thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-27--Coronavirus Relief Package Not Coming Before Election

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D-Calif. ) and the Trump administration both say they want a deal .
Pelosi told the administration Monday that it ’ s still possible to strike an agreement before next Tuesday , even if it ’ s too late to write and pass legislation .
“ We said , ‘ We can get something done before the election , at least an agreement , if not a law , if you admit that we can , must crush the virus , ’ ” Pelosi said Monday night on “ All In with Chris Hayes.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stimulus package now hinge on the outcome of the November election .
Although Democratic nominee Joe Biden is favored to win the White House , Republicans are fighting to retain control of the Senate .
If the GOP manages to hold onto its majority , Republicans believe they ’ ll have a better negotiating position in the lame-duck session of Congress ― meaning they could push for their smaller relief package that would block coronavirus lawsuits and provide less aid to states .
Republicans have specifically avoided saying a relief package is dead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump were to be reelected , they might need to actually pass a bill .
For another , it ’ s politically dumb to say so one week before an election , even if they have no intent to go along with even more spending .
Republicans continue to say they could vote for a stimulus deal — it just needs to be the right package .
Pelosi has held out for a continuation of the $ 600 unemployment increase that expired in July , plus hundreds of billions more in assistance for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tax revenue because of the virus .
Republicans have called the proposed fund a “ blue state bailout.
” McConnell and Senate Republicans may finally show a backbone against Trump , or Trump just may lose interest in doing a deal during a lame-duck session , or Democrats may decide that they can wait on an agreement until they take over the levers of government .
The problem with that thinking is twofold : Any deal that relies on Biden or a new Democratic majority in the Senate is a deal that won @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of January at the earliest .
Even if Democrats think they can get a better deal under Biden , they ’ ll still likely need GOP votes to clear the 60-vote threshold in the Senate .
And job growth has already slowed significantly .
Much like the fever of fiscal conservatism that struck Republicans at the end of George W. Bush ’ s second term and the beginning of Barack Obama ’ s first — even as the economy was in free-fall — Republicans may begin fretting about debt after joining Trump to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trillions in new spending , and additional trillions in initial coronavirus relief .
The game plan for stopping Obama seemed to be to constrain government spending , make it as hard as possible to stimulate the economy , and produce a sluggish recovery — all so a Republican could argue in four years that their party was best equipped to bring the economy back .
And it already looks like Republicans are prepared to trot out the same playbook , without a shred of shame about the four-year spending spree they went on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than doubled the deficit and added $ 7 trillion to the debt .
That ’ s why some progressive lawmakers called on Pelosi to take the Trump administration ’ s earlier $ 1.8 trillion stimulus offer .
With Trump on board , according to their thinking , wary Republicans would theoretically endorse more spending and bolster the chances of a bill passing .
It didn ’ t include everything Democrats wanted , but it would inject a significant boost into the economy and provide needed relief to people suffering amid the pandemic .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ signed the $ 1.8 trillion that Trump had given to her ... but she wanted to get more money and all that , ” Glory Chiz Owirowa , who works at an engineering company in Lexington , South Carolina , said Monday outside an event for Democratic Senate candidate Jaime Harrison .

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Following the confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court on Monday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell adjourned his chamber until after Election Day, officially signaling that Congress won’t enact a new coronavirus relief bill before the election — and potentially not before 2021.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and the Trump administration both say they want a deal. Pelosi told the administration Monday that it’s still possible to strike an agreement before next Tuesday, even if it’s too late to write and pass legislation.
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“We said, ‘We can get something done before the election, at least an agreement, if not a law, if you admit that we can, must crush the virus,’” Pelosi said Monday night on “All In with Chris Hayes.”
But the two sides still don’t even agree on a national plan to ramp up coronavirus testing and contact tracing, even after Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said the White House would accept Democrats’ testing proposal.
Still, White House spokesperson Alyssa Farah said Tuesday that the administration hoped for a deal “within weeks.”
The prospects of a deal on another stimulus package now hinge on the outcome of the November election. Although Democratic nominee Joe Biden is favored to win the White House, Republicans are fighting to retain control of the Senate. If the GOP manages to hold onto its majority, Republicans believe they’ll have a better negotiating position in the lame-duck session of Congress ― meaning they could push for their smaller relief package that would block coronavirus lawsuits and provide less aid to states.
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Republicans have specifically avoided saying a relief package is dead. For one, if President Donald Trump were to be reelected, they might need to actually pass a bill. For another, it’s politically dumb to say so one week before an election, even if they have no intent to go along with even more spending. Republicans continue to say they could vote for a stimulus deal — it just needs to be the right package.
Pelosi has held out for a continuation of the $600 unemployment increase that expired in July, plus hundreds of billions more in assistance for state and local governments that have lost tax revenue because of the virus. Republicans have called the proposed fund a “blue state bailout.”
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell walking out the Senate Chamber on Capitol Hill on Monday, the day the Senate voted to confirm Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court. The Senate then adjourned until after the election. Xinhua News Agency via Getty Images
If Biden wins the White House and Democrats take the Senate, however, there might not be any stimulus agreement that Republicans would accept.
McConnell and Senate Republicans may finally show a backbone against Trump, or Trump just may lose interest in doing a deal during a lame-duck session, or Democrats may decide that they can wait on an agreement until they take over the levers of government.
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The problem with that thinking is twofold: Any deal that relies on Biden or a new Democratic majority in the Senate is a deal that won’t be finalized until the end of January at the earliest. Even if Democrats think they can get a better deal under Biden, they’ll still likely need GOP votes to clear the 60-vote threshold in the Senate. And job growth has already slowed significantly.
And if Biden is elected, the already withering support for a deal among Senate Republicans may turn out to be nonexistent.
Much like the fever of fiscal conservatism that struck Republicans at the end of George W. Bush’s second term and the beginning of Barack Obama’s first — even as the economy was in free-fall — Republicans may begin fretting about debt after joining Trump to grow the deficit with tax cuts, trillions in new spending, and additional trillions in initial coronavirus relief.
The game plan for stopping Obama seemed to be to constrain government spending, make it as hard as possible to stimulate the economy, and produce a sluggish recovery — all so a Republican could argue in four years that their party was best equipped to bring the economy back. And it already looks like Republicans are prepared to trot out the same playbook, without a shred of shame about the four-year spending spree they went on with Trump, during which they more than doubled the deficit and added $7 trillion to the debt.
That’s why some progressive lawmakers called on Pelosi to take the Trump administration’s earlier $1.8 trillion stimulus offer. With Trump on board, according to their thinking, wary Republicans would theoretically endorse more spending and bolster the chances of a bill passing. It didn’t include everything Democrats wanted, but it would inject a significant boost into the economy and provide needed relief to people suffering amid the pandemic.
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The administration said it had agreed on a $400 unemployment supplement and another round of direct payments to most households, but it wasn’t clear if it was still insisting on blocking lawsuits.
“I wish that Nancy Pelosi had signed the $1.8 trillion that Trump had given to her ... but she wanted to get more money and all that,” Glory Chiz Owirowa, who works at an engineering company in Lexington, South Carolina, said Monday outside an event for Democratic Senate candidate Jaime Harrison.
Another round of direct payments would have made his life easier.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-27--Early Data Shows Mail-In Ballots Are Moving Quickly Through Post Office

A single day can make a difference — most states , including many swing states , won ’ t count ballots that arrive after Election Day — and voters know it .
A recent HuffPost/YouGov poll found that about half of the people who plan to vote in person are doing so in part because they don ’ t trust the mail .
And there are widespread warnings that first-class mail service , which is how ballots are classified , is taking much longer compared with pre-pandemic days .
This weekend , for the first time , the Postal Service @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ballots , not just all first-class mail , are reaching their destination .
The picture is reassuring , if very broad and incomplete .
During the week ending Oct. 10 , the post office delivered 95.6 % of voter ballots to election offices on time and 96.7 % of blank ballots to voters on time , USPS data shows .
That inbound delivery rate , of 95.6 % , was the highest it has been all fall .
For the weeks of Sept. 12 and 19 , the on-time delivery rate for ballots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ respectively .
To be clear , ballots mailed later than Tuesday may arrive too late .
Voters who haven ’ t mailed in their ballots yet should explore using ballot dropboxes in states that have set them up , delivering their ballots to voting centers or voting in person .
Each state has its own set of options , so state and local voter information sites can be the best sources of information .
Those who mailed their ballots should also check to see if they counted .
Overall , what this shows @ @ @ @ @ @ @ same rolling delays dogging first-class mail .
This reality could change at any moment .
The data is not comprehensive , it doesn ’ t reflect problems in specific regions and even a single percentage point dip in on-time service could translate to delays for tens of thousands of ballots .
In 2016 , the winner of Wisconsin was decided by roughly 22,000 votes .
What ’ s likely making the difference is that the post office and postal workers are taking multiple steps to separate out ballots from the general mail stream @ @ @ @ @ @ @ running through Election Day , letter carriers are being told to visit every address on their stop , whether or not they have mail to deliver , to ensure any ballots in residents ’ mailboxes are picked up .
Processing plant workers are supposed to make multiple daily sweeps to look for ballots that are just sitting around .
Some of these areas are overstretched but are working hard to ensure ballots move quickly .
In Philadelphia , mail carriers are suffering from exceptionally high turnover rates , and the overtaxed remaining workforce @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agency ’ s special instructions for expediting ballots .
Late last week , postal workers found multiple pallets of hundreds of pieces of campaign mailers for both Biden and Trump sitting idle inside Philadelphia-area mail processing plants , said Nick Casselli , president of the city ’ s American Postal Workers local .
Retail locations are urged to separate ballots out from the mail pile , postmark them and deliver them directly to boards of elections rather than sending them to faraway processing plants with the rest of the mail .
They are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ customers mailing ballots and temporarily dedicate other staffers to ballot sorting .
The USPS and postal unions are also urging rank-and-file postal workers to report any problems up the chain , a process that is actually yielding solutions , Dimondstein said : “ The workers reporting back to us are not going to whitewash anything .
What we ’ ve seen is generally it ’ s working smoothly , and where there are problems , they ’ re being resolved.
” A week ago , a top postal union official who spoke to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agency ’ s election-related directives , which came from the top of the U.S .
Postal Service , were just for show .
This week , though , after hearing from members in hundreds of locations , he said the whole process is “ frankly going quite well.
” There are limits to what the data shows .
Those figures for ballots aren ’ t broken down by region .
And they only measure the time between the ballot ’ s first and last interaction with a processing operation , meaning , they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happen when the ballot is waiting in a mail slot for the mail carrier or after being loaded onto a truck for its final ride to the election office .
“ Clearly , steps are being taken to expedite election mail , ” said the anonymous union official .
“ But you still have short staffing in some areas , COVID issues .
There is still an emphasis in a lot of areas on trucks leaving on time , even if they ’ re empty , ” as opposed to holding trucks until @ @ @ @ @ @ @ No matter how hard you try , that ’ s going to impact election mail , and we ’ re definitely seeing that .
”

