thedenverpost--2020-12-18--Colorado Supreme Court approves new rules for suppressing criminal cases from the public

The Colorado Supreme Court on Thursday voted to approve rules for how criminal trial judges can restrict public access to court records , a direct response to Denver Post stories that exposed how thousands of cases have been kept from public view with little to no oversight for how that was done .
The rules , proposed by a statewide committee of attorneys and judges who made recommendations after months of meeting behind closed doors , are to take effect sometime in 2021 , according to Chief Justice Nathan Coats who disclosed the approval at a meeting of the legislature @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the change is intended to solve the problem of cases being sealed and then “ disappearing into a dark hole.
” The rules are the result of a Denver Post investigation in 2018 that revealed thousands of criminal cases were suppressed from the public – some for decades and frequently without reason or cause .
Many still are .
One such case was the indictment of Kelly Turner , charged in the death of her 7-year-old daughter , Olivia .
Five months after Turner was charged with faking the girl ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Douglas County district court judge restricted all public access to the murder case file .
Since March 2020 , the entire high-profile case had remained suppressed from the public until District Judge Patricia Herron undid her restriction on Nov. 20 when a Denver Post reporter asked about it .
Turner was arraigned Tuesday .
In that time , no one could know what was in any of the 16 court orders Herron issued in the case during – including the order to suppress it – nor access any of the original documents or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case was filed in October 2019 , such as why Turner was facing murder and a dozen other charges .
There was no hearing to discuss closing the case and Herron issued no written order suppressing the case .
The new rules by the Colorado Supreme Court change all that .
The rules would have required Herron to hold a hearing to close the case file , to give a specific reason for why she suppressed the case , and to set a timeline for reopening it to the public .
A judge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will now be public .
“ As things ( stood ) , there ( was ) no requirement whatsoever for a judge to prepare any findings , written or oral , to justify a denial of access to court records , ” said First Amendment lawyer Steve Zansberg , who represents several news media outlets including The Denver Post .
“ With the adoption of the new rule … a judge is required to issue a written order which explains to the public why ( s ) he concludes … fairly rigorous standards @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , that is a huge difference.
” In October , the committee of attorneys and judges that evaluates state rules of criminal procedure finished nearly two years of closed-door meetings and discussions regarding suppressing cases and how to do it .
Earlier efforts to improve public access to court records had stalled , but committee members said it was the Post ’ s investigation that revived the discussion .
Coats , who retires Jan. 22 , had requested the committee to review the matter anew .
In a public Zoom hearing on Oct. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of new rules to the Supreme Court .
Fourth Judicial District Judge Deborah Grohs chaired the 14-member committee and told the justices the problem was obvious .
“ There really was no guidance for trial judges for when we should do this , how we should do it , what the restrictions are or any standard , ” she said during the hearing .
“ We were hearing about judges across the state who were suppressing entire files without making any ruling whatsoever , or were keeping court files , particularly high-profile cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get access to them.
” Colorado Court of Appeals Judge John Dailey , also a member of the committee , told the justices the committee was surprised to learn the extent of the problem .
“ We discovered there are scads of cases out there of which information is being closed off to the public – information about entire case files – for an indefinite period of time , with little or no justification given for closing off these files , ” Dailey said .
The rules , however , won ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on a hearing to suppress a case .
“ There are certain things that are sensitive to the case and sensitive to safety concerns and fair trial , ” Grohs told the justices .
“ We know the right to access is important , and we understand the First Amendment .
There are many other concerns that are equally as important and sometimes it has to weigh in favor of keeping these things private.
” Despite The Post ’ s stories , dozens of criminal cases have remained suppressed while they are active @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after plea bargains are made and sentences handed down .
Among them were the felony cases against three people tied to the gang-shooting death of Andrew Graham , killed as he walked home from a Centennial light-rail station in November 2009 .
The cases were suppressed by Herron in 2017 and remained that way for three years .
With the cases suppressed from the public , all three defendants – Allen Ford , Joseph Martin and Clarissa Lockhart – made plea deals with prosecutors that resulted in first-degree murder charges being dropped against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were dismissed .
Ford pleaded guilty in November 2019 to a racketeering charge and was sentenced in January 2020 to 20 years in prison ; Martin had pleaded guilty in 2018 to a pair of felonies tied to Graham ’ s killing including aggravated robbery and was sentenced to 10 years in prison ; Lockhart pleaded guilty in February 2020 to a racketeering charge and was sentenced to 10 years .
The cases were finally unsuppressed in April 2020 by 18th Judicial District Judge Michael Spear , a month after alleged triggerman Terrell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ charged with Graham ’ s murder .
Jones was 16 at the time of the shooting .

The Colorado Supreme Court on Thursday voted to approve rules for how criminal trial judges can restrict public access to court records, a direct response to Denver Post stories that exposed how thousands of cases have been kept from public view with little to no oversight for how that was done.
The rules, proposed by a statewide committee of attorneys and judges who made recommendations after months of meeting behind closed doors, are to take effect sometime in 2021, according to Chief Justice Nathan Coats who disclosed the approval at a meeting of the legislature’s Joint Budget Committee.
Coats said the change is intended to solve the problem of cases being sealed and then “disappearing into a dark hole.”
The rules are the result of a Denver Post investigation in 2018 that revealed thousands of criminal cases were suppressed from the public – some for decades and frequently without reason or cause. Many still are.
One such case was the indictment of Kelly Turner, charged in the death of her 7-year-old daughter, Olivia. Five months after Turner was charged with faking the girl’s terminal illness and killing her, a Douglas County district court judge restricted all public access to the murder case file.
Since March 2020, the entire high-profile case had remained suppressed from the public until District Judge Patricia Herron undid her restriction on Nov. 20 when a Denver Post reporter asked about it. Turner was arraigned Tuesday.
In that time, no one could know what was in any of the 16 court orders Herron issued in the case during – including the order to suppress it – nor access any of the original documents or records that had been public when the case was filed in October 2019, such as why Turner was facing murder and a dozen other charges.
There was no hearing to discuss closing the case and Herron issued no written order suppressing the case.
The new rules by the Colorado Supreme Court change all that.
The rules would have let Herron to hold a hearing to close the case file, to give a specific reason for why she suppressed the case, and to set a timeline for reopening it to the public.
A judge’s order to suppress a case will now be public.
“As things (stood), there (was) no requirement whatsoever for a judge to prepare any findings, written or oral, to justify a denial of access to court records,” said First Amendment lawyer Steve Zansberg, who represents several news media outlets including The Denver Post. “With the adoption of the new rule … a judge is required to issue a written order which explains to the public why (s)he concludes … fairly rigorous standards have been met. To my mind, that is a huge difference.”
In October, the committee of attorneys and judges that evaluates state rules of criminal procedure finished nearly two years of closed-door meetings and discussions regarding suppressing cases and how to do it.
Earlier efforts to improve public access to court records had stalled, but committee members said it was the Post’s investigation that revived the discussion. Coats, who retires Jan. 22, had requested the committee to review the matter anew.
In a public Zoom hearing on Oct. 13, the committee offered up pages of new rules to the Supreme Court.
Fourth Judicial District Judge Deborah Grohs chaired the 14-member committee and told the justices the problem was obvious.
“There really was no guidance for trial judges for when we should do this, how we should do it, what the restrictions are or any standard,” she said during the hearing. “We were hearing about judges across the state who were suppressing entire files without making any ruling whatsoever, or were keeping court files, particularly high-profile cases, in their chambers so nobody could get access to them.”
Colorado Court of Appeals Judge John Dailey, also a member of the committee, told the justices the committee was surprised to learn the extent of the problem.
“We discovered there are scads of cases out there of which information is being closed off to the public – information about entire case files – for an indefinite period of time, with little or no justification given for closing off these files,” Dailey said.
The rules, however, won’t allow for the public to listen in on a hearing to suppress a case.
“There are certain things that are sensitive to the case and sensitive to safety concerns and fair trial,” Grohs told the justices. “We know the right to access is important, and we understand the First Amendment. There are many other concerns that are equally as important and sometimes it has to weigh in favor of keeping these things private.”
Despite The Post’s stories, dozens of criminal cases have remained suppressed while they are active, frequently opened to the public only after plea bargains are made and sentences handed down.
Among them were the felony cases against three people tied to the gang-shooting death of Andrew Graham, killed as he walked home from a Centennial light-rail station in November 2009.
The cases were suppressed by Herron in 2017 and remained that way for three years.
With the cases suppressed from the public, all three defendants – Allen Ford, Joseph Martin and Clarissa Lockhart – made plea deals with prosecutors that resulted in first-degree murder charges being dropped against them. Charges against a fourth defendant were dismissed.
Ford pleaded guilty in November 2019 to a racketeering charge and was sentenced in January 2020 to 20 years in prison; Martin had pleaded guilty in 2018 to a pair of felonies tied to Graham’s killing including aggravated robbery and was sentenced to 10 years in prison; Lockhart pleaded guilty in February 2020 to a racketeering charge and was sentenced to 10 years.
The cases were finally unsuppressed in April 2020 by 18th Judicial District Judge Michael Spear, a month after alleged triggerman Terrell Jones, 27, was arrested and charged with Graham’s murder. Jones was 16 at the time of the shooting.
Denver Post reporter Shelly Bradbury contributed to this report.
Correction: Because of a reporter’s error, this story originally said that under the new rules, a district court judge must hold a hearing before suppressing a criminal case from the public. Judges may hold a hearing at their discretion, but are not required to.


