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Thanksgiving Day NFL schedule 2020: Which teams are playing, kickoff times & more

Even during a pandemic, there is at least one thing that remains the same: Thanksgiving football.

The NFL is back with three Thursday games to keep your appetite for the game full. The matchups get started at 12:30 p.m. EST and go through the afternoon into the evening and then into the night.

The Detroit Lions will host the Houston Texans, the Dallas Cowboys play the Washington Football Team, and the Pittsburgh Steelers host the Baltimore Ravens.

Here’s what you need to know about the games on your plate Thursday.

8 UNFORGETTABLE NFL THANKSGIVING DAY GAME MOMENTS

LIONS (4-6) VS. TEXANS (3-7)

Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford looks to pass against the Carolina Panthers during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 22, 2020, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

The Lions are playing in their 81st Thanksgiving Day game. They played their first Thanksgiving game in 1934 against the Chicago Bears. Now, they get to take on the Texans who have only played one Thanksgiving Day game in franchise history. The Lions really need a victory here to try and stay in contention for a wild card playoff spot.

ALL-TIME SERIES: 3-1 Texans

TIME (EST): 12:30 p.m.

WHERE: Ford Field

WATCH: CBS

COWBOYS (3-7) VS. WASHINGTON (3-7)

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb (88) celebrates with teammates after catching a 4-yard touchdown pass during the first half of an NFL football game against the Minnesota Vikings, Sunday, Nov. 22, 2020, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)

The Cowboys are playing in their 53rd Thanksgiving Day game. They have become a staple of the holiday since 1966. Washington will be appearing in their 12th Thanksgiving Day game. Like last year, the Cowboys find themselves in another important game on Turkey Day. A win over Washington puts them in a good advantage in the NFC East. Washington could feel good as well if they beat Dallas.

ALL-TIME SERIES: 73-44-2 Cowboys

TIME (EST): 4:30 p.m.

WHERE: AT&T Stadium

WATCH: FOX

STEELERS (10-0) VS. RAVENS (6-4)

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Chase Claypool (11) makes a reception against the Jacksonville Jaguars during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 22, 2020, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

The Steelers nor the Ravens usually play on Thanksgiving but will find themselves in a matchup at night. The rivalry will continue as the AFC North is still in the balance even if the Steelers are undefeated this season.

ALL-TIME SERIES: 26-23 Steelers

TIME (EST): 8:20 p.m.

WHERE: Heinz Field

WATCH: NBC

Prince William and Kate Middleton announce family dog Lupo has died: ‘We will miss him’

Prince William and Kate Middleton are mourning the loss of an important member of the family: their dog Lupo.

The couple announced on Sunday that Lupo had passed away the previous weekend after nine long years as their faithful pet.

They posted a tribute to the cocker spaniel on social media. “Very sadly last weekend our dear dog, Lupo, passed away. He has been at the heart of our family for the past nine years and we will miss him so much. – W & C,” the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge wrote.

Kate’s brother, James Middleton, who breeds dogs and gave the future king and queen their little pup, also wrote an emotional tribute to Lupo.

PRINCE WILLIAM SAYS INVESTIGATION INTO BBC INTERVIEW WITH PRINCESS DIANA ‘IS A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION’

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, and Lupo at a polo match in 2012.
(Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty Images)

“It is with great sadness that Lupo, the beloved dog of my sister Catherine and her family has passed away. Lupo was the son of Ella, brother to Zulu, Inka & Luna,” the 33-year-old captioned below a photo of the dog. “Nothing can ever prepare you for the loss of a dog. For those who have never had a dog, it might be hard to understand the loss. However for those who have loved a dog know the truth: a dog is not just a pet; it is a member of the family, a best friend, a loyal companion, a teacher and a therapist.”

PRINCESS DIANA ONCE GAVE SON PRINCE WILLIAM THIS ADVICE ABOUT FINDING LOVE

“There isn’t much of a rule book on how to grieve for a dog, but I’ve said a prayer, lit a candle and taken Ella (Mum) for a long walk to spend time remembering Lupo. Rest in peace Lupo. Tilly & Mini will be waiting for you. You will always be remembered and your legacy will live on forever. Good Boy,” he concluded.

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Royal family members are avid dog lovers. Queen Elizabeth is known for having multiple corgis and labradors while Prince Harry and Meghan Markle also have two canines, an adopted black lab and a rescue beagle that live with them in Los Angeles.

Michael Goodwin: Trump’s election challenges — time is running out

In calendar time, it’s less than three weeks since the election. In political time, it’s beginning to feel like an eternity.

President Trump has every right to pursue substantive court challenges and doing so does not undermine democracy, despite what the left insists. But at some point, much of the broad public’s patience will wear thin.

Tick tock, tick tock.

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We haven’t reached that point, but it is rapidly approaching because key state deadlines come this week and the president’s legal team has not scored any court victories that can delay finality.

At its exhaustive press conference Thursday, the team, led by Rudy Giuliani, outlined a sweeping theory of a “national conspiracy” by Democrats to steal the election. A map highlighting Arizona, Nevada, Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Georgia was titled “Multiple Pathways to Victory,” as if this were a pre-election, get-out-the-vote event.

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To support his charges, Giuliani cited mostly individual affidavits where voters and poll workers reported seeing or hearing about fraudulent activities. The sworn statements, even if true, did not seem to match the scope of the broad claims.

He was followed by lawyer Sidney Powell, who added a whole other dimension to the charges.

“What we are really dealing with here is the massive influence of communist money through Venezuela, Cuba and likely China and the interference with our elections here in the United States,” Powell insisted. “This is 1775 of our generation and beyond.”

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Such language aims to stir the heart of patriots, but will ring hollow in a courtroom unless she has solid evidence. If she does, she’s done a great job of keeping it secret.

That’s not to say there wasn’t fraud and human error. Of course there was. That happens in most elections, and this one was especially vulnerable given the turnout (about 160 million voters) and the tsunami of mail-in ballots, which are easier to manipulate.

Also, Democrats invited suspicions by intentionally lowering safeguards, including barring GOP observers in urban areas, where they ran up big margins. Still, the overarching fact is that the Trump legal team hasn’t presented a provable claim that looks likely to overturn the results in a single state.

Even in traditionally red Georgia, several thousand ballots that were not counted initially were found in a recount, but the results cut only marginally into Joe Biden’s lead, which is now 12,670 votes, or 0.25 percent.

Republican Gov. Brian Kemp certified those results Friday, handing 16 electoral votes to Biden. Trump can demand another recount because the margin was so small.

Outside Washington, Dems are doing all they can to toxify Trump’s legacy, and he shouldn’t help them.

