newsweek--2020-12-09--U.S. Billionaire Wealth Growth Since Pandemic Far Exceeds $908 Billion Stalled Stimulus

The total wealth of America 's billionaires has grown by $ 1.06 trillion since around the COVID-19 pandemic started , a figure that 's $ 152 billion more than the leading $ 908 billion bipartisan stimulus proposal , which some Republicans believe is still too costly .
The collective net worth of the country 's 651 billionaires leaped from $ 2.95 trillion on March 18 to $ 4.01 trillion as of December 7 , according to data collected by Americans for Tax Fairness , published Tuesday .
Their wealth increase represents a 36 percent rise , based on Forbes billionaires @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Elon Musk , Bill Gates , Mark Zuckerberg , Warren Buffett , Larry Ellison , Larry Page , Sergey Brin , Steve Ballmer and Alice Walton—currently have a combined net worth of more than $ 1 trillion .
By comparison , the bottom half of the population , or 165 million Americans , hold $ 2.1 trillion in total .
Meanwhile , it 's been nearly nine months since President Donald Trump signed the CARES Act , and negotiations over another stimulus package have been deadlocked for over five months .
As @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a group of bipartisan senators unveiled a $ 908 billion compromise measure earlier this month in an effort to deliver quick relief to unemployed and low-income citizens , as well as struggling small businesses .
The price tag represents an amount that 's less than half of the Democrats ' latest $ 2.2 trillion offer and almost double the $ 550 billion proposed in McConnell 's `` targeted '' Republican plan .
An initial draft framework of the proposal included an extra $ 300 per week in unemployment benefits ; $ 160 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and nearly $ 290 billion in aid for small businesses .
But legislators are still ironing out the details of the bill .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has stood firm in opposing any measure that does not have COVID liability protections for businesses , and Democrats are unwilling to budge on aid to state and local governments .
Senator Joe Manchin on Wednesday said that lawmakers still need to figure out those two provisions before finalizing a deal .
Some progressives , led by Senator Bernie Sanders , have also demanded that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be included .
However , Democrats gave up direct payments in favor of federal unemployment benefits in trying to keep the price tag low for fiscally conservative Republicans .
`` To say that we only have X amount of dollars and I 'm going to send checks to people that still have a job , still have a paycheck coming in—but I 'm going to ignore and not help the people who are still unemployed or becoming more unemployed because this pandemic is ravaging—I do n't think that makes any sense to anybody @ @ @ @ @ @ @ among the lawmakers that introduced the bipartisan plan .
Americans for Tax Fairness noted that the $ 1 trillion gain among billionaires amounted to more than the cost of sending $ 3,000 stimulus checks to every person in the country .
Newsweek reached out to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for comment .

The total wealth of America's billionaires has grown by $1.06 trillion since the COVID-19 pandemic started, a figure that's $152 billion more than the leading $908 billion bipartisan stimulus proposal, which some Republicans believe is still too costly.
The collective net worth of the country's 651 billionaires leaped from $2.95 trillion on March 18 to $4.01 trillion as of December 7, according to data collected by Americans for Tax Fairness, published Tuesday. Their wealth increase represents a 36 percent rise, based on Forbes billionaires.
The top 10 U.S. billionaires—Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Warren Buffett, Larry Ellison, Larry Page, Sergey Brin, Steve Ballmer and Alice Walton—currently have a combined net worth of more than $1 trillion. By comparison, the bottom half of the population, or 165 million Americans, hold $2.1 trillion in total.
Meanwhile, it's been nearly nine months since President Donald Trump signed the CARES Act, and negotiations over another stimulus package have been deadlocked for over five months.
The top 10 U.S. billionaires currently have a combined net worth of more than $1 trillion. On July 17, 2020, activists hed a "March on Billionaires" event in New York City, urging New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo to pass a tax on billionaires. Spencer Platt/Getty
As Americans grew increasingly frustrated with the stalemate, a group of bipartisan senators unveiled a $908 billion compromise measure earlier this month in an effort to deliver quick relief to unemployed and low-income citizens, as well as struggling small businesses.
The price tag represents an amount that's less than half of the Democrats' latest $2.2 trillion offer and almost double the $550 billion proposed in McConnell's "targeted" Republican plan. An initial draft framework of the proposal included an extra $300 per week in unemployment benefits; $160 billion for state and local governments; and nearly $290 billion in aid for small businesses.
But legislators are still ironing out the details of the bill. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has stood firm in opposing any measure that does not have COVID liability protections for businesses, and Democrats are unwilling to budge on aid to state and local governments. Senator Joe Manchin on Wednesday said that lawmakers still need to figure out those two provisions before finalizing a deal.
Some progressives, led by Senator Bernie Sanders, have also demanded that another round of $1,200 stimulus checks be included. However, Democrats gave up direct payments in favor of federal unemployment benefits in trying to keep the price tag low for fiscally conservative Republicans.
"To say that we only have X amount of dollars and I'm going to send checks to people that still have a job, still have a paycheck coming in—but I'm going to ignore and not help the people who are still unemployed or becoming more unemployed because this pandemic is ravaging—I don't think that makes any sense to anybody," said Manchin, who was among the lawmakers that introduced the bipartisan plan.
Americans for Tax Fairness noted that the $1 trillion gain among billionaires amounted to more than the cost of sending $3,000 stimulus checks to every person in the country.
Newsweek reached out to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for comment.


newsweek--2020-12-09--Sean Hannity Wants Special Prosecutor to Probe Trump's Voter Fraud Allegations

Fox News host Sean Hannity believes that Attorney General William Barr should hire a special prosecutor to investigate President Donald Trump 's evidence-free claims that massive fraud led to President-elect Joe Biden winning the presidential election .
During the Wednesday edition of Premiere Radio Networks ' The Sean Hannity Show , the host agreed with his former Fox News colleague Bill O'Reilly 's call for Barr to hire a special prosecutor to focus on claims that the election was `` rigged . ''
`` I want Attorney General Barr to call for a special prosecutor to investigate the election , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ too .
I agree with you , '' Hannity replied .
`` I do n't even think it 's controversial though . ''
Trump and many of his allies have continued to claim that massive fraud was at play in the election , despite presenting no credible evidence to back up the claims .
Although dozens of legal challenges have failed and evidence remains elusive , Trump has refused to concede and insists that he was the election 's true winner .
Efforts to overturn the election outcome have continued in court , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ little chance of succeeding .
The Department of Justice has investigated the election fraud claims , but Barr himself has said that the investigation turned up no evidence to suggest that anything illegal led to Trump 's loss .
`` To date , we have not seen fraud on a scale that could have effected a different outcome in the election , '' Barr told the Associated Press last week .
Since Barr , as the head of the department , did not find evidence of fraud , Hannity and O'Reilly presumably believe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with different results .
There would be little reason to appoint a special prosecutor since there is no evidence that anything illegal changed the outcome of the election .
Biden had a clear victory , with a substantial 306-232 margin in the Electoral College and over 7 million more votes than Trump in the national popular vote .
Evidence typically precedes the launching of serious allegations , but Trump has taken the opposite approach in claiming massive election fraud .
Even before Election Day , the president claimed without evidence that the election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only if he lost .
He had similar complaints before winning in 2016 .
Attempts to find evidence that would justify this year 's claims have fallen well short , based on Barr 's findings and the failure of around 50 court cases attempting to overturn results .
Hiring a special prosecutor would be done at the expense of U.S. taxpayers and an argument could be made that without any credible evidence , doing so would be a waste of tax dollars .
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has come under fire for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to invalidate Biden 's win in four other states .
Newsweek reached out to the Department of Justice for comment .

Fox News host Sean Hannity believes that Attorney General William Barr should hire a special prosecutor to investigate President Donald Trump's evidence-free claims that massive fraud led to President-elect Joe Biden winning the presidential election.
Quotes
During the Wednesday edition of Premiere Radio Networks' The Sean Hannity Show, the host agreed with his former Fox News colleague Bill O'Reilly's call for Barr to hire a special prosecutor to focus on claims that the election was "rigged."
"I want Attorney General Barr to call for a special prosecutor to investigate the election," O'Reilly said.
"I do too. I agree with you," Hannity replied. "I don't even think it's controversial though."
Conservative talk show host Sean Hannity prepares to embrace President Donald Trump at a "Make America Great Again" rally in Cape Girardeau, Missouri on November 5, 2018. JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty
Why It Matters
Trump and many of his allies have continued to claim that massive fraud was at play in the election, despite presenting no credible evidence to back up the claims.
Although dozens of legal challenges have failed and evidence remains elusive, Trump has refused to concede and insists that he was the election's true winner. Efforts to overturn the election outcome have continued in court, although most legal experts say they have little chance of succeeding.
The Department of Justice has investigated the election fraud claims, but Barr himself has said that the investigation turned up no evidence to suggest that anything illegal led to Trump's loss.
"To date, we have not seen fraud on a scale that could have effected a different outcome in the election," Barr told the Associated Press last week.
Since Barr, as the head of the department, did not find evidence of fraud, Hannity and O'Reilly presumably believe that a special prosecutor may come up with different results.
The Counterpoint
There would be little reason to appoint a special prosecutor since there is no evidence that anything illegal changed the outcome of the election. Biden had a clear victory, with a substantial 306-232 margin in the Electoral College and over 7 million more votes than Trump in the national popular vote.
Evidence typically precedes the launching of serious allegations, but Trump has taken the opposite approach in claiming massive election fraud. Even before Election Day, the president claimed without evidence that the election would be rigged against him, but only if he lost. He had similar complaints before winning in 2016. Attempts to find evidence that would justify this year's claims have fallen well short, based on Barr's findings and the failure of around 50 court cases attempting to overturn results.
Hiring a special prosecutor would be done at the expense of U.S. taxpayers and an argument could be made that without any credible evidence, doing so would be a waste of tax dollars. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has come under fire for recently launching taxpayer-funded Supreme Court challenge seeking to invalidate Biden's win in four other states.
Newsweek reached out to the Department of Justice for comment.