thedenverpost--2020-12-18--Winter travel raises more fears of viral spread

Tens of millions of people are expected to travel to family gatherings or winter vacations over Christmas , despite pleas by public health experts who fear the result could be another surge in COVID-19 cases .
In the U.S. , AAA predicts that about 85 million people will travel between Dec. 23 and Jan. 3 , most of them by car .
If true , that would be a drop of nearly one-third from a year ago , but still a massive movement of people in the middle of a pandemic .
Jordan Ford , 24 , who was laid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in March , said he plans to visit both his and his boyfriend ’ s families in Virginia and Arkansas over Christmas .
“ It is pretty safe — everyone is wearing a mask , they clean the cabin thoroughly , ” said Ford , who has traveled almost weekly in recent months from his home in Anaheim , California , and gets tested frequently .
“ After you get over that first trip since the pandemic started , I think you ’ ll feel comfortable no matter what.
” Experts worry that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ turn into super-spreader events because many people are letting down their guard — either out of pandemic fatigue or the hopeful news that vaccines are starting to be distributed .
“ Early on in the pandemic , people didn ’ t travel because they didn ’ t know what was to come , ” said Dr. Peter Chin-Hong , an infectious-disease expert at the University of California , San Francisco , “ but there is a feeling now that , ‘ If I get it , it will be mild , it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seven-day rolling average of newly reported infections in the U.S. has risen from about 176,000 a day just before Thanksgiving to more than 215,000 a day .
It ’ s too early to calculate how much of that increase is due to travel and gatherings over Thanksgiving , but experts believe they are a factor .
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says “ postponing travel and staying home is the best way to protect yourself and others from COVID-19.
” People who insist on travel should consider getting tested for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to limit nonessential activities for seven days after travel with a negative test result and 10 days if they don ’ t get tested .
Other countries have imposed restrictions ahead of the holidays .
Last month , England , Scotland , Wales and Northern Ireland agreed to permit a maximum of three households to mix between Dec. 23 and Dec. 27 , regardless of what local restrictions are in place .
In Latin America , a few countries have imposed some restrictions to try to keep people from traveling or meeting during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only to practice social distancing and skip parties .
Panama has some of the strictest measures , including a curfew through Jan. 4 and a prohibition on leaving home at all from Dec. 25 to 28 and Jan. 1 to 4 unless it ’ s for essential activities such as buying food or medicine .
Peru , one of the region ’ s hardest-hit countries , has banned the use of private cars on Christmas Eve and Day and New Year ’ s Eve and Day in hopes of discouraging people from traveling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ delayed her New Year ’ s Eve wedding because her fiance ’ s family can ’ t travel to the United States from their home in Germany .
Instead , the couple plans to elope and will fly from their home in Chicago to Hawaii with her parents , her brother and a friend .
They picked Hawaii because of requirements that include coronavirus testing before arrival and a rapid test at the airport .
“ We felt this was one of the very few safe choices we can make if we are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Tim Brooks , a 37-year-old engineer in Long Beach , California , canceled a trip to Grand Cayman because of a ban on international visitors , then scrapped a Christmas visit to his parents in North Carolina as infections spiked in California and around the country .
“ If it were just us , it wouldn ’ t be so bad , but we have older parents and we are trying to keep them safe , ” Brooks said .
Airports and planes will be far less crowded this year in what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ So far in December , air travel in the United States is down 67 % from last year .
If Thanksgiving is any indication , the number of travelers will rise the rest of the month , but airlines are warning that bookings have slowed down since the latest surge in COVID-19 cases .
The nation ’ s top four airlines now show December and January schedules that are anywhere from 33 % to 46 % smaller than a year earlier , according to figures from Airline Data Inc. Last week , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 49 % full compared with more than 80 % full a year ago , according to the trade group Airlines for America .
The short-term outlook remains grim for other travel-related businesses , including those that rely on winter tourism .
In Vermont ski country , the Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe is usually sold out during Christmas week , but only half the 96 rooms were booked by last week .
It was a similar story at the nearby Lodge at Spruce Peak .
Operators of both lodges blamed travel restrictions , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crossing state lines .
“ It is frustrating as a business to basically be forbidden to do your job and to not be able to support your employees or your community , ” said Sam von Trapp , executive vice president of the family ’ s lodge .
“ At the same time we understand that there is very good intention behind all these restrictions.
” Cruise ships often command their highest prices at Christmas and other holidays when kids are off school , but few ships are sailing this season .
Carnival @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have all cancelled U.S. sailings through Feb. 28 .
Voyages in other parts of the world have mostly been delayed .
Florida , which relies heavily on winter tourism , is also taking a big hit .
The two-week period around Christmas is normally the busiest time of year for Walt Disney World in Orlando , says Len Testa , the president of TouringPlans.com , which forecasts park attendance .
But this year , the Magic Kingdom has capped park attendance at 35 % , so Testa only expects around 32,000 people on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ levels to be lower than usual from January through March , with many visitors rescheduling their trips to May or later .
“ Many families will put off their Spring Break trips until they ’ re vaccinated , ” he said .
Tara Kelley had planned to drive seven hours from her home in Milligan , Florida , to Orange City , Florida , to visit her mother and stepfather for Christmas .
But Kelley ’ s wife recently had surgery and spent a day at a hospital where there was a risk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they called off the trip .
“ We had literally been planning this since February , ” Kelley said .
“ It ’ s a blow.
” Theresa Medina , a 55-year-old retiree from South Boston , is still deciding whether she and her husband will visit his mother in the Dominican Republic this winter .
She ’ s 80 % sure they will , and she ’ s already packing a box to ship ahead of their arrival .
But the couple plans to discuss it with her husband ’ s doctor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Medina said they will get coronavirus tests and wear protective gear , including face shields and masks .
“ We may look silly on the plane , but precautions are precautions , ” she said .
Lisa Rathke in Montpelier , Vermont and Wilson Ring in Stowe , Vermont contributed to this report .
Join our Facebook group for the latest updates on coronavirus in Colorado .

Tens of millions of people are expected to travel to family gatherings or winter vacations over Christmas, despite pleas by public health experts who fear the result could be another surge in COVID-19 cases.
In the U.S., AAA predicts that about 85 million people will travel between Dec. 23 and Jan. 3, most of them by car. If true, that would be a drop of nearly one-third from a year ago, but still a massive movement of people in the middle of a pandemic.
Jordan Ford, 24, who was laid off as a guest-relations worker at Disneyland in March, said he plans to visit both his and his boyfriend’s families in Virginia and Arkansas over Christmas.
“It is pretty safe — everyone is wearing a mask, they clean the cabin thoroughly,” said Ford, who has traveled almost weekly in recent months from his home in Anaheim, California, and gets tested frequently. “After you get over that first trip since the pandemic started, I think you’ll feel comfortable no matter what.”
Experts worry that Christmas and New Year’s will turn into super-spreader events because many people are letting down their guard — either out of pandemic fatigue or the hopeful news that vaccines are starting to be distributed.
“Early on in the pandemic, people didn’t travel because they didn’t know what was to come,” said Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious-disease expert at the University of California, San Francisco, “but there is a feeling now that, ‘If I get it, it will be mild, it’s like a cold.’”
The seven-day rolling average of newly reported infections in the U.S. has risen from about 176,000 a day just before Thanksgiving to more than 215,000 a day. It’s too early to calculate how much of that increase is due to travel and gatherings over Thanksgiving, but experts believe they are a factor.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says “postponing travel and staying home is the best way to protect yourself and others from COVID-19.” People who insist on travel should consider getting tested for the virus before and after their trip and to limit nonessential activities for seven days after travel with a negative test result and 10 days if they don’t get tested.
Other countries have imposed restrictions ahead of the holidays. Last month, England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland agreed to permit a maximum of three households to mix between Dec. 23 and Dec. 27, regardless of what local restrictions are in place.
In Latin America, a few countries have imposed some restrictions to try to keep people from traveling or meeting during the holidays, but others advised people only to practice social distancing and skip parties.
Panama has some of the strictest measures, including a curfew through Jan. 4 and a prohibition on leaving home at all from Dec. 25 to 28 and Jan. 1 to 4 unless it’s for essential activities such as buying food or medicine. Peru, one of the region’s hardest-hit countries, has banned the use of private cars on Christmas Eve and Day and New Year’s Eve and Day in hopes of discouraging people from traveling.
In the U.S., Rachel Watterson delayed her New Year’s Eve wedding because her fiance’s family can’t travel to the United States from their home in Germany. Instead, the couple plans to elope and will fly from their home in Chicago to Hawaii with her parents, her brother and a friend. They picked Hawaii because of requirements that include coronavirus testing before arrival and a rapid test at the airport.
“We felt this was one of the very few safe choices we can make if we are going to travel,” Watterson said.
Tim Brooks, a 37-year-old engineer in Long Beach, California, canceled a trip to Grand Cayman because of a ban on international visitors, then scrapped a Christmas visit to his parents in North Carolina as infections spiked in California and around the country.
“If it were just us, it wouldn’t be so bad, but we have older parents and we are trying to keep them safe,” Brooks said.
Airports and planes will be far less crowded this year in what is normally a high travel season. So far in December, air travel in the United States is down 67% from last year. If Thanksgiving is any indication, the number of travelers will rise the rest of the month, but airlines are warning that bookings have slowed down since the latest surge in COVID-19 cases.
The nation’s top four airlines now show December and January schedules that are anywhere from 33% to 46% smaller than a year earlier, according to figures from Airline Data Inc.
Last week, the average flight within the U.S. was only 49% full compared with more than 80% full a year ago, according to the trade group Airlines for America.
The short-term outlook remains grim for other travel-related businesses, including those that rely on winter tourism.
In Vermont ski country, the Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe is usually sold out during Christmas week, but only half the 96 rooms were booked by last week. It was a similar story at the nearby Lodge at Spruce Peak. Operators of both lodges blamed travel restrictions, especially quarantine requirements that are triggered by crossing state lines.
“It is frustrating as a business to basically be forbidden to do your job and to not be able to support your employees or your community,” said Sam von Trapp, executive vice president of the family’s lodge. “At the same time we understand that there is very good intention behind all these restrictions.”
Cruise ships often command their highest prices at Christmas and other holidays when kids are off school, but few ships are sailing this season. Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian and Disney have all cancelled U.S. sailings through Feb. 28. Voyages in other parts of the world have mostly been delayed.
Florida, which relies heavily on winter tourism, is also taking a big hit. The two-week period around Christmas is normally the busiest time of year for Walt Disney World in Orlando, says Len Testa, the president of TouringPlans.com, which forecasts park attendance. But this year, the Magic Kingdom has capped park attendance at 35%, so Testa only expects around 32,000 people on those days.
Testa also expects crowd levels to be lower than usual from January through March, with many visitors rescheduling their trips to May or later.
“Many families will put off their Spring Break trips until they’re vaccinated,” he said.
Tara Kelley had planned to drive seven hours from her home in Milligan, Florida, to Orange City, Florida, to visit her mother and stepfather for Christmas. But Kelley’s wife recently had surgery and spent a day at a hospital where there was a risk of exposure to the coronavirus, so they called off the trip.
“We had literally been planning this since February,” Kelley said. “It’s a blow.”
Theresa Medina, a 55-year-old retiree from South Boston, is still deciding whether she and her husband will visit his mother in the Dominican Republic this winter. She’s 80% sure they will, and she’s already packing a box to ship ahead of their arrival. But the couple plans to discuss it with her husband’s doctor in January.
If they go, Medina said they will get coronavirus tests and wear protective gear, including face shields and masks.
“We may look silly on the plane, but precautions are precautions,” she said.
Lisa Rathke in Montpelier, Vermont and Wilson Ring in Stowe, Vermont contributed to this report.
Join our Facebook group for the latest updates on coronavirus in Colorado.


