. . World News – USA – COVID-19 ‘Super Spreader’ event feared in L.. A. as a Christian singer defies health regulations for concerts

A conservative evangelical Christian singer who has historically opposed COVID-19 health mandates plans three days of New Year’s meetings in the Los Angeles area, including stops on Skid Row and a tent city in Echo Park, raising fears that the events will be viral « super-spreaders ». « 

Skid Row activists are planning a car blockade to stop Sean Feucht – a Redding in California. , volunteer pastor and failed Republican congressional candidate – and his supporters who staged a « massive reach » on Wednesday night at the height of the Los Angeles County’s pandemic crisis. Feucht’s plans come because California, facing record cases and a severe shortage of intensive care beds, has extended its home stay order.

Feucht held open air concerts across the country called « Let Us Worship » to crack down on government restrictions on religious gatherings, then focused on towns and cities after the Minneapolis police murder of George Floyd broke out in protest.

At Feucht’s events, hundreds of maskless worshipers were crammed together, singing and dancing. Another homeless outreach is planned for Thursday at Echo Park Lake, on which there are almost 100 homeless tents, followed by a New Year’s Eve party and a concert in a church parking lot in Valencia.

In a YouTube video – part of an extensive social media campaign promoting the L. . A. Dates – Feucht said a few thousand glow sticks had been ordered for a bash that he had predicted could compete with his church service on the National Mall that drew hundreds of people this year.

Charles Karuku, a Feucht employee who travels with the singer, said he urged supporters to adhere to government health guidelines, « but we are not law enforcement agencies. It is up to the people how they come. « 

But Stephen « Cue » Jn-Marie, pastor of Church Without Walls, a skid row congregation, said, « We know from his track record that whatever he does will be maskless. « Jn-Marie is organizing the car blockade with the Los Angeles Community Action Network, an anti-poverty activist group.

« The problem we face is that even before the order comes, people come to the church and say they bring resources, but what they bring is the disease, » Jn-Marie said. The outreach event could reverse self-help efforts by the skid row community, including handing out masks and street washing stations, as well as sponsoring test events. « It doesn’t take thousands to start an outbreak. « 

The Los Angeles homeless population has generally avoided major COVID outbreaks during most of the pandemic, although it has seen a significant increase in recent weeks, in line with the nationwide surge in infections.

The California Poor People’s Campaign wrote a letter calling on city and county officials to suppress Feucht’s events. The campaign provided legal justification for enforcing the county health orders, but Los Angeles generally has not used law enforcement powers on individuals to aid in pandemic containment and public outreach events for the homeless do not require approval.

« The police know how to show up and give orders to disperse an illegal gathering, » said Nell Myhand, co-chair of the California Poor People’s Campaign.

Mayor Alex Comisar asked for an answer to the enforcement question, saying Mayor Eric Garcetti begs everyone to wear masks and practice social distancing.

L. . A. Alderman Kevin de León, who represents Skid Row, said his office and mayor’s staff would be on Skid Row Wednesday morning distributing personal protective equipment and hygiene kits to the homeless, but did not comment on the possible enforcement of COVID-19 Health ordinances of the district.

« We expect those attending the planned outreach event to take steps to care for our community and protect vulnerable Angelenos in the slingshot line by wearing masks and following social distancing guidelines, » said de Leon in a statement.

Feucht has upcoming events planned in Orange County and San Diego, according to its website. Tom Grode, a Skid Row resident and activist who petitioned the city a month ago to stop the Skid Row event, described Feucht’s plan to come to Los Angeles as « incredibly stupid » . . . divisive and dangerous. « 

Cathy Callahan, who has followed Feucht’s career online with dismay, called the Los Angeles police, the mayor’s office, the county health department and attorney general for two hours Tuesday to ask if they were closing the new year would events down. She said she was moved from office to office without receiving a response.

Some of President Trump’s most ardent supporters hope Vice President Pence will help dismiss the 2020 election results.

More than a year before Anthony Warner was bombed in downtown Nashville that Christmas, officials visited his home after his girlfriend told police that he was building bombs in a trailer at his home, according to documents from The Associated Occupy Press. In August, officials were called to see Pamela Perry in Nashville. 21, 2019 after receiving a report from her attorney that she made suicide threats while sitting on her porch with firearms, the metropolitan Nashville Police Department said Tuesday in a statement it emailed. A police report said attorney Raymond Throckmorton told officers that day that he was also representing Warner.

