thehuffingtonpost--2020-09-30--Trump Wrongly Insists Biden 'Refused' To Say 'Law And Order' During Debate

One day after verbally sparring with Democratic nominee Joe Biden in a chaotic mess of a presidential debate , President Donald Trump blasted his opponent on Twitter because he “ refused ” to use the term “ law & order.
” The president ’ s tweet echoed his insistence during Wednesday ’ s debate that Biden was anti-police and in favor of lawlessness .
Biden refuted this claim to Trump ’ s face , arguing that the majority of police officers were good people and that he was in favor of reforming police institutions rather than defunding them , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his campaign .
Trump ’ s tweet also stated that America ’ s suburbs would be destroyed during a potential Biden presidency — a familiar talking point that Trump has employed in order to create division , paint himself as a protector of American suburban life and vilify the demonstrations in cities with Democratic leaders , such as Minneapolis and Portland .
Twitter users quickly responded to the tweet , pointing out that Trump would be wise to avoid speaking about refusals — particularly since , when presented the opportunity during the debate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supremacy and instead told the Proud Boys to “ stand back and stand by.
” You REFUSED to denounce white supremacy .
You REFUSED to warn Americans about the dangers of COVID .
You REFUSED to release your tax returns because you REFUSED to pay taxes .
You are an agent of Russia .
You are an agent of chaos .
You are a white supremacist .
https : //t.co/Q1hi07CeoP — Kimberley Johnson ( @ AuthorKimberley ) September 30 , 2020 The president literally told a neo-Nazi group to `` stand by .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who according to the FBI are the greatest domestic terrorism threat .
https : //t.co/NZngBxT7QH — S.V .
Dáte ( @ svdate ) September 30 , 2020 You were given the opportunity to condemn white supremacy and undercut a major democratic talking point , even with a *lie* , and you refused .
https : //t.co/j8bDKigYsd — Magdaloween !
( @ MagsVisaggs ) September 30 , 2020 Drop the moderator reviews & focus on this : 1- Trump refused to condemn white supremacists 2- He refused to pledge to accept the results @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supporters to “ watch ” the polls These statements have deep national ramifications & will on Election Day — Jim Sciutto ( @ jimsciutto ) September 30 , 2020 Trump ’ s take on Biden refusing to say the phrase “ law and order ” was also outright false , as pointed out by several Twitter commentators .
Biden had , in fact , said the three words , arguing that he was in favor of “ law and order with justice , where people get treated fairly.
” Actually he said it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a suburb if it hit you in the face .
Maybe you should have listened instead of praising Nazis .
— Tony Posnanski ( @ tonyposnanski ) September 30 , 2020