thedenverpost--2020-12-18--Pick 6: Odds on Carson Wentz traded to Denver, Broncos winning Super Bowl LV, CU Buffs to reach Fina

Pick 6: Odds on Carson Wentz traded to Denver, Broncos winning Super Bowl LV, CU Buffs to reach Final Four

Carson Wentz to the Broncos ?
The chances look good , according to one oddsmaker .
BetOnline has the Eagles quarterback at +300 — meaning a $ 100 bet would win $ 300 — to be traded to Denver .
The former No .
2 overall pick has struggled for Philadelphia this year , posting career-lows in completion percentage ( 57.4 % ) and yards passing per game ( 218.3 ) while tallying a career-high 15 interceptions .
If Drew Lock has another week for the Broncos like he did against Carolina ( 21 of 27 , 280 yards passing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — those odds might get worst .
Here ’ s a look at some of the current odds in the world of sports .
The odds the Eagles will trade quarterback Carson Wentz to the Broncos , according to BetOnline .
Indianapolis ( +200 ) is favored , followed by the Bears ( +250 ) .
The odds the Broncos will win Super Bowl LV , according to BetMGM .
Yes , Denver still has a shot — albeit a razor-thin one — at making the playoffs .
The odds the CU Buffs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament , according to BetMGM .
The favorites are Gonzaga ( -110 ) , Baylor ( +175 ) and Villanova ( +175 ) .
The odds the Nuggets will win the Northwest Division , according to Bovada .
The Jazz ( +230 ) are second , followed by the Trail Blazers ( +333 ) , Timberwolves ( +4,500 ) and Thunder ( +15,000 ) .
The odds Tiger Woods and his son Charlie will win the PNC Father Son Challenge , according to Bovada .
Justin Thomas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ favored at +250 .
The odds Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon will win the 2021 Hart Memorial Trophy , according to BetOnline .
Edmonton ’ s Connor McDavid is favored at +400 .

Carson Wentz to the Broncos? The chances look good, according to one oddsmaker.
BetOnline has the Eagles quarterback at +300 — meaning a $100 bet would win $300 — to be traded to Denver. The former No. 2 overall pick has struggled for Philadelphia this year, posting career-lows in completion percentage (57.4%) and yards passing per game (218.3) while tallying a career-high 15 interceptions.
If Drew Lock has another week for the Broncos like he did against Carolina (21 of 27, 280 yards passing, four touchdowns, zero interceptions) — those odds might get worst.
Here’s a look at some of the current odds in the world of sports.
+300
The odds the Eagles will trade quarterback Carson Wentz to the Broncos, according to BetOnline. Indianapolis (+200) is favored, followed by the Bears (+250).
+100,000
The odds the Broncos will win Super Bowl LV, according to BetMGM. Yes, Denver still has a shot — albeit a razor-thin one — at making the playoffs.
+2,500
The odds the CU Buffs men’s basketball team will reach the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament, according to BetMGM. The favorites are Gonzaga (-110), Baylor (+175) and Villanova (+175).
-120
The odds the Nuggets will win the Northwest Division, according to Bovada. The Jazz (+230) are second, followed by the Trail Blazers (+333), Timberwolves (+4,500) and Thunder (+15,000).
+650
The odds Tiger Woods and his son Charlie will win the PNC Father Son Challenge, according to Bovada. Justin Thomas and his father, Mike, are favored at +250.
+500
The odds Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon will win the 2021 Hart Memorial Trophy, according to BetOnline. Edmonton’s Connor McDavid is favored at +400.


thedenverpost--2020-12-18--NFL Journal: Variety of factors could make Quarterback Carousel entertaining

Fading stars who may retire .
First-round picks who haven ’ t worked out .
And under-contract starters who may seek a fresh start .
The NFL Offseason Quarterback Carousel has the potential to be all kinds of fun and that ’ s before the first round of the draft will star Clemson ’ s Trevor Lawrence , Ohio State ’ s Justin Fields , BYU ’ s Zach Wilson and North Dakota State ’ s Trey Lance .
By my count , 13 teams have unsettled 2021 quarterback situations entering the final three games of this year .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being set with their quarterback .
Set in AFC ( 10 ) : Baltimore ( Lamar Jackson ) , Buffalo ( Josh Allen ) , Cincinnati ( Joe Burrow ) , Cleveland ( Baker Mayfield ) , Houston ( Deshaun Watson ) , Kansas City ( Patrick Mahomes ) , Las Vegas ( Derek Carr ) , the Los Angeles Chargers ( Justin Herbert ) , Miami ( Tua Tagovailoa ) and Tennessee ( Ryan Tannehill ) .
Set in NFC ( nine ) : Arizona ( Kyler Murray ) , Carolina ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agent Dak Prescott ) , Green Bay ( Aaron Rodgers ) , the Los Angeles Rams ( Jared Goff ) , Minnesota ( Kirk Cousins ) , the New York Giants ( Daniel Jones ) , Seattle ( Russell Wilson ) and Tampa Bay ( Tom Brady ) .
I opted to keep Carr , Cousins , Tannehill and Brady on the “ set ” list but those teams should give heavy consideration to drafting an heir apparent .
That leaves Everybody Else : These clubs should draft quarterbacks in the first round @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jets nearly squandered their chance at drafting Lawrence but lost in the final seconds to Las Vegas two weeks ago .
They ’ re in the driver ’ s seat to add Lawrence and trade Sam Darnold for picks .
Jacksonville : Only the Jaguars could end the season with 15 consecutive losses and not draft first overall .
They ’ re in good shape to draft second even if they win one more game .
New England : Cam Newton is a free agent and isn ’ t the answer .
Jarrett @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the answer .
A trade up for Lance or Wilson or even a trade down for Florida ’ s Kyle Trask sounds feasible .
Either because they ’ re a free agent , may opt for retirement or believe a new regime will force them to start fresh elsewhere , this is a fascinating group of teams and quarterbacks .
Detroit : It feels like Matthew Stafford has been around forever , but he will be only 33 in February .
If the Lions ’ new general manager/coach , in conjunction with Stafford @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be at the top of the quarterback market .
New Orleans : Drew Brees will be in his age-42 season in 2021 and is currently out with myriad cracked ribs .
The Saints have Taysom Hill and Jameis Winston ready to compete if Brees retires .
Pittsburgh : If Ben Roethlisberger , 39 in March , retires , the Steelers have Mason Rudolph and Joshua Dobbs .
Uh-oh .
Winston would be a fit if he becomes available .
These three teams have quarterback questions because of injury , free agency or performance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the veteran route .
Indianapolis : Philip Rivers signed a one-year contract in March .
The Colts are built to win now and currently have more than $ 66 million in ’ 21 cap space .
A Frank Reich-Carson Wentz reunion ?
San Francisco : Jimmy Garoppolo can ’ t stay healthy and backups Nick Mullens/C.J .
Beathard haven ’ t distinguished themselves .
Back to the drawing board for coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch , but not via the draft .
Indianapolis ’ Jacoby Brissett could make sense if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s their starter .
Chicago : The Mitchell Trubisky Experiment hasn ’ t worked out and Nick Foles didn ’ t provide a spark .
Even if general manager Ryan Pace and coach Matt Nagy are retained , they have no reason to stick with Trubisky .
These teams can stand pat with their in-house options or explore outside help .
Atlanta : The Falcons , who will have a new general manager and coach , can ’ t cut Matt Ryan before June 1 ( $ 68.9 million “ dead ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 37-year old have a trade market ?
I think so .
Washington : Alex Smith is one of the NFL ’ s best stories , returning to the field two years after a gruesome leg injury .
But he turns 37 in May and 2019 10th overall pick Dwayne Haskins wasn ’ t drafted by current coach Ron Rivera .
Broncos : My lean is to stick with Drew Lock , but explore the veteran backup market .
But you never know with general manager John Elway .
Philadelphia : Yikes , wouldn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Howie Roseman ( who signed Wentz to an extension that hasn ’ t kicked in yet ) or coach Doug Pederson ( who will be tasked with resurrecting Wentz if he stays put ) .
If they can somehow find a taker for Wentz , do they roll with Jalen Hurts ?
Overall , there will be turnover .
This year in Week 1 , nine teams had different starting quarterbacks compared to the 2019 opening game .