Dozens of Cubans protested against the U. . S.. . Border in the northern Mexican city of Ciudad Juarez on Tuesday evening and demanding that they be allowed to cross and apply for asylum in the United States. U. . S.. . Authorities, including police in protective clothing, closed the bridge to El Paso, Texas, with a concrete barrier with barbed wire. Jonathan Castro, 25, said he spent a year and eight months in Mexico after trying to seek asylum in the United States and was ready to protest all night at the bridge.

The Senate faces an « uphill battle » in passing laws that will reduce direct COVID-19 aid payments to individuals from 600 to 2. Axios reports that would increase $ 000, but Republican lawmakers are facing more pressure to support the move. Parliament achieved just under the two-thirds majority required to pass the proposal on Monday – separate from a larger $ 900 billion aid bill approved by both houses of Congress last week and, after a few days of deliberation, by President Trump on Sunday has been legally signed – but it’s unclear whether Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky. ) there will even be a vote in the upper chamber. Passing it also requires a two-thirds majority in the Senate, and while most Democrats appear to be on board, many Republicans have appeared more hesitant due to concerns about rising debt levels. But with Trump and their constituents demanding greater controls, chances are enough GOP senators will support the proposal, Republican sources told Axios. A source said if McConnell gets the measure down, « it could get 60 » votes. Sen. . Marco Rubio (R-Fla. ) made it clear on Monday evening that despite debt concerns, he will vote for the increase so that a handful of like-minded colleagues would turn the tide. Read more at Axios. > I am concerned about the debt but working families have been badly injured by the pandemic >> So I supported $ 600 direct payments to working families & if there is an opportunity to increase https: // t. co / EciB6TszTY >> – Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) 28. December 2020More stories from the week. com Report: Forensic Accounting Specialists in Support of N. . Y. . Prosecutor in Trump probe 2. $ 000 checks are good Police report shows the Nashville bomber’s girlfriend warned that he had bombed his RV

From an airy loft in Venice to a romantic getaway in Topanga, these vacation rentals have something for every traveler.   Originally published on Architectural Digest

The U. . S.. . warned on Wednesday that a Pakistani man convicted and later acquitted in the 2002 murder of American journalist Daniel Pearl may escape justice after a provincial court in Pakistan ordered his release. The warning from doing u. . S.. . Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen arrives days after the Sindh High Court in southern Pakistan overturned a government arrest warrant alleging that Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, the prime suspect in Perle’s murder, remains in custody. Sheikh was convicted for his role in luring Pearl to a meeting in Karachi city in January 2002 where he was abducted.

Singapore authorities arrested a man on his return to the city-state on Wednesday after being detained in the United States for spying on China, and said they were investigating whether he was a security risk. The Homeland Security Division (ITS) will question Yeo to determine if he has conducted activities that compromise Singapore’s security, a statement said in a statement.

President Trump is back with another far-fetched conspiracy theory about Georgia’s election results. As confirmed election results and multiple recounts showed, President-elect Joe Biden won the typically red state in the 2020 elections. But that hasn’t stopped Trump from launching lawsuits and lies aimed at invalidating election results there, including early Wednesday morning when he tweeted a proven false claim about the state’s Republican foreign secretary. Brad Raffensperger, who heads the state elections, has faced threats and wild conspiracy theories after refusing to listen to Trump and his allies’ attempts to reverse the election results. Far-right network Newsmax tried to create another one Tuesday evening, this time Raffensperger’s brother claiming he worked for Chinese technology company Huawei. Trump reiterated the claim in a Wednesday tweet, implying that the alleged relationship compromised the foreign minister’s electoral integrity. Someone named Ron Raffensperger holds a high profile at Huawei. But just like thousands of people who share surnames in this country, he and the Foreign Minister are not brothers. In fact, Brad Raffensperger doesn’t even have a brother, NBC News reports. Trump’s ongoing conspiracies come just days before the Georgians return to a runoff election that will determine the balance of power in the Senate. The president and his supporters have tried to undermine confidence in Georgia’s electoral system, and some have even encouraged Republicans not to vote in an unsafe election. More stories from the week. com Report: Forensic Accounting Specialists in Support of N. . Y. . Prosecutor in Trump probe 2. $ 000 checks are good Police report shows the Nashville bomber’s girlfriend warned that he had bombed his RV

President Vladimir Putin signed a series of bills on Wednesday that gave Russia new powers to restrict U.. S.. . Social media giants label individuals as « foreign agents » and take action against the disclosure of their security officials’ personal information. The laws, which also introduce new restrictions on protests, provide for a year of constitutional reforms that allow 68-year-old Putin to run for two more six years in the Kremlin instead of stepping down in 2024 as required by law. Other reforms, such as one that grants former presidents lifelong immunity from prosecution, have led analysts to guess on his plans as Moscow’s relations with the West have come under renewed pressure due to the poisoning of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny.