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One day after verbally sparring with Democratic nominee Joe Biden in a chaotic mess of a presidential debate, President Donald Trump blasted his opponent on Twitter because he “refused” to use the term “law & order.”
Biden REFUSED to use the term, LAW & ORDER! There go the Suburbs. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 30, 2020
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The president’s tweet echoed his insistence during Wednesday’s debate that Biden was anti-police and in favor of lawlessness. Biden refuted this claim to Trump’s face, arguing that the majority of police officers were good people and that he was in favor of reforming police institutions rather than defunding them, a point that has previously been echoed by his campaign.
Trump’s tweet also stated that America’s suburbs would be destroyed during a potential Biden presidency — a familiar talking point that Trump has employed in order to create division, paint himself as a protector of American suburban life and vilify the demonstrations in cities with Democratic leaders, such as Minneapolis and Portland.
Twitter users quickly responded to the tweet, pointing out that Trump would be wise to avoid speaking about refusals — particularly since, when presented the opportunity during the debate, the president refused to condemn white supremacy and instead told the Proud Boys to “stand back and stand by.”
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You REFUSED to condemn white supremacy. That’s what happened. Your tweet is nonsense. #BidenWonTheDebate — Scott Dworkin (@funder) September 30, 2020
You REFUSED to denounce white supremacy.
You REFUSED to warn Americans about the dangers of COVID.
You REFUSED to release your tax returns because you REFUSED to pay taxes.
You are an agent of Russia. You are an agent of chaos. You are a white supremacist. https://t.co/Q1hi07CeoP — Kimberley Johnson (@AuthorKimberley) September 30, 2020
The president literally told a neo-Nazi group to "stand by."
He refused to denounce white supremacists, who according to the FBI are the greatest domestic terrorism threat. https://t.co/NZngBxT7QH — S.V. Dáte (@svdate) September 30, 2020
You were given the opportunity to condemn white supremacy and undercut a major democratic talking point, even with a *lie*, and you refused. https://t.co/j8bDKigYsd — Magdaloween! (@MagsVisaggs) September 30, 2020
when you refused to denounce white supremacy and are now flailing https://t.co/s1zzuz3div — Interview With The Wampire™ (@ScottWamplerBMD) September 30, 2020
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Drop the moderator reviews & focus on this:
1- Trump refused to condemn white supremacists
2- He refused to pledge to accept the results of the election
3- He called on supporters to “watch” the polls
These statements have deep national ramifications & will on Election Day — Jim Sciutto (@jimsciutto) September 30, 2020
I hope everyone writing “this debate was a disaster” pieces tonight is clear about why: Trump refused to be civil. — nilay patel (@reckless) September 30, 2020
Trump’s take on Biden refusing to say the phrase “law and order” was also outright false, as pointed out by several Twitter commentators. Biden had, in fact, said the three words, arguing that he was in favor of “law and order with justice, where people get treated fairly.”
Actually he said it and said you wouldn’t know a suburb if it hit you in the face. Maybe you should have listened instead of praising Nazis. — Tony Posnanski (@tonyposnanski) September 30, 2020
"Law and order with justice, where people get treated fairly." pic.twitter.com/QH9IolYuGG — Slade (@Slade) September 30, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-09-30--Biden Campaign Claims Record Fundraising After Fiery First Debate With Trump

“ That was the worst debate I have ever seen , ” he said .
“ It wasn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ was a disgrace .
And it ’ s primarily because of President Trump.
” In @ @ @ @ @ s chaos , representatives for both candidates said they were committed to showing up for @ @ @ @ @ set for Oct. 15 .
“ President Trump controlled the entire conversation in the first @ @ @ @ @ on his heels , looking weak and unable to defend his 47 years of failure @ @ @ @ @ Trump campaign ’ s director of communications , Tim Murtaugh , told NBC .
“ @ @ @ @ @ about the upcoming debates and look forward to them.
” Added Bedingfield , “ The @ @ @ @ @ hall format where real voters are going to have the chance to engage the candidate @ @ @ @ @ opportunity to talk directly to real voters , that ’ s something that he prioritizes @ @ @ @ @ .
”

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Tuesday’s blistering debate between President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden led to a fundraising boom for the Democratic challenger and his party as a whole.
The Biden campaign announced late Tuesday that they’d broken an all-time record for contributions in a one-hour time frame, netting $3.8 million between the hours of 10 and 11 p.m. ET through the Democratic fundraising website ActBlue.
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Between 10-11 PM tonight, Biden for President had its best online fundraising hour of all time. — Rob Flaherty (@Rob_Flaherty) September 30, 2020
By Wednesday morning, ActBlue’s live ticker reportedly showed that at least $25 million had been raised for various Democratic campaigns on the November ballot.
Biden’s deputy campaign manager and communications director Kate Bedingfield touted those numbers in a post-debate call Tuesday, telling journalists, “There was one leader onstage tonight and one liar.”
“There was one president on the debate stage tonight, and it was not the person who flew on Air Force One,” she added.
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The campaign also capitalized on the contentiousness of the debate by quickly producing a T-shirt emblazoned with the words, “Will you shut up, man?” Biden directed the barb at Trump early in the evening after the president attempted to interrupt his response to a question from Fox News’ Chris Wallace, who served as the debate’s moderator.
On the flip side, the Trump campaign also claimed victory Tuesday, though had yet to publicize a fundraising tally as of Wednesday afternoon.
“This debate will go down in HISTORY,” the president’s campaign wrote in an email reportedly sent to supporters about two and a half hours before the debate kicked off. “I showed the American People that I will ALWAYS fight to put America First no matter what and that I will NEVER stop working to Make America Great Again.”
In spite of such lofty proclamations, both Democrats and Republicans were widely critical of the debate. GOP pollster Frank Luntz told CNBC early Wednesday that participants in his presidential debate focus group “were disappointed on both sides.”
“They felt like they didn’t get the policy they were looking for,” he said. “They felt like the candidates behaved as though they didn’t deserve to be president. It actually makes them less likely to vote for any candidate.”
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CNN’s Jake Tapper felt similarly, calling the debate “a hot mess, inside a dumpster fire, inside a train wreck.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-09-30--James Comey Defends FBI Russia Probe In Senate Hearing

