thedenverpost--2020-10-20--Rob Manfred likes idea of expanded playoff format, runner in extra innings

ARLINGTON , Texas — Ahead of a World Series capping the pandemic-shortened season , baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said he hopes to keep two of this year ’ s innovations : expanded playoffs and starting extra innings with runners on second base .
“ People were wildly unenthusiastic about the changes .
And then when they saw them in action , they were much more positive , ” Manfred said Tuesday during an interview with The Associated Press .
Manfred said the 30 teams combined for $ 3 billion in operating losses due the coronavirus pandemic , which caused all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ empty ballparks without fans .
After opening day was delayed from March 26 to July 23 , MLB and the players ’ association agreed to expand the number of teams in the playoffs from 10 to 16 .
Even before the pandemic , Manfred advocated a future expansion of the playoffs to 14 teams .
“ I like the idea of , and I ’ m choosing my words carefully here , an expanded playoff format , ” Manfred said .
“ I don ’ t think we would do 16 like we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do have to be cognizant of making sure that we preserve the importance of our regular season .
But I think something beyond the 10 that we were at would be a good change.
” With the added runner rule , the longest of 68 games of 10 innings or longer were a pair of 13-inning contests , according to the Elias Sports Bureau .
“ I think the players like it , ” Manfred said .
“ I think it ’ s really good from a safety and health perspective that keeps @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they ’ re out there too long or in positions they ’ re not used to playing.
” Union head Tony Clark said it was too soon to commit to changes for 2021 .
The sport ’ s labor contract runs through 2021 , and the union ’ s agreement is needed to alter the 2021 structure .
“ We made a number of one-year changes this season under unique circumstances , ” Clark wrote in an email to the AP .
“ We are gathering feedback from players and we ’ ll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appropriate time .
Obviously , protecting health and safety will remain among several important considerations as those talks unfold.
” Manfred is concerned about whether fans will be allowed to attend games next season .
“ We understand what happens with fans is going to be a product of what happens with the virus , what decisions public health authorities make in terms of mass gatherings , ” he said .
“ It is a huge issue for us in terms of the economics of the game .
The losses that I referred @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we started the season because we knew about 40 % of our revenue is gate-related and we knew we weren ’ t going to have it.
” “ The clubs have done a really good job locally and we tried to do a good job centrally , ” he added .
“ The liquidity is sufficient to get us through 2020 .
I think if we ’ re faced with limited activity next year and the kind of losses that we suffered this year , again , it will become more of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rule he pushed for forcing pitchers to face a minimum of three batters or to finish the half inning .
“ There ’ s nothing about what happened this year that has changed , not only in my mind , but anybody in the game ’ s mind about it , and I think that ’ s here to stay , ” he said .
He would not say whether he favors keeping the expansion of the designated hitter to the National League , citing the need to bargain on the topic with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of active rosters from 26 to 28 players was specific to the stop of spring training in March and resumption in the summer .
Manfred also did not draw conclusions about the average time of a nine-inning game , which increased to a record 3 hours , 7 minutes , 46 seconds , up from 3:05:35 last year .
The cause likely was tied to expanded rosters and increased pitching changes .
He also thought it was difficult to analyze whether the drop in the major league batting average to .245 , its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an anomaly , “ What people are telling me about kind of every measure for this year in terms of statistics is that 60 is just not a great sample size and you shouldn ’ t really put too much weight on it , ” he said .
Management and the union battled publicly through the spring , with players demanding prorated pay for the shortened season that had been agreed to in March as part of a deal that included salary advances , They dared Manfred to unilaterally issue the regular-season schedule @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and reached agreements on expanded playoffs and a bubble for the last three rounds of the postseason .
“ We got a lot of important things done this year with the union , ” Manfred said .
“ We had the problems early , Tony was active not only in helping to strengthen protocols , but in encouraging players to adhere to the protocols .
And the negotiation over the bubble was not an easy thing .
It involved further changes for players , dislocations for players.
” While 45 regular-season games were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Miami Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals , just two were not made up .
Teams refused the union ’ s requests to play a long regular season that would go deeper into the autumn .
“ We did not want to extend the season beyond Oct. 27 .
Just think about it , put it in some perspective , if we were still playing in the regular season , just 15 games a day in different cities , given where the virus is right now , it would be a really , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ having to get through the playoffs in November .
Given what everybody ’ s saying about the virus , the trends we ’ re seeing , it was crucial that we stick to that Oct. 27.
” He also said the lack of doubleheaders in the original schedule turned out to be key .

ARLINGTON, Texas — Ahead of a World Series capping the pandemic-shortened season, baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said he hopes to keep two of this year’s innovations: expanded playoffs and starting extra innings with runners on second base.
“People were wildly unenthusiastic about the changes. And then when they saw them in action, they were much more positive,” Manfred said Tuesday during an interview with The Associated Press.
Manfred said the 30 teams combined for $3 billion in operating losses due the coronavirus pandemic, which caused all 898 regular-season games to be played in empty ballparks without fans.
After opening day was delayed from March 26 to July 23, MLB and the players’ association agreed to expand the number of teams in the playoffs from 10 to 16. Even before the pandemic, Manfred advocated a future expansion of the playoffs to 14 teams.
“I like the idea of, and I’m choosing my words carefully here, an expanded playoff format,” Manfred said. “I don’t think we would do 16 like we did this year. I think we do have to be cognizant of making sure that we preserve the importance of our regular season. But I think something beyond the 10 that we were at would be a good change.”
With the added runner rule, the longest of 68 games of 10 innings or longer were a pair of 13-inning contests, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
“I think the players like it,” Manfred said. “I think it’s really good from a safety and health perspective that keeps us from putting players in situations where they’re out there too long or in positions they’re not used to playing.”
Union head Tony Clark said it was too soon to commit to changes for 2021. The sport’s labor contract runs through 2021, and the union’s agreement is needed to alter the 2021 structure.
“We made a number of one-year changes this season under unique circumstances,” Clark wrote in an email to the AP. “We are gathering feedback from players and we’ll bring that to the league at the appropriate time. Obviously, protecting health and safety will remain among several important considerations as those talks unfold.”
Manfred is concerned about whether fans will be allowed to attend games next season.
“We understand what happens with fans is going to be a product of what happens with the virus, what decisions public health authorities make in terms of mass gatherings,” he said. “It is a huge issue for us in terms of the economics of the game. The losses that I referred to earlier were basically in stone when we started the season because we knew about 40% of our revenue is gate-related and we knew we weren’t going to have it.”
“The clubs have done a really good job locally and we tried to do a good job centrally,” he added. “The liquidity is sufficient to get us through 2020. I think if we’re faced with limited activity next year and the kind of losses that we suffered this year, again, it will become more of a problem.”
Manfred was pleased with the rule he pushed for forcing pitchers to face a minimum of three batters or to finish the half inning.
“There’s nothing about what happened this year that has changed, not only in my mind, but anybody in the game’s mind about it, and I think that’s here to stay,” he said.
He would not say whether he favors keeping the expansion of the designated hitter to the National League, citing the need to bargain on the topic with the players’ union. The expansion of active rosters from 26 to 28 players was specific to the stop of spring training in March and resumption in the summer.
Manfred also did not draw conclusions about the average time of a nine-inning game, which increased to a record 3 hours, 7 minutes, 46 seconds, up from 3:05:35 last year. The cause likely was tied to expanded rosters and increased pitching changes.
He also thought it was difficult to analyze whether the drop in the major league batting average to .245, its lowest since 1968, was cyclical or an anomaly,
“What people are telling me about kind of every measure for this year in terms of statistics is that 60 is just not a great sample size and you shouldn’t really put too much weight on it,” he said.
Management and the union battled publicly through the spring, with players demanding prorated pay for the shortened season that had been agreed to in March as part of a deal that included salary advances, They dared Manfred to unilaterally issue the regular-season schedule, which he did, then bargained and reached agreements on expanded playoffs and a bubble for the last three rounds of the postseason.
“We got a lot of important things done this year with the union,” Manfred said. “We had the problems early, Tony was active not only in helping to strengthen protocols, but in encouraging players to adhere to the protocols. And the negotiation over the bubble was not an easy thing. It involved further changes for players, dislocations for players.”
While 45 regular-season games were postponed for COVID-19-related reasons, many involving the Miami Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals, just two were not made up. Teams refused the union’s requests to play a long regular season that would go deeper into the autumn.
“We did not want to extend the season beyond Oct. 27. Just think about it, put it in some perspective, if we were still playing in the regular season, just 15 games a day in different cities, given where the virus is right now, it would be a really, really difficult situation, and then still having to get through the playoffs in November. Given what everybody’s saying about the virus, the trends we’re seeing, it was crucial that we stick to that Oct. 27.”
He also said the lack of doubleheaders in the original schedule turned out to be key.


thedenverpost--2020-10-20--Denver restaurants use their platform for political, social change as 2020 election nears