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Whether or not the mail runs on time has never been more important.
Tuesday was the last day the U.S. Postal Service would guarantee that a mailed ballot would arrive at election offices by Nov. 3. With 28 million absentee ballots still outstanding, that means the Postal Service has been entrusted to deliver a record number of mail-in ballots.
Fears are rampant that the post office will fall short. Delivery has not fully rebounded since the summer, when the coronavirus and new policies from Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, an appointee of President Donald Trump, created rippling delays in deliveries.
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A single day can make a difference — most states, including many swing states, won’t count ballots that arrive after Election Day — and voters know it. A recent HuffPost/YouGov poll found that about half of the people who plan to vote in person are doing so in part because they don’t trust the mail. And there are widespread warnings that first-class mail service, which is how ballots are classified, is taking much longer compared with pre-pandemic days.
But new data suggests that in many parts of the country, the Postal Service is moving ballots faster than regular first-class mail.
This weekend, for the first time, the Postal Service released a limited snapshot of how fast ballots, not just all first-class mail, are reaching their destination. The picture is reassuring, if very broad and incomplete. During the week ending Oct. 10, the post office delivered 95.6% of voter ballots to election offices on time and 96.7% of blank ballots to voters on time, USPS data shows. That inbound delivery rate, of 95.6%, was the highest it has been all fall. For the weeks of Sept. 12 and 19, the on-time delivery rate for ballots was 86.6% and 91.9%, respectively.
“Even with our deep concern about the decline in service under Postmaster General DeJoy’s leadership and other factors, such as COVID, that’s generally not affecting the question of mail ballots. They are being given beyond first-class attention.” - Mark Dimondstein, president of the American Postal Workers Union
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A different tracker, Ballot Scout, has found that in early October, 95% of ballots were reaching election offices in one to five days, with an average delivery speed of two days. The remaining 5% of ballots were mostly mailed from out of state.
To be clear, ballots mailed later than Tuesday may arrive too late. Voters who haven’t mailed in their ballots yet should explore using ballot dropboxes in states that have set them up, delivering their ballots to voting centers or voting in person. Each state has its own set of options, so state and local voter information sites can be the best sources of information. Those who mailed their ballots should also check to see if they counted.
Overall, what this shows is ballots are not plagued by the same rolling delays dogging first-class mail. This reality could change at any moment. The data is not comprehensive, it doesn’t reflect problems in specific regions and even a single percentage point dip in on-time service could translate to delays for tens of thousands of ballots. In 2016, the winner of Wisconsin was decided by roughly 22,000 votes.
But the limited data that’s available suggests that if DeJoy intended to slow the mailed ballot process, he failed.
“Even with our deep concern about the decline in service under Postmaster General DeJoy’s leadership and other factors, such as COVID, that’s generally not affecting the question of mail ballots,” said Mark Dimondstein, the president of the American Postal Workers Union, which represents mostly workers in processing plants. “They are being given beyond first-class attention.”
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The same data set that showed 95.6% of ballots arriving on time showed most first-class mail had an overall on-time score percentage in the mid- to high 80s. In swing states such as Wisconsin and North Carolina, it’s taking first-class letters up to 10 days to be delivered.
What’s likely making the difference is that the post office and postal workers are taking multiple steps to separate out ballots from the general mail stream and expedite them. Starting Thursday and running through Election Day, letter carriers are being told to visit every address on their stop, whether or not they have mail to deliver, to ensure any ballots in residents’ mailboxes are picked up. Processing plant workers are supposed to make multiple daily sweeps to look for ballots that are just sitting around.
Election workers look over some of the hundreds of thousands of mail-in ballots as they are processed Oct. 16 at the Orange County Registrar of Voters in Santa Ana, California. Mike Blake/Reuters
Some of these areas are overstretched but are working hard to ensure ballots move quickly. In Philadelphia, mail carriers are suffering from exceptionally high turnover rates, and the overtaxed remaining workforce will likely struggle to carry out the agency’s special instructions for expediting ballots. Late last week, postal workers found multiple pallets of hundreds of pieces of campaign mailers for both Biden and Trump sitting idle inside Philadelphia-area mail processing plants, said Nick Casselli, president of the city’s American Postal Workers local.
“But I didn’t see ballots sitting around,” Casselli said. “When we see a ballot, we handle it like gold.”
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Retail locations are urged to separate ballots out from the mail pile, postmark them and deliver them directly to boards of elections rather than sending them to faraway processing plants with the rest of the mail. They are encouraged to set up special lines for customers mailing ballots and temporarily dedicate other staffers to ballot sorting.
The USPS and postal unions are also urging rank-and-file postal workers to report any problems up the chain, a process that is actually yielding solutions, Dimondstein said: “The workers reporting back to us are not going to whitewash anything. What we’ve seen is generally it’s working smoothly, and where there are problems, they’re being resolved.”
“When we see a ballot, we handle it like gold.” - Nick Casselli, president of Philadelphia's American Postal Workers local.
A week ago, a top postal union official who spoke to HuffPost expressed worry that some of the agency’s election-related directives, which came from the top of the U.S. Postal Service, were just for show. This week, though, after hearing from members in hundreds of locations, he said the whole process is “frankly going quite well.”
“In general, people are pretty upbeat about the situation,” the union official said.
There are limits to what the data shows. Those figures for ballots aren’t broken down by region. And they only measure the time between the ballot’s first and last interaction with a processing operation, meaning, they don’t reflect any delays that happen when the ballot is waiting in a mail slot for the mail carrier or after being loaded onto a truck for its final ride to the election office.
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The agency only has specific data on ballots in places where election officials affixed ballots with a special USPS tracking code. Election divisions with better funding or a longer history of running vote-by-mail operations are more likely to use these tracking codes.
And voting by mail can backfire for reasons unrelated to mail delivery speeds. Ballot printers can misprint addresses. Election officials can fail to mail ballots in time. A ballot arrived doesn’t mean a ballot counted: States can make overly harsh rules that disqualify many ballots. Voters could simply wait too long.
Some regions are still suffering from severe delivery problems, including Democratic strongholds in key swing states. In Detroit, mail carriers recently told The Washington Post that they were receiving instructions to prioritize package delivery at the expense of other mail, including election mail. Some carriers were secretly doing the opposite in order to ensure ballots arrive on time.
The new attention being paid to ballots can’t fully overcome problems created by the summer slowdown.
“Clearly, steps are being taken to expedite election mail,” said the anonymous union official. “But you still have short staffing in some areas, COVID issues. There is still an emphasis in a lot of areas on trucks leaving on time, even if they’re empty,” as opposed to holding trucks until they have mail to deliver. “No matter how hard you try, that’s going to impact election mail, and we’re definitely seeing that.”
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-27--Domestic Workers Still Struggling, Many Jobless Months Into Pandemic