( Reuters ) - Former FBI Director James Comey on Wednesday defended the bureau ’ s probe of links between Russia and President Donald Trump ’ s 2016 election campaign against attacks by Republican senators over the secret monitoring of a former campaign aide .
The Senate Judiciary Committee hearing produced no new disclosures about the FBI investigation , and Democrats accused majority Republicans of politicizing the issue while failing to examine alleged Russian interference in this year ’ s presidential election .
Senate Republicans say the FBI probe of Trump ’ s campaign , later handed off to Special @ @ @ @ @ @ @ undermine Trump ’ s candidacy and presidency , and the panel has been examining the roots of the investigation , known as “ Crossfire Hurricane.
” Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham and other Republicans sought to pin some responsibility on Comey for the errors found in FBI applications for secret court warrants to monitor the communications of Carter Page , who briefly served as a 2016 Trump campaign advisor .
Several Republicans cited the case of a former FBI lawyer , Kevin Clinesmith , who pleaded guilty in August to doctoring a CIA email @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said that Page was not an agency source , when in fact , he was .
While the FBI director was “ responsible for everything being done beneath ” them , Comey said he was not responsible for ensuring the veracity of certifications he signed accompanying monitoring applications .
Comey also was questioned over the FBI ’ s reliance in its monitoring applications on a report compiled for the campaign of Trump ’ s Democratic opponent , Hillary Clinton , by Christopher Steele , a former British spy , alleging that Russia had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he was unaware at the time that the primary “ sub-source ” for the so-called Steele Dossier was a suspected Russian agent .
Comey defended the FBI ’ s decision to launch the counter-intelligence investigation into possible ties between Russia and the Trump campaign .
Among other reasons , he noted that former campaign manager , Paul Manafort , was working with a man that U.S. officials deemed a Russian intelligence agent .
Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson , who chairs the Senate Homeland Security Committee , is leading his own .
That committee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and depositions of dozens of Obama-era officials as part of an inquiry that Democrats say is intended to boost Trump ’ s re-election campaign .
The Mueller probe found that Russia sought to interfere in the 2016 election to boost Trump ’ s candidacy and that the Trump campaign had numerous contacts with Russians .
But Mueller concluded that the evidence did not establish a criminal conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Moscow .

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(Reuters) - Former FBI Director James Comey on Wednesday defended the bureau’s probe of links between Russia and President Donald Trump’s 2016 election campaign against attacks by Republican senators over the secret monitoring of a former campaign aide.
The Senate Judiciary Committee hearing produced no new disclosures about the FBI investigation, and Democrats accused majority Republicans of politicizing the issue while failing to examine alleged Russian interference in this year’s presidential election.
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Senate Republicans say the FBI probe of Trump’s campaign, later handed off to Special Counsel Robert Mueller, was intended to undermine Trump’s candidacy and presidency, and the panel has been examining the roots of the investigation, known as “Crossfire Hurricane.”
In December, a Justice Department watchdog found evidence of numerous errors but no political bias when the FBI opened the investigation.
Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham and other Republicans sought to pin some responsibility on Comey for the errors found in FBI applications for secret court warrants to monitor the communications of Carter Page, who briefly served as a 2016 Trump campaign advisor.
“To me this is a stunning failure of the system to work,” said Graham, a staunch Trump supporter.
Several Republicans cited the case of a former FBI lawyer, Kevin Clinesmith, who pleaded guilty in August to doctoring a CIA email submitted with an application so that it said that Page was not an agency source, when in fact, he was.
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“I know nothing about Mr. Kleinsmith other than what I’ve read,” Comey said.
While the FBI director was “responsible for everything being done beneath” them, Comey said he was not responsible for ensuring the veracity of certifications he signed accompanying monitoring applications.
He said he was “enormously” proud of the FBI’s work.
Comey also was questioned over the FBI’s reliance in its monitoring applications on a report compiled for the campaign of Trump’s Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton, by Christopher Steele, a former British spy, alleging that Russia had compromising material on Trump.
He said he was unaware at the time that the primary “sub-source” for the so-called Steele Dossier was a suspected Russian agent.
Comey defended the FBI’s decision to launch the counter-intelligence investigation into possible ties between Russia and the Trump campaign. Among other reasons, he noted that former campaign manager, Paul Manafort, was working with a man that U.S. officials deemed a Russian intelligence agent.
The Senate Judiciary Committee is one of two Republican-led Senate panels investigating the origins of the Russia probe.
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Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson, who chairs the Senate Homeland Security Committee, is leading his own. That committee recently voted to move forward with subpoenas and depositions of dozens of Obama-era officials as part of an inquiry that Democrats say is intended to boost Trump’s re-election campaign.
The Mueller probe found that Russia sought to interfere in the 2016 election to boost Trump’s candidacy and that the Trump campaign had numerous contacts with Russians. But Mueller concluded that the evidence did not establish a criminal conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Moscow.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-09-30--Joe Biden Calls Donald Trump's Debate Performance 'A National Embarrassment'