While a lot of restaurants have changed their menus during the pandemic , adjusted formats or switched up service , few have completely altered their mission and found a new purpose .
At downtown Denver ’ s Dairy Block , the space that previously operated as Bruto has done just that .
After sitting unused for months , owner Kelly Whitaker recently reopened the restaurant as an “ advocacy kitchen , ” where chefs can utilize the public platform to cook and converse with diners , who are able to share in their passion and message .
Leading up to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ become increasingly more focused .
Taj Cooke is the first chef to take over Bruto ’ s kitchen and dining space , where he ’ s preparing Jamaican Ital ( pronounced eye-tal ) dinners , or vegan Rastafarian food .
Cooke says the cuisine — made with fresh vegetables , beans and rices , savory spices and native fruits such as mango and coconut — is based on the Rastafari concept of livity .
It ’ s meant to be “ everything positive and everything from the earth , ” he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ you positive energy , it ’ s not going to be on your plate.
” But Cooke also recognizes that positivity isn ’ t always easy to come by these days .
And in that case , “ positivity is the ultimate form of protest , ” he added .
At the Ital dinners , Cooke and his assembled team of chefs and Bruto staffers encourage diners to vote , and they also introduce attendees to the local farmers who supply produce for these meals .
While not explicitly stated , questions of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restaurants provide a backdrop for the dinners .
And this week , the chef has created a dinner and a movie package for diners to pick up a Fall Harvest Bowl from the restaurant and view the new Netflix documentary “ Kiss the Ground ” while they eat .
“ This whole advocacy kitchen is built upon giving chefs an opportunity to sell their food and speak their mind , ” Cooke said .
“ I ’ m trying to just open people ’ s minds when it comes to food .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , to connect the community and work with the community.
” But alongside advocacy for small farms and healthful food , Cooke is keenly aware of his role as a Black chef in Denver during a pivotal election year .
“ If you ’ re going to be a part of the community , you have to make sure that you ’ re a part of the whole community , ” Cooke explained .
For example , he is a “ six-foot-two , Rasta man , with a Black wife , and these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ run from , ” Cooke said .
“ Right now , as chefs and owners and restaurateurs and individuals in this business , we can ’ t run away , we can ’ t just sit aside and we can ’ t continue to straddle the line.
” He ’ s talking about politics , of course .
Last week , along with 19 other local restaurant business owners and chefs , Cooke and his wife Danielle signed their names to an open letter endorsing Joe Biden for president , which they submitted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fear not only for our businesses , which face unprecedented uncertainty , but also for our employees , especially our employees of color , ” the letter read .
“ While the White House refuses to acknowledge the severity of our current crisis , back in the real world small businesses like ours are suffering.
” “ That letter basically shows a group of individuals coming together and using our voices , ” Cooke explained , adding that he was a little disappointed that more restaurant owners didn ’ t sign on , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ patrons at an already desperate moment for business .
For him , the cause is too important to ignore .
“ Right now , us as a community , we have to look at what ’ s at hand , ” Cooke said .
“ If we can pivot in a way where we can help out at the same time , that ’ s what we should do .
People out there are listening.
” How to get involved To check out Bruto ’ s and chef Taj ’ s upcoming events @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the lookout for Cooke ’ s Thanksgiving feast , which will donate meals to 1,000 Denverites in need .
For other ways that food and beverage businesses are getting involved , check out restaurantsrallythevote.com , where more than 100 Colorado hospitality businesses have made a non-partisan pledge to “ ensure that the voices of this industry are represented in the 2020 election.
” And find local breweries participating in Tap the Vote , which is another non-partisan effort encouraging craft beer drinkers to register and vote on Nov. 3 .
Check with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on food and drinks .
Subscribe to our new food newsletter , Stuffed , to get Denver food and drink news sent straight to your inbox .

While a lot of restaurants have changed their menus during the pandemic, adjusted formats or switched up service, few have completely altered their mission and found a new purpose.
At downtown Denver’s Dairy Block, the space that previously operated as Bruto has done just that. After sitting unused for months, owner Kelly Whitaker recently reopened the restaurant as an “advocacy kitchen,” where chefs can utilize the public platform to cook and converse with diners, who are able to share in their passion and message.
Leading up to the November election, that message has become increasingly more focused.
Taj Cooke is the first chef to take over Bruto’s kitchen and dining space, where he’s preparing Jamaican Ital (pronounced eye-tal) dinners, or vegan Rastafarian food. Cooke says the cuisine — made with fresh vegetables, beans and rices, savory spices and native fruits such as mango and coconut — is based on the Rastafari concept of livity.
It’s meant to be “everything positive and everything from the earth,” he said. “If it doesn’t give you positive energy, it’s not going to be on your plate.” But Cooke also recognizes that positivity isn’t always easy to come by these days. And in that case, “positivity is the ultimate form of protest,” he added.
At the Ital dinners, Cooke and his assembled team of chefs and Bruto staffers encourage diners to vote, and they also introduce attendees to the local farmers who supply produce for these meals. While not explicitly stated, questions of food access and sustainability in farming and restaurants provide a backdrop for the dinners. And this week, the chef has created a dinner and a movie package for diners to pick up a Fall Harvest Bowl from the restaurant and view the new Netflix documentary “Kiss the Ground” while they eat.
“This whole advocacy kitchen is built upon giving chefs an opportunity to sell their food and speak their mind,” Cooke said. “I’m trying to just open people’s minds when it comes to food. I’m trying to inform the community, to connect the community and work with the community.”
But alongside advocacy for small farms and healthful food, Cooke is keenly aware of his role as a Black chef in Denver during a pivotal election year.
“If you’re going to be a part of the community, you have to make sure that you’re a part of the whole community,” Cooke explained.
For example, he is a “six-foot-two, Rasta man, with a Black wife, and these are things that we can’t run from,” Cooke said. “Right now, as chefs and owners and restaurateurs and individuals in this business, we can’t run away, we can’t just sit aside and we can’t continue to straddle the line.”
He’s talking about politics, of course. Last week, along with 19 other local restaurant business owners and chefs, Cooke and his wife Danielle signed their names to an open letter endorsing Joe Biden for president, which they submitted to The Denver Post.
“We fear not only for our businesses, which face unprecedented uncertainty, but also for our employees, especially our employees of color,” the letter read. “While the White House refuses to acknowledge the severity of our current crisis, back in the real world small businesses like ours are suffering.”
“That letter basically shows a group of individuals coming together and using our voices,” Cooke explained, adding that he was a little disappointed that more restaurant owners didn’t sign on, though he understands the concern of losing patrons at an already desperate moment for business. For him, the cause is too important to ignore.
“Right now, us as a community, we have to look at what’s at hand,” Cooke said. “If we can pivot in a way where we can help out at the same time, that’s what we should do. People out there are listening.”
How to get involved
To check out Bruto’s and chef Taj’s upcoming events, head to exploretock.com/bruto-denver. Also be on the lookout for Cooke’s Thanksgiving feast, which will donate meals to 1,000 Denverites in need.
For other ways that food and beverage businesses are getting involved, check out restaurantsrallythevote.com, where more than 100 Colorado hospitality businesses have made a non-partisan pledge to “ensure that the voices of this industry are represented in the 2020 election.”
And find local breweries participating in Tap the Vote, which is another non-partisan effort encouraging craft beer drinkers to register and vote on Nov. 3.
Check with individual businesses for registration and voting specials on food and drinks.
Subscribe to our new food newsletter, Stuffed, to get Denver food and drink news sent straight to your inbox.


thedenverpost--2020-10-20--Pittsburgh’s Brandon Saad, Avalanche’s new forward, was born into a Stanley Cup environment

New Avalanche winger Brandon Saad is of Syrian descent and might not have become a hockey player if the Pittsburgh Penguins weren ’ t winning championships in the early 1990s .
Born in the Steel City in 1992 , Saad came into the world about four months after the Penguins won the Stanley Cup for the second consecutive year .
Saad , whom the Avs acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks for defenseman Nikita Zadorov on Oct. 10 , feels like he was born to be a hockey player with all the excitement in Pittsburgh .
“ I had older cousins @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I was born the Pens were winning championships .
The buzz in the city was huge at the time , ” Saad , who won the Cup with the Blackhawks in 2013 and 2015 , said in a Zoom call .
“ My parents ended up taking me and my brother to the rink .
We just fell in love with the game .
Obviously , it ’ s grown a lot more now — 20-plus years later.
” The Penguins also won the Cup in 2009 when Saad was 16 .
Saad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ United States when he was a teenager , turns 29 next week .
Colorado has also developed NHL players born in the late 1990s or early 2000s around the time the Avalanche won the Stanley Cup in 1996 and 2001 .
At the top of the list are defensemen Jaccob Slavin of Erie , Brandon Carlo of Colorado Springs and forward Troy Terry of Highlands Ranch .
Slavin , 26 , was a 2020 NHL All-Star and alternate captain for the Carolina Hurricanes .
Carlo and Terry are both 23 and playing for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ respectively .
Despite their ages , Slavin , Carlo and Terry were ranked first , second and fourth by The Denver Post among Colorado-born players to have reached the NHL .
Saad , meanwhile , said he and his wife plan to sell their Chicago-area home and buy in the Denver area .
They have a young son and , despite Brandon entering the final year of his contract , they don ’ t want to feel like one-year renters in Colorado .
The final year of Saad ’ s deal carries a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1 million of which the Blackhawks are retaining .
The Avs might not be able to afford him in 2021-22 and beyond , but they are thrilled about his arrival for next season .
“ We ’ re extremely happy to have Brandon with us .
He ’ s a guy we ’ ve watched for years and we think he ’ s going to be a great fit as one of our top six ( forwards ) , ” Avalanche general manager Joe Sakic said .
“ We feel like we ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our bottom six .
We ’ re pretty content with the depth that we have upfront , for sure.
” Decisions at D. The Avs have two more restricted free agents to sign in recently acquired defensemen Devon Toews and Kyle Burroughs , who both played for the New York Islanders this past season .
Toews , whom Colorado gave up 2021 and 2022 second-round draft choices for , completes the Avs ’ top six and could play with Cale Makar on the first pairing .
Burroughs or newcomer Dennis Gilbert — who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will probably serve as the extra defenseman .
So what happens with young Avalanche draft picks Conor Timmins , 22 , and Bo Byram , 19 ?
Without factoring in injuries or training camp/preseason performances , Timmins will probably begin next season with the AHL ’ s Colorado Eagles and Byram will be returned to his junior team in Vancouver .
But Sakic said nothing is set in stone .
“ We ’ ve seen enough of Conor .
We know he could maybe , possibly , take the next step ( and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to give every opportunity , ” Sakic said .
“ But also knowing we don ’ t want to put a lot of pressure on them … We want them to come in slowly and at their own pace .
”