Fading stars who may retire. First-round picks who haven’t worked out. And under-contract starters who may seek a fresh start.
The NFL Offseason Quarterback Carousel has the potential to be all kinds of fun and that’s before the first round of the draft will star Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence, Ohio State’s Justin Fields, BYU’s Zach Wilson and North Dakota State’s Trey Lance.
By my count, 13 teams have unsettled 2021 quarterback situations entering the final three games of this year.
I put 19 teams in the category of being set with their quarterback.
Set in AFC (10): Baltimore (Lamar Jackson), Buffalo (Josh Allen), Cincinnati (Joe Burrow), Cleveland (Baker Mayfield), Houston (Deshaun Watson), Kansas City (Patrick Mahomes), Las Vegas (Derek Carr), the Los Angeles Chargers (Justin Herbert), Miami (Tua Tagovailoa) and Tennessee (Ryan Tannehill).
Set in NFC (nine): Arizona (Kyler Murray), Carolina (Teddy Bridgewater), Dallas (free agent Dak Prescott), Green Bay (Aaron Rodgers), the Los Angeles Rams (Jared Goff), Minnesota (Kirk Cousins), the New York Giants (Daniel Jones), Seattle (Russell Wilson) and Tampa Bay (Tom Brady).
I opted to keep Carr, Cousins, Tannehill and Brady on the “set” list but those teams should give heavy consideration to drafting an heir apparent.
That leaves Everybody Else:
First-round teams
These clubs should draft quarterbacks in the first round.
New York Jets: The winless Jets nearly squandered their chance at drafting Lawrence but lost in the final seconds to Las Vegas two weeks ago. They’re in the driver’s seat to add Lawrence and trade Sam Darnold for picks.
Jacksonville: Only the Jaguars could end the season with 15 consecutive losses and not draft first overall. They’re in good shape to draft second even if they win one more game.
New England: Cam Newton is a free agent and isn’t the answer. Jarrett Stidham is a second-year player and not the answer. A trade up for Lance or Wilson or even a trade down for Florida’s Kyle Trask sounds feasible.
Veterans retiring or leaving?
Either because they’re a free agent, may opt for retirement or believe a new regime will force them to start fresh elsewhere, this is a fascinating group of teams and quarterbacks.
Detroit: It feels like Matthew Stafford has been around forever, but he will be only 33 in February. If the Lions’ new general manager/coach, in conjunction with Stafford, decide to split, he will be at the top of the quarterback market.
New Orleans: Drew Brees will be in his age-42 season in 2021 and is currently out with myriad cracked ribs. The Saints have Taysom Hill and Jameis Winston ready to compete if Brees retires.
Pittsburgh: If Ben Roethlisberger, 39 in March, retires, the Steelers have Mason Rudolph and Joshua Dobbs. Uh-oh. Winston would be a fit if he becomes available.
Seeking a new veteran?
These three teams have quarterback questions because of injury, free agency or performance, but are more likely to go the veteran route.
Indianapolis: Philip Rivers signed a one-year contract in March. The Colts are built to win now and currently have more than $66 million in ’21 cap space. A Frank Reich-Carson Wentz reunion?
San Francisco: Jimmy Garoppolo can’t stay healthy and backups Nick Mullens/C.J. Beathard haven’t distinguished themselves. Back to the drawing board for coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch, but not via the draft. Indianapolis’ Jacoby Brissett could make sense if the Colts don’t think he’s their starter.
Chicago: The Mitchell Trubisky Experiment hasn’t worked out and Nick Foles didn’t provide a spark. Even if general manager Ryan Pace and coach Matt Nagy are retained, they have no reason to stick with Trubisky.
The wild cards
These teams can stand pat with their in-house options or explore outside help.
Atlanta: The Falcons, who will have a new general manager and coach, can’t cut Matt Ryan before June 1 ($68.9 million “dead” cap hit), but would the 37-year old have a trade market? I think so.
Washington: Alex Smith is one of the NFL’s best stories, returning to the field two years after a gruesome leg injury. But he turns 37 in May and 2019 10th overall pick Dwayne Haskins wasn’t drafted by current coach Ron Rivera.
Broncos: My lean is to stick with Drew Lock, but explore the veteran backup market. But you never know with general manager John Elway.
Philadelphia: Yikes, wouldn’t want to be general manager Howie Roseman (who signed Wentz to an extension that hasn’t kicked in yet) or coach Doug Pederson (who will be tasked with resurrecting Wentz if he stays put). If they can somehow find a taker for Wentz, do they roll with Jalen Hurts?
Overall, there will be turnover. This year in Week 1, nine teams had different starting quarterbacks compared to the 2019 opening game.


thedenverpost--2020-12-18--1 in 5 prisoners in the U.S. has had COVID-19, 1,700 have died

By BETH SCHWARTZAPFEL and KATIE PARK , The Marshall Project , and ANDREW DEMILLO , The Associated Press LITTLE ROCK , Ark .
— One in every five state and federal prisoners in the United States has tested positive for the coronavirus , a rate more than four times higher than the general population .
In some states , more than half of prisoners have been infected , according to data collected by The Associated Press and The Marshall Project .
As the pandemic enters its 10th month — and as the first Americans begin to receive a long-awaited COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been infected , more than 1,700 have died and the spread of the virus behind bars shows no sign of slowing .
New cases in prisons this week reached their highest level since testing began in the spring , far outstripping previous peaks in April and August .
“ That number is a vast undercount , ” said Homer Venters , the former chief medical officer at New York ’ s Rikers Island jail complex .
Venters has conducted more than a dozen court-ordered COVID-19 prison inspections around the country .
“ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when people get sick , not only are they not tested but they don ’ t receive care .
So they get much sicker than need be , ” he said .
Now the rollout of vaccines poses difficult decisions for politicians and policymakers .
As the virus spreads largely unchecked behind bars , prisoners can ’ t social distance and are dependent on the state for their safety and well-being .
*** This story is a collaboration between The Associated Press and The Marshall Project exploring the state of the prison system @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 26 , was recently released from Lansing Correctional Facility in Kansas , where he caught the virus while serving time on a marijuana charge .
Some 5,100 prisoners have become infected in Kansas prisons , the third-highest COVID-19 rate in the country , behind only South Dakota and Arkansas .
“ It was like I was sentenced to death , ” Westmoreland said .
Westmoreland lived with more than 100 virus-infected men in an open dorm , where he woke up regularly to find men sick on the floor , unable to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ People are actually dying in front of me off of this virus , ” he said .
“ It ’ s the scariest sight.
” Westmoreland said he sweated it out , shivering in his bunk until , six weeks later , he finally recovered .
Half of the prisoners in Kansas have been infected with COVID-19 — eight times the rate of cases among the state ’ s overall population .
Eleven prisoners have died , including five at the prison where Westmoreland was held .
Of the three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , two worked at Lansing Correctional Facility .
In Arkansas , where more than 9,700 prisoners have tested positive and 50 have died , four of every seven have had the virus , the second-highest prison infection rate in the U.S .
Among the dead was 29-year-old Derick Coley , who was serving a 20-year sentence at the Cummins Unit maximum security prison .
Cece Tate , Coley ’ s girlfriend , said she last talked with him on April 10 when he said he was sick and showing symptoms of the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to get information , ” she said .
The prison finally told her on April 20 that Coley had tested positive for the virus .
Less than two weeks later , a prison chaplain called on May 2 to tell her Coley had died .
The couple had a daughter who turned 9 in July .
“ She cried and was like , ‘ My daddy can ’ t send me a birthday card , ’ ” Tate said .
“ She was like , ‘ Momma , my Christmas ain ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nearly every prison system in the country has seen infection rates significantly higher than the communities around them .
In facilities run by the federal Bureau of Prisons , one of every five prisoners has had coronavirus .
Twenty-four state prison systems have had even higher rates .
Prison workers have also been disproportionately affected .
In North Dakota , four of every five prison staff has gotten coronavirus .
Nationwide , it ’ s one in five .
Not all states release how many prisoners they ’ ve tested , but states @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appear to have higher case rates than states that don ’ t .
Infection rates as of Tuesday were calculated by the AP and The Marshall Project , a nonprofit news organization covering the criminal justice system , based on data collected weekly in prisons since March .
Infection and mortality rates may be even higher , since nearly every prison system has significantly fewer prisoners today than when the pandemic began , so rates represent a conservative estimate based on the largest known population .
Yet , as vaccine campaigns get underway @ @ @ @ @ @ @ states against giving the shots to people in prisons early .
“ There ’ s no way it ’ s going to go to prisoners … before it goes to the people who haven ’ t committed any crime , ” Colorado Gov .
Jared Polis told reporters earlier this month after his state ’ s initial vaccine priority plans put prisoners before the general public .
Like more than a dozen states , Kansas ’ s vaccination plan does not mention prisoners or corrections staff , according to the Prison Policy Initiative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Seven states put prisoners near the front of the line , along with others living in crowded settings like nursing homes and long-term care facilities .
An additional 19 states have placed prisoners in the second phase of their vaccine rollouts .
Racial disparities in the nation ’ s criminal justice system compound the disproportionate toll the pandemic has taken on communities of color .
Black Americans are incarcerated at five times the rate of whites .
They are also disproportionately likely to be infected and hospitalized with COVID-19 , and are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a family member or close friend who has died of the virus .
The pandemic “ increases risk for those who are already at risk , ” said David J. Harris , managing director of the Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race and Justice at Harvard Law School .
This week , a Council on Criminal Justice task force headed by former attorneys general Alberto Gonzalez and Loretta Lynch released a report calling for scaling back prison populations , improving communication with public health departments and reporting better data .
Prison facilities are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ housing , cafeterias and open-bar cell doors make it nearly impossible to quarantine .
Prison populations are sicker , on average , than the general population and health care behind bars is notoriously substandard .
Nationwide , the mortality rate for COVID-19 among prisoners is 45 % higher than the overall rate .
From the earliest days of the pandemic , public health experts called for widespread prison releases as the best way to curb virus spread behind bars .
In October , the National Academies of Science , Medicine , and Engineering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their prisons of anyone who was medically vulnerable , nearing the end of their sentence or of low risk to public safety .
But releases have been slow and uneven .
In the first three months of the pandemic , more than 10,000 federal prisoners applied for compassionate release .
Wardens denied or did not respond to almost all those requests , approving only 156 — less than 2 % .
A plan to thin the state prison population in New Jersey , first introduced in June , was held up in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those who were released .
About 2,200 prisoners with less than a year left to serve were ultimately released in November , eight months after the pandemic began .
California used a similar strategy to release 11,000 people since March .
But state prisons stopped accepting new prisoners from county jails at several points during the pandemic , which simply shifted the burden to the jails .
According to the state corrections agency , more than 8,000 people are now waiting in California ’ s county jails , which are also coronavirus hot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ screwing county , ’ ” said John Wetzel , Pennsylvania ’ s secretary of corrections , whose prison system has one of the lower COVID-19 case rates in the country , with one in every seven prisoners infected .
But that ’ s still more than three times the statewide rate .
Prison walls are porous even during a pandemic , with corrections officers and other employees traveling in and out each day .
“ The interchange between communities and prisons and jails has always been there , but in the context of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clear , ” said Lauren Brinkley-Rubinstein , a professor of social medicine at UNC-Chapel Hill who studies incarceration and health .
“ We have to stop thinking about them as a place apart.
” Wetzel said Pennsylvania ’ s prisons have kept virus rates relatively low by widely distributing masks in mid-March — weeks before even the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention began recommending them for everyday use in public — and demanding that staff and prisoners use them properly and consistently .
But prisoners and advocates say prevention measures on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s good intentions .
As the country heads into winter with virus infections on the rise , experts caution that unless COVID-19 is brought under control behind bars , the country will not get it under control in the population at large .
“ If we are going to end this pandemic — bring down infection rates , bring down death rates , bring down ICU occupancy rates — we have to address infection rates in correctional facilities , ” said Emily Wang , professor at Yale School of Medicine and co-author @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Infections and deaths are extraordinarily high .
These are wards of the state , and we have to contend with it.
” Schwartzapfel reported from Boston and Park from Washington .
Join our Facebook group for the latest updates on coronavirus in Colorado .

