newsweek--2020-12-13--Joe Biden's Attorney General Search Just Got More Complicated After Cuomo Allegations

Newly surfaced allegations of sexual harassment against New York Governor Anderw Cuomo from a former advisor has further complicated President-elect Joe Biden 's complex pursuit in choosing an attorney general for his incoming administration .
Last Saturday , Lindsey Boylan , a progressive candidate for Manhattan Borough president , accused the Cuomo administration of fostering a `` toxic '' work environment during her time serving as his Deputy Secretary for Economic Development and Special Advisor from March 2015 to October 2018 .
Then on Sunday , she accused Cuomo of sexually harassing her for years .
`` Many saw it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` I could never anticipate what to expect : would I be grilled on my work ( which was very good ) or harassed about my looks .
Or would it be both in the same conversation ?
This was the way for years . ''
Asked for comment , a Cuomo spokesperson said : `` There is simply no truth to these claims . ''
The allegation comes two days after an unnamed person with knowledge of the search process confirmed to the Associated Press that Cuomo was under consideration as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , along with federal appeals court judge Merrick Garland ; former Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates ; and Alabama Senator Doug Jones , who lost his Senate seat in November .
With Hunter Biden , Joe Biden 's son , under federal investigation , the president-elect 's pick to lead the Department of Justice ( DOJ ) faces the thorny task of shielding the department from any appearance of political bias .
Compounding the problem , the incoming official will inherit a special counsel—independent of the executive branch but overseen by the attorney @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russia probe and a previous administration in which Biden was vice president .
`` Make believe this is Watergate , '' said Nick Akerman , a former federal prosecutor , according to Politico .
`` Find the person everybody is going to agree is above reproach , no one 's going to second guess their decisions or the integrity of their decisions .
It 's time to take the real hard politics out of the department . ''
Additionally , the incoming attorney general will inherit probes into President Donald Trump and his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into Biden 's presidency .
The DOJ 's independence has decayed under Trump and Attorney General William Barr— and some former DOJ officials have stressed the importance of reestablishing morale and trust in the consequential department .
The delicate dynamics at play emphasize the need for Biden 's selected official to be a highly-credible candidate with a deep background in justice and impartiality .
Not everyone under consideration would be equipped to navigate the department through the landmines .
Yates , who was involved in the Russia probe , seen by some Republicans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a tough Senate confirmation hearing—as well as pressure to recuse herself in Special Counsel John Durham 's probe in the origins of the Russia investigation .
Biden has sought outside input from advocacy groups in considering Jones for the role .
However , his close ties to the president-elect 's family could raise questions on impartiality .
Garland , a long-serving U.S. Court of Appeals judge , was former President Barack Obama 's pick to replace Justice Antonin Scalia on the Supreme Court in 2016 .
But Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the latest contender to enter the fray .
This week , he signaled a willingness to take the role , calling it `` really critical , especially now . ''
Cuomo had already been well-known nationally as the governor of one of America 's most populous states , but his profile and reputation soared during the COVID-19 pandemic .
The governor 's response has received widespread support among Democrats and criticism from Republicans in opposition to restrictive mitigation measures .
The new allegations against him are still taking form , and it 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But if he does secure a confirmation , Cuomo would be serving in his second presidential cabinet , having previously been part of the Clinton administration as Housing and Urban Development secretary .
Newsweek reached out to the president-elect 's transition team and Lindsey Boylan for comment .

Newly surfaced allegations of sexual harassment against New York Governor Anderw Cuomo from a former advisor has further complicated President-elect Joe Biden's complex pursuit in choosing an attorney general for his incoming administration.
Last Saturday, Lindsey Boylan, a progressive candidate for Manhattan Borough president, accused the Cuomo administration of fostering a "toxic" work environment during her time serving as his Deputy Secretary for Economic Development and Special Advisor from March 2015 to October 2018. Then on Sunday, she accused Cuomo of sexually harassing her for years.
"Many saw it, and watched," Boylan tweeted. "I could never anticipate what to expect: would I be grilled on my work (which was very good) or harassed about my looks. Or would it be both in the same conversation? This was the way for years."
Asked for comment, a Cuomo spokesperson said: "There is simply no truth to these claims."
The allegation comes two days after an unnamed person with knowledge of the search process confirmed to the Associated Press that Cuomo was under consideration as one of four contenders for the role, along with federal appeals court judge Merrick Garland; former Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates; and Alabama Senator Doug Jones, who lost his Senate seat in November.
With Hunter Biden, Joe Biden's son, under federal investigation, the president-elect's pick to lead the Department of Justice (DOJ) faces the thorny task of shielding the department from any appearance of political bias. Compounding the problem, the incoming official will inherit a special counsel—independent of the executive branch but overseen by the attorney general—that's investigating the origins of the Russia probe and a previous administration in which Biden was vice president.
"Make believe this is Watergate," said Nick Akerman, a former federal prosecutor, according to Politico. "Find the person everybody is going to agree is above reproach, no one's going to second guess their decisions or the integrity of their decisions. It's time to take the real hard politics out of the department."
President-elect Joe Biden announces some new cabinet nominations at the Queen Theatre on December 11, 2020 in Wilmington, Delaware. Chip Somodevilla/Getty
Additionally, the incoming attorney general will inherit probes into President Donald Trump and his family that are expected to spew over into Biden's presidency. The DOJ's independence has decayed under Trump and Attorney General William Barr— and some former DOJ officials have stressed the importance of reestablishing morale and trust in the consequential department.
The delicate dynamics at play emphasize the need for Biden's selected official to be a highly-credible candidate with a deep background in justice and impartiality. Not everyone under consideration would be equipped to navigate the department through the landmines.
Yates, who was involved in the Russia probe, seen by some Republicans as a partisan figure, could face a tough Senate confirmation hearing—as well as pressure to recuse herself in Special Counsel John Durham's probe in the origins of the Russia investigation.
Biden has sought outside input from advocacy groups in considering Jones for the role. However, his close ties to the president-elect's family could raise questions on impartiality.
Garland, a long-serving U.S. Court of Appeals judge, was former President Barack Obama's pick to replace Justice Antonin Scalia on the Supreme Court in 2016. But Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell blocked a confirmation hearing.
Cuomo is the latest contender to enter the fray. This week, he signaled a willingness to take the role, calling it "really critical, especially now."
"This allegation may knock Cuomo out of contention for Attorney General. It is hard to evaluate such claims but there may not be time to resolve it before the pick is made," said Jonathan Turley, a legal analyst and professor at the George Washington University Law School.
Cuomo had already been well-known nationally as the governor of one of America's most populous states, but his profile and reputation soared during the COVID-19 pandemic. The governor's response has received widespread support among Democrats and criticism from Republicans in opposition to restrictive mitigation measures.
The new allegations against him are still taking form, and it's currently unclear whether he'll emerge unscathed. But if he does secure a confirmation, Cuomo would be serving in his second presidential cabinet, having previously been part of the Clinton administration as Housing and Urban Development secretary.
Newsweek reached out to the president-elect's transition team and Lindsey Boylan for comment.


newsweek--2020-12-13--'Meet Me in St. Louis' on Zoom From Irish Rep Is a Holiday Treat

Irish Repertory has done as much as anybody to advance the Zoom play during the pandemic .
With its latest entry Meet Me in St. Louis : A Holiday Special in Song and on Screen , the company adds a musical to its résumé , and it is a holiday treat .
One of the first things to say about Meet Me in St. Louis in any of its incarnations is that it does n't contain a single important line .
There are no references to politics , social causes or diseases ; and in a year that is suffering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that is a welcome relief .
For two hours , you can , as Judy Garland once sang , forget your troubles .
In fact , aside from some nontraditional casting , there is only one line or so that makes this show even current .
In one respect , that is a throwback to its source materials .
Both the eponymous movie and Sally Benson 's New Yorker stories about her life growing up at 5135 Kensington Avenue in St. Louis were pure nostalgia , meant to be an escape from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ World War II era .
Most of the stories were written right after the U.S. entry into the war , and the movie was released in 1944 .
It it about as light a movie one could hope for .
The darkest character is little Tootie , whose naïve obsession with death rivals that of a college sophomore .
And the scariest plot point revolves around the family 's possible move to New York .
( Then as now , nobody wants to live in New York . )
Irish Rep 's ensemble @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fact that this cast can be called an ensemble at all is a compliment in itself .
It is actually a series of finely crafted close-ups .
Only rarely , when characters have to interact up close and personally , do the seams show .
We even have what might be the first on-Zoom kiss , and it is of course suitably chaste but right on the mark .
Shereen Ahmed , who had been touring as Eliza Dolittle in the Lincoln Center production of My Fair Lady , has perhaps the toughest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Esther , which Judy Garland made famous , and singing three songs ( `` The Boy Next Door , '' `` The Trolley Song '' and `` Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas '' ) which Garland made standards .
And she very sweetly makes it and them her own .
As Tootie , Kylie Kuioka exhibits all the precocious charm that made Margaret O'Brien a star in the movie role .
And you can throw in a beautiful singing voice to boot .
Melissa Errico , who has been a part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , takes on the role of Anna , who was played by Mary Astor in the movie and Charlotte Moore in the 1989 Broadway production .
There are never enough songs for Errico , but she is a treat to watch .
As she has done with such musicals as Finian 's Rainbow and On a Clear Day You Can Live Forever , director Charlotte Moore has pared down this work , which was staged for a much larger venue—in this case the Gershwin Theatre—and created a lovely little entertainment .
With each @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stretching the boundaries of the form .
This show is an amalgam of theater , video and decoupage , and a testament to the talents of the technical staff and designers .
That they can produce anything given the limits that Zoom imposes is amazing enough , that it comes off so well is too much to have expected .
Perhaps the best thing that can be said about this is that with rare exceptions , one forgets that these actors are often many miles away .
You can ease back into your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1903 and 1904 .
And for two hours these days , that is not a bad place to be at all .
When Zoom plays become a footnote to theatrical history—and that ca n't happen soon enough , maybe next year all our troubles will be out of sight—Irish Rep 's body of work will be at the top of the list and an excellent example of how theater goers were able to cope during the pandemic .
Meet Me in St. Louis : A Holiday Special in Song and on Screen is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
For screening information and tickets go to IrishRep.org .

