jakeem Posted November 23, 2020 Share Posted November 23, 2020 The Week @TheWeek 10 things you need to know today: 10 things you need to know today: November 23, 2020 Coronavirus hospitalizations hit another record high, Biden picks foreign policy veterans for top diplomatic posts, and more theweek.com 7:14 AM · Nov 23, 2020·Sprout Social JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images 1. Coronavirus hospitalizations hit new high U.S. COVID-19 hospitalizations rose to an all-time high of 83,227 over the weekend, even as daily new infections retreated from Friday's record of 195,542. Hospitalizations climbed to record levels on 12 consecutive days. The seven-day average of new cases continued to rise, hitting 169,217 on Saturday, The Wall Street Journal reported, based on its analysis of Johns Hopkins University data. Health experts continued to advise Americans against traveling for Thanksgiving, or attending holiday gatherings as the fall wave intensified, with new daily cases rising nearly 14 percent in a week. "Moving through airports or travel hubs, I think that will increase people's risk," Tom Inglesby, director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, said on Fox News Sunday. "Even if they're driving from point to point, unfortunately, we don't know if we're infected when we walk into a gathering." [The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post] 2. Biden to name foreign policy veterans to top diplomatic jobs President-elect Joe Biden plans to name his longtime foreign policy adviser Antony Blinken as secretary of state, Bloomberg News reported late Sunday, citing three people familiar with the matter. Blinken was an Obama administration deputy secretary of state, and served as Biden's national security adviser. He is described as having "mind meld" with Biden, who plans to make rebuilding foreign alliances a focus early in his presidency. In further signs of his aim to rely on veterans of the foreign policy establishment, Biden reportedly plans to name former Hillary Clinton aide Jake Sullivan as national security adviser, and Linda Thomas-Greenfield, a former career foreign service officer and African-American woman, as ambassador to the United Nations. Biden's transition team says he plans to name his first Cabinet picks on Tuesday. [Bloomberg, The Washington Post] 3. Vaccinations to start immediately after emergency-use approval The first Americans could receive a COVID-19 vaccine 24 hours after the Food and Drug Adminstration grants emergency-use approval, Dr. Moncef Slaoui, the chief scientific adviser for the government's "Operation Warp Speed" vaccine program, told NBC's Meet the Press on Sunday. The first shots, expected in mid-December, would launch what is expected to be the largest vaccination effort in U.S. history. "Within 24 hours from the approval, the vaccine will be moving and located in the areas where each state will have told us where they want the vaccine doses," Slaoui said. FDA outside advisers will meet on Dec. 10 to approve the vaccine candidate developed by Pfizer and its German partner, BioNTech. Each state will decide who will receive the first doses, with health-care workers, front-line workers, and the elderly recommended to get priority. [Reuters] 4. U.S. withdraws from Open Skies treaty The Trump administration on Sunday officially withdrew from the Open Skies treaty, State Department deputy spokesman Cale Brown said in a statement. The decades-old, 34-nation pact was meant to reduce the chances of an accidental war by letting the participating countries conduct reconnaissance flights over allies' territory. President Trump started the six-month withdrawal process earlier this year when he announced plans to leave, saying Russia had "flagrantly" violated the pact. "Six months having elapsed, the U.S. withdrawal took effect on November 22, 2020, and the United States is no longer a State Party to the Treaty on Open Skies," Brown added. Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) called the move "reckless" and urged President-elect Joe Biden to rejoin after his inauguration, calling Trump's withdrawal "a violation of domestic law." [The Hill, The Washington Post] 5. Trump lawyers appeal ruling against effort to block Pa. certification Trump campaign lawyers on Sunday filed an appeal of a federal judge's decision to throw out Trump's effort to block the certification of Pennsylvania's election results. The appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit came a day after a federal judge, Matthew Brann, issued a scathing ruling rejecting the campaign's request to stop the certification due to corruption claims that were not supported by evidence. Brann said the campaign was asking the court to "disenfranchise almost seven million voters" without providing proof of any corruption. Trump's lawyers had argued that Pennsylvania violated the Constitution's guarantee of equal protection under the law because some counties let voters fix problems with mail-in ballots while others didn't. [Fox News, The Hill] 6. Ethiopia gives Tigrayan forces 72 hours to surrender Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on Sunday told Tigrayan regional forces to surrender within 72 hours or face a military offensive against the regional capital of Mekelle, where the rebels are based. "We urge you to surrender peacefully within 72 hours, recognizing that you are at the point of no return," Abiy said via Twitter on Sunday night. Tigrayan forces did not immediately respond. A military spokesman said before the prime minister's ultimatum that advancing Ethiopian troops would surround the city with tanks and shell it until Tigrayan forces give up. The Tigray People's Liberation Front has previously said it would not give up rule over the region. Federal troops already have used aerial bombing and ground troops to take over other towns in the region. [Reuters] 7. Christie calls Trump lawyers' fraud claims 'national embarrassment' Several more prominent Republicans on Sunday called for President Trump to end his legal challenges of President-elect Joe Biden's election victory, and start cooperating in the transition process. Chris Christie, a former New Jersey governor and Trump confidant, called the actions of Trump's lawyers a "national embarrassment," saying they were relying on false conspiracy theories rather than evidence of voter fraud. "Elections have consequences, and we cannot continue to act as if something happened here that didn't happen," Christie said on ABC News' This Week. Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) said Trump should concede because his lawyers had "exhausted all plausible options." Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) also said it was time for the Trump administration to work with the transition to the incoming Biden administration. [The Washington Post] 8. Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine at least 70 percent effective Oxford University and drugmaker AstraZeneca announced Monday that their COVID-19 vaccine candidate was 70 percent effective in its Phase Three trial of 20,000 volunteers in Britain and Brazil. And Oxford Vaccine Group director Andrew Pollard told BBC Radio 4 Today that the vaccine appeared to be 90 percent effective when people were given a half-dose of the vaccine followed by a full dose. Britain has ordered 100 million doses of the Oxford vaccine, and if U.K. regulators approve it for emergency use, the country is ready to roll out an aggressive immunization program. Rival vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna proved to be 95 percent effective, but 70 percent effectiveness would be really good for a vaccine. The Oxford vaccine also requires only refrigeration, not freezing or subfreezing temperatures like the other vaccines. [BBC News, The Independent] 9. Trump campaign disavows controversial lawyer President Trump's campaign on Sunday distanced itself from one of the lawyers who appeared with Rudy Giuliani at a recent press conference and advanced false claims of voter fraud. The lawyer, Sidney Powell, made outlandish allegations, including that Republican officials had been involved in a corrupt scheme to manipulate voting machines. During that event, Giuliani said Powell was a member of Trump's "elite" legal team, but the campaign released a statement Sunday saying that Powell was "practicing law on her own," and is not a member of the Trump legal team. The repudiation came after Trump's election challenges were rejected by numerous courts in battleground states, all but eliminating his effort to reverse President-elect Joe Biden's victory. Powell was not directly involved in those cases. [The New York Times] 10. ALS Ice Bucket Challenge co-founder Pat Quinn dies at 37 Pat Quinn, a co-founder of the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, died Sunday, the ALS Association said. He was 37. The Ice Bucket Challenge raised more than $200 million for ALS research. Quinn was diagnosed with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, in 2013, and fought it "with positivity and bravery and inspired all around him," the ALS Association said in a statement. "Those of us who knew him are devastated but grateful for all he did to advance the fight against ALS." In 2014, along with Pete Frates, Quinn popularized the challenge, which involved people dumping buckets of ice water on their heads and posting a video of it online, challenging others to do the same or donate to the ALS Association. The challenge, the organization said, was "the greatest social media campaign in history." [The Associated Press] Link to post Share on other sites