If you thought Donald Trump ’ s performance during Tuesday ’ s presidential debate was a disaster , you won ’ t get an argument from Democratic nominee Joe Biden .
The former vice president laid into the president on Wednesday , telling reporters he thought Trump ’ s performance was “ a national embarrassment.
” Joe Biden on Tuesday night ’ s debate : `` Maybe I should n't say this , but the president of the United States conducting himself the way he did — I think it was just a national embarrassment.
” pic.twitter.com/Mw8PSktfeJ — MSNBC ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Considering Biden had to share the stage with Trump , his opinion could be biased .
Still , he isn ’ t exactly an outlier on this .
Many Republican senators , including Tim Scott ( S.C ) , Mike Rounds ( S.D . )
and Mitt Romney ( Utah ) , weren ’ t exactly impressed with Trump ’ s performance , either , though they were more equivocal than Biden .
As Romney put it , it “ was not a Lincoln-Douglas debate , that ’ s for sure.
” Some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ group run by Republican pollster Frank Luntz were a slightly bit more forthcoming .
Panelists used words like “ crackhead , ” “ chaotic ” and “ horrid ” to describe the president ’ s debate behavior .
Even “ Fox & Friends , ” the reliably pro-Trump morning show , had gripes , with co-host Brian Kilmeade calling out the president for failing to condemn white supremacist groups .

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The former vice president laid into the president on Wednesday, telling reporters he thought Trump’s performance was “a national embarrassment.”
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Joe Biden on Tuesday night’s debate: "Maybe I shouldn't say this, but the president of the United States conducting himself the way he did — I think it was just a national embarrassment.” pic.twitter.com/Mw8PSktfeJ — MSNBC (@MSNBC) September 30, 2020
Considering Biden had to share the stage with Trump, his opinion could be biased. Still, he isn’t exactly an outlier on this.
Many Republican senators, including Tim Scott (S.C), Mike Rounds (S.D.) and Mitt Romney (Utah), weren’t exactly impressed with Trump’s performance, either, though they were more equivocal than Biden.
As Romney put it, it “was not a Lincoln-Douglas debate, that’s for sure.”
Some undecided voters who participated in a focus group run by Republican pollster Frank Luntz were a slightly bit more forthcoming. Panelists used words like “crackhead,” “chaotic” and “horrid” to describe the president’s debate behavior.
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Even “Fox & Friends,” the reliably pro-Trump morning show, had gripes, with co-host Brian Kilmeade calling out the president for failing to condemn white supremacist groups.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-09-30--Trump Intel Chief Peddles Russian Disinformation About Hillary Clinton