A survey of over 20,000 Spanish-speaking domestic workers in the U.S. by National Domestic Workers Alliance found that more than a third ( or 36 % ) were jobless in mid-September — four times the rate before the pandemic hit ( around 9 % ) .
At one point in the early months of COVID-19 ’ s spread in the spring , when there were widespread shutterings of businesses and shelter-in-place policies , a peak of 68 % of domestic workers reported being without any jobs .
The domestic workers advocacy group NDWA used a chatbot to survey thousands of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the pandemic , from mid-March to mid-September , reaching largely house cleaners , as well as nannies and home care workers in 48 states and Puerto Rico .
More than half of those surveyed reported being unable to pay rent or their mortgage for six months in a row .
More than three-quarters reported being unsure they ’ d be able to afford food in the coming weeks .
“ My employers canceled because of the virus , ” Rosa , a house cleaner in New York , said in the group @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who has a 13-year-old daughter , said she ’ d gotten no government support .
“ I am very worried .
The amount of debt for rent goes up.
” Coronavirus cases continue to mount across the country , recently reaching a peak of 83,000 new daily cases .
The economic effects have been devastating , as the nation ’ s unemployment rate was at nearly 8 % last month , more than twice the pre-pandemic rate .
Congress has yet to pass a new stimulus package — and it remains to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ include undocumented workers , who were left out of the first round of stimulus checks .
Less than a third of the domestic workers surveyed had received the $ 1,200 check .
House cleaners and nannies don ’ t have the option to work from home — and they also generally don ’ t have access to employer-provided health care or paid sick leave .
And as domestic workers often work for multiple employers for short amounts of time and may be paid in cash , it can be challenging for them to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
More than 85 % of Spanish-speaking domestic workers did not apply for unemployment in large part because they didn ’ t believe they qualified for relief , according to NDWA ’ s report .
Only 14 % of them applied for aid , and of that percentage , 57 % still did not receive unemployment benefits after applying .
“ As domestic workers , we deserve to be cared for by this country because we take care of your children , your elderly and your homes , ” Rufina Rodriguez , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tuesday .
“ We deserve help from the government and we deserve to have all the labor rights so that we can work safely during the pandemic and after the pandemic.
” As the pandemic spread in the spring , many areas were under shelter-in-place orders and domestic workers saw their regular clients abruptly cancel their jobs .
Per the survey , nearly three-quarters of workers did not receive any compensation when their jobs were canceled , and nearly half of those who lost work were never contacted again by their employers .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ have taken a piecemeal approach to returning to in-person classes or conducting them virtually , working parents are struggling .
Nearly 90 % of the domestic workers surveyed identified as mothers , and more than a quarter of these said they lacked a device for their child ’ s remote learning .
Meanwhile , the nature of domestic work means that when they do get jobs , they need to go into other people ’ s homes , including being in high contact with others in the cases of nannies or home care @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have had confirmed coronavirus cases in the U.S. and over 225,000 people have died so far , those infected and dead have disproportionately been Black and Latinx .
Over 90 % of domestic workers in the U.S. are women and more than half of them are women of color and 46 % immigrants , according to a 2012 national study of domestic workers .
A June survey by NDWA of 800 Black immigrant domestic workers in three regions — Massachusetts , New York City and Miami — echoed similar struggles : 70 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their hours or pay cut since COVID-19 hit .
What ’ s more , 25 % of the domestic workers surveyed had experienced or lived with someone with COVID-19 symptoms .
“ As we head into the most important election in generations , this reality is a huge part of what ’ s at stake , ” NDWA executive director Ai-jen Poo said .
“ Domestic workers ’ lives and livelihoods are on the line and they will be heard as they mobilize to vote this year .
And you should all remember @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic to their families and communities as we all plan to vote this year .
”

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House cleaners, nannies and home care workers across the country continue to face dramatic economic losses months into the coronavirus pandemic, with no relief in sight.
A survey of over 20,000 Spanish-speaking domestic workers in the U.S. by National Domestic Workers Alliance found that more than a third (or 36%) were jobless in mid-September — four times the rate before the pandemic hit (around 9%). At one point in the early months of COVID-19’s spread in the spring, when there were widespread shutterings of businesses and shelter-in-place policies, a peak of 68% of domestic workers reported being without any jobs.
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The domestic workers advocacy group NDWA used a chatbot to survey thousands of workers weekly for the first six months of the pandemic, from mid-March to mid-September, reaching largely house cleaners, as well as nannies and home care workers in 48 states and Puerto Rico.
More than half of those surveyed reported being unable to pay rent or their mortgage for six months in a row. More than three-quarters reported being unsure they’d be able to afford food in the coming weeks.
“My employers canceled because of the virus,” Rosa, a house cleaner in New York, said in the group’s report. The single mother, who has a 13-year-old daughter, said she’d gotten no government support. “I am very worried. The amount of debt for rent goes up.”
Coronavirus cases continue to mount across the country, recently reaching a peak of 83,000 new daily cases. The economic effects have been devastating, as the nation’s unemployment rate was at nearly 8% last month, more than twice the pre-pandemic rate.
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Congress has yet to pass a new stimulus package — and it remains to be seen if a future one would include undocumented workers, who were left out of the first round of stimulus checks. Less than a third of the domestic workers surveyed had received the $1,200 check.
We just released a groundbreaking new report on the impact of COVID-19 on under-surveyed domestic workers. The report includes six months of research -- 25 weekly surveys -- with respondents from at least 48 U.S states, D.C., and Puerto Rico. #EconTwitter https://t.co/0nCgWA0Nhy pic.twitter.com/DrMgqDLrMx — Domestic Workers (@domesticworkers) October 27, 2020
House cleaners and nannies don’t have the option to work from home — and they also generally don’t have access to employer-provided health care or paid sick leave. And as domestic workers often work for multiple employers for short amounts of time and may be paid in cash, it can be challenging for them to prove earnings to qualify for unemployment benefits.
The survey highlights Spanish-speaking workers, a group that’s often left out of economic data due to language barriers, immigration status and/or because they were paid off the books.
More than 85% of Spanish-speaking domestic workers did not apply for unemployment in large part because they didn’t believe they qualified for relief, according to NDWA’s report. Only 14% of them applied for aid, and of that percentage, 57% still did not receive unemployment benefits after applying.
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“As domestic workers, we deserve to be cared for by this country because we take care of your children, your elderly and your homes,” Rufina Rodriguez, a house cleaner from Philadelphia, said on Tuesday. “We deserve help from the government and we deserve to have all the labor rights so that we can work safely during the pandemic and after the pandemic.”
As domestic workers experienced “rapid and sustained loss of income” during the pandemic, as NDWA put it, about three-quarters of those surveyed were primary breadwinners in their households.
As the pandemic spread in the spring, many areas were under shelter-in-place orders and domestic workers saw their regular clients abruptly cancel their jobs. Per the survey, nearly three-quarters of workers did not receive any compensation when their jobs were canceled, and nearly half of those who lost work were never contacted again by their employers.
“As domestic workers we deserve to be cared for by this country because we take care of your children, your elderly and your homes.” - Rufina Rodriguez, a house cleaner from Philadelphia
What’s more, as schools have taken a piecemeal approach to returning to in-person classes or conducting them virtually, working parents are struggling. Nearly 90% of the domestic workers surveyed identified as mothers, and more than a quarter of these said they lacked a device for their child’s remote learning.
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Meanwhile, the nature of domestic work means that when they do get jobs, they need to go into other people’s homes, including being in high contact with others in the cases of nannies or home care workers. As over 8.6 million people have had confirmed coronavirus cases in the U.S. and over 225,000 people have died so far, those infected and dead have disproportionately been Black and Latinx.
Over 90% of domestic workers in the U.S. are women and more than half of them are women of color and 46% immigrants, according to a 2012 national study of domestic workers.
A June survey by NDWA of 800 Black immigrant domestic workers in three regions — Massachusetts, New York City and Miami — echoed similar struggles: 70% had either lost their jobs or had their hours or pay cut since COVID-19 hit. What’s more, 25% of the domestic workers surveyed had experienced or lived with someone with COVID-19 symptoms.
The survey comes just a day after the Senate adjourned following the rushed confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett. With millions of Americans in dire need of government assistance, the chamber will break until after Election Day and Congress won’t be able to enact a new COVID-19 relief bill before Nov. 3, and possibly not until 2021.
More coronavirus relief aid likely hinges on who wins the presidential election. Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden says he will immediately start working on COVID-19 relief if elected, while the Trump administration published a report on Tuesday listing first-term accomplishments including “ending the COVID-19 pandemic.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-27--Over 1,000 Faith Leaders Call For A 'Free And Fair Election'

WASHINGTON ( AP ) — More than 1,000 clergy members , religious scholars and other faith-based advocates have signed onto a unique statement that supports a comprehensive path to “ a free and fair election ” and urges leaders to heed the verdict of “ legitimate election results ” regardless of who wins in November .
Signatories of the statement , shared in advance with The Associated Press , include senior officials at the National Association of Evangelicals and prominent progressive pastor the Rev .
William Barber , as well as two past faith advisers to former President George W. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ swath of endorsements illustrates the extent to which the unprecedented nature of a mid-pandemic election has pushed organized religion to showcase its civic power .
After listing four basic principles , including the importance of leaders sharing “ timely , accurate information about the election results ” rather than misinformation , the statement goes on to state that those ideas “ are central to a functioning and healthy republic and they are supported by the vast majority of Americans , yet they are being challenged in unprecedented ways in the 2020 election.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its people ’ s commitment to our democracy and the freedoms and rights it ensures , ” the joint statement adds .
Voters wait in line for a Houston Street polling site on the first day of early voting , Saturday , Oct. 24 , 2020 , in New York .
Galen Carey , vice president of government relations at the evangelicals association , contrasted the current political climate with the contentious 2000 presidential election , when vote counting in the swing state of Florida was halted and Bush declared the winner following @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years later , we ’ re not in that place where we can just assume that once the outcome is announced and decided , everyone can just go on with their lives and wish the new leaders well , ” Carey , who signed the joint statement alongside NAE President Walter Kim , said in an interview .
Other faith leaders signing the statement include John Dilulio , the first director of the White House faith-based initiative office during Bush ’ s administration , and Stanley Carlson-Thies , who also served in Bush @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Obama administration on faith matters while founding the nonprofit Institutional Religious Freedom Alliance .
President Donald Trump has sparked criticism for declining to fully commit to supporting a peaceful transition of power if Democratic opponent Joe Biden prevails in the battle for the White House next week .
While the statement mentions neither presidential candidate by name , its signatories include several prominent Christian leaders who have backed Biden , such as retired megachurch pastor the Rev .
Joel Hunter and Ron Sider , founder and president emeritus of Christians for Social @ @