New Avalanche winger Brandon Saad is of Syrian descent and might not have become a hockey player if the Pittsburgh Penguins weren’t winning championships in the early 1990s.
Born in the Steel City in 1992, Saad came into the world about four months after the Penguins won the Stanley Cup for the second consecutive year. Saad, whom the Avs acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks for defenseman Nikita Zadorov on Oct. 10, feels like he was born to be a hockey player with all the excitement in Pittsburgh.
“I had older cousins that played hockey (and) when I was born the Pens were winning championships. The buzz in the city was huge at the time,” Saad, who won the Cup with the Blackhawks in 2013 and 2015, said in a Zoom call. “My parents ended up taking me and my brother to the rink. We just fell in love with the game. Obviously, it’s grown a lot more now — 20-plus years later.”
The Penguins also won the Cup in 2009 when Saad was 16. Saad, whose Syrian-born father immigrated to the United States when he was a teenager, turns 29 next week.
Colorado has also developed NHL players born in the late 1990s or early 2000s around the time the Avalanche won the Stanley Cup in 1996 and 2001. At the top of the list are defensemen Jaccob Slavin of Erie, Brandon Carlo of Colorado Springs and forward Troy Terry of Highlands Ranch.
Slavin, 26, was a 2020 NHL All-Star and alternate captain for the Carolina Hurricanes. Carlo and Terry are both 23 and playing for the Boston Bruins and Anaheim Ducks, respectively.
Despite their ages, Slavin, Carlo and Terry were ranked first, second and fourth by The Denver Post among Colorado-born players to have reached the NHL.
Saad, meanwhile, said he and his wife plan to sell their Chicago-area home and buy in the Denver area. They have a young son and, despite Brandon entering the final year of his contract, they don’t want to feel like one-year renters in Colorado. The final year of Saad’s deal carries a $6 million cap hit — $1 million of which the Blackhawks are retaining. The Avs might not be able to afford him in 2021-22 and beyond, but they are thrilled about his arrival for next season.
“We’re extremely happy to have Brandon with us. He’s a guy we’ve watched for years and we think he’s going to be a great fit as one of our top six (forwards),” Avalanche general manager Joe Sakic said. “We feel like we’ve solidified our top-six group and also our bottom six. We’re pretty content with the depth that we have upfront, for sure.”
Decisions at D. The Avs have two more restricted free agents to sign in recently acquired defensemen Devon Toews and Kyle Burroughs, who both played for the New York Islanders this past season. Toews, whom Colorado gave up 2021 and 2022 second-round draft choices for, completes the Avs’ top six and could play with Cale Makar on the first pairing.
Burroughs or newcomer Dennis Gilbert — who came over in the Saad trade — will probably serve as the extra defenseman. So what happens with young Avalanche draft picks Conor Timmins, 22, and Bo Byram, 19?
Without factoring in injuries or training camp/preseason performances, Timmins will probably begin next season with the AHL’s Colorado Eagles and Byram will be returned to his junior team in Vancouver. But Sakic said nothing is set in stone.
“We’ve seen enough of Conor. We know he could maybe, possibly, take the next step (and) Byram, we’re going to give every opportunity,” Sakic said. “But also knowing we don’t want to put a lot of pressure on them … We want them to come in slowly and at their own pace.”


thedenverpost--2020-10-20--United Airlines, Lufthansa to resume flying between Denver and Germany despite coronavirus restricti

United Airlines, Lufthansa to resume flying between Denver and Germany despite coronavirus restrictions

Denver International Airport officials announced Tuesday that nonstop service between Denver and Munich will resume next week , connecting the city with a European counterpart for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic took hold in Colorado .
Lufthansa Airlines will provide service from Munich to Denver on Sunday .
The carrier will then fly from Denver to Munich on Monday , 224 days after the last flight between DIA and Europe on March 16 , according to airport officials .
United Airlines plans to resume nonstop service to Frankfurt on Nov. 2 .
The two airlines , which operate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ provide service between Denver and the two German destinations three times each week in November , airport officials say .
“ The resumption of service to Germany on both United and Lufthansa marks a significant milestone in our continued recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic , ” DIA CEO Kim Day said in a statement .
“ These flights will provide access for local passengers and travelers who need to connect through our large hub network.
” Connecting destinations will be key for U.S. travelers .
Germany is among the European Union countries that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country .
COVID-19 cases are spiking in Europe as well as in Denver .
In Tuesday ’ s news release , DIA officials urged travelers to check local restrictions before flying and provided a link to the U.S. embassy in Germany ’ s COVID-19 information page found here : de.usembassy.gov/covid-19-information .
As the page outlines , U.S. visitors are exempted from travel restrictions if they are passing through and plan to leave Germany immediately on their way to another destination .
For the most part , American citizens are barred from entering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ urgent need for their visit as defined by the German government .
Frankfurt is Lufthansa ’ s main hub and provides service to numerous other countries .
Denver has become United ’ s biggest hub amid the pandemic and the airline is adding back flights here in October and November faster than its other hub locations , officials said Tuesday .
“ The Lufthansa Group is committed to connecting passengers and serving as a bridge between the continents , ” Larry Ryan , that airline ’ s senior director of USA sales , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ We are especially excited to resume service for our Denver-based customers as we expand our network connections for the benefit of all travelers in the region .
”

Denver International Airport officials announced Tuesday that nonstop service between Denver and Munich will resume next week, connecting the city with a European counterpart for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic took hold in Colorado.
Lufthansa Airlines will provide service from Munich to Denver on Sunday. The carrier will then fly from Denver to Munich on Monday, 224 days after the last flight between DIA and Europe on March 16, according to airport officials.
United Airlines plans to resume nonstop service to Frankfurt on Nov. 2. The two airlines, which operate a transatlantic joint venture, will then provide service between Denver and the two German destinations three times each week in November, airport officials say.
“The resumption of service to Germany on both United and Lufthansa marks a significant milestone in our continued recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic,” DIA CEO Kim Day said in a statement. “These flights will provide access for local passengers and travelers who need to connect through our large hub network.”
Connecting destinations will be key for U.S. travelers. Germany is among the European Union countries that are barring most U.S. citizens from entering the country. COVID-19 cases are spiking in Europe as well as in Denver.
In Tuesday’s news release, DIA officials urged travelers to check local restrictions before flying and provided a link to the U.S. embassy in Germany’s COVID-19 information page found here: de.usembassy.gov/covid-19-information.
As the page outlines, U.S. visitors are exempted from travel restrictions if they are passing through and plan to leave Germany immediately on their way to another destination. For the most part, American citizens are barred from entering the country unless they can demonstrate an urgent need for their visit as defined by the German government.
Frankfurt is Lufthansa’s main hub and provides service to numerous other countries. Denver has become United’s biggest hub amid the pandemic and the airline is adding back flights here in October and November faster than its other hub locations, officials said Tuesday.
“The Lufthansa Group is committed to connecting passengers and serving as a bridge between the continents,” Larry Ryan, that airline’s senior director of USA sales, said in Tuesday’s news release. “We are especially excited to resume service for our Denver-based customers as we expand our network connections for the benefit of all travelers in the region.”


thedenverpost--2020-10-20--Increase in COVID-19 cases pushes four school districts to remote learning

Remote learning is becoming a long-term reality for many Colorado students , as COVID-19 cases continue to reach historic levels and force several school districts to reconsider plans for in-person learning .
Administrators with Adams 12 Five Star Schools , Adams County School District 14 and Aurora Public Schools have joined Denver Public Schools in announcing recently that they would either pivot to or extend remote learning based on advice from local health officials .
The Adams 14 board voted unanimously last week to continue virtual education for all students through Dec. 17 , the end of the second quarter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remote since the school year started in late August .
In a note to families , acting Superintendent Don Rangel said the decision to stick with virtual learning was based on COVID-19 data , including the positivity and incident rates within district boundaries .
According to the Tri-County Health Department , the positivity rate within the Adams 14 geographic limits was nearly 18 % for the two weeks ending Oct. 18 .
There were also about 539 cases per 100,000 people over the same time period .
“ Right now , we have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our school districts , ” said Adam Anderson , informatics , epidemiology , and health planning manager at Tri-County Health Department .
“ We ’ ve been seeing this trend happening for the past five weeks — a continuous , gradual increase — and it ’ s definitely increased over the past two weeks in incident rate and positivity across all our counties.
” That ’ s also why Adams 12 Five Star is considering a pivot to remote learning for all middle and high school students , who currently attend two days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recently proposed a plan that has sixth- through 12th-graders taking classes virtually through the end of the fall semester with the promise that teachers and schedules would remain the same .
Kindergarten through fifth-grade students would continue taking in-person classes five days a week under the proposed plan .
The Adams 12 board will vote on the proposal Wednesday , and any change in learning format would take effect Thursday .
High school students in Aurora Public Schools have been learning remotely since the start of the semester , and this week the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so until at least Nov. 13 .
APS , which began welcoming back students in preschool through eighth grade for in-person classes last week , is also reevaluating the learning format for primary students , Superintendent Rico Munn told families .
Denver Public Schools announced last week that middle and high schoolers would remain in virtual learning through Nov. 6 as the district keeps an eye on the evolving COVID-19 conditions .
Students in second through fifth are returning for in-person learning Wednesday for the first time this school year .
Cherry Creek @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Douglas County School District , Littleton Public Schools , Mapleton Public Schools and Westminster Public Schools will continue to host in-person learning , The Denver Post confirmed .