By BETH SCHWARTZAPFEL and KATIE PARK, The Marshall Project, and ANDREW DEMILLO, The Associated Press
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — One in every five state and federal prisoners in the United States has tested positive for the coronavirus, a rate more than four times higher than the general population. In some states, more than half of prisoners have been infected, according to data collected by The Associated Press and The Marshall Project.
As the pandemic enters its 10th month — and as the first Americans begin to receive a long-awaited COVID-19 vaccine — at least 275,000 prisoners have been infected, more than 1,700 have died and the spread of the virus behind bars shows no sign of slowing. New cases in prisons this week reached their highest level since testing began in the spring, far outstripping previous peaks in April and August.
“That number is a vast undercount,” said Homer Venters, the former chief medical officer at New York’s Rikers Island jail complex.
Venters has conducted more than a dozen court-ordered COVID-19 prison inspections around the country. “I still encounter prisons and jails where, when people get sick, not only are they not tested but they don’t receive care. So they get much sicker than need be,” he said.
Now the rollout of vaccines poses difficult decisions for politicians and policymakers. As the virus spreads largely unchecked behind bars, prisoners can’t social distance and are dependent on the state for their safety and well-being.
***
This story is a collaboration between The Associated Press and The Marshall Project exploring the state of the prison system in the coronavirus pandemic.
***
Donte Westmoreland, 26, was recently released from Lansing Correctional Facility in Kansas, where he caught the virus while serving time on a marijuana charge. Some 5,100 prisoners have become infected in Kansas prisons, the third-highest COVID-19 rate in the country, behind only South Dakota and Arkansas.
“It was like I was sentenced to death,” Westmoreland said.
Westmoreland lived with more than 100 virus-infected men in an open dorm, where he woke up regularly to find men sick on the floor, unable to get up on their own, he said.
“People are actually dying in front of me off of this virus,” he said. “It’s the scariest sight.” Westmoreland said he sweated it out, shivering in his bunk until, six weeks later, he finally recovered.
Half of the prisoners in Kansas have been infected with COVID-19 — eight times the rate of cases among the state’s overall population. Eleven prisoners have died, including five at the prison where Westmoreland was held. Of the three prison employees who have died in Kansas, two worked at Lansing Correctional Facility.
In Arkansas, where more than 9,700 prisoners have tested positive and 50 have died, four of every seven have had the virus, the second-highest prison infection rate in the U.S.
Among the dead was 29-year-old Derick Coley, who was serving a 20-year sentence at the Cummins Unit maximum security prison. Cece Tate, Coley’s girlfriend, said she last talked with him on April 10 when he said he was sick and showing symptoms of the virus.
“It took forever for me to get information,” she said. The prison finally told her on April 20 that Coley had tested positive for the virus. Less than two weeks later, a prison chaplain called on May 2 to tell her Coley had died.
The couple had a daughter who turned 9 in July. “She cried and was like, ‘My daddy can’t send me a birthday card,’” Tate said. “She was like, ‘Momma, my Christmas ain’t going to be the same.’”
Nearly every prison system in the country has seen infection rates significantly higher than the communities around them. In facilities run by the federal Bureau of Prisons, one of every five prisoners has had coronavirus. Twenty-four state prison systems have had even higher rates.
Prison workers have also been disproportionately affected. In North Dakota, four of every five prison staff has gotten coronavirus. Nationwide, it’s one in five.
Not all states release how many prisoners they’ve tested, but states that test prisoners broadly and regularly may appear to have higher case rates than states that don’t.
Infection rates as of Tuesday were calculated by the AP and The Marshall Project, a nonprofit news organization covering the criminal justice system, based on data collected weekly in prisons since March. Infection and mortality rates may be even higher, since nearly every prison system has significantly fewer prisoners today than when the pandemic began, so rates represent a conservative estimate based on the largest known population.
Yet, as vaccine campaigns get underway, there has been pushback in some states against giving the shots to people in prisons early.
“There’s no way it’s going to go to prisoners … before it goes to the people who haven’t committed any crime,” Colorado Gov. Jared Polis told reporters earlier this month after his state’s initial vaccine priority plans put prisoners before the general public.
Like more than a dozen states, Kansas’s vaccination plan does not mention prisoners or corrections staff, according to the Prison Policy Initiative, a non-partisan prison data think tank. Seven states put prisoners near the front of the line, along with others living in crowded settings like nursing homes and long-term care facilities. An additional 19 states have placed prisoners in the second phase of their vaccine rollouts.
Racial disparities in the nation’s criminal justice system compound the disproportionate toll the pandemic has taken on communities of color. Black Americans are incarcerated at five times the rate of whites. They are also disproportionately likely to be infected and hospitalized with COVID-19, and are more likely than other races to have a family member or close friend who has died of the virus.
The pandemic “increases risk for those who are already at risk,” said David J. Harris, managing director of the Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race and Justice at Harvard Law School.
This week, a Council on Criminal Justice task force headed by former attorneys general Alberto Gonzalez and Loretta Lynch released a report calling for scaling back prison populations, improving communication with public health departments and reporting better data.
Prison facilities are often overcrowded and poorly ventilated. Dormitory-style housing, cafeterias and open-bar cell doors make it nearly impossible to quarantine. Prison populations are sicker, on average, than the general population and health care behind bars is notoriously substandard. Nationwide, the mortality rate for COVID-19 among prisoners is 45% higher than the overall rate.
From the earliest days of the pandemic, public health experts called for widespread prison releases as the best way to curb virus spread behind bars. In October, the National Academies of Science, Medicine, and Engineering released a report urging states to empty their prisons of anyone who was medically vulnerable, nearing the end of their sentence or of low risk to public safety.
But releases have been slow and uneven. In the first three months of the pandemic, more than 10,000 federal prisoners applied for compassionate release. Wardens denied or did not respond to almost all those requests, approving only 156 — less than 2%.
A plan to thin the state prison population in New Jersey, first introduced in June, was held up in the Legislature because of inadequate funding to help those who were released. About 2,200 prisoners with less than a year left to serve were ultimately released in November, eight months after the pandemic began.
California used a similar strategy to release 11,000 people since March. But state prisons stopped accepting new prisoners from county jails at several points during the pandemic, which simply shifted the burden to the jails. According to the state corrections agency, more than 8,000 people are now waiting in California’s county jails, which are also coronavirus hot spots.
“We call that ‘screwing county,’” said John Wetzel, Pennsylvania’s secretary of corrections, whose prison system has one of the lower COVID-19 case rates in the country, with one in every seven prisoners infected. But that’s still more than three times the statewide rate.
Prison walls are porous even during a pandemic, with corrections officers and other employees traveling in and out each day.
“The interchange between communities and prisons and jails has always been there, but in the context of COVID-19 it’s never been more clear,” said Lauren Brinkley-Rubinstein, a professor of social medicine at UNC-Chapel Hill who studies incarceration and health. “We have to stop thinking about them as a place apart.”
Wetzel said Pennsylvania’s prisons have kept virus rates relatively low by widely distributing masks in mid-March — weeks before even the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention began recommending them for everyday use in public — and demanding that staff and prisoners use them properly and consistently. But prisoners and advocates say prevention measures on the ground are uneven, regardless of Wetzel’s good intentions.
As the country heads into winter with virus infections on the rise, experts caution that unless COVID-19 is brought under control behind bars, the country will not get it under control in the population at large.
“If we are going to end this pandemic — bring down infection rates, bring down death rates, bring down ICU occupancy rates — we have to address infection rates in correctional facilities,” said Emily Wang, professor at Yale School of Medicine and co-author of the recent National Academies report.
“Infections and deaths are extraordinarily high. These are wards of the state, and we have to contend with it.”
Schwartzapfel reported from Boston and Park from Washington.
Join our Facebook group for the latest updates on coronavirus in Colorado.