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WASHINGTON (AP) — More than 1,000 clergy members, religious scholars and other faith-based advocates have signed onto a unique statement that supports a comprehensive path to “a free and fair election” and urges leaders to heed the verdict of “legitimate election results” regardless of who wins in November.
Signatories of the statement, shared in advance with The Associated Press, include senior officials at the National Association of Evangelicals and prominent progressive pastor the Rev. William Barber, as well as two past faith advisers to former President George W. Bush. The statement’s wide swath of endorsements illustrates the extent to which the unprecedented nature of a mid-pandemic election has pushed organized religion to showcase its civic power.
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After listing four basic principles, including the importance of leaders sharing “timely, accurate information about the election results” rather than misinformation, the statement goes on to state that those ideas “are central to a functioning and healthy republic and they are supported by the vast majority of Americans, yet they are being challenged in unprecedented ways in the 2020 election.”
“America is only as strong as its people’s commitment to our democracy and the freedoms and rights it ensures,” the joint statement adds.
Voters wait in line for a Houston Street polling site on the first day of early voting, Saturday, Oct. 24, 2020, in New York. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
Galen Carey, vice president of government relations at the evangelicals association, contrasted the current political climate with the contentious 2000 presidential election, when vote counting in the swing state of Florida was halted and Bush declared the winner following a Supreme Court ruling.
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“Twenty years later, we’re not in that place where we can just assume that once the outcome is announced and decided, everyone can just go on with their lives and wish the new leaders well,” Carey, who signed the joint statement alongside NAE President Walter Kim, said in an interview.
Other faith leaders signing the statement include John Dilulio, the first director of the White House faith-based initiative office during Bush’s administration, and Stanley Carlson-Thies, who also served in Bush’s faith-based office and later advised the Obama administration on faith matters while founding the nonprofit Institutional Religious Freedom Alliance.
An election worker sorts vote-by-mail ballots at the Miami-Dade County Board of Elections, Monday, Oct. 26, 2020, in Doral, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
President Donald Trump has sparked criticism for declining to fully commit to supporting a peaceful transition of power if Democratic opponent Joe Biden prevails in the battle for the White House next week. While the statement mentions neither presidential candidate by name, its signatories include several prominent Christian leaders who have backed Biden, such as retired megachurch pastor the Rev. Joel Hunter and Ron Sider, founder and president emeritus of Christians for Social Action.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-27--Teen Who Recorded George Floyd's Death On Phone  To Receive PEN Award

NEW YORK ( AP ) — The teenager who recorded the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police in May will be honored in December by PEN America , the literary and human rights organization .
“ With nothing more than a cell phone and sheer guts , Darnella changed the course of history in this country , sparking a bold movement demanding an end to systemic anti-Black racism and violence at the hands of police , ” PEN America CEO Suzanne Nossel said in a statement Tuesday .
The 17-year-old Frazier will share the Courage Award @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ambassador to Ukraine who was pushed out by the Trump administration .
Because of the coronavirus pandemic , PEN had postponed its annual gala from May 19 , six days before Floyd ’ s death , to Dec. 8 , and will host the event online .
“ Darnella Frazier took an enormous amount of flak in the wake of releasing the video , ” Nossel told The Associated Press .
“ People were accusing her of being in it for the money , or for being famous , or were asking why @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was just left this way .
We wanted to go back and recognize and elevate this singular act.
” Others being honored by PEN in December include the author and musician Patti Smith and Chinese dissident Xu Zhiyong .

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NEW YORK (AP) — The teenager who recorded the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police in May will be honored in December by PEN America, the literary and human rights organization.
Darnella Frazier will be presented the PEN/Benenson Courage Award.
“With nothing more than a cell phone and sheer guts, Darnella changed the course of history in this country, sparking a bold movement demanding an end to systemic anti-Black racism and violence at the hands of police,” PEN America CEO Suzanne Nossel said in a statement Tuesday.
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The 17-year-old Frazier will share the Courage Award with Marie Yovanovitch, the former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine who was pushed out by the Trump administration.
Because of the coronavirus pandemic, PEN had postponed its annual gala from May 19, six days before Floyd’s death, to Dec. 8, and will host the event online.
“Darnella Frazier took an enormous amount of flak in the wake of releasing the video,” Nossel told The Associated Press. “People were accusing her of being in it for the money, or for being famous, or were asking why she didn’t intervene. And it was just left this way. We wanted to go back and recognize and elevate this singular act.”
Others being honored by PEN in December include the author and musician Patti Smith and Chinese dissident Xu Zhiyong.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-27--Barack Obama Says Trump Is 'Jealous Of COVID’s Media Coverage'

No other president in American history has been as hyper-focused on his own press as President Donald Trump , which might be why he keeps dismissing the seriousness of the COVID-19 pandemic , Barack Obama joked Tuesday .
“ If he had been focused on COVID from the beginning , cases wouldn ’ t be reaching new record highs across the country , ” Obama continued ― a nod to the U.S. setting a new daily record of 68,767 cases on a seven-day average over the weekend .
“ If we were focused on COVID now , the White House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outbreak in a month , ” said Obama , adding that Trump has “ turned the White House into a hot zone .
Some of the places he holds rallies have seen new spikes right after he leaves town.
” Trump has downplayed the coronavirus since the start , calling concerns about it a “ hoax , ” refusing to issue federal guidelines , pushing unproven treatments , insisting on holding large campaign events , and mocking people for wearing masks and social distancing .
Despite the number of new cases spiking again @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic , he keeps boasting that everything is under control .
Obama ’ s remarks come exactly one week before the last day of voting in an election that polls suggest Biden is favored to win .
Trump has repeatedly charged that his Democratic opponent will “ Shutdown the Economy at the tip of a hat ” if he ’ s elected .
Biden ’ s camp says the economy has suffered for as long as it has because Trump has refused to take basic steps to stop the spread of COVID-19 so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , where Obama was stumping for his former vice president , remains a close race with Biden leading by a couple of percentage points .
Trump won the key swing state in 2016 , carried by older , white and blue-collar voters , after Obama had taken Florida in 2008 and 2012 .
“ Here ’ s the truth : The pandemic would have been challenging for any president , ” he said , “ but this idea that somehow this White House has done anything but completely screw this thing up is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you ’ re hearing on the ground from the candidates .
If you get any interesting ― or suspicious !
― campaign mailers , robocalls or hear anything else you think we should know about , email us at scoops @ huffpost.com .

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No other president in American history has been as hyper-focused on his own press as President Donald Trump, which might be why he keeps dismissing the seriousness of the COVID-19 pandemic, Barack Obama joked Tuesday.
“He’s jealous of COVID’s media coverage,” the former president said at an Orlando, Florida, drive-in rally to support Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.
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“If he had been focused on COVID from the beginning, cases wouldn’t be reaching new record highs across the country,” Obama continued ― a nod to the U.S. setting a new daily record of 68,767 cases on a seven-day average over the weekend.
“If we were focused on COVID now, the White House wouldn’t be having its second outbreak in a month,” said Obama, adding that Trump has “turned the White House into a hot zone. Some of the places he holds rallies have seen new spikes right after he leaves town.”
Trump has downplayed the coronavirus since the start, calling concerns about it a “hoax,” refusing to issue federal guidelines, pushing unproven treatments, insisting on holding large campaign events, and mocking people for wearing masks and social distancing. Despite the number of new cases spiking again in the U.S. eight months into the pandemic, he keeps boasting that everything is under control.
Obama’s remarks come exactly one week before the last day of voting in an election that polls suggest Biden is favored to win. Trump has repeatedly charged that his Democratic opponent will “Shutdown the Economy at the tip of a hat” if he’s elected. Biden’s camp says the economy has suffered for as long as it has because Trump has refused to take basic steps to stop the spread of COVID-19 so that businesses can safely reopen.
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Florida, where Obama was stumping for his former vice president, remains a close race with Biden leading by a couple of percentage points. Trump won the key swing state in 2016, carried by older, white and blue-collar voters, after Obama had taken Florida in 2008 and 2012.
No one should give Trump a pass on the coronavirus, Obama argued Tuesday.
“Here’s the truth: The pandemic would have been challenging for any president,” he said, “but this idea that somehow this White House has done anything but completely screw this thing up is nonsense.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-27--Michigan Judge Blocks Ban On Open Carry Of Guns At Polling Places

Judge Christopher Murray , who serves on the Michigan Court of Claims , issued a preliminary injunction against the rule , saying a directive issued by Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson did not follow proper procedure to be enforceable .
Benson had issued the directive earlier this month , instructing local clerks to bar the open carry of firearms on Election Day at or within 100 feet of polling places , clerks ’ offices or absentee vote counting boards .
“ The court ’ s duty is not to act as an overseer of the Department of State , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the wisdom of openly carrying firearms at polling places or other election locations , ” Murray wrote in his ruling .
“ More importantly , its constitutional role is properly limited to only declaring what the law is , not what it should be.
” Benson said in a statement to local news outlets that she plans to appeal the ruling , noting it was issued in an attempt to prevent voter intimidation .
“ As the state ’ s chief election officer , I have a sworn duty to protect every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ballot free from intimidation and harassment , ” Benson said in a statement to Michigan Live .
“ I will continue to protect that right in Michigan , and we will be appealing this ruling.
” On Tuesday , the Detroit chapter of the NAACP said it would monitor voting sites on Election Day for voter intimidation .
The civil rights organization said if it observes any voters intimidated by gun-wielding poll watchers , it will contact local police and prosecutors .
“ We will be virtually at every polling place in this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this state — making sure that if anything happens , anything goes wrong , anybody starts brandishing a weapon we will be there , ” Chui Karega , an attorney with the group , told the Detroit Free Press .
“ And we will act within the full authority of the law to prosecute these people to stop their actions and to make sure that everyone has the right to vote and their vote be counted.
” Michigan is a crucial swing state in next week ’ s election , and both President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Joe Biden , have spent or plan to spend some of their final days campaigning there .
The president held a rally in the state on Tuesday in which he renewed his attacks against Democratic Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer , saying she was “ not a good ” leader as his supporters chanted “ Lock her up.
” The federal government said earlier this month it had foiled a plot to kidnap Whitmer by an extremist right-wing group that was angered over her efforts to lock down the state in the midst of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ finger directly at Trump for the rise in such extremism in an op-ed this week , saying that “ every time he fires up Twitter to launch another broadside against me , my family and I see a surge of vicious attacks sent our way.
” “ This is no coincidence , and the president knows it , ” she wrote in The Atlantic .
“ He is sowing division and putting leaders , especially women leaders , at risk .
And all because he thinks it will help his re-election.
” We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hearing on the ground from the candidates .
If you get any interesting ― or suspicious !
― campaign mailers , robocalls or hear anything else you think we should know about , email us at scoops @ huffpost.com .