Remote learning is becoming a long-term reality for many Colorado students, as COVID-19 cases continue to reach historic levels and force several school districts to reconsider plans for in-person learning.
Administrators with Adams 12 Five Star Schools, Adams County School District 14 and Aurora Public Schools have joined Denver Public Schools in announcing recently that they would either pivot to or extend remote learning based on advice from local health officials.
The Adams 14 board voted unanimously last week to continue virtual education for all students through Dec. 17, the end of the second quarter. Grades kindergarten through 12th have been remote since the school year started in late August. In a note to families, acting Superintendent Don Rangel said the decision to stick with virtual learning was based on COVID-19 data, including the positivity and incident rates within district boundaries.
According to the Tri-County Health Department, the positivity rate within the Adams 14 geographic limits was nearly 18% for the two weeks ending Oct. 18. There were also about 539 cases per 100,000 people over the same time period.
“Right now, we have extremely high positivity rates in many of our school districts,” said Adam Anderson, informatics, epidemiology, and health planning manager at Tri-County Health Department. “We’ve been seeing this trend happening for the past five weeks — a continuous, gradual increase — and it’s definitely increased over the past two weeks in incident rate and positivity across all our counties.”
That’s also why Adams 12 Five Star is considering a pivot to remote learning for all middle and high school students, who currently attend two days of in-person school. Superintendent Chris Gdowski recently proposed a plan that has sixth- through 12th-graders taking classes virtually through the end of the fall semester with the promise that teachers and schedules would remain the same. Kindergarten through fifth-grade students would continue taking in-person classes five days a week under the proposed plan.
The Adams 12 board will vote on the proposal Wednesday, and any change in learning format would take effect Thursday.
High school students in Aurora Public Schools have been learning remotely since the start of the semester, and this week the district decided they will continue to do so until at least Nov. 13. APS, which began welcoming back students in preschool through eighth grade for in-person classes last week, is also reevaluating the learning format for primary students, Superintendent Rico Munn told families.
Denver Public Schools announced last week that middle and high schoolers would remain in virtual learning through Nov. 6 as the district keeps an eye on the evolving COVID-19 conditions. Students in second through fifth are returning for in-person learning Wednesday for the first time this school year.
Cherry Creek School District, Jeffco Public Schools, Douglas County School District, Littleton Public Schools, Mapleton Public Schools and Westminster Public Schools will continue to host in-person learning, The Denver Post confirmed.


thedenverpost--2020-10-20--Spencer Davis, whose band was a hitmaker in the ’60s, dies at 81

Spencer Davis , the leader of a rock group under his name that had some of the most propulsive and enduring hits of the 1960s , including “ Gim me Some Lovin ’ , ” “ I ’ m a Man ” and “ Keep On Running ” — all sung not by him but by a teenage Steve Winwood — died Monday in Los Angeles .
He was 81 .
The cause was pneumonia , said Bob Birk , his booking agent and friend , adding that Davis had been hospitalized for the past week .
Davis co-wrote “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his group ’ s biggest hit .
He played rhythm guitar in the band and occasionally sang lead vocals , lending his baritone voice mostly to blues-oriented material .
But it was Winwood , who was only 15 when Davis discovered him , who emerged as the group ’ s star , singing lead on its hit singles and later becoming an essential figure in British rock through his work with the bands Traffic and Blind Faith and in a long solo career .
After Winwood abruptly left the Spencer Davis Group in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the band going through multiple incarnations .
In 1968 , a new iteration of the Spencer Davis Group enjoyed two Top 40 hits in Britain , “ Time Seller ” and “ Mr .
Second Class.
” The band did not have similar success in the United States , but a song co-written by Davis and recorded by the band that year , “ Don ’ t Want You No More , ” became significant in 1969 when the Allman Brothers recorded a cover version as the opening track on their debut album @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as an A & R executive at Island Records , where he signed the hit punk-pop group Eddie and the Hot Rods and the respected reggae band Third World .
Spencer David Nelson Davies was born July 17 , 1939 , in Swansea , Wales .
He later dropped the “ e ” in his surname because “ Davies ” is pronounced “ Davis ” in Britain but “ Daveys ” in the United States , where he hoped to expand his career .
Davis grew up during the Blitz .
“ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a child , ” he told the website Music Illuminati in 2016 .
“ I watched the town being absolutely destroyed.
” His father was a paratrooper during World War II , while his Uncle Herman , who played mandolin , was a musical influence on young Spencer : At age 6 he learned harmonica and accordion .
After graduating from the Dynevor School at 16 , Davis moved to London and found clerical work with a bank and the government customs and excise department .
Crushed by the dullness of that work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 20 , studying German at the University of Birmingham .
He also became fluent in French and Spanish , skills that later helped his band become popular throughout Europe .
Among musicians , he earned the nickname Professor .
Music , however , remained his muse .
In Birmingham , like many young British musicians of the day , he formed a group specializing in skiffle , a homespun British blend of blues , jazz and American folk .
He also performed in a band ( and became romantically involved ) with Christine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and , as Christine McVie , became a core member of Fleetwood Mac .
In 1963 , Davis discovered a group in a suburban Birmingham club , the Muff Woody Jazz Band , which included the musical prodigy Steve Winwood and his older brother Muff .
Davis immediately recognized the younger brother ’ s extraordinary skills .
“ There was this kid playing piano like Oscar Peterson and singing like Ray Charles , ” he told The Guardian in 2014 .
( Winwood also played guitar . )
Davis hired Steve Winwood for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who switched from guitar to bass , only because he could drive his underage younger brother to gigs .
With Pete York on drums , the group became known as the Rhythm and Blues Quartet and performed R & B covers in Birmingham clubs before landing a steady gig at London ’ s high-profile Marquee club .
The band ’ s name was changed to the Spencer Davis Group in 1964 .
As the story goes , the other members agreed to the new name because Davis was willing to do interviews , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ BEGIN OPTIONAL TRIM . )
The group ’ s live reputation attracted the attention of music executive Chris Blackwell , who became its manager and signed it to his fledgling Island label , which was then distributed through the larger Fontana Records .
The band ’ s first single was a cover of blues artist John Lee Hooker ’ s “ Dimples , ” which appeared on its debut album , titled “ Their First LP , ” in 1965 .
By the start of the next year , the band had a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Keep On Running.
” Written by Jamaican artist Jackie Edwards as a skeletal ska piece , the song was transformed by the band into an exuberant , Motown-style R & B rave-up .
To get a distinct tone for his lead guitar , Steve Winwood used the same fuzz pedal that Keith Richards had employed on the Rolling Stones hit “ Satisfaction.
” “ Keep On Running ” reached No .
3 in Britain but only No .
74 on the Billboard chart in the U.S. “ The Second Album , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” wasn ’ t even released stateside .
( END OPTIONAL TRIM . )
The Spencer Davis Group ’ s peak arrived in late 1966 and early 1967 with a one-two punch , starting with “ Gim me Some Lovin ’ , ” written by Davis and the Winwood brothers , which was fired by Muff Winwood ’ s dynamic bass line but was most notable for his brother ’ s surging Hammond organ and ecstatic vocal .
It sold more than 1 million copies and became a touchstone of British R & @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I ’ m a Man , ” written by Steve Winwood and the group ’ s producer , Jimmy Miller .
“ I ’ m a Man ” was also a million-seller and became a hit again in 1969 , via a cover by the American horn band Chicago .
( BEGIN OPTIONAL TRIM . )
The members of the Spencer Davis Group appeared as themselves in the 1966 British musical comedy “ The Ghost Goes Gear , ” but the group was unraveling .
Yearning to explore a more expansive range @ @ @ @ @ @ @ form Traffic in 1967 , while his brother became an A & R executive at Island Records .
Wounded by the departures , the resourceful Davis rallied , forming a new band with Phil Sawyer on lead guitar and vocals and Eddie Hardin on keyboards and vocals .
That band contributed half the tracks to the soundtrack of the 1968 film “ Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush ” ; the rest were provided by Traffic .
That year the group also released the album “ With Their New Face On , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , “ Time Seller , ” anticipated the hit sound of the Electric Light Orchestra .
Even before the album ’ s release , Sawyer , who shared lead vocals on “ Time Seller , ” departed , replaced by Ray Fenwick .
The group ’ s unsuccessful follow-up album , “ Funky , ” released in 1969 , featured the future rhythm section of Elton John ’ s long-standing group : bassist Dee Murray and drummer Nigel Olsson .
That version of the band disbanded shortly thereafter , at which point Davis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ New Face ” lineup reunited in 1973 for two albums , “ Gluggo ” and “ Living on a Back Street , ” before collapsing once again .
Davis went on to release solo albums that emphasized acoustic blues and jazz .
By the late ’ 70s he had transitioned into a job at Island Records .
In 2006 he began regularly touring with various musicians under the Spencer Davis Group banner , often including his original drummer , Pete York .
( END OPTIONAL TRIM . )
Davis ’ survivors include @ @ @ @ @ @ @ children , Lisa , Sarah and Gareth ; and five grandchildren .
For all the success Steve Winwood went on to enjoy , Davis always believed that Winwood had been rash in leaving his band at the height of its popularity .
“ Steve , ” he told the magazine The Guitar in 2014 , “ never sounded so good as he did with us .
”