Irish Repertory has done as much as anybody to advance the Zoom play during the pandemic. With its latest entry Meet Me in St. Louis: A Holiday Special in Song and on Screen, the company adds a musical to its résumé, and it is a holiday treat.
One of the first things to say about Meet Me in St. Louis in any of its incarnations is that it doesn't contain a single important line. There are no references to politics, social causes or diseases; and in a year that is suffering from an acute case of important-itis, that is a welcome relief. For two hours, you can, as Judy Garland once sang, forget your troubles. In fact, aside from some nontraditional casting, there is only one line or so that makes this show even current.
In one respect, that is a throwback to its source materials. Both the eponymous movie and Sally Benson's New Yorker stories about her life growing up at 5135 Kensington Avenue in St. Louis were pure nostalgia, meant to be an escape from the headlines of the day—the post–Great Depression and World War II era. Most of the stories were written right after the U.S. entry into the war, and the movie was released in 1944.
It it about as light a movie as one could hope for. The darkest character is little Tootie, whose naïve obsession with death rivals that of a college sophomore. And the scariest plot point revolves around the family's possible move to New York. (Then as now, nobody wants to live in New York.)
The cast of Irish Rep's "Meet Me in St. Louis" are together—via Zoom. Clockwise, left to right, William Bellamy, Jay Aubrey Jones, Melissa Errico, Kathy Fitzgerald, Shereen Ahmed, Austyn Johnson, Kylie Kuioka and Ali Ewoldt. Irish Repertory Theatre
Irish Rep's ensemble cast is uniformly great. And the fact that this cast can be called an ensemble at all is a compliment in itself. It is actually a series of finely crafted close-ups. Only rarely, when characters have to interact up close and personally, do the seams show. We even have what might be the first on-Zoom kiss, and it is of course suitably chaste but right on the mark.
Shereen Ahmed, who had been touring as Eliza Dolittle in the Lincoln Center production of My Fair Lady, has perhaps the toughest acting assignment, stepping into the role of Esther, which Judy Garland made famous, and singing three songs ("The Boy Next Door," "The Trolley Song" and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas") which Garland made standards. And she very sweetly makes it and them her own.
As Tootie, Kylie Kuioka exhibits all the precocious charm that made Margaret O'Brien a star in the movie role. And you can throw in a beautiful singing voice to boot.
Melissa Errico, who has been a part of the Irish Rep family for years, takes on the role of Anna, who was played by Mary Astor in the movie and Charlotte Moore in the 1989 Broadway production. There are never enough songs for Errico, but she is a treat to watch.
As she has done with such musicals as Finian's Rainbow and On a Clear Day You Can Live Forever, director Charlotte Moore has pared down this work, which was staged for a much larger venue—in this case the Gershwin Theatre—and created a lovely little entertainment.
With each new Zoom production, Irish Rep is stretching the boundaries of the form. This show is an amalgam of theater, video and decoupage, and a testament to the talents of the technical staff and designers. That they can produce anything given the limits that Zoom imposes is amazing enough, that it comes off so well is too much to have expected. Perhaps the best thing that can be said about this is that with rare exceptions, one forgets that these actors are often many miles away. You can ease back into your seats and into the St Louis of 1903 and 1904. And for two hours these days, that is not a bad place to be at all.
When Zoom plays become a footnote to theatrical history—and that can't happen soon enough, maybe next year all our troubles will be out of sight—Irish Rep's body of work will be at the top of the list and an excellent example of how theater goers were able to cope during the pandemic.
Meet Me in St. Louis: A Holiday Special in Song and on Screen is playing now through January 2, 2021. For screening information and tickets go to IrishRep.org.


newsweek--2020-12-13--Cleveland to Drop 'Indians' Nickname From Baseball Team

The Cleveland Indians of Major League Baseball will drop their nickname after the 2021 season , and sources in the club said they would make an official announcement this week .
This comes after a year of social justice protests , and years of protests by fans and indigenous groups against names like Indians and Redskins .
The report comes after three anonymous sources from the baseball club spoke with the New York Times in this report .
The team has already phased out the Chief Wahoo logo on its uniforms and from all team branding for the most part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Washington 's NFL franchise decided to drop its longtime nickname `` Redskins '' and play under the name Washington Football Team for this season .
The Cleveland Indians have played under that mascot name for 105 years .
However , with sweeping changes in the country 's `` cancel culture , '' and with the Washington changing its own brand , the Indians baseball club said it 's looking in its own mirror as well .
`` Our organization fully recognizes our team name is among the most visible ways in which we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ team representative wrote last summer .
The Cleveland Plain Dealer last summer published a poll with seven names and another slot called `` Other '' with a blank box to fill with a suggestion .
Here are the fan suggestions , according to the poll ( in order ) : The Spiders were the team at the turn of the century .
Rockers makes sense as Cleveland is home to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame .
Guardians is a popular name in the city .
Buckeyes is a popular name in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Washington Redskins avoided changing their moniker for more than 50 years , but pressure last summer from major sponsors , including field sponsor FedEx and apparel giant Nike , led the team to eventually changing its name .
In baseball , the Atlanta Braves have also faced pressure over a few decades to change its name .
Florida State University , home of the Seminoles , has looked at plans to change the name of its football stadium named after Doak Campbell , a former president who had publicly-known , anti-Black opinions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a name should n't be that big of a deal , as names are probably easier to come by than professional sports championships .
The Indians last won a World Series in 1948 ( the only other was 1920 ) .
The Cleveland Browns have never won a Super Bowl , and their last NFL title was in 1964 .
The Cavaliers won their only NBA title in 2016 .

The Cleveland Indians of Major League Baseball will drop their nickname after the 2021 season, and sources in the club said they would make an official announcement this week. This comes after a year of social justice protests, and years of protests by fans and indigenous groups against names like Indians and Redskins.
The report comes after three anonymous sources from the baseball club spoke with the New York Times in this report.
The team has already phased out the Chief Wahoo logo on its uniforms and from all team branding for the most part. In the summer of 2020, Washington's NFL franchise decided to drop its longtime nickname "Redskins" and play under the name Washington Football Team for this season.
The Cleveland Indians have played under that mascot name for 106 years. Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images
The Cleveland Indians have played under that mascot name for 105 years. However, with sweeping changes in the country's "cancel culture," and with the Washington changing its own brand, the Indians baseball club said it's looking in its own mirror as well.
"Our organization fully recognizes our team name is among the most visible ways in which we connect with the community," a team representative wrote last summer.
The Cleveland Plain Dealer last summer published a poll with seven names and another slot called "Other" with a blank box to fill with a suggestion. Here are the fan suggestions, according to the poll (in order):
35.2% Spiders
28.3% Other
16.7% Rockers
7.66% Guardians
6.62% Buckeyes
3.06% Clevelanders
1.33% Defenders
1.19% Lindors
The Spiders were the team at the turn of the century. Rockers makes sense as Cleveland is home to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Guardians is a popular name in the city. Buckeyes is a popular name in the state with Ohio State University.
The Washington Redskins avoided changing their moniker for more than 50 years, but pressure last summer from major sponsors, including field sponsor FedEx and apparel giant Nike, led the team to eventually changing its name.
In baseball, the Atlanta Braves have also faced pressure over a few decades to change its name.
Florida State University, home of the Seminoles, has looked at plans to change the name of its football stadium named after Doak Campbell, a former president who had publicly-known, anti-Black opinions.
And back to Cleveland. Picking a name shouldn't be that big of a deal, as names are probably easier to come by than professional sports championships. The Indians last won a World Series in 1948 (the only other was 1920). The Cleveland Browns have never won a Super Bowl, and their last NFL title was in 1964. The Cavaliers won their only NBA title in 2016.


newsweek--2020-12-13--'90 Day Fiancé' Season 8 Spoilers: Are Tarik and Hazel Still Together?

It 's not often on 90 Day Fiancé that a couple has a long-lasting , somewhat-happy relationship to show after seasons of drama .
Tarik and Hazel , though , may still be together in real time , even as they enter their second season of the 90 Day franchise .
Tarik , 46 , first met Hazel , 28 , on an Asian dating website .
Their story was featured on Season 2 of 90 Day Fiancé : Before the 90 Days , which aired in 2018 .
On that season , the couple 's relationship escalated dramatically when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Philippines .
After a bit of an awkward start , Tarik proposed to Hazel .
Hazel also admitted that she was homeless and wanted to start a new life in America .
As 90 Day fans do , they claimed that she was n't marrying Tarik for the right reasons .
And while that may have been true , the couple appears to be going strong .
Tarik 's Instagram is full of photos of Hazel .
In individual posts , he praises his fiancée , who has a 9-year-old son .
Just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ video of Hazel to announce that she 'd be taking requests on the video app Cameo .
His caption was pretty doting , suggests that he 's happy to still be with Hazel two years after their initial story aired on TLC .
`` My beautiful Hazel is on Cameo now .
Book her for all occasions .
She is Hazel Cagalitan on Cameo .
Thanks , '' he wrote .
And Hazel 's Instagram ( which Tarik links to in his own Instagram bio ) looks similar .
While Hazel rarely uses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can be found on her page , too .
`` Sometimes I still pinch myself to make sure Im not dreaming , '' she wrote in 2019 , alongside a photo of her and Tarik .
`` Sometimes I still cant believe that youre real and that ur mine .
I never thought that some1 as amazing as u would fall in love with someone as silly as me .
But Im so glad that u did because my life has been nothing but wonderful . ''
So , if their life together @ @ @ @ @ @ @ love story , then why are they returning ?
Hazel is officially moving to America to live with Tarik , which is where 90 Day Fiancé Season 8 picks up with them .
Along with her son , Hazel will adjust to life in America before the story dives into something different altogether .
Apparently , Hazel identifies as bisexual and plans to explore her sexuality in America by adding another woman to her relationship with Tarik .
How will their relationship be affected by potentially adding a third person ?
And will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continues each Sunday night at 8 p.m .
ET on TLC .