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A Michigan judge struck down a rule on Tuesday that banned the open carry of firearms at polling places on Election Day, siding with gun rights groups.
Judge Christopher Murray, who serves on the Michigan Court of Claims, issued a preliminary injunction against the rule, saying a directive issued by Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson did not follow proper procedure to be enforceable.
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Benson had issued the directive earlier this month, instructing local clerks to bar the open carry of firearms on Election Day at or within 100 feet of polling places, clerks’ offices or absentee vote counting boards.
“The court’s duty is not to act as an overseer of the Department of State, nor is it to impose its view on the wisdom of openly carrying firearms at polling places or other election locations,” Murray wrote in his ruling. “More importantly, its constitutional role is properly limited to only declaring what the law is, not what it should be.”
State law already bans open carry at some locations that may serve as polling places, including churches. The new directive also doesn’t address concealed weapons.
Benson said in a statement to local news outlets that she plans to appeal the ruling, noting it was issued in an attempt to prevent voter intimidation.
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“As the state’s chief election officer, I have a sworn duty to protect every voter and their right to cast their ballot free from intimidation and harassment,” Benson said in a statement to Michigan Live. “I will continue to protect that right in Michigan, and we will be appealing this ruling.”
Nikki Schueller inserts her absentee voter ballot into a dropbox in Troy, Michigan, on Oct. 15. Paul Sancya/ASSOCIATED PRESS
On Tuesday, the Detroit chapter of the NAACP said it would monitor voting sites on Election Day for voter intimidation. The civil rights organization said if it observes any voters intimidated by gun-wielding poll watchers, it will contact local police and prosecutors.
“We will be virtually at every polling place in this city, in this county, in this state — making sure that if anything happens, anything goes wrong, anybody starts brandishing a weapon we will be there,” Chui Karega, an attorney with the group, told the Detroit Free Press. “And we will act within the full authority of the law to prosecute these people to stop their actions and to make sure that everyone has the right to vote and their vote be counted.”
Michigan is a crucial swing state in next week’s election, and both President Donald Trump and his Democratic challenger, Joe Biden, have spent or plan to spend some of their final days campaigning there.
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The president held a rally in the state on Tuesday in which he renewed his attacks against Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, saying she was “not a good” leader as his supporters chanted “Lock her up.” The federal government said earlier this month it had foiled a plot to kidnap Whitmer by an extremist right-wing group that was angered over her efforts to lock down the state in the midst of rising COVID-19 cases.
Whitmer pointed a finger directly at Trump for the rise in such extremism in an op-ed this week, saying that “every time he fires up Twitter to launch another broadside against me, my family and I see a surge of vicious attacks sent our way.”
“This is no coincidence, and the president knows it,” she wrote in The Atlantic. “He is sowing division and putting leaders, especially women leaders, at risk. And all because he thinks it will help his re-election.”
We want to know what you’re hearing on the ground from the candidates. If you get any interesting ― or suspicious! ― campaign mailers, robocalls or hear anything else you think we should know about, email us at scoops@huffpost.com.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-27--Family Of Black Man Killed By Philly Cops Called For Ambulance, Not Police

PHILADELPHIA ( AP ) — The family of a Black man killed when Philadelphia police officers fired a dozen rounds in a shooting caught on video had called for an ambulance to get him help with a mental health crisis , not for police intervention , their lawyer said Tuesday .
The two officers each fired at least seven rounds — at least 14 total shots — but could not say how many times Wallace , 27 , was struck .
The officers had not been interviewed as of Tuesday afternoon , Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said .
She said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ information , including their race , would be withheld per department policy until the department could be sure releasing the information would not pose a threat to their safety .
Neither officer had a Taser or similar device , with Outlaw saying the department has previously asked for funding to equip more officers with those devices .
Police arrested at least 91 people during unrest Monday night and Tuesday morning , with three people cited for failing to disperse and about a dozen charged with assault of an officer .
Police had previously @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unrest , most of them hit with thrown objects like bricks .
One officer was still hospitalized Tuesday with a broken leg after being purposely run over by a pickup truck , police said .
In the video , a woman and at least one man follow Wallace , trying to get him to listen to officers , as he briskly walks across the street and between cars .
The woman , identified by family members as Wallace ’ s mother , screams and throws something at an officer after her son is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wallace was hit in the shoulder and chest , Little said .
One of the officers drove him to a hospital , where he was pronounced dead a short time later , she said .
No officers or bystanders were injured in the initial confrontation , Little said .
Both were wearing body cameras and were taken off street duty during the investigation .
Outlaw said earlier Tuesday that she had requested aid from neighboring counties as well as the National Guard .
Mayor Jim Kenney had said the city had been in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Guard help related to elections , but a spokesperson for the Guard told the Inquirer that their presence would be related to the unrest .
Hundreds of people took to the streets in west Philadelphia Monday night and into the early hours of Tuesday , with interactions between protesters and police turning violent at times , the Inquirer reported .
Video showed many yelling at officers and crying .
Dozens of protesters gathered at a nearby park , chanting “ Black lives matter.
” Police cars and dumpsters were set on fire as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ More than a dozen officers , many with batons in hand , formed a line as they ran down 52nd Street , dispersing most of the crowd .
The 52nd Street corridor was also the site of protests against police brutality at the end of May , after George Floyd was killed by Minneapolis police .
Those protests have been the subject of City Council hearings , with protesters describing harsh and unnecessary tactics , including tear gas and projectiles fired by police .

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PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The family of a Black man killed by Philadelphia police officers in a shooting caught on video had called for an ambulance to get him help with a mental health crisis, not for police intervention, their lawyer said.
Police said Walter Wallace Jr., 27, was wielding a knife and ignored orders to drop the weapon before officers fired shots Monday afternoon. But his parents said Tuesday night that officers knew their son was in a mental health crisis because they had been to the family’s house three times on Monday.
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Cathy Wallace, his mother, said one of the times, “they stood there and laughed at us.”
The Wallace family’s attorney, Shaka Johnson, said the man’s wife, Dominique Wallace, is pregnant and is scheduled to have labor induced Wednesday. Johnson said Wallace had nine children — two briefly spoke at a news conference late Tuesday, along with Walter Wallace’s mother and father.
“When you come to a scene where somebody is in a mental crisis, and the only tool you have to deal with it is a gun ... where are the proper tools for the job?” Johnson said, arguing that Philadelphia police officers are not properly trained to handle mental health crises. Johnson said Wallace’s brother had called 911 to request medical assistance and ambulance.
About 500 people had gathered at a West Philadelphia park Tuesday night and began marching through the neighborhood, chanting. There were sporadic reports of arrests in other areas of the city Tuesday night around 9 p.m.
Video showed people streaming into stores and stealing goods as they left on the opposite side of the city from where Wallace was shot. The Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management tweeted around 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, cautioning residents in eastern Philadelphia to remain indoors.
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Protesters confront police during a march on Oct. 27, 2020 in Philadelphia. AP Photo/Matt Slocum
In Washington, the White House issued a statement just before 1 a.m. Wednesday asserting that the unrest was another consequence of “Liberal Democrats’ war against the police” and that the Trump administration “stands proudly with law enforcement, and stands ready, upon request, to deploy any and all Federal resources to end these riots.”
“Law enforcement is an incredibly dangerous occupation, and thousands of officers have given their lives in the line of duty,” said the statement from press secretary Kayleigh McEnany. “All lethal force incidents must be fully investigated. The facts must be followed wherever they lead to ensure fair and just results. In America, we resolve conflicts through the courts and the justice system. We can never allow mob rule.”
Philadelphia officials had anticipated a second night of unrest Tuesday, after Philadelphia police arrested more than 90 people during protests and unrest that began Monday and spread into the early morning hours of Tuesday, sometimes turning into violent confrontations with police. Police were stationing extra officers on business corridors in west Philadelphia and elsewhere in preparation.
Philadelphia police stand by before a march, on Oct. 27, 2020. AP Photo/Matt Slocum
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A Pennsylvania National Guard spokesperson told The Philadelphia Inquirer earlier Tuesday that several hundred guardsmen were expected to arrive in the city within 24 to 48 hours.
Police had previously said 30 officers were injured in the Monday night unrest, most of them hit with thrown objects like bricks. One officer was still hospitalized Tuesday with a broken leg after being purposely run over by a pickup truck, police said.
Throughout the day Tuesday, state and local officials called for transparency and a thorough investigation, including the release of body camera footage from the two officers who fired their weapons.
Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said at a news conference Tuesday that she was still reviewing when and what information would be released to the public. The officers had not been interviewed as of Tuesday afternoon, she said. Neither had a Taser or similar device at the time of the shooting, Outlaw said, noting the department had previously asked for funding to equip more officers with those devices.
Police shove a woman who was arguing with them in West Philadelphia in the early hours of Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2020. Protesters gathered after police shot and killed Walter Wallace, a Black man having a mental health crisis on Monday. Tim Tai/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP
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Outlaw said the officers’ names and other identifying information, including their race, would be withheld until the department could be sure releasing the information would not pose a threat to their safety. The officers were taken off street duty during the investigation.
Police officials said they could not confirm what information had been given to the responding officers, whether they were told about a possible mental illness or how many calls they had received for help at Wallace’s address Monday. Chief Police Inspector Frank Vanore confirmed that police had received a call before the fatal encounter Monday about a man screaming and saying that he was armed with a knife.
The two officers each fired at least seven rounds — at least 14 total shots — but Vanore could not say how many times Wallace, 27, was struck.
Wallace’s father, Walter Wallace Sr. said Tuesday night that he is haunted by the way his son was “butchered.”
“It’s in my mind. I can’t even sleep at night. I can’t even close my eyes,” he said.
In video filmed by a bystander and posted on social media, officers yell for Wallace to drop a knife. In the video, Wallace’s mother and at least one man follow Wallace, trying to get him to listen to officers, as he briskly walks across the street and between cars.
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Wallace advanced toward the officers, who then fired several times, said police spokesperson Officer Tanya Little. Wallace’s mother screams and throws something at an officer after her son is shot and falls to the ground.
Hundreds of demonstrators marched Tuesday in West Philadelphia over the death of Walter Wallace, a Black man who was killed by police in Philadelphia on Monday. AP Photo/Matt Slocum
The video does not make it clear whether he was in fact holding a knife, but witnesses said he was. Police would not confirm any details about the weapon Wallace was alleged to be holding Tuesday, saying it is still part of the open investigation.
Wallace was hit in the shoulder and chest, Little said. One officer drove him to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead a short time later, she said.
During Monday’s unrest, police cars and dumpsters were set on fire as officers struggled to contain the crowds. More than a dozen officers, many with batons in hand, formed a line as they ran down 52nd Street, dispersing most of the crowd.
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In at least one video posted to social media, an officer can be seen appearing to arrest a young Black woman. A white officer wrestles the woman to the ground, lying with his back against her, and punches her repeatedly.
A request for comment or details about the incident was not returned by police Tuesday. A District Attorney’s office spokesperson urged people with concerns about misconduct or crime during the protest to report those issues to the office’s special investigations unit.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-27--Biden, Harris Express Heartbreak After Black Man Is Killed By Philadelphia Police