The New York Times News Service Syndicate

Spencer Davis, the leader of a rock group under his name that had some of the most propulsive and enduring hits of the 1960s, including “Gimme Some Lovin’,” “I’m a Man” and “Keep On Running” — all sung not by him but by a teenage Steve Winwood — died Monday in Los Angeles. He was 81.
The cause was pneumonia, said Bob Birk, his booking agent and friend, adding that Davis had been hospitalized for the past week.
Davis co-wrote “Gimme Some Lovin’,” his group’s biggest hit. He played rhythm guitar in the band and occasionally sang lead vocals, lending his baritone voice mostly to blues-oriented material.
But it was Winwood, who was only 15 when Davis discovered him, who emerged as the group’s star, singing lead on its hit singles and later becoming an essential figure in British rock through his work with the bands Traffic and Blind Faith and in a long solo career.
After Winwood abruptly left the Spencer Davis Group in 1967 to form Traffic, Davis kept the band going through multiple incarnations. In 1968, a new iteration of the Spencer Davis Group enjoyed two Top 40 hits in Britain, “Time Seller” and “Mr. Second Class.”
The band did not have similar success in the United States, but a song co-written by Davis and recorded by the band that year, “Don’t Want You No More,” became significant in 1969 when the Allman Brothers recorded a cover version as the opening track on their debut album.
Davis later had a fruitful career as an A&R executive at Island Records, where he signed the hit punk-pop group Eddie and the Hot Rods and the respected reggae band Third World.
Spencer David Nelson Davies was born July 17, 1939, in Swansea, Wales. He later dropped the “e” in his surname because “Davies” is pronounced “Davis” in Britain but “Daveys” in the United States, where he hoped to expand his career.
Davis grew up during the Blitz. “The bombed city center was my playground as a child,” he told the website Music Illuminati in 2016. “I watched the town being absolutely destroyed.”
His father was a paratrooper during World War II, while his Uncle Herman, who played mandolin, was a musical influence on young Spencer: At age 6 he learned harmonica and accordion.
After graduating from the Dynevor School at 16, Davis moved to London and found clerical work with a bank and the government customs and excise department.
Crushed by the dullness of that work, he went back to school at 20, studying German at the University of Birmingham. He also became fluent in French and Spanish, skills that later helped his band become popular throughout Europe. Among musicians, he earned the nickname Professor.
Music, however, remained his muse. In Birmingham, like many young British musicians of the day, he formed a group specializing in skiffle, a homespun British blend of blues, jazz and American folk. He also performed in a band (and became romantically involved) with Christine Perfect, who later married John McVie and, as Christine McVie, became a core member of Fleetwood Mac.
In 1963, Davis discovered a group in a suburban Birmingham club, the Muff Woody Jazz Band, which included the musical prodigy Steve Winwood and his older brother Muff. Davis immediately recognized the younger brother’s extraordinary skills.
“There was this kid playing piano like Oscar Peterson and singing like Ray Charles,” he told The Guardian in 2014. (Winwood also played guitar.)
Davis hired Steve Winwood for his band, taking on Muff, who switched from guitar to bass, only because he could drive his underage younger brother to gigs. With Pete York on drums, the group became known as the Rhythm and Blues Quartet and performed R&B covers in Birmingham clubs before landing a steady gig at London’s high-profile Marquee club.
The band’s name was changed to the Spencer Davis Group in 1964. As the story goes, the other members agreed to the new name because Davis was willing to do interviews, allowing them to sleep longer.(BEGIN OPTIONAL TRIM.)The group’s live reputation attracted the attention of music executive Chris Blackwell, who became its manager and signed it to his fledgling Island label, which was then distributed through the larger Fontana Records. The band’s first single was a cover of blues artist John Lee Hooker’s “Dimples,” which appeared on its debut album, titled “Their First LP,” in 1965.
By the start of the next year, the band had a No. 1 hit in Britain with “Keep On Running.” Written by Jamaican artist Jackie Edwards as a skeletal ska piece, the song was transformed by the band into an exuberant, Motown-style R&B rave-up. To get a distinct tone for his lead guitar, Steve Winwood used the same fuzz pedal that Keith Richards had employed on the Rolling Stones hit “Satisfaction.”
“Keep On Running” reached No. 3 in Britain but only No. 74 on the Billboard chart in the U.S. “The Second Album,” which included “Keep On Running,” wasn’t even released stateside.
(END OPTIONAL TRIM.)The Spencer Davis Group’s peak arrived in late 1966 and early 1967 with a one-two punch, starting with “Gimme Some Lovin’,” written by Davis and the Winwood brothers, which was fired by Muff Winwood’s dynamic bass line but was most notable for his brother’s surging Hammond organ and ecstatic vocal. It sold more than 1 million copies and became a touchstone of British R&B, as did its follow-up, “I’m a Man,” written by Steve Winwood and the group’s producer, Jimmy Miller. “I’m a Man” was also a million-seller and became a hit again in 1969, via a cover by the American horn band Chicago.(BEGIN OPTIONAL TRIM.)The members of the Spencer Davis Group appeared as themselves in the 1966 British musical comedy “The Ghost Goes Gear,” but the group was unraveling. Yearning to explore a more expansive range of styles, Steve Winwood left to form Traffic in 1967, while his brother became an A&R executive at Island Records.
Wounded by the departures, the resourceful Davis rallied, forming a new band with Phil Sawyer on lead guitar and vocals and Eddie Hardin on keyboards and vocals. That band contributed half the tracks to the soundtrack of the 1968 film “Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush”; the rest were provided by Traffic. That year the group also released the album “With Their New Face On,” whose vigorous, string-driven lead single, “Time Seller,” anticipated the hit sound of the Electric Light Orchestra.
Even before the album’s release, Sawyer, who shared lead vocals on “Time Seller,” departed, replaced by Ray Fenwick. The group’s unsuccessful follow-up album, “Funky,” released in 1969, featured the future rhythm section of Elton John’s long-standing group: bassist Dee Murray and drummer Nigel Olsson. That version of the band disbanded shortly thereafter, at which point Davis moved to California.
Much of the “New Face” lineup reunited in 1973 for two albums, “Gluggo” and “Living on a Back Street,” before collapsing once again. Davis went on to release solo albums that emphasized acoustic blues and jazz. By the late ’70s he had transitioned into a job at Island Records.
In 2006 he began regularly touring with various musicians under the Spencer Davis Group banner, often including his original drummer, Pete York.
(END OPTIONAL TRIM.)Davis’ survivors include his partner, June Dante; three children, Lisa, Sarah and Gareth; and five grandchildren.
For all the success Steve Winwood went on to enjoy, Davis always believed that Winwood had been rash in leaving his band at the height of its popularity. “Steve,” he told the magazine The Guitar in 2014, “never sounded so good as he did with us.”


thedenverpost--2020-10-20--Ferguson: Limited in play, Tiger returns to a course he ruled

THOUSAND OAKS , Calif. — Along with his five victories and five-runner-up finishes , Tiger Woods only once in 12 appearances at Sherwood Country Club has finished worse than a tie for fourth .
That one time is a reminder how much time and circumstances have changed .
It was at the end of 2005 , and Woods was competing for the sixth time in six weeks .
His itinerary took him from Atlanta to China to Japan to Hawaii to the California desert before wrapping up his worldwide , whirlwind tour at Sherwood in his Target World Challenge .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ field .
Imagine that .
Six events in six weeks , even if two of them were 36 holes ( PGA Grand Slam and Skins Games ) .
Now he hardly plays at all .
The Zozo Championship at Sherwood is his sixth tournament in the last eight months .
True , the COVID-19 pandemic wiped out three months from the schedule .
Even so , Woods waited a month after the shutdown ended in June before making his first appearance .
He tied for 40th at the Memorial .
He hasn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the cut in the U.S. Open .
And he likely only has one more tournament — the Masters — the rest of the year .
Golf should be used to this by now .
Woods has made it clear that less is more in a bid to get as much out of his aging body .
He rarely plays two weeks in a row unless the circumstances force his hand , such as the FedEx Cup playoffs .
Everything is geared toward the majors .
Go back to 2005 to find a 29-year-old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ knee surgery to remove fluid and a few benign cysts .
Now he is 44 with seven additional surgeries — three more on his knee , four on his back .
He has a teenage daughter and 11-year-old son who is playing junior golf events in Florida .
Woods sometimes serves as his caddie .
Priorities change .
His health has changed .
The game is changing .
All of which makes Woods more unpredictable than ever at this stage in his career .
Who shows up at Sherwood ?
The 82-time PGA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ setting the record for career victories ?
Or the 44-year-old who doesn ’ t know how his body will react until he wakes up , sometimes even later than that ?
He can win any week , and evidence of that comes from the Masters he won in April 2019 , even if it seems longer than 18 months ago .
He isn ’ t the longest off the tee — that ’ s been the case for years — and doesn ’ t always putt the way he did .
He remains @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his game .
What might help this week is the course .
Woods tied the PGA Tour record last year when he won the Zozo Championship in Japan that finished on a Monday on a rain-soaked course .
He had not played in just over two months and had gone six tournaments without contending .
Not many could have seen that coming , except that he ’ s Tiger Woods .
And then the pandemic caused upheaval , especially with travel .
The CJ Cup in South Korea opted to move this year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the Zozo Championship followed by agreeing to move to Sherwood .
That can only help Woods .
Sherwood doesn ’ t quite fall into the category of Firestone or Torrey Pines , where he won eight times at each .
While he has five wins and five seconds at Sherwood , most of them were against 16-man fields .
Firestone and Torrey Pines were different .
In the first stage of his incomparable career , through 2009 , Woods won six out of 12 times at Torrey Pines , including a U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the top 10 .
At Firestone , he won seven out of 10 times and never finished out of the top 5 .
( Woods also is an eight-time winner at Bay Hill , but he had some stinkers amid his dominance ) .
The record at Torrey Pines might be better because Woods had to face a 156-man field .
Firestone was a World Golf Championship where the field was loaded with the world ’ s best players but invariably featured players from smaller tours around the world who were out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ victories on the PGA Tour against smaller fields with no cuts .
It ’ s an interesting argument which are tougher to win .
Those no-cut fields have the best players in the world , the ultimate measure .
Full fields increase the chance of somebody — these guys are all good — having a career week ( think Bob May at the PGA Championship , Grant Waite in Canada ) .
One thing is clear .
Woods has his favorite courses , which is why he keeps going back .
Sherwood is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at least three times , including a European Tour event in Heidelberg , Germany .
This will be the shortest year for Woods when he wasn ’ t forced out by injury .
His performances have not been inspiring .
Father Time , he often says , remains undefeated .
But he ’ s still Tiger Woods .
And this might be one of his better chances .
If not , the Masters is three weeks away .