jakeem Posted November 23, 2020 Share Posted November 23, 2020 Axios @axios SCOOP: Blackstone CEO Stephen Schwarzman, one of President Trump's most loyal allies, tells Axios that Biden won and it's time to move on. Schwarzman: "In my comments three days after the election, I was trying to be a voice of reason and express why it's in the national interest to have all Americans believe the election is being resolved correctly. But the outcome is very certain today." Blackstone CEO and top Trump ally Stephen Schwarzman says Biden won Schwarzman's signal is more meaningful in Trumpworld than any of the messages so far from corporate America. axios.com 6:52 AM · Nov 23, 2020·TweetDeck 1 Link to post Share on other sites
jakeem Posted November 23, 2020 Share Posted November 23, 2020 Axios @axios GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski: "A pressure campaign on state legislators to influence the electoral outcome is not only unprecedented but inconsistent with our democratic process." Murkowski tells Trump: "It is time to begin the full and formal transition process" "A pressure campaign on state legislators to influence the electoral outcome is ... inconsistent with our democratic process." axios.com 7:01 PM · Nov 22, 2020·TweetDeck 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites
jakeem Posted November 23, 2020 Share Posted November 23, 2020 Mediaite @Mediaite Joe Scarborough: How Can I Return to a Republican Party That Stayed Silent While Trump 'Shredded Constitutional Norms?' Joe Scarborough: How Can I Return to a Republican Party That Stayed Silent Under Trump? Joe Scarborough revealed that when asked if he would return to the Republican party after Trump, he replies "how could I return to a party that supported his policies?" mediaite.com 7:54 AM · Nov 23, 2020·Twitter Web App 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites
jakeem Posted November 23, 2020 Share Posted November 23, 2020 Mediaite @Mediaite JUST IN: Biden’s Secretary of State Expected to Be Tony Blinken, Obama’s Deputy Sec. of State JUST IN: Biden’s Secretary of State Expected to Be Tony Blinken, Obama’s Deputy Sec. of State President-elect Joe Biden is expected to name Tony Blinken as his Secretary of State, according to a report by Bloomberg News. mediaite.com 8:12 PM · Nov 22, 2020·TweetDeck Link to post Share on other sites
jakeem Posted November 23, 2020 Share Posted November 23, 2020 Axios @axios The most remarkable part of President-elect Biden’s campaign and early picks for positions of true power is the unremarkable — and predictable — nature of his big moves. Biden is obsessed with bringing stability and conventional sanity back to governance. "He is approaching this — in part — like an experienced mechanic intent on repairing something that's been badly broken," said a source familiar with Biden's thinking. Biden's picks for positions of true power underscore his dull-by-design plan Biden is obsessed with bringing stability and conventional sanity back to governance. axios.com 7:42 AM · Nov 23, 2020·TweetDeck 1 Link to post Share on other sites
jakeem Posted November 23, 2020 Share Posted November 23, 2020 Axios @axios Republicans are making plans to torpedo some of President-elect Biden's prospective Cabinet, agency and judicial nominees if the GOP keeps its majority. Top targets for Senate Republicans to sink for Biden nominations include political names and civil servants who spoke out loudest against Trump — like Sally Yates and Alexander Vindman — as well as longtime targets of conservative media, like Susan Rice. Republicans plot to sink potential anti-Trump nominees including Vindman, Yates Top targets include political names and civil servants who spoke out loudest against Trump. axios.com 9:14 PM · Nov 22, 2020·TweetDeck 1 Link to post Share on other sites
jakeem Posted November 23, 2020 Share Posted November 23, 2020 Carl Bernstein @carlbernstein I'm not violating any pledge of journalistic confidentially in reporting this: 21 Republican Sens–in convos w/ colleagues, staff members, lobbyists, W. House aides–have repeatedly expressed extreme contempt for Trump & his fitness to be POTUS. The 21 GOP Senators who have privately expressed their disdain for Trump are: Portman, Alexander, Sasse, Blunt, Collins, Murkowski, Cornyn, Thune, Romney, Braun, Young, Tim Scott, Rick Scott, Rubio, Grassley, Burr, Toomey, McSally, Moran, Roberts, Shelby. With few exceptions, their craven public silence has helped enable Trump’s most grievous conduct—including undermining and discrediting the US the electoral system. More from my appearance earlier on @cnn: https://youtube.com/watch?v=-fQq8koZM7M&feature=youtu.be&ab_channel=CB… 3 1 Link to post Share on other sites
jakeem Posted November 23, 2020 Share Posted November 23, 2020 Weijia Jiang @weijia Senior administration officials insist the President will concede the election if he exhausts all legal options and the outcome remains the same. More Republicans are saying that is now the reality, and it’s time to admit defeat. 8:40 AM · Nov 23, 2020·Twitter for iPhone 1 Link to post Share on other sites
cigarjoe Posted November 23, 2020 Share Posted November 23, 2020 32 minutes ago, jakeem said: Axios @axios Republicans are making plans to torpedo some of President-elect Biden's prospective Cabinet, agency and judicial nominees if the GOP keeps its majority. Top targets for Senate Republicans to sink for Biden nominations include political names and civil servants who spoke out loudest against Trump — like Sally Yates and Alexander Vindman — as well as longtime targets of conservative media, like Susan Rice. Republicans plot to sink potential anti-Trump nominees including Vindman, Yates Top targets include political names and civil servants who spoke out loudest against Trump. axios.com 9:14 PM · Nov 22, 2020·TweetDeck Well he can just make them "ACTING" appointments then can't he? 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites
jakeem Posted November 23, 2020 Share Posted November 23, 2020 USA TODAY @USATODAY Americans are flocking to airports for travel ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday, even as the COVID-19 pandemic rages across the country and after the CDC pleaded with Americans not to travel. As the pandemic rages, more are flying despite CDC pleas not to travel for Thanksgiving TSA numbers show millions passing through U.S. airports for Thanksgiving travel, despite CDC warnings amid the COVID-19 pandemic. usatoday.com 8:33 AM · Nov 23, 2020·SocialNewsDesk 2 Link to post Share on other sites
jakeem Posted November 23, 2020 Share Posted November 23, 2020 NBC News @NBCNews President Trump is threatening to veto legislation to fund the military as one of his final acts in office unless a widely supported, bipartisan provision to rename military bases honoring Confederate military leaders is removed, sources say. Trump set to veto defense bill over renaming bases honoring Confederate leaders The president has told lawmakers he won't back down from campaign threat to scuttle defense spending bill over proposed changes. nbcnews.com 7:20 AM · Nov 23, 2020·SocialFlow 2 Link to post Share on other sites
jakeem Posted November 23, 2020 Share Posted November 23, 2020 Radley Balko @radleybalko Refusing to fund the military unless it continues to honor the Confederacy is really the perfect exit. 7:46 AM · Nov 23, 2020·Twitter for iPhone 1 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites
jakeem Posted November 23, 2020 Share Posted November 23, 2020 Ivanka Trump @IvankaTrump Herd immunity and a return to normalcy by May! A vaccine miracle courtesy of @realDonaldTrump and Operation Warp Speed! A vaccine miracle — if Democrats and the media don’t screw things up ‘Herd immunity” and a return to normalcy by May: That’s an awesome projection from a professional source, Dr. Moncef Slaoui, a top Operation Warp Speed adviser. On the Sunday shows, Slaoui nypost.com 8:54 AM · Nov 23, 2020·Twitter for iPhone 1 Link to post Share on other sites
jakeem Posted November 23, 2020 Share Posted November 23, 2020 David Rothschild @DavMicRot Replying to @IvankaTrump 1) Herd immunity would require *millions* to die 2) We are all very excited about the vaccines, but congratulating yourself for the work of government dollars & scientists is offensive 3) 1,500+ people are dying *every day*, you should be encouraging social distancing & masks 9:02 AM · Nov 23, 2020·TweetDeck 1 Link to post Share on other sites