Biden and Harris called for “ real police reform ” in the aftermath of “ another Black life in America lost ” and acknowledged the suffering borne by a “ community that has already endured so much trauma.
” Wallace , 27 , was killed by police on Monday afternoon .
Footage of the fatal encounter shared on social media shows Wallace walking toward two police officers as a woman ― identified by The Washington Post as his mother ― attempts to hold him back .
Police said Wallace had been holding a knife at the time , and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shouting at the man to put the weapon down .
Moments later , as the camera points down to the ground , multiple shots can be heard .
Johnson said the family had hoped for an ambulance and not police , but when two officers arrived at the scene , Wallace ’ s pregnant wife told them that her husband had bipolar disorder and was in crisis .
“ That was an unjustified shooting , ” the attorney said .
“ We have a person who has mental health issues , we ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the process continues .
But we have officers who I think are not properly trained to deal with those mental health issues.
” Wallace ’ s family has questioned why a stun gun wasn ’ t used on the man to defuse the situation .
The Philadelphia district attorney ’ s office said Tuesday that an investigation had begun .
More than 90 people have since been arrested in connection with the unrest , NBC Philadelphia reported .
Police said at least 30 officers were injured , some from thrown bricks and rocks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or vandalized .
Biden and Harris said in their statement that “ our hearts are broken for the family of Walter Wallace Jr. , and for all those suffering the emotional weight of learning about another Black life in America lost.
” “ We can not accept that in this country a mental health crisis ends in death .
It makes the shock and grief and violence of yesterday ’ s shooting that much more painful , especially for a community that has already endured so much trauma , ” the statement said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , like too many others ’ , was a Black life that mattered — to his mother , to his family , to his community , to all of us.
” “ [ N ] o amount of anger at the very real injustices in our society excuses violence .
Attacking police officers and vandalizing small businesses , which are already struggling during a pandemic , does not bend the moral arc of the universe closer to justice , ” the statement said .
“ Looting is not a protest , it is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the real tragedy of a life cut short.
” “ That must be our American mission .
That is how we deliver real justice , ” they said , before taking a dig at their political rival .
“ All Donald Trump does is fan the flames of division in our society .
He is incapable of doing the real work to bring people together .
We will .
”

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Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and his vice presidential running mate Kamala Harris issued a statement Tuesday expressing their heartbreak over the death of Walter Wallace Jr., a Black man who was shot dead by Philadelphia police.
Biden and Harris called for “real police reform” in the aftermath of “another Black life in America lost” and acknowledged the suffering borne by a “community that has already endured so much trauma.”
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They also criticized the violence that’s been reported — including attacks on police and the vandalism of local businesses — amid the protests sparked by Wallace’s death.
Statement from @JoeBiden @KamalaHarris: "Our hearts are broken for the family of Walter Wallace Jr., and for all those suffering the emotional weight of learning about another Black life in America lost. We cannot accept that in this country a mental health crisis ends in death." pic.twitter.com/GA80TJIRma — Johnny Verhovek (@JTHVerhovek) October 27, 2020
Wallace, 27, was killed by police on Monday afternoon. Footage of the fatal encounter shared on social media shows Wallace walking toward two police officers as a woman ― identified by The Washington Post as his mother ― attempts to hold him back.
Police said Wallace had been holding a knife at the time, and the officers can be heard in the video shouting at the man to put the weapon down. Moments later, as the camera points down to the ground, multiple shots can be heard.
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Shaka Johnson, a lawyer representing Wallace’s family, told the Philadelphia Inquirer that Wallace’s family had called 911 to help with what they described as a mental health crisis.
Johnson said the family had hoped for an ambulance and not police, but when two officers arrived at the scene, Wallace’s pregnant wife told them that her husband had bipolar disorder and was in crisis.
“That was an unjustified shooting,” the attorney said. “We have a person who has mental health issues, we’re going to vet those out as the process continues. But we have officers who I think are not properly trained to deal with those mental health issues.”
Wallace’s family has questioned why a stun gun wasn’t used on the man to defuse the situation. The Philadelphia district attorney’s office said Tuesday that an investigation had begun.
Protests have erupted on Philadelphia’s streets in the aftermath of Wallace’s shooting. Videos posted on social media have shown police clashing with protesters.
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More than 90 people have since been arrested in connection with the unrest, NBC Philadelphia reported. Police said at least 30 officers were injured, some from thrown bricks and rocks, and several businesses had been burglarized or vandalized.
Biden and Harris said in their statement that “our hearts are broken for the family of Walter Wallace Jr., and for all those suffering the emotional weight of learning about another Black life in America lost.”
“We cannot accept that in this country a mental health crisis ends in death. It makes the shock and grief and violence of yesterday’s shooting that much more painful, especially for a community that has already endured so much trauma,” the statement said. “Walter Wallace’s life, like too many others’, was a Black life that mattered — to his mother, to his family, to his community, to all of us.”
The pair then urged that all violence cease.
“[N]o amount of anger at the very real injustices in our society excuses violence. Attacking police officers and vandalizing small businesses, which are already struggling during a pandemic, does not bend the moral arc of the universe closer to justice,” the statement said. “Looting is not a protest, it is a crime. It draws attention away from the real tragedy of a life cut short.”
Biden and Harris called for police reform, which they said should include the implementation of a “national use of force standard.”
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-27--Gwen Stefani And Blake Shelton Are Engaged

Shelton apparently proposed early Tuesday , based on the time of Stefani ’ s Instagram post celebrating the engagement : Hey @ gwenstefani thanks for saving my 2020 ... And the rest of my life..
I love you .
I heard a YES !
pic.twitter.com/mAgbbUtSlx — Blake Shelton ( @ blakeshelton ) October 27 , 2020 The couple met on the NBC series “ The Voice ” in 2014 , and started dating the next year .
Stefani admitted to Ellen DeGeneres in 2015 that she was unfamiliar with Shelton until they started working on the singing competition .
Previously @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rossdale .
Their divorce was finalized in 2016 .
Shelton had been married twice before .
His last marriage to country singer Miranda Lambert ended in 2015 , after he met Stefani .
The public announcement of the engagement may make things less awkward for the couple .
Many people had already assumed they were married ― including singer Dua Lipa .
Back in August , while she was guest-hosting Jimmy Kimmel ’ s show , Lipa and Stefani had an awkward exchange about the state of Stefani ’ s relationship with Shelton @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ve been spending quarantine with your husband Blake Shelton at the ranch in Oklahoma .
Who else was with you ?
How was that ?
” the “ Physical ” singer said .
“ Um .
Well , he ’ s not my husband , but that sounded cool when you said it , ” Stefani quickly replied .