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — Along with his five victories and five-runner-up finishes, Tiger Woods only once in 12 appearances at Sherwood Country Club has finished worse than a tie for fourth.
That one time is a reminder how much time and circumstances have changed.
It was at the end of 2005, and Woods was competing for the sixth time in six weeks. His itinerary took him from Atlanta to China to Japan to Hawaii to the California desert before wrapping up his worldwide, whirlwind tour at Sherwood in his Target World Challenge. He tied for 14th against a 16-man field.
Imagine that. Six events in six weeks, even if two of them were 36 holes (PGA Grand Slam and Skins Games).
Now he hardly plays at all.
The Zozo Championship at Sherwood is his sixth tournament in the last eight months.
True, the COVID-19 pandemic wiped out three months from the schedule. Even so, Woods waited a month after the shutdown ended in June before making his first appearance. He tied for 40th at the Memorial. He hasn’t played in a month since missing the cut in the U.S. Open. And he likely only has one more tournament — the Masters — the rest of the year.
Golf should be used to this by now.
Woods has made it clear that less is more in a bid to get as much out of his aging body. He rarely plays two weeks in a row unless the circumstances force his hand, such as the FedEx Cup playoffs. Everything is geared toward the majors.
Go back to 2005 to find a 29-year-old Woods who was three years removed from knee surgery to remove fluid and a few benign cysts. Now he is 44 with seven additional surgeries — three more on his knee, four on his back. He has a teenage daughter and 11-year-old son who is playing junior golf events in Florida. Woods sometimes serves as his caddie.
Priorities change. His health has changed. The game is changing.
All of which makes Woods more unpredictable than ever at this stage in his career.
Who shows up at Sherwood? The 82-time PGA Tour winner with his next shot at setting the record for career victories? Or the 44-year-old who doesn’t know how his body will react until he wakes up, sometimes even later than that?
He can win any week, and evidence of that comes from the Masters he won in April 2019, even if it seems longer than 18 months ago. He isn’t the longest off the tee — that’s been the case for years — and doesn’t always putt the way he did. He remains a master shot-maker, the hallmark of his game.
What might help this week is the course.
Woods tied the PGA Tour record last year when he won the Zozo Championship in Japan that finished on a Monday on a rain-soaked course. He had not played in just over two months and had gone six tournaments without contending. Not many could have seen that coming, except that he’s Tiger Woods.
And then the pandemic caused upheaval, especially with travel. The CJ Cup in South Korea opted to move this year to Shadow Creek in Las Vegas, and the Zozo Championship followed by agreeing to move to Sherwood.
That can only help Woods.
Sherwood doesn’t quite fall into the category of Firestone or Torrey Pines, where he won eight times at each. While he has five wins and five seconds at Sherwood, most of them were against 16-man fields.
Firestone and Torrey Pines were different.
In the first stage of his incomparable career, through 2009, Woods won six out of 12 times at Torrey Pines, including a U.S. Open, and he never was out of the top 10. At Firestone, he won seven out of 10 times and never finished out of the top 5.
(Woods also is an eight-time winner at Bay Hill, but he had some stinkers amid his dominance).
The record at Torrey Pines might be better because Woods had to face a 156-man field. Firestone was a World Golf Championship where the field was loaded with the world’s best players but invariably featured players from smaller tours around the world who were out of their league.
Woods has 26 victories on the PGA Tour against smaller fields with no cuts. It’s an interesting argument which are tougher to win. Those no-cut fields have the best players in the world, the ultimate measure. Full fields increase the chance of somebody — these guys are all good — having a career week (think Bob May at the PGA Championship, Grant Waite in Canada).
One thing is clear. Woods has his favorite courses, which is why he keeps going back. Sherwood is among 11 courses where he has won at least three times, including a European Tour event in Heidelberg, Germany.
This will be the shortest year for Woods when he wasn’t forced out by injury. His performances have not been inspiring. Father Time, he often says, remains undefeated. But he’s still Tiger Woods. And this might be one of his better chances.
If not, the Masters is three weeks away.


thedenverpost--2020-10-20--Is Rays’ World Series strategy the blueprint for Rockies, other MLB teams?

The 2020 World Series is a clash of extremes .
The Los Angeles Dodgers are Goliath , armed with high-priced stars such as Mookie Betts , Cody Bellinger , Clayton Kershaw , and the second-highest payroll in baseball .
The Tampa Bay Rays are David , outfitted with a relatively unknown cast of players , the third-lowest payroll , and a philosophy that ’ s hard-wired to baseball ’ s age of analytics .
The Rays , who opened the World Series Tuesday night at Globe Life Field in Arlington , Texas , just might have created a blueprint that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mid-market team like the Rockies .
“ Might ” is the operative word here , because the Rays present a unique case and one that not all teams will choose to adopt .
“ We ’ re not a team that is built with superstar after superstar , ” manager Kevin Cash said after the Rays beat Houston in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series .
“ We ’ re a team that maximizes opportunities and tries to get matchups to help us win games , and we did that really @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bay , with a payroll of $ 28.3 million ( prorated for the 60-game season , according to spotrac.com ) posted a 40-20 record , the best in the American League .
The Dodgers , who claimed their eighth consecutive NL West title with a major-league best 43-17 record , had a payroll of $ 107.9 million .
The Rockies spent $ 61.8 million ( 15th ) for a team that produced a 26-34 record .
The relatively conventional Rockies , who consider themselves a draft-and-development organization , have paid big money for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nolan Arenado and right-fielder Charlie Blackmon .
Before the 2019 season , Arenado signed an eight-year , $ 260-million contract , although he can opt out of the deal following the 2021 season .
At the beginning of the 2018 season , Blackmon signed a six-year , $ 108-million contract that includes player options for 2022 and ’ 23 .
Drawing cards such as Arenado and Blackmon , as well as Todd Helton , who spent his entire 17-year career in Colorado , have long been central to the Rockies ’ philosophy .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ they have succeeded .
In 2019 , the Rockies drew 2.9 million fans to Coors Field , ranking sixth in the majors , despite a 71-91 record .
Conversely , the Rays , who made the 2019 postseason with a 96-66 record , drew just 1.2 million fans to dingy Tropicana Field , ranking 29th in attendance .
Yet , undeterred by the realities of economics and its lack of popularity at home , Tampa Bay has found a consistent formula for winning baseball .
Even Yankees general manager Brian Cashman tipped his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in five games in the ALDS , saying , “ They are a better franchise than we are right now.
” The Yankees ’ $ 109.4 prorated payroll , by the way , was the highest in the majors .
There are a number of pillars in the Rays ’ blueprint , chief among them , strict adherence to analytics , frequent roster turnover , reliance on trades and a refusal to hand out big-money contracts , no matter how popular the player might be .
The Rays ’ trust in the math @ @ @ @ @ @ @ full display in their Game 7 victory over the Astros .
Rays ace Charlie Morton , the team ’ s highest-paid player , was throwing a glorious two-hit shutout in the sixth inning .
He had thrown only 66 pitches and looked to be in complete command .
Nevertheless , Cash emerged from the dugout with two outs and gave Morton the hook .
The strategy , based on analytics rather than gut instincts and baseball tradition , worked perfectly .
The relief duo of Nick Anderson and Pete Fairbanks recorded the final @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the World Series for the first time since 2008 .
All season , the Rays relied heavily on their bullpen , not letting a starter go more than seven innings during the regular season and not beyond six in the playoffs .
“ That ’ s what we do , ” Cash explained .
“ We believe in our process , and we ’ re going to continue doing that.
” Traditionalists and baseball romantics cringe at what the Rays ’ success might mean to the game .
“ The Rays are good @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Baseball Hall of Fame columnist for the Boston Globe .
“ They are good for small markets .
They are good for truth , justice , and the American way .
But they are bad for baseball .
… “ The cutting-edge Rays are all about the three true outcomes : strikeouts , walks , and homers .
They make sure no pitcher ever faces a hitter more than twice in any game .
Boring.
” Maybe so , but Tampa Bay ’ s MVP has been the analytics department .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ s first converts to using infield shifts and in 2018 it began using relievers as “ openers ” to start games , which now has become popular .
Above all , the flexible usage of starters and relievers has become the Rays ’ goldmine .
During the regular season , in just 60 games , 12 Rays pitchers made at least one start and 12 recorded at least one save .
Staying power and star power are not central to the Rays ’ core .
Morton , who signed a two-year , $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , is one of just two Rays players with annual salaries of $ 10 million or more this season .
The other is center fielder Kevin Kiermaier at $ 10.16 million .
The Dodgers , on the other hand , gave Betts a 12-year , $ 365-million contract .
Although Tampa Bay has baseball ’ s fifth-best overall record since 2008 , it hasn ’ t been afraid to trade away its stars .
David Price , Ben Zobrist and Chris Archer are just a few of the players who ’ ve been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Rays essentially remade their roster .
Only five of the 43 players who appeared in the majors for them this season played for the big-league club in 2017 .
At the start of the playoffs , half of the players on the Rays ’ 28-player roster had been acquired via trade .
Other teams certainly have taken note of Tampa Bay ’ s path toward success .
It ’ s not a coincidence that both the Red Sox ( chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom ) and Astros ( GM James Click @ @ @ @ @ @ @ operations departments last winter to former Rays executives .
As Cash said , the “ process ” is working , much to Shaughnessy ’ s chagrin .
“ I like Cash but hate any manager using the word ‘ process , ’ ” he wrote .
“ Go , Dodgers .
Go , Mookie .
The innovative , soul-sucking , smarter-than-you-are Rays will only move us one step closer to the death of baseball.
” But for the Rays , and for other teams — maybe even , someday , the Rockies — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Moneyball ” could be the path to success .
That being said , players still have to perform and the Rays deserve credit .
“ We ’ re a small-market team , not the most popular team out there , ” said Kiermaier , the longest-tenured member of the Rays .
“ But if you do all the little things right consistently , great things can happen , and we ’ ve shown that this year .
”

The 2020 World Series is a clash of extremes.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are Goliath, armed with high-priced stars such as Mookie Betts, Cody Bellinger, Clayton Kershaw, and the second-highest payroll in baseball.
The Tampa Bay Rays are David, outfitted with a relatively unknown cast of players, the third-lowest payroll, and a philosophy that’s hard-wired to baseball’s age of analytics.
The Rays, who opened the World Series Tuesday night at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, just might have created a blueprint that other teams can follow, including a mid-market team like the Rockies. “Might” is the operative word here, because the Rays present a unique case and one that not all teams will choose to adopt.
“We’re not a team that is built with superstar after superstar,” manager Kevin Cash said after the Rays beat Houston in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series. “We’re a team that maximizes opportunities and tries to get matchups to help us win games, and we did that really, really well this year.”
Tampa Bay, with a payroll of $28.3 million (prorated for the 60-game season, according to spotrac.com) posted a 40-20 record, the best in the American League. The Dodgers, who claimed their eighth consecutive NL West title with a major-league best 43-17 record, had a payroll of $107.9 million. The Rockies spent $61.8 million (15th) for a team that produced a 26-34 record.
The relatively conventional Rockies, who consider themselves a draft-and-development organization, have paid big money for stars and fan favorites such as third Nolan Arenado and right-fielder Charlie Blackmon. Before the 2019 season, Arenado signed an eight-year, $260-million contract, although he can opt out of the deal following the 2021 season. At the beginning of the 2018 season, Blackmon signed a six-year, $108-million contract that includes player options for 2022 and ’23.
Drawing cards such as Arenado and Blackmon, as well as Todd Helton, who spent his entire 17-year career in Colorado, have long been central to the Rockies’ philosophy. And, in terms of attendance, they have succeeded. In 2019, the Rockies drew 2.9 million fans to Coors Field, ranking sixth in the majors, despite a 71-91 record.
Conversely, the Rays, who made the 2019 postseason with a 96-66 record, drew just 1.2 million fans to dingy Tropicana Field, ranking 29th in attendance.
Yet, undeterred by the realities of economics and its lack of popularity at home, Tampa Bay has found a consistent formula for winning baseball. Even Yankees general manager Brian Cashman tipped his cap after the Rays defeated the Yankees in five games in the ALDS, saying, “They are a better franchise than we are right now.” The Yankees’ $109.4 prorated payroll, by the way, was the highest in the majors.
There are a number of pillars in the Rays’ blueprint, chief among them, strict adherence to analytics, frequent roster turnover, reliance on trades and a refusal to hand out big-money contracts, no matter how popular the player might be.
The Rays’ trust in the math whizzes in their front office was on full display in their Game 7 victory over the Astros. Rays ace Charlie Morton, the team’s highest-paid player, was throwing a glorious two-hit shutout in the sixth inning. He had thrown only 66 pitches and looked to be in complete command. Nevertheless, Cash emerged from the dugout with two outs and gave Morton the hook. The strategy, based on analytics rather than gut instincts and baseball tradition, worked perfectly. The relief duo of Nick Anderson and Pete Fairbanks recorded the final 10 outs, sending the Rays to the World Series for the first time since 2008.
All season, the Rays relied heavily on their bullpen, not letting a starter go more than seven innings during the regular season and not beyond six in the playoffs.
“That’s what we do,” Cash explained. “We believe in our process, and we’re going to continue doing that.”
Traditionalists and baseball romantics cringe at what the Rays’ success might mean to the game.
“The Rays are good for parity,” wrote Dan Shaughnessy, the Baseball Hall of Fame columnist for the Boston Globe. “They are good for small markets. They are good for truth, justice, and the American way. But they are bad for baseball. …
“The cutting-edge Rays are all about the three true outcomes: strikeouts, walks, and homers. They make sure no pitcher ever faces a hitter more than twice in any game. Boring.”
Maybe so, but Tampa Bay’s MVP has been the analytics department. The Rays were one of baseball’s first converts to using infield shifts and in 2018 it began using relievers as “openers” to start games, which now has become popular. Above all, the flexible usage of starters and relievers has become the Rays’ goldmine. During the regular season, in just 60 games, 12 Rays pitchers made at least one start and 12 recorded at least one save.
Staying power and star power are not central to the Rays’ core.
Morton, who signed a two-year, $30 million deal before the 2019 season, is one of just two Rays players with annual salaries of $10 million or more this season. The other is center fielder Kevin Kiermaier at $10.16 million. The Dodgers, on the other hand, gave Betts a 12-year, $365-million contract.
Although Tampa Bay has baseball’s fifth-best overall record since 2008, it hasn’t been afraid to trade away its stars. David Price, Ben Zobrist and Chris Archer are just a few of the players who’ve been dealt. Over the past three years, the Rays essentially remade their roster. Only five of the 43 players who appeared in the majors for them this season played for the big-league club in 2017. At the start of the playoffs, half of the players on the Rays’ 28-player roster had been acquired via trade.
Other teams certainly have taken note of Tampa Bay’s path toward success. It’s not a coincidence that both the Red Sox (chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom) and Astros (GM James Click) handed over leadership of their baseball operations departments last winter to former Rays executives.
As Cash said, the “process” is working, much to Shaughnessy’s chagrin.
“I like Cash but hate any manager using the word ‘process,’” he wrote. “Go, Dodgers. Go, Mookie. The innovative, soul-sucking, smarter-than-you-are Rays will only move us one step closer to the death of baseball.”
But for the Rays, and for other teams — maybe even, someday, the Rockies — religious adherence to analytics and small “Moneyball” could be the path to success.
That being said, players still have to perform and the Rays deserve credit.
“We’re a small-market team, not the most popular team out there,” said Kiermaier, the longest-tenured member of the Rays. “But if you do all the little things right consistently, great things can happen, and we’ve shown that this year.”


thedenverpost--2020-10-21--Parents of 545 children separated at border can’t be found

SAN DIEGO — Court-appointed lawyers said Tuesday that they have been unable to find parents of 545 children who were separated at the U.S. border with Mexico early in the Trump administration .
The children were separated between July 1 , 2017 , and June 26 , 2018 , when a federal judge in San Diego ordered that children in government custody be reunited with their parents .
Children from that period are difficult to find because the government had inadequate tracking systems .
Volunteers have searched for them and their parents by going door-to-door in Guatemala and Honduras .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ their parents in June 2018 when U.S. District Judge Dana Sabraw ordered an end to the practice under a “ zero-tolerance ” policy to criminally prosecute every adult who entered the country illegally from Mexico .
The administration sparked an international outcry when parents couldn ’ t find their children .
While those families were reunited under court order , authorities later discovered that up to 1,556 children were separated under the policy going back to the summer of 2017 , including hundreds during an initial run at family separation in El Paso @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2017 that was not publicly disclosed at the time .
The American Civil Liberties Union , which sued over the practice , said a court-appointed steering committee located parents of 485 children , up 47 from August .
That leaves 545 still unaccounted for among the 1,030 children for whom the steering committee had telephone numbers from U.S. authorities .
About two-thirds of parents of those 545 children are believed to be in their countries of origin , the ACLU said .
Volunteers have “ engaged in time-consuming and arduous on-the-ground searches for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” the ACLU said in a court filing .
Those searches were suspended after the coronavirus outbreak but have resumed in a limited way .
The steering committee has also promoted toll-free phone numbers in Spanish to reach families .
The judge has scheduled a hearing on Thursday to discuss status of reunification efforts .

SAN DIEGO — Court-appointed lawyers said Tuesday that they have been unable to find parents of 545 children who were separated at the U.S. border with Mexico early in the Trump administration.
The children were separated between July 1, 2017, and June 26, 2018, when a federal judge in San Diego ordered that children in government custody be reunited with their parents.
Children from that period are difficult to find because the government had inadequate tracking systems. Volunteers have searched for them and their parents by going door-to-door in Guatemala and Honduras.
More than 2,700 children were separated from their parents in June 2018 when U.S. District Judge Dana Sabraw ordered an end to the practice under a “zero-tolerance” policy to criminally prosecute every adult who entered the country illegally from Mexico. The administration sparked an international outcry when parents couldn’t find their children.
While those families were reunited under court order, authorities later discovered that up to 1,556 children were separated under the policy going back to the summer of 2017, including hundreds during an initial run at family separation in El Paso, Texas, from July to November 2017 that was not publicly disclosed at the time.
The American Civil Liberties Union, which sued over the practice, said a court-appointed steering committee located parents of 485 children, up 47 from August. That leaves 545 still unaccounted for among the 1,030 children for whom the steering committee had telephone numbers from U.S. authorities.
About two-thirds of parents of those 545 children are believed to be in their countries of origin, the ACLU said.
Volunteers have “engaged in time-consuming and arduous on-the-ground searches for parents in their respective countries of origin,” the ACLU said in a court filing. Those searches were suspended after the coronavirus outbreak but have resumed in a limited way.
The steering committee has also promoted toll-free phone numbers in Spanish to reach families.
The judge has scheduled a hearing on Thursday to discuss status of reunification efforts.


thedenverpost--2020-10-21--Many in U.S. distrust campaign info, AP-NORC and USAFacts poll finds

In a presidential election year that has thrown the country ’ s divisions into stark relief , Americans can agree on this : Misinformation about government and politics is a major problem .
A new survey by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Opinion Research and USAFacts finds that while voters say it ’ s pretty easy to find accurate information about voting , they have a harder time knowing whether there ’ s any factual basis for the information they ’ re getting from and about the candidates .
“ The misinformation , it ’ s just blossomed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” said nurse Liana Price , 34 , of Tampa Bay , Florida , who supports Democrat Joe Biden in the contest against President Donald Trump and worries misinformation about the election could sway voters .
“ You try to explain and provide facts and actual research , but people don ’ t believe it.
” Among the poll ’ s findings : More than 8 in 10 rated the spread of misinformation about government a “ major problem.
” The deluge in political misinformation and conspiracy theories has fueled distrust in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ elections , democracy and the nation itself , according to Cindy Otis , a former CIA officer , author and disinformation expert .
“ We are living today in the biggest period of false information in history , and we Americans are largely doing it to ourselves , ” Otis said last week during a hearing focused on election-related misinformation .
“ Americans are losing trust in what they read and see online .
We are desperate for information , but certain groups feel they can not trust the traditional institutions upon which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ found the candidates and their campaigns are themselves seen as not credible by many Americans , with less than a third of Americans saying campaign messages from either Biden or Trump are often or always based on facts .
Roughly half of respondents said Trump ’ s campaign messages are rarely or never based in fact , while about 4 in 10 respondents say that of Biden ’ s campaign .
Not surprisingly , Democrats and Republicans disagree about which candidate has the bigger problem with the facts .
But Trump scores lower @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nearly a quarter of Republicans saying his campaign messages are rarely or never based in fact compared with only about 1 in 10 Democrats who say the same about Biden .
While partisan disagreement is nothing new , the battles used to be more about policies or ideas rather than disagreements about fundamental facts or whether the other side is even telling the truth .
“ I ’ ve voted for 40 years , and I ’ ve never seen it like this , ” said 60-year-old Kevin Wollersheim , of St. Paul @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president .
“ There are no alternative facts .
There ’ s the truth , and the truth is important.
” “ People don ’ t trust what they hear like they used to , ” she said .
When Americans do try to verify news about the campaign , internet searches are the preferred way , the survey found , with 35 % saying they turn to the web to see if news about the contest is true .
Traditional news sources fared worse : 13 % said they turn to cable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ news networks and only 3 % went with newspapers or online news sites , reflecting a broader loss of trust in news organizations .
“ I think somewhere between 95 and 98 % of the press are what I would call deep state liars , ” said 75-year-old Trump supporter Colleen McDonald , of San Diego .
“ They make stuff up .
I wouldn ’ t believe anything that they said.
” Social media received similarly poor marks , with only 5 % saying it ’ s where they go to verify @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , social media remains a leading source of news for many , with 37 % saying they get news from platforms like Facebook or Twitter at least once a day .
“ Social media is a cesspool , ” said Jeff Kemble , 50 , a self-described liberal from Massachusetts who supports Biden .
“ The only information you get is the information you go looking for .
And that certainly doesn ’ t mean it ’ s true.
” One silver lining in the poll ?
At least 6 in 10 Americans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ factual information about registering to vote and casting their ballot .
That ’ s especially good news during a pandemic year election in which many voters will vote by mail for the first time .
Eric Amundsen , 31 , of Manhattan , said he ’ s pleased to see social media platforms like Facebook promote resources and information about voting .
It helps to repair the company ’ s reputation , he said , after its role in spreading such misinformation .
He said he hopes the fact that so many Americans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by misinformation means they will act to address the problem — on Election Day and beyond .
“ Maybe I ’ m too optimistic , ” he said .
“ But I think maybe people are just tired of the noise .
”

In a presidential election year that has thrown the country’s divisions into stark relief, Americans can agree on this: Misinformation about government and politics is a major problem.
A new survey by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Opinion Research and USAFacts finds that while voters say it’s pretty easy to find accurate information about voting, they have a harder time knowing whether there’s any factual basis for the information they’re getting from and about the candidates.
“The misinformation, it’s just blossomed to the point where it’s unmanageable,” said nurse Liana Price, 34, of Tampa Bay, Florida, who supports Democrat Joe Biden in the contest against President Donald Trump and worries misinformation about the election could sway voters. “You try to explain and provide facts and actual research, but people don’t believe it.”
Among the poll’s findings: More than 8 in 10 rated the spread of misinformation about government a “major problem.”
The deluge in political misinformation and conspiracy theories has fueled distrust in institutions and threatens to undermine confidence in elections, democracy and the nation itself, according to Cindy Otis, a former CIA officer, author and disinformation expert.
“We are living today in the biggest period of false information in history, and we Americans are largely doing it to ourselves,” Otis said last week during a hearing focused on election-related misinformation. “Americans are losing trust in what they read and see online. We are desperate for information, but certain groups feel they cannot trust the traditional institutions upon which they used to rely.”
The poll found the candidates and their campaigns are themselves seen as not credible by many Americans, with less than a third of Americans saying campaign messages from either Biden or Trump are often or always based on facts.
Roughly half of respondents said Trump’s campaign messages are rarely or never based in fact, while about 4 in 10 respondents say that of Biden’s campaign.
Not surprisingly, Democrats and Republicans disagree about which candidate has the bigger problem with the facts. But Trump scores lower even among his own party, with nearly a quarter of Republicans saying his campaign messages are rarely or never based in fact compared with only about 1 in 10 Democrats who say the same about Biden.
While partisan disagreement is nothing new, the battles used to be more about policies or ideas rather than disagreements about fundamental facts or whether the other side is even telling the truth.
“I’ve voted for 40 years, and I’ve never seen it like this,” said 60-year-old Kevin Wollersheim, of St. Paul, Minnesota, who supports Biden for president. “There are no alternative facts. There’s the truth, and the truth is important.”
Bonita Sergent, 68, a Trump supporter from southern Ohio, agreed.
“People don’t trust what they hear like they used to,” she said.
When Americans do try to verify news about the campaign, internet searches are the preferred way, the survey found, with 35% saying they turn to the web to see if news about the contest is true.
Traditional news sources fared worse: 13% said they turn to cable news networks, 8% said national news networks and only 3% went with newspapers or online news sites, reflecting a broader loss of trust in news organizations.
“I think somewhere between 95 and 98% of the press are what I would call deep state liars,” said 75-year-old Trump supporter Colleen McDonald, of San Diego. “They make stuff up. I wouldn’t believe anything that they said.”
Social media received similarly poor marks, with only 5% saying it’s where they go to verify whether election-related news is true. Nevertheless, social media remains a leading source of news for many, with 37% saying they get news from platforms like Facebook or Twitter at least once a day.
“Social media is a cesspool,” said Jeff Kemble, 50, a self-described liberal from Massachusetts who supports Biden. “The only information you get is the information you go looking for. And that certainly doesn’t mean it’s true.”
One silver lining in the poll? At least 6 in 10 Americans say it’s easy to find factual information about registering to vote and casting their ballot. That’s especially good news during a pandemic year election in which many voters will vote by mail for the first time.
Eric Amundsen, 31, of Manhattan, said he’s pleased to see social media platforms like Facebook promote resources and information about voting. It helps to repair the company’s reputation, he said, after its role in spreading such misinformation.
He said he hopes the fact that so many Americans are in agreement about the dangers posed by misinformation means they will act to address the problem — on Election Day and beyond.
“Maybe I’m too optimistic,” he said. “But I think maybe people are just tired of the noise.”


thedenverpost--2020-10-21--Endorsement: Amendment 76 is a deceitful scare tactic. Vote no.

Editor ’ s note : This represents the opinion of The Denver Post editorial board , which is separate from the paper ’ s news operation .
To vote in Colorado , you must be an American citizen .
Period .
That should be the end of the conversation about immigrants ( those who came here legally but have not yet become naturalized citizens and those who came her illegally and are unable to become citizens ) voting .
Except some are intent on using the threat of non-citizen voters as a scare tactic to drum up voter participation .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ argument about the unnecessary Amendment 76 on this fall ’ s ballot .
The Colorado Constitution says : “ Every citizen of the United States who has attained the age of 18 years , has resided in this state for such time as may be proscribed by law , and has been duly registered as a voter if required by law shall be qualified to vote at all elections.
” Proponents of Amendment 76 want to change the first words to say “ Only a citizen.
” They argue that the Constitution , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a minimum floor for who is guaranteed the right to vote , but it allows others to vote if Colorado ’ s law is made more permissive .
For example , House Bill 1278 was passed by lawmakers in 2019 to allow 17-year-olds who would turn 18 before the general election in a given year to participate in that primary election or caucus .
The act made several changes to election law , but if Amendment 76 passes , it likely would nullify allowing 17-year-olds to vote before they turn 18 .
Additionally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to allow citizens as young as 16 to vote in school board elections .
That would likely be made impossible if the language of the Constitution is tweaked .
The fear is that if laws can be created to allow people younger than 18 to vote , then a law allowing non-citizens to vote would be upheld by the courts .
We have found young Coloradans to be thoughtful and conscientious members of our society .
We are not dismayed by efforts to allow the next generation to participate a little earlier in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t vote in this election so we asked them what they wanted you to think about as you cast your ballot .
Here ’ s what they had to say .
And we do not believe there is an effort afoot now , nor would there ever be one , to give non-citizens the ability to vote in Colorado .
But we do know that thousands of young Coloradans jumped at the opportunity to select the candidates they hoped to see on the ballot in the general election this year .
To send @ @ @ @ @ @ @ article , submit online or check out our guidelines for how to submit by email or mail .

Editor’s note: This represents the opinion of The Denver Post editorial board, which is separate from the paper’s news operation.
To vote in Colorado, you must be an American citizen. Period.
That should be the end of the conversation about immigrants (those who came here legally but have not yet become naturalized citizens and those who came her illegally and are unable to become citizens) voting.
Except some are intent on using the threat of non-citizen voters as a scare tactic to drum up voter participation.
So, let’s have the argument about the unnecessary Amendment 76 on this fall’s ballot.
The Colorado Constitution says: “Every citizen of the United States who has attained the age of 18 years, has resided in this state for such time as may be proscribed by law, and has been duly registered as a voter if required by law shall be qualified to vote at all elections.”
Proponents of Amendment 76 want to change the first words to say “Only a citizen.” They argue that the Constitution, as it is now written, sets a minimum floor for who is guaranteed the right to vote, but it allows others to vote if Colorado’s law is made more permissive.
For example, House Bill 1278 was passed by lawmakers in 2019 to allow 17-year-olds who would turn 18 before the general election in a given year to participate in that primary election or caucus. The act made several changes to election law, but if Amendment 76 passes, it likely would nullify allowing 17-year-olds to vote before they turn 18.
Additionally, there has been a so-far-unsuccessful effort to allow citizens as young as 16 to vote in school board elections. That would likely be made impossible if the language of the Constitution is tweaked.
The fear is that if laws can be created to allow people younger than 18 to vote, then a law allowing non-citizens to vote would be upheld by the courts. We have found young Coloradans to be thoughtful and conscientious members of our society. We are not dismayed by efforts to allow the next generation to participate a little earlier in democracy.
RELATED: Teens can’t vote in this election so we asked them what they wanted you to think about as you cast your ballot. Here’s what they had to say.
And we do not believe there is an effort afoot now, nor would there ever be one, to give non-citizens the ability to vote in Colorado.
But we do know that thousands of young Coloradans jumped at the opportunity to select the candidates they hoped to see on the ballot in the general election this year.
To send a letter to the editor about this article, submit online or check out our guidelines for how to submit by email or mail.