newsweek--2020-12-09--NFL Playoff, Division Title Scenarios For 5 Teams Entering This Weekend

The Kansas City Chiefs and New Orleans Saints both clinched 2020-21 NFL playoff spots with their wins last weekend .
The Pittsburgh Steelers could have been a third team , but they fell from the unbeaten ranks .
There are three teams that can clinch playoff spots this weekend : Pittsburgh Steelers , Buffalo Bills and Green Bay Packers .
Pittsburgh and Buffalo play each other Sunday night , and strangely both teams can still get in with one scenario .
A total of four teams can clinch division titles this weekend : Pittsburgh ( AFC North ) , Kansas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bay ( NFC North ) and New Orleans ( NFC South ) .
Oddly enough , four teams have already been eliminated from playoff contention—all from the AFC : New York Jets ( 0-12 ) , Jacksonville Jaguars ( 1-11 ) , Cincinnati Bengals ( 2-9-1 ) and Los Angeles Chargers ( 3-0 ) .
Strangely enough , all teams in the NFC East have losing records , and all are still in contention for the division title , which guarantees the winner a first-round home game .
The other three teams likely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ East looks like this : New York Giants ( 5-7 ) , Washington Football Team ( 5-7 ) , Philadelphia Eagles ( 3-8-1 ) and Dallas Cowboys ( 3-9 ) .
But this story is about who has a shot at making the playoffs and winning division titles this weekend .
Here are the teams and their scenarios to get there .
• Win vs. Pittsburgh , combined with losses by Baltimore , Miami , Las Vegas and New England ( loss or tie by the Patriots ) • Win or tie against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Detroit , combined with an Arizona loss or tie , OR • A win over Detroit , combined with a LA Rams loss or tie , OR • A win over Detroit , combined with a Seattle loss or tie , OR • A tie with Detroit , combined with an Arizona loss , OR • A tie with Detroit , combined with a LA Rams loss and Arizona tie , OR • A tie with Detroit , combined with a Seattle win or tie and an Arizona tie • A win over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or tie • New Orleans and Tampa Bay both tie Sunday ( Dec. 13 ) 1 p.m. Houston at Chicago 1 p.m. Dallas at Cincinnati 1 p.m. Kansas City at Miami 1 p.m. Arizona at NY Giants 1 p.m. Minnesota at Tampa Bay 1 p.m. Denver at Carolina 1 p.m. Tennessee at Jacksonville 4:05 p.m. Indianapolis at Las Vegas 4:05 p.m. NY Jets at Seattle 4:25 p.m. Green Bay at Detroit 4:25 p.m. New Orleans at Philadelphia 4:25 p.m. Atlanta at LA Chargers 4:25 p.m. Washington at San Francisco 8:20 p.m. Pittsburgh at @

The Kansas City Chiefs and New Orleans Saints both clinched 2020-21 NFL playoff spots with their wins last weekend. The Pittsburgh Steelers could have been a third team, but they fell from the unbeaten ranks.
There are three teams that can clinch playoff spots this weekend: Pittsburgh Steelers, Buffalo Bills and Green Bay Packers. Pittsburgh and Buffalo play each other Sunday night, and strangely both teams can still get in with one scenario.
A total of four teams can clinch division titles this weekend: Pittsburgh (AFC North), Kansas City (AFC West), Green Bay (NFC North) and New Orleans (NFC South).
Oddly enough, four teams have already been eliminated from playoff contention—all from the AFC: New York Jets (0-12), Jacksonville Jaguars (1-11), Cincinnati Bengals (2-9-1) and Los Angeles Chargers (3-0).
Strangely enough, all teams in the NFC East have losing records, and all are still in contention for the division title, which guarantees the winner a first-round home game. The other three teams likely will miss the playoffs. The NFC East looks like this: New York Giants (5-7), Washington Football Team (5-7), Philadelphia Eagles (3-8-1) and Dallas Cowboys (3-9).
Aaron Rodgers #12 of the Green Bay Packers prepares to snap the ball against the New Orleans Saints during the first half at Mercedes-Benz Superdome on September 27, 2020 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Packers have a number of scenarios to qualify for the playoffs. Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images
But this story is about who has a shot at making the playoffs and winning division titles this weekend. Here are the teams and their scenarios to get there.
BUFFALO BILLS (9-3)
Clinch Playoff Berth with:
Win vs. Pittsburgh, combined with losses by Baltimore, Miami, Las Vegas and New England (loss or tie by the Patriots)
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (11-1) — Already clinched playoff spot
Clinch AFC West with:
Win or tie against Miami, OR Las Vegas loses or ties
PITTSBURGH STEELERS (11-1)
Clinch Playoff Berth with:
A win over Buffalo, OR A Las Vegas loss or tie, OR A Miami loss or tie, OR A Tennessee loss
Clinch AFC North with:
A win over Buffalo, combined with a Cleveland loss
GREEN BAY PACKERS (9-3)
Clinch Playoff Berth with:
A win over Detroit, combined with an Arizona loss or tie, OR A win over Detroit, combined with a LA Rams loss or tie, OR A win over Detroit, combined with a Seattle loss or tie, OR A tie with Detroit, combined with an Arizona loss, OR A tie with Detroit, combined with a LA Rams loss and Arizona tie, OR A tie with Detroit, combined with a Seattle win or tie and an Arizona tie
Clinch NFC North with:
A win over Detroit, combined with a Minnesota loss or tie A tie with Detroit, combined with a Minnesota loss
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (10-2) — Already clinched playoff spot
Clinch NFC South with:
Win over Philadelphia, OR A Tampa Bay loss, OR New Orleans and Tampa Bay both tie
Week 14 schedule (all times ET)
Thursday (Dec. 10)
8:20 p.m. New England at LA Rams
Sunday (Dec. 13)
1 p.m. Houston at Chicago
1 p.m. Dallas at Cincinnati
1 p.m. Kansas City at Miami
1 p.m. Arizona at NY Giants
1 p.m. Minnesota at Tampa Bay
1 p.m. Denver at Carolina
1 p.m. Tennessee at Jacksonville
4:05 p.m. Indianapolis at Las Vegas
4:05 p.m. NY Jets at Seattle
4:25 p.m. Green Bay at Detroit
4:25 p.m. New Orleans at Philadelphia
4:25 p.m. Atlanta at LA Chargers
4:25 p.m. Washington at San Francisco
8:20 p.m. Pittsburgh at Buffalo
Monday (Dec. 14)
8:15 p.m. Baltimore at Cleveland


newsweek--2020-12-09--Black Man Shot Multiple Times by Police Was Carrying Sandwich Not Gun, Family Says

The family of Casey Christian Goodson Jr. , a 23-year-old Black man who was shot and killed on his doorstep by an Ohio sheriff 's deputy on Friday , December 4 , say that he was carrying a sandwich and not a gun as legal authorities have previously claimed .
U.S .
Marshal Peter Tobin claimed that Goodson had waved a gun at Ohio Sheriff 's Deputy Jason Meade while driving by him on Friday afternoon .
Meade , who had been searching for a fugitive , followed Meade to his home where he confronted him and allegedly asked Goodson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to death when Goodson reportedly refused .
Goodson later died at the hospital from his injuries .
While Tobin claimed that Goodson 's gun , which he was licensed to carry , was found at the scene , Goodson 's relatives and their attorneys say that Goodson was n't carrying a gun , he was carrying a Subway sandwich , The Los Angeles Times reports .
Furthermore , Goodson 's family claims he was shot while walking into the home rather than in front of the house .
The family also said that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were not his own children witnessed the shooting .
Although the state 's attorney general usually investigates police shootings , it declined to do so in this case because it was n't asked to do so until three days after the shooting when witnesses had already been interviewed and the scene of the shooting had been cleared .
The shooting is currently under investigation by U.S. Attorney David M. DeVillers , the Justice Department 's Civil Rights Division , the FBI in Cincinnati and the Columbus police .
Meade was n't wearing a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ does n't provide its officers with them , nor did Meade 's SWAT vehicle have a dashboard camera , leaving the investigation up to witness testimony and forensic evidence .
Newsweek reached out to the Department of Justice 's Civil Rights Division for comment .
On Wednesday , an autopsy conducted by the Franklin County Coroner 's Office ruled Goodson 's death as a homicide caused by multiple gunshot wounds to the torso .
The office declined to state how many bullets struck Goodson or their direction of entry , The New York @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lawyers for Goodson 's family claim he had a license to to carry a concealed weapon .
Open carry , the public wielding of firearms , is legal in Ohio .
Nationwide , police killed 164 Black people in the first 8 months of 2020 , according to CBS News .
While congress briefly considered passing police reform legislation to address shootings which led to racial justice protests and uprisings during the summer , Republicans and Democrats disagreed on the appropriate measures .
Ultimately no reforms were passed on the federal level .