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Shelton apparently proposed early Tuesday, based on the time of Stefani’s Instagram post celebrating the engagement:
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Shelton posted a tweet with the same photo:
Hey @gwenstefani thanks for saving my 2020... And the rest of my life.. I love you. I heard a YES! pic.twitter.com/mAgbbUtSlx — Blake Shelton (@blakeshelton) October 27, 2020
The couple met on the NBC series “The Voice” in 2014, and started dating the next year. Stefani admitted to Ellen DeGeneres in 2015 that she was unfamiliar with Shelton until they started working on the singing competition.
Shelton had been married twice before. His last marriage to country singer Miranda Lambert ended in 2015, after he met Stefani.
The public announcement of the engagement may make things less awkward for the couple. Many people had already assumed they were married ― including singer Dua Lipa.
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Back in August, while she was guest-hosting Jimmy Kimmel’s show, Lipa and Stefani had an awkward exchange about the state of Stefani’s relationship with Shelton.
“I heard that you’ve been spending quarantine with your husband Blake Shelton at the ranch in Oklahoma. Who else was with you? How was that?” the “Physical” singer said.
“Um. Well, he’s not my husband, but that sounded cool when you said it,” Stefani quickly replied.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-27--Tens Of Thousands Evacuated In Southern California As Out-Of-Control Wildfires Rage

LOS ANGELES ( AP ) — Crews tried to beat back two out-of-control wildfires in Southern California on Tuesday that have kept tens of thousands of people out of their homes even as another round of dangerous fire weather raises the risk for flames erupting across the state .
Fierce winds that drove twin fires through brushy hills near cities in Orange County a day earlier were expected to pick back up , although not to the earlier extremes , according to the National Weather Service .
Southern California Edison reported to regulators that it was investigating whether its equipment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the city of Irvine .
The utility said a wire that lashed a telecommunications line to a supporting cable may have struck a 12,000-volt conducting line above it .
Edison was among the utilities in California that deliberately cut power to customers to prevent equipment from being knocked down or hit with debris in the winds and sparking wildfires .
Utility equipment has been blamed for several destructive fires in recent years .
Irvine residents had to evacuate after the fire broke out early Monday , while later and a few miles away @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fire , sent people fleeing from the Yorba Linda area .
One home was reported damaged .
Forecasts call for Santa Ana winds topping 50 mph ( 80 kph ) at times over much of Southern California , with some of the strongest gusts howling through Orange County , where the major fires are .
The winds were so strong Monday that firefighters had to ground their aircraft for much of the day in Irvine , though they got back up by late the afternoon and were expected to fly Tuesday .
Firefighter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Oct. 26 , 2020 , in Irvine , Calif. A fast-moving wildfire forced evacuation orders for 60,000 people in Southern California on Monday as powerful winds across the state prompted power to be cut to hundreds of thousands to prevent utility equipment from sparking new blazes .
( AP Photo/Jae C. Hong ) Two firefighters , one 26 and the other 31 , were critically injured while battling the larger blaze near Irvine , according to the county ’ s Fire Authority , which didn ’ t provide details on how the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and third-degree burns over large portions of their bodies and were getting help breathing at a hospital , officials said .
At its peak , PG & E cut power to about 345,000 customers — an estimated 1 million people — in 34 counties .
The nation ’ s largest utility said it had restored power to more than 150,000 customers by Monday evening , with electricity coming back at the other homes and buildings by Tuesday night after crews do inspections to make repairs and ensure equipment is safe .
The threat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in many parts of PG & E ’ s vast service area .
A red-flag warning of extreme fire danger was in place Tuesday in the Santa Cruz Mountains near the San Francisco Bay Area and some coastal and valley areas , with warnings extending into Tuesday evening for some higher elevations in the Bay Area .
Scientists have said climate change has made California much drier , meaning trees and other plants are more flammable .
October and November are traditionally the worst months for fires , but already this year 8,600 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ record 6,400 square miles ( 16,600 square kilometers ) and destroyed about 9,200 homes , businesses and other buildings .
There have been 31 deaths .

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Crews tried to beat back two out-of-control wildfires in Southern California on Tuesday that have kept tens of thousands of people out of their homes even as another round of dangerous fire weather raises the risk for flames erupting across the state.
Fierce winds that drove twin fires through brushy hills near cities in Orange County a day earlier were expected to pick back up, although not to the earlier extremes, according to the National Weather Service.
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Southern California Edison reported to regulators that it was investigating whether its equipment might have sparked the Silverado Fire near the city of Irvine. The utility said a wire that lashed a telecommunications line to a supporting cable may have struck a 12,000-volt conducting line above it.
Edison was among the utilities in California that deliberately cut power to customers to prevent equipment from being knocked down or hit with debris in the winds and sparking wildfires. Utility equipment has been blamed for several destructive fires in recent years.
Irvine residents had to evacuate after the fire broke out early Monday, while later and a few miles away, another blaze, the Blue Ridge Fire, sent people fleeing from the Yorba Linda area. One home was reported damaged.
Forecasts call for Santa Ana winds topping 50 mph (80 kph) at times over much of Southern California, with some of the strongest gusts howling through Orange County, where the major fires are.
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The winds were so strong Monday that firefighters had to ground their aircraft for much of the day in Irvine, though they got back up by late the afternoon and were expected to fly Tuesday.
Firefighter Raymond Vasquez battles the Silverado Fire Monday, Oct. 26, 2020, in Irvine, Calif. A fast-moving wildfire forced evacuation orders for 60,000 people in Southern California on Monday as powerful winds across the state prompted power to be cut to hundreds of thousands to prevent utility equipment from sparking new blazes. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) ASSOCIATED PRESS
Two firefighters, one 26 and the other 31, were critically injured while battling the larger blaze near Irvine, according to the county’s Fire Authority, which didn’t provide details on how the injuries occurred. They each suffered second- and third-degree burns over large portions of their bodies and were getting help breathing at a hospital, officials said.
Pat McGrath, 78, of Irvine, went to a shelter after someone pounded on her door Monday. The stranger told her about the evacuation orders.
“I just panicked. I started crying,” McGrath, who has no family on the West Coast, told the Los Angeles Times. “I’m cold, I’m hungry, I’m stressed, and I don’t know what to do.”
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Southern California Edison cut power to about 38,000 homes and businesses, although it restored some power by Monday night.
In Northern California, easing winds allowed Pacific Gas & Electric to begin restoring power after the largest of five safety shutoffs this year.
At its peak, PG&E cut power to about 345,000 customers — an estimated 1 million people — in 34 counties. The nation’s largest utility said it had restored power to more than 150,000 customers by Monday evening, with electricity coming back at the other homes and buildings by Tuesday night after crews do inspections to make repairs and ensure equipment is safe.
A dozen reports of damage had been received, PG&E said.
Nearly two dozen wildfires were reported in Northern California on Sunday night and Monday but all were rapidly contained without serious damage.
The threat, however, was far from over in many parts of PG&E’s vast service area. A red-flag warning of extreme fire danger was in place Tuesday in the Santa Cruz Mountains near the San Francisco Bay Area and some coastal and valley areas, with warnings extending into Tuesday evening for some higher elevations in the Bay Area.
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“Bone-dry” humidity could dry out vegetation, which can contribute to “catastrophic” fires, PG&E meteorology chief Scott Strenfel said.
“The conditions are very, very unsafe,” said Mark Quinlan, the utility’s incident commander.
However, once the winds ease, the weather should remain calm through the weekend, Quinlan said.
Scientists have said climate change has made California much drier, meaning trees and other plants are more flammable. October and November are traditionally the worst months for fires, but already this year 8,600 wildfires in the state have scorched a record 6,400 square miles (16,600 square kilometers) and destroyed about 9,200 homes, businesses and other buildings. There have been 31 deaths.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-27--Man Plummets Into Sinkhole As He Waits For Bus, Finds Horror Below

“ The rats down there were ridiculous , they were so big , ” White said her son told her @ @ @ @ @ a half-hour to rescue him and Shoulders was hospitalized , NBC reported .

“The rats down there were ridiculous, they were so big,” White said her son told her.
Emergency crews took about a half-hour to rescue him and Shoulders was hospitalized, NBC reported.
“He’s alive.” Cindy White said. “Thank God.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-27--Bob Dylan Adopted Stage Name Out Of Anti-Semitism Fears: Interview

Transcripts of the 1971 interviews with the late American blues artist Tony Glover — and letters the two friends exchanged — have surfaced at a Boston auction house .
They reveal that Dylan changed his name because he worried about anti-Semitism and wrote “ Lay Lady Lay ” for actress Barbra Streisand .
Some of the 37 typed pages contain handwritten notes in Dylan 's own scrawl , said R.R .
Auction , which is selling Glover 's trove of Dylan archives .
“ My work is a moving thing , '' Dylan scribbled in one spot .
Elsewhere , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through passages he evidently did n't like .
Dylan , 79 , was close friends with Glover , who died last year .
The two men broke into music on the same Minneapolis coffeehouse scene .
Glover 's widow , Cynthia Nadler , put the documents up for auction , with online bidding to start Nov. 12 and run through Nov. 19 .
The reclusive Dylan , who won the Nobel prize for literature in 2016 after giving the world “ Blowin ' in the Wind , ” “ Like a Rolling Stone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a-Changin ' ” and other anthems of the '60s , was born Robert Zimmerman in Duluth , Minnesota .
And his rambling chats with Glover help explain the name change .
But in handwritten additions , the tone became more serious as Dylan discussed his Jewish identity .
“ A lot of people are under the impression that Jews are just money lenders and merchants .
A lot of people think that all Jews are like that .
Well they used to be cause that ’ s all that was open to them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allowed to do , '' he wrote .
In the interviews , Dylan also recalled when he famously “ went electric ” at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival in Rhode Island , where folk purists in the crowd booed him .
“ Yeah , it was a strange night , ” he said .
There 's also a letter Dylan penned in February 1962 , a month before he released his debut album , in which he quoted folk legend Woody Guthrie : “ Sometimes I feel like a piece of dirt walkin.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of that year , Dylan penned these lyrics , which have never been made public : “ My eyes are cracked I think I been framed / I can ’ t seem to remember the sound of my name / What did he teach you I heard someone shout / Did he teach you to wheel & wind yourself out / Did he teach you to reveal , respect , and repent the blues / No Jack he taught me how to sleep in my shoes.
” “ Lay Lady Lay ” long @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 1969 Oscar-winning movie “ Midnight Cowboy , ” but Dylan told Glover he wrote it as a tune for Streisand .
He did n't elaborate on the nature of their relationship .
The interviews originally were for an article Glover was writing for Esquire magazine , but Dylan lost interest and the piece never was completed , R.R .
Auction said .

