newsweek--2020-12-04--Highly Venomous Snake Found Slithering in Child's Bedroom

A highly venomous eastern brown snake has been found slithering around a child 's bedroom in Australia .
Snake Catchers Ipswich & Logan posted a video of the snake , which was spotted at a home in Flinders View—a city in the eastern state of Queensland .
The clip shows the serpent , which snake catchers said is a `` baby , '' hiding behind some furniture before it tries to flee the individual recording the video .
`` In here , we 've got an eastern brown snake in a young one 's bedroom .
Time to go away @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The eastern brown is one of nine species of brown snake that live in Australia .
These serpents , which all belong to the genus Pseudonaja , are considered to be among the most dangerous snakes in the world .
Some species in this genus , including the eastern brown , have venom that is powerful enough to kill a human .
The eastern brown snake ( Pseudonaja textilis ) is the largest member of this genus , measuring up to eight feet in length .
Lab tests on mice indicate that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ venom of any land snake in the world , according to Australian Geographic .
Eastern brown snake venom contains an array of different toxins that can cause paralysis and prevent blood from clotting .
The most common causes of death resulting from an eastern brown snake bite are cardiac arrest and bleeding in the brain .
Dying from a snake bite in Australia is very uncommon , according to experts from Charles Sturt University in the south-eastern state of New South Wales .
But between 2000 and 2016 , brown snake bites accounted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the country—less than two per year on average—according to a study published in the journal Toxicon .
While eastern brown snakes have a reputation for being aggressive , experts say that like other serpents , they tend to avoid attacking humans unless they are provoked in some way or feel threatened .
Eastern brown snakes are widely distributed across the eastern half of Australia , and are commonly found in populated areas , sometimes finding their way into people 's homes .
The job of a snake catcher is to safely remove @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's not always through open doors and windows , they can often come in through the gaps around garage doors and then into the house or pet cat/dog can bring them inside , '' Snake Catchers Ipswich & Logan said in a comment on the Facebook video post .

A highly venomous eastern brown snake has been found slithering around a child's bedroom in Australia.
Snake Catchers Ipswich & Logan posted a video of the snake, which was spotted at a home in Flinders View—a city in the eastern state of Queensland.
The clip shows the serpent, which snake catchers said is a "baby," hiding behind some furniture before it tries to flee the individual recording the video.
"In here, we've got an eastern brown snake in a young one's bedroom. Time to go away mate," the snake catcher says.
The eastern brown is one of nine species of brown snake that live in Australia. These serpents, which all belong to the genus Pseudonaja, are considered to be among the most dangerous snakes in the world.
Some species in this genus, including the eastern brown, have venom that is powerful enough to kill a human.
The eastern brown snake (Pseudonaja textilis) is the largest member of this genus, measuring up to eight feet in length.
Lab tests on mice indicate that this species has the second most toxic venom of any land snake in the world, according to Australian Geographic.
Eastern brown snake venom contains an array of different toxins that can cause paralysis and prevent blood from clotting.
The most common causes of death resulting from an eastern brown snake bite are cardiac arrest and bleeding in the brain.
Baby Brown Snake found in a kids bedroom in Flinders ViewJL
Dying from a snake bite in Australia is very uncommon, according to experts from Charles Sturt University in the south-eastern state of New South Wales.
But between 2000 and 2016, brown snake bites accounted for more deaths than any other snake in the country—less than two per year on average—according to a study published in the journal Toxicon.
While eastern brown snakes have a reputation for being aggressive, experts say that like other serpents, they tend to avoid attacking humans unless they are provoked in some way or feel threatened.
Eastern brown snakes are widely distributed across the eastern half of Australia, and are commonly found in populated areas, sometimes finding their way into people's homes. The job of a snake catcher is to safely remove them when this happens.
"It's not always through open doors and windows, they can often come in through the gaps around garage doors and then into the house or pet cat/dog can bring them inside," Snake Catchers Ipswich & Logan said in a comment on the Facebook video post.
A spokesperson for the company told Newsweek that baby eastern brown snakes are "just as dangerous as adults," although the venom differs somewhat in its effects.
One study found that the venom of younger brown snakes acts on the nervous system, which would be very effective against lizards. On the other hand, the venom of adult brown snakes acts to thicken the blood, which would stop a mouse in its tracks.
This article has been updated to include additional information on eastern brown snakes.


newsweek--2020-12-04--PS5 Restock Updates for PlayStation Direct, Walmart, Amazon, and More

The PlayStation 5 was quietly restocked at Target and PlayStation Direct on Thursday , and there are rumors swirling of a restock at Walmart and Best Buy next week .
Find out the latest updates on PS5 availability at major retailers below , as well as when the gaming community thinks the next restocks will happen .
Plus , find out which PS5 stock trackers , Twitter accounts , and message boards are worth following for a better chance of finding out where to buy the PS5—and being ready when it becomes available .
Walmart told Newsweek that it would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Series X for additional release of inventory throughout the holidays , but did not have any specific dates .
However , multiple Twitter users report being told by their local stores that Walmart will have more PS5 stock on December 8 .
This is not an official date , but it may be worth keeping a closer eye on the Walmart restock on Tuesday , just in case .
On Thursday , Walmart seemed to accidentally list the PS5 for $ 4.99 , though it remained out of stock .
PlayStation Direct opened @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around 5 p.m .
ET though the limited stock sold out .
Target restocked the PS5 console in the early hours of Thursday morning and it quickly sold out .
Some gamers think that Target may release more stock in the early hours of Friday , so keep an eye out on the Target app and website .
Costco restocked the PS5 on Thursday but the console is now out of stock and it is unclear when it will restock .
Amazon is currently sold out of the PS5 but some Twitter users @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
There are no confirmed dates for a restock , but it may be worth regularly checking Amazon .
There are rumors on social media of a Best Buy PS5 restock happening on either Monday or Tuesday next week , so check the website early next week .
However , be aware that these dates are only rumors .
GameStop is currently sold out of the PS5 console and the retailer has not announced when it will have more in stock .
To increase your chances of being ready when the PS5 is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and accounts sharing details and rumors of drops like @ Wario64 , @ PS5RestockAlert , @ PS5Drop , and @ PS5_Restockk .
PS5 inventory trackers like PopFinder and BrickSeek are also helpful tools and can be used as an indicator of where the consoles are in stock .
There are numerous message boards on Reddit as well as Discord servers of gamers updating each other when they find stock or when a retailer releases more PS5 consoles .
Join in these message boards and servers to stay up to date , without having @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all day .
It may also be worth contacting your local retailer in case they have more information on when the store expects to have more stock .
Newsweek has affiliate partnerships .
If you make a purchase using our links , we may earn a share of the sale .

The PlayStation 5 was quietly restocked at Target and PlayStation Direct on Thursday, and there are rumors swirling of a restock at Walmart and Best Buy next week.
Find out the latest updates on PS5 availability at major retailers below, as well as when the gaming community thinks the next restocks will happen.
Plus, find out which PS5 stock trackers, Twitter accounts, and message boards are worth following for a better chance of finding out where to buy the PS5—and being ready when it becomes available.
Walmart PS5 Restock
Walmart told Newsweek that it would be restocking both the PS5 and Xbox Series X for additional release of inventory throughout the holidays, but did not have any specific dates.
However, multiple Twitter users report being told by their local stores that Walmart will have more PS5 stock on December 8. This is not an official date, but it may be worth keeping a closer eye on the Walmart restock on Tuesday, just in case.
On Thursday, Walmart seemed to accidentally list the PS5 for $4.99, though it remained out of stock.
PlayStation Direct PS5 Restock
PlayStation Direct opened its queue for the PS5 yesterday at around 5 p.m. ET though the limited stock sold out.
Target PS5 Restock
Target restocked the PS5 console in the early hours of Thursday morning and it quickly sold out. Some gamers think that Target may release more stock in the early hours of Friday, so keep an eye out on the Target app and website.
Costco PS5 Restock
Costco restocked the PS5 on Thursday but the console is now out of stock and it is unclear when it will restock.
The PS5 launched on November 12 and gamers have been struggling to get their hands on the in-demand console since. PlayStation
Amazon PS5 Restock
Amazon is currently sold out of the PS5 but some Twitter users believe that Amazon may restock next week. There are no confirmed dates for a restock, but it may be worth regularly checking Amazon.
Best Buy PS5 Restock
There are rumors on social media of a Best Buy PS5 restock happening on either Monday or Tuesday next week, so check the website early next week. However, be aware that these dates are only rumors.
GameStop PS5 Restock
GameStop is currently sold out of the PS5 console and the retailer has not announced when it will have more in stock.
PS5 Tips
To increase your chances of being ready when the PS5 is restocked, turn on notifications for retailers and accounts sharing details and rumors of drops like @Wario64, @PS5RestockAlert, @PS5Drop, and @PS5_Restockk.
PS5 inventory trackers like PopFinder and BrickSeek are also helpful tools and can be used as an indicator of where the consoles are in stock.
There are numerous message boards on Reddit as well as Discord servers of gamers updating each other when they find stock or when a retailer releases more PS5 consoles. Join in these message boards and servers to stay up to date, without having to continuously check the retailers' websites all day.
It may also be worth contacting your local retailer in case they have more information on when the store expects to have more stock.
Newsweek has affiliate partnerships. If you make a purchase using our links, we may earn a share of the sale.


newsweek--2020-12-04--Trump Has Sent 68 Tweets, None About COVID, Since U.S. Hospitalizations Hit Record High

President Donald Trump has sent 68 tweets since U.S. hospitalizations reached a record high on November 30 , none of them about the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic .
Instead , the president has been largely focused on unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud and most recently criticizing Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act .
He 's also sent a large number of retweets in that time .
The U.S. registered a record high 96,039 patients with COVID-19 in the nation 's hospitals on Monday evening , according to CNN , and the numbers have been rising since then .
Trump has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ account .
The last time the president referenced the virus on Twitter was on November 30 at 9.46am ET .
`` Moderna now applying for Emergency Vaccine Approval.. @ US_FDA , '' Trump wrote , referring to a potential COVID vaccine .
`` MUST ACT QUICKLY !
!
!
'Operation Warp Speed has been a great modern day miracle . '
'' Since then , Trump 's tweets have almost exclusively focused on claims of irregularities and fraud in the 2020 presidential election .
His campaign has so far produced no evidence of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of lawsuits seeking to challenge the election results in key states have been unsuccessful .
COVID hospitalizations passed 100,000 on Wednesday , while the nation set a new record for daily deaths .
Johns Hopkins University reported that 2,804 people died of the virus on December 2 , according to NPR .
The president took to Twitter on Wednesday to criticize Georgia 's Republican Governor Brian Kemp , who has been a staunch Trump ally but who 's become the subject of anger following his state 's certification of former Vice President Joe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 'Republican ' Governor of Georgia , @ BrianKempGA , and the Secretary of State , MUST immediately allow a signature verification match on the Presidential Election .
If that happens , we quickly and easily win the State and importantly , pave the way for a big David [ Perdue ] and Kelly [ Loeffler ] WIN ! ''
Trump wrote .
Signatures on absentee ballots were verified when votes were counted .
Envelopes with matching signatures were separated from ballots for voter privacy reasons and there appears to be no basis to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Two recounts in Georgia have already affirmed Biden 's win there .
Trump also sent several tweets about alleged voter fraud , including videos of testimony from people who claimed to have witnessed irregularities , as well as stories from right-leaning news outlets .
`` Wow !
Blockbuster testimony taking place right now in Georgia .
Ballot stuffing by Dems when Republicans were forced to leave the large counting room .
Plenty more coming , but this alone leads to an easy win of the State ! ''
he wrote , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disputed . ''

President Donald Trump has sent 68 tweets since U.S. hospitalizations reached a record high on November 30, none of them about the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Instead, the president has been largely focused on unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud and most recently criticizing Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. He's also sent a large number of retweets in that time.
The U.S. registered a record high 96,039 patients with COVID-19 in the nation's hospitals on Monday evening, according to CNN, and the numbers have been rising since then. Trump has not addressed the issue on his Twitter account.
Read more Fauci Backtracks After Saying U.K. 'Rushed Through' COVID Vaccine Fauci Backtracks After Saying U.K. 'Rushed Through' COVID Vaccine
The last time the president referenced the virus on Twitter was on November 30 at 9.46am ET.
"Moderna now applying for Emergency Vaccine Approval.. @US_FDA," Trump wrote, referring to a potential COVID vaccine.
"MUST ACT QUICKLY!!! 'Operation Warp Speed has been a great modern day miracle.'"
Since then, Trump's tweets have almost exclusively focused on claims of irregularities and fraud in the 2020 presidential election. His campaign has so far produced no evidence of mass voter fraud and a large number of lawsuits seeking to challenge the election results in key states have been unsuccessful.
Moderna now applying for Emergency Vaccine Approval.. @US_FDA MUST ACT QUICKLY!!! “Operation Warp Speed has been a great modern day miracle.” — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 30, 2020
COVID hospitalizations passed 100,000 on Wednesday, while the nation set a new record for daily deaths. Johns Hopkins University reported that 2,804 people died of the virus on December 2, according to NPR.
The president took to Twitter on Wednesday to criticize Georgia's Republican Governor Brian Kemp, who has been a staunch Trump ally but who's become the subject of anger following his state's certification of former Vice President Joe Biden's win there.
"The 'Republican' Governor of Georgia, @BrianKempGA, and the Secretary of State, MUST immediately allow a signature verification match on the Presidential Election. If that happens, we quickly and easily win the State and importantly, pave the way for a big David [Perdue] and Kelly [Loeffler] WIN!" Trump wrote.
Signatures on absentee ballots were verified when votes were counted. Envelopes with matching signatures were separated from ballots for voter privacy reasons and there appears to be no basis to engage in a signature matching audit now. Two recounts in Georgia have already affirmed Biden's win there.
Trump also sent several tweets about alleged voter fraud, including videos of testimony from people who claimed to have witnessed irregularities, as well as stories from right-leaning news outlets.
"Wow! Blockbuster testimony taking place right now in Georgia. Ballot stuffing by Dems when Republicans were forced to leave the large counting room. Plenty more coming, but this alone leads to an easy win of the State!" he wrote, in a tweet flagged by Twitter as "disputed."


newsweek--2020-12-04--A British Court Breaks Gender Fever | Opinion

This week , Keira Bell etched her name into history .
Her legal victory in the British High Court of Justice on Tuesday marked the first time a neutral tribunal has examined protocols for transgender medicine now provided to minors across the West .
The court , rather obviously , was appalled .
Bell , now 23 , struggled in adolescence .
At 14 , the daughter of an alcoholic single mother was lonely , anxious and depressed , according to court documents .
Always uncomfortable with her femininity , she began spending a lot of time online where she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ too , was transgender .
By 15 , she was referred to Britain 's Gender Identity Development Service , England 's national gender clinic , where a few cursory appointments led to a prescription for puberty blockers—medications that shut down the part of a pituitary that stimulates normal puberty .
From there , she proceeded through a typical medical regimen for teen girls who identify as transgender : cross-sex hormones ( testosterone ) , and then double mastectomy .
By the time she had reached her twenties , she had a deep voice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beard , masculinized facial features and male swagger .
But the changes did n't satisfy .
She began to `` nitpick '' her appearance , noticing her hands were smaller than a man 's would be and she had a woman 's height .
In her twenties , she realized that her physical transition had not made her any happier ; the peace she had sought , still out of reach .
`` There was nothing wrong with my body , I was just lost and without proper support , '' she recently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ me the facility to hide from myself even more than before .
It was a temporary fix , if that . ''
She quit the testosterone , resumed living as a woman and sued the national clinic , petitioning for judicial review of the `` affirmative '' medical process that she claims provides no real safeguard for confused adolescents .
The court seems to have agreed .
Its decision was narrow : Minors under 16 do not have capacity to give `` informed consent '' to highly experimental and risky hormonal treatments that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at risk .
The court 's careful review of the clinic 's `` affirmation model , '' which directs therapists and doctors to agree with the patient 's self-diagnosis of `` gender dysphoria '' —revealed a system recklessly unmoored from the cautious , evidence-based approach that characterizes other areas of medicine .
Transgender medicine for minors is dominated by nostrums : puberty blockers are a mere `` pause button '' on puberty ; `` kids know who they are '' ; `` affirmation prevents suicide . ''
Each of these is at best @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lie .
When used to arrest precocious puberty in small children—a four-year-old whose overactive pituitary causes her to develop breasts , say—many of the physical effects of blockers have proven reversible .
But here , the court noted , puberty blockers were being used `` in a very different way '' —to interrupt normal , healthy puberty in adolescents .
With this population , even the clinic conceded ignorance as to `` how hormone blockers will affect bone strength , the development of your sexual organs , body shape or your final adult @ @ @ @ @ @ @ risks are psychological ones .
Stopping a teenager 's puberty so that she has , say , the vagina of a ten year old , also renders her out of step from her peers .
Far from a `` neutral '' intervention , the `` young person will have missed a period of ... normal biological , psychological and social experience through adolescence '' which `` can never truly be recovered or 'reversed . '
'' Each time it lifted an evidentiary rock , the court appears to have sprung back in alarm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a single instance in which an adolescent had been denied puberty blockers on the grounds that she was not competent to give consent .
Rather than finding puberty blockers to be a mere `` pause button '' on deciding whether to transition , the court noted that `` the evidence we have on this issue clearly shows that practically all children/young people who start [ puberty blockers ] progress on to [ Cross Sex Hormones ] . ''
A drug that is sold to parents as a neutral intervention `` in practice puts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ path to taking cross-sex hormones , '' eliminating her future fertility .
And according to the clinic 's own internal report , `` there was no overall improvement in mood or psychological wellbeing '' of the surveyed 44 young people put on blockers .
As for the farce of asking for a minor 's `` informed consent , '' the court noted : `` There is no age appropriate way to explain to many of these children what losing their fertility or full sexual function may mean to them in later years .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of British understatement that no physician who practices in this area could easily miss : for patients aged 16 and 17 , it might be a good idea for `` authorization of the court '' to be `` sought prior to commencing the clinical treatment . ''
Would that Americans were still bound by the current precedent of British courts .
Here in the U.S. , ideologically driven transgender medicine continues apace , while those doctors who would urge caution are intimidated into silence .
As ACLU lawyer Chase Strangio wrote on Twitter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : `` Please see this for what it is - an attempt to weaponize our happiness , our hopefulness , and our love of our bodies .
This is a dangerous attack on trans survival and it is spreading . ''
In an America that insists on seeing transgender medical care as a political issue , not a medical one , few safeguards exist to protect teen girls from the decision Bell now refers to as `` brash . ''
The age of medical consent varies by state .
In Oregon , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , forever altering her body in irreversible ways , putting her future fertility at risk—all without her parents ' permission .
In Washington state , the age of consent for `` gender affirming care '' is now 13 .
And the possibility for regret—endless .
Abigail Shrier is author of Irreversible Damage : The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters .
The views expressed in this article are the writer 's own .

This week, Keira Bell etched her name into history. Her legal victory in the British High Court of Justice on Tuesday marked the first time a neutral tribunal has examined protocols for transgender medicine now provided to minors across the West. The court, rather obviously, was appalled.
Bell, now 23, struggled in adolescence. At 14, the daughter of an alcoholic single mother was lonely, anxious and depressed, according to court documents. Always uncomfortable with her femininity, she began spending a lot of time online where she discovered trans influencers and decided she, too, was transgender.
By 15, she was referred to Britain's Gender Identity Development Service, England's national gender clinic, where a few cursory appointments led to a prescription for puberty blockers—medications that shut down the part of a pituitary that stimulates normal puberty. From there, she proceeded through a typical medical regimen for teen girls who identify as transgender: cross-sex hormones (testosterone), and then double mastectomy. By the time she had reached her twenties, she had a deep voice, a male torso, an impressive beard, masculinized facial features and male swagger. But the changes didn't satisfy. She began to "nitpick" her appearance, noticing her hands were smaller than a man's would be and she had a woman's height. In her twenties, she realized that her physical transition had not made her any happier; the peace she had sought, still out of reach.
"There was nothing wrong with my body, I was just lost and without proper support," she recently told Tribuna Feminista. "Transition gave me the facility to hide from myself even more than before. It was a temporary fix, if that."
She quit the testosterone, resumed living as a woman and sued the national clinic, petitioning for judicial review of the "affirmative" medical process that she claims provides no real safeguard for confused adolescents. The court seems to have agreed. Its decision was narrow: Minors under 16 do not have capacity to give "informed consent" to highly experimental and risky hormonal treatments that put their future fertility and sexual function at risk.
The court's careful review of the clinic's "affirmation model," which directs therapists and doctors to agree with the patient's self-diagnosis of "gender dysphoria"—revealed a system recklessly unmoored from the cautious, evidence-based approach that characterizes other areas of medicine. Transgender medicine for minors is dominated by nostrums: puberty blockers are a mere "pause button" on puberty; "kids know who they are"; "affirmation prevents suicide." Each of these is at best, wishful thinking—and at worst, a lie.
Media gather outside the Royal Courts of Justice where the High Court is located in London on November 2, 2020. Ben STANSALL / AFP/Getty
When used to arrest precocious puberty in small children—a four-year-old whose overactive pituitary causes her to develop breasts, say—many of the physical effects of blockers have proven reversible. But here, the court noted, puberty blockers were being used "in a very different way"—to interrupt normal, healthy puberty in adolescents. With this population, even the clinic conceded ignorance as to "how hormone blockers will affect bone strength, the development of your sexual organs, body shape or your final adult height."
Compounding these significant physical risks are psychological ones. Stopping a teenager's puberty so that she has, say, the vagina of a ten year old, also renders her out of step from her peers. Far from a "neutral" intervention, the "young person will have missed a period of...normal biological, psychological and social experience through adolescence" which "can never truly be recovered or 'reversed.'"
Each time it lifted an evidentiary rock, the court appears to have sprung back in alarm. The gender clinic could not provide a single instance in which an adolescent had been denied puberty blockers on the grounds that she was not competent to give consent. Rather than finding puberty blockers to be a mere "pause button" on deciding whether to transition, the court noted that "the evidence we have on this issue clearly shows that practically all children/young people who start [puberty blockers] progress on to [Cross Sex Hormones]." A drug that is sold to parents as a neutral intervention "in practice puts a young person on a virtually inexorable path to taking cross-sex hormones," eliminating her future fertility. And according to the clinic's own internal report, "there was no overall improvement in mood or psychological wellbeing" of the surveyed 44 young people put on blockers.
As for the farce of asking for a minor's "informed consent," the court noted: "There is no age appropriate way to explain to many of these children what losing their fertility or full sexual function may mean to them in later years." The court ended on a note of British understatement that no physician who practices in this area could easily miss: for patients aged 16 and 17, it might be a good idea for "authorization of the court" to be "sought prior to commencing the clinical treatment."
Would that Americans were still bound by the current precedent of British courts. Here in the U.S., ideologically driven transgender medicine continues apace, while those doctors who would urge caution are intimidated into silence. As ACLU lawyer Chase Strangio wrote on Twitter, condemning the British court's decision: "Please see this for what it is - an attempt to weaponize our happiness, our hopefulness, and our love of our bodies. This is a dangerous attack on trans survival and it is spreading."
In an America that insists on seeing transgender medical care as a political issue, not a medical one, few safeguards exist to protect teen girls from the decision Bell now refers to as "brash." The age of medical consent varies by state. In Oregon, a 15 year old can legally obtain testosterone, forever altering her body in irreversible ways, putting her future fertility at risk—all without her parents' permission. In Washington state, the age of consent for "gender affirming care" is now 13. And the possibility for regret—endless.
Abigail Shrier is author of Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.


newsweek--2020-12-04--Michigan Lawyer Receives Citation Over Black Lives Matter Sign Outside His Home

A lawyer from Michigan has received a citation over a Black Lives Matter sign outside his home , with police saying it violates a city ordinance .
Todd Russell Perkins , a lawyer from Grosse Pointe Shores near Detroit , nailed the sign to a tree outside his house in November .
Afterward , he received a police report warning ordering him to remove the sign as it violated a rule that there can be no political signs larger than seven square feet .
Police said they had received an anonymous complaint about the sign .
Perkins said he wanted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ complaint and has argued he should have freedom of speech .
Speaking to Fox News , he said : `` To announce it , to be able to say it , to be able to scream it from atop of a mountain is my right as an American .
`` We can all agree that that 's greater than seven square feet , but we can not agree that that is a political statement .
What candidate was named Black Lives Matter , number one .
What ballot issue was called Black Lives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It 's political to other people .
It 's political to people who probably are not Black , who probably do n't understand what this means , how important it is for us to have our fair share , to have more equality than what 's here . ''
The ordinance references political signs , garage sale signs , for sale signs and other free-standing signs .
The attorney says he believes the ordinance is unconstitutional as it `` indicates that no sign greater than seven square feet , in regards to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ initiative .
So , this sign is neither . ''
Newsweek has reached out to the Grosse Pointe Shores mayor and police department for comment .
In July , a Black Lives Matter mural painted on the side of a downtown store was removed by a nonprofit organization for graffiti removal .
The mural featured an image of former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick and the iconic St. Louis Gateway Arch .
It also paid tribute to the late George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter movement .
The mural was created by artist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to store her art and painted the mural on sections of plywood used to cover the windows .
She wanted to do something to support the movement against racial injustice .
However , officials received a graffiti complaint on the building through the city 's Citizens ' Service Bureau .
The complaint was forwarded to Brightside St. Louis , a not-for-profit that is also a division of the St. Louis Department of Parks , Recreation and Forestry .

A lawyer from Michigan has received a citation over a Black Lives Matter sign outside his home, with police saying it violates a city ordinance.
Todd Russell Perkins, a lawyer from Grosse Pointe Shores near Detroit, nailed the sign to a tree outside his house in November.
Afterward, he received a police report warning ordering him to remove the sign as it violated a rule that there can be no political signs larger than seven square feet.
Police said they had received an anonymous complaint about the sign. Perkins said he wanted to know which neighbor had made the complaint and has argued he should have freedom of speech.
Speaking to Fox News, he said: "To announce it, to be able to say it, to be able to scream it from atop of a mountain is my right as an American.
"We can all agree that that's greater than seven square feet, but we cannot agree that that is a political statement. What candidate was named Black Lives Matter, number one. What ballot issue was called Black Lives Matter?"
Perkins added: "It's political to other people. It's political to people who probably are not Black, who probably don't understand what this means, how important it is for us to have our fair share, to have more equality than what's here."
The ordinance references political signs, garage sale signs, for sale signs and other free-standing signs.
The attorney says he believes the ordinance is unconstitutional as it "indicates that no sign greater than seven square feet, in regards to a political candidate or a ballot issue or initiative. So, this sign is neither."
Newsweek has reached out to the Grosse Pointe Shores mayor and police department for comment.
In July, a Black Lives Matter mural painted on the side of a downtown store was removed by a nonprofit organization for graffiti removal.
The mural featured an image of former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick and the iconic St. Louis Gateway Arch. It also paid tribute to the late George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter movement.
The mural was created by artist Katherine Bernhardt, who bought the building to store her art and painted the mural on sections of plywood used to cover the windows. She wanted to do something to support the movement against racial injustice.
However, officials received a graffiti complaint on the building through the city's Citizens' Service Bureau. The complaint was forwarded to Brightside St. Louis, a not-for-profit that is also a division of the St. Louis Department of Parks, Recreation and Forestry.


newsweek--2020-12-04--Tulsi Gabbard Backs Trump in Section 230 Battle, Accuses Lawmakers of 'Kowtowing' to Big Tech

Democratic congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard backed President Donald Trump in his fight to repeal Section 230 protections for tech platforms , and accused some lawmakers of `` kowtowing '' to the interests of monopolies in the sector .
Appearing on Fox News , the Hawaii Democrat and former presidential candidate said `` many '' lawmakers had refused to `` take action '' against Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996 .
The law protects tech firms from liability for the content its users post and allows tech firms to moderate content in good faith on their platforms without being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accused her fellow lawmakers of failing to do `` the right thing '' after a bipartisan draft of the National Defense Authorization Act released on Thursday failed to include repeal of the controversial law .
Reacting to a post by Trump railing against Section 230 on Thursday , Gabbard tweeted : `` Donald Trump I fully support you on this .
Please do n't back down .
The freedom and future of our country is at stake . ''
Speaking to Fox News on the same night , Gabbard also said : `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take action to get rid of this legal immunity that allows them to abuse that power as a big tech monopoly .
`` This is why I tweeted in support of President Trump , why I think it 's a good thing that he 's laying on the heat , especially when Senate Republicans are urging them to get rid of [ Section 230 ] . ''
The Hawaii Democrat later added : `` It 's unfortunate , again , that there 's so many members of Congress that are supposed to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the big money special interests of the big tech monopolies , and not doing the right thing . ''
Gabbard backed the president 's push to repeal Section 230 as he threatened to veto the annual defense spending bill if lawmakers did not include a provision for scrapping the controversial rule .
`` If the very dangerous & unfair Section 230 is not completely terminated as part of the National Defense Authorization Act ( NDAA ) , I will be forced to unequivocally VETO the Bill when sent to the very beautiful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Wednesday .
Trump and his allies have repeatedly argued that Section 230 enables political discrimination against conservatives on various platforms—including varied censorship of the president 's own posts about supposed voter fraud .
The $ 740 billion defense bill , largely built on routine funding for basic military functions , has been passed on an annual basis for the past 59 years .
The possibility of the bill being blocked has raised alarm in some quarters .
Defending the draft of the bill , Republican Sen. Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma told reporters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has nothing to do with the military .
I agree with his sentiments .
We ought to do away with 230 , but you ca n't do it in this bill .
That 's not a part of the bill . ''

Democratic congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard backed President Donald Trump in his fight to repeal Section 230 protections for tech platforms, and accused some lawmakers of "kowtowing" to the interests of monopolies in the sector.
Appearing on Fox News, the Hawaii Democrat and former presidential candidate said "many" lawmakers had refused to "take action" against Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996. The law protects tech firms from liability for the content its users post and allows tech firms to moderate content in good faith on their platforms without being open to civil liabilities.
She also accused her fellow lawmakers of failing to do "the right thing" after a bipartisan draft of the National Defense Authorization Act released on Thursday failed to include repeal of the controversial law.
Reacting to a post by Trump railing against Section 230 on Thursday, Gabbard tweeted: "Donald Trump I fully support you on this. Please don't back down. The freedom and future of our country is at stake."
Democratic presidential candidate Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) answers media questions following a campaign event on February 9, 2020 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Scott Eisen/Getty Images
Speaking to Fox News on the same night, Gabbard also said: "So many members of Congress refuse to take action to get rid of this legal immunity that allows them to abuse that power as a big tech monopoly.
"This is why I tweeted in support of President Trump, why I think it's a good thing that he's laying on the heat, especially when Senate Republicans are urging them to get rid of [Section 230]."
The Hawaii Democrat later added: "It's unfortunate, again, that there's so many members of Congress that are supposed to be representing the people, are actually kowtowing to the big money special interests of the big tech monopolies, and not doing the right thing."
Gabbard backed the president's push to repeal Section 230 as he threatened to veto the annual defense spending bill if lawmakers did not include a provision for scrapping the controversial rule.
"If the very dangerous & unfair Section 230 is not completely terminated as part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), I will be forced to unequivocally VETO the Bill when sent to the very beautiful Resolute desk," the commander-in-chief tweeted on Wednesday.
Trump and his allies have repeatedly argued that Section 230 enables political discrimination against conservatives on various platforms—including varied censorship of the president's own posts about supposed voter fraud.
The $740 billion defense bill, largely built on routine funding for basic military functions, has been passed on an annual basis for the past 59 years. The possibility of the bill being blocked has raised alarm in some quarters.
Defending the draft of the bill, Republican Sen. Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma told reporters: "First of all, 230 has nothing to do with the military. I agree with his sentiments. We ought to do away with 230, but you can't do it in this bill. That's not a part of the bill."


newsweek--2020-12-04--DeVos Extends Student Loan Grace Period Until January As Dems Call for Debt Cancellation

U.S. Department of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos announced an extension of the moratorium placed on student loan payments because of the CARES ACT on Friday .
Meanwhile , some Democrats have urged President-elect Joe Biden to entirely eliminate student debt .
While the economic relief measures provided to Americans under the coronavirus economic stimulus package are slated to expire at the end of December , DeVos 's forbearance extension is not expected to end until the end of January 2021 .
Under the provision , borrowers are not expected to make their monthly loan payments .
Interest on student loans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic has presented challenges for many students and borrowers , and this temporary pause in payments will help those who have been impacted , '' DeVos said in a Friday statement .
`` The added time also allows Congress to do its job and determine what measures it believes are necessary and appropriate .
The Congress , not the Executive Branch , is in charge of student loan policy . ''
As of June 2020 , Americans who borrowed money to pay for their education owed $ 1.67 trillion on both federal and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. Federal Reserve .
Biden is expected to take office before DeVos 's extension runs out .
Part of Biden 's published platform for secondary education includes the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program , which would remove $ 10,000 of debt relief from higher education students in exchange for performing public or national service .
President Donald Trump has opposed loan forgiveness programs .
In the 2020 U.S. Budget , Trump proposed getting rid of an existing public service loan forgiveness program .
In its place , student loan reforms were proposed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ percent of the borrower 's discretionary income .
Undergraduate borrowers would have any remaining balance forgiven after a period of 15 years .
Borrowers that had attended graduate school would have their remaining balance forgiven after making monthly payments for 30 years .
Trump 's student loan reforms were not adopted .
Some progressive Democrats have encouraged Biden to go further and eliminate a greater amount of student debt .
In an op-ed piece published Friday on Blavity , Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called for the incoming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 50,000 in student debt .
`` Broad cancellation of student debt would give tens of millions of Americans $ 200 to $ 300 more to spend and save each month , '' Warren and Schumer wrote .
`` Cancellation also means they wo n't have to worry about a student debt time bomb exploding when the payments suspension ends .
With more money in their pockets and a smaller debt load , they can consider bigger purchases like cars and homes and , for some , start their own businesses . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and good for our economy , '' Schumer and Warren added .
Biden has yet to publicly announce if he would follow the suggestions made by Warren and Schumer or stick to his original plan .
Newsweek reached out to the Biden transition team for comment .

U.S. Department of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos announced an extension of the moratorium placed on student loan payments because of the CARES ACT on Friday. Meanwhile, some Democrats have urged President-elect Joe Biden to entirely eliminate student debt.
While the economic relief measures provided to Americans under the coronavirus economic stimulus package are slated to expire at the end of December, DeVos's forbearance extension is not expected to end until the end of January 2021. Under the provision, borrowers are not expected to make their monthly loan payments. Interest on student loans has not accrued.
"The coronavirus pandemic has presented challenges for many students and borrowers, and this temporary pause in payments will help those who have been impacted," DeVos said in a Friday statement. "The added time also allows Congress to do its job and determine what measures it believes are necessary and appropriate. The Congress, not the Executive Branch, is in charge of student loan policy."
As of June 2020, Americans who borrowed money to pay for their education owed $1.67 trillion on both federal and privately underwritten loans according to data from the U.S. Federal Reserve.
Biden is expected to take office before DeVos's extension runs out. Part of Biden's published platform for secondary education includes the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, which would remove $10,000 of debt relief from higher education students in exchange for performing public or national service.
Although President-elect Joe Biden has detailed a plan to cancel up to $10,000 in student loan payments, some Democrats are urging him to cancel a greater amount of debt,. Alex Wong/Getty
President Donald Trump has opposed loan forgiveness programs. In the 2020 U.S. Budget, Trump proposed getting rid of an existing public service loan forgiveness program. In its place, student loan reforms were proposed that would cap monthly repayments at 12.5 percent of the borrower's discretionary income.
Undergraduate borrowers would have any remaining balance forgiven after a period of 15 years. Borrowers that had attended graduate school would have their remaining balance forgiven after making monthly payments for 30 years. Trump's student loan reforms were not adopted.
Some progressive Democrats have encouraged Biden to go further and eliminate a greater amount of student debt. In an op-ed piece published Friday on Blavity, Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called for the incoming Biden administration to wipe out up to $50,000 in student debt.
"Broad cancellation of student debt would give tens of millions of Americans $200 to $300 more to spend and save each month," Warren and Schumer wrote. "Cancellation also means they won't have to worry about a student debt time bomb exploding when the payments suspension ends. With more money in their pockets and a smaller debt load, they can consider bigger purchases like cars and homes and, for some, start their own businesses."
"That's good for the borrower and good for our economy," Schumer and Warren added.
Biden has yet to publicly announce if he would follow the suggestions made by Warren and Schumer or stick to his original plan. Newsweek reached out to the Biden transition team for comment.


newsweek--2020-12-04--MyPillow CEO Says Trump Will Remain President, as Kellyanne Conway Admits Biden Won

During a Friday interview , MyPillow CEO Michael Lindell said that President Donald Trump would continue to be president for `` the next four years , '' even as Trump 's former counselor Kellyanne Conway said that it looks as if President-elect Joe Biden `` will prevail '' in being seated as the next president in January 2021 .
`` I want the word to get out that Donald Trump will be our president for the next four years , '' Lindell said during a Friday Fox News interview , adding that he was 100 percent sure of it .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` March for Trump '' protesters demanding that Georgia 's Republican Governor Brian Kemp help overturn the state 's election results in Trump 's favor .
Lindell told Fox News that he talked to former Trump campaign lawyer Sidney Powell earlier this week , asserting , `` So I know firsthand . ''
However , Powell was kicked off of Trump 's legal team after making allegations that Republican candidates nationwide had conspired with communist countries to fraudulently win their 2020 election races .
She offered no evidence to back up these claims @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the awareness of what went on because the mainstream media is not showing you this , '' Lindell said at the protest .
`` All the corruption , by the time it 's all opened up here and they see it , even the Democrats are going to go , 'Wow , at least my party tried to steal it . '
'' Lindell 's belief in the inevitability of Trump 's second term stands at odds with that of Conway who said in an interview with Amanda Becker , a political reporter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ site The 19th , `` If you look at the vote totals and the Electoral College tallies , it looks like Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will prevail . ''
Conway said that Trump `` wants to exhaust all of his legal avenues , '' adding `` of course , that is his right . ''
However , she also noted that on November 23 , Trump authorized the head of the General Services Administration ( GSA ) to begin the formal transition process for Biden 's incoming administration .
The head of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ delayed the process for weeks after the election had been called in Biden 's favor , preventing Biden 's team from receiving federal money , workspace and information related to his becoming president .
Regardless , Trump continues to claim without evidence that widespread voter fraud put the election in Biden 's favor , despite Biden holding a 306 to 232 Electoral College vote advantage over Trump and winning over 6 million more votes than the president nationally .

During a Friday interview, MyPillow CEO Michael Lindell said that President Donald Trump would continue to be president for "the next four years," even as Trump's former counselor Kellyanne Conway said that it looks as if President-elect Joe Biden "will prevail" in being seated as the next president in January 2021.
"I want the word to get out that Donald Trump will be our president for the next four years," Lindell said during a Friday Fox News interview, adding that he was 100 percent sure of it. He made his comments while demonstrating with "March for Trump" protesters demanding that Georgia's Republican Governor Brian Kemp help overturn the state's election results in Trump's favor.
Lindell told Fox News that he talked to former Trump campaign lawyer Sidney Powell earlier this week, asserting, "So I know firsthand." However, Powell was kicked off of Trump's legal team after making allegations that Republican candidates nationwide had conspired with communist countries to fraudulently win their 2020 election races. She offered no evidence to back up these claims.
During a Friday interview, My Pillow CEO Michael Lindell said that President Donald Trump would continue to be president for “the next four years,” even as Trump's former counselor Kellyanne Conway said that it looks as if President-elect Joe Biden "will prevail" in being seated as the next president in January 2021. In this February 3, 2020 photo, Lindell laughs during a "Keep Iowa Great" press conference in Des Moines, Iowa. Jim Watson/Getty
"I want people to have the awareness of what went on because the mainstream media is not showing you this," Lindell said at the protest. "All the corruption, by the time it's all opened up here and they see it, even the Democrats are going to go, 'Wow, at least my party tried to steal it.'"
Lindell's belief in the inevitability of Trump's second term stands at odds with that of Conway who said in an interview with Amanda Becker, a political reporter for the non-partisan gender and political news site The 19th, "If you look at the vote totals and the Electoral College tallies, it looks like Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will prevail."
Conway said that Trump "wants to exhaust all of his legal avenues," adding "of course, that is his right." However, she also noted that on November 23, Trump authorized the head of the General Services Administration (GSA) to begin the formal transition process for Biden's incoming administration.
The head of the GSA, Emily Murphy, had delayed the process for weeks after the election had been called in Biden's favor, preventing Biden's team from receiving federal money, workspace and information related to his becoming president.
Regardless, Trump continues to claim without evidence that widespread voter fraud put the election in Biden's favor, despite Biden holding a 306 to 232 Electoral College vote advantage over Trump and winning over 6 million more votes than the president nationally.
Newsweek contacted Lindell for comment.


newsweek--2020-12-04--U.S. Denies Extension of Friday Divesture Deadline to TikTok: Report

The Trump administration has reportedly denied a request to extend a Friday deadline for the parent company of popular video sharing app TikTok to divest U.S. assets .
Bytedance , the Chinese company that owns TikTok , was ordered to divest by President Donald Trump on August 14 .
A last-minute request to delay Friday 's deadline was not granted , according to a Friday report from Reuters , citing two sources briefed on the matter .
Regardless , talks between the government and the company are said to be ongoing .
Although Trump 's order gives the Justice Department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the expiration of the deadline , it is not clear how or when that will take place .
The deadline had previously been set for November 27 but was extended to Friday last week by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States .
Prior to that , the company had been granted a 15-day extension of the order .
Trump alleges that the app poses national security concerns from the Chinese government , although Bytedance has denied that it poses any threat or shares data with the government .
In a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said it was working towards the creation of `` a new entity , wholly owned by Oracle , Walmart and existing U.S. investors in ByteDance , that would be responsible for handling TikTok 's U.S. user data and content moderation . ''
Prior to ordering divestiture in the company 's U.S. assets , Trump had ordered that TikTok be banned in the U.S. on August 6 , shortly after the U.S. Senate unanimously voted to approve a ban on federal employees using the app on government-issued devices .
`` [ TikTok ] data @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Party access to Americans ' personal and proprietary information—potentially allowing China to track the locations of Federal employees and contractors , build dossiers of personal information for blackmail , and conduct corporate espionage , '' Trump wrote in the executive order , which had at first been set to take effect within 45 days .
In a statement issued in response to the order , Bytedance said that Trump 's decision set `` a dangerous precedent for the concept of free expression and open markets '' by `` undermining global businesses ' trust @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rule of law , which has served as a magnet for investment and spurred decades of American economic growth . ''
In September , a federal judge blocked a Commerce Department order seeking to implement the ban by prohibiting U.S. downloads of the app .
Arguments in the case , which will determine whether a ban can go forward , are set to begin on December 14 .
Newsweek reached out to Bytedance and the Department of Justice for comment .

The Trump administration has reportedly denied a request to extend a Friday deadline for the parent company of popular video sharing app TikTok to divest U.S. assets.
Bytedance, the Chinese company that owns TikTok, was ordered to divest by President Donald Trump on August 14. A last-minute request to delay Friday's deadline was not granted, according to a Friday report from Reuters, citing two sources briefed on the matter. Regardless, talks between the government and the company are said to be ongoing.
Although Trump's order gives the Justice Department the power to force the divestiture after the expiration of the deadline, it is not clear how or when that will take place. The deadline had previously been set for November 27 but was extended to Friday last week by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States. Prior to that, the company had been granted a 15-day extension of the order.
Trump alleges that the app poses national security concerns from the Chinese government, although Bytedance has denied that it poses any threat or shares data with the government. In a court filing last month, the company said it was working towards the creation of "a new entity, wholly owned by Oracle, Walmart and existing U.S. investors in ByteDance, that would be responsible for handling TikTok's U.S. user data and content moderation."
The U.S. TikTok company headquarters building is pictured in Culver City, California on November 17, 2020. VALERIE MACON/AFP/Getty
Prior to ordering divestiture in the company's U.S. assets, Trump had ordered that TikTok be banned in the U.S. on August 6, shortly after the U.S. Senate unanimously voted to approve a ban on federal employees using the app on government-issued devices.
"[TikTok] data collection threatens to allow the Chinese Communist Party access to Americans' personal and proprietary information—potentially allowing China to track the locations of Federal employees and contractors, build dossiers of personal information for blackmail, and conduct corporate espionage," Trump wrote in the executive order, which had at first been set to take effect within 45 days.
In a statement issued in response to the order, Bytedance said that Trump's decision set "a dangerous precedent for the concept of free expression and open markets" by "undermining global businesses' trust in the United States' commitment to the rule of law, which has served as a magnet for investment and spurred decades of American economic growth."
In September, a federal judge blocked a Commerce Department order seeking to implement the ban by prohibiting U.S. downloads of the app. Arguments in the case, which will determine whether a ban can go forward, are set to begin on December 14.
Newsweek reached out to Bytedance and the Department of Justice for comment.


newsweek--2020-12-04--'Attack on Titan' Season 4: When and How to Watch Final Season Online

The final season of the Attack on Titan anime is almost here , and fans of Eren , Mikasa and the rest of the Scouts will want to check out how the war against the Titans ends .
Starting Sunday , December 6 Attack on Titan Season 4 will begin streaming on some of the top anime streaming services in the U.S. With the ongoing pandemic affecting production of movies and television , it seemed like the start of the final season of Attack on Titan would be delayed , and in a way it was .
In July , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Season 3 , a short message appeared that revealed Season 4 will be the series ' last and begin in the Fall .
With delays caused by COVID-19 , and the transition to a brand new animation studio , fans are likely happy that the series ' pushback was only until December .
So what can fans expect from the final season of Attack on Titan ?
Here 's the official synopsis : `` It 's been four years since the Scout Regiment reached the shoreline , and the world looks different now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fate of the Scout Regiment — and the people of Paradis — are determined at last .
However , Eren is missing .
Will he reappear before age-old tensions between Marleyans and Eldians result in the war of all wars ? ''
If you do n't remember the events of the first three seasons , Funimation is offering a chance to catch up with a movie currently streaming on its online service .
Attack on Titan ~Chronicle~ is an action-packed recap film that covers everything that 's happened so far in Attack on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1 through the finale of Season 3 .
How to Watch 'Attack on Titan ' Season 4 Online : When And Where Do New Episodes Air ?
Crunchyroll will carry the simulcast of the Attack on Titan Season 4 premiere .
While the timing of when the first episode will appear on the service has yet to be confirmed , the Japanese debut will be Monday , December 7 at 12:10 a.m. , Crunchyroll has confirmed the premiere will appear on the streaming service at 3:45 p.m. EDT on December 6 .
Crunchyroll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its premium service .
Like other streaming services , you must sign up for an account and provide payment details .
There is also a free version of Crunchyroll that includes ads .
The Crunchyroll app is also available on PlayStation 4 , PlayStation 5 , Xbox One , and Xbox Series X/S as well as iOS and Android devices .
Funimation will also stream the premiere episode of Attack on Titan Season 4 with subtitles on Sunday , December 6 .
Funimation confirms that the first episode will premiere on Sunday at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the English dub has yet to be announced but we will update as soon as we learn more .
To watch all of these episodes online , you can sign up for FunimationNow , which currently offers a free trial .
You 'll need to register a form of payment , but the first 14 days will be free .
FunimationNOW is available on iOS and Android devices , as well as the PlayStation and Microsoft stores .
Are you excited for the final season of Attack on Titan ?
Let us know @ @ @ @ @

The final season of the Attack on Titan anime is almost here, and fans of Eren, Mikasa and the rest of the Scouts will want to check out how the war against the Titans ends.
Starting Sunday, December 6 Attack on Titan Season 4 will begin streaming on some of the top anime streaming services in the U.S. With the ongoing pandemic affecting production of movies and television, it seemed like the start of the final season of Attack on Titan would be delayed, and in a way it was.
In July, following the finale of Attack on Titan Season 3, a short message appeared that revealed Season 4 will be the series' last and begin in the Fall. With delays caused by COVID-19, and the transition to a brand new animation studio, fans are likely happy that the series' pushback was only until December.
So what can fans expect from the final season of Attack on Titan? Here's the official synopsis: "It's been four years since the Scout Regiment reached the shoreline, and the world looks different now. Things are heating up as the fate of the Scout Regiment — and the people of Paradis — are determined at last. However, Eren is missing. Will he reappear before age-old tensions between Marleyans and Eldians result in the war of all wars?"
If you don't remember the events of the first three seasons, Funimation is offering a chance to catch up with a movie currently streaming on its online service. Attack on Titan ~Chronicle~ is an action-packed recap film that covers everything that's happened so far in Attack on Titan, from the start of Season 1 through the finale of Season 3.
The official poster for the final season of 'Attack on Titan' Funimation
How to Watch 'Attack on Titan' Season 4 Online: When And Where Do New Episodes Air?
CRUNCHYROLL
Crunchyroll will carry the simulcast of the Attack on Titan Season 4 premiere. While the timing of when the first episode will appear on the service has yet to be confirmed, the Japanese debut will be Monday, December 7 at 12:10 a.m., Crunchyroll has confirmed the premiere will appear on the streaming service at 3:45 p.m. EDT on December 6.
Crunchyroll is offering a 14-day free trial of its premium service. Like other streaming services, you must sign up for an account and provide payment details. There is also a free version of Crunchyroll that includes ads.
The Crunchyroll app is also available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S as well as iOS and Android devices.
FUNIMATION
Funimation will also stream the premiere episode of Attack on Titan Season 4 with subtitles on Sunday, December 6. Funimation confirms that the first episode will premiere on Sunday at 3:45 p.m. EDT. A date for the English dub has yet to be announced but we will update as soon as we learn more.
To watch all of these episodes online, you can sign up for FunimationNow, which currently offers a free trial. You'll need to register a form of payment, but the first 14 days will be free.
FunimationNOW is available on iOS and Android devices, as well as the PlayStation and Microsoft stores.
Are you excited for the final season of Attack on Titan? Let us know in the comments section.


newsweek--2020-12-04--6 Pennsylvania GOP Reps Deny Signing Letter Asking Congress to Dispute Election Results

Multiple GOP legislators in Pennsylvania say their signatures were wrongly added to a letter demanding that President-elect Joe Biden 's win in the state be challenged in Congress .
The signatures of 75 Republicans in Pennsylvania 's state House and Senate were included in a letter sent to the state 's congressional delegation on Friday , demanding that Biden 's win be disputed when the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate meet for a joint session to finalize results early next month .
However , a `` clerical error '' led to the signatures of at least six GOP @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The signatures of state Representatives Chris Quinn , Todd Polinchock , Megan Schroeder , Wendi Thomas , KC Tomlinson and Tom Mehaffie were all erroneously included in the letter , according to Pennsylvania Capital-Star reporter Stephen Caruso .
`` We were made aware that my name was put on a letter in error , '' Quinn confirmed to Newsweek .
`` All I can say is there was a clerical error in Harrisburg .
They made a mistake and they have since pulled the letter . ''
The letter is the latest attempt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ overturn President Donald Trump 's election loss .
GOP leadership in the state recently rejected suggestions that they could appoint their own slate of Electoral College electors loyal to Trump despite Biden 's victory , pointing out that such a move is prohibited by state law .
Other attempts to dispute the results of the election , without providing any plausible path to overturn the outcome , have fallen short in Pennsylvania .
Only 49 out of 137 GOP legislators signed non-binding resolutions objecting to Biden 's win last month , while a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state legislature failed when only 32 Republicans signed on .
Biden won Pennsylvania by more than 80,000 votes and his victory was certified by state officials on November 24 .
In 2016 , Trump beat former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton by 44,292 votes .
Although the president and some of his allies have continued to push evidence-free claims that Biden 's win was built on massive voter fraud , repeated legal challenges and attempts to overturn results in Pennsylvania and elsewhere have so far failed .
The election could be challenged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ session , which will see Electoral College results certified , although the outcome is unlikely to change .
Individual challenges would need to be signed off by both a member of the House and the Senate , something that could easily happen given the current political climate .
However , it would be a tall order for any challenge to succeed since a majority of both chambers would need to vote in favor of a challenge for it to stand .
The House , controlled by Democrats , is unlikely to sustain any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
If the House and the Republican-controlled Senate disagree on a specific challenge , the governor of the state in question could have the final say .
That contingency is unlikely to play out since multiple GOP senators have already acknowledged Biden 's victory and have expressed no desire to overturn a relatively decisive Biden win .
With 270 Electoral College votes required to win the presidency , Biden earned 306 votes to Trump 's 232 , the same margin that Trump had over Clinton in 2016 .
Trump described his win as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ losing the national popular vote by 2.9 million .
Biden earned over 7 million more votes than Trump in the current election , winning with more than 81.2 million total votes , representing—by far—the largest number cast for any presidential candidate in U.S. history .

Multiple GOP legislators in Pennsylvania say their signatures were wrongly added to a letter demanding that President-elect Joe Biden's win in the state be challenged in Congress.
The signatures of 75 Republicans in Pennsylvania's state House and Senate were included in a letter sent to the state's congressional delegation on Friday, demanding that Biden's win be disputed when the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate meet for a joint session to finalize results early next month.
However, a "clerical error" led to the signatures of at least six GOP lawmakers being included without their permission. The signatures of state Representatives Chris Quinn, Todd Polinchock, Megan Schroeder, Wendi Thomas, KC Tomlinson and Tom Mehaffie were all erroneously included in the letter, according to Pennsylvania Capital-Star reporter Stephen Caruso.
"We were made aware that my name was put on a letter in error," Quinn confirmed to Newsweek. "All I can say is there was a clerical error in Harrisburg. They made a mistake and they have since pulled the letter."
The letter is the latest attempt by a number of Pennsylvania Republicans to overturn President Donald Trump's election loss. GOP leadership in the state recently rejected suggestions that they could appoint their own slate of Electoral College electors loyal to Trump despite Biden's victory, pointing out that such a move is prohibited by state law.
The Pennsylvania State Capitol Complex is shown in this photo taken in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania on October 14, 2011. MLADEN ANTONOV/AF/Getty
Other attempts to dispute the results of the election, without providing any plausible path to overturn the outcome, have fallen short in Pennsylvania. Only 49 out of 137 GOP legislators signed non-binding resolutions objecting to Biden's win last month, while a petition calling for a special session of the state legislature failed when only 32 Republicans signed on.
Biden won Pennsylvania by more than 80,000 votes and his victory was certified by state officials on November 24. In 2016, Trump beat former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton by 44,292 votes. Although the president and some of his allies have continued to push evidence-free claims that Biden's win was built on massive voter fraud, repeated legal challenges and attempts to overturn results in Pennsylvania and elsewhere have so far failed.
The election could be challenged in Congress during the January 6 joint session, which will see Electoral College results certified, although the outcome is unlikely to change. Individual challenges would need to be signed off by both a member of the House and the Senate, something that could easily happen given the current political climate. However, it would be a tall order for any challenge to succeed since a majority of both chambers would need to vote in favor of a challenge for it to stand.
The House, controlled by Democrats, is unlikely to sustain any challenges attempting to overturn the election results. If the House and the Republican-controlled Senate disagree on a specific challenge, the governor of the state in question could have the final say. That contingency is unlikely to play out since multiple GOP senators have already acknowledged Biden's victory and have expressed no desire to overturn a relatively decisive Biden win.
With 270 Electoral College votes required to win the presidency, Biden earned 306 votes to Trump's 232, the same margin that Trump had over Clinton in 2016. Trump described his win as a "massive landslide victory" despite losing the national popular vote by 2.9 million. Biden earned over 7 million more votes than Trump in the current election, winning with more than 81.2 million total votes, representing—by far—the largest number cast for any presidential candidate in U.S. history.


newsweek--2020-12-04--Trump Pulls Back Troops Fighting Al-Shabab Islamic Terrorist Group in Somalia

President Donald Trump 's Friday decision to remove U.S. military troops from Somalia includes soldiers who have been engaged in fighting the terrorist faction , Al-Shabab .
Approximately 700 U.S. troops are stationed in Somalia , where they have been training Somali soldiers and carrying out raids against Al-Shabab , which has been connected with Al-Qaeda .
Trump 's withdrawal of the troops follows his November reduction of U.S. military presence in Afghanistan .
`` While a change in force posture , this action is not a change in U.S. policy , '' read a Friday statement from the Department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` We will continue to degrade violent extremist organizations that could threaten our homeland while ensuring we maintain our strategic advantage in great power competition . ''
`` The U.S. will retain the capability to conduct targeted counterterrorism operations in Somalia , and collect early warnings and indicators regarding threats to the homeland , '' the statement added .
According to the DOD , some of the U.S. troops will be relocated to `` neighboring countries , '' which would potentially allow the U.S. to continue monitoring Al-Shabab activity and perform `` cross-border @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Newsweek on Friday , the Commander of U.S. Africa Command U.S. Army General Stephen Townsend indicated that their commitment to the region remains `` unchanged . ''
`` Our presence in Somalia will decrease significantly but U.S. forces will remain in the region and our tasks and commitment to partners remain unchanged , '' Townsend said .
`` The U.S. remains committed to our work in East Africa and Somalia , to include building and maintaining regional security , continuing to observe and intensify pressure on Al Qaeda 's franchise al-Shabaab and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ partners . ''
In September , U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Heidi Berg told reporters that Al-Shabab `` is the most capable terrorist group on the African continent in terms of the ability to potentially threaten Western interests regionally . ''
According to the Military Times , U.S. forces had carried out 46 airstrikes against Al-Shabab as of September 2020 .
Al-Shabab , which wishes to establish an Islamic state in Somalia , has been responsible for attacks against both Somali and U.S. soldiers .
In September , an Al-Shabab suicide bomber attempted to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the attack , three Somali soldiers were killed and one U.S. soldier was wounded .
The U.S. soldier was medically treated for non-life-threatening injuries .
Trump had promised to reduce troop involvement overseas during his presidential nomination speech in August .
`` Unlike previous administrations , '' Trump said , `` I have kept America out of new wars and our troops are coming home . ''
Trump 's decision to withdraw troops from Somalia ran in opposition to former Secretary of Defense Mark Esper 's policy .
Esper favored redistributing troops overseas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ troop reduction .
In November , Esper was fired by Trump .

President Donald Trump's Friday decision to remove U.S. military troops from Somalia includes soldiers who have been engaged in fighting the terrorist faction, Al-Shabab.
Approximately 700 U.S. troops are stationed in Somalia, where they have been training Somali soldiers and carrying out raids against Al-Shabab, which has been connected with Al-Qaeda. Trump's withdrawal of the troops follows his November reduction of U.S. military presence in Afghanistan.
"While a change in force posture, this action is not a change in U.S. policy," read a Friday statement from the Department of Defense about the Somalia withdrawal. "We will continue to degrade violent extremist organizations that could threaten our homeland while ensuring we maintain our strategic advantage in great power competition."
"The U.S. will retain the capability to conduct targeted counterterrorism operations in Somalia, and collect early warnings and indicators regarding threats to the homeland," the statement added.
According to the DOD, some of the U.S. troops will be relocated to "neighboring countries," which would potentially allow the U.S. to continue monitoring Al-Shabab activity and perform "cross-border operations."
Al-Shabab and Hizbul Islam militants take a break at a front-line section in sanca district in Mogadishu, on July 21, 2009. President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Somalia was announced Friday by the Department of Defense. MOHAMED DAHIR/AFP/Getty
In a statement emailed to Newsweek on Friday, the Commander of U.S. Africa Command U.S. Army General Stephen Townsend indicated that their commitment to the region remains "unchanged."
"Our presence in Somalia will decrease significantly but U.S. forces will remain in the
region and our tasks and commitment to partners remain unchanged," Townsend said. "The U.S. remains committed to our work in East Africa and Somalia, to include building and maintaining regional security, continuing to observe and intensify pressure on Al Qaeda's franchise al-Shabaab and advancing mutual interests with our East African partners."
In September, U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Heidi Berg told reporters that Al-Shabab "is the most capable terrorist group on the African continent in terms of the ability to potentially threaten Western interests regionally." According to the Military Times, U.S. forces had carried out 46 airstrikes against Al-Shabab as of September 2020.
Al-Shabab, which wishes to establish an Islamic state in Somalia, has been responsible for attacks against both Somali and U.S. soldiers. In September, an Al-Shabab suicide bomber attempted to infiltrate a Somalian military installation. In the attack, three Somali soldiers were killed and one U.S. soldier was wounded. The U.S. soldier was medically treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
Trump had promised to reduce troop involvement overseas during his presidential nomination speech in August. "Unlike previous administrations," Trump said, "I have kept America out of new wars and our troops are coming home."
Trump's decision to withdraw troops from Somalia ran in opposition to former Secretary of Defense Mark Esper's policy. Esper favored redistributing troops overseas, but would not commit to a troop reduction. In November, Esper was fired by Trump.


newsweek--2020-12-04--Donald Trump Gained 4.4 Points in New York City in 2020, Compared With 2016

After New York officials certified the presidential election results in the state , New York City saw a 4.4-point increase in support for President Donald Trump in the 2020 election , compared with the 2016 race , according to data from the New York State Board of Elections .
City ballots cast for Trump increased from 18.2 percent in 2016 to 22.6 percent in 2020 on the Republican and Conservative Party lines .
Trump , who was born in Queens and lived in Manhattan before changing his primary residency to Florida 's Palm Beach last year , gained traction among @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during the 2020 election : Manhattan , Brooklyn , Queens and the Bronx .
He remained relatively steady in Republican-led Staten Island , although the number of ballots cast for him decreased by approximately 1 percent .
Meanwhile , there was a 3.4-point decrease on the Democratic and Working Families Party lines , with President-elect Joe Biden receiving 75.7 percent of city ballots , compared with Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton 's 79.1 percent of city votes in 2016 .
The Bronx saw the steepest increase in support for Trump , going from just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2020 , followed by Queens with 21.8 percent in 2016 versus 26.8 percent this year .
Manhattan 's support for Trump grew by 2.1 points this year , compared with 2016 , while Brooklyn went up by 4.5 points .
New York state slightly favored Biden this year over Clinton in 2016—60.9 percent versus 59.0 percent—while support for Trump decreased by about 1 point , despite a large number of red counties throughout upstate New York and Suffolk County on Long Island .
A variety of factors could have contributed to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2020 , although the lack of reliable and detailed exit polls makes it difficult to determine the exact cause .
Trump 's national numbers proved strong among nonwhite voters throughout the United States , allowing for the analysis that minority groups in New York City may have favored Trump more than they did in the last presidential election .
Additionally , Hasidic neighborhoods in Brooklyn voted overwhelmingly for Trump in 2016 , and that trend appeared to continue in 2020 , according to a map of NYC 's voting precincts for this year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a Republican from Staten Island and co-chair of the Trump campaign in New York , told NY1 that the difference may stem from certain voters flipping to Trump during his presidency .
`` Donald Trump picked up more voters in different constituencies than we would expect .
It was n't just the embassy that moved to Jerusalem .
I think a lot of Jews were moved from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party under Donald Trump , '' Borelli said .
`` Additionally , you see a lot of labor , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between the members of labor organizations and where their leadership seems to go in terms of electoral politics . ''
Bronx Republican Party Chairman Michael Rendino said that the voter turnout and increase in voter registration was a large factor in the growth of support for Trump throughout the city .
`` We 've increased our voter registration 18 percent in four years , which is phenomenal , '' Rendino told NY1 .
He added that Trump appeared to gain support from the Latino and Bengali communities in the Bronx .
On par @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , approximately 307,000 more New Yorkers cast their ballots in this year 's general election than they did in 2016 , pushing the total number of voters in the city to almost 3,067,000 .
Almost 1.1 million New Yorkers chose to vote early , and 660,000 sent absentee ballots .
While Biden holds the record for the most number of ballots cast for a presidential candidate in history , he and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris gained approximately 5.2 million votes throughout the state and 2.3 million votes in New York City alone .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 3.2 million votes in the state and about 690,000 in the city .

After New York officials certified the presidential election results in the state, New York City saw a 4.4-point increase in support for President Donald Trump in the 2020 election, compared with the 2016 race, according to data from the New York State Board of Elections.
City ballots cast for Trump increased from 18.2 percent in 2016 to 22.6 percent in 2020 on the Republican and Conservative Party lines.
Trump, who was born in Queens and lived in Manhattan before changing his primary residency to Florida's Palm Beach last year, gained traction among voters in four of the five boroughs during the 2020 election: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx. He remained relatively steady in Republican-led Staten Island, although the number of ballots cast for him decreased by approximately 1 percent.
Meanwhile, there was a 3.4-point decrease on the Democratic and Working Families Party lines, with President-elect Joe Biden receiving 75.7 percent of city ballots, compared with Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton's 79.1 percent of city votes in 2016.
The Bronx saw the steepest increase in support for Trump, going from just 9.4 percent in 2016 to 15.7 percent in 2020, followed by Queens with 21.8 percent in 2016 versus 26.8 percent this year.
Manhattan's support for Trump grew by 2.1 points this year, compared with 2016, while Brooklyn went up by 4.5 points.
New York state slightly favored Biden this year over Clinton in 2016—60.9 percent versus 59.0 percent—while support for Trump decreased by about 1 point, despite a large number of red counties throughout upstate New York and Suffolk County on Long Island.
President Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office on December 3. Doug Mills-Pool/Getty
A variety of factors could have contributed to a slightly larger voter turnout for Trump in 2020, although the lack of reliable and detailed exit polls makes it difficult to determine the exact cause. Trump's national numbers proved strong among nonwhite voters throughout the United States, allowing for the analysis that minority groups in New York City may have favored Trump more than they did in the last presidential election.
Additionally, Hasidic neighborhoods in Brooklyn voted overwhelmingly for Trump in 2016, and that trend appeared to continue in 2020, according to a map of NYC's voting precincts for this year's election.
City Councilman Joe Borelli, a Republican from Staten Island and co-chair of the Trump campaign in New York, told NY1 that the difference may stem from certain voters flipping to Trump during his presidency.
"Donald Trump picked up more voters in different constituencies than we would expect. It wasn't just the embassy that moved to Jerusalem. I think a lot of Jews were moved from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party under Donald Trump," Borelli said. "Additionally, you see a lot of labor, you see a lot of daylight now between the members of labor organizations and where their leadership seems to go in terms of electoral politics."
Bronx Republican Party Chairman Michael Rendino said that the voter turnout and increase in voter registration was a large factor in the growth of support for Trump throughout the city.
"We've increased our voter registration 18 percent in four years, which is phenomenal," Rendino told NY1. He added that Trump appeared to gain support from the Latino and Bengali communities in the Bronx.
On par with the increase in voter turnout nationwide, approximately 307,000 more New Yorkers cast their ballots in this year's general election than they did in 2016, pushing the total number of voters in the city to almost 3,067,000. Almost 1.1 million New Yorkers chose to vote early, and 660,000 sent absentee ballots.
While Biden holds the record for the most number of ballots cast for a presidential candidate in history, he and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris gained approximately 5.2 million votes throughout the state and 2.3 million votes in New York City alone. Trump and Vice President Mike Pence gained 3.2 million votes in the state and about 690,000 in the city.


newsweek--2020-12-04--Trump Pulls Most US Troops from Somalia, But 'Not Withdrawing' from Africa

The Pentagon has announced the withdrawal of most of the U.S. troops deployed to Somalia by early next year , the latest drawdown ordered by President Donald Trump in what 's projected to be his final weeks in office .
`` The President of the United States has ordered the Department of Defense and the United States Africa Command to reposition the majority of personnel and assets out of Somalia by early 2021 , '' the Pentagon said in a statement published Friday afternoon .
The U.S. is believed to have around 700 troops in Somalia , and up to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been deployed to Somalia for 13 years , targeting militant groups such as Al-Shabab , an affiliate of Al-Qaeda .
More broadly , the U.S. military presence in East Africa has been leveraged to maintain influence on the continent in the face of growing influence by other major powers such as China and Russia .
`` While a change in force posture , this action is not a change in U.S. policy , '' Friday 's statement said .
`` We will continue to degrade violent extremist organizations that could threaten our homeland @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in great power competition . ''
The Pentagon said some troops would be repositioned outside of East Africa , while others would be transferred to neighboring countries `` in order to allow cross-border operations by both U.S. and partner forces to maintain pressure against violent extremist organizations operating in Somalia . ''
`` The U.S. will retain the capability to conduct targeted counterterrorism operations in Somalia , '' the statement continued , `` and collect early warnings and indicators regarding threats to the homeland . ''
The Pentagon emphasized that the decision was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` The U.S. is not withdrawing or disengaging from Africa , '' the statement read .
`` We remain committed to our African partners and our enduring support through a whole-of-government-approach . ''
Reached for comment , AFRICOM shared with Newsweek a statement expressing similar sentiments about the move .
`` The U.S. military is not withdrawing from East Africa , '' AFRICOM commander U.S. Army General Stephen Townsend said .
`` At the direction of the President and the acting Secretary of Defense , U.S. Africa Command is repositioning our forces within @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will decrease significantly but U.S. forces will remain in the region and our tasks and commitment to partners remain unchanged . ''
He said the country would continue to work in the region and country , including efforts toward `` building and maintaining regional security , continuing to observe and intensify pressure on Al Qaeda 's franchise al-Shabaab and advancing mutual interests with our East African partners . ''
Even from afar , Townsend said U.S. forces were capable of addressing any threats .
`` We have demonstrated an ability to respond rapidly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – that remains unchanged , '' Townshend said .
Two AFRICOM maps published in February of this year by The Intercept detailed the U.S. military 's `` enduring '' and `` non-enduring '' presence in 29 locations across 15 nations in Africa .
The former category included 16 positions in Ascension Island , Burkina Faso , Chad , Djibouti , Gabon , Ghana , Kenya , Niger , Senegal , Somalia and Uganda , while the latter included 13 spots in Cameroon , Libya , Mali , Niger , Somalia and Tunisia .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a partially redacted release of the AFRICOM 's 2020 posture plan released in October of last year .
The U.S. military presence in Niger received spotlight three years ago when four U.S. Special Forces operators were killed , along with eight Nigeriens in an October 2017 ambush conducted by a local branch of the Islamic State militant group ( ISIS ) .
In the latest U.S. casualty in Africa , news emerged last week in a number of major Western outlets that a CIA officer was killed in combat during a raid against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ later , acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller visited the Somali capital of Mogadishu in an unannounced trip as he toured Southwest Asia and East Africa .
Somalia has been beset by civil war since the overthrow of longtime leader Siad Barre in 1991 .
Competing factions fought for rule and the United Nations deployed a force , with the U.S. intervening around this time until pulling out along with other international forces in the wake of the deadly Battle of Mogadishu in 1993 .
The U.S. began conducting strikes against Al-Qaeda and other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2007 .
This campaign , begun under former President George W. Bush as part of the `` War on Terror , '' was escalated under former President Barack Obama and then further intensified by Trump .
But the U.S. leader has also repeatedly called for an end to the country 's `` endless wars '' abroad .
Last month , the Pentagon announced it was withdrawing thousands of troops from Afghanistan and Iraq in support of this goal .
The changes in U.S. military posture abroad come in the wake of Trump 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which he ran against rival Joe Biden , now the president-elect .
Biden has said little of what sort of foreign policy he would pursue toward Africa , but has vowed to immediately reverse Trump 's travel ban applied to the majority-Muslim nations of Niger , Somalia and Sudan .

The Pentagon has announced the withdrawal of most of the U.S. troops deployed to Somalia by early next year, the latest drawdown ordered by President Donald Trump in what's projected to be his final weeks in office.
"The President of the United States has ordered the Department of Defense and the United States Africa Command to reposition the majority of personnel and assets out of Somalia by early 2021," the Pentagon said in a statement published Friday afternoon.
The U.S. is believed to have around 700 troops in Somalia, and up to 6,000 across Africa.
U.S. soldiers have been deployed to Somalia for 13 years, targeting militant groups such as Al-Shabab, an affiliate of Al-Qaeda. More broadly, the U.S. military presence in East Africa has been leveraged to maintain influence on the continent in the face of growing influence by other major powers such as China and Russia.
"While a change in force posture, this action is not a change in U.S. policy," Friday's statement said. "We will continue to degrade violent extremist organizations that could threaten our homeland while ensuring we maintain our strategic advantage in great power competition."
The Pentagon said some troops would be repositioned outside of East Africa, while others would be transferred to neighboring countries "in order to allow cross-border operations by both U.S. and partner forces to maintain pressure against violent extremist organizations operating in Somalia."
"The U.S. will retain the capability to conduct targeted counterterrorism operations in Somalia," the statement continued, "and collect early warnings and indicators regarding threats to the homeland."
Special Amphibious Reconnaissance Corpsmen assigned to November Company, 3rd Raider Battalion provide tactical combat casualty care training during a routine deployment to Somalia on August 24, 2019. U.S. troops have intervened in Somalia since the 1990s and have been deployed there to fight militant groups such Al-Shabab since 2007. Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Patrick W. Mullen III/U.S. Naval Special Warfare Group
The Pentagon emphasized that the decision was not an abandonment of the continent.
"The U.S. is not withdrawing or disengaging from Africa," the statement read. "We remain committed to our African partners and our enduring support through a whole-of-government-approach."
Reached for comment, AFRICOM shared with Newsweek a statement expressing similar sentiments about the move.
"The U.S. military is not withdrawing from East Africa," AFRICOM commander U.S. Army General Stephen Townsend said. "At the direction of the President and the acting Secretary of Defense, U.S. Africa Command is repositioning our forces within East Africa. Our presence in Somalia will decrease significantly but U.S. forces will remain in the region and our tasks and commitment to partners remain unchanged."
He said the country would continue to work in the region and country, including efforts toward "building and maintaining regional security, continuing to observe and intensify pressure on Al Qaeda's franchise al-Shabaab and advancing mutual interests with our East African partners."
Even from afar, Townsend said U.S. forces were capable of addressing any threats.
"We have demonstrated an ability to respond rapidly in any region when a need
arises – that remains unchanged," Townshend said.
Two AFRICOM maps published in February of this year by The Intercept detailed the U.S. military's "enduring" and "non-enduring" presence in 29 locations across 15 nations in Africa. The former category included 16 positions in Ascension Island, Burkina Faso, Chad, Djibouti, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Niger, Senegal, Somalia and Uganda, while the latter included 13 spots in Cameroon, Libya, Mali, Niger, Somalia and Tunisia.
Most of these sites were included in a partially redacted release of the AFRICOM's 2020 posture plan released in October of last year.
The U.S. military presence in Niger received spotlight three years ago when four U.S. Special Forces operators were killed, along with eight Nigeriens in an October 2017 ambush conducted by a local branch of the Islamic State militant group (ISIS).
In the latest U.S. casualty in Africa, news emerged last week in a number of major Western outlets that a CIA officer was killed in combat during a raid against Al-Shabab commanders in Somalia. Just days later, acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller visited the Somali capital of Mogadishu in an unannounced trip as he toured Southwest Asia and East Africa.
A map released in October 2019 by U.S. Africa Command shows 25 locations across the continent with a U.S. military presence. U.S. Africa Command
Somalia has been beset by civil war since the overthrow of longtime leader Siad Barre in 1991. Competing factions fought for rule and the United Nations deployed a force, with the U.S. intervening around this time until pulling out along with other international forces in the wake of the deadly Battle of Mogadishu in 1993.
The U.S. began conducting strikes against Al-Qaeda and other accused militant group targets in Somalia in 2007. This campaign, begun under former President George W. Bush as part of the "War on Terror," was escalated under former President Barack Obama and then further intensified by Trump.
But the U.S. leader has also repeatedly called for an end to the country's "endless wars" abroad. Last month, the Pentagon announced it was withdrawing thousands of troops from Afghanistan and Iraq in support of this goal.
The changes in U.S. military posture abroad come in the wake of Trump's projected loss in the presidential election in which he ran against rival Joe Biden, now the president-elect.
Biden has said little of what sort of foreign policy he would pursue toward Africa, but has vowed to immediately reverse Trump's travel ban applied to the majority-Muslim nations of Niger, Somalia and Sudan.