Fire, police, and rescue workers arrived to find the vehicle floating in the water, said Richard Trent, chief of the Virginia Beach Fire Department battalion chief. Witnesses saw a man get out of the truck and drift west in the water, Coast Guard officials said. Coastguard rescuers searched for the driver together with the fire brigade, ambulance service and police.

Vincent Ni reflects on his grandfather’s long life and a crucial decision he made as a young man.

Several Republicans, including Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) has sued Vice President Mike Pence in a « desperate » final effort to overturn the November presidential election results, The Hill reports. The aim of the lawsuit is to get a federal judge to rule that Pence has exclusive power to vote for voters if he obtains the electoral college’s election certificate on Jan.. January monitored. 6th. > ⚖️NEW: VP Pence has been sued by Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Tex. ), Kelli Ward and other GOP members in a far-fetched attempt to overturn Biden’s victory >> Plaintiffs urge Judge Jeremy Kernodle, a Trump-appointed judge in Texas, to determine that Pence is entitled to vote for pro-Trump voters Jan. . 6 pic. Twitter. com / BumNwLm5ss >> – John Kruzel (@johnkruzel) 28. December 2020 Despite President-elect Joe Biden’s victory in battlefield states like Arizona and Georgia, Republican voters held their own votes earlier this month to disrupt the official process as Trump and His allies continue to make unsubstantiated claims of widespread electoral fraud. The lawsuit calls on Pence to recognize the Republican electoral votes, not the actual Democratic votes. The chances of success of this lawsuit appear negligible. University of California Irvine law professor Rick Hasen flatly said, « This is not going to work, » while Georgia State University law professor Anthony Michael Kreis called it « crazy. ». « And even if the plaintiffs win, Pence – who failed to recognize Biden’s victory but generally remained silent about electoral conspiracy theories – would actually have to select pro-Trump voters, a task that is probably easier said than done. Read the full complaint here. More stories from the week. com Report: Forensic Accounting Specialists in Support of N. . Y. . Prosecutor in Trump probe 2. $ 000 checks are good Police report shows the Nashville bomber’s girlfriend warned that he had bombed his RV

A lawyer for a U. . S.. . Army Special Forces sergeant arrested in what appeared to be an arbitrary shootout at an Illinois bowling alley that killed three people told an initial hearing Monday that her client may have post-traumatic stress disorder.

Infantry weapons make an incredible amount of noise, but adding suppressors helps muffle their audible signature.

The United States flew strategic bombers over the Persian Gulf for the second time this month on Wednesday, a show of force designed to deter Iran from attacking American or allied targets in the Middle East. An older U. . S.. . Military officer said the flight of two Air Force B-52 bombers was in response to signals that Iran may be planning attacks against U.. S.. . Allied targets in neighboring Iraq or elsewhere in the region in the coming days as President-elect Joe Biden prepares for office. The B-52 bomber mission, flown from a North Dakota air base, reflects growing concern in Washington over the last few weeks of President Donald Trump’s administration that Iran will order further military retaliation against the U.. S.. . kill last January. 3 of the Iranian Supreme Military Commander Gen. . Qassem Soleimani.

At least 13 people were killed and dozens more injured in an attack on Aden Airport Wednesday after a plane landed with a newly formed, Saudi-backed cabinet for government-held parts of Yemen. Hours after the attack, a second explosion could be heard around Aden’s Maasheq Presidential Palace, where cabinet members, including Prime Minister Maeen Abdulmalik and the Saudi Ambassador to Yemen, had been safely moved, according to residents and local media. Loud explosions and gunshots were heard in the airport attack shortly after the plane arrived from Riyadh, witnesses said.

The Air Force has just signed a new flag exercise that combines great weapons and capabilities under one event.