jakeem Posted November 23, 2020 Share Posted November 23, 2020 Axios @axios Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu traveled in secret yesterday to Saudi Arabia for a meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Israeli sources say Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan has denied the secret meeting between Netanyahu and MBS took place — a signal that the Saudis may be unhappy with the leak. Netanyahu, meanwhile, has not denied the story. Israeli PM Netanyahu secretly flew to Saudi Arabia for meeting with Pompeo and crown prince This is the first time such a high level meeting has been reported. axios.com 3:00 AM · Nov 23, 2020·TweetDeck Link to post Share on other sites
jakeem Posted November 23, 2020 Share Posted November 23, 2020 Jennifer Jacobs @JenniferJJacobs Trump adviser @robertcobrien in brief interview declined to comment just now on Israeli news reports that Netanyahu secretly flew to Saudi Arabia to meet with MBS and Mike Pompeo. O'Brien declined to give an update on efforts to normalize ties between Saudi Arabia and Israel. 4:23 AM · Nov 23, 2020·Twitter for iPad Link to post Share on other sites
jakeem Posted November 23, 2020 Share Posted November 23, 2020 The Associated Press @AP With vows to "spare no effort to protect lives" and ensure affordable access to COVID-19 vaccines globally, leaders of the world's most powerful nations have wrapped up the Group of 20 summit. G-20 summit ends with support for COVID-19 vaccines for all DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Leaders of the world's most powerful nations wrapped up the Group of 20 summit on Sunday, vowing to spare no effort to protect lives and ensure affordable access... apnews.com 4:30 PM · Nov 22, 2020·SocialFlow Link to post Share on other sites
Bogie56 Posted November 23, 2020 Author Share Posted November 23, 2020 Watergate reporter Carl Bernstein lists 21 GOP senators who have 'privately' expressed their 'extreme contempt' for Trump Watergate reporter Carl Bernstein has listed 21 Republican senators who he says have 'privately expressed' their 'extreme contempt' for Donald Trump. Bernstein called out Trump in a series of tweets on Sunday and named the 21 GOP senators who have expressed disdain for 'his fitness to be President of the United States'. 'Many if not most of these individuals, from what I have been told, were happy to see Donald Trump defeated in this election as long as the Senate could be controlled by the Republicans,' Bernstein said during an appearance on CNN. The tweet, which garnered 37,600 likes, read: 'I'm not violating any pledge of journalistic confidentially in reporting this: 21 Republican Sens–in convos w/ colleagues, staff members, lobbyists, W. House aides–have repeatedly expressed extreme contempt for Trump and his fitness to be POTUS. (1/3)' He continued: 'The 21 GOP Senators who have privately expressed their disdain for Trump are: Portman, Alexander, Sasse, Blunt, Collins, Murkowski, Cornyn, Thune, Romney, Braun, Young, Tim Scott, Rick Scott, Rubio, Grassley, Burr, Toomey, McSally, Moran, Roberts, Shelby. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites
jakeem Posted November 23, 2020 Share Posted November 23, 2020 CNN Politics @CNNPolitics Two more House members announce they have tested positive for Covid-19. More and more lawmakers from both parties and chambers of Congress have announced they've tested positive with Covid-19 amid the uptick of cases in the country Wisconsin Republican congressman says he has Covid-19 GOP Rep. Bryan Steil of Wisconsin announced Sunday evening that he has tested positive for coronavirus and will go into isolation, according to a statement on his Twitter account. cnn.com 9:35 AM · Nov 23, 2020·SocialFlow Link to post Share on other sites
jakeem Posted November 23, 2020 Share Posted November 23, 2020 Axios @axios NEW: California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Sunday night he and his family have gone into quarantine after being exposed to COVID-19 California Gov. Gavin Newsom and family in quarantine after coronavirus exposure Newsom said they all tested negative today, but they're in quarantine as a precaution. axios.com 2:13 AM · Nov 23, 2020·TweetDeck Link to post Share on other sites
Bogie56 Posted November 23, 2020 Author Share Posted November 23, 2020 1 Link to post Share on other sites
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