thedenverpost--2020-12-18--Ask Amy: Depressed partner locked in shame cycle

Dear Amy : Lately , I have been doubting myself in every aspect of my life .
I am always sad .
I am working on my teaching certification and I can not get myself to open my laptop and work .
My boyfriend is amazing , yet I always find something to argue about .
I get very upset over nothing .
Yesterday he said he ’ s losing interest in me because I always find something to argue about .
I was annoyed at him because I sent a photo of the two of us to him and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He got upset .
He has not posted anything of us on social media since we started dating over a year ago .
When he was in another relationship , he would post photos of his ex-girlfriend all the time .
I wonder if I ’ m not good enough ?
I ’ ve always been a confident person , however with him I feel insecure .
Dear Lost : I assume you ordered your boyfriend to post a photo of you because you are insecure and grasping at straws .
You @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into a corner .
You seem locked into a shame cycle .
Picture a compass with these points : Negative thoughts , negative feelings , negative self-worth , destructive behavior , leading to negative consequences , which leads right back to negative thoughts , etc .
Your behavior — being sad , argumentative , procrastinating , and doubting yourself at every turn — are all indicators of depression .
You can not help being depressed , but you must do everything possible to deal with it .
See your physician right away and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This might not be the right time for you to be in a relationship , in part because you are acting out in anger , which affects your boyfriend ’ s self-worth , as well as yours .
You acknowledge your negative behavior ( good for you ) , but now you should really commit to working on yourself .
With treatment , you will gain insight , strength , and tools to cope .
Dear Amy : Our large family is all grown , with kids in various life and career @ @ @ @ @ @ @ physical and financial ability ( and based on their needs ) , we help our kids as much as we can .
In the last few years we have allowed two of our adult children to live with us on a short-term basis ( less than a year ) when moving states to take a job or while attending college .
Early this year , our son announced that he and his family would need to move in with us , as he was applying for a new job .
He lives 40 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ house .
Living with us , his commute to the new job would be shortened from 40 to 10 minutes .
We were concerned about some incompatibilities between us ( differences in diet and housekeeping style , and a dog ) that we thought could damage the relationship if we lived together .
We also didn ’ t feel that we needed to help in this way , because he is local and financially stable .
He rejected our reasoning , claiming that he has always been the least favorite .
Now he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it a mistake to allow any of our kids to live with us if we could not have offered that to all of them ?
Dear Struggling : It sounds as if your son was testing you .
He wanted you to prove that you put him on the same level as his siblings , by making an almost irrational demand .
When you responded rationally ( as he knew you would ) , you confirmed his belief , enabling him to justify pulling away .
Yes , it is important to treat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fairness in families is more about balance than equality .
The children who don ’ t need you as much for material or financial help should take pride in their own independence and competence , and you should stand firm and fair .
Dear Readers : In a recent column , I answered a question from “ Bit , ” who had regular contact with an aggressive dog .
In my response , I quoted a dog behaviorist who advised anyone in this situation to : “ Act like a tree.
” Yesterday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country road , a very large dog bounded up to me , barking and snarling .
I remembered the advice , and stopped , stood very still with my hands at my sides , and did not make eye contact .
The dog quickly lost interest .
I share this because I want readers to understand that I am growing , changing , and “ learning new tricks , ” just like you are .

Dear Amy: Lately, I have been doubting myself in every aspect of my life.
I am always sad. I am working on my teaching certification and I cannot get myself to open my laptop and work.
My boyfriend is amazing, yet I always find something to argue about.
I get very upset over nothing.
Yesterday he said he’s losing interest in me because I always find something to argue about.
I was annoyed at him because I sent a photo of the two of us to him and told him to post it on Facebook. He got upset. He has not posted anything of us on social media since we started dating over a year ago.
When he was in another relationship, he would post photos of his ex-girlfriend all the time.
I wonder if I’m not good enough? I’ve always been a confident person, however with him I feel insecure.
— Lost
Dear Lost: I assume you ordered your boyfriend to post a photo of you because you are insecure and grasping at straws. You are also testing him and forcing him into a corner.
You seem locked into a shame cycle. Picture a compass with these points: Negative thoughts, negative feelings, negative self-worth, destructive behavior, leading to negative consequences, which leads right back to negative thoughts, etc.
Your behavior — being sad, argumentative, procrastinating, and doubting yourself at every turn — are all indicators of depression.
You cannot help being depressed, but you must do everything possible to deal with it. See your physician right away and ask for a referral to a therapist.
This might not be the right time for you to be in a relationship, in part because you are acting out in anger, which affects your boyfriend’s self-worth, as well as yours.
You acknowledge your negative behavior (good for you), but now you should really commit to working on yourself.
With treatment, you will gain insight, strength, and tools to cope.
Dear Amy: Our large family is all grown, with kids in various life and career stages.
Within the limits of our physical and financial ability (and based on their needs), we help our kids as much as we can.
In the last few years we have allowed two of our adult children to live with us on a short-term basis (less than a year) when moving states to take a job or while attending college.
Early this year, our son announced that he and his family would need to move in with us, as he was applying for a new job.
He lives 40 minutes away from us and owns a house. Living with us, his commute to the new job would be shortened from 40 to 10 minutes.
We were concerned about some incompatibilities between us (differences in diet and housekeeping style, and a dog) that we thought could damage the relationship if we lived together.
We also didn’t feel that we needed to help in this way, because he is local and financially stable. He rejected our reasoning, claiming that he has always been the least favorite. Now he is completely estranged from us.
Was it a mistake to allow any of our kids to live with us if we could not have offered that to all of them?
— Struggling
Dear Struggling: It sounds as if your son was testing you. He wanted you to prove that you put him on the same level as his siblings, by making an almost irrational demand. When you responded rationally (as he knew you would), you confirmed his belief, enabling him to justify pulling away.
Yes, it is important to treat all of your children fairly. But fairness in families is more about balance than equality. The children who don’t need you as much for material or financial help should take pride in their own independence and competence, and you should stand firm and fair.
Dear Readers: In a recent column, I answered a question from “Bit,” who had regular contact with an aggressive dog. In my response, I quoted a dog behaviorist who advised anyone in this situation to: “Act like a tree.”
Yesterday, as I was jogging up a country road, a very large dog bounded up to me, barking and snarling.
I remembered the advice, and stopped, stood very still with my hands at my sides, and did not make eye contact. The dog quickly lost interest.
I share this because I want readers to understand that I am growing, changing, and “learning new tricks,” just like you are.
(You can email Amy Dickinson at askamy@amydickinson.com or send a letter to Ask Amy, P.O. Box 194, Freeville, NY 13068. You can also follow her on Twitter @askingamy or Facebook.)


thedenverpost--2020-12-18--Raiders lose QB Carr, fall in overtime to Chargers, Herbert

LAS VEGAS — Justin Herbert scored on 1-yard plunge to give the Los Angeles Chargers a 30-27 overtime victory over the Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday night .
The Chargers ( 5-9 ) snapped a nine-game losing streak against their AFC West counterparts .
The Raiders ( 7-7 ) lost quarterback Derek Carr to a left groin injury in the first quarter .
They have lost four of five , all but killing their playoff chances .
Moments after Daniel Carlson ’ s 23-yard field goal on the Raiders ’ first possession put Las Vegas ahead 27-24 , Herbert found @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nixon for a 53-yard reception to set up for the winning score .
Los Angeles improved to 1-2 in overtime games , while all four of its games against division foes have come down to the final play .
Herbert , who targeted nine receivers and completed at least one pass with seven , was 22 for 32 with 314 yards an two touchdowns .
He set an NFL rookie record with his eighth 300-yard game .
For the Raiders , the storyline quickly changed from must-win to stay alive in the playoff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ backup Marcus Mariota seeing his first action as a Raider .
Just four days after firing their defensive coordinator Paul Guenther , plus missing four starters on defense , and having their offensive coordinator Greg Olson sidelined after testing positive for COVID-19 , the Raiders lost Carr when he came up lame on a third-down scramble near the goal line in the first quarter .
Carr immediately went to the locker room and did not return .
Mariota , the No .
2 overall pick in 2015 by Tennessee , hadn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into the Titans ’ playoff game in Kansas City on Jan. 19 .
The sixth-year pro was in for one snap in each of the Titans ’ three playoff games last season and hadn ’ t thrown a touchdown since a 24-10 win in Atlanta on Sept. 29 , 2019 .
He was poised in his return from the first snap .
n his first drive , he was 3 for 3 for 70 yards and a perfectly placed over-the-top pass to Darren Waller .
Mariota also scrambled for 11 yards for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quick work of their final possession in the first-half , and took a 17-10 lead into the locker room after Herbert picked apart Las Vegas ’ decimated secondary with identical consecutive plays .
After connecting with KJ Hill for 26 yards on third down , Herbert found Tyron Johnson for a 26-yard TD strike .
It was Herbert ’ s 27th touchdown pass , tying him with Baker Mayfield for most by a rookie in NFL history .
Mariota carried his magic into the second half , leading the Raiders down field on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Josh Jacobs dove head first over the pile and into the end zone to tie it .
Mariota finished 17 of 28 for 226 yards with one TD and one interception .
He also rushed for 88 yards on nine carries , including a touchdown .
Mariota became just the third Raider to pass for 150 yards , rush for 50 yards , throw one TD and rush for another in the same game , joining Rich Gannon ( 2000 ) and Vince Evans ( 1987 ) .

LAS VEGAS — Justin Herbert scored on 1-yard plunge to give the Los Angeles Chargers a 30-27 overtime victory over the Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday night.
The Chargers (5-9) snapped a nine-game losing streak against their AFC West counterparts. The Raiders (7-7) lost quarterback Derek Carr to a left groin injury in the first quarter. They have lost four of five, all but killing their playoff chances.
Moments after Daniel Carlson’s 23-yard field goal on the Raiders’ first possession put Las Vegas ahead 27-24, Herbert found wideout Jalen Guyton streaking by cornerback Keisean Nixon for a 53-yard reception to set up for the winning score.
Los Angeles improved to 1-2 in overtime games, while all four of its games against division foes have come down to the final play.
Herbert, who targeted nine receivers and completed at least one pass with seven, was 22 for 32 with 314 yards an two touchdowns. He set an NFL rookie record with his eighth 300-yard game.
For the Raiders, the storyline quickly changed from must-win to stay alive in the playoff hunt, to, how-to win with backup Marcus Mariota seeing his first action as a Raider.
Just four days after firing their defensive coordinator Paul Guenther, plus missing four starters on defense, and having their offensive coordinator Greg Olson sidelined after testing positive for COVID-19, the Raiders lost Carr when he came up lame on a third-down scramble near the goal line in the first quarter. Carr immediately went to the locker room and did not return.
Mariota, the No. 2 overall pick in 2015 by Tennessee, hadn’t appeared in a game since he stepped into the Titans’ playoff game in Kansas City on Jan. 19. The sixth-year pro was in for one snap in each of the Titans’ three playoff games last season and hadn’t thrown a touchdown since a 24-10 win in Atlanta on Sept. 29, 2019.
He was poised in his return from the first snap.
n his first drive, he was 3 for 3 for 70 yards and a perfectly placed over-the-top pass to Darren Waller. Mariota also scrambled for 11 yards for a first down.
But the Chargers made quick work of their final possession in the first-half, and took a 17-10 lead into the locker room after Herbert picked apart Las Vegas’ decimated secondary with identical consecutive plays. After connecting with KJ Hill for 26 yards on third down, Herbert found Tyron Johnson for a 26-yard TD strike. It was Herbert’s 27th touchdown pass, tying him with Baker Mayfield for most by a rookie in NFL history.
Mariota carried his magic into the second half, leading the Raiders down field on their first drive of the second half. Josh Jacobs dove head first over the pile and into the end zone to tie it.
Mariota finished 17 of 28 for 226 yards with one TD and one interception. He also rushed for 88 yards on nine carries, including a touchdown. Mariota became just the third Raider to pass for 150 yards, rush for 50 yards, throw one TD and rush for another in the same game, joining Rich Gannon (2000) and Vince Evans (1987).