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For nearly half a century, they were blowin' in the wind: lost interviews that contained surprising new insights about celebrated singer-songwriter Bob Dylan.
Transcripts of the 1971 interviews with the late American blues artist Tony Glover — and letters the two friends exchanged — have surfaced at a Boston auction house. They reveal that Dylan changed his name because he worried about anti-Semitism and wrote “Lay Lady Lay” for actress Barbra Streisand.
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Some of the 37 typed pages contain handwritten notes in Dylan's own scrawl, said R.R. Auction, which is selling Glover's trove of Dylan archives. “My work is a moving thing," Dylan scribbled in one spot. Elsewhere, he used a blue marker to strike through passages he evidently didn't like.
“In many cases, the deletions are more telling than the additions," said Bobby Livingston, the auction house's executive vice president.
Dylan, 79, was close friends with Glover, who died last year. The two men broke into music on the same Minneapolis coffeehouse scene. Glover's widow, Cynthia Nadler, put the documents up for auction, with online bidding to start Nov. 12 and run through Nov. 19.
The reclusive Dylan, who won the Nobel prize for literature in 2016 after giving the world “Blowin' in the Wind,” “Like a Rolling Stone,” “The Times They Are a-Changin'” and other anthems of the '60s, was born Robert Zimmerman in Duluth, Minnesota. And his rambling chats with Glover help explain the name change.
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A March 22, 1971, conversation began with Dylan joking: “I mean it wouldn’t've worked if I’d changed the name to Bob Levy. Or Bob Neuwirth. Or Bob Doughnut.”
But in handwritten additions, the tone became more serious as Dylan discussed his Jewish identity. “A lot of people are under the impression that Jews are just money lenders and merchants. A lot of people think that all Jews are like that. Well they used to be cause that’s all that was open to them. That’s all they were allowed to do," he wrote.
In the interviews, Dylan also recalled when he famously “went electric” at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival in Rhode Island, where folk purists in the crowd booed him. “Yeah, it was a strange night,” he said.
There's also a letter Dylan penned in February 1962, a month before he released his debut album, in which he quoted folk legend Woody Guthrie: “Sometimes I feel like a piece of dirt walkin.’"
After visiting Guthrie in May of that year, Dylan penned these lyrics, which have never been made public:
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“My eyes are cracked I think I been framed / I can’t seem to remember the sound of my name / What did he teach you I heard someone shout / Did he teach you to wheel & wind yourself out / Did he teach you to reveal, respect, and repent the blues / No Jack he taught me how to sleep in my shoes.”
“Lay Lady Lay” long was said to have been written for the 1969 Oscar-winning movie “Midnight Cowboy,” but Dylan told Glover he wrote it as a tune for Streisand. He didn't elaborate on the nature of their relationship.
The interviews originally were for an article Glover was writing for Esquire magazine, but Dylan lost interest and the piece never was completed, R.R. Auction said.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-28--Progressives Bet That Drinking Water Can Help The Left Flip A House Seat In Nebraska

Cast against eerie black-and-white shots of a kitchen faucet dripping , a new ad running across the 2nd Congressional District accuses Bacon of taking “ money from the industries that make chemicals that polluted our water ” and voting “ against funding to clean up the water we drink.
” Four left-leaning groups ― Justice Democrats , MoveOn , the Working Families Party and Sunrise Movement ― plan to spend at least $ 150,000 on TV spots between now and Election Day .
It ’ s part of the $ 450,000 the groups are pouring into a race widely seen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Democratic progressive wing to prove it can win in a swing district .
“ Water quality is just something really concrete and really material that helps voters of any background and any ideological persuasion understand why who you have in government matters and why you need people who are ready to stand up to powerful corporate interests , ” Joe Dinkin , the national campaign director for the Working Families Party , said Tuesday night .
“ That ’ s exactly why the people of this community are demanding Kara Eastman and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seen over the Missouri River .
The 2nd Congressional District that includes the city is the site of one of this year 's most hotly contested House races .
Bacon ’ s campaign has received more donations from agribusiness than almost any other industry this year , including $ 11,000 from chemical giant Honeywell International Inc. and $ 1,000 apiece from fertilizer manufacturers Corteva Agriscience and Syngenta Corp. , according to data from the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics .
In Congress , he has repeatedly voted against water infrastructure bills , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to clean up and regulate perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances , the cancer-causing pollutants known as PFAS , or “ forever chemicals.
” The chemicals , which do not biodegrade , are as yet unregulated in Nebraska .
Bacon “ is the perfect example of a politician who is willing to compromise his constituents ’ health to take money from the same corporate polluters who make the materials that make people sick , ” she told HuffPost .
In this year ’ s race .
Eastman led Bacon by two percentage points in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ PAC earlier this month .
In earlier polls the lead oscillated between the two .
Eastman , as The Intercept reported this month , faces an unusual challenge ― opposition from Ashford , the district ’ s former Democratic representative who in TV ads backing Bacon touts the incumbent as a champion of “ bipartisanship.
” Eastman defeated Ashford in the 2018 Democratic primary to win the nomination against Bacon , and in this year ’ s primary beat Ashford ’ s wife , Ann Ashford .
Bacon has voted in line with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time since taking office , according to a FiveThirtyEight tally .
His votes against environmental legislation earned him a lifetime score of just 14 % on the League of Conservation Voters ’ ranking .
The race is playing out amid intense interest within the district on the presidential battle between Trump and Democrat Joe Biden .
Nebraska is one of two states that awards a portion of its electoral votes based on the vote in each congressional district , and analysts give Biden a good chance at triumphing in the 2nd District .

Progressive groups mounting a last-minute surge in the Nebraska House district that includes Omaha and much of its suburbs are betting that drinking water can help Democrat Kara Eastman unseat Republican Rep. Don Bacon.
Cast against eerie black-and-white shots of a kitchen faucet dripping, a new ad running across the 2nd Congressional District accuses Bacon of taking “money from the industries that make chemicals that polluted our water” and voting “against funding to clean up the water we drink.”
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Four left-leaning groups ― Justice Democrats, MoveOn, the Working Families Party and Sunrise Movement ― plan to spend at least $150,000 on TV spots between now and Election Day. It’s part of the $450,000 the groups are pouring into a race widely seen as one of the best chances for the Democratic progressive wing to prove it can win in a swing district.
“Water quality is just something really concrete and really material that helps voters of any background and any ideological persuasion understand why who you have in government matters and why you need people who are ready to stand up to powerful corporate interests,” Joe Dinkin, the national campaign director for the Working Families Party, said Tuesday night. “That’s exactly why the people of this community are demanding Kara Eastman and not Congressman Bacon.”
The Omaha skyline seen over the Missouri River. The 2nd Congressional District that includes the city is the site of one of this year's most hotly contested House races. Education Images via Getty Images
Nebraska, a major farming state, has long struggled with water contamination largely stemming from chemicals and fertilizer that run off from planting fields. The Omaha World-Herald called such pollution a “growing problem” in a 2018 editorial.
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Bacon’s campaign has received more donations from agribusiness than almost any other industry this year, including $11,000 from chemical giant Honeywell International Inc. and $1,000 apiece from fertilizer manufacturers Corteva Agriscience and Syngenta Corp., according to data from the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics. In Congress, he has repeatedly voted against water infrastructure bills, including legislation in January to mandate federal support to clean up and regulate perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, the cancer-causing pollutants known as PFAS, or “forever chemicals.” The chemicals, which do not biodegrade, are as yet unregulated in Nebraska.
Helen Brosnan, a campaigner with Justice Democrats, said drinking water offered a “good symbolic and real representation of the dirty politics and dirty habits and pieces of legislation that Don Bacon stood behind.”
Bacon “is the perfect example of a politician who is willing to compromise his constituents’ health to take money from the same corporate polluters who make the materials that make people sick,” she told HuffPost.
Rep. Don Bacon, a Republican who first won his seat in 2016, is in a tight race with Democrat Kara Eastman. It's a rematch of a 2018 face-off Bacon barely won. Drew Angerer via Getty Images
By contrast, she said Eastman, who is running on the Green New Deal movement, “has pledged to practice every environmental safety standard and improve people’s health care.”
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Bacon’s press secretary referred HuffPost to a spokesperson for the congressman’s campaign, who did not return a request for comment on Tuesday evening.
Bacon first won his seat in 2016, narrowly defeating one-term Democratic incumbent Brad Ashford, and then edged Eastman by 2 percentage points in 2018.
In this year’s race. Eastman led Bacon by 2 percentage points in a poll conducted for the Congressional Progressive Caucus PAC earlier this month. In earlier polls, the lead oscillated between the two.
Eastman, as The Intercept reported this month, faces an unusual challenge ― opposition from Ashford, the district’s former Democratic representative who in TV ads backing Bacon touts the incumbent as a champion of “bipartisanship.” Eastman defeated Ashford in the 2018 Democratic primary to win the nomination against Bacon, and in this year’s primary beat Ashford’s wife, Ann Ashford.
Bacon has voted in line with President Donald Trump 92% of the time since taking office, according to a FiveThirtyEight tally. His votes against environmental legislation earned him a lifetime score of just 14% on the League of Conservation Voters’ ranking.
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