ASSOCIATED PRESS In this May 5 , 2020 , file photo , then-Rep. John Ratcliffe , R-Texas , testifies before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington .
( AP Photo/Andrew Harnik , Pool , File ) WASHINGTON ( AP ) — The Trump administration ’ s top intelligence official said Tuesday that he has declassified Russian intelligence alleging damaging information about Democrats during the 2016 election even though he acknowledged it might not be true .
In a letter Tuesday to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham , R-S.C. , Ratcliffe said that in late July 2016 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” into Russian spycraft alleging that Hillary Clinton , who was running for president , had “ approved a campaign plan to stir up a scandal against ” Trump .
But Ratcliffe added that American intelligence agencies do “ not know the accuracy of this allegation or the extent to which the Russian intelligence analysis may reflect exaggeration or fabrication.
” The announcement was a startling break from convention given that the nation ’ s intelligence chiefs are generally loath to publicly discuss sensitive government intelligence , particularly when that information is unconfirmed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case here .
But Trump himself has been eager to install loyalists in the role of intelligence director , and Ratcliffe and his predecessor , Richard Grenell , have authorized a series of disclosures in recent months aimed at undermining the Russia investigation and providing a political advantage to Trump .
Graham signaled Tuesday that he intended to ask former FBI Director James Comey about the issue when Comey testifies before the committee , which has been doing its own inquiry into the origins of the Russia probe .
“ His politicization of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ political allies , damages the country and undermines the intelligence community he purports to lead , ” Wyden said in a statement .
“ Ratcliffe is even willing to rely on unverified Russian information to try to concoct a political scandal — a shocking abdication of his responsibilities to the country.
” Wyden said the information being released amounted to “ rumint ” or intelligence based on rumors .
Ratcliffe responded with a second statement claiming the intelligence was not Russian disinformation .
He said he ’ d be briefing Congress in coming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ methods by which it was obtained.
” Ratcliffe said he was providing the intelligence to the Judiciary Committee related to the FBI ’ s “ Crossfire Hurricane ” investigation in 2016 and 2017 into links between Trump associates and Russian officials .
Comey is to testify to the committee on Wednesday .
In his letter to the committee , Ratcliffe said that according to handwritten notes by former CIA Director John Brennan , Brennan briefed President Barack Obama and other senior national security officials on the intelligence , including the “ alleged approval @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2016 of a proposal from one of her foreign policy advisors to vilify Donald Trump by stirring up a scandal claiming interference by Russian security services.
” Shapiro said the meddling was authorized personally by Russian President Vladimir Putin to hurt Clinton and to promote the electoral prospects of Trump .
“ The intelligence on this is incontrovertible and the analysis unimpeachable , ” Shapiro said .
He said the intelligence community ’ s assessment of Russian interference on behalf of Trump has been corroborated numerous times .
That includes in the CIA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pompeo was the CIA director as well as in the bipartisan Senate intelligence committee review and report by former special counsel Robert Mueller .
“ Trump ’ s own head of counterintelligence has publicly stated that the Russians are once again helping Donald Trump , ” Shapiro added .
“ Ratcliffe should be ashamed of his blatant politicization of his position.
” Rep. Adam Schiff , D-Calif. , the chairman of the House intelligence committee , also denounced Ratcliffe ’ s action .
“ Ratcliffe ’ s decision to release Russian intelligence he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ domestic political errand with an election weeks away , ” Schiff tweeted .
“ But his acknowledgment that it was derived from sensitive sources and methods—which he may now have compromised—is just inexcusable .
”