The president’s hopes in Pennsylvania and Michigan are slimmer because the margins are greater, and Monday is the certification deadline in both states.

Tick tock, tick tock.

In her Friday briefing, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said the General Services Administration will certify the results at the “right moment,” which suggests internal talks are taking place about a formal transition process.

That’s good because Trump will pay a steep price if he appears to be stonewalling without hope of prevailing. Most immediately, he could undermine GOP chances in the two Georgia election runoffs, where control of the Senate is up for grabs. If Dems win both, they get all of Congress and the White House.

That would flip the current narrative of the election, which is that Trump had long coattails and, in defiance of predictions, led the GOP to major gains in the House and a narrow hold in the Senate. That could be undone in Georgia and pave the way for Biden’s left-wing policies and appointments, including to the federal courts.

Outside Washington, Dems are doing all they can to toxify Trump’s legacy, and he shouldn’t help them. The pernicious Barack Obama has a new book, and he and wife Michelle are making a Netflix film that slams the president.

The left’s cancel culture will try to erase Trump’s achievements on job creation, border security and foreign policy. Don’t be surprised if Biden gets credit for the historic sprint to develop the COVID vaccine. Anything that goes wrong will be Trump’s fault.

In other words, nothing has changed. Trump was spied on, sabotaged and impeached for purely partisan purposes, and the corrupt press corps rooted for failure. But it was the media that truly failed the American people by betraying their public trust — and Trump still got 10 million more votes than he got in 2016.

Whatever he does, the president must protect the Republican Party he recreated, one that is increasingly defined by women, Latinos and young black voters. It is the bulwark against chaos and disunion.

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Almost by definition, one-term presidents are failures. Donald Trump defies the assumption. He secured the peace and kept the American dream alive for millions upon millions of people.

But timing is everything in politics as in gambling, and Kenny Rogers had it right when he sang, “You’ve got to know when to hold ’em, know when to fold ’em, know when to walk away.”

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Meet the Rapid Response director: Top Biden aide on how the 2020 campaign was unlike any other

“The Operators” is a series profiling influential political aides on Capitol Hill, in the White House and on closely watched political campaigns about the behind-the-scenes work they do.

He’s the guy behind the sarcastic tweets and clever comebacks — Andrew Bates — a quick-witted fighter and a key campaign official who helped to send Joe Biden to the White House.

His campaign colleagues, including deputy campaign manager and communications director Kate Bedingfield, described him as a “backbone” of the Biden press shop, and “one of the best in the business.”

Bates was the director of rapid response for the Biden campaign, and was charged with defending the now-president-elect and his team against attacks on the campaign trail, while also employing an aggressive offensive strategy against President Trump and his team.

The 33-year-old was brought into the world of politics more than a quarter-century ago by his dad.

“He introduced me to politics by taking me to a Clinton-Gore rally when I was 5 — which I mostly slept through,” Bates told Fox News. “But he helped me understand that government in the right hands saves lives.”

Bates, left, with his mother and his late father at the White House.

Years later, Bates found himself taking time off from his undergraduate studies at North Carolina State University for an internship with the Obama campaign in 2008.

MEET THE PRESS SECRETARY: TOP BIDEN AIDE FACES DUAL 2020 BATTLES, SAYS CAMPAIGN ‘HAS GIVEN ME PURPOSE’

“After finishing college I spent six years in the Obama administration; first with the White House Communications Department and then the U.S. Trade Representative,” Bates said. “In 2016, I went home to North Carolina to be the Clinton campaign’s communications director there.”

Before joining the Biden campaign in 2019, Bates led the House races arm for the Democratic super PAC American Bridge during the 2018 midterm elections.

But this campaign was unlike any other, with the coronavirus pandemic forcing campaign staff off the trail and out of the Biden campaign headquarters in Philadelphia to their living rooms.

“On campaigns, you become close with your coworkers very quickly and you’re much more accustomed to being side by side with them in the office than to being home at all,” Bates told Fox News. “So it was a shock to the system going immediately from the highs of March 10, when Joe Biden effectively locked the nomination and our staff celebrated in the Constitution Center, to never working out of our headquarters again.”

He added: “But we supported each other, and found ways to reach out to our friends — like socially-distanced walks, dropping off things each other needed, virtual happy hours, or a ‘mandatory’ 4 p.m. dance party on Google Hangouts that I only joined once after being snookered by a fake subject line.”

EX-TOP OBAMA OFFICIAL EXPECTED TO BE NOMINATED FOR SECRETARY OF STATE

The Biden campaign HQ, before shuttering its doors, was sprinkled with conference rooms named after ice cream flavors. Bates took over one, named “Rocky Road,” to handle incoming calls during the Trump impeachment proceedings.

Bates, center, in the ‘Pistachio’ ‘Strawberry’ conference room at the Biden Headquarters, with Bill Russo, left, Kate Bedingfield, and to the right, TJ Ducklo.

“‘If Bates is in there, we should rename it the ‘Knives and Arsenic Room,’” Bates recalled a longtime Biden adviser saying when he heard of the rapid response plans during the impeachment inquiry. “Then a colleague printed out a sign with that name and taped it to the door.”

He joked: “It really touched me.”

Bates often traded barbs with his counterparts on the rival Trump campaign on Twitter, issuing fiery statements, regularly referencing the team’s campaign efforts, attacking President Trump for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic and more.

Bates told Fox News that the “best thing” about the campaign was bonding with staff who he says “have joined my family forever,” but told Fox News that his second favorite, was linked with his least.

BIDEN EXPECTED TO MAKE TRIP TO GEORGIA TO STUMP FOR OSSOFF, WARNOCK

“I hated the abject cruelty that Donald Trump and his allies resorted to as they debased the presidency in their unsuccessful attempts to smear Joe Biden and hang onto power,” Bates said. “But at the same time, it was incredibly gratifying to help shatter their attacks like glass, pivot to offense, and then watch them howl in very public frustration.”

The Biden campaign’s national press secretary, TJ Ducklo, worked closely with Bates, telling Fox News that his colleague is “fierce, unrelenting, lightning-fast and intensely loyal.”

“He’s also brilliant,” Ducklo said. “The president-elect is lucky to have him, and I’m just lucky to be on the same side as him.”

He added: “Because I’ve seen what happens to the people who are not.”

Ducklo, in the car, and Bates, right, during the Biden campaign.

Bates left Philadelphia in the late spring, setting up his new campaign office in his mom’s house outside of Winston-Salem, N.C., which he said gave him and his girlfriend “access to the best barbecue in the entire world next door in Lexington.”

Bates told Fox News that his average day on the “virtual” campaign trail was filled with phone calls, texts and emails from reporters; meals at odd times of the day.

“At around 10:27 a.m., I’d eat a late lunch,” Bates told Fox News. “In the 4 pm hour, dinner — of course.”

“And at 10:30 p.m., my girlfriend and I would watch The Sopranos and she’d ask me why I was already destroying breakfast,” he said.

The days began at 6 a.m., when Bates would “catch up on print news and long-term projects, and then watch the morning shows.” Then, the Biden campaign had a standing 9:15 a.m. communications call about the message of the day and stories they were working on; followed by a noon-time press team check-in, and a 5 p.m. evening communications team call. At 8:30 p.m., Bates would take part in a standing rapid response team call to be prepared for the following day.

“Bates was a backbone of our press shop on this campaign,” Bedingfield, who served as the campaign’s communications director as well as deputy campaign manager told Fox News. “He’s whip-smart, he’s relentless and he is unfailingly dedicated to Joe Biden. I pitied the opposition researcher who tried to land a hit on Bates’ watch.”

She added: “Simply put: he’s one of the best in the business.”

Now, with the campaign behind him, Bates has pivoted to the Biden Transition Team — specifically focused on the confirmation process for key administration appointments.

Bates praised President-elect Biden, saying he joined the team due to his “unwavering sense of who he is and what his convictions are.”

“I wanted him to be president because of what drives him at his core: taking care of and standing up for other people,” Bates told Fox News. “He’s endured some of the most painful things a human being can, but he came out of every single one resolved to help others more.”

He added: “He didn’t withdraw; he rededicated himself to service. That’s the embodiment of character.”

Bates touted Biden as having “an extremely strong sense of empathy as a leader that makes him a healer by nature — one who cares about every community, who strives to bring people together, and to comfort those who are hurting.”

“By the same token, he despises bullies and abusers of power who take advantage of their neighbors.”

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As for the next four years, Bates said a Biden presidency represents “that nobody is ‘less than,’ that every American deserves a fighting chance, and that someone who knows in his marrow what it’s like to be middle class and who knows what our country has to stand for is in the Oval Office again.”

Bates added: “Like Joe Biden said, ‘America is back.’”

Reinstated coronavirus restrictions by state: What you need to know

Numerous governors throughout the country have reinstated safety precautions in recent weeks to combat the rapid spike in coronavirus cases just weeks before large family gatherings and getaway trips traditionally planned for the holidays.

More than 11.5 million cases have been reported in the United States since the COVID-19 pandemic started in early 2020, and public health officials fear holiday travel will exacerbate its spread.

GOVERNORS BRING BACK SEVERE CORONAVIRUS LOCKDOWNS, TIGHTEN RESTRICTIONS AS CASES HIT RECORD HIGHS

“The situation has never been more dire,” Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said recently.

Preventive measures have ranged from halting in-person classes to limiting indoor and outdoor dining at restaurants.

Here are the rules by state:

Alabama:

Gov. Kay Ivey instituted a statewide mask requirement. Under the mandate, individuals will be required to wear a facial covering when in public and in close contact with other people through Dec. 11.

However, social distancing guidelines were relaxed for restaurants, retailers, gyms and close-contact providers (such as barbershops and hair salons) as long as people are wearing masks and are separated by partitions.

Alaska:

Gov. Mike Dunleavy issued various COVID-19 outbreak health orders limiting travel between communities. Dunleavy also updated guidelines for residents and non-residents traveling into Alaska, although “critical Infrastructure” must be allowed into rural towns.

All employees, contractors, and visitors to the state of Alaska facilities are still required to wear a face mask if social distancing of at least six feet or more between individuals cannot be maintained.

Alaska does not require the use of masks by the public, though they are strongly recommended where social distancing is not possible.

Arizona:

According to Gov. Doug Ducey’s latest order, retail establishments, casinos, pools, gyms, and fitness providers can stay open as long as there is physical distancing and enhanced sanitation.

Additionally, restaurants are able to offer dine-in services, although officials are encouraging using delivery and curbside services when possible.

The governor is also urging residents to avoid large gatherings and to move gatherings outside when possible.

He reiterated that people should wear a mask and stay home when sick.

Arkansas:

The Arkansas Department of Health says anyone who has tested positive for the virus, anyone recently exposed to someone diagnosed with COVID-19 or anyone experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 should avoid in-person holiday gatherings.

Other residents should be socially responsible when gathering with family and friends. The department says residents should avoid holiday travel, wear a face mask around people who are not part of their household and refrain from large gatherings.

California:

Gov. Gavin Newsom and the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) announced a limited stay at home order in areas that are seeing the highest rates of positive cases and hospitalizations.

Under the order, all nonessential work, movement and gatherings in “purple tier” counties are ordered to stop between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. until Dec. 21.

Starting on Nov. 25, Los Angeles County will also prohibit dine-in service at restaurants, breweries, wineries and bars for three weeks.

However, wineries and breweries may continue their retail operations as long as they adhere to current protocols.

Prior to LA County’s latest restrictions, outdoor seating for restaurants was reduced to 50% capacity. Max capacity for other businesses was reduced to 25%.

About 41 counties across the state have been placed in the strictest “purple” category of the reopening roadmap. Many businesses in those counties will have to suspend or severely limit their indoor operations.

Officials have urged those planning holiday gatherings to take strict precautions, including keeping visits small, outdoors and under two hours.

The state is also strengthening its face-covering guidance to require individuals to wear a mask when they are outside their homes. Some exceptions may apply.

Connecticut:

Gov. Ned Lamont announced that Connecticut will roll back to Phase 2.1. Under this phase, restaurants may serve just 50% of capacity with a maximum of eight people at a table.

Restaurants and entertainment venues such as bowling alleys and movie theaters will be required to close by 9:30 p.m. However, food takeout and delivery services will be allowed to continue after that time.

Personal services, such as hair salons and barber shops, will remain at 75% capacity while event venues will be limited to 25 people indoors and 50 people outdoors. Performing arts venues and movie theaters will have a cap of 100 people and religious gatherings will be limited to 50% capacity or 100 people maximum.

Delaware:

Delaware Gov. John Carney announced new restrictions Tuesday that will go into effect Monday, Nov. 23.

Indoor gatherings in homes must be capped at 10 people, while outdoor gatherings must be capped at 50. Restaurants and other events outside of the home must be limited to 30% of fire capacity.

“These are difficult decisions, but we face a difficult and challenging winter,” Gov. Carney said. “COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are rising in Delaware and across the country. Nearly 250,000 Americans, including 736 Delawareans, have already lost their lives to this virus. Our focus must be on protecting lives.”

Florida:

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Wednesday that the state will not be shutting down again amid surging coronavirus cases

“The Governor will not lock down and hurt families who can’t afford to shelter in place for six weeks,” DeSantis’s office told CBS12 News in a statement. “Especially not for a virus that has a 99.8% survival rate.”

Illinois:

Gov. J.B. Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) announced additional measures will take effect in every region across the state on Nov. 20 in an attempt to slow the spread of the virus.

The latest guidance will cover the following settings and industries:

Retail
Personal care services
Health
Fitness centers
Hotels
Manufacturing
Bars and restaurants
Meetings and social events
Offices
Organized group recreational activities
Indoor recreation
Theater
Cultural Institutions

The latest round of restrictions does not include a stay-at-home order, however, “if the mitigations are not adhered to and cases continue to rise in the weeks ahead, another order may be required,” according to the governor.

Earlier, Pritzker announced enhanced safety measures in Southern Illinois, Will and Kankakee counties and Kane and DuPage counties.

Under the tightened restrictions, bars and restaurants have to reduce party size from 10 to six individuals. Indoor and outdoor gatherings are also limited to 10 individuals. This does not apply to students participating in in-person classroom learning as well as sports.

Organized group recreational activities are limited to less than 25 guests or 25% of overall room capacity both indoors and outdoors.

WASHINGTON GOVERNOR BANS THANKSGIVING GATHERINGS, ANNOUNCES NEW COVID BUSINESS RESTRICTIONS

The governor also declared restrictions under Region 2, which includes Rock Island, Henry, Bureau, Putnam, Kendall, Grundy, Mercer, Knox, Henderson, Warren, McDonough, Fulton, Stark, Marshall, Peoria, Tazewell, McLean, Woodford, Livingston and Lasalle counties. Measures under these counties include:

Bars or restaurants are limited to outside service only. All outside bar and restaurant services have to close at 11 p.m. All bar patrons should be seated at tables outside and multiple parties will not be allowed to be seated together.
Gatherings should be limited to less than 25 guests or 25% of overall room capacity. Entertainment venues such as casinos must close at 11 p.m. and are limited to 25% capacity.

Indiana:

Gov. Eric Holcomb announced restrictions for orange and red counties in the state’s color-coded map.

In orange counties, social gatherings must be limited to 50 people. Attendance for indoor winter K-12 extracurricular and co-curricular events must be limited to 25% capacity. Community recreational sports leagues and tournaments may continue but attendance must be limited.

In red counties, social gatherings are limited to 25 people. Attendance at winter indoor K-12 extracurricular activities is limited to participants, support personnel and parents or guardians only. Community recreational sports leagues and tournaments may continue with required personnel and parents or guardians only.

Local officials may consider limiting hours for bars, nightclubs, and restaurants.

IOWA GOV. KIM REYNOLDS ORDERS LIMITED MASK MANDATE, NEW COVID-19 BUSINESS RESTRICTIONS

Iowa:

Gov. Kim Reynolds declared that all Iowans aged 2 years or older must wear masks when in indoor public spaces. The mask mandate applies only when people are within six feet of others who are not members of their households for 15 minutes.

Indoor gatherings are limited to 15 people while outdoor gatherings are limited to 30 people. Gatherings where the restrictions apply include wedding receptions, family gatherings, conventions and other nonessential gatherings but do not apply to gatherings that occur during the “ordinary course of business or government.”

Youth and adult group sports and activities are prohibited except for high schools, colleges and professional sports. Spectators must wear a mask and maintain six feet of distance from other people.

Restaurants and bars, bowling alleys, pool halls, bingo halls, arcades, indoor playgrounds and children’s play centers are closed to in-person services starting at 10 p.m.

Kansas:

Gov. Laura Kelly issued a new mask mandate that goes into effect on Nov. 25 – the day before Thanksgiving – in hopes of lessening the spread of COVID-19.

State law still allows Kansas’ 105 counties to opt-out of such an order from the Democratic governor, and most did when Kelly issued a similar order in July. The majority of counties don’t have their own mandates.

Kelly’s order requires people to wear a “face covering” in indoor public spaces and in public spaces outdoors when social distancing is not possible.

“We have reached a new stage in our fight with this virus, and how we choose to respond can turn the tide for our businesses, our hospitals and our schools,” Kelly said.

Kentucky:

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear announced new restrictions Wednesday, including closing in-person classes and shutting down indoor dining at restaurants.

Beshear also capped occupancy of gyms and indoor recreational facilities at 33% of capacity.

Indoor events, including weddings and funerals, must be capped at 25 people. This excludes in-person worship services.

Private social gatherings are limited to eight people from a maximum of two households.

“When addressing COVID-19, action is unpopular, but inaction is deadly,” Beshear said in a news conference Wednesday.

“These steps range from 3 to 6 weeks in duration and are designed to have the maximum impact with as little disruption.”

FILE – In this Nov. 16, 2020, file photo, a runner passes by a window displaying portraits of people wearing face coverings to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus in Lewiston, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, File)

Maine:

Earlier this month, Gov. Janet Mills announced that residents must wear face coverings in public settings, even if they are practicing social distancing. This strengthens the state’s previous mandate requiring residents to wear masks only when social distancing cannot be maintained.

Maryland:

Gov. Larry Hogan issued an emergency order Tuesday to curb the spread of the virus. The new restrictions will take effect statewide beginning Nov. 20 at 5 p.m.

At that time, bars, restaurants, and venues serving food and alcohol must close between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. However, they may remain open for carryout and delivery services.

Retail establishments and religious facilities will also be reduced to 50% capacity, “bringing them into line with indoor dining and personal services businesses, as well as bingo halls, bowling alleys, pool halls, roller and ice skating rinks, fitness centers, and social and fraternal clubs,” according to the governor.

Fans will be prohibited from racetracks and other professional and collegiate stadiums across the state.

Visitations for hospitals and nursing homes will also be prohibited, although some exceptions will apply.

Massachusetts:

Gov. Charlie Baker issued a stay-at-home advisory and curfew for most businesses.

The advisory instructs residents to stay home between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m., though traveling to and from work as well as errands such as grocery shopping and exercise are allowed.

MASS. GOVERNOR ANNOUNCES STAY-AT-HOME ADVISORY, MASK ORDER, RESTAURANT CURFEW

The curfew requires restaurants and other businesses and activities – including theaters, performance venues, golf facilities, youth and amateur sports, and indoor and outdoor events – to close at 9:30 p.m. Restaurants may operate delivery services beyond the curfew.

Private indoor gatherings will be limited to 10 people and outdoor gatherings to 25.

Shoppers comply with the mask regulations to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus at Bridgton Books, Friday, Nov. 13, 2020, in Bridgton, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

Michigan:

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s administration ordered high schools and colleges to stop in-person classes, closed restaurants to indoor dining, and suspended organized sports, which include football playoffs.