The nonprofit humanitarian organization World Vision United States inappropriately dealt with the Islamic Relief Agency (ISRA) in 2014 with the approval of the Obama administration, sending government funds to an organization sanctioned for its links to terrorism, according to a new report. Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee Chuck Grassley (R. . , Iowa) recently published a report on the results of an investigation initiated by its staff in February 2019 into the relationship between World Vision and ISRA. The investigation revealed that World Vision did not know that ISRA had been sanctioned by the U.. S.. . since 2004, after Maktab al-Khidamat, the Osama Bid Laden-controlled predecessor of al-Qaeda, transferred around $ 5 million. However, this ignorance was due to inadequate screening practices, the report said. « World Vision helps people in need around the world, and the work is admirable, » Grassley said in a statement. “Although it may not have known that ISRA was on the sanctions list or that it was listed because of its affiliation with terrorism, it should have done so. Ignorance cannot be enough as an excuse. The changes in World Vision’s review practices are a good first step and I look forward to further progress. The investigation was triggered by a July 2018 article in the National Review in which Sam Westrop, director of Islamist Watch at the Middle East Forum, detailed the MEF’s findings that the Obama administration had granted ISRA a grant of 200. $ 000 in tax dollars. « Government officials specifically approved the release of » at least 115. $ 000 in « that grant, even after learning it was a designated terrorist organization, » Westrop wrote. According to the Senate report, World Vision filed Jan.. January 2014 submitted a grant application to the United States International Development Agency (USAID) to conduct the Blue Nile Recovery program. The proposed program was intended to provide food security, sanitation and health services to areas severely affected by conflict in the Blue Nile region of Sudan. USAID awarded World Vision a 723 grant. $ 405 for the program. In the next month, ISRA agreed to provide parts of the Blue Nile region for World Vision with humanitarian services. The two organizations had also worked together on several projects in 2013 and 2014. World Vision only discovered that ISRA was sanctioned after the evangelical humanitarian non-profit association had discussed a partnership with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) for a separate humanitarian project in Sudan. During a routine review of World Vision and its partners, IOM discovered the sanctioned status of ISRA and turned to the OFAC (Office of Foreign Assets Control) compliance team for confirmation. After confirmation by OFAC, IOM declined World Vision’s offer to collaborate, the report said. World Vision’s legal department was informed of ISRA’s potential status as a sanctioned company in September 2014 and immediately stopped all payments to the organization during the investigation. The non-profit association sent on 19. November 2014 a letter to OFAC in which he asked for clarification of the ISRA status and asked for a limited license to complete the existing contract of the organization in the event of sanctions from ISRA. Two months later, the Treasury Department responded, confirming that ISRA was sanctioned, and denied the application for a license to collaborate with the organization as it would “be inconsistent with OFAC policy. A month later, World Vision filed another application for a license to transact with ISRA to give them 125. Paying US $ 000 for services rendered so that they are not exposed to legal consequences and possible expulsion from Sudan. At 4. In May 2015, the State Department recommended OFAC to the Obama administration’s approval of World Vision’s application for a license to operate. The next day, OFAC granted the license to pay 125. 000 US dollars for services rendered to ISRA and later sent the non-profit association a “warning letter” in which he was informed that his cooperation with ISRA had apparently violated the provisions on sanctioning global terrorism. The report said the investigation « found no evidence that World Vision intentionally tried to evade U. ». S.. . Sanctions through partnership with ISRA. « We also found no evidence that World Vision knew ISRA was a sanctioned entity until the Treasury Department received a notice, » the report added. “However, based on the evidence presented, we conclude that World Vision had access to the relevant public information and should have known how ISRA was properly verified as a sub-grantee, but this resulted in U’s transmission. S.. . Taxpayers’ money to an organization with a long history of supporting terrorist organizations and terrorists, including Osama Bin Laden. In the report, World Vision’s system of screening potential sub-grant recipients is described as « marginally negligent » and the organization is described as « elementary level investigation process ». « World Vision spent weeks after being notified of ISRA’s sanction status by IOM to investigate the claim and was unable to reach a conclusion. It relied on « what could only be described as faulty logic, » the report said. The report accuses World Vision of trying to avoid blame and states that IOM “was able to quickly review ISRA and establish its status as a sanctioned entity. « If World Vision had used the same due diligence and methods as IOM, tax dollars would not have exchanged hands with an organization known to fund terrorist organizations, » it said. While World Vision has put in place additional screening methods, « Finance Committee staff have reservations » about avoiding similar situations in the future, the report said. “World Vision has a duty to ensure that the funds acquired by the U.. S.. . Government or American donations ultimately do not support terrorist activities, ”it says. « Of particular concern to this committee is World Vision’s attempt to shift the blame on the federal government for its own inability to properly review a subcontractor. A more robust and generally sound system of screening and verification is needed to restore public confidence that contributions to World Vision will not fund illegal organizations. « While we find no reason to doubt World Vision’s claim that the entirety of the funds was used by ISRA for humanitarian purposes, this money inevitably supports its terrorist activities, » it concludes. World Vision said in a statement that it “takes our compliance obligations seriously and shares Sen.. Grassley and the Committee Staff’s Goal for Good Administration. « We applaud the recognition that the committee’s report to the chairman found no evidence that World Vision knew ISRA was a sanctioned entity until the Treasury Department received a notice, » it added. “Terrorism goes against everything that World Vision stands for as an organization, and we strongly condemn any act of terrorism or support for such activities. ”

Los Angeles, Superspreading Event, Sean Feucht