In this May 5, 2020, file photo, then-Rep. John Ratcliffe, R-Texas, testifies before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, Pool, File) ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration’s top intelligence official said Tuesday that he has declassified Russian intelligence alleging damaging information about Democrats during the 2016 election even though he acknowledged it might not be true.
The announcement, just hours before the first presidential debate of this November’s election, drew harsh criticism from lawmakers who accused National Intelligence Director John Ratcliffe of politicizing intelligence.
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In a letter Tuesday to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., Ratcliffe said that in late July 2016, U.S. intelligence agencies obtained “insight” into Russian spycraft alleging that Hillary Clinton, who was running for president, had “approved a campaign plan to stir up a scandal against” Trump.
But Ratcliffe added that American intelligence agencies do “not know the accuracy of this allegation or the extent to which the Russian intelligence analysis may reflect exaggeration or fabrication.”
The announcement was a startling break from convention given that the nation’s intelligence chiefs are generally loath to publicly discuss sensitive government intelligence, particularly when that information is unconfirmed — as Ratcliffe himself admits is the case here. But Trump himself has been eager to install loyalists in the role of intelligence director, and Ratcliffe and his predecessor, Richard Grenell, have authorized a series of disclosures in recent months aimed at undermining the Russia investigation and providing a political advantage to Trump.
Graham signaled Tuesday that he intended to ask former FBI Director James Comey about the issue when Comey testifies before the committee, which has been doing its own inquiry into the origins of the Russia probe.
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Sen. Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate intelligence committee, called Ratcliffe’s decision “disturbing,” especially this close to a presidential election.
Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., a member of the intelligence committee, accused Ratcliffe of abusing his position as the nation’s top spy.
“His politicization of intelligence, including through selective releases to political allies, damages the country and undermines the intelligence community he purports to lead,” Wyden said in a statement. “Ratcliffe is even willing to rely on unverified Russian information to try to concoct a political scandal — a shocking abdication of his responsibilities to the country.”
Wyden said the information being released amounted to “rumint” or intelligence based on rumors. Ratcliffe responded with a second statement claiming the intelligence was not Russian disinformation. He said he’d be briefing Congress in coming days about the “sensitive sources and methods by which it was obtained.”
Ratcliffe said he was providing the intelligence to the Judiciary Committee related to the FBI’s “Crossfire Hurricane” investigation in 2016 and 2017 into links between Trump associates and Russian officials. Comey is to testify to the committee on Wednesday.
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In his letter to the committee, Ratcliffe said that according to handwritten notes by former CIA Director John Brennan, Brennan briefed President Barack Obama and other senior national security officials on the intelligence, including the “alleged approval by Hillary Clinton on July 26, 2016 of a proposal from one of her foreign policy advisors to vilify Donald Trump by stirring up a scandal claiming interference by Russian security services.”
Nick Shapiro, former CIA deputy chief of staff to Brennan, said Russian interference in the 2016 election was “real, intense and unprecedented in scale and scope.”
Shapiro said the meddling was authorized personally by Russian President Vladimir Putin to hurt Clinton and to promote the electoral prospects of Trump. “The intelligence on this is incontrovertible and the analysis unimpeachable,” Shapiro said.
He said the intelligence community’s assessment of Russian interference on behalf of Trump has been corroborated numerous times. That includes in the CIA’s own review when Secretary Mike Pompeo was the CIA director as well as in the bipartisan Senate intelligence committee review and report by former special counsel Robert Mueller.
“Trump’s own head of counterintelligence has publicly stated that the Russians are once again helping Donald Trump,” Shapiro added. “Ratcliffe should be ashamed of his blatant politicization of his position.”
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Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., the chairman of the House intelligence committee, also denounced Ratcliffe’s action. “Ratcliffe’s decision to release Russian intelligence he concedes may be false is an obvious domestic political errand with an election weeks away,” Schiff tweeted. “But his acknowledgment that it was derived from sensitive sources and methods—which he may now have compromised—is just inexcusable.”
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-09-30--Judge OKs Delayed Release Of Breonna Taylor Grand Jury Recordings

A judge on Wednesday approved the Kentucky attorney general ’ s request to delay the release of a recording from the grand jury in the Breonna Taylor case .
Attorney General Daniel Cameron ( R ) originally said he would release the recording Wednesday but sought an extra week to redact personal information about the jurors .
Jefferson Circuit Judge Ann Bailey Smith granted an extension until Friday , two days after the original Wednesday deadline , “ in the interest of protection of witnesses , and in particular private citizens named in the recordings , ” she said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Cameron ’ s office has said .
Bailey Smith ruled earlier this week that it must be released after one of the 13 grand jurors sued for the records to be made public and requested that jurors be free to speak on the matter so the “ truth may prevail.
” Last week , the grand jury declined to issue murder charges against any of the police officers involved in the March 13 killing of Taylor , a 26-year-old Black EMT shot to death in her Louisville apartment during a botched narcotics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anything was Detective Brett Hankison , who ’ s been indicted on three counts of first-degree wanton endangerment related to gunshots that entered nearby apartments .
Cameron revealed after the charges came out that he didn ’ t even give the grand jury the option to consider murder charges , saying it was “ not appropriate.
” The decision set off protests in Louisville and across the country .
Taylor ’ s family slammed Cameron , who said last week that the two officers who shot Taylor were justified because her boyfriend fired @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s clear that that is the way they will always see us , ” Taylor ’ s mother , Tamika Palmer , said in a statement last week after the grand jury decision came out .
“ I was reassured Wednesday of why I had no faith in the legal system , in the police , in the law .
...
The system as a whole has failed her .
”

