The Year of 2020 Part 3: The Finale of 2020

  

  

 

The Year of 2020 Part 3: The Finale of 2020

 

The end of the crucial year of 2020 was just as dynamic as the beginning of it. We saw deaths of famous people, the spread of the coronavirus, and so much political turmoil in one year alone found in 2020. Also, we saw dedicated activists who protested for racial justice. By the end of 2020, Trump finally lost the 2020 election. In 2021, he wasn't President anymore, and that is a good thing. The end of 2020 was filled with massive political agitation. The debates among Donald Trump and Joe Biden were personal, filled with yelling, and a reflection of the political divisions found in the United States of America. Our generation witnessed so much. It is right to analyze these events not only for historical reasons. We have to learn lessons from the past year of 2020, so future years won't be a duplicate of the chaos found in 2020. 2020 end up on the list of years that changed world history forever like 1865, 1945, and 1968. From a contested election, a wildfire explosion, and a pandemic costing so many human lives (as that virus doesn't discriminate. It has harmed and killed young and old, black people, white people, Asian people, Latino people, Native Americans, poor, rich, middle class, men, women, and human beings of every background), we have to cherish the value of human life. We only live on this Earth for many decades, and we have to be clear to help our neighbors out consistently. That is one of our many purposes on this Earth. Every day when we live on this Earth, we always remember that year of 2020. 2020 saw the refugee crisis in Syria where thousands of Syrian refugees seek to go into Turkey, Greece, and other places into Europe. 2020 saw schools closed, sports arenas become empty, and homeschooling increased. It saw many human beings being reflective and resourceful in what they desire out of life. Now, it is time to evaluate the rest of the events that transpired in late 2020 indeed. 

 

By August 11, 2020, America was changed forever. Kamala Harris, by that time, was the first African American and Asian American Vice Presidential nominee of the Democratic Party. Immediately, Kamala Harris campaigned for the Biden/Harris ticket nationwide. Starting on August 13, 2020, there was the 2020 Postal Service crisis. This started after plans were revealed about how the Trump administration and his allies wanted to remove hundreds of high volume mail sorting machines from postal facilities across the country. This was not only done to promote callousness and an anti-government ethos. It was done to try to stop early mail in voting as mail in voting, during the 2020 election, was heavily from Democratic voters. We know that most mail in voters were Democrats. On that same day, the Pentagon reportedly started to form a a new task force to investigate UFO sightings, particularly over military bases, similar to the U.S. Navy's Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force. During the record breaking heat wave on August 16, a remnant thunderstorm from Tropical Storm Fausto started hundreds of wildfires in California. From August 17-20, 2020, there was the Democratic National Convention is held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin with events happening virtually. Numerous political leaders, citizens, and activists were virtually expressing their ultimate goal of making Donald Trump a one term President. 

 

The speakers at the convention were numerous. Many of their names were Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, John Kerry, Hillary Clinton, Michelle Obama, Jill Biden, Colin Powell, Kevin Johnson, Keisha Lance Bottoms, Bernie Sanders, Cory Booker, Elizabeth Warren, Catherine Cortez Maso, Cedric Richmond, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and other human beings. Even Republican John Kaisch spoke at the convention. Rev. William Barber and Stacey Abrams gave powerful speeches too. Delegates of the Democratic Party formally choose former Vice President Joe Biden and Senator Kamala Harris of California as the party's nominees for President and Vice President respectively in the 2020 election. By August 19, Apple, Inc. became the first company to be valued over $2 trillion.

 

 

Developments with the pandemic

 

On August 20, 2020, Bill Cassidy (R-LA) was the 2nd senator to test positive for the pandemic. Former White House advisor Steve Bannon was arrested and charged with fraud over a fundraising campaign to build a wall on the U.S./Mexico border on the same day. He is released on a $5 million bail bond after pleading not guilty. There were protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin on August 23 after the shooting of the black American Jacob Blake, who was 29 years old, by a police officer. Violence happened too. On that day, the FDA granted emergency use authorization to antibody rich body plasma for the treatment of COVID-19 in hospitalized patients. From August 24-27, the Republican National Convention was held in Charlotte, North Carolina and Washington, D.C. Delegates of the Republican Party formally nominated incumbent President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence as the party's nominees for the 2020 election. The convention was filled with hate, paranoia, and outright divisive rhetoric. By August 25, 2020, 4 soldiers are diagnosed with mild concussion like symptoms following a skirmish with Russian forces in northeast Syria. There are rebellions from August 26-31, 2020. This started in downtown Minneapolis after false rumors about the suicide of an African American man being pursued by the police. 113 people were arrested. On August 26, 2 people were fatally shot overnight during unrest at Kenosha, Wisconsin. The suspect was arrested. Professional athletes also start to boycott their respective sports contests in response to the shooting of Jacob Blake. Hurricane Laura headed to the Louisiana-Texas border. It grew into a Category 4 storm. According to Forbes, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos was the first person in history ot have a net worth exceeding $200 billion.

 

 

 Activism Comes Alive

On August 28, 2020, thousands of people gathered at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. for the Commitment March in support of black civil rights. Many people came from across the United States of America and the world. Chadwick Boseman, who was one of the greatest actors of all time, died at the age of 43 years old. He privately fought colon cancer for 4 years. He starred in the epic classic film of Black Panther. Boseman shown courage and a sense of dedication to the art of acting. On September 2, 2020, protests breakout in Rochester, New York after the police body cameras footage of the March 2020 arrest of Daniel Prude. On September 4, a Trump administration memo called for all executive branch agencies to stop funding for diversity and sensitivity training plus the teaching of critical race theory. Donald Trump supported this memo, because he is a racist. On September 5, 2020, Authentic won the 2020 Kentucky Derby. California set a new record for land area destroyed by wildfires being 2.1 million acres burned in the year so far on September 6. On September 9,  President Donald Trump was nominated for the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize by a Norwegian lawmaker for his role in facilitating the Israel–United Arab Emirates normalization agreement. Over 10 percent of Oregon's state population were reportedly fleeing from wildfires on September 10. Two Los Angeles County Sheriff Department deputies were shot and critically injured while sitting in their patrol car at Compton, California (on September 12). Hurricane Sandy on September 16, 2020 brought massive flooding to the South after making landfall. It killed 8 people and cost billions in damage. Trump promoted the historically revisionist 1776 Commission on September 17. Judge Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed away on September 18, 2020. Judge Ruth Bader Ginsburg was one of the most prominent liberal justices on the Supreme Court with a wide ranging impact on numerous court cases. The Supreme Court seat was vacated, and Trump wanted a woman to fill the seat. On September 19, at least 16 people were shot and 2 confirmed dead in a mass shooting at a backyard party in Rochester, New York. Law enforcement officials reported the interception of a package addressed to President Trump having the lethal toxin of ricin. Microsoft on September 21, agree to buy ZeniMax Media holding company and its subsidiaries for $7.5 billion. That was the largest and most expensive takeover in the history of the video game industry. 

 

 Closing Arguments among the Candidates 

American deaths of the pandemic reach over 200,000 people by September 22, 2020. On September 25,  President Trump unveils his "Platinum Plan" at a campaign rally in Atlanta, in which he proposes making Juneteenth a federal holiday, labeling the Ku Klux Klan and Antifa as terrorist organizations, and making lynching a national hate crime, among other socioeconomic initiatives aimed at African Americans. President Trump nominates Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Amy Coney Barrett to fill the vacant Supreme Court seat following the death of Judge Ruth Bader Ginsburg on September 26. A New York Times report on President Trump's personal and business tax returns alleges years of tax avoidance and millions in debt and IRS penalties, among other allegations (on September 27). Former Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale was hospitalized under the Florida Mental Health Act after arming himself and threatening to commit suicide at his home (on the same day). By September 28, the  Tampa Bay Lightning defeat the Dallas Stars 4–2 to win their second Stanley Cup championship. The first 2020 Presidential debate between President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden took place in Cleveland, Ohio on September 29. Biden won by default. Chris Wallace tried to moderate the debate, but Trump interrupted constantly. Biden stuck with showing facts. Both showed their tempers, more so Trump. 

 

On October 1, 2020, the pandemic reached the White House. On that day, both President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump tested positive for COVID-19 and enter quarantine. Several White House staffers and multiple congress members also tested positive. The Trump administration announced plans to slash U.S. refugee admissions for 2021 to a record low–15,000 refugees, down from a cap of 18,000 for 2020. This happened, because Trump is xenophobic. The national debt goes higher than $27 trillion for the first time in American history by October 2. By October 3, multiple U.S. Senators who have attended Presidential events tested positive for COVID-19. President Trump returned to the White House on October 5 after three days of hospitalization at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. By October 7, Ruby Tuesday filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection after closing 185 restaurants. Pizza Hut filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy after closing 163 restaurants. The 2020 Vice Presidential debate took place in Salt Late City on October 7, 2020. Kamala Harris won the debate easily. One example of that was that then Vice President Mike Pence outright denied that systematic racism existed in American society when sociological studies document this reality. A fly was on Pence's head, and Harris told Pence that it was her turn multiple times. By October 8, 34 editors of The New England Journal of Medicine denounce the Trump administration's handling of the pandemic. On that same date, the FBI charged 13 militiamen with plotting to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer at her vacation home.  A fourteenth suspect is arrested on October 15. The terrorists wanted to harm Whitmer, because they opposed her progressive policies in Michigan and her pandemic actions. House Democrats on October 9 announced their plans to create a congressional commission invoking the 25th Amendment to evaluate the physical and mental health of the President Trump. Hurricane Delta went at landfall near Creole, Louisiana. This was the 10th land-falling storm in the 2020 season which is a record breaking amount. The Broadway League extended its shutdown of Broadway theaters for a third time until May 30, 2021.

 

Trump held his first public event at the White House since becoming ill on October 10. He informed his attendees that a vaccine is forthcoming. Facebook on October 12 banned content relating to Holocaust denial. On that day, activists in  Portland, Oregon, topple statues of former presidents Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln in protest of the 1862 execution of 38 Dakota and Roosevelt's views on Native Americans. North Carolina has the first influenza death of the 2020-2021 flu season on October 15. U.S. cases of the pandemic are higher than 8 million people by October 16. On October 22, the  Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously votes for the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett, 12–0, as committee Democrats boycott the roll call. Amy Coney Barrett is a conservative. The 2nd 2020 Presidential debate took place in Nashville, Tennessee. Biden wins the debate, and Trump is disruptive, but he is less disruptive than the first debate. Records of single day cases occur in Arkansas and Oregon by October 23. The same single day records for new cases happened on October 24 at Michigan, Illinois, New Mexico, and Ohio. By October 25, daily nonstop American Airlines flights return to India for the first time since 2015. On October 26, 2020, the Senate confirms Amy Coney Barrett as a Supreme Court associate justice, 52–48. The Supreme Court ruled 5-3 that Wisconsin cannot count mail-in ballots received after election day. Walter Wallace Jr., 27, is shot and killed by two Philadelphia police officers, resulting in subsequent protests and rebellions. Record one day cases occur at Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Kentucky by October 27. On that same day, the Los Angeles Dodgers defeat the Tampa Bay Rays to win the 2020 World Series, their first in 32 years. On October 28, President Trump declared a a state of emergency for Louisiana ahead of Hurricane Zeta's landfall. Michigan, Oregon, and Illinois report new single day records for new cases of the pandemic on October 29. Also, there were 87,164 cases reported nationwide. That was a new single day record. America on October 30 was the first nation to have cases more than 100,000 daily cases of the pandemic virus. America has more than 9 million cases. The FBI launches an investigation into an incident in Texas where a Joe Biden campaign bus tour was cancelled after a caravan of supporters of President Trump attempted to run it off the road and hit a staffer's car. On October 31, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announces all out-of-state visitors must test negative for COVID-19 three days before arrival. A Stanford University study links over 30,000 COVID-19 cases and 700 deaths directly to President Donald Trump's 2020 campaign rallies.

 

 The End of the 2020 Presidential Election

The 2020 United States Presidential election took place on November 3, 2020. It was a day that many people waited for along a long time. Shortly after midnight, Trump lied to say that he won the election when he didn't. The election hasn't even been finished, and Trump wanted all vote counting to stop alleging electoral fraud (which is a lie). On November 3, Oregon is the first state to decriminalize possession of small amounts of narcotics, including heroin, cocaine and LSD. Voters in Arizona, Montana, New Jersey, and South Dakota vote to legalize recreational marijuana. Voters in Mississippi and South Dakota vote to legalize medical marijuana. Mississippi approves a new state flag to replace the previous design that featured a Confederate battle flag, while voters in Rhode Island approve the removal of "...and Providence Plantations" from the state's official name. On November 4, Trump withdrew from the Paris Agreement. By November 5, 2020, former White House advisor Steve Bannon is permanently banned from Twitter after suggesting FBI Director Christopher Wray and NIAID Director Dr. Anthony Fauci be beheaded during a live broadcast. Amid election-related protests, Facebook bans a 300,000-member Stop the Steal group page being used by supporters of President Trump to organize protests against the election results, citing calls for violence by some participants. Texas had over 1 million confirmed cases of the pandemic virus being the first state to have it on November 6. Michigan has more than 200,0000 confirmed pandemic cases on the same day. 

 

 

A Historic Victory for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris 

November 7, 2020 was when Joe Biden was projected to have won the Presidential election. It was after days of counting votes in many states. Joe Biden is the first President since 1992 when an incumbent president's challenger has won the election over the incumbent president, when Bill Clinton defeated George H. W. Bush. Kamala Harris is the first woman and first person of color to be elected Vice President of the United States. Her husband, Doug Emhoff, is to become the first Second Gentleman and the first Jewish spouse of a U.S. vice president. Some sad news is that longtime Jeopardy host Alex Trebek passed away at age of 80 after a yearlong battle with pancreatic cancer. On November 9, 2020, The Trump's re-election campaign filed multiple lawsuits in many states by believing in the lie of widespread electoral fraud. Dr. Ben Carson tested positive for the virus too. He was once the Housing and Urban Development Secretary. By November 10, President Trump promotes a number of reported loyalists to various roles in the Defense Department following the November 9 ouster of Defense Secretary Mark Esper. By November 12, a  coalition of federal and state officials declare the 2020 presidential election "the most secure in American history" and states there is no evidence of compromised voting systems. California was the 2nd state to have over 1 million cases. More than 150,000 new cases are reported nationwide being a world record for a third consecutive day. The FBI arrested convicted murderer Leonard Rayne Moses, who escaped from custody in 1971 and had been on their Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list. By November 13, 2020,  President-elect Joe Biden is projected to win Arizona, the first Democrat to do so since Bill Clinton in 1996. Biden also becomes the first Democrat to win Georgia since Clinton did so in 1992.

 

More than 130 Secret Service agents are ordered to self isolate or quarantine. Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak tested positive for COVID-19. Michigan, Wisconsin, Maryland, and Illinois report new single-day records for new cases. Illinois breaks the national record for new cases reported by a state in a single day. Oregon and North Dakota issue new mask mandates and restrictions on businesses. A 5.5 Mw earthquake strikes Tonopah, Nevada, the largest earthquake in Nevada in over 66 years. On November 14, thousands of protesters march in Washington D.C. to support Trump and promote the lie of massive voter fraud. By November 15, 2020, President Trump concedes that Joe Biden won the presidential election, but alleges vote rigging.  Kentucky and New Jersey report new single-day records for new cases. By November 16, the SpaceX Crew-1 or the first operational SpaceX crew dragon mission launched from the Kennedy Space Center. Texas has more than 20,000 deaths from the virus. Representatives Cheri Bustos (D-Illinois) and Tim Walberg (R-Michigan) announce they have tested positive for COVID-19. Representative Mark Pocan (D-Wisconsin) says he is self-isolating. On November 17, the  FDA grants emergency use authorization to a home testing kit by Lucira Health, Inc. that provides COVID-19 results in 30 minutes. U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) tested positive for COVID-19. Wisconsin had 92 new deaths in 24 hours. Record cases happened in a single day at Maine, Idaho, and New Mexico. Pennsylvania announces that out-of-state travelers will be required to either quarantine or present a negative COVID-19 test result to enter the state. New York City schools are shown online by Mayor Bill de Blasio on November 18. The Federal Aviation Administration allows the Boeing 737 MAX to fly in the United States citing modifications following a 20-month ban. One third of of the Cincinnati City Council has been arrested this year on bribery charges on November 19. Joe Biden winning Georgia on November 19 was very historic after the recount. Record cases occur in Utah and Maryland. A curfew occurred in California. On November 20, at least eight people are injured in a mass shooting at the Mayfair Mall in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. Donald Trump Jr. and Senator Rick Scott test positive for the virus. Over 12 million cases of the virus happen on November 21. By November 22, Trump withdrew from the Open Skies Treaty. 

 

By November 23, the Presidential transition team of President elect Biden starts. Joe Biden nominates several people to his cabinet, including Avril Haines as the first female Director of National Intelligence, Alejandro Mayorkas as the first Latino Secretary of Homeland Security, and Janet Yellen as the first female Treasury Secretary. On the next day, Elon Musk overtakes Bill Gates to become the second richest person in the world, with a net worth of $127.9 billion, behind only Jeff Bezos. The Dow Jones increases by 500 points to surpass 30,000 for the first time. President Trump pardons ex-National Security Adviser Michael Flynn on November 25. The November 27, 2020 recount in Wisconsin's largest county caused Joe Biden to have a net gain of 132 votes. Cases are more than 13 million in America on this time. Wilton Daniel Gregory becomes the first African American cardinal on November 28. By November 29, President-elect Biden nominates an all-female communications team, including Kate Bedingfield as Communications Director and Jen Psaki as Press Secretary. November 30 was when Arizona Proposition 207 comes into effect, making Arizona the 12th state to legalize recreational cannabis. Congress released a $908 billion COVID-19 relief plan. Former astronaut Mark Kelly was sworn in a U.S. Senator after a special election in Arizona. Over 14 million American cases of the virus happened by December 3. President-elect Joe Biden announces that Dr. Vivek Murthy and Jeffrey Zients will lead his administration's response to the COVID-19 pandemic and asks Dr. Anthony Fauci to become the White House Coronavirus Task Force's chief medical advisor. The Department of Justice files a lawsuit against Facebook, accusing them of discriminating against American workers. The circuit court of Kenosha, Wisconsin orders the 17-year old suspect in the fatal Kenosha protest shooting to stand trial on two first-degree homicide charges, as well as possession of a firearm by a minor and two counts of reckless endangerment.The House of Representatives passes the MORE Act to decriminalize recreational cannabis at the federal level by December 4.  Rudy Giuliani tested positive for the virus by December 6. President-elect Biden nominates California Attorney General Xavier Becerra to be the first Latino Health and Human Services Secretary. The Cleveland Browns defeat the Tennessee Titans 41–35 to secure their first winning season since 2007. 

 

On December 7, 2020, Georgia re-certifies Joe Biden as the winner of the state after a 2nd recount. Joe Biden nominates retired Army General Lloyd Austin to be the first African American Secretary of Defense. The National Football League announced an investigation into the Washington Football Team for allegations of workplace sexual harassment. The pandemic continues to harm Michigan and other places. The cases grow over 15 million by early December. Michigan surpasses 10,000 confirmed deaths from COVID-19.  Governor Gretchen Whitmer orders flags to fly at half staff for the next 10 days, one day for every 1,000 victims (on December 8). Vice President Mike Pence announces the 18 Artemis astronauts at the eighth meeting of the National Space Council by December 9. On December 11, 2020, the Supreme Court denied a lawsuit to overturn Joe Biden's victory in four battleground states. The FDA grants emergency authorization of the Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccine begins shipment to all 50 states on December 13, with the first doses administered on December 14. On December 12, more than 20,000 deaths from the virus happen at Florida. Also, 4 people are stabbed, one is shot, and 33 are arrested during the pro-Donald Trump protests in Washington, D.C. Early voting at the Georgia runoff elections start in December 14. U.S. Representative Paul Mitchell (R-Michigan) announced he is leaving the Republican Party and becoming an independent. President-elect Joe Biden nominates Pete Buttigieg to be Secretary of Transportation by December 15. Joe Biden nominates Deb Haaland for Secretary of the Interior, becoming the first Native American appointed to a cabinet-level position on December 17. On December 18, 2020, the FDA authorizes emergency use of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. Vice President Mike Pence, Second Lady Karen Pence, Surgeon General Jerome Adams, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell receive the Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. Minnesota State Senator Jerry Relph dies of COVID-19 complications.

  

The Struggle Continues, but Victory is Ours 

On December 21, 2020, Congress passes the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, a packaged $2.3 trillion pandemic relief and omnibus spending bill. At 5,593 pages, it is the longest bill ever passed by Congress. After initial objections, President Trump signs the bill into law on December 27, averting a partial government shutdown. President-elect Joe Biden and incoming First Lady Jill Biden receive the Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. President Trump begins issuing a new round of pardons for dozens of associates, including Roger Stone, Paul Manafort, and Charles Kushner on December 22. California Secretary of State Alex Padilla is appointed to fill the remaining Senate term of Kamala Harris, becoming the state's first Latino senator. More than 2 million cases existed in California on December 24. On December 25, a suicide car bomb explosion happened at downtown Nashville, Tennessee. Many people are injured. Over 19 million people have the virus on December 27, 2020. Vice President-elect Kamala Harris and her husband Doug Emhoff receive the Moderna vaccine on December 29. The Department of Justice announces there will be no charges against the two Cleveland, Ohio police officers accused of killing Tamir Rice. On December 31, a Wisconsin pharmacist is arrested after destroying 500 doses of the Moderna vaccine. 

 

 

The end of 2020 saw the victory of Biden and Harris during the 2020 election, large cases of the virus, and a new change on the horizon. 2021 would come soon, and one of the worst events in American history could occur later which would be the January 6, 2021 insurrection of the U.S. Capitol building. Yet, one positive end of 2020 is that Trump will only be a one term President. 2020 WAS TRULY THE YEAR THAT CHANGED THE WORLD. IT WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT YEAR OF THE 21ST CENTURY INDEED. 

 

By Timothy