It's not often on 90 Day Fiancé that a couple has a long-lasting, somewhat-happy relationship to show after seasons of drama. Tarik and Hazel, though, may still be together in real time, even as they enter their second season of the 90 Day franchise.
Tarik, 46, first met Hazel, 28, on an Asian dating website. Their story was featured on Season 2 of 90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days, which aired in 2018. On that season, the couple's relationship escalated dramatically when Tarik went to visit Hazel in the Philippines. After a bit of an awkward start, Tarik proposed to Hazel.
Hazel also admitted that she was homeless and wanted to start a new life in America. As 90 Day fans do, they claimed that she wasn't marrying Tarik for the right reasons. And while that may have been true, the couple appears to be going strong.
Tarik's Instagram is full of photos of Hazel. In individual posts, he praises his fiancée, who has a 9-year-old son. Just six weeks ago, Tarik posted a video of Hazel to announce that she'd be taking requests on the video app Cameo. His caption was pretty doting, suggests that he's happy to still be with Hazel two years after their initial story aired on TLC.
Hazel spoke about being homeless on 90 Day Fiance: Before the 90 Days Season 2. TLC
"My beautiful Hazel is on Cameo now. Book her for all occasions. She is Hazel Cagalitan on Cameo. Thanks," he wrote.
And Hazel's Instagram (which Tarik links to in his own Instagram bio) looks similar. While Hazel rarely uses the account, romantic and loving captions can be found on her page, too. "Sometimes I still pinch myself to make sure Im not dreaming," she wrote in 2019, alongside a photo of her and Tarik. "Sometimes I still cant believe that youre real and that ur mine. I never thought that some1 as amazing as u would fall in love with someone as silly as me. But Im so glad that u did because my life has been nothing but wonderful."
So, if their life together is turning out to be a true love story, then why are they returning?
Hazel is officially moving to America to live with Tarik, which is where 90 Day Fiancé Season 8 picks up with them. Along with her son, Hazel will adjust to life in America before the story dives into something different altogether. Apparently, Hazel identifies as bisexual and plans to explore her sexuality in America by adding another woman to her relationship with Tarik. How will their relationship be affected by potentially adding a third person? And will Tarik be on board?
The drama continues each Sunday night at 8 p.m. ET on TLC.


newsweek--2020-12-13--Florida Shoe Toss Cost Gators a Game, CFP Playoff Spot and Lots of Ridicule

The Florida Gators put themselves into position to come from behind and beat the hapless LSU Tigers on Saturday night , and then head to the SEC Championship with a possible College Football Playoff spot on the line .
They were n't a shoe-in , but they could 've gotten their foot in the door with an SEC title game win over Alabama .
That 's before a play near the end of the game kept LSU 's drive alive , and the Tigers booted a 57-yard field goal that would eventually be the 37-34 game winner .
The play @ @ @ @ @ @ @ toss '' or `` shoe throw '' in this wacky SEC game of `` natural '' cross-division rivals .
First , here 's the setup .
The game in Gainesville , Florida was tied at 34-34 , and the Gators had just stopped LSU on a third down late in the contest .
Florida 's Marco Wilson helped teammate Kole Taylor tackle the LSU ball carrier , and an LSU punt was certainly coming next .
However , during the tackle , Wilson wound up with an LSU cleat in his grasp—the cleat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ foot .
Then , out of the blue , Wilson flung the cleat downfield .
The Gators were called for a 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty for throwing the cleat 20 yards downfield , and LSU got a fresh set of downs .
LSU moved the ball downfield , and sophomore Cade York booted a 57-yard field goal with 23 seconds remaining .
Here 's the video of how everything went down at the end of the game Saturday night .
After the game , Florida coach Dan Mullen said that he never saw the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
On Sunday , during a teleconference call to preview this week 's upcoming SEC Championship game in Atlanta with No .
1 Alabama , the gators coach said he spoke with Wilson late Saturday night , and that Wilson `` was disappointed . ''
`` It 's a shame .
It 's pretty unfortunate in that situation .
I do n't think there was any intent to taunt , and it was n't like he was throwing it at their sideline or doing any of that , '' Mullen said .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thought possibly a game-winning play , and he kind of threw the shoe and went to celebrate with his teammates , and unfortunately , it was a penalty .
So , I think that ( was ) a mistake instead of somebody really trying to disrespect the game or taunt the opponent . ''
Mullen said that he did n't feel that one penalty cost Florida the game , and that Wilson probably felt the same way .
`` I know for ( Marco ) , he 'll look at things and realize @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we lost the game , '' Mullen said .
`` There 's many , many factors that went into that .
That 's just an unfortunate one in that situation because it was a key moment in the game . ''
Florida did get the ball back , and quarterback Kyle Trask put the Gators into position for a last-ditch effort to tie the game .
However , a 51-yard field goal attempt missed slightly wide to the left , sending Florida to its second loss on the season .
Their other loss @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Texas A & M , which is No .
5 in the country .
LSU , last year 's national champion , needed a win Saturday to avoid a losing record .
The Tigers ( 4-5 ) still need a win at home against Ole Miss this Saturday to avoid a losing record .
The SEC schedule has built-in `` natural rivals '' in the divisional crossover games .
That means there is one team from the other division that teams will play every season .
For East division Florida , their crossover @ @ @ @ @ @

The Florida Gators put themselves into position to come from behind and beat the hapless LSU Tigers on Saturday night, and then head to the SEC Championship with a possible College Football Playoff spot on the line.
They weren't a shoe-in, but they could've gotten their foot in the door with an SEC title game win over Alabama. That's before a play near the end of the game kept LSU's drive alive, and the Tigers booted a 57-yard field goal that would eventually be the 37-34 game winner.
The play will be called the infamous "shoe toss" or "shoe throw" in this wacky SEC game of "natural" cross-division rivals.
Head coach Dan Mullen of the Florida Gators coaches against the Vanderbilt Commodores at Vanderbilt Stadium on November 21, 2020 in Nashville, Tennessee. Mullen said the shoe-throwing incident against LSU, by itself, did not cost the Gators their 37-34 loss on December 12, 2020. Photo by Frederick Breedon/Getty Images
First, here's the setup. The game in Gainesville, Florida was tied at 34-34, and the Gators had just stopped LSU on a third down late in the contest. Florida's Marco Wilson helped teammate Kole Taylor tackle the LSU ball carrier, and an LSU punt was certainly coming next. However, during the tackle, Wilson wound up with an LSU cleat in his grasp—the cleat had come off the Tiger player's foot.
Then, out of the blue, Wilson flung the cleat downfield. The Gators were called for a 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty for throwing the cleat 20 yards downfield, and LSU got a fresh set of downs. LSU moved the ball downfield, and sophomore Cade York booted a 57-yard field goal with 23 seconds remaining.
Here's the video of how everything went down at the end of the game Saturday night.
After the game, Florida coach Dan Mullen said that he never saw the action that resulted in the taunting penalty. On Sunday, during a teleconference call to preview this week's upcoming SEC Championship game in Atlanta with No. 1 Alabama, the gators coach said he spoke with Wilson late Saturday night, and that Wilson "was disappointed."
"It's a shame. It's pretty unfortunate in that situation. I don't think there was any intent to taunt, and it wasn't like he was throwing it at their sideline or doing any of that," Mullen said. "It was a huge play, he thought possibly a game-winning play, and he kind of threw the shoe and went to celebrate with his teammates, and unfortunately, it was a penalty. So, I think that (was) a mistake instead of somebody really trying to disrespect the game or taunt the opponent."
Mullen said that he didn't feel that one penalty cost Florida the game, and that Wilson probably felt the same way.
"I know for (Marco), he'll look at things and realize that's certainly not the reason that we lost the game," Mullen said. "There's many, many factors that went into that. That's just an unfortunate one in that situation because it was a key moment in the game."
Florida did get the ball back, and quarterback Kyle Trask put the Gators into position for a last-ditch effort to tie the game. However, a 51-yard field goal attempt missed slightly wide to the left, sending Florida to its second loss on the season. Their other loss came on a last-second field goal against Texas A&M, which is No. 5 in the country.
LSU, last year's national champion, needed a win Saturday to avoid a losing record. The Tigers (4-5) still need a win at home against Ole Miss this Saturday to avoid a losing record.
The SEC schedule has built-in "natural rivals" in the divisional crossover games. That means there is one team from the other division that teams will play every season. For East division Florida, their crossover West division rival is LSU.


newsweek--2020-12-13--'90 Day Fiancé' Season 8 Spoilers: Are Mike and Natalie Still Together?

In one of the most dramatic 90 Day Fiancé teasers in the TLC franchise 's history , Natalie is seen sobbing as she 's shuffled off to the airport .
The Ukrainian woman fell in love with an American , Mike , through mutual friends , and though they struggled with relationship issues throughout 90 Day Fiancé Season 7 , Natalie is moving to America in Season 8 .
Or so she thought .
Apparently , Mike will send Natalie back to Ukraine when the pressure to marry in just 90 days during a global pandemic becomes too much .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the heartbreaking decision , one that 's so unexpected that Natalie actually calls Mike a `` monster '' to the camera .
But as 90 Day Fiancé fans know , no argument , no matter how dramatic , necessarily signifies the end of a relationship .
Mike and Natalie are expected to be together even after the whirlwind that fans saw in Season 7 , and that they 'll see again in Season 8 .
In fact , it 's all going to end with a wedding , regardless of whether it 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A local newspaper in Mike 's hometown announced that he did wed Natalie in March , according to a report from SoapDirt .
How the wedding fits into the timing of Natalie 's apparent return to Ukraine is unknown .
Maybe she 'll get off the plane in a love story moment enviable by even Friends ' Ross and Rachel , or perhaps the pair will reconnect after some time apart .
It certainly has n't been an easy relationship for Mike and Natalie .
The last time the pair were featured on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Season 7 `` Tell-All '' special .
In these post-season interviews , each couple airs their secrets and feuds that unfolded after filming .
During their talk , Natalie claimed that Mike cheated on her .
Their on-screen relationship has n't unfolded on American soil yet .
Throughout Season 7 , Mike was seen traveling abroad to visit Natalie as her K-1 Visa—the temporary relationship visa that allows immigrants into American before marriage—was delayed .
Mike first traveled to Kyiv , Ukraine , where he finally met Natalie in person .
Later , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accepted a proposal from Mike .
At some point , though , they seemed to break the engagement .
After a series of fights , Natalie returned the ring and Mike returned to America .
It 's worth noting that religion was a large topic of disagreement between the pair .
But , apparently , they 've sorted out at least some of their disagreements and have tied the knot .
Whether Mike and Natalie 's wedding will actually be seen on Season 8 , and whether the marriage will last well beyond @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remains to be seen .

In one of the most dramatic 90 Day Fiancé teasers in the TLC franchise's history, Natalie is seen sobbing as she's shuffled off to the airport.
The Ukrainian woman fell in love with an American, Mike, through mutual friends, and though they struggled with relationship issues throughout 90 Day Fiancé Season 7, Natalie is moving to America in Season 8.
Or so she thought. Apparently, Mike will send Natalie back to Ukraine when the pressure to marry in just 90 days during a global pandemic becomes too much. A new teaser for the season outlines the heartbreaking decision, one that's so unexpected that Natalie actually calls Mike a "monster" to the camera. But as 90 Day Fiancé fans know, no argument, no matter how dramatic, necessarily signifies the end of a relationship.
Mike and Natalie are expected to be together even after the whirlwind that fans saw in Season 7, and that they'll see again in Season 8. In fact, it's all going to end with a wedding, regardless of whether it's actually captured on camera by TLC.
Mike (L) and Natalie (L) appear on "90 Day Fiance" Season 7. TLC
A local newspaper in Mike's hometown announced that he did wed Natalie in March, according to a report from SoapDirt. How the wedding fits into the timing of Natalie's apparent return to Ukraine is unknown. Maybe she'll get off the plane in a love story moment enviable by even Friends' Ross and Rachel, or perhaps the pair will reconnect after some time apart.
It certainly hasn't been an easy relationship for Mike and Natalie. The last time the pair were featured on TLC was during the 90 Day Fiancé Season 7 "Tell-All" special. In these post-season interviews, each couple airs their secrets and feuds that unfolded after filming. During their talk, Natalie claimed that Mike cheated on her.
Their on-screen relationship hasn't unfolded on American soil yet. Throughout Season 7, Mike was seen traveling abroad to visit Natalie as her K-1 Visa—the temporary relationship visa that allows immigrants into American before marriage—was delayed. Mike first traveled to Kyiv, Ukraine, where he finally met Natalie in person. Later, the pair vacationed in Paris and Natalie accepted a proposal from Mike.
At some point, though, they seemed to break the engagement. After a series of fights, Natalie returned the ring and Mike returned to America. It's worth noting that religion was a large topic of disagreement between the pair. But, apparently, they've sorted out at least some of their disagreements and have tied the knot. Whether Mike and Natalie's wedding will actually be seen on Season 8, and whether the marriage will last well beyond the season finale's air date, remains to be seen.


newsweek--2020-12-13--Donald Trump Refuses to Talk About Attending Joe Biden's Inauguration

President Donald Trump refused to discuss whether he would attend President-elect Joe Biden 's inauguration in January , as he continued to insist that the Democrat `` lost badly . ''
`` I do n't want to talk about that , '' the president told Fox News host Brian Kilmeade , in a TV interview that aired Sunday , on whether he would `` show up at the inauguration . ''
Trump then claimed that he did n't lose the election .
`` I want to talk about this : we 've done a great job , '' he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any president in the history of our country .
In the history of our country , right ?
Not even close—75 million far more than Obama , far more than anybody .
And they say we lost an election .
We did n't lose .
If I got 10 million fewer votes , they say I could n't have lost . ''
Most news outlets called the election for Biden over a month ago , but Trump has refused to concede .
Instead , the president 's campaign has filed dozens of lawsuits @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Biden won in an effort to reverse Trump 's election defeat .
So far , the suits have been lacking in evidence , largely unsuccessful and routinely tossed out of court .
On Friday evening , the U.S. Supreme Court rejected a Texas lawsuit , billed by Team Trump as `` the big one , '' challenging Biden 's win in Wisconsin , Michigan , Georgia and Pennsylvania .
The failed suit was the latest blow in a string of defeats for the campaign .
When asked during his Fox News interview @ @ @ @ @ @ @ does n't concede by Biden 's inauguration , Trump claimed that American would have an `` illegitimate '' Democratic president .
`` I worry about the country having an illegitimate president .
That 's what I worry about , '' he said .
`` A president that lost and lost badly .
This was n't like a close election .
You look at Georgia .
We won Georgia big .
We won Pennsylvania big .
We won Wisconsin big .
We won it big . ''
The president 's Sunday interview with Fox @ @ @ @ @ @ @ College is set to officially certify Biden 's victory .
Following the Supreme Court 's decision last week , thousands of Trump supporters took to the streets in Washington , D.C. in the latest `` Stop the Steal '' protest .
MAGA supporters , once aligned with the Republican Party , have turned against the GOP for failing to help Trump remain in power—with some calling for a boycott of the upcoming Georgia Senate runoff elections .
`` Destroy the GOP ! ''
a large group of protesters chanted yesterday as they marched @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republican Senate incumbents Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue .
Former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn , whom Trump pardoned last month , conservative radio host Alex Jones , and MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell were among the speakers at the rally .
Newsweek reached out to the president-elect 's transition team for comment .

President Donald Trump refused to discuss whether he would attend President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration in January, as he continued to insist that the Democrat "lost badly."
"I don't want to talk about that," the president told Fox News host Brian Kilmeade, in a TV interview that aired Sunday, on whether he would "show up at the inauguration."
Trump then claimed that he didn't lose the election. "I want to talk about this: we've done a great job," he said. "I got more votes than any president in the history of our country. In the history of our country, right? Not even close—75 million far more than Obama, far more than anybody. And they say we lost an election. We didn't lose. If I got 10 million fewer votes, they say I couldn't have lost."
Most news outlets called the election for Biden over a month ago, but Trump has refused to concede. Instead, the president's campaign has filed dozens of lawsuits alleging widespread voter fraud in swing states that Biden won in an effort to reverse Trump's election defeat. So far, the suits have been lacking in evidence, largely unsuccessful and routinely tossed out of court.
President Donald Trump golfs at Trump National Golf Club on December 13, 2020 in Sterling, Virginia. Al Drago/Getty
On Friday evening, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected a Texas lawsuit, billed by Team Trump as "the big one," challenging Biden's win in Wisconsin, Michigan, Georgia and Pennsylvania. The failed suit was the latest blow in a string of defeats for the campaign.
When asked during his Fox News interview about what will happen if he still doesn't concede by Biden's inauguration, Trump claimed that American would have an "illegitimate" Democratic president.
"I worry about the country having an illegitimate president. That's what I worry about," he said. "A president that lost and lost badly. This wasn't like a close election. You look at Georgia. We won Georgia big. We won Pennsylvania big. We won Wisconsin big. We won it big."
The president's Sunday interview with Fox News comes a day before the Electoral College is set to officially certify Biden's victory. Following the Supreme Court's decision last week, thousands of Trump supporters took to the streets in Washington, D.C. in the latest "Stop the Steal" protest.
MAGA supporters, once aligned with the Republican Party, have turned against the GOP for failing to help Trump remain in power—with some calling for a boycott of the upcoming Georgia Senate runoff elections.
"Destroy the GOP!" a large group of protesters chanted yesterday as they marched down the Capitol. Others booed Georgia Republican Senate incumbents Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue.
Former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, whom Trump pardoned last month, conservative radio host Alex Jones, and MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell were among the speakers at the rally.
Newsweek reached out to the president-elect's transition team for comment.


newsweek--2020-12-13--Stacey Abrams Responds After Ga. Secretary of State Blasted Her Over Election Fraud Claims

Stacey Abrams refuted criticism from Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger that drew similarities between the former gubernatorial candidate 's 2018 election challenges and Donald Trump 's current push to undermine results of this year 's presidential race .
Speaking to CNN 's Jake Tapper during an appearance Sunday on State of the Union , Abrams addressed a series of claims offered by Raffensperger in a recent Wall Street Journal op-ed , noting : `` He 's never listened to what I said . ''
The Republican official , who has chief authority over election matters in Georgia , suggested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his loss to President-elect Joe Biden fell in line with Abrams ' actions after her loss to now-Governor Brian Kemp in 2018 .
`` Establishing a playbook that President Trump is following to the letter now , Ms. Abrams refused to concede , announced that she would launch major litigation against Georgia 's election system , and began collecting hundreds of millions of dollars from donors convinced the election had been stolen from her , '' wrote Raffensperger , who has become a favored target among Republicans alleging , without evidence , that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In response to Raffensperger 's criticism of her , Abrams told Tapper on Sunday : `` I said that the election was stolen from Georgia voters because , under the previous secretary of state , Brian Kemp ... 1.4 million voters were purged from the rolls , thousands of voters were denied the right to vote because of exact match , '' '' There were thousands of voters that were rejected through an absentee ballot and a provisional ballot process that was not equal , '' she continued .
`` And what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that we filed that successfully fixed those challenges . ''
Following the 2018 gubernatorial election , Abrams acknowledged that Kemp `` would be certified as the victor '' during a public address that replaced a formal concession speech , Quartz reported .
She clarified the address was `` not a speech of concession . ''
`` Concession means to acknowledge an action is right , true or proper .
As a woman of conscience and faith , I can not concede .
But my assessment is that the law currently allows no further @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the time .
In the speech , she alleged massive voter suppression in Georgia contributed to the gubernatorial election 's outcome , which subsequent investigations found to be true .
Trump 's ongoing attempts to challenge the outcome of November 's presidential election , by way of numerous lawsuits accusing state and local officials of misconduct and fraud , are widely discredited .
The vast majority of his campaign 's legal actions , including several aiming to overturn Georgia 's certified results for Biden , have already been dismissed in court .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I have done and what Donald Trump is trying to do , '' Abrams said Sunday .
`` My mission has been very clear since I was 17 .
And that is expanding access to the right to vote for those who are entitled to vote in our country , and especially in the state of Georgia . ''
Newsweek reached out to Raffensperger 's office for comments , but did not receive replies in time for publication .

Stacey Abrams refuted criticism from Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger that drew similarities between the former gubernatorial candidate's 2018 election challenges and Donald Trump's current push to undermine results of this year's presidential race.
Speaking to CNN's Jake Tapper during an appearance Sunday on State of the Union, Abrams addressed a series of claims offered by Raffensperger in a recent Wall Street Journal op-ed, noting: "He's never listened to what I said."
The Republican official, who has chief authority over election matters in Georgia, suggested that Trump's present efforts to contradict his loss to President-elect Joe Biden fell in line with Abrams' actions after her loss to now-Governor Brian Kemp in 2018.
"Establishing a playbook that President Trump is following to the letter now, Ms. Abrams refused to concede, announced that she would launch major litigation against Georgia's election system, and began collecting hundreds of millions of dollars from donors convinced the election had been stolen from her," wrote Raffensperger, who has become a favored target among Republicans alleging, without evidence, that the presidential election's outcome is illegitimate.
In response to Raffensperger's criticism of her, Abrams told Tapper on Sunday: "I said that the election was stolen from Georgia voters because, under the previous secretary of state, Brian Kemp...1.4 million voters were purged from the rolls, thousands of voters were denied the right to vote because of exact match,"
"There were thousands of voters that were rejected through an absentee ballot and a provisional ballot process that was not equal," she continued. "And what he is complaining about are the losses that we filed that successfully fixed those challenges."
Following the 2018 gubernatorial election, Abrams acknowledged that Kemp "would be certified as the victor" during a public address that replaced a formal concession speech, Quartz reported. She clarified the address was "not a speech of concession."
"Concession means to acknowledge an action is right, true or proper. As a woman of conscience and faith, I cannot concede. But my assessment is that the law currently allows no further viable remedy," Abrams said at the time.
Stacey Abrams responded to criticism from Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who suggested Donald Trump's efforts to undermine results of November's election were taken from Abrams' "playbook" in a recent op-ed. Former U.S. Representative and voting rights activist Stacey Abrams speaks at a Get Out the Vote rally with former President Barack Obama, as he campaigns for Democratic presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden on November 2, 2020, in Atlanta, Georgia. ELIJAH NOUVELAGE/AFP via Getty Images
In the speech, she alleged massive voter suppression in Georgia contributed to the gubernatorial election's outcome, which subsequent investigations found to be true.
Trump's ongoing attempts to challenge the outcome of November's presidential election, by way of numerous lawsuits accusing state and local officials of misconduct and fraud, are widely discredited. The vast majority of his campaign's legal actions, including several aiming to overturn Georgia's certified results for Biden, have already been dismissed in court.
"There is absolutely nothing commensurate between what I have done and what Donald Trump is trying to do," Abrams said Sunday. "My mission has been very clear since I was 17. And that is expanding access to the right to vote for those who are entitled to vote in our country, and especially in the state of Georgia."
Newsweek reached out to Raffensperger's office for comments, but did not receive replies in time for publication.


newsweek--2020-12-13--Top Democrat Willing to Drop State and Local Aid in Stimulus Deal to Get 'Essentials Done'

Democratic House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer has signaled willingness to drop state and local aid in stimulus talks to end the congressional stalemate and deliver quick relief to struggling Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic .
Nearly nine months have passed since President Donald Trump signed the CARES Act , and negotiations over another stimulus package have been deadlocked for over five months .
As the pandemic continued to worsen in most parts of the country , Hoyer on Sunday indicated that the party could capitulate further to `` get the essentials done . ''
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi `` and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the phone together .
And I am very hopeful that next week , we will be able to act on substantial relief , '' Hoyer said on CNN 's Inside Politics , adding that Democrats `` are not going to get everything we want . ''
A group of bipartisan senators unveiled a $ 908 billion compromise measure earlier this month in an effort to break the logjam , but legislators are still ironing out the details of the bill .
Two issues are still in dispute .
Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ measure that does not have COVID liability protections for businesses , and Democrats have been unwilling to budge on aid to state and local governments .
Hoyer stressed the importance of providing funding for small businesses , vaccine administration , unemployment and child care— '' all of which are in agreement '' —but signaled that state and local aid might make it onto the next bill .
It 's `` important .
And if we can get that we want to get it .
But we want to get aid out to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and are at grave risk , '' he said .
`` We 'll have time to get stuff done that we did n't include because we could n't get political agreement , we 'll have time to do that . ''
Republican Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana , who 's part of the bipartisan group of lawmakers pushing for a compromise , on Sunday told CNN host Jake Tapper `` we 're going to introduce a bill tomorrow night . ''
Without a bipartisan deal , he added that `` leadership can disregard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
Democratic Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia echoed Cassidy 's remarks , telling Fox News on Sunday that the group will release `` a complete bill tomorrow before the end of the day . ''
Democrats held out for a comprehensive package for several months , but due to continued opposition from fiscally conservative Republicans , party leaders have since said they 're willing to pass a stopgap measure .
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer hope they will be in a better position to deliver further @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of stimulus checks , when President-elect Joe Biden takes office .
During a news conference Sunday , Schumer said `` the good news on the negotiations is that the Gang of Eight is working hard and they hope to have something as early as tomorrow morning .
It 's not everything we all want , but it 's a good framework and I hope everyone can come together around the Gang of Eight . ''
Newsweek reached out to McConnell 's office for comment .

Democratic House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer has signaled willingness to drop state and local aid in stimulus talks to end the congressional stalemate and deliver quick relief to struggling Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Nearly nine months have passed since President Donald Trump signed the CARES Act, and negotiations over another stimulus package have been deadlocked for over five months. As the pandemic continued to worsen in most parts of the country, Hoyer on Sunday indicated that the party could capitulate further to "get the essentials done."
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi "and I spent a lot of time on the phone together. And I am very hopeful that next week, we will be able to act on substantial relief," Hoyer said on CNN's Inside Politics, adding that Democrats "are not going to get everything we want."
Democratic House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer speaks to reporters at the U.S. Capitol November 18, 2020 in Washington, DC. Chip Somodevilla/Getty
A group of bipartisan senators unveiled a $908 billion compromise measure earlier this month in an effort to break the logjam, but legislators are still ironing out the details of the bill. Two issues are still in dispute. Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has stood firm on opposing any measure that does not have COVID liability protections for businesses, and Democrats have been unwilling to budge on aid to state and local governments.
Hoyer stressed the importance of providing funding for small businesses, vaccine administration, unemployment and child care—"all of which are in agreement"—but signaled that state and local aid might make it onto the next bill.
It's "important. And if we can get that we want to get it. But we want to get aid out to the people who are really, really struggling and are at grave risk," he said. "We'll have time to get stuff done that we didn't include because we couldn't get political agreement, we'll have time to do that."
Republican Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, who's part of the bipartisan group of lawmakers pushing for a compromise, on Sunday told CNN host Jake Tapper "we're going to introduce a bill tomorrow night."
Without a bipartisan deal, he added that "leadership can disregard it, I can't govern that."
Democratic Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia echoed Cassidy's remarks, telling Fox News on Sunday that the group will release "a complete bill tomorrow before the end of the day."
Democrats held out for a comprehensive package for several months, but due to continued opposition from fiscally conservative Republicans, party leaders have since said they're willing to pass a stopgap measure. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer hope they will be in a better position to deliver further relief, including a highly-anticipated second round of stimulus checks, when President-elect Joe Biden takes office.
During a news conference Sunday, Schumer said "the good news on the negotiations is that the Gang of Eight is working hard and they hope to have something as early as tomorrow morning. It's not everything we all want, but it's a good framework and I hope everyone can come together around the Gang of Eight."
Newsweek reached out to McConnell's office for comment.


newsweek--2020-12-13--Black Church Compares Protesters' Attack On BLM Sign to 'Cross Burnings'

The senior pastor of Washington , D.C. 's oldest black church still situated on its original site released a statement comparing the burning of his church 's Black Lives Matter sign to `` cross burnings , '' which were often conducted by white supremacist groups such as the Ku Klux Klan .
The far-right group the Proud Boys and other supporters of President Donald Trump carried out demonstrations in the nation 's capital on Saturday .
Violence erupted throughout the evening and demonstrators began removing Black Lives Matter signs from multiple black churches in the city—then destroying or burning them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ circulated on social media and police are reportedly investigating them as possible hate crimes .
Reverend Dr. Ianther M. Mills , the senior pastor of Asbury United Methodist Church , released a public statement on Sunday , pointing out that his historic church had been standing in the same place since 1836 .
`` We are resilient people who have trusted in God through slavery and the Underground Railroad , Jim Crow and the Civil Rights Movement , and now we face an apparent rise in white supremacy , '' he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and language that may be disturbing and offensive .
`` Last night demonstrators who were part of the MAGA gatherings tore down our Black Lives Matter sign and literally burned it in the street .
The sign burning was captured on Twitter , '' Mills continued .
`` It pained me especially to see our name , Asbury , in flames .
For me it was reminiscent of cross burnings . ''
The senior pastor of the historic black church said that the actions of the protesters had made him `` indignant and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reared its ugly head . ''
In one video shared by Daily Caller reporter Shelby Talcott , demonstrators identified by the journalist as Proud Boys and Trump supporters can be seen dumping gasoline on Asbury 's Black Lives Matter sign as it burns .
Members of the crowd can be heard cheering and howling as chants of `` f*** antifa ! ''
break out .
The sign includes the church 's name and its website .
News2Share editor-in-chief Ford Fischer also shared a video of the sign burning .
Fischer identified the group @ @ @ @ @ @ @ manager of a nearby bar came out with a fire extinguisher .
In a separate incident , also described on social media as being carried out by Proud Boys , demonstrators tore down a Black Lives Matter sign from the Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church .
The protesters can be seen in the clip stomping on the sign in the yard of the church .
Newsweek reached out to the Proud Boys and the city 's Metropolitan Police Department for further comment , but they did not immediately respond .
Representative Rashida Tlaib @ @ @ @ @ @ @ commented on the incident in a Sunday Twitter post .
`` They started a fire in a the middle of a public street , yet no police in riot gear to stop them .
Imagine if they were # BLM protesters [ sic ] , '' Tlaib wrote .
Although the Proud Boys maintain that they are not a white supremacist organization , noting that they have members representing different ethnicities , the Southern Poverty Law Center has said `` their disavowals of bigotry are belied by their actions . ''
`` The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American right-wing extremism .
While the group can be described as violent , nationalistic , Islamophobic , transphobic and misogynistic , its members represent a range of ethnic backgrounds , and its leaders vehemently protest any allegations of racism , '' the Anti-Defamation League said on its website .

The senior pastor of Washington, D.C.'s oldest black church still situated on its original site released a statement comparing the burning of his church's Black Lives Matter sign to "cross burnings," which were often conducted by white supremacist groups such as the Ku Klux Klan.
The far-right group the Proud Boys and other supporters of President Donald Trump carried out demonstrations in the nation's capital on Saturday. Violence erupted throughout the evening and demonstrators began removing Black Lives Matter signs from multiple black churches in the city—then destroying or burning them.
Videos of these incidents were widely circulated on social media and police are reportedly investigating them as possible hate crimes.
Reverend Dr. Ianther M. Mills, the senior pastor of Asbury United Methodist Church, released a public statement on Sunday, pointing out that his historic church had been standing in the same place since 1836. "We are resilient people who have trusted in God through slavery and the Underground Railroad, Jim Crow and the Civil Rights Movement, and now we face an apparent rise in white supremacy," he said.
WARNING: Video clips below contains scenes and language that may be disturbing and offensive.
The Proud Boys and Trump supporters burn the BLM banner while chanting and cheering in downtown DC: pic.twitter.com/L16azBBhbr — Shelby Talcott (@ShelbyTalcott) December 13, 2020
"Last night demonstrators who were part of the MAGA gatherings tore down our Black Lives Matter sign and literally burned it in the street. The sign burning was captured on Twitter," Mills continued. "It pained me especially to see our name, Asbury, in flames. For me it was reminiscent of cross burnings."
The senior pastor of the historic black church said that the actions of the protesters had made him "indignant and determined to fight the evil that has reared its ugly head."
The pastor of Asbury United Methodist Church in DC responds to the burning of the church’s Black Lives Matter sign last night by people who appeared to be affiliated with Proud Boys.
“For me it was reminiscent of cross burnings.” pic.twitter.com/eX3aAE7qTJ — Jack Jenkins (@jackmjenkins) December 13, 2020
In one video shared by Daily Caller reporter Shelby Talcott, demonstrators identified by the journalist as Proud Boys and Trump supporters can be seen dumping gasoline on Asbury's Black Lives Matter sign as it burns. Members of the crowd can be heard cheering and howling as chants of "f*** antifa!" break out. The sign includes the church's name and its website.
News2Share editor-in-chief Ford Fischer also shared a video of the sign burning. Fischer identified the group as Proud Boys, saying that the manager of a nearby bar came out with a fire extinguisher.
In a separate incident, also described on social media as being carried out by Proud Boys, demonstrators tore down a Black Lives Matter sign from the Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church. The protesters can be seen in the clip stomping on the sign in the yard of the church.
Proud Boys tear down another Black Lives Matter board from the Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church #DC #MarchForTrump #DefendDC #ProudBoys pic.twitter.com/ml1TbhV98Q — Brendan Gutenschwager (@BGOnTheScene) December 13, 2020
Newsweek reached out to the Proud Boys and the city's Metropolitan Police Department for further comment, but they did not immediately respond.
Representative Rashida Tlaib, a progressive Democrat from Michigan, commented on the incident in a Sunday Twitter post. "They started a fire in a the middle of a public street, yet no police in riot gear to stop them. Imagine if they were #BLM protesters [sic]," Tlaib wrote.
A woman with the Proud Boys wears an American flag bandana during a protest on December 12 in Washington, D.C. Stephanie Keith/Getty
Although the Proud Boys maintain that they are not a white supremacist organization, noting that they have members representing different ethnicities, the Southern Poverty Law Center has said "their disavowals of bigotry are belied by their actions."
"The Proud Boys represent an unconventional strain of American right-wing extremism. While the group can be described as violent, nationalistic, Islamophobic, transphobic and misogynistic, its members represent a range of ethnic backgrounds, and its leaders vehemently protest any allegations of racism," the Anti-Defamation League said on its website.


newsweek--2020-12-13--Gingrich Criticizes Georgia Sec of State for Adding Drop Boxes That 'Make It Harder for Republicans

Gingrich Criticizes Georgia Sec of State for Adding Drop Boxes That 'Make It Harder for Republicans to Win'

Newt Gingrich , the conservative former House Speaker , complained Sunday that the introduction of ballot drop boxes to Georgia 's election process this year will `` make it harder '' for GOP candidates to win during January 's runoff contests .
Specifically , he targeted Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger , who is a Republican himself , in a tweet that seemed to echo Donald Trump 's unsubstantiated allegations of misconduct and partisan schemes .
`` Why is Georgia Secretary of State Raffensperger working so hard to add drop boxes and take other steps to make it harder @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrote on Twitter .
`` Is he really that intimidated by Stacey Abrams ? ''
Abrams , who previously served in Georgia 's state legislature and challenged Republican Governor Brian Kemp during the 2018 gubernatorial election , is now a voting rights advocate .
As both of Georgia 's senatorial elections moved to runoffs in the aftermath of November 3 , Abrams emerged at the forefront of grassroots initiatives supporting Democratic candidates ' campaigns .
The results of January 's runoff elections , between Republican incumbents David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler and Democratic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will determine which party gains control of the U.S. Senate .
Like most states , Georgia received a record number of mail-in ballots ahead of last month 's general election .
In preparation for the influx of absentee votes , given concerns about in-person voting during a pandemic , election officials established a network of drop box locations across most of the state where residents could cast ballots without increasing their risks of contracting COVID-19 .
The elections board voted to extend the state 's use of drop boxes through the end of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cast mail ballots ahead of the January 5 runoffs .
Several counties have established additional drop boxes in their respective jurisdictions ahead of the elections .
Many criticized Gingrich 's claim about drop boxes , and their potential impact on Republicans ' success in Georgia , as being in line with attempts at voter suppression .
His tweet came just over a week after Human Rights Watch released a report that highlighted gaps in drop box access in dozens of Georgia counties , and pointed to clear inequities tied to race and class @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who sees the drop boxes as problematic .
On Wednesday , the Georgia Republican Party and Republican National Committee filed a joint lawsuit seeking to limit drop boxes ' availability to regular business hours .
Currently the drop boxes are open 24 hours a day .
Nsé Ufot , CEO of the New Georgia Project founded by Abrams , described it as `` a sneaky , underhanded attempt to make it more difficult for Georgians to vote . ''
Newsweek reached out to Raffensperger 's office for comment but did not receive a @ @ @ @ @ @

Newt Gingrich, the conservative former House Speaker, complained Sunday that the introduction of ballot drop boxes to Georgia's election process this year will "make it harder" for GOP candidates to win during January's runoff contests. Specifically, he targeted Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who is a Republican himself, in a tweet that seemed to echo Donald Trump's unsubstantiated allegations of misconduct and partisan schemes.
"Why is Georgia Secretary of State Raffensperger working so hard to add drop boxes and take other steps to make it harder for Republicans to win," Gingrich wrote on Twitter. "Is he really that intimidated by Stacey Abrams?"
Why is Georgia Secretary of State Raffensperger working so hard to add drop boxes and take other steps to make it harder for Republicans to win. Is he really that intimidated by Stacey Abrams? — Newt Gingrich (@newtgingrich) December 13, 2020
Abrams, who previously served in Georgia's state legislature and challenged Republican Governor Brian Kemp during the 2018 gubernatorial election, is now a voting rights advocate. As both of Georgia's senatorial elections moved to runoffs in the aftermath of November 3, Abrams emerged at the forefront of grassroots initiatives supporting Democratic candidates' campaigns. The results of January's runoff elections, between Republican incumbents David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler and Democratic challengers Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, will determine which party gains control of the U.S. Senate.
On Sunday, former Republican congressman Newt Gingrich suggested that efforts to establish additional ballot drop box locations in Georgia would reduce GOP candidates' chances of winning January's runoff elections. Here he's seen at an event in June 2018 near Paris. ZAKARIA ABDELKAFI/AFP via Getty Images
Like most states, Georgia received a record number of mail-in ballots ahead of last month's general election. In preparation for the influx of absentee votes, given concerns about in-person voting during a pandemic, election officials established a network of drop box locations across most of the state where residents could cast ballots without increasing their risks of contracting COVID-19.
The elections board voted to extend the state's use of drop boxes through the end of December since many voters are expected to cast mail ballots ahead of the January 5 runoffs. Several counties have established additional drop boxes in their respective jurisdictions ahead of the elections.
Many criticized Gingrich's claim about drop boxes, and their potential impact on Republicans' success in Georgia, as being in line with attempts at voter suppression. His tweet came just over a week after Human Rights Watch released a report that highlighted gaps in drop box access in dozens of Georgia counties, and pointed to clear inequities tied to race and class.
Gingrich isn't the only Republican who sees the drop boxes as problematic. On Wednesday, the Georgia Republican Party and Republican National Committee filed a joint lawsuit seeking to limit drop boxes' availability to regular business hours. Currently the drop boxes are open 24 hours a day.
Nsé Ufot, CEO of the New Georgia Project founded by Abrams, described it as "a sneaky, underhanded attempt to make it more difficult for Georgians to vote."
Newsweek reached out to Raffensperger's office for comment but did not receive a reply in time for publication.


newsweek--2020-12-13--Bill Gates Says Trump's 'America First' Wrong Approach, U.S. Vaccines Benefited From Foreign Help

Microsoft 's billionaire co-founder Bill Gates volunteered to take a COVID-19 vaccine publicly and said that President Donald Trump 's `` America first '' approach is `` selfish , '' given that U.S. vaccines benefited from foreign scientists .
Gates downplayed Operation Warp Speed 's role in pushing companies to develop a U.S. vaccine safely in record time , telling CNN Sunday the first two mRNA vaccines have had `` backing for quite some time . ''
The billionaire said Pfizer and Gates Foundation partner BioNTech `` did not take government money '' and that Moderna received financial support before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back when it was `` just called BARDA , '' or Biomedical Advanced Research and Development .
Gates described how international scientific efforts from German companies and foreign scientists aided the development of the first U.S. vaccines , and he said distribution should be `` based on medical need , not wealth at all . ''
`` We want the world economy to be going .
We want to minimize the deaths .
And , you know , the basic technology is a German company .
And so blocking international sharing and cooperation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this entire pandemic , '' Gates said , referencing how German biotechnology company BioNTech is behind the creation of the record-setting COVID-19 vaccine , which was authorized by the Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) last week .
`` We need to ramp up the capacity of all the vaccines .
There will be some additional ones approved in the months ahead that are easier to scale up the manufacturing .
But the U.S. has benefited from other countries ' work here , and we should n't be entirely selfish in how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
CNN host Jake Tapper asked Gates if he believes Trump 's unclear executive order prioritizing distribution of the vaccines to Americans before other countries is the wrong approach to the pandemic response .
`` I think we need to help all of humanity here .
The extreme idea that everybody should die until we have the very last American vaccinated , that 's hardly the appropriate response , '' Gates said , noting he does n't believe any one vaccine is better than another .
He added , `` I 'm super @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being produced by Pfizer , Moderna and AstraZeneca .
BioNTech CEO , Turkish-born Dr. Ugur Sahin , told The Wall Street Journal last month he 's `` anxious and in focus mode , '' as the world 's scientists prepare for what 's next in eliminating coronavirus .
The previous record for the development of a vaccine was four years , but the COVID-19 vaccines produced in partnership with his Mainz , Germany-based company managed to create one in a matter of just months .
Gates said the U.S. and other governments have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ensuring Americans choose to get vaccinated .
But he 's hopeful that the rollout will gradually be met with a lower death rate and a reduction in transmission `` to people you care about , '' which will boost trust in the process .
`` For some jobs , like working in a nursing home , the government could decide that it 's important for those people to be vaccinated , because that will save a lot of lives .
And so the track record will be developed , and I think we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should reduce the transmission dramatically , '' Gates said .
The billionaire tech entrepreneur said distribution should be super honed in on helping those in medical need , and not at all based on a recipient 's wealth .
He volunteered to get publicly vaccinated as former presidents Barack Obama , George W. Bush and Bill Clinton have already said they will do to reinforce trust .
`` I will visibly take the vaccine , because I think that it 's a benefit to all people to not be transmitting , '' Gates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Foundation last week announced they are donating an additional $ 250 million to helping fight COVID-19 , on top of the $ 1 billion the organization has already put forth in recent months .
Newsweek reached out to the Gates Foundation as well as the White House Sunday afternoon for additional remarks about the vaccine rollout .

Microsoft's billionaire co-founder Bill Gates volunteered to take a COVID-19 vaccine publicly and said that President Donald Trump's "America first" approach is "selfish," given that U.S. vaccines benefited from foreign scientists.
Gates downplayed Operation Warp Speed's role in pushing companies to develop a U.S. vaccine safely in record time, telling CNN Sunday the first two mRNA vaccines have had "backing for quite some time." The billionaire said Pfizer and Gates Foundation partner BioNTech "did not take government money" and that Moderna received financial support before the creation of Operation Warp Speed, back when it was "just called BARDA," or Biomedical Advanced Research and Development.
Gates described how international scientific efforts from German companies and foreign scientists aided the development of the first U.S. vaccines, and he said distribution should be "based on medical need, not wealth at all."
"We want the world economy to be going. We want to minimize the deaths. And, you know, the basic technology is a German company. And so blocking international sharing and cooperation has been disruptive and a mistake during this entire pandemic," Gates said, referencing how German biotechnology company BioNTech is behind the creation of the record-setting COVID-19 vaccine, which was authorized by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last week.
"We need to ramp up the capacity of all the vaccines. There will be some additional ones approved in the months ahead that are easier to scale up the manufacturing. But the U.S. has benefited from other countries' work here, and we shouldn't be entirely selfish in how we go forward," Gates added.
CNN host Jake Tapper asked Gates if he believes Trump's unclear executive order prioritizing distribution of the vaccines to Americans before other countries is the wrong approach to the pandemic response.
"I think we need to help all of humanity here. The extreme idea that everybody should die until we have the very last American vaccinated, that's hardly the appropriate response," Gates said, noting he doesn't believe any one vaccine is better than another.
He added, "I'm super happy with all of these vaccines" being produced by Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca.
BioNTech CEO, Turkish-born Dr. Ugur Sahin, told The Wall Street Journal last month he's "anxious and in focus mode," as the world's scientists prepare for what's next in eliminating coronavirus. The previous record for the development of a vaccine was four years, but the COVID-19 vaccines produced in partnership with his Mainz, Germany-based company managed to create one in a matter of just months.
Gates said the U.S. and other governments have a "real communications challenge" in ensuring Americans choose to get vaccinated. But he's hopeful that the rollout will gradually be met with a lower death rate and a reduction in transmission "to people you care about," which will boost trust in the process.
"For some jobs, like working in a nursing home, the government could decide that it's important for those people to be vaccinated, because that will save a lot of lives. And so the track record will be developed, and I think we will get over the 70 percent that should reduce the transmission dramatically," Gates said.
The billionaire tech entrepreneur said distribution should be super honed in on helping those in medical need, and not at all based on a recipient's wealth. He volunteered to get publicly vaccinated as former presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton have already said they will do to reinforce trust.
"I will visibly take the vaccine, because I think that it's a benefit to all people to not be transmitting," Gates said.
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation last week announced they are donating an additional $250 million to helping fight COVID-19, on top of the $1 billion the organization has already put forth in recent months.
Newsweek reached out to the Gates Foundation as well as the White House Sunday afternoon for additional remarks about the vaccine rollout.


newsweek--2020-12-13--Al Gore Urges Republicans to Overcome Fear That Trump 'Will Tweet Them Into Political Oblivion'

Former Vice President Al Gore urged Republicans supporting President Donald Trump 's re-election bid to `` put the country first '' on Sunday .
`` It 's hard to escape the interpretation that they 're frightened that President Trump will tweet them into political oblivion if they do n't do exactly what he says , '' Gore said during an interview on CNN 's State of the Union .
`` There are things that are more important than bowing to the fear of a demagogue .
And one of those things that 's more important is the United States of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the former vice president . ''
Gore continued .
Gore was defeated by President George W. Bush in the 2000 presidential election after the U.S. Supreme Court ordered to halt a recount of some Florida votes following the state 's `` hanging chads '' controversy .
When asked if he regretted conceding following the Supreme Court 's decision during his Sunday interview , Gore said : `` No ...
There were no remaining alternatives . ''
`` There is no intermediate step between a final Supreme Court decision on a matter of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gore continued .
`` Those who talk about continuing the fight after it 's over with are being disrespectful of American democracy . ''
The Trump campaign and the president 's Republican allies have filed numerous lawsuits across the country , baselessly claiming President-elect Joe Biden 's victory was a result of widespread voter fraud .
However , many of these cases have been dismissed by state courts .
On Friday , the Supreme Court denied the lawsuit filed by the Texas attorney general , Ken Paxton , against four battleground states—Michigan , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the outcome of the election .
Before the Supreme Court denied the case , Trump requested to join the lawsuit and over 100 Republicans in the House of Representatives signed a brief in support of the litigation .
`` I 'm going to express the hopes that with the Electoral College votes tomorrow in all 50 states , and with the president-elect , Biden , receiving the majority , that that will be a point at which some of those who have hung on will give up the ghosts , '' said Gore @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concede the election to Biden , the Electoral College is expected to meet on Monday as all 50 states certified their election results .
According to the Associated Press , Biden won both the popular vote and the electoral vote .
The president-elect won 51.4 percent of the popular vote and 306 electoral votes , surpassing the 270 votes needed to win—while Trump collected 46.9 percent of the popular vote and 232 electoral votes .
Gore did n't respond to Newsweek 's request for comment in time for publication .

Former Vice President Al Gore urged Republicans supporting President Donald Trump's re-election bid to "put the country first" on Sunday.
"It's hard to escape the interpretation that they're frightened that President Trump will tweet them into political oblivion if they don't do exactly what he says," Gore said during an interview on CNN's State of the Union.
"There are things that are more important than bowing to the fear of a demagogue. And one of those things that's more important is the United States of America, and our Constitution," said the former vice president." Gore continued.
“I would encourage those who are still supporting the lost cause of Pres. Trump’s reelection, to put the country first,” Al Gore says. He hopes that tomorrow’s electoral college votes will be “a point, at which some of those who have hung on, will give up the ghost” #CNNSOTU pic.twitter.com/ourvnjfFwo — State of the Union (@CNNSotu) December 13, 2020
Gore was defeated by President George W. Bush in the 2000 presidential election after the U.S. Supreme Court ordered to halt a recount of some Florida votes following the state's "hanging chads" controversy.
When asked if he regretted conceding following the Supreme Court's decision during his Sunday interview, Gore said: "No... There were no remaining alternatives."
"There is no intermediate step between a final Supreme Court decision on a matter of this sort and violent revolution," Gore continued. "Those who talk about continuing the fight after it's over with are being disrespectful of American democracy."
The Trump campaign and the president's Republican allies have filed numerous lawsuits across the country, baselessly claiming President-elect Joe Biden's victory was a result of widespread voter fraud. However, many of these cases have been dismissed by state courts.
Former Vice President Al Gore urged Republicans to overcome their fear of President Donald Trump tweeting "them into political oblivion." He is shown above attending a press conference for 'An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power' at Hotel Adlon on August 8, 2017 in Berlin, Germany. Photo by Matthias Nareyek/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures/Getty
On Friday, the Supreme Court denied the lawsuit filed by the Texas attorney general, Ken Paxton, against four battleground states—Michigan, Pennsylvania, Georgia and Wisconsin—aiming to overturn the outcome of the election.
Before the Supreme Court denied the case, Trump requested to join the lawsuit and over 100 Republicans in the House of Representatives signed a brief in support of the litigation.
"I'm going to express the hopes that with the Electoral College votes tomorrow in all 50 states, and with the president-elect, Biden, receiving the majority, that that will be a point at which some of those who have hung on will give up the ghosts," said Gore.
Although Trump has yet to formally concede the election to Biden, the Electoral College is expected to meet on Monday as all 50 states certified their election results.
According to the Associated Press, Biden won both the popular vote and the electoral vote. The president-elect won 51.4 percent of the popular vote and 306 electoral votes, surpassing the 270 votes needed to win—while Trump collected 46.9 percent of the popular vote and 232 electoral votes.
Gore didn't respond to Newsweek's request for comment in time for publication.


newsweek--2020-12-13--CNN Host Jake Tapper Praises Trump's Legitimate Achievements—and His Inadvertent Ones

CNN host Jake Tapper offered some praise to Donald Trump in the waning days of his White House tenure , but said the president 's vaccine and trade achievements are far outweighed by his other actions while in office .
During Sunday 's State of the Union show , Tapper highlighted Trump 's efforts in pushing companies to develop a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine in record time amid the pandemic .
The CNN host also touted Trump 's promotion of Middle East peace deals and emphasis on U.S. military troop withdrawal from Afghanistan .
But Tapper said Trump 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are far outweighed by his `` clownish '' efforts to undermine the 2020 election results and attacks on the press .
Tapper said Trump 's unintended achievements in office , like `` exposing '' which congressional Republicans supported his `` desperate desire to subvert the will of the American people , '' will stand out far more boldly in the pages of U.S. history .
`` Outgoing President Trump deserves our thanks for approving Operation Warp Speed , which helped to bring us the COVID vaccine , '' Tapper said at the close @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rethought trade deals .
He has reimagined peace in the Middle East .
He has pushed foreign policy consensus to put more of a priority on bringing U.S. service members home , even if his follow-through has been rather wanting .
These are legitimate achievements , '' Tapper said .
`` There are other ways outgoing President Trump perhaps inadvertently has done us a service , '' Tapper continued .
`` The relationship between the news media and the U.S. government should not be anywhere near as antagonistic as it 's been under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adversarial .
Maybe Trump has been right to not attend the dinners where politicians and reporters cozy up to each other .
Maybe he exposed as unseemly something that should not return to normal . ''
Tapper said Trump has also laid bare that many formerly rudimentary Washington processes were `` upheld upon [ an ] honor system '' that clearly does not work .
`` A government upheld upon the honor system only works if everyone involved has honor .
This seems something that legislators should reexamine , '' the longtime journalist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unwittingly exposed 18 state attorneys general , a majority of House Republicans and a few U.S. senators for supporting a legal brief `` based on conspiracy theories , '' referring to the election lawsuit filed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton directly to the Supreme Court .
`` President Trump did us a favor by exposing these elected officials .
They are definitionally people who signed on to a desperate desire to subvert the will of the American people , to disenfranchise voters in Georgia , Pennsylvania , Wisconsin and Michigan based on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immoral and corrupt power grab above democracy , '' Tapper said .
Tapper noted that `` President Trump made House Republicans go on the record '' last week as 126 House GOP members , including House Leader Kevin McCarthy and Whip Steve Scalise , signed their name to Trump 's undermining efforts .
`` They actually signed their names to this , this unconservative , un-Democratic , un-American mendacious joke of a lawsuit that would disenfranchise millions of their fellow Americans , '' he concluded .
Newsweek reached out to the White House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ additional remarks Sunday afternoon .
A Fox News poll released Friday found 42 percent of Americans saying they believe Trump will go down in history as one of the worst presidents of all time .
He currently holds a 52 percent disapproval rating just weeks before Biden 's Inauguration Day .

CNN host Jake Tapper offered some praise to Donald Trump in the waning days of his White House tenure, but said the president's vaccine and trade achievements are far outweighed by his other actions while in office.
During Sunday's State of the Union show, Tapper highlighted Trump's efforts in pushing companies to develop a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine in record time amid the pandemic. The CNN host also touted Trump's promotion of Middle East peace deals and emphasis on U.S. military troop withdrawal from Afghanistan. But Tapper said Trump's rethinking of trade deals and other accomplishments are far outweighed by his "clownish" efforts to undermine the 2020 election results and attacks on the press.
Tapper said Trump's unintended achievements in office, like "exposing" which congressional Republicans supported his "desperate desire to subvert the will of the American people," will stand out far more boldly in the pages of U.S. history.
"President Trump did us a favor by exposing these elected officials" who supported his assault on democracy, @jaketapper says.
"For those of us who believe in standards and norms and the US Constitution, we need to thank President Trump." #CNNSOTU pic.twitter.com/VargCulNhN — State of the Union (@CNNSotu) December 13, 2020
"Outgoing President Trump deserves our thanks for approving Operation Warp Speed, which helped to bring us the COVID vaccine," Tapper said at the close of the show.
"He has rethought trade deals. He has reimagined peace in the Middle East. He has pushed foreign policy consensus to put more of a priority on bringing U.S. service members home, even if his follow-through has been rather wanting. These are legitimate achievements," Tapper said.
"There are other ways outgoing President Trump perhaps inadvertently has done us a service," Tapper continued. "The relationship between the news media and the U.S. government should not be anywhere near as antagonistic as it's been under President Trump, but it should be adversarial. Maybe Trump has been right to not attend the dinners where politicians and reporters cozy up to each other. Maybe he exposed as unseemly something that should not return to normal."
Tapper said Trump has also laid bare that many formerly rudimentary Washington processes were "upheld upon [an] honor system" that clearly does not work.
"A government upheld upon the honor system only works if everyone involved has honor. This seems something that legislators should reexamine," the longtime journalist continued.
But Tapper said the president unwittingly exposed 18 state attorneys general, a majority of House Republicans and a few U.S. senators for supporting a legal brief "based on conspiracy theories," referring to the election lawsuit filed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton directly to the Supreme Court.
"President Trump did us a favor by exposing these elected officials. They are definitionally people who signed on to a desperate desire to subvert the will of the American people, to disenfranchise voters in Georgia, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan based on lies and conspiracy theories, putting an immoral and corrupt power grab above democracy," Tapper said.
Tapper noted that "President Trump made House Republicans go on the record" last week as 126 House GOP members, including House Leader Kevin McCarthy and Whip Steve Scalise, signed their name to Trump's undermining efforts.
"They actually signed their names to this, this unconservative, un-Democratic, un-American mendacious joke of a lawsuit that would disenfranchise millions of their fellow Americans," he concluded.
Newsweek reached out to the White House and the National Republican Congressional Committee for additional remarks Sunday afternoon.
A Fox News poll released Friday found 42 percent of Americans saying they believe Trump will go down in history as one of the worst presidents of all time. He currently holds a 52 percent disapproval rating just weeks before Biden's Inauguration Day.