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A judge on Wednesday approved the Kentucky attorney general’s request to delay the release of a recording from the grand jury in the Breonna Taylor case.
Attorney General Daniel Cameron (R) originally said he would release the recording Wednesday but sought an extra week to redact personal information about the jurors. Jefferson Circuit Judge Ann Bailey Smith granted an extension until Friday, two days after the original Wednesday deadline, “in the interest of protection of witnesses, and in particular private citizens named in the recordings,” she said.
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The recording is about 20 hours long, Cameron’s office has said. Bailey Smith ruled earlier this week that it must be released after one of the 13 grand jurors sued for the records to be made public and requested that jurors be free to speak on the matter so the “truth may prevail.”
Ju'Niyah Palmer, Breonna Taylor's sister; Tamika Mallory, civil rights activist; Tamika Palmer, mother of Breonna Taylor; and attorney Lonita Baker arrive ahead of a news conference in Louisville. Brandon Bell via Getty Images
Last week, the grand jury declined to issue murder charges against any of the police officers involved in the March 13 killing of Taylor, a 26-year-old Black EMT shot to death in her Louisville apartment during a botched narcotics investigation. The only officer charged with anything was Detective Brett Hankison, who’s been indicted on three counts of first-degree wanton endangerment related to gunshots that entered nearby apartments.
Cameron revealed after the charges came out that he didn’t even give the grand jury the option to consider murder charges, saying it was “not appropriate.”
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The decision set off protests in Louisville and across the country. Taylor’s family slammed Cameron, who said last week that the two officers who shot Taylor were justified because her boyfriend fired at them first.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-09-30--Even GOP Ally Rick Santorum Admits Trump Won't Condemn White Supremacists

Former Pennsylvania GOP Sen. Rick Santorum , a frequent defender of President Donald Trump , admitted Tuesday that Trump refused to condemn white supremacists during the first presidential debate because he doesn ’ t like to “ say something bad about people who support him.
” ( Watch the clip below . )
The conservative analyst spoke on CNN after the candidates ’ showdown , during which moderator Chris Wallace and Democratic challenger Joe Biden both asked Trump to condemn white supremacists and right-wing militia groups .
Trump managed to avoid giving any critical response , even when Biden asked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a violent neo-fascist street gang .
“ Proud Boys , stand back and stand by , ” the president said , which the group interpreted as a call to readiness .
He blamed left-wing groups for the violence at recent protests instead .
On CNN , Santorum said Democrats owed a lot to Wallace for querying Trump directly about white supremacists , because Wallace “ was asking the president to do something that he knows the president doesn ’ t like to do.
” “ Which is , say something bad about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
On Wednesday morning , Santorum doubled down on his comments , saying on CNN that Trump had “ made a huge mistake ” by failing to denounce white supremacist groups .
“ It ’ s typical of the president when he gets backed into a corner , he doesn ’ t like to be forced to say something.
” “ He made a huge mistake , ” former GOP Sen. Rick Santorum says on President Trump refusing to condemn White supremacists for inciting violence at anti-police brutality demonstrations across the country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — New Day ( @ NewDay ) September 30 , 2020