The family of Casey Christian Goodson Jr., a 23-year-old Black man who was shot and killed on his doorstep by an Ohio sheriff's deputy on Friday, December 4, say that he was carrying a sandwich and not a gun as legal authorities have previously claimed.
U.S. Marshal Peter Tobin claimed that Goodson had waved a gun at Ohio Sheriff's Deputy Jason Meade while driving by him on Friday afternoon. Meade, who had been searching for a fugitive, followed Meade to his home where he confronted him and allegedly asked Goodson to drop his gun before shooting him to death when Goodson reportedly refused. Goodson later died at the hospital from his injuries.
While Tobin claimed that Goodson's gun, which he was licensed to carry, was found at the scene, Goodson's relatives and their attorneys say that Goodson wasn't carrying a gun, he was carrying a Subway sandwich, The Los Angeles Times reports.
Furthermore, Goodson's family claims he was shot while walking into the home rather than in front of the house. The family also said that Goodson's grandmother and two toddlers who were not his own children witnessed the shooting.
Casey Christian Goodson Jr, 23, was shot and killed by an Ohio sheriff's deputy on the afternoon of Friday, December 4. Go Fund Me
Although the state's attorney general usually investigates police shootings, it declined to do so in this case because it wasn't asked to do so until three days after the shooting when witnesses had already been interviewed and the scene of the shooting had been cleared.
The shooting is currently under investigation by U.S. Attorney David M. DeVillers, the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, the FBI in Cincinnati and the Columbus police.
Meade wasn't wearing a body camera because the Sheriff's Office doesn't provide its officers with them, nor did Meade's SWAT vehicle have a dashboard camera, leaving the investigation up to witness testimony and forensic evidence.
Newsweek reached out to the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division for comment.
On Wednesday, an autopsy conducted by the Franklin County Coroner's Office ruled Goodson's death as a homicide caused by multiple gunshot wounds to the torso. The office declined to state how many bullets struck Goodson or their direction of entry, The New York Times reports.
The publication notes that lawyers for Goodson's family claim he had a license to to carry a concealed weapon. Open carry, the public wielding of firearms, is legal in Ohio.
Nationwide, police killed 164 Black people in the first 8 months of 2020, according to CBS News. While congress briefly considered passing police reform legislation to address shootings which led to racial justice protests and uprisings during the summer, Republicans and Democrats disagreed on the appropriate measures. Ultimately no reforms were passed on the federal level.


newsweek--2020-12-09--Study Says Binge Drinkers Are Consuming Even More Alcohol in Lockdown

No one needed a lengthy examination by a scientific journal to know that alcohol consumption has been up throughout the pandemic .
However , a recently published study in the American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse , regarding binge drinking for those living in lockdown , reveals a hidden and very real danger .
Researchers from the University of Texas Health Science Center School of Public Health reported that one in three Americans said they had consumed alcohol at harmful `` binge drinking '' levels during the coronavirus pandemic .
Their findings also showed that , for every week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extra 19 percent compared to what they did prior to the pandemic .
The researchers examined 1,982 people over 18 years old in what is the first study that shows the connection between increased alcohol use from stress induced by quarantining and shutdowns .
The team categorized the participants into three groups : Binge drinkers , non-binge drinkers and non-drinkers .
The study was conducted between mid-March and mid-April , when Texas first entered into a statewide pandemic-enforced shutdown .
Therefore , no research is currently available indicating the toll the continuing pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social isolation , job losses and various other anxieties continue increasing .
The study showed that the odds of drinkers having increased amounts of alcohol was more than twice as high among harmful drinkers compared to those who do n't drink to excess ( 60 percent vs 28 percent ) .
One in three of all drinkers reported binge drinking during the pandemic .
Those categorized as binge drinkers on average drank four to seven drinks per sitting , while non-binge drinkers had two drinks a session .
Among all drinkers , living @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by 26 percent .
`` Increased time spent at home is a life stressor that impacts drinking and the COVID-19 pandemic may have exacerbated this stress , '' said Sitara Weerakoon , a PhD candidate from the University of Texas , in a media release .
Weerakoon also added : `` Additional research is needed to develop the best treatment for people with substance use disorders who may be more susceptible to adverse health outcomes . ''
The study 's authors acknowledged limitations in their work , including that the data was self-reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an average age of 42 , while 89 percent were white and 69 percent were female .
( Researchers indicated that future research should be done on the link between alcohol and lockdown that is more reflective of the `` generalizable population . ''
) However , the study accounted for and analyzed several factors that affected their subjects , including length of time in lockdown , number of children at home , episodes of depression and loss of income brought on by the pandemic .

No one needed a lengthy examination by a scientific journal to know that alcohol consumption has been up throughout the pandemic. However, a recently published study in the American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, regarding binge drinking for those living in lockdown, reveals a hidden and very real danger.
Researchers from the University of Texas Health Science Center School of Public Health reported that one in three Americans said they had consumed alcohol at harmful "binge drinking" levels during the coronavirus pandemic. Their findings also showed that, for every week in lockdown, binge drinkers consumed an extra 19 percent compared to what they did prior to the pandemic.
Many people are turning to alcohol during the pandemic; some at dangerous levels. Getty
The researchers examined 1,982 people over 18 years old in what is the first study that shows the connection between increased alcohol use from stress induced by quarantining and shutdowns. The team categorized the participants into three groups: Binge drinkers, non-binge drinkers and non-drinkers. The study was conducted between mid-March and mid-April, when Texas first entered into a statewide pandemic-enforced shutdown. Therefore, no research is currently available indicating the toll the continuing pandemic is having on harmful drinkers, as social isolation, job losses and various other anxieties continue increasing.
The study showed that the odds of drinkers having increased amounts of alcohol was more than twice as high among harmful drinkers compared to those who don't drink to excess (60 percent vs 28 percent). One in three of all drinkers reported binge drinking during the pandemic. Those categorized as binge drinkers on average drank four to seven drinks per sitting, while non-binge drinkers had two drinks a session. Among all drinkers, living with children reduced the odds of drinking by 26 percent.
"Increased time spent at home is a life stressor that impacts drinking and the COVID-19 pandemic may have exacerbated this stress," said Sitara Weerakoon, a PhD candidate from the University of Texas, in a media release.
Weerakoon also added: "Additional research is needed to develop the best treatment for people with substance use disorders who may be more susceptible to adverse health outcomes."
The study's authors acknowledged limitations in their work, including that the data was self-reported by the participants. The respondents had an average age of 42, while 89 percent were white and 69 percent were female. (Researchers indicated that future research should be done on the link between alcohol and lockdown that is more reflective of the "generalizable population.")
However, the study accounted for and analyzed several factors that affected their subjects, including length of time in lockdown, number of children at home, episodes of depression and loss of income brought on by the pandemic.


newsweek--2020-12-09--Study Shows Geographic Shift of U.S. COVID-19 Deaths Through Pandemic

The geography of reported COVID-19 deaths significantly shifted between the pandemic 's arrival in the U.S. and early December , according to a Pew Research Center analysis published Tuesday .
During the early stages of the pandemic , far greater numbers of COVID-19 deaths were reported in heavily populated areas , places that were more likely to be controlled by Democrats .
That trend began to shift in the summer as the virus spread into the southern and midwestern states .
By the fall , rural areas reported spikes in COVID-19 deaths similar to those seen in urban areas during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ counts continued rising throughout the country in early December , Pew Research Center Associate Brad Jones told Newsweek the geographic shift of the pandemic 's impact was `` amazing and heartbreaking . ''
Pew researchers used Montana as an example of one rural state that began experiencing a pandemic surge in the fall .
`` In the first six months there was less than one Montanan who died every day of the coronavirus , and in the past two months that 's increased 10 times , '' Jones said .
`` It really @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dramatically this has changed and how quickly it has changed . ''
Pew 's analysis , which used data from Johns Hopkins University 's Center for Center for Systems Science and Engineering , included graphics that showed the shift in reported COVID-19 deaths between heavily populated urban areas in the spring and less densely populated rural areas in the summer and fall .
In recent months , congressional districts `` with small shares of residents in densely populated places are experiencing twice as many deaths as those in the parts of the country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in urban neighborhoods , '' Pew said in a news release .
Jones said the geographic shift was stark after an earlier Pew analysis highlighted the concentration of COVID-19 deaths in places like New York City , Detroit , Boston and New Orleans .
Conducting this second analysis provided Pew researchers an opportunity to `` zoom out '' and assess the impact of the pandemic on a wider scale , he said .
`` The most interesting thing was this absolute reversal , '' Jones told Newsweek .
`` We have a graphic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of deaths during different three-month periods in urban and rural places .
In the beginning , deaths in urban places were five or six times as high as rural places , whereas now rural areas are experiencing about twice as many deaths as urban areas .
It 's really a dramatic shift in where these deaths are located . ''
The regional shift of the pandemic 's impact has implied political significance .
While urban areas , which are more likely to be controlled by Democrats , experienced early COVID-19 surges , many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be controlled by Republicans , experienced their surges months later .
`` As we move on through the summer and now into the fall and winter , we 've seen that it has moved into other parts of the county where now Republicans are more likely to represent places that are hit harder than Democrats , '' Jones said .
According to Pew 's data , COVID-19 deaths are now on the rise in both Republican-leaning and Democrat-leaning congressional districts .
By December 9 , more than 15.3 million cases were reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pandemic and more than 288,000 people died after contracting the virus , according to Johns Hopkins University 's data tracker .
`` While the total number of COVID-19 deaths in the average Democratic controlled district remains higher than in the average Republican controlled district , the gap has narrowed in recent months , '' Pew 's press release said .
Though Pew 's analysis did not assess Americans ' reactions to lockdowns or other virus-inspired restrictions , Jones said the data appeared to match some of the partisan trends throughout the pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ associated with partisanship also happen to be associated with the course of the pandemic , '' he told Newsweek .
Newsweek reached out to the Democratic National Committee and the Republican National Committee for comment but did not receive responses in time for publication .

The geography of reported COVID-19 deaths significantly shifted between the pandemic's arrival in the U.S. and early December, according to a Pew Research Center analysis published Tuesday.
During the early stages of the pandemic, far greater numbers of COVID-19 deaths were reported in heavily populated areas, places that were more likely to be controlled by Democrats. That trend began to shift in the summer as the virus spread into the southern and midwestern states.
By the fall, rural areas reported spikes in COVID-19 deaths similar to those seen in urban areas during the spring. As case and death counts continued rising throughout the country in early December, Pew Research Center Associate Brad Jones told Newsweek the geographic shift of the pandemic's impact was "amazing and heartbreaking."
Pew researchers used Montana as an example of one rural state that began experiencing a pandemic surge in the fall. "In the first six months there was less than one Montanan who died every day of the coronavirus, and in the past two months that's increased 10 times," Jones said. "It really is amazing and heartbreaking to see how dramatically this has changed and how quickly it has changed."
Pew's analysis, which used data from Johns Hopkins University's Center for Center for Systems Science and Engineering, included graphics that showed the shift in reported COVID-19 deaths between heavily populated urban areas in the spring and less densely populated rural areas in the summer and fall. In recent months, congressional districts "with small shares of residents in densely populated places are experiencing twice as many deaths as those in the parts of the country where all or nearly all residents live in urban neighborhoods," Pew said in a news release.
According to a new Pew Research Center analysis, the number of daily COVID-19 deaths reported in Montana rose nearly tenfold in recent months compared with those reported in the state at the start of the pandemic. In the photo above, the Park County Health Department performs COVID-19 test using the Abbot BinaxNOW rapid test at the Fairgrounds on December 7, 2020 in Livingston, Montana. William Campbell/Getty
Jones said the geographic shift was stark after an earlier Pew analysis highlighted the concentration of COVID-19 deaths in places like New York City, Detroit, Boston and New Orleans. Conducting this second analysis provided Pew researchers an opportunity to "zoom out" and assess the impact of the pandemic on a wider scale, he said.
"The most interesting thing was this absolute reversal," Jones told Newsweek. "We have a graphic where we look at the average number of deaths during different three-month periods in urban and rural places. In the beginning, deaths in urban places were five or six times as high as rural places, whereas now rural areas are experiencing about twice as many deaths as urban areas. It's really a dramatic shift in where these deaths are located."
The regional shift of the pandemic's impact has implied political significance. While urban areas, which are more likely to be controlled by Democrats, experienced early COVID-19 surges, many rural areas, which are more likely to be controlled by Republicans, experienced their surges months later.
"As we move on through the summer and now into the fall and winter, we've seen that it has moved into other parts of the county where now Republicans are more likely to represent places that are hit harder than Democrats," Jones said.
According to Pew's data, COVID-19 deaths are now on the rise in both Republican-leaning and Democrat-leaning congressional districts. By December 9, more than 15.3 million cases were reported throughout the U.S. since the start of the pandemic and more than 288,000 people died after contracting the virus, according to Johns Hopkins University's data tracker.
"While the total number of COVID-19 deaths in the average Democratic controlled district remains higher than in the average Republican controlled district, the gap has narrowed in recent months," Pew's press release said.
Though Pew's analysis did not assess Americans' reactions to lockdowns or other virus-inspired restrictions, Jones said the data appeared to match some of the partisan trends throughout the pandemic. "All these facts that are associated with partisanship also happen to be associated with the course of the pandemic," he told Newsweek.
Newsweek reached out to the Democratic National Committee and the Republican National Committee for comment but did not receive responses in time for publication.


newsweek--2020-12-09--SpaceX Test Flight Ends in Hard Landing, Explosion

After a high-altitude suborbital test flight , the SpaceX craft Starship SN8 exploded upon landing on Wednesday in Texas .
No crew members were aboard the rocket .
SN8 had originally been slated to launch on Tuesday , but the flight was canceled near the end of the countdown because of engine issues .
After its Wednesday launch , SN8 attempted to reach a height of 40,000 feet .
Upon its descent , the rocket appeared to suffer engine failure which caused it to flip into a vertical position .
`` SO CLOSE !
Starship SN8 exploded right next to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Emre Kelly .
Despite the craft 's fiery return to Earth , Musk seemed pleased with the final results .
`` Fuel header tank pressure was low during landing burn , causing touchdown velocity to be high & RUD , but we got all the data we needed !
Congrats SpaceX team hell yeah !
! ''
Musk tweeted on Wednesday .
`` RUD '' stands for `` rapid unscheduled disassembly , '' the euphemism Musk prefers for a ship 's unplanned destruction .
The flight was , according to a November tweet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to test `` 3 engine ascent , body flaps , transition from main to header tanks & landing flip . ''
Musk also indicated that there was a chance that the Starship could not land in one piece .
`` Lot of things need to go right , so maybe 1/3 chance , '' Musk tweeted .
`` But that 's why we have SN 9 & SN10 . ''
Newsweek reached out to SpaceX for comment .
According to the SpaceX website , the success of the test flight `` is not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rather how much we can learn , which will inform and improve the probability of success in the future as SpaceX rapidly advances development of Starship . ''
Starship is designed to be a reusable system which is expected to be used for space exploration .
Despite being a private company , SpaceX has partnered with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA ) on space travel projects .
In November , the SpaceX Crew Dragon craft , powered by the Falcon 9 rocket , carried 4 individuals to the International Space @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remain on the space station for 6 months .
Space exploration has become a point of focus for the administration of President Donald Trump .
In 2019 , Trump announced the formation of the U.S. Space Force , the sixth official branch of the U.S. Armed Forces .
At the time , Trump referred to outer space as `` the world 's newest warfighting domain . ''
Trump has also promised to further explore the reaches of space .
During his presidential campaign , Trump repeatedly said that the U.S. would return to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
On Wednesday , Vice President Mike Pence introduced a team of 18 astronauts , collectively known as the Artemis Generation , who are expected to conduct research on the lunar surface .
The Artemis program is also expected to land the first woman astronaut on the moon .
`` Through our Artemis program , '' Trump said in a Wednesday statement , `` the United States is working hand-in-hand with commercial and international partners to return to the Moon—this time to stay—and prepare for the next great American adventure , the giant @ @ @ @ @

After a high-altitude suborbital test flight, the SpaceX craft Starship SN8 exploded upon landing on Wednesday in Texas. No crew members were aboard the rocket.
SN8 had originally been slated to launch on Tuesday, but the flight was canceled near the end of the countdown because of engine issues. After its Wednesday launch, SN8 attempted to reach a height of 40,000 feet. Upon its descent, the rocket appeared to suffer engine failure which caused it to flip into a vertical position.
"SO CLOSE! Starship SN8 exploded right next to its landing pad," tweeted reporter Emre Kelly.
SO CLOSE! Starship SN8 exploded right next to its landing pad. pic.twitter.com/KdQF5YUrBE — Emre Kelly (@EmreKelly) December 9, 2020
Despite the craft's fiery return to Earth, Musk seemed pleased with the final results.
"Fuel header tank pressure was low during landing burn, causing touchdown velocity to be high & RUD, but we got all the data we needed! Congrats SpaceX team hell yeah!!" Musk tweeted on Wednesday. "RUD" stands for "rapid unscheduled disassembly," the euphemism Musk prefers for a ship's unplanned destruction.
Fuel header tank pressure was low during landing burn, causing touchdown velocity to be high & RUD, but we got all the data we needed! Congrats SpaceX team hell yeah!! — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 9, 2020
The flight was, according to a November tweet by SpaceX founder Elon Musk, designed to test "3 engine ascent, body flaps, transition from main to header tanks & landing flip." Musk also indicated that there was a chance that the Starship could not land in one piece.
"Lot of things need to go right, so maybe 1/3 chance," Musk tweeted. "But that's why we have SN 9 & SN10."
But that’s why we have SN 9 & SN10 — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 25, 2020
Newsweek reached out to SpaceX for comment.
SpaceX founder Elon Musk had expressed doubt that SN8 would land safely after its Wednesday test flight. Britta Pedersen-Pool/Getty
According to the SpaceX website, the success of the test flight "is not measured by completion of specific directives but rather how much we can learn, which will inform and improve the probability of success in the future as SpaceX rapidly advances development of Starship." Starship is designed to be a reusable system which is expected to be used for space exploration.
Despite being a private company, SpaceX has partnered with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on space travel projects. In November, the SpaceX Crew Dragon craft, powered by the Falcon 9 rocket, carried 4 individuals to the International Space Station. The astronauts are expected to remain on the space station for 6 months.
Space exploration has become a point of focus for the administration of President Donald Trump. In 2019, Trump announced the formation of the U.S. Space Force, the sixth official branch of the U.S. Armed Forces. At the time, Trump referred to outer space as "the world's newest warfighting domain."
Trump has also promised to further explore the reaches of space. During his presidential campaign, Trump repeatedly said that the U.S. would return to the Moon and set foot on Mars.
On Wednesday, Vice President Mike Pence introduced a team of 18 astronauts, collectively known as the Artemis Generation, who are expected to conduct research on the lunar surface. The Artemis program is also expected to land the first woman astronaut on the moon.
"Through our Artemis program," Trump said in a Wednesday statement, "the United States is working hand-in-hand with commercial and international partners to return to the Moon—this time to stay—and prepare for the next great American adventure, the giant leap to Mars."


newsweek--2020-12-09--All the New Game Trailers Confirmed to Debut During The Game Awards 2020

One of the biggest draws of the annual Game Awards is the fact that fans will get a first look at a ton of new video game trailers and premieres throughout the awards show .
Since the Game Awards happen at the end of the year , they 're thought of as the unofficial start to the next year 's `` hype '' cycle .
This year 's show will be no different .
During a Tuesday Reddit AMA , producer Geoff Keighley was asked how many games will be revealed during the Game Awards 2020 .
`` I think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be announced/revealed at the show for the first time , '' Keighley replied .
He later clarified that the number will be `` around 12 to 15 or so . ''
There are already some game trailers that have been confirmed to debut during the Game Awards 2020 , but Keighley assured fans that the number he is referring to accounts for games that have yet to be announced .
`` Yeah i 'm talking more about brand new games that have not been announced at all , '' Keighley wrote on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ already confirmed to have a new trailer or gameplay footage debut at the Game Awards 2020 ?
We have a growing list of titles that fans will want to keep an eye out for : From the stuff on this list , we 're particularly excited to see the brand new map that the developers for Among Us will premiere .
The sci-fi game of `` whodunnit '' will put players in a brand new location to experience .
The latest Elder Scrolls update will also premiere at The Game Awards 2020 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the next Dragon Age game from Bioware .
Former Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime is scheduled to present at The Game Awards , which has led to speculation about what Nintendo will bring to the show .
Last year , they revealed that Bravely Default II was coming to the Nintendo Switch .
The awards show was also where Joker from Persona 5 was announced as a DLC fighter for Super Smash Bros .
Ultimate .
There are some highly anticipated games coming in 2021 that also have the possibility of having @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which was delayed to 2021 , may have a brand new trailer to keep Xbox 's first-party game in the headlines .
The Game Awards 2020 are happening live , starting Thursday , December 10 , at 7 p.m. EDT .
What do you think will be shown at this year 's Game Awards ?
Let us know your predictions in the comments section .

One of the biggest draws of the annual Game Awards is the fact that fans will get a first look at a ton of new video game trailers and premieres throughout the awards show.
Since the Game Awards happen at the end of the year, they're thought of as the unofficial start to the next year's "hype" cycle. This year's show will be no different. During a Tuesday Reddit AMA, producer Geoff Keighley was asked how many games will be revealed during the Game Awards 2020.
"I think there are a good dozen+ games that will be announced/revealed at the show for the first time," Keighley replied. He later clarified that the number will be "around 12 to 15 or so."
There are already some game trailers that have been confirmed to debut during the Game Awards 2020, but Keighley assured fans that the number he is referring to accounts for games that have yet to be announced.
"Yeah i'm talking more about brand new games that have not been announced at all," Keighley wrote on Tuesday.
Yeah i'm talking more about brand new games that have not been announced at all — Geoff Keighley (@geoffkeighley) December 8, 2020
EA
So, what games are already confirmed to have a new trailer or gameplay footage debut at the Game Awards 2020? We have a growing list of titles that fans will want to keep an eye out for:
It Takes Two
The Elder Scrolls
Call of Duty: Warzone Season 1
Call of Duty Black Ops: Cold War Season 1
Nier: Replicant
Among Us
Elite Dangerous: Odyssey
Dragon Age
Crimson Desert
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Fortnite
Ruined King: A League of Legends Story
From the stuff on this list, we're particularly excited to see the brand new map that the developers for Among Us will premiere. The sci-fi game of "whodunnit" will put players in a brand new location to experience.
The latest Elder Scrolls update will also premiere at The Game Awards 2020, as well as the latest update of the next Dragon Age game from Bioware.
Former Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime is scheduled to present at The Game Awards, which has led to speculation about what Nintendo will bring to the show. Last year, they revealed that Bravely Default II was coming to the Nintendo Switch. The awards show was also where Joker from Persona 5 was announced as a DLC fighter for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Update: It was confirmed Thursday that a new Smash Ultimate fighter will be announced at The Game Awards
There are some highly anticipated games coming in 2021 that also have the possibility of having a trailer surface. Halo Infinite, which was delayed to 2021, may have a brand new trailer to keep Xbox's first-party game in the headlines.
The Game Awards 2020 are happening live, starting Thursday, December 10, at 7 p.m. EDT.
What do you think will be shown at this year's Game Awards? Let us know your predictions in the comments section.


newsweek--2020-12-09--GOP Superlawyer Predicts Texas Election Suit Will Fail, Says Party 'Corroded' Under Trump

A prominent Republican election lawyer says that the GOP has `` corroded '' under President Donald Trump and that a new lawsuit seeking to overturn President-elect Joe Biden 's win , filed yesterday in the Supreme Court by Texas , is destined to fail .
Ben Ginsberg , who aided former President George W. Bush 's successful post-election legal battle in 2000 , made the remarks during a Wednesday appearance on CNN .
He blasted the Republican party for an alleged lack of principle when asked whether he thought Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton had any basis for asking the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ key battleground states .
`` I think there 's no basis for it .
I do n't think the Supreme Court , for an instant , will consider taking up this case , '' Ginsberg said .
`` What it shows you , I think ... is that how far the Republican party has sort of corroded in basic beliefs under Donald Trump in this area . ''
`` It used to be that the party was for state 's rights , '' he added .
`` I ca n't imagine something that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state 's rights than a Texas attorney general trying to tell other states how to run their elections . ''
Newsweek reached out to Paxton 's office for comment .
Ginsberg was a key member of the legal team that helped Bush defeat former Vice President Al Gore by 537 votes in Florida following recounts and court cases in 2000 .
He also represented Bush in 2004 , as well as former GOP presidential nominee Sen. Mitt Romney during his 2008 and 2012 campaigns .
Despite fighting legal battles for Republicans for decades @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against Trump 's evidence-free claims that the election was rigged against him .
`` My evolution started when the president doubled down in the lead-up to the 2020 election on his charges that our elections are rigged and fraudulent in a way that he had n't previously , '' Ginsberg told The Washington Post .
`` It became a systemic attack made completely without evidence , aimed at undermining a basic pillar of our democracy .
I know there 's no evidence for systemic fraud because I had spent the better part of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republican poll-watcher programs and elections day operations . ''
Paxton 's lawsuit , which many experts in addition to Ginsberg have said has little chance of succeeding , asks the Supreme Court to effectively discard all votes cast in Michigan , Pennsylvania , Wisconsin and Georgia .
Although voters in those states chose Biden , Paxton insists that the court should order the Electoral College to disregard their choice and instead force the recognition of electors loyal to Trump .
A brief supporting the effort was signed by at least 17 other states @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president also filed a motion to intervene in the case , which claims that the states in question did not properly follow election laws in administering their elections .
Since the Constitution allows for each state to determine their own laws for running elections , it is not clear that Texas has any standing to intervene in the way other states conduct their elections , while potentially disenfranchising millions of voters .
On Tuesday , the Supreme Court unanimously dismissed a challenge seeking to invalidate Biden 's win in Pennsylvania .
The plaintiffs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` formal appeal '' of the dismissal .
Dozens of other cases seeking to overturn Biden wins across the country have also quickly failed in court , while Trump 's attempts to convince GOP lawmakers in states he lost to disregard the voters and hand him victory have also been unsuccessful .
Despite the continued protests of Trump and his allies , there has been no credible evidence of the kind of massive fraud that could have plausibly changed what was a relatively decisive outcome to the election .
Biden won 306 Electoral @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with 270 being required to win the presidency .
In addition , he earned over 7 million more votes than Trump nationally , winning the most votes of any candidate in U.S. history by exceeding 81.2 million .

A prominent Republican election lawyer says that the GOP has "corroded" under President Donald Trump and that a new lawsuit seeking to overturn President-elect Joe Biden's win, filed yesterday in the Supreme Court by Texas, is destined to fail.
Ben Ginsberg, who aided former President George W. Bush's successful post-election legal battle in 2000, made the remarks during a Wednesday appearance on CNN. He blasted the Republican party for an alleged lack of principle when asked whether he thought Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton had any basis for asking the court to invalidate the vote in several key battleground states.
"I think there's no basis for it. I don't think the Supreme Court, for an instant, will consider taking up this case," Ginsberg said. "What it shows you, I think... is that how far the Republican party has sort of corroded in basic beliefs under Donald Trump in this area."
"It used to be that the party was for state's rights," he added. "I can't imagine something that is least faithful to a principle of state's rights than a Texas attorney general trying to tell other states how to run their elections."
Newsweek reached out to Paxton's office for comment.
GOP lawyer Ben Ginsberg is pictured during a press conference while defending former Texas Governor Rick Perry against felony indictments in 2014. Robert Daemmrich Photography Inc/Corbis/Getty
Ginsberg was a key member of the legal team that helped Bush defeat former Vice President Al Gore by 537 votes in Florida following recounts and court cases in 2000. He also represented Bush in 2004, as well as former GOP presidential nominee Sen. Mitt Romney during his 2008 and 2012 campaigns. Despite fighting legal battles for Republicans for decades, this year he has spoken out against Trump's evidence-free claims that the election was rigged against him.
"My evolution started when the president doubled down in the lead-up to the 2020 election on his charges that our elections are rigged and fraudulent in a way that he hadn't previously," Ginsberg told The Washington Post. "It became a systemic attack made completely without evidence, aimed at undermining a basic pillar of our democracy. I know there's no evidence for systemic fraud because I had spent the better part of every election for four decades working in Republican poll-watcher programs and elections day operations."
Paxton's lawsuit, which many experts in addition to Ginsberg have said has little chance of succeeding, asks the Supreme Court to effectively discard all votes cast in Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Georgia. Although voters in those states chose Biden, Paxton insists that the court should order the Electoral College to disregard their choice and instead force the recognition of electors loyal to Trump.
A brief supporting the effort was signed by at least 17 other states that voted for Trump, while the president also filed a motion to intervene in the case, which claims that the states in question did not properly follow election laws in administering their elections. Since the Constitution allows for each state to determine their own laws for running elections, it is not clear that Texas has any standing to intervene in the way other states conduct their elections, while potentially disenfranchising millions of voters.
On Tuesday, the Supreme Court unanimously dismissed a challenge seeking to invalidate Biden's win in Pennsylvania. The plaintiffs in the case plan to launch a "formal appeal" of the dismissal. Dozens of other cases seeking to overturn Biden wins across the country have also quickly failed in court, while Trump's attempts to convince GOP lawmakers in states he lost to disregard the voters and hand him victory have also been unsuccessful.
Despite the continued protests of Trump and his allies, there has been no credible evidence of the kind of massive fraud that could have plausibly changed what was a relatively decisive outcome to the election. Biden won 306 Electoral College votes to Trump's 232, with 270 being required to win the presidency. In addition, he earned over 7 million more votes than Trump nationally, winning the most votes of any candidate in U.S. history by exceeding 81.2 million.


newsweek--2020-12-09--Biden Must Follow Trump's Lead on North Korea But Include South Korea, Experts Say

President Donald Trump radically changed the U.S. approach to North Korea , and President-elect Joe Biden may have no choice but to follow in his footsteps if he hopes to achieve progress toward peace on the peninsula , analysts and former officials told Newsweek .
Biden must engage in bold , top-level diplomacy with North Korea , while at the same time outdoing Trump by empowering a parallel bottom-up approach and coordinating closely with South Korea if the new administration hopes to achieve progress toward peace on the peninsula , the experts said .
`` There 's an opportunity here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presidentially appointed State Department official who now serves as president and CEO of the World Affairs think tank , told Newsweek .
`` Donald Trump has opened up something and if you use it well , it could result in something that 's meaningful . ''
After decades of tensions and failed negotiations , Trump 's landmark summit with North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong Un two years ago represented a milestone for the longtime adversaries .
For two Cold War-era foes , the event was surrounded by uncharacteristically warm words and inspired @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Washington and Pyongyang , but also for Seoul , whose leadership enthusiastically championed an unprecedented rate of inter-Korean interactions .
But the atmosphere has changed significantly since then .
Two additional meetings between the leaders proved insufficient in kindling working-level talks that ultimately produced no agreements , and relations eventually reverted back to hostilities , which are now overshadowed by U.S.-China tensions and the COVID-19 pandemic .
If Biden seeks to capitalize on the unprecedented albeit unfulfilled moves made by the Trump administration , those with experience in dealing with Pyongyang say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he choose to pursue it .
Yun , who worked in the Clinton administration as senior advisor to the Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs and advised two U.S. Coordinators for North Korea Policy—former Secretary of Defense William J. Perry and former Under Secretary of State Wendy Sherman , traveled to North Korea in 1999 and 2000 during a critical push for diplomacy that was ultimately abandoned as political winds changed at home .
He sees this juncture in American politics as another potentially transformative period for U.S.-North Korea @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's hopeful the presidential transition wo n't serve as a setback .
`` I 'm not worried about them saying that 'because Trump did this , we 're not going to do that , ' I do n't think that 's going to be the case , '' Yun said .
`` I think there are things that they 're going to have to do that Trump did n't do that were major omissions , but they 're going to take the good , and then they 're going to throw out the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of shortcomings in the Trump administration approach to North Korea .
The first was the lack of attention paid to the kind of working-level talks that established the likes of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal – another painstaking diplomatic endeavor abandoned by a change in the White House .
The second was a lack of policy coherence with South Korea , a U.S. ally whose current administration is especially interested in reconciliation with its northern neighbor .
The realities of the relationship between Washington and Seoul dictate that South Korea typically follows the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ foe .
South Korean President Moon Jae-in has expressed frustration over the stall in the U.S.-North Korea dialogue .
This halt quickly led to a freeze in communication across the dividing Demilitarized Zone , and later a resurgence in bad blood between North and South Korea , officially the Democratic People 's Republic of Korea ( DPRK ) and Republic of Korea ( ROK ) , respectively .
Even a record three inter-Korean summits under Moon were not enough to sustain his attempts to change history on the Korean Peninsula once Washington 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Yun says he 's confident that the Biden administration will be receptive to Seoul 's position , as the former vice president and his team `` have emphasized alliances more than anything else . ''
Harry Kazianis , senior director of Korea Studies at the Center for the National Interest , said that providing South Korea a platform will be critical , especially as the new administration is consumed with inherited challenges like deteriorating ties with China and the debilitating effects of a worsening coronavirus outbreak .
Days before speaking to Newsweek , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ security adviser Robert O'Brien about the threat posed by North Korea 's weapons of mass destruction and cyber capabilities , as well as potential areas of cooperation such as humanitarian assistance amid the pandemic .
Kazianis offered some advice for officials of the incoming administration on U.S.-North Korea relations .
`` For Biden , he needs to come to the realization he does not have the political capital to try and force enough pressure on North Korea to give up their nuclear weapons , '' Kazianis told Newsweek .
In addition to sharing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Washington must also adopt a more practical goal than the Trump administration 's maximalist position of unconditionally forcing Pyongyang to shutter a nuclear weapons program it considers central to its national security .
`` That can only mean pushing denuclearization into being some sort of aspirational goal and working towards arms control , '' Kazianis said , `` capping the DPRK 's nuclear program while allowing South Korea to lead the process of normalization of relations . ''
This approach , he argued , is the sole path for a country dealing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus disease , an illness with which aNorth Korea to this day insists it has not been afflicted .
`` That is the only sustainable policy worth pursuing in the age of COVID , '' Kazianis said .
Yet the Trump administration appears to remain fixated on forcing North Korea to end its nuclear weapons program , as evidenced by the readouts of special presidential envoy for North Korea Stephen Biegun 's discussions in Seoul .
The U.S. interlocutor reaffirmed `` U.S. support for inter-Korean cooperation , and continued U.S. readiness to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the pursuit of complete denuclearization '' in his talks Wednesday with South Korean First Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-kun and Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs Lee Do-hoon , according to a State Department readout .
He also reiterated the Trump administration 's `` commitment to the U.S.-ROK Alliance '' at a time when it was under stress at multiple points of pressure .
The U.S. and South Korea continue to disagree not only in the urgency with which they wish to engage North Korea but also the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump administration has continued its demands that South Korea pay billions more for the nearly 30,000 U.S. troops tasked with defending South Korea from a potential invasion from the North , which last occurred seven decades ago .
Cozy ties between the U.S. and Japan have also further estranged Seoul as it experiences a period of particularly strained relations with Tokyo over historical grievances .
Amid this backdrop , South Korean ambassador to the U.S. Lee Soo-hyuck told an October audit of the National Assembly 's Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee earlier this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chose the U.S. 70 years ago does not mean it has to choose the U.S. for the next 70 years , too . ''
That remark made waves , especially as growing influence from Beijing in the region tested the long robust alliance between two countries that once banded together against China during the Korean War .
While the Trump administration has made a priority out of trying to roll back Chinese global power , certain alliances have suffered along the way .
This has so far proven to be the case with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ went their own ways on North Korea .
`` There was collateral damage , '' Soo Kim , a policy analyst at the RAND Corporation and an adjunct instructor at American University who formerly worked at the CIA and State Department , told Newsweek .
`` I 'm thinking specifically of alliances and how the North Korea problem contributed to fissures in US-ROK relations , '' she said .
`` Conversely , we did not see the alliance operating in full capacity to deal with the North Korea challenge . ''
Soo Kim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , courting Pyongyang should even be a priority for Biden , given the gaping rift between Washington and Seoul .
She said both powers were responsible for the friction between them and hopes the members of the Biden administration have been taking notes over the past four years to correct this dynamic .
`` Hopefully the lessons learned from the previous administration 's approach would serve as constructive reminders on what not to do , '' she said , `` and call instead for the Biden administration to reestablish equilibrium in its North @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. and South Korea in alignment , North Korea 's whims remain a wild card .
Its strictly state-run media , once a running commentary on the burgeoning peace process with the United States , has fallen silent on the topic .
They have made no comment on the results of the U.S. presidential election .
Experts can only speculate as to what Kim Jong Un is planning .
Guesses range from a missile test to a charm offensive , but Soo Kim said the leader 's ambiguity may be calculated as `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speak or declare his approach toward the U.S. - too early . ''
Whispers from across the DMZ suggest the North Korean leader does n't want to upset the incoming White House .
`` We 've also heard South Korean officials ( citing their intel ) saying that North Korea has instructed its diplomats to refrain from provoking or making comments that might ruffle feathers in the Biden administration , '' Soo Kim said .
`` So whatever Kim has set up already , he does n't want the fruits of his labor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the side of caution . ''
She does n't expect a fundamental shift in North Korea 's approach , however , and said `` provocations are a given – it 's just a matter of when . ''
Inauguration Day also is n't the only event on Kim Jong Un 's calendar come late January .
The Korean Workers ' Party is set to hold its 8th Congress around this time .
The last such gathering in 2016 marked the first of its kind since 1980 , when late North Korean founder @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
His grandson , Kim Jong Un , announced his first five-year plan at the 7th Congress to chart out the country 's national policies that spanned Trump 's time in office .
The upcoming session comes at the tail end of those five years , in which economic development has fallen short of expectations , as acknowledged by Kim Jong Un with rare and emotional candor .
The leader is widely expected to unveil a new five-year plan , and this strategy will likely dictate the terms of future U.S.-North Korea diplomacy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heading the Stimson Center-affiliated North Korea Leadership Watch blog , explained to Newsweek how `` these macro-policies map out development both for the country 's defense industry and the rest of its domestic economy .
`` Kim Jong Un might decide to let these events , which will feature a lot of strategic rhetoric , telecast whatever 'message ' he has for the U.S. and ROK , rather than him staging events involving WMD or ballistic missile testing , '' Madden said .
`` Based on current behaviors , it appears the DPRK @ @ @ @ @ @ @ approach . ''
He described Kim Jong Un and his close aides as being `` focused inward , on domestic policies '' since the near letdown of the second U.S.-North Korea summit in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi early last year .
There 's much debate as to went wrong at the time , with some blaming the likes of hawks such as then-national security adviser John Bolton , and others believing Kim Jong Un overplayed his hand .
But in any case , North Korean officials must be prepared to work with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to get any deal at all , Madden said .
`` Those proposals might resonate differently with Pyongyang as the messengers will have most likely changed , '' he told Newsweek .
`` We do not know what the Biden administration 's North Korea policy will be , but we do have a good sense as to what the 2019 Trump administration proposed , and it is probably the best the DPRK can hope to get . ''
Madden said any U.S. overtures here would be preceded by intensive consultations with South Korea @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` will watch those interactions closely , and it will certainly factor into any major decisions he undertakes during 2021 . ''
Those consultations will likely come to define the dynamics of the working relationship between Biden and Moon , a crucial element in gauging the success of any work with North Korea .
Christine Ahn , founder and executive director of the Women Cross DMZ peace advocacy group , said the Biden administration should use these discussions as an opportunity to `` immediately abandon the Trump administration 's failed maximum pressure campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. is ready to engage without pre-conditions . ''
Ahn , an award-winning activist who has held various positions in support of amplifying women 's voices and reuniting divided families on the Korean Peninsula , called on the upcoming administration to back the Moon administration 's work to make inroads with North Korea , and to advance humanitarian efforts , such as lifting sanctions and sponsoring cross-border family reunions that have stalled as inter-Korean ties soured .
She urged Biden to then `` engage in a step-by-step diplomatic process to build trust and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resolution to end the Korean War , which remains ongoing despite a 1953 armistice .
Ultimately , it 's going to take skilled , committed and open-minded negotiators on all sides to pull off any sort of agreement , Ahn said .
While the Biden administration is so far shaping up to be one of the most diverse in history , she argued that it would take more than just representation of women and people of color if they do n't bring new ideas to the negotiating table .
`` We need visionary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the status quo and support more peaceful , diplomatic solutions to the world 's problems rather than rely on military interventions and coercive measures like sanctions , '' Ahn said , `` tactics that have not only failed to achieve U.S. policy goals , but have also had disastrous consequences for civilians in other countries . ''

President Donald Trump radically changed the U.S. approach to North Korea, and President-elect Joe Biden may have no choice but to follow in his footsteps if he hopes to achieve progress toward peace on the peninsula, analysts and former officials told Newsweek.
Biden must engage in bold, top-level diplomacy with North Korea, while at the same time outdoing Trump by empowering a parallel bottom-up approach and coordinating closely with South Korea if the new administration hopes to achieve progress toward peace on the peninsula, the experts said.
"There's an opportunity here," Philip Yun, a former presidentially appointed State Department official who now serves as president and CEO of the World Affairs think tank, told Newsweek. "Donald Trump has opened up something and if you use it well, it could result in something that's meaningful."
After decades of tensions and failed negotiations, Trump's landmark summit with North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong Un two years ago represented a milestone for the longtime adversaries. For two Cold War-era foes, the event was surrounded by uncharacteristically warm words and inspired hopes for a new chapter not only for Washington and Pyongyang, but also for Seoul, whose leadership enthusiastically championed an unprecedented rate of inter-Korean interactions.
But the atmosphere has changed significantly since then.
Two additional meetings between the leaders proved insufficient in kindling working-level talks that ultimately produced no agreements, and relations eventually reverted back to hostilities, which are now overshadowed by U.S.-China tensions and the COVID-19 pandemic.
If Biden seeks to capitalize on the unprecedented albeit unfulfilled moves made by the Trump administration, those with experience in dealing with Pyongyang say he has a path to success should he choose to pursue it.
Yun, who worked in the Clinton administration as senior advisor to the Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs and advised two U.S. Coordinators for North Korea Policy—former Secretary of Defense William J. Perry and former Under Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, traveled to North Korea in 1999 and 2000 during a critical push for diplomacy that was ultimately abandoned as political winds changed at home.
He sees this juncture in American politics as another potentially transformative period for U.S.-North Korea relations, and told Newsweek that he's hopeful the presidential transition won't serve as a setback.
"I'm not worried about them saying that 'because Trump did this, we're not going to do that,' I don't think that's going to be the case," Yun said. "I think there are things that they're going to have to do that Trump didn't do that were major omissions, but they're going to take the good, and then they're going to throw out the bad."
U.S. President Donald Trump (L) extends his hand to greet North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong Un before a meeting at the Sofitel Legend Metropole hotel in Hanoi on February 27, 2019. The two heads of state came to make a deal but walked away empty-handed as they failed to establish enough common ground for an agreement. SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images
Yun identified two areas of shortcomings in the Trump administration approach to North Korea. The first was the lack of attention paid to the kind of working-level talks that established the likes of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal – another painstaking diplomatic endeavor abandoned by a change in the White House. The second was a lack of policy coherence with South Korea, a U.S. ally whose current administration is especially interested in reconciliation with its northern neighbor.
The realities of the relationship between Washington and Seoul dictate that South Korea typically follows the U.S. lead in dealing with their mutual foe. South Korean President Moon Jae-in has expressed frustration over the stall in the U.S.-North Korea dialogue. This halt quickly led to a freeze in communication across the dividing Demilitarized Zone, and later a resurgence in bad blood between North and South Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and Republic of Korea (ROK), respectively.
Even a record three inter-Korean summits under Moon were not enough to sustain his attempts to change history on the Korean Peninsula once Washington's commitment became unclear to Pyongyang. But Yun says he's confident that the Biden administration will be receptive to Seoul's position, as the former vice president and his team "have emphasized alliances more than anything else."
Harry Kazianis, senior director of Korea Studies at the Center for the National Interest, said that providing South Korea a platform will be critical, especially as the new administration is consumed with inherited challenges like deteriorating ties with China and the debilitating effects of a worsening coronavirus outbreak.
Days before speaking to Newsweek, Kazianis spoke with current White House national security adviser Robert O'Brien about the threat posed by North Korea's weapons of mass destruction and cyber capabilities, as well as potential areas of cooperation such as humanitarian assistance amid the pandemic.
Kazianis offered some advice for officials of the incoming administration on U.S.-North Korea relations.
Read more North Korea's Kim Jong Un Taps Sister, 'Gang of Four' to Navigate Crises North Korea's Kim Jong Un Taps Sister, 'Gang of Four' to Navigate Crises
"For Biden, he needs to come to the realization he does not have the political capital to try and force enough pressure on North Korea to give up their nuclear weapons," Kazianis told Newsweek.
In addition to sharing the negotiating stage with Seoul, he said Washington must also adopt a more practical goal than the Trump administration's maximalist position of unconditionally forcing Pyongyang to shutter a nuclear weapons program it considers central to its national security.
"That can only mean pushing denuclearization into being some sort of aspirational goal and working towards arms control," Kazianis said, "capping the DPRK's nuclear program while allowing South Korea to lead the process of normalization of relations."
This approach, he argued, is the sole path for a country dealing with the world's worst outbreak of the coronavirus disease, an illness with which North Korea to this day insists it has not been afflicted.
"That is the only sustainable policy worth pursuing in the age of COVID," Kazianis said.
Yet the Trump administration appears to remain fixated on forcing North Korea to end its nuclear weapons program, as evidenced by the readouts of special presidential envoy for North Korea Stephen Biegun's discussions in Seoul.
The U.S. interlocutor reaffirmed "U.S. support for inter-Korean cooperation, and continued U.S. readiness to engage in meaningful dialogue with the DPRK in the pursuit of complete denuclearization" in his talks Wednesday with South Korean First Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-kun and Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs Lee Do-hoon, according to a State Department readout.
He also reiterated the Trump administration's "commitment to the U.S.-ROK Alliance" at a time when it was under stress at multiple points of pressure.
Then-U.S. Vice President Joe Biden looks through binoculars toward North Korea during a visit to observation post Ouellette at the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) on December 7, 2013 in Panmunjom, South Korea. The Obama administration's policy of "strategic patience" with North Korea saw no significant progress toward achieving peace on the Korean Peninsula as the country honed its nuclear weapons capabilities. Chung Sung-Jun/AFP/Getty Images
The U.S. and South Korea continue to disagree not only in the urgency with which they wish to engage North Korea but also the state of their own bilateral relationship. The Trump administration has continued its demands that South Korea pay billions more for the nearly 30,000 U.S. troops tasked with defending South Korea from a potential invasion from the North, which last occurred seven decades ago.
Cozy ties between the U.S. and Japan have also further estranged Seoul as it experiences a period of particularly strained relations with Tokyo over historical grievances.
Amid this backdrop, South Korean ambassador to the U.S. Lee Soo-hyuck told an October audit of the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee that, "just because Korea chose the U.S. 70 years ago does not mean it has to choose the U.S. for the next 70 years, too."
That remark made waves, especially as growing influence from Beijing in the region tested the long robust alliance between two countries that once banded together against China during the Korean War. While the Trump administration has made a priority out of trying to roll back Chinese global power, certain alliances have suffered along the way. This has so far proven to be the case with South Korea, as Trump and Moon went their own ways on North Korea.
"There was collateral damage," Soo Kim, a policy analyst at the RAND Corporation and an adjunct instructor at American University who formerly worked at the CIA and State Department, told Newsweek.
"I'm thinking specifically of alliances and how the North Korea problem contributed to fissures in US-ROK relations," she said. "Conversely, we did not see the alliance operating in full capacity to deal with the North Korea challenge."
Soo Kim was skeptical that, at this point, courting Pyongyang should even be a priority for Biden, given the gaping rift between Washington and Seoul. She said both powers were responsible for the friction between them and hopes the members of the Biden administration have been taking notes over the past four years to correct this dynamic.
"Hopefully the lessons learned from the previous administration's approach would serve as constructive reminders on what not to do," she said, "and call instead for the Biden administration to reestablish equilibrium in its North Korea policy."
Publicly, Seoul remains hopeful of its future work with Biden.
"The ROK-US alliance has served as the foundation for peace and prosperity on the Peninsula and in the region," an official from the South Korean Foreign Ministry told Newsweek. "The ROK government will continue to work closely with the US government for the denuclearization and the establishment of permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula."
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Even with the U.S. and South Korea in alignment, North Korea's whims remain a wild card. Its strictly state-run media, once a running commentary on the burgeoning peace process with the United States, has fallen silent on the topic. They have made no comment on the results of the U.S. presidential election.
Experts can only speculate as to what Kim Jong Un is planning. Guesses range from a missile test to a charm offensive, but Soo Kim said the leader's ambiguity may be calculated as "it's not the right time to speak or declare his approach toward the U.S. - too early."
Whispers from across the DMZ suggest the North Korean leader doesn't want to upset the incoming White House.
"We've also heard South Korean officials (citing their intel) saying that North Korea has instructed its diplomats to refrain from provoking or making comments that might ruffle feathers in the Biden administration," Soo Kim said. "So whatever Kim has set up already, he doesn't want the fruits of his labor to turn into smithereens and is erring on the side of caution."
She doesn't expect a fundamental shift in North Korea's approach, however, and said "provocations are a given – it's just a matter of when."
Inauguration Day also isn't the only event on Kim Jong Un's calendar come late January.
The Korean Workers' Party is set to hold its 8th Congress around this time. The last such gathering in 2016 marked the first of its kind since 1980, when late North Korean founder Kim Il Sung, was in power. His grandson, Kim Jong Un, announced his first five-year plan at the 7th Congress to chart out the country's national policies that spanned Trump's time in office.
The upcoming session comes at the tail end of those five years, in which economic development has fallen short of expectations, as acknowledged by Kim Jong Un with rare and emotional candor. The leader is widely expected to unveil a new five-year plan, and this strategy will likely dictate the terms of future U.S.-North Korea diplomacy.
Michael Madden, a leading analyst heading the Stimson Center-affiliated North Korea Leadership Watch blog, explained to Newsweek how "these macro-policies map out development both for the country's defense industry and the rest of its domestic economy.
"Kim Jong Un might decide to let these events, which will feature a lot of strategic rhetoric, telecast whatever 'message' he has for the U.S. and ROK, rather than him staging events involving WMD or ballistic missile testing," Madden said. "Based on current behaviors, it appears the DPRK is taking a 'wait and see' approach."
North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong Un presides over an enlarged meeting of the 21st Political Bureau of the 7th Central Committee of the Korean Workers' Party at the office building of the Party Central Committee on November 29. The agenda was focused on preparations for the upcoming 8th Congress set to be held in January 2021. Korean Central News Agency
He described Kim Jong Un and his close aides as being "focused inward, on domestic policies" since the letdown of the second U.S.-North Korea summit in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi early last year. There's much debate as to went wrong at the time, with some blaming the likes of hawks such as then-national security adviser John Bolton, and others believing Kim Jong Un overplayed his hand. But in any case, North Korean officials must be prepared to work with the new White House if they hope to get any deal at all, Madden said.
"Those proposals might resonate differently with Pyongyang as the messengers will have most likely changed," he told Newsweek. "We do not know what the Biden administration's North Korea policy will be, but we do have a good sense as to what the 2019 Trump administration proposed, and it is probably the best the DPRK can hope to get."
Madden said any U.S. overtures here would be preceded by intensive consultations with South Korea. From Pyongyang, Kim Jong Un "will watch those interactions closely, and it will certainly factor into any major decisions he undertakes during 2021."
Those consultations will likely come to define the dynamics of the working relationship between Biden and Moon, a crucial element in gauging the success of any work with North Korea.
Read more Biden's Policy on North Korea Should be Prudent Dialogue—Not Sanctions Biden's Policy on North Korea Should be Prudent Dialogue—Not Sanctions
Christine Ahn, founder and executive director of the Women Cross DMZ peace advocacy group, said the Biden administration should use these discussions as an opportunity to "immediately abandon the Trump administration's failed maximum pressure campaign and signal to North Korea that the U.S. is ready to engage without pre-conditions."
Ahn, an award-winning activist who has held various positions in support of amplifying women's voices and reuniting divided families on the Korean Peninsula, called on the upcoming administration to back the Moon administration's work to make inroads with North Korea, and to advance humanitarian efforts, such as lifting sanctions and sponsoring cross-border family reunions that have stalled as inter-Korean ties soured.
She urged Biden to then "engage in a step-by-step diplomatic process to build trust and reduce tensions," including a formal resolution to end the Korean War, which remains ongoing despite a 1953 armistice.
Ultimately, it's going to take skilled, committed and open-minded negotiators on all sides to pull off any sort of agreement, Ahn said. While the Biden administration is so far shaping up to be one of the most diverse in history, she argued that it would take more than just representation of women and people of color if they don't bring new ideas to the negotiating table.
"We need visionary leaders who are willing to break from the status quo and support more peaceful, diplomatic solutions to the world's problems rather than rely on military interventions and coercive measures like sanctions," Ahn said, "tactics that have not only failed to achieve U.S. policy goals, but have also had disastrous consequences for civilians in other countries."
Update (12/11/2020 12:30): This article has been updated to include a statement by the South Korean Foreign Ministry.


newsweek--2020-12-09--Biden, Harris in 2020 Top 10 Most Googled People, Trump Missing from List

Despite being president and running for re-election , Donald Trump was not one of Google 's top 10 most searched people in 2020 .
However , his political opponents , President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris , came in as Nos .
1 and 3 on the list , respectively .
Also among the top five were North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un at No .
2 , Kenosha police-shooting victim Jacob Blake at No .
4 and NASCAR driver Ryan Newman , who experienced a life-threatening crash while competing last February , at No .
5 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 6-10 were actor Tom Hanks , singer Shakira , football player Tom Brady , failed presidential candidate and singer Kanye West and also Vanessa Bryant , wife of recently deceased professional basketball player Kobe Bryant .
Trump 's relationship with Google hit two tense spots early in 2020 .
In one of his earliest statements on COVID-19 in March , Trump falsely claimed that Google 's Verily division was building a national coronavirus screening site .
After denying its involvement in as massive a project as Trump described , Trump said the company @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` apologize '' as the company clarified its efforts to provide users up-to-the-minute updates on the worsening pandemic .
Then , in October , Trump 's Justice Department announced a major antitrust suit against Google , a suit which the incoming Biden Administration may choose to drop .
Unsurprisingly , Google searches for Biden reached their highest point around the presidential election while searches for Harris did so in August when Biden named her as his running mate .
Searches for Kim reached their height near the end of April as rumors circulated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is still alive and has disavowed rumors of a lookalike .
Searches for Hanks skyrocketed after the actor contacted COVID-19 in early March , those for Shakira rose at the time of her February Super Bowl halftime performance and those for Brady rose in March when he signed onto the Tampa Bay Buccaneers football team .
Searches for West peaked twice in July when he announced his campaign for the U.S. presidency and went through a Twitter meltdown .
Searches for Blake , Bryant and Newman all peaked in the times of years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ death .
Google 's most searched terms of 2020 included `` election results '' and `` who is winning the election , '' the word `` coronavirus '' and the phrases `` coronavirus update '' and `` coronavirus symptoms '' along with `` Zoom '' , the video conferencing app that became widely used following coronavirus shutdowns earlier this year .
The top terms also included year , Kobe Bryant , who died in January , Naya Rivera , who died in July , and Chadwick Boseman , who died in August as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the most recent version of the Sony gaming and entertainment console which has been difficult to purchase since its November release .
Newsweek contacted the Trump campaign for comment .

Despite being president and running for re-election, Donald Trump was not one of Google's top 10 most searched people in 2020. However, his political opponents, President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, came in as Nos. 1 and 3 on the list, respectively.
Also among the top five were North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un at No. 2, Kenosha police-shooting victim Jacob Blake at No. 4 and NASCAR driver Ryan Newman, who experienced a life-threatening crash while competing last February, at No. 5.
In ascending order, Nos. 6-10 were actor Tom Hanks, singer Shakira, football player Tom Brady, failed presidential candidate and singer Kanye West and also Vanessa Bryant, wife of recently deceased professional basketball player Kobe Bryant.
President Donald Trump wasn't among Google's top 5 most searched people in 2020. In this December 3, 2020 photo, Trump speaks about the election after presenting the Medal of Freedom to former college football coach Lou Holtz in the Oval Office of the White House. Doug Mills-Pool/Getty
Trump's relationship with Google hit two tense spots early in 2020. In one of his earliest statements on COVID-19 in March, Trump falsely claimed that Google's Verily division was building a national coronavirus screening site. After denying its involvement in as massive a project as Trump described, Trump said the company's CEO Sundar Pichai called him to "apologize" as the company clarified its efforts to provide users up-to-the-minute updates on the worsening pandemic.
Then, in October, Trump's Justice Department announced a major antitrust suit against Google, a suit which the incoming Biden Administration may choose to drop.
Unsurprisingly, Google searches for Biden reached their highest point around the presidential election while searches for Harris did so in August when Biden named her as his running mate. Searches for Kim reached their height near the end of April as rumors circulated about his death and having a body-double—Kim is still alive and has disavowed rumors of a lookalike.
Searches for Hanks skyrocketed after the actor contacted COVID-19 in early March, those for Shakira rose at the time of her February Super Bowl halftime performance and those for Brady rose in March when he signed onto the Tampa Bay Buccaneers football team.
Searches for West peaked twice in July when he announced his campaign for the U.S. presidency and went through a Twitter meltdown. Searches for Blake, Bryant and Newman all peaked in the times of years that each had their own brushes with death.
Google's most searched terms of 2020 included "election results" and "who is winning the election," the word "coronavirus" and the phrases "coronavirus update" and "coronavirus symptoms" along with "Zoom", the video conferencing app that became widely used following coronavirus shutdowns earlier this year.
The top terms also included year, Kobe Bryant, who died in January, Naya Rivera, who died in July, and Chadwick Boseman, who died in August as well as "PlayStation 5," the most recent version of the Sony gaming and entertainment console which has been difficult to purchase since its November release.
Newsweek contacted the Trump campaign for comment.