thedenverpost--2020-12-19--NHL, players reach tentative deal for 56-game season

The National Hockey League and players reached a tentative deal Friday to hold a 56-game season in 2021 beginning Jan. 13 , pending the approval of each side ’ s executive board and Canadian health officials .
Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly confirmed the sides have an agreement , pending the approval of various executive boards .
The NHL Players ’ Association ’ s board is meeting Friday night to discuss it , while the league ’ s Board of Governors could vote on the plan as soon as this weekend .
Approval from health officials in the five Canadian provinces @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the NHL can go ahead with the season .
Training camps for the seven non-playoff teams would open Dec. 31 and then Jan. 3 for the other 24 teams .
It ’ s unclear whether teams would play in their home arenas or in “ hub ” cities , though an all-divisional schedule is expected .
Exhibition games aren ’ t expected to be included in the leadup to the new season .
Sportsnet in Canada first reported the tentative agreement .
The NHL , like the NBA , finished its previous season @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them , one each in Toronto and Edmonton , Alberta .
Commissioner Gary Bettman awarded the Stanley Cup to the Tampa Bay Lightning in late September in Edmonton .
Owners and players agreed to a long-term extension of the collective bargaining agreement before the 2019-20 season resumed , setting the table for financial ramifications of the pandemic .
They agreed recently to stick to that deal , which includes players deferring 10 % of salaries , a cap on money they pay into escrow and a flat $ 81.5 million cap .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ another regular season .
The basketball season opens Tuesday .
One hurdle remaining is where the seven Canada-based teams will play .
The original plan was to put them in the same division , though tougher pandemic restrictions north of the border put that into limbo this week .
“ The resumption of sports events in Canada must be undertaken in adherence to Canada ’ s measures to mitigate the importation and spread of COVID-19 , ” the Public Health Agency of Canada said in a statement Thursday night .
“ NHL teams @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rules of their provincial jurisdictions for sports or sporting events.
” Major League Baseball ’ s Toronto Blue Jays played last season in Buffalo , New York , and the NBA ’ s Toronto Raptors have relocated to Tampa , Florida , because of government prohibitions .
The NHL so far has one American team that may need a new home : the San Jose Sharks , who play in California ’ s Santa Clara County with a temporary ban on professional and collegiate team sports that has affected the NFL ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ AP NHL coverage : https : //apnews.com/NHL and https : //twitter.com/AP_Sports

The National Hockey League and players reached a tentative deal Friday to hold a 56-game season in 2021 beginning Jan. 13, pending the approval of each side’s executive board and Canadian health officials.
Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly confirmed the sides have an agreement, pending the approval of various executive boards.
The NHL Players’ Association’s board is meeting Friday night to discuss it, while the league’s Board of Governors could vote on the plan as soon as this weekend. Approval from health officials in the five Canadian provinces that have teams is still needed before the NHL can go ahead with the season.
Training camps for the seven non-playoff teams would open Dec. 31 and then Jan. 3 for the other 24 teams. It’s unclear whether teams would play in their home arenas or in “hub” cities, though an all-divisional schedule is expected.
Exhibition games aren’t expected to be included in the leadup to the new season. Sportsnet in Canada first reported the tentative agreement.
The NHL, like the NBA, finished its previous season in a quarantined bubble — two of them, one each in Toronto and Edmonton, Alberta. Commissioner Gary Bettman awarded the Stanley Cup to the Tampa Bay Lightning in late September in Edmonton.
Owners and players agreed to a long-term extension of the collective bargaining agreement before the 2019-20 season resumed, setting the table for financial ramifications of the pandemic. They agreed recently to stick to that deal, which includes players deferring 10% of salaries, a cap on money they pay into escrow and a flat $81.5 million cap.
The NHL follows the NBA in moving toward another regular season. The basketball season opens Tuesday.
One hurdle remaining is where the seven Canada-based teams will play. The original plan was to put them in the same division, though tougher pandemic restrictions north of the border put that into limbo this week.
“The resumption of sports events in Canada must be undertaken in adherence to Canada’s measures to mitigate the importation and spread of COVID-19,” the Public Health Agency of Canada said in a statement Thursday night. “NHL teams and other professional sports must operate within the rules of their provincial jurisdictions for sports or sporting events.”
Major League Baseball’s Toronto Blue Jays played last season in Buffalo, New York, and the NBA’s Toronto Raptors have relocated to Tampa, Florida, because of government prohibitions. The NHL so far has one American team that may need a new home: the San Jose Sharks, who play in California’s Santa Clara County with a temporary ban on professional and collegiate team sports that has affected the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers.
___
For more AP NHL coverage: https://apnews.com/NHL and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports


thedenverpost--2020-12-19--Trump’s future: Tons of cash and plenty of options for spending it

Donald J. Trump will exit the White House as a private citizen next month perched atop a pile of campaign cash unheard-of for an outgoing president , and with few legal limits on how he can spend it .
Deflated by a loss he has yet to acknowledge , Trump has cushioned the blow by coaxing huge sums of money from his loyal supporters — often under dubious pretenses — raising roughly $ 250 million since Election Day along with the national party .
More than $ 60 million of that sum has gone to a new political action committee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ matter , which Trump will control after he leaves office .
Those funds , which far exceed what previous outgoing presidents had at their disposal , provide him with tremendous flexibility for his post-presidential ambitions : He could use the money to quell rebel factions within the party , reward loyalists , fund his travels and rallies , hire staff , pay legal bills and even lay the groundwork for a far-from-certain 2024 run .
The postelection blitz of fundraising has cemented Trump ’ s position as an unrivaled force and the preeminent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in defeat .
His largest single day for online donations actually came after Election Day — raising almost $ 750,000 per hour Nov. 6 .
So did his second-biggest day .
And his third .
“ Right now , he is the Republican Party , ” said John McLaughlin , a Republican pollster who worked on Trump ’ s reelection campaign .
“ The party knows that virtually every dollar they ’ ve raised in the last four years , it ’ s because of Donald Trump.
” During the campaign , many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and digital ad buys , were routed through a secretive LLC called American Made Media Consultants .
That allowed the Trump campaign and its joint committee with the national party to effectively shield many details of its spending , including who was being paid and how much .
More than $ 700 million has gone through the LLC since the beginning of 2019 .
What no one knew was that the LLC represented yet another intermingling of Trump ’ s political , financial and familial interests .
New documents reviewed by The New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ’ s daughter-in-law and a senior campaign adviser , served on the board — and was named on drafts of the incorporation papers .
So was John Pence , the nephew of Vice President Mike Pence and a senior Trump adviser .
Tim Murtaugh , a spokesman for Trump , said both Lara Trump and John Pence resigned from the board in October 2019 .
“ There was never any ethical or legal reason why they could not serve on the board in the first place , ’ ’ he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ being on the board .
American Made Media Consultants was the subject of a complaint to the Federal Election Commission this year that accused it of “ laundering ” funds to obscure the ultimate beneficiary of Trump campaign spending .
Filings show the vast majority of funds were spent after Lara Trump resigned from the board .
The complaint is pending .
For Trump , the quarter-billion dollars he and the party raised over six weeks is enough to pay off all of his remaining campaign bills and to fund his fruitless legal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of dollars .
Trump ’ s plans , however , remain extremely fluid .
His refusal to accept Joe Biden ’ s victory has stunted internal political planning , aides say , with some advisers in his shrinking circle of confidants hesitant to even approach him about setting a course of action for 2021 and beyond .
Those who have spoken with Trump say he appears shrunken , and over his job ; this detachment is reflected in a Twitter feed that remains stubbornly more focused on unfounded allegations of fraud than on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Trump has talked about running again in 2024 — but he also may not .
He has created this new PAC , but a different political entity could still be in the works , people involved in the discussions said .
Talk of counterprogramming Biden ’ s inauguration with a splashy event or an announcement of his own is currently on hold .
Trump had been tentatively planning to go to Georgia on Saturday , according to a senior Republican official , to support the two Republicans in Senate runoff races there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state ’ s Republican governor and secretary of state for accepting the election result and simply doesn ’ t want to make the trip .
There is some discussion about him going after the Christmas holiday .
Still , the Trump political apparatus has taken advantage of the grassroots energy and excitement over the two runoffs to juice its own fundraising .
Email and text solicitations have pitched Trump supporters to give to a “ Georgia Election Fund , ” even though no funds go directly to either Republican senator on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Instead , the fine print shows 75 % of the donations to the Georgia fund go to Trump ’ s new PAC , called Save America , with 25 % to the Republican National Committee .
After weeks of shouting “ FRAUD ” to supporters in emails and asking them to back an “ Election Defense Fund ” ( which also sent 75 % of donations to his new PAC ) , the Trump operation has subtly shifted its tone and focus , returning to more sustainable preelection themes , like hawking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the RNC did spend about $ 15 million combined in legal costs and other spending related to disputing the election between Oct. 15 and Nov. 23 , according to federal records .
Even some of his biggest postelection spending that his campaign labeled recount-related was routed through the LLC that Lara Trump served on the board of , including $ 2.2 million for “ SMS advertising , ” better known as text messaging .
For a sense of scale of just how much money Donald Trump will have at his disposal , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 60 million-plus haul — and counting — is about as much money as he spent to win his party ’ s presidential nomination in 2016 .
Some campaign finance experts have speculated that Trump might try to use the excess of cash in his new PAC , formally known as a leadership PAC , to pay for his own personal future legal quagmires as he faces investigations once he leaves office .
( A senior Trump adviser said they don ’ t expect the money to be used for personal legal needs .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ slush fund , ” said Meredith McGehee , executive director of Issue One , a group that supports increased political transparency .
“ There are very , very , very few limits on what he can ’ t spend money on.
” In the last five years , Trump has never shied from spending hundreds of thousands of dollars from his contributors on his private businesses , a practice he could continue or expand while out of office .
Just since mid-October , the Trump Victory Committee , a joint account operated with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 710,000 to the Trump Hotel Collection , while his reelection account has continued to pay more than $ 37,000 per month to rent space in Trump Tower .
It is not clear where his post-presidential operation will be based or who will run it , although several advisers expect it will be in Florida , where he is planning to move .
But as a former president , Trump will be allocated a certain amount of taxpayer money for staff and office space for life after leaving the White House , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which aides from the West Wing will accompany him .
His senior political advisers — Bill Stepien , Justin Clark and Jason Miller , among others — are among those who may stay involved with him politically .
While Trump ’ s post-presidency remains largely shapeless , he has demonstrated his desire to exert his control on national politics , especially among Republicans .
He has already endorsed Ronna McDaniel , a close ally , to serve another term as chair of the RNC .
He has floated primary challenges to Republicans , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Georgia , who have crossed him by rejecting his baseless theories of election fraud .
He has even asked aides how he can retain control of the party if he isn ’ t a candidate .
One person close to Trump said that he has sounded less certain about declaring he ’ s running in 2024 than he had just two weeks ago .
That uncertainty is causing anxiety for a number of advisers and aides to the president , some of whom might join other campaigns but are stuck in limbo until @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for president would trigger tighter rules on Trump ’ s political spending and added financial disclosures , including of Trump ’ s personal finances , that simply operating a PAC would not .
Trump ’ s future ambitions have also created a cloud over who exactly will control some of the most valuable assets from the 2020 campaign , including Trump ’ s lengthy list of supporters from whom he has raised hundreds of millions of dollars .
Both the RNC and Trump are entitled to some of this valuable voter data , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ data are underway but expected to last months .
“ There ’ s no bully pulpit as large as the presidency , but nevertheless , President Trump is likely to play a significant role in the future of the Republican Party , ” said Whit Ayres , a Republican pollster .
“ It ’ s very difficult to imagine him following the same pattern as George W. Bush , Barack Obama and other presidents have followed in keeping their mouths shut and letting the new president try to govern .
”