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Former Pennsylvania GOP Sen. Rick Santorum, a frequent defender of President Donald Trump, admitted Tuesday that Trump refused to condemn white supremacists during the first presidential debate because he doesn’t like to “say something bad about people who support him.” (Watch the clip below.)
The conservative analyst spoke on CNN after the candidates’ showdown, during which moderator Chris Wallace and Democratic challenger Joe Biden both asked Trump to condemn white supremacists and right-wing militia groups.
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Trump managed to avoid giving any critical response, even when Biden asked him to specifically denounce the Proud Boys, a violent neo-fascist street gang.
“Proud Boys, stand back and stand by,” the president said, which the group interpreted as a call to readiness.
He blamed left-wing groups for the violence at recent protests instead.
On CNN, Santorum said Democrats owed a lot to Wallace for querying Trump directly about white supremacists, because Wallace “was asking the president to do something that he knows the president doesn’t like to do.”
Rick Santorum is mad that Chris Wallace asked President Trump questions about white supremacy. pic.twitter.com/XOXxWJx97m — Alexander Nazaryan (@alexnazaryan) September 30, 2020
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“Which is?” CNN’s Gloria Borger asked.
“Which is, say something bad about people who support him,” Santorum said.
“The white supremacists?” Borger and CNN political commentator David Axelrod both asked.
“Yeah, the white supremacists,” Santorum said.
On Wednesday morning, Santorum doubled down on his comments, saying on CNN that Trump had “made a huge mistake” by failing to denounce white supremacist groups. “It’s typical of the president when he gets backed into a corner, he doesn’t like to be forced to say something.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-09-30--Scrambling For A Deal, House Democrats Delay Coronavirus Relief Vote

The delay is good news for those rooting for another round of stimulus checks and enhanced unemployment benefits , as Democrats are signaling there could yet be a breakthrough in negotiations , which have been stalled for two months .
But the sliver of hope may be waning : Democratic leaders also announced Wednesday night that they would move forward with a vote on their scaled-down package Thursday if there was not a significant breakthrough .
“ If we have an agreement , that ’ s what we will consider , ” House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer ( D-Md .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ something signed by the president .
We want money in people ’ s hands.
” The current $ 2.2 trillion proposal that Democrats delayed is a step down from the $ 3.4 trillion bill Democrats passed in May .
But it ’ s still , apparently , far apart from a package on which Republicans are willing to compromise .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ( R-Ky. ) has refused to go along with Democratic proposals ― and he doesn ’ t seem eager to make a deal .
But House Speaker Nancy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Leader Chuck Schumer ( D-N.Y. ) are primarily negotiating with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and White House chief of staff Mark Meadows , hoping that President Donald Trump would then pressure McConnell and Senate Republicans to take up a compromise regardless of their cost concerns .
Negotiations are extremely delicate at the moment .
After hourlong meetings with both McConnell and Pelosi on Wednesday , Mnuchin suggested the two sides may be closer to reaching a deal but reiterated that they weren ’ t there yet .
“ We made a lot of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We still don ’ t have an agreement , but we have more work to do .
And we ’ re going to see where we end up , ” Mnuchin said .
Mnuchin ’ s meeting with Pelosi on Wednesday was their first in-person discussion since talks collapsed in August , and though there appears to have been some progress , there wasn ’ t enough for Pelosi to call off a vote on the scaled-down proposal in the House .
Pelosi announced Wednesday afternoon that there would be a vote later @ @ @ @ @ @ @ didn ’ t believe there ’ d be a deal and that they would once again message that it ’ s Republicans holding up a compromise , not them .
The back-and-forth may be short-lived , however , as Democrats said they would vote Thursday if they didn ’ t feel there was enough movement overnight or in the morning .
Though passing a bill may seem like a step forward , it actually may be the opposite .
Republicans in the Senate aren ’ t willing to pass even this smaller package @ @ @ @ @ @ @ merely a form of political posturing ― a way for Democrats to message that they ’ ve compromised and point out that it ’ s Republicans who are refusing to come to the table .
The biggest sticking points in a deal have been pretty consistent for months now : financial aid to cities and states , liability protections for businesses , and the overall cost of the package .
There ’ s some agreement among GOP negotiators that another round of stimulus checks for most Americans and beefed-up unemployment benefits would be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Congress passed an extra $ 600 a week for unemployment checks , but it expired at the end of July , and Democrats have been unwilling to take a narrow deal on just those items without aid to cities and states .

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WASHINGTON ― In a small sign of hope, House Democrats delayed a vote Wednesday night on another coronavirus relief package, allowing congressional leaders and the White House to continue negotiations.
The delay is good news for those rooting for another round of stimulus checks and enhanced unemployment benