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any of us derive our identities from our work or our occupations. But few people assume an identity derived from an idea. The Do-Good Daniels did. Robert, a postal worker turned owner of a cleaning supply business, and Christi Daniels, a program manager for Nordstrom department store have been married for seven years. They have four boys ranging in age from 15 to 6. But generosity was a part of their identity long before they became local celebrities after being featured on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in 2018. “It’s important to us to always give when we can,” Christi said. “You could be one paycheck away from having a really hard time.” At the time, they were living in a two-bedroom apartment in Hawthorne with their sons. Even with their combined income, Southern California housing costs made it difficult to find an abode to comfortably fit their family. Still, they sponsored a family headed by a mother whose husband recently died. Robert and Christi’s lives changed dramatically when the couple decided to submit a video for the Ellen DeGeneres Geico Skybox contest. Winning would get them a seat in the Geico skybox to watch The Ellen DeGeneres Show live. So the Daniels filmed themselves singing and dancing while dressed like a pair of Santa’s elves. Although she was a fan of the show, Christi had no previous experience of doing something like that. She said something just told her to do it. But she first had to convince Robert. When he first heard the idea, he was skeptical. After Christi asked for the fourth time and he saw she was serious, he agreed. “If we’re going to do this then we gotta do it right,” Robert
By Hunter Chase, Reporter
[See Daniels Family, p. 6]
Buscaino’s State of the District p. 2 Estella Scrooge: A digital twist on a holiday favorite p. 11
Estella Scrooge on Streaming Musicals
By Paul Rosenberg, Senior Editor
At 2:26 p.m. on Dec. 14, California Assemblywoman Shirley Weber announced that Joe Biden had won all 55 of California’s votes in the Electoral College, thereby giving him an Electoral College majority of 302 votes — 32 more than necessary — formally assuring his election. It was a clear turning point: First, Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Biden — more than a month after most other world leaders, and then, Senate Majority Leader “Moscow” Mitch McConnell offered his congratulations as well. It was the first admission by GOP leadership that Biden had been elected president, more than a month after Biden’s victory in Pennsylvania secured the outcome. Donald Trump’s effort to overturn the election — seen as a grift by some (raising more than $200 million
in three weeks), and a coup attempt by others — clearly suffered a major blow. But grift or coup, there’s little chance he’ll stop anytime soon. There’s too much money, too much limelight and too much power at stake.
The Grift
On the grift side, Trump had responded to initial signs of his loss with a flood of more than 130 fundraising emails in the first three weeks. “The blatant voter fraud throughout corrupt Democrat-run cities is unprecedented,” a typical email read. Yet, in the more than 50 court cases Trump’s lawyers have filed, they’ve never produced any evidence of such fraud.
“When they come after ME, they’re really coming after YOU and everything YOU stand for,” an email went on to say. “This Election isn’t over yet. We still have a long way to go and I need to know that I can count on you,” it continued. “I’m putting together an Election Defense Task Force that will be made up of my STRONGEST defenders.” The email goes on to ask for an immediate $5 contribution to join the task force and “increase your impact by 1000%” — though exactly how is never explained. In fact, the Washington Post accurately described it as “a nonexistent fundraising account.” The first flood of emails linked to a page where, election law
COVID-19 Cases in the U.S. as of Dec. 21, 2020: 8,503,777; U.S. Deaths: 327,327; Cases in Los Angeles: 634,849 • For up-to-date stats: www.randomlengthsnews.com
[See Grift, p. 16]
December 24, 2020 - January 6, 2021
“We want them infected:” Private emails pushed herd immunity p. 17
It’s a Grift! It’s a Coup! It’s BOTH!
French Laundry Xmas: Local merchants and residents passively resist lock-down orders p. 12
Real News, Real People, Really Effective
The Do Good Daniels at home. Back row: Robert and Houston (left). Front row is RJ, Dylan, Tristan and Christi. Photo by Arturo Garcia-Ayala
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