Donald J. Trump will exit the White House as a private citizen next month perched atop a pile of campaign cash unheard-of for an outgoing president, and with few legal limits on how he can spend it.
Deflated by a loss he has yet to acknowledge, Trump has cushioned the blow by coaxing huge sums of money from his loyal supporters — often under dubious pretenses — raising roughly $250 million since Election Day along with the national party.
More than $60 million of that sum has gone to a new political action committee, according to people familiar with the matter, which Trump will control after he leaves office. Those funds, which far exceed what previous outgoing presidents had at their disposal, provide him with tremendous flexibility for his post-presidential ambitions: He could use the money to quell rebel factions within the party, reward loyalists, fund his travels and rallies, hire staff, pay legal bills and even lay the groundwork for a far-from-certain 2024 run.
The postelection blitz of fundraising has cemented Trump’s position as an unrivaled force and the preeminent fundraiser of the Republican Party, even in defeat. His largest single day for online donations actually came after Election Day — raising almost $750,000 per hour Nov. 6. So did his second-biggest day. And his third.
“Right now, he is the Republican Party,” said John McLaughlin, a Republican pollster who worked on Trump’s reelection campaign. “The party knows that virtually every dollar they’ve raised in the last four years, it’s because of Donald Trump.”
During the campaign, many of the large expenditures, like television and digital ad buys, were routed through a secretive LLC called American Made Media Consultants. That allowed the Trump campaign and its joint committee with the national party to effectively shield many details of its spending, including who was being paid and how much. More than $700 million has gone through the LLC since the beginning of 2019.
What no one knew was that the LLC represented yet another intermingling of Trump’s political, financial and familial interests. New documents reviewed by The New York Times show that Lara Trump, Trump’s daughter-in-law and a senior campaign adviser, served on the board — and was named on drafts of the incorporation papers. So was John Pence, the nephew of Vice President Mike Pence and a senior Trump adviser.
Tim Murtaugh, a spokesman for Trump, said both Lara Trump and John Pence resigned from the board in October 2019. “There was never any ethical or legal reason why they could not serve on the board in the first place,’’ he said. He added that neither was paid for being on the board.
American Made Media Consultants was the subject of a complaint to the Federal Election Commission this year that accused it of “laundering” funds to obscure the ultimate beneficiary of Trump campaign spending. Filings show the vast majority of funds were spent after Lara Trump resigned from the board. The complaint is pending.
For Trump, the quarter-billion dollars he and the party raised over six weeks is enough to pay off all of his remaining campaign bills and to fund his fruitless legal challenges and still leave tens of millions of dollars.
Trump’s plans, however, remain extremely fluid. His refusal to accept Joe Biden’s victory has stunted internal political planning, aides say, with some advisers in his shrinking circle of confidants hesitant to even approach him about setting a course of action for 2021 and beyond.
Those who have spoken with Trump say he appears shrunken, and over his job; this detachment is reflected in a Twitter feed that remains stubbornly more focused on unfounded allegations of fraud than on the death toll from the raging pandemic.
Trump has talked about running again in 2024 — but he also may not. He has created this new PAC, but a different political entity could still be in the works, people involved in the discussions said. Talk of counterprogramming Biden’s inauguration with a splashy event or an announcement of his own is currently on hold.
Trump had been tentatively planning to go to Georgia on Saturday, according to a senior Republican official, to support the two Republicans in Senate runoff races there. But he is still angry at the state’s Republican governor and secretary of state for accepting the election result and simply doesn’t want to make the trip. There is some discussion about him going after the Christmas holiday.
Still, the Trump political apparatus has taken advantage of the grassroots energy and excitement over the two runoffs to juice its own fundraising. Email and text solicitations have pitched Trump supporters to give to a “Georgia Election Fund,” even though no funds go directly to either Republican senator on the ballot, irritating some Senate GOP strategists.
Instead, the fine print shows 75% of the donations to the Georgia fund go to Trump’s new PAC, called Save America, with 25% to the Republican National Committee.
After weeks of shouting “FRAUD” to supporters in emails and asking them to back an “Election Defense Fund” (which also sent 75% of donations to his new PAC), the Trump operation has subtly shifted its tone and focus, returning to more sustainable preelection themes, like hawking signed hats and opposing socialism.
Trump and the RNC did spend about $15 million combined in legal costs and other spending related to disputing the election between Oct. 15 and Nov. 23, according to federal records.
Even some of his biggest postelection spending that his campaign labeled recount-related was routed through the LLC that Lara Trump served on the board of, including $2.2 million for “SMS advertising,” better known as text messaging.
For a sense of scale of just how much money Donald Trump will have at his disposal, the new Trump PAC’s $60 million-plus haul — and counting — is about as much money as he spent to win his party’s presidential nomination in 2016.
Some campaign finance experts have speculated that Trump might try to use the excess of cash in his new PAC, formally known as a leadership PAC, to pay for his own personal future legal quagmires as he faces investigations once he leaves office. (A senior Trump adviser said they don’t expect the money to be used for personal legal needs.)
“A leadership PAC is a slush fund,” said Meredith McGehee, executive director of Issue One, a group that supports increased political transparency. “There are very, very, very few limits on what he can’t spend money on.”
In the last five years, Trump has never shied from spending hundreds of thousands of dollars from his contributors on his private businesses, a practice he could continue or expand while out of office.
Just since mid-October, the Trump Victory Committee, a joint account operated with the RNC, has paid more than $710,000 to the Trump Hotel Collection, while his reelection account has continued to pay more than $37,000 per month to rent space in Trump Tower.
It is not clear where his post-presidential operation will be based or who will run it, although several advisers expect it will be in Florida, where he is planning to move.
But as a former president, Trump will be allocated a certain amount of taxpayer money for staff and office space for life after leaving the White House, and he is beginning to have discussions about which aides from the West Wing will accompany him.
His senior political advisers — Bill Stepien, Justin Clark and Jason Miller, among others — are among those who may stay involved with him politically.
While Trump’s post-presidency remains largely shapeless, he has demonstrated his desire to exert his control on national politics, especially among Republicans.
He has already endorsed Ronna McDaniel, a close ally, to serve another term as chair of the RNC. He has floated primary challenges to Republicans, such as Gov. Brian Kemp of Georgia, who have crossed him by rejecting his baseless theories of election fraud. He has even asked aides how he can retain control of the party if he isn’t a candidate.
One person close to Trump said that he has sounded less certain about declaring he’s running in 2024 than he had just two weeks ago. That uncertainty is causing anxiety for a number of advisers and aides to the president, some of whom might join other campaigns but are stuck in limbo until Trump makes up his mind. Announcing for president would trigger tighter rules on Trump’s political spending and added financial disclosures, including of Trump’s personal finances, that simply operating a PAC would not.
Trump’s future ambitions have also created a cloud over who exactly will control some of the most valuable assets from the 2020 campaign, including Trump’s lengthy list of supporters from whom he has raised hundreds of millions of dollars. Both the RNC and Trump are entitled to some of this valuable voter data, and efforts at “decoupling” the data are underway but expected to last months.
“There’s no bully pulpit as large as the presidency, but nevertheless, President Trump is likely to play a significant role in the future of the Republican Party,” said Whit Ayres, a Republican pollster. “It’s very difficult to imagine him following the same pattern as George W. Bush, Barack Obama and other presidents have followed in keeping their mouths shut and letting the new president try to govern.”