The order also restricts indoor and outdoor residential gatherings, closes some entertainment facilities and bans gyms from hosting group exercise classes.

The new rules are set to last three weeks.

Minnesota:

Gov. Tim Walz issued statewide restrictions for social gatherings, celebrations and receptions, and bars and restaurants.

All bars and restaurants must end dine-in service by 10 p.m. Indoor capacity will be capped at 150 people, and may not exceed 50% of an establishment’s total capacity.

Indoor and outdoor gatherings must be limited to 10 people and all social gatherings will be limited to members of three households or less.

Weddings, funerals, and similar events may not take place between the hours of 10 p.m. and 4 a.m.

Nevada:

Gov. Steve Sisolak issued a statewide “pause” for three weeks. The order will take effect starting Nov. 24.

Under the order, restaurants, bars, gaming operations, gyms, fitness facilities and other businesses must be limited to 25% capacity, down from 50%. Retail and grocery stores will remain at 50% capacity.

Public gatherings will be limited to 50 people or 25% capacity, whichever is less. Private gatherings will be limited to no more than 10 people from no more than two separate households and face coverings must be worn.

“Nevadans must wear face coverings at all times, whether indoors or outdoors,” the governor’s latest order reads.

Large events will not be approved during this time.

New Hampshire:

Gov. Chris Sununu signed an emergency order implementing a statewide mask mandate Thursday to try to mitigate the spread of coronavirus.

New Hampshire recorded a record high 529 new cases Thursday.

“With rising cases, substantial statewide community transmission, and an increase in hospitalizations – the data supports enacting a statewide mask mandate,” said Governor Chris Sununu.

“Instituting this commonsense mask mandate today will allow us to keep our economy open and help ensure our healthcare system has the capacity and workforce it needs in the coming weeks. By wearing a mask, Granite Staters can keep our friends, family, neighbors, and critical workforce members and those they care for safe – without shutting down the economy.”

NJ TO IMPOSE NEW CORONAVIRUS RESTRICTIONS ON INDOOR, OUTDOOR GATHERINGS AS CASE COUNT SURGES

New Jersey:

Gov. Phil Murphy announced that restaurants, bars, clubs, lounges, and other businesses that serve food or drinks will have to end indoor dining by 10 p.m. Outdoor dining can continue after 10 p.m., as can takeout and delivery services.

Additionally, nonessential retail businesses, food and beverage establishments, and recreation and entertainment businesses must close by 8 p.m.

Indoor gatherings will be limited to 10 people, down from 25, while outdoor gatherings will be limited to a maximum of 150 people, down from 500.

Indoor religious services, celebrations, political events, weddings, funerals, memorial services and other performances may continue and use as much as 25% of a room’s capacity, up to 150 people.

New Mexico:

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham closed nonessential in-person services across the state starting Nov. 16. The ban will last for two weeks, although that may be extended.

Residents are instructed to stay at home except for essential trips such as for food and water, emergency medical care, and to obtain a flu shot or test for COVID-19.

OREGON, NEW MEXICO ORDER LOCKDOWNS, OTHER STATES CONSIDER OPTIONS

Essential businesses such as grocery stores, pharmacies, shelters, child care facilities and gas stations will remain open but are required to minimize operations and staffing.

Food and drink establishments are limited to curbside pickup and delivery services only.

Essential retailers such as grocery stores, hardware stores, laundromats, liquor stores and large “big box” retailers must close by 10 p.m. and are limited to either 25% of maximum occupancy or 75 customers at any one time, whichever is smaller.

New York:

Gov. Andrew Cuomo ordered gyms and all businesses that have a state liquor license to close by 10 p.m.

Until further notice, all New York City school buildings will be closed for in-person learning. All students who were taking classes in person will transition to remote schooling.

CUOMO CRACKS DOWN ON BARS, GYMS, RESTAURANTS AS CORONAVIRUS CASES CLIMB AGAIN

North Carolina:

Gov. Roy Cooper said the state will remain under Phase 3 COVID-19 restrictions until at least Dec. 4.

Under those rules, large outdoor venues (seating more than 10,000) may operate with 7% occupancy while smaller outdoor entertainment venues (arenas or amphitheaters) may operate at 30% of outdoor capacity – or 100 guests, whichever is less. Movie theaters, bars, and conference centers may operate at 30% of capacity – or 100 guests.

Amusement parks may also operate at 30% occupancy, but for outdoor attractions only.

Indoor gatherings are limited to 10 people.

There is an 11 p.m. curfew on alcohol sales for in-person consumption at restaurants and outdoor bars.

FILE – In this Nov. 12, 2020, a woman wears a mask and looks up as she waits for a bus at a bus stop in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, File)

North Dakota:

Gov. Doug Burgum announced a statewide mask mandate.

Masks must be worn inside businesses, indoor public spaces and outside public spaces when social distancing is not possible. The order, signed by interim State Health Officer Dirk Wilke, runs through Dec. 13.

Meanwhile, all bars and restaurants will also be limited to 50% capacity and must be closed for dine-in services between the hours of 10 p.m. and 4 a.m.

Event venues must be limited to 25% capacity and all high school winter sports and other extracurricular K-12 school activities will be suspended until Dec. 14.

NORTH DAKOTA GOVERNOR ANNOUNCES STATEWIDE MASK MANDATE AS CORONAVIRUS CASES SURGE

Ohio:

Gov. Mike DeWine announced a statewide curfew which will take effect Nov. 19.

The curfew will run from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. for 21 days. However, the curfew does not apply to those who need to be at work, have an emergency or need medical care. Residents can still leave their homes for groceries or if they are picking up a carry-out/drive-thru meal, or getting delivery, DeWine said.

The Ohio Department of Health also announced limitations on mass gatherings.

Wedding receptions and other banquet facilities will be required to follow several guidelines to minimize the spread of COVID-19, including no socializing in open areas and no dancing. Guests will be required to be seated at all times and no self-serve bar areas or self-serve buffets will be allowed. Masks must be worn at all times except while eating and drinking.

The traditional first dance between the bride and groom, cutting of the wedding cake and tossing the bouquet are permitted. Each table must have no more than 10 people and they must all live in the same household.

This order does not apply to religious observances.

The governor also tweeted that businesses must have a face mask requirement sign at public entrances. Each store will be required to ensure that employees and customers are all wearing masks.

Oklahoma:

Gov. Kevin Stitt increased safety measures for restaurants, bars and state employees in Oklahoma.

All bars and restaurants will be required to close by 11 p.m. However, restaurant drive-thru windows or curbside pickup can operate past that time.

All restaurants will be required to space tables at least 6 feet apart unless the tables are separated by sanitized dividers.

All state employees will be required to wear a mask in common areas or when they’re around other people.

Oregon:

Oregon Gov. Kate Brown issued a “two-week freeze” that took effect on Nov. 18. Under the order, most indoor facilities, such as gyms and restaurants, will close, and indoor capacity for essential services such as grocery stores and pharmacies will be limited.

All businesses are urged to mandate work from home. The state is also pausing long-term care facility visits that take place indoors.

However, the two-week freeze does not apply to personal services such as barbershops, hair salons, non-medical massage therapy, outdoor recreation and sports, youth programs, childcare, K-12 schools and K-12 sports.

Pennsylvania:

According to Department of Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine, masks are required to be worn indoors and outdoors if individuals are outside their homes.

When indoors, masks are required even if you are physically distant from members not in your household. This applies to every indoor facility, including homes, retail establishments, gyms, doctors’ offices, public transportation, and anywhere food is prepared, packaged or served.

Additionally, starting on Nov. 20, anyone who visits from another state has to have a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours prior to the trip. This does not apply to people who commute to and from another state for work or medical treatment.

Colleges and universities must also implement a testing plan for students when they return to campus following the holidays.

Rhode Island:

Under Gov. Gina Raimondo’s mandates, businesses such as restaurants, bars, personal services, gyms and recreational facilities must close by 10 p.m. on most weekdays and by 10:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

The governor reduced the capacity limit for big box stores, indoor and outdoor venues, and catered events. Indoor and outdoor social gatherings are limited to 10 people. The capacity limit for indoor venues such as movie theaters or houses of worship is 50% of the normal capacity with a maximum of 125 people. The limit for outdoor venues is 66% of the normal capacity with a maximum of 150 people.

Texas:

Parts of Texas, as well as the rest of the country, have seen a spike in violent crime during the coronavirus pandemic. Gov. Greg Abbott said Wednesday that he is sending state police resources, including helicopters and special agents, into Dallas to help crackdown on the crime there.

“The rise in violent crime in the city of Dallas is unacceptable, and the Texas Department of Public Safety will assist the Dallas Police Department in their efforts to protect the community and reduce this surge in crime,” Governor Abbott said in a statement.

Waitress Kim Iannacone, left, and manager Yllka Murati gather food orders at the Penrose Diner, Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2020, in south Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Utah:

Gov. Gary Herbert announced that the entire state is under a mask mandate until further notice.

Additionally, casual social gatherings must be limited to household members only and all extracurricular activities are being temporarily put on hold.

These restrictions are slated to end Nov. 23, just a few days before Thanksgiving.

Vermont:

Gov. Phil Scott announced a temporary ban on “public and private multi-household gatherings” and announced another shutdown of bars and clubs.

The ban applies to both indoor and outdoor gatherings and holiday get-togethers. However, individuals who live alone can visit other members of their immediate family who reside elsewhere.

Bars and social clubs are required to close for in-person services. Most recreational sports, other than sanctioned school sports, are suspended. There will also be new contact-tracing and testing requirements.

Virginia:

Gov. Ralph Northam imposed a 25-person limit for all gatherings along with an alcohol curfew.

Establishments serving alcohol will have to close by midnight – and on-site alcohol sales and consumption will end at 10 p.m.

All public and private gatherings, both indoors and outdoors, must be limited to 25 individuals, down from 250.

All residents over the age of 4 are required to wear face coverings in indoor public spaces.

NORTHAM TO IMPOSE 25-PERSON CAP ON GATHERINGS, 10 P.M. ALCOHOL CURFEW IN NEW CORONAVIRUS RESTRICTIONS

Washington:

Gov. Jay Inslee announced that bars and restaurants will be limited to outdoor dining and to-go service.

All in-store retail, including grocery stores, will be limited to 25% capacity, and lingering in seated areas is off-limits. Religious services will also be limited to 25% indoor occupancy or no more than 200 people, with face coverings required at all times. No choir, band or ensemble shall perform during the service.

Gyms will be prohibited from offering indoor services, though outdoor fitness classes can continue as long as they don’t exceed five people in a group.

Entertainment venues like movie theaters, bowling alleys, museums and zoos will all be banned from offering indoor service, though drive-in theaters will still be allowed to operate under previously laid-out restrictions. Long-term care facilities can only offer outdoor visits, with exceptions for end-of-life care.

Weddings and funeral receptions will be limited to no more than 30 people and youth and adult sports must be held outside only with all athletes wearing masks.

Wisconsin:

Under Gov. Tony Evers’ directive, all individuals should stay home as much as possible and only make trips when necessary, such as to go to work, pick up groceries or refill prescriptions.

When residents leave their homes, they must take extra precautions.

Evers is also strongly encouraging all businesses to take steps to protect their staff, customers and their communities.

FOX Business’ Lucas Manfredi, Fox News’ Michael Ruiz, and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Jeffrey Epstein prosecutors seek docs related to billionaire Glenn Dubin’s kids

US Virgin Islands prosecutors are demanding billionaire MoMA benefactor and board member Glenn Dubin turn over all communications that his friend Jeffrey Epstein had with Dubin’s three children.

A subpoena seeks “all documents and communications related to any of your three children, Maye, Celina or Jordan, which also relate in any way to Jeffrey Epstein or any Epstein entity.” The islands’ Attorney General is probing alleged racketeering by the late billionaire pedophile and has issued subpoenas to numerous Epstein associates, including lawyers, accountants and bankers.

Epstein, who hanged himself in a Manhattan lockup last year, had openly declared his plans to marry Celina Dubin, sources told Business Insider last year. Epstein and Celina developed “an especially close relationship” when Celina was 12 and it continued into adulthood, according to the Palm Beach Post.

Eva Dubin, Glenn Dubin and Celina Dubin attend The Museum of Modern Art’s Party in the Garden at MOMA on June 5, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Lars Niki/Getty Images for The Museum of Modern Art)

“Celina wrote glowingly of their weekly science lesson when ‘Uncle Jeff,’ as she calls him, takes time from his personal and business schedule to go over to her apartment and discuss science and mathematics lessons she is learning at school,” reported the newspaper, citing a profile prepared by Epstein’s lawyers in 2007, the year they negotiated a non-prosecution agreement that allowed him to avoid federal sex trafficking charges.

JEFFREY EPSTEIN ESTATE BARELY ABLE TO PAY BILLS AMID ACCUSATION OF MISUSED FUNDS

There is no evidence that Epstein ever had a romantic relationship with Celina, now 25, according to Business Insider, adding that his motivation to marry her might have been driven by his desire to leave her his fortune and avoid inheritance taxes.

The subpoena, which was filed in Virgin Islands’ Superior Court in September, is also seeking all financial records between Dubin, who is married to Epstein’s former beauty queen girlfriend, Eva Andersson Dubin, and Epstein. It also seeks “all documents and communications with a Swedish female traveling with or employed by” Epstein.

FBI WANTED TO ARREST JEFFREY EPSTEIN AT BEAUTY PAGEANT IN 2007

Court papers unsealed a day before Epstein’s death last year included allegations that a 15-year-old Swedish girl was held against her will on Epstein’s compound in the Virgin Islands. The girl allegedly told her story to Rinaldo Rizzo, a chef who worked for the Dubin family, according to court papers.

Both Dubin and his wife, who dated Epstein for 11 years, have vigorously denied any knowledge of Epstein’s wrongdoing. A spokesman for Dubin refused comment last week.

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In addition to Dubin, a subpoena in the Epstein case has also been served on billionaire Leon Black, who is a member of the Museum of Modern Art’s board of directors along with Dubin.

In January, Virgin Islands Attorney General Denise George sued Epstein’s estate, alleging violation of the Virgin Islands’ civil racketeering law.

Underground NYC swingers party with dozens of people busted by police

These probably weren’t the busts they’d expected.

An underground swingers sex party was broken up overnight in Queens for violating pandemic gathering restrictions, the New York City Sheriff’s Office announced.

Caligula, which bills itself on Facebook as a “private upscale on premise swingers club” in Astoria, was caught hosting more than 80 people, bumping loud music and unlawfully serving alcohol, Sheriff Joseph Fucito said.

SUBWAY SHOVING, FLAMETHROWERS, SHOOTINGS IN NYC BLAMED ON ‘PERFECT STORM’ OF POLICE REFORM, PANDEMIC

A swingers sex club in Manhattan was busted by police. (NYC Sheriff’s Department)

When sheriff deputies arrived, they found three couples having sex in a small room while others were gathered across the venue unlawfully drinking alcohol and socializing, according to the sheriff and pictures of the event.

Jennifer Hayes, 47, was the only attendee who was fined and given a summons for disorderly conduct.

“[The chief] kept saying how long have you been working there… I didn’t work there. I heard them laughing and making fun of everybody,” Hayes told The Post Sunday, adding she will be fighting the violations.

“I got angry, I mouthed off… they kept me there for four hours,” she continued.

The woman claimed she was not taking part in the hanky panky.

“I just wanted to dance and see and hear a DJ play music, that was it! There’s no other options. You can’t go anywhere.”

Hayes said she was wearing a mask the entire night and claimed she didn’t witness anyone having sex.

GIANT RATS OVERTAKING NYC’S CENTRAL PARK, UPPER WEST SIDE OF MANHATTAN

A swingers sex club in Queens was busted by police. (NYC Sheriff’s Department)

Photos taken by deputies show four white beds and a black leather couch crammed together in a small room with a basket of what appears to be condoms on one of the beds and a trash can on the floor.

Another photo shows a large cardboard box filled with condoms with a lacy black bra draped on top of it. There is also a picture of a white laminated sign showing prices for an apparent VIP room, which started at $30 for 10 minutes and went up to $500 for “ALL NIGHT!”

The party was in violation of the 25-person gathering rule in place for businesses located in yellow zones and it also didn’t have a liquor license or a special permit from the state liquor authority to sell or store booze, the sheriff’s office said.

Hayes said the event wasn’t crowded and people were spaced apart. She doesn’t believe 80 people were in attendance but couldn’t say for sure just how many patrons there were.

“We were trying to do it safely, we were wearing masks, we just wanted to hear music, that’s all,” Hayes said.

“We weren’t trying to put anyone in danger, we were maintaining our distance from other people.”

A swingers sex club in Queens was busted by police. (NYC Sheriff’s Department)

BROOKLYN DEMS SPOTTED AT CROWDED BIRTHDAY BASH AMID CORONAVIRUS SURGE

Sheriffs said Hayes “engaged in tumultuous or threatening behavior and made continual unreasonable noise” during the bust.

The manager of the business, Roy Bacoy, 37, was charged with violating an executive order, violating an emergency measure, operating an unlicensed bottle club, and unlawfully warehousing alcohol. He was slapped with a $1,000 failure to protect health and safety fine while the business was given a $15,000 fine, the sheriff said.

Bacoy didn’t return a request for comment.

The sheriff’s office responded to the location after a 311 complaint came through but the event was blatantly advertised Wednesday on Facebook.

“PANDEMIC RE-DO,” the graphic screams with a photo of a busty woman in a mariachi hat in front of a cactus to signify the “Cinco de Mayo in November” theme.

“COUPLES AND SINGLE LADIES ONLY,” the graphic states.

A swingers sex club in Queens was busted by police. (NYC Sheriff’s Department)

Dozens of advertisements for similar events dating back to July 12 indicate the club has been hosting possibly illegal parties for months.

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Shortly after Caligula hosted its last event, on March 15, the club announced it would be closing when other bars and restaurants were forced to shutter at the start of the pandemic.

On June 28, a week after outdoor dining returned to the Big Apple, Caligula announced its “Grand Reopening Weekend” scheduled for the July 4 holiday. A Facebook post boasted about the club’s many hand-sanitizer dispensers and antibacterial soap stations — as if that would ward off flesh-to-flesh disease transmission.

Nearly every weekend since July 4, Caligula has been advertising indoor swinger bashes complete with DJs and unsavory themes like the “bikinis and whipped cream” fest on Aug. 22 and a “tricks for treats” party on Halloween.

This article first appeared in the New York Post.

Dave Sidhu: Justice Alito was right — cancel culture in the law is dangerous

Justice Alito is right.

In a recent speech, Supreme Court Justice Samuel A. Alito, a conservative jurist, paid tribute to Justice Elena Kagan, his liberal colleague. As Alito recalled, Kagan once expressed “love” for the Federalist Society, a conservative legal affairs organization, despite the fact that the society was not “my people.”

Kagan’s appreciation for legal perspectives that are contrary to her own “is a true expression of the freedom of speech that our Constitution guarantees and that we need to preserve,” Alito advised. “We should all welcome rational civil speech on important subjects, even if we do not agree with what the speaker has to say.”

BETSY McCAUGHEY: CUOMO’S COVID-19 ORDER LIMITING ATTENDANCE AT RELIGIOUS SERVICES UNCONSTITUTIONAL

But, he continued, “tolerance for opposing views is now in short supply in many law schools, and in the broader academic community.”

Justice Alito is right.

My experience – as a former tenured law professor and academic for a decade – confirms his observations.

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Consider an instance in which I recommended a candidate for a faculty position to the chair of a law school’s hiring committee. The candidate had served as a law clerk to a Supreme Court justice. Ordinarily, legal employers jump at candidates who clerk for a justice, as this position reflects exceptional professional achievement and promise. Indeed, most of the current Supreme Court members once clerked for former justices.

The chair of the hiring committee declined, however, to advance the candidate’s application. The chair gave a single explanation: the candidate clerked for Justice Clarence Thomas, a staunch conservative.

It seemed that what mattered was not the candidate’s academic record, unique public service, or potential to be an effective teacher and scholar, but only that the candidate may have held views on the wrong, which is to say conservative, end of the ideological spectrum. The school already had a professor who was openly called the “token conservative.”

The dismissive response to Thomas’s former clerk was nothing if not consistent.

In some sense, a law school is like any other office environment in which employees may prefer to work with and talk to those who are”like-minded.” Law professors interact with other faculty to a fair degree, in faculty and committee meetings, for example. But to deny a position to a candidate who clerked for a conservative justice is to conclude that shared professional and social spaces are reserved for those with shared viewpoints.

Students should be exposed to all sides of the debate, if anything, to prepare them for the real world in which people have differing views.

Whatever personal negative attitudes faculty may have toward a candidate who thinks differently, those attitudes should be subordinated to the question of whether the candidate can effectively serve their students. If the hiring decision was done on behalf of students, it would mean that students should be shielded from conservative thought.

Insisting on ideological purity or uniformity is paternalism at best and extremism at worst. It also is inconsistent with the concept of academic freedom, or the protection to push the limits of argument without fear of retribution or retaliation, a protection possessed by faculty and ironically and prospectively denied to certain applicants.

Students should be exposed to all sides of the debate, if anything, to prepare them for the real world in which people have differing views. While some faculty may be able to effectively discuss both liberal and conservative arguments, no one is better suited to introduce and explain conservative legal ideas than a conservative.

Moreover, some colleagues don’t bother to present all sides of a debate. (A colleague once told me that she presents only her own views and encourages students to push back on them, a dubious expectation as a student naturally may not seek to bite the hand that grades them.)

Denying faculty positions to conservatives not only betrays the best interests of the students, but also the principled basis for affirmative action.

Diversity, the argument goes, permits all students to confront other perspectives, challenge their preconceived notions, and break down stereotypes. If the universe of those who participate in the classroom dynamic is limited, so too are the intellectual and social benefits of diversity. If we value diversity among qualified students, we should for qualified faculty who think differently as well.

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I stress that my assessment of Alito’s comments are based on only my experiences and thus are not intended to capture the situation at all law schools. I also must emphasize that it is not conservatives who are victims. Rather, freedom of speech and academic freedom are at risk.

Justice Alito is right to seek the full and proper expression of these values, for the sake of our educational institutions and our democracy as a whole.

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Dave Sidhu is a professor and attorney. Follow him on Twitter @SidhuUMD

Shelby Steele: The inauthenticity behind Black Lives Matter

Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina gave a remarkable speech at this year’s Republican National Convention. Yes, here was a black man at a GOP event, so there was a whiff of identity politics. When we see color these days, we expect ideology to follow. But Mr. Scott’s charisma that night was simply that he spoke as a person, not a spokesperson for his color.

Burgess Owens, Herschel Walker, Daniel Cameron and several others did the same. It was a parade of individuals. And in their speeches the human being stepped out from behind the identity, telling personal stories that reached for human connections with the American people—this rather than the usual posturing for leverage with tales of grievance. So they were all fresh and compelling.

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Do these Republicans foretell a new racial order in America? Clearly they have pushed their way through an old racial order, as have—it could be argued—many black Trump voters in the recent election. I believe there is in fact a new racial order slowly and tenuously emerging, and that we blacks are swimming through rough seas to reach it. But to better see the new, it is necessary to know the old.

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The old began in what might be called America’s Great Confession. In passing the 1964 Civil Rights Act, America effectively confessed to a long and terrible collusion with the evil of racism. (President Kennedy was the first president to acknowledge that civil rights was a “moral issue.”) This triggered nothing less than a crisis of moral authority that threatened the very legitimacy of American democracy.

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Newt Gingrich: Thanksgiving reminder – amid hardships, Americans must remain grateful

This Thanksgiving will be unlike any we have experienced in recent (or even distant) memory.

America has faced profound challenges caused by the spread of COVID-19 – and the efforts to contain it. We have been isolated and separated from our friends, families and colleagues. Many Americans have lost their jobs – or more importantly their lives. And even more of us have had to say goodbye to loved ones taken by the pandemic.

At the same time, we are living through a fraught political environment, which is laying bare just how deep some of our differences are. Anxiety and stress levels have not been this pervasive or enduring in decades of our history.

PAUL BATURA: WHAT’S THERE TO BE THANKFUL FOR ON THIS CORONAVIRUS THANKSGIVING?

So, for most Americans, the Thanksgiving table will have fewer seats – either because people are isolating or because they are no longer with us. And, there is more potential for disagreement as families across the nation are stressed out and split on politics.

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This may seem strange coming from me, as a sometimes-aggressive political voice, but I have one serious request for every American: This week, set all differences aside and remain thankful.

No matter how fiercely we disagree about matters of policy or the right direction for the country, our loved ones – and the time we share with them – are more important. If this year has taught us anything it is that we have no control over whether the person sitting across the table will be there next year or not. So, instead of arguing, let’s share the time, fellowship and blessings we have and be thankful for them.

Even if there are fewer seats at the table, be thankful for those which are filled. If you have to see your relatives on the screen instead of in person, be thankful that we live in a time when this kind of communication is possible. Also, be thankful that it appears there are at least two vaccines that are near to completion. Hopefully, next Thanksgiving will return to tradition.

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If the turkey isn’t as big this year – or isn’t there at all – let’s be thankful that the underlying economy is strong, and things will improve. Jobs will return. Opportunities will return, and America will succeed.

We can also focus on the things for which we can all be thankful. We can be thankful for all the men and women who put themselves in harm’s way – both abroad and in our neighborhoods – to ensure that we are safe, and our freedoms are secured.

No matter our differences, we can be thankful that we live in America – the only nation in history founded on the ideals that all men are created equal, and that we are endowed by our Creator with unalienable rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. We have the right to disagree and debate – something not every person on earth can claim. We should set our disagreements aside this week – but be thankful we have the right to voice our opinions next week.

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These ideals and values make possible everything else for which we give thanks this week.

So, as we gather with loved ones to celebrate Thanksgiving – either safely in person or digitally – let us give thanks that we are blessed to be American.

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