the president .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ his service in Iraq , retired from his military commission in July 2020 .
Rachel Vindman said she hoped that former Trump administration officials who may have engaged in misconduct would come forward , tell the truth about their experience , and make amends for any potential wrongdoings .
`` You will never regret doing the right thing in life , never , '' Vindman told Newsweek .
`` There might be consequences , but being able to look yourself in the mirror , and being able to look your children , your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the world in general in the eyes , and know that you did the right thing—there 's no price on that . ''
She said actions speak louder than words , however , and it would take a commitment to positive causes in areas such as veterans ' affairs and immigration to demonstrate a substantial change of heart to a public that she says can be forgiving .
`` I think there is a recognition of moral courage , '' Vindman told Newsweek .
`` I think there 's also a very basic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do good things .
Good things can still happen after bad things .
No one 's life is over if they 've done something wrong , but again , they need to atone for that and show that , you know , they learn from their mistake , and they 're on a different path now . ''
Rachel Vindman 's husband , Alexander Vindman , is one former Trump administration employee who managed to land on his feet after his high-profile firing .
The Washington Examiner reported that Vindman has earned an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fellow at Lawfare , a blog associated with the Brookings Institution , where he will write and conduct research for his dissertation .
Rory E. Miller , a former Republican staffer on Capitol Hill , also saw potential in those associated with the Trump administration still having a political future .
`` I think America loves a comeback story , '' Miller told Newsweek .
`` So I think if people are willing to put themselves out there , you know , admit that they were wrong that they took a job in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people would be receptive to that .
I really do . ''
But many more have remained silent , even in the final weeks of the administration .
`` I think a more interesting point is how many people work for this administration , and are not sorry and do n't care , '' Miller said .
One senior U.S. intelligence official attributed this phenomenon to a potential premeditated plan to promote Trump administration officials by appointing only the most enthusiastic supporters of the current president and those willing to work quietly against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intentions to not leave or to have 'spies ' in a place , '' the official , who was not authorized to speak with the media , told Newsweek , `` that could likely become involved . ''
And there 's always the possibility that , even after President-elect Joe Biden enters the White House in January , Washington has not seen the last of Trump or his unique style of governance .
There 's been much talk in conservative circles of how Trump 's populist approach has redefined the Republican Party , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ either him or one of his acolytes to run in 2024 , meaning some wo n't risk rebelling just yet .
`` They 're in fear of alienating themselves from either a potential 2024 Trump admin or one of his loyalists that runs , '' the official told Newsweek .
`` It 's all career for them . ''
The presence of Trump loyalists in positions across the government has also had an effect on the jobs themselves .
Rather than blacklist people for their affiliation alone , one Democratic congressional staffer who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ former administration officials should be judged based on their performance , which the staffer said often came second to ideology .
`` There are many appointees who were hired , promoted , or retained because of their loyalty to Trump and Trumpism , '' the staffer said .
`` Many of these people actively harmed the very people and institutions they were charged with serving .
They engaged in or were complicit in tremendous cruelty .
Those are the reasons not to hire someone . ''
The staffer said this standard should apply @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well , such as former Defense Secretary James Mattis , who has been critical of the commander-in-chief he served , but has not apologized for having implemented some of his controversial policies .
`` Mattis , for example , fired a lot of senior women around him and implemented the trans [ gender ] ban , '' the staffer told Newsweek .
`` He stood in front of our future leaders and said the jury is still out on women in combat ( Deborah Sampson , Margaret Corbin and Harriet Tubman would like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of upholding alliances was a red line for him but there was quite a bit that preceded it . ''
Another ex-Trump official who has found work since leaving the administration is former national security adviser H. R. McMaster .
Since his 2018 dismissal , he 's been named a fellow at Stanford University 's Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies and Hoover Institution , and has joined the board on the Atlantic Council think tank , virtual communications company Zoom and the Foreign Policy Research Institute .
`` FPRI , as an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration officials , '' Eli S. Gilman , the institute 's vice president for operations and chief operations officer , told Newsweek .
`` We 're nonpartisan and do n't judge potential FPRI affiliates by which administration they served . ''
As such , some experts predicted a more favorable workplace reception for former Trump administration officials who had no explicit ties to abuses or other illicit dealings .
`` On the whole , I do n't think it will be difficult for former Trump officials to find new work , '' Hagar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a senior fellow , told Newsweek .
`` But there will be some doors closed for those who are publicly perceived as flouting ethics rules or enabling corruption . ''
The fact remains that despite presiding over an administration riddled with accusations of misconduct , Trump managed to acquire the backing of nearly half the nation , and both and he and his minions were bound to remain politically popular within certain circles across industries .
`` I could see certain law , PR , or other consulting firms , for example @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump officials if they are n't perceived as meeting a certain standard of integrity , '' Chemali said .
`` However , I still believe there are plenty of places they could go given that you had over 70 million Americans vote for Trump . ''

President Donald Trump may only have a couple of months left in his White House tenure, but former and current officials say his legacy will live on—and it may be at the expense of some of his closest followers.
Potential employers may be hesitant once they do their due diligence, one former senior Trump administration official said.
"They're going to turn over some rocks, and they're going to find some genuine criminal misconduct," the former official, who worked for one of the United States' largest federal agencies, told Newsweek.
The former official recalled a workplace where the manager ran the operation "like a Mafia boss," and believed this to be the case in other federal agencies as well. Trump, the official said, "set the tone for the administration," and others below "followed that lead."
Since taking office in 2017, at least eight of Trump's associates have been jailed, and severe scrutiny continues to surround the records of others, including the president himself, who was impeached earlier this year on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
In addition to the concurrent federal and congressional investigations surrounding it, the Trump administration has also been defined by an unusually high turnover of positions, a rate accelerated in the wake of the president's projected electoral loss and his decision to dispute the results of the race.
Some quit, others were fired, as was the former senior official with whom Newsweek spoke. Regardless of how they left their positions in the administration, both face a common problem.
"There's just a stigma," the former official said. "You're tied to Trump better or worse, and that's just the reality of it."
The shadow of a groundskeeper is cast on to the wall of the White House on November 9 in Washington, DC. Former and current U.S. officials have warned of repercussions for Trump administration officials who do not distance themselves from the president and his politics. Joshua Roberts/AFP/Getty Images
However, not all who've gone through the administration have been vilified. Some have made it out intact by standing up and speaking out.
Rachel Vindman is the wife of retired Army Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, a former member of Trump's National Security Council. He was reassigned and escorted from the White House after providing testimony that supported the impeachment charges against the president. Vindman, a Purple Heart recipient for his service in Iraq, retired from his military commission in July 2020.
Rachel Vindman said she hoped that former Trump administration officials who may have engaged in misconduct would come forward, tell the truth about their experience, and make amends for any potential wrongdoings.
"You will never regret doing the right thing in life, never," Vindman told Newsweek. "There might be consequences, but being able to look yourself in the mirror, and being able to look your children, your partner, your friends, family and the world in general in the eyes, and know that you did the right thing—there's no price on that."
She said actions speak louder than words, however, and it would take a commitment to positive causes in areas such as veterans' affairs and immigration to demonstrate a substantial change of heart to a public that she says can be forgiving.
"I think there is a recognition of moral courage," Vindman told Newsweek. "I think there's also a very basic decency and a desire to see people do good things. Good things can still happen after bad things. No one's life is over if they've done something wrong, but again, they need to atone for that and show that, you know, they learn from their mistake, and they're on a different path now."
Rachel Vindman's husband, Alexander Vindman, is one former Trump administration employee who managed to land on his feet after his high-profile firing. The Washington Examiner reported that Vindman has earned an appointment as the first Pritzker Military Military Fellow at Lawfare, a blog associated with the Brookings Institution, where he will write and conduct research for his dissertation.
Rory Riley-Topping, a former Republican staffer on Capitol Hill, also saw potential in those associated with the Trump administration still having a political future.
"I think America loves a comeback story," Miller told Newsweek. "So I think if people are willing to put themselves out there, you know, admit that they were wrong that they took a job in this administration and apologize, I think people would be receptive to that. I really do."
But many more have remained silent, even in the final weeks of the administration.
"I think a more interesting point is how many people work for this administration, and are not sorry and don't care," Riley-Topping said.
One senior U.S. intelligence official attributed this phenomenon to a potential premeditated plan to promote Trump administration officials by appointing only the most enthusiastic supporters of the current president and those willing to work quietly against the next.
"Installing loyalists with intentions to not leave or to have 'spies' in a place," the official, who was not authorized to speak with the media, told Newsweek, "that could likely become involved."
And there's always the possibility that, even after President-elect Joe Biden enters the White House in January, Washington has not seen the last of Trump or his unique style of governance. There's been much talk in conservative circles of how Trump's populist approach has redefined the Republican Party, and some officials are already looking for either him or one of his acolytes to run in 2024, meaning some won't risk rebelling just yet.
"They're in fear of alienating themselves from either a potential 2024 Trump admin or one of his loyalists that runs," the official told Newsweek. "It's all career for them."
The presence of Trump loyalists in positions across the government has also had an effect on the jobs themselves. Rather than blacklist people for their affiliation alone, one Democratic congressional staffer who asked to remain anonymous told Newsweek that former administration officials should be judged based on their performance, which the staffer said often came second to ideology.
"There are many appointees who were hired, promoted, or retained because of their loyalty to Trump and Trumpism," the staffer said. "Many of these people actively harmed the very people and institutions they were charged with serving. They engaged in or were complicit in tremendous cruelty. Those are the reasons not to hire someone."
The staffer said this standard should apply to those who left office early as well, such as former Defense Secretary James Mattis, who has been critical of the commander-in-chief he served, but has not apologized for having implemented some of his controversial policies.
"Mattis, for example, fired a lot of senior women around him and implemented the trans [gender] ban," the staffer told Newsweek. "He stood in front of our future leaders and said the jury is still out on women in combat (Deborah Sampson, Margaret Corbin and Harriet Tubman would like a word...). The issue of upholding alliances was a red line for him but there was quite a bit that preceded it."
This combination of pictures shows (top L) President-elect Donald Trump on January 16, 2017 boarding an elevator in New York City; (bottom L) President Trump leaving after speaking at a summit in Washington, DC on December 19, 2019; (top R) Republican Donald Trump on November 11, 2015 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and (bottom R) President Trump speaking in the Brady Briefing Room at the White House in Washington, DC on November 5. DOMINICK REUTER/BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/JOSHUA LOTT/AFP/Getty Images
Another ex-Trump official who has found work since leaving the administration is former national security adviser H. R. McMaster. Since his 2018 dismissal, he's been named a fellow at Stanford University's Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies and Hoover Institution, and has joined the board on the Atlantic Council think tank, virtual communications company Zoom and the Foreign Policy Research Institute.
"FPRI, as an organization, has no comment regarding former administration officials," Eli S. Gilman, the institute's vice president for operations and chief operations officer, told Newsweek. "We're nonpartisan and don't judge potential FPRI affiliates by which administration they served."
As such, some experts predicted a more favorable workplace reception for former Trump administration officials who had no explicit ties to abuses or other illicit dealings.
"On the whole, I don't think it will be difficult for former Trump officials to find new work," Hagar Chemali, who serves the Atlantic Council as a senior fellow, told Newsweek. "But there will be some doors closed for those who are publicly perceived as flouting ethics rules or enabling corruption."
The fact remains that despite presiding over an administration riddled with accusations of misconduct, Trump managed to acquire the backing of nearly half the nation, and both and he and his minions were bound to remain politically popular within certain circles across industries.
"I could see certain law, PR, or other consulting firms, for example, close their doors to some former Trump officials if they aren't perceived as meeting a certain standard of integrity," Chemali said. "However, I still believe there are plenty of places they could go given that you had over 70 million Americans vote for Trump."


newsweek--2020-11-16--Taylor Swift Responds to Scooter Braun's Recent Sale of Her Masters

Taylor Swift is shedding light on the sale of her old Masters .
On Monday , Scooter Braun , whose Ithaca Holdings LLC acquired Big Machine Label Group and their assets , sold the rights to Swift 's first six albums .
An investment fund which remains unnamed at the time , reportedly spent upwards of $ 300 million for the Old Masters , and the deal was closed earlier this month .
Swift gave her fans an update about how things were going on her end .
`` Been getting a lot of questions about the recent sale of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clears things up , '' she tweeted on Monday evening .
She shared two screenshots ; one was a note she wrote , and the letter she wrote to the private equity group who purchased her music .
Swift revealed she was expected to sign an NDA that would essentially silence her .
The singer 's legal team deemed it abnormal , and she declined .
She also said that that she was approached by private equity company , Shamrock Holdings , but declined to work with them since Braun would still profit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fans that she began re-recording her old albums , calling it `` exciting and creatively fulfilling . ''
As for the letter she sent the private equity company who acquired her music , she said she would be unable to work with them , knowing Braun would still profit from her assets .
However , she expressed interest with working with them if they ever were separate from Braun and his associates .
Braun 's beef with Swift stretches over the past year and a half .
The company previously bought the Grammy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In turn , Swift claimed that she was blindsided from the move , and wrote a lengthy blog post about , calling Braun a bully .
`` All I could think about was the incessant , manipulative bullying I 've received at his hands for years , '' she wrote at the time on Tumblr .
`` This is my worst case scenario .
This is what happens when you sign a deal at fifteen to someone for whom the term 'loyalty ' is clearly just a contractual concept .
And when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he means its value is beholden to men who had no part in creating it . ''
In response , Braun wrote an open letter where he claimed that Swift did know about his buying of her record label , and published text messages between them .
`` Taylor had every chance in the world to own not just her master recordings , but every video , photograph , everything associated to her career .
She chose to leave , '' he claimed .
Before the American Music Awards in 2019 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Artist of the Decade Award , she was told she could n't perform her old music for the ceremony .
`` Scott Borchetta told my team that they 'll allow me to use my music only if I do these things : If I agree to not re-record copycat versions of my songs next year ( which is something I 'm both legally allowed to do and looking forward to ) and also told my team that I need to stop talking about him and Scooter Braun , '' she wrote at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the AMAs , allowing her to perform her music live .
Swift took the time to gush about Republic , her current record label , during her acceptance speech at the 2019 American Music Awards .
`` This album really felt like a new beginning and I also really love my record label Universal and Republic , '' she said of Lover .
At the time , it was the only album that she owned as her own .

Taylor Swift is shedding light on the sale of her old Masters.
On Monday, Scooter Braun, whose Ithaca Holdings LLC acquired Big Machine Label Group and their assets, sold the rights to Swift's first six albums. An investment fund which remains unnamed at the time, reportedly spent upwards of $300 million for the Old Masters, and the deal was closed earlier this month.
Swift gave her fans an update about how things were going on her end. "Been getting a lot of questions about the recent sale of my old masters. I hope this clears things up," she tweeted on Monday evening. She shared two screenshots; one was a note she wrote, and the letter she wrote to the private equity group who purchased her music.
Been getting a lot of questions about the recent sale of my old masters. I hope this clears things up. pic.twitter.com/sscKXp2ibD — Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) November 16, 2020
Swift revealed she was expected to sign an NDA that would essentially silence her. The singer's legal team deemed it abnormal, and she declined. She also said that that she was approached by private equity company, Shamrock Holdings, but declined to work with them since Braun would still profit from her work.
She also told fans that she began re-recording her old albums, calling it "exciting and creatively fulfilling."
As for the letter she sent the private equity company who acquired her music, she said she would be unable to work with them, knowing Braun would still profit from her assets. However, she expressed interest with working with them if they ever were separate from Braun and his associates.
Braun's beef with Swift stretches over the past year and a half. The company previously bought the Grammy winner's old label in June 2019. In turn, Swift claimed that she was blindsided from the move, and wrote a lengthy blog post about, calling Braun a bully. "All I could think about was the incessant, manipulative bullying I've received at his hands for years," she wrote at the time on Tumblr.
"This is my worst case scenario. This is what happens when you sign a deal at fifteen to someone for whom the term 'loyalty' is clearly just a contractual concept. And when that man says 'Music has value', he means its value is beholden to men who had no part in creating it."
Taylor Swift performs onstage during the 2018 reputation Stadium Tour at Soldier Field on June 2, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois. John Shearer/TAS18/Getty Images for TAS
In response, Braun wrote an open letter where he claimed that Swift did know about his buying of her record label, and published text messages between them. "Taylor had every chance in the world to own not just her master recordings, but every video, photograph, everything associated to her career. She chose to leave," he claimed.
Before the American Music Awards in 2019, where Swift was slated to receive the Artist of the Decade Award, she was told she couldn't perform her old music for the ceremony.
"Scott Borchetta told my team that they'll allow me to use my music only if I do these things: If I agree to not re-record copycat versions of my songs next year (which is something I'm both legally allowed to do and looking forward to) and also told my team that I need to stop talking about him and Scooter Braun," she wrote at the time.
Don’t know what else to do pic.twitter.com/1uBrXwviTS — Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) November 14, 2019
Big Machine made an agreement with the AMAs, allowing her to perform her music live.
Swift took the time to gush about Republic, her current record label, during her acceptance speech at the 2019 American Music Awards. "This album really felt like a new beginning and I also really love my record label Universal and Republic," she said of Lover. At the time, it was the only album that she owned as her own.


newsweek--2020-11-16--Caeleb Dressel Hit a Mark Monday That's a First in the History of Swimming

American swimmer Caeleb Dressel is a sprinter in the freestyle and butterfly who has become one of the best in the world in the 100-meter individual medley .
He has top-tier experience with college , world championships and the 2016 Olympics .
On Monday in Hungary , Dressel did something no other swimmer in history has ever done .
Not even the great Michael Phelps .
Dressel became the first swimmer in history to break 50 seconds when he touched first in the International Swimming League race Monday in Budapest .
Of all the great American swimmers—like Ryan Lochte or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 100 IM , none ever hit less than 50 seconds .
Even Russia 's Vladimir Morozov , who has held the 100 IM record since 2016 , has n't touched under 50 .
Phelps held world records in the 200 IM and 400 IM , but never the 100 IM .
Dressel scorched the world record when he touched in 49.88 during the second semifinal , setting the world record and an American record in the process .
The previous record was 50.26 , held by Morozov , who hit the mark twice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ considered one of the toughest races because it combines all four disciplines ( in order ) of the butterfly , backstroke , breaststroke and freestyle , at 25 meters for each stroke .
The last American to hold the world record in the 100 IM was Ryan Lochte , who first set it during the semifinals of the 208 World Championships ( 51.25 ) .
Lochte then broke that record the next day in the finals ( 51.15 ) .
Lochte 's record would eventually be broken , but he regained the top @ @ @ @ @ @ @ World Championships with a 50.71 swim .
Morozov first broke the record at a 2016 World Cup race with a 50.60 swim .
Morozov broke his own record twice more—tying the best of 50.26 once—and held the world record for more than four years before Dressel 's feat on Monday .
Dressel did n't just set the new world record in the 100 IM on Monday , he also bested his own American record in the 100-meter freestyle in the early session when he touched in 45.20 seconds , breaking his old mark @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 24 , won two gold medals at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro SUmmer Olympics , one each in the 4x100 freestyle relay and the 4x100 medley relay .
The University of Florida graduate also finished sixth overall in the 100 freestyle in Rio .
He 's also won a slew of recent gold medals at the 2019 World Championships in the freestyle , butterfly and mixed medley .
In 2016 , he was the NCAA 's Co-Swimmer of the Year .
Dressel is a favorite to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Summer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because of the COVID-19 global pandemic .

American swimmer Caeleb Dressel is a sprinter in the freestyle and butterfly who has become one of the best in the world in the 100-meter individual medley. He has top-tier experience with college, world championships and the 2016 Olympics. On Monday in Hungary, Dressel did something no other swimmer in history has ever done. Not even the great Michael Phelps.
Dressel became the first swimmer in history to break 50 seconds when he touched first in the International Swimming League race Monday in Budapest. Of all the great American swimmers—like Ryan Lochte or Neil Walker—who set world records in the 100 IM, none ever hit less than 50 seconds. Even Russia's Vladimir Morozov, who has held the 100 IM record since 2016, hasn't touched under 50.
Phelps held world records in the 200 IM and 400 IM, but never the 100 IM.
Dressel scorched the world record when he touched in 49.88 during the second semifinal, setting the world record and an American record in the process. The previous record was 50.26, held by Morozov, who hit the mark twice during 2018.
Caeleb Dressel, shown here at the 2019 Toyota U.S. Open Championships in Atlanta, Georgia, broke a world record in the 100 IM on Monday in Hungary when he touched in 49.88 during the second semifinal, setting an American record in the process. Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images
The individual medley is considered one of the toughest races because it combines all four disciplines (in order) of the butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke and freestyle, at 25 meters for each stroke.
The last American to hold the world record in the 100 IM was Ryan Lochte, who first set it during the semifinals of the 2008 World Championships (51.25). Lochte then broke that record the next day in the finals (51.15). Lochte's record would eventually be broken, but he regained the top time in the world at the 2012 World Championships with a 50.71 swim.
Morozov first broke the record at a 2016 World Cup race with a 50.60 swim. Morozov broke his own record twice more—tying the best of 50.26 once—and held the world record for more than four years before Dressel's feat on Monday.
Dressel didn't just set the new world record in the 100 IM on Monday, he also bested his own American record in the 100-meter freestyle in the early session when he touched in 45.20 seconds, breaking his old mark by two-hundredths of a second.
Dressel, 24, won two gold medals at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Summer Olympics, one each in the 4x100 freestyle relay and the 4x100 medley relay. The University of Florida graduate also finished sixth overall in the 100 freestyle in Rio.
He's also won a slew of recent gold medals at the 2019 World Championships in the freestyle, butterfly and mixed medley. In 2016, he was the NCAA's Co-Swimmer of the Year.
Dressel is a favorite to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Summer Games, which got postponed to 2021 because of the COVID-19 global pandemic.


newsweek--2020-11-16--How to Watch Leonids Meteor Shower at Its Best Monday Night

Tonight the Leonid meteor shower will be at its best as 10 to 15 shooting stars per hour fly through the night sky .
Over the centuries , the Leonids have produced intense storms of thousands of visible meteors per hour .
Although the 2020 Leonids wo n't be as flashy , it will still offer an opportunity to see approximately 10 to 15 meteors—colloquially known as `` shooting stars '' —per hour at its peak , reported EarthSky .
The Leonids are active from November 6 to November 30 , but the shower is expected to be at its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , November 16 to 17 , when the moon is far from being full , offering little interference , according to the International Meteor Organization .
On this night , the moon will be about 5 percent full , meaning there will be dark skies and good viewing conditions , although some observers are already reporting that they have spotted Leonid meteors .
Head to an area away from light pollution ( city lights , traffic ) with a wide , unobstructed view to maximize your chance of seeing the show .
No @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meteors , but it may be worth bringing a reclining chair , blanket or sleeping bag to lay on as you will need to watch the sky for an extended period of time .
NASA advises that you orient yourself with your feet toward the east , lie flat on your back and take in as much as the night sky as possible .
In under 30 minutes , your eyes should adapt to being in the dark .
It is best to use your naked eye as binoculars or telescopes may limit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reminds viewers to be patient .
The Leonids will last until dawn on Tuesday , so there is plenty of time to catch the show .
Viewers should keep in mind , however , that excess moonlight and unforeseen weather can obscure the meteor shower .
If that happens , there are typically Leonid live streams hosted by NASA and Slooh , according to The New York Times .
The Leonids are best known for producing meteor storms—particularly intense meteor showers—in 1833 , 1866 , 1966 , 1999 and 2001 .
The most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1833 , which reportedly produced a staggering 100,000 to 200,000 meteors per hour .
The intense outbursts of activity tend to occur about every 33 years , when the parent comet , 55P/ Tempel-Tuttle , is closest to the sun .
Meteor showers are celestial events during which numerous meteors stream across the night sky , appearing to originate from a single point known as the radiant .
These events occur when the Earth passes through streams of cosmic debris left behind by comets and ( rarely ) asteroids .

Tonight the Leonid meteor shower will be at its best as 10 to 15 shooting stars per hour fly through the night sky.
Over the centuries, the Leonids have produced intense storms of thousands of visible meteors per hour. Although the 2020 Leonids won't be as flashy, it will still offer an opportunity to see approximately 10 to 15 meteors—colloquially known as "shooting stars"—per hour at its peak, reported EarthSky.
The Leonids are active from November 6 to November 30, but the shower is expected to be at its peak from Monday night into Tuesday morning, November 16 to 17, when the moon is far from being full, offering little interference, according to the International Meteor Organization.
On this night, the moon will be about 5 percent full, meaning there will be dark skies and good viewing conditions, although some observers are already reporting that they have spotted Leonid meteors.
A bright Leonid fireball is shown during the storm of 1966 in the sky above Wrightwood, California. The Leonids occur every year on or around Nov. 18. Stargazers are tempted with a drizzle of 10 or 20 meteors fizzing across the horizon every hour. Photo By Nasa/Getty Images/Getty
Head to an area away from light pollution (city lights, traffic) with a wide, unobstructed view to maximize your chance of seeing the show. No special equipment is necessary to see the meteors, but it may be worth bringing a reclining chair, blanket or sleeping bag to lay on as you will need to watch the sky for an extended period of time.
NASA advises that you orient yourself with your feet toward the east, lie flat on your back and take in as much as the night sky as possible. In under 30 minutes, your eyes should adapt to being in the dark. It is best to use your naked eye as binoculars or telescopes may limit your field of vision.
NASA also reminds viewers to be patient. The Leonids will last until dawn on Tuesday, so there is plenty of time to catch the show.
Viewers should keep in mind, however, that excess moonlight and unforeseen weather can obscure the meteor shower. If that happens, there are typically Leonid live streams hosted by NASA and Slooh, according to The New York Times.
The Leonids are best known for producing meteor storms—particularly intense meteor showers—in 1833, 1866, 1966, 1999 and 2001. The most famous of these was the one in 1833, which reportedly produced a staggering 100,000 to 200,000 meteors per hour. The intense outbursts of activity tend to occur about every 33 years, when the parent comet, 55P/ Tempel-Tuttle, is closest to the sun.
Meteor showers are celestial events during which numerous meteors stream across the night sky, appearing to originate from a single point known as the radiant. These events occur when the Earth passes through streams of cosmic debris left behind by comets and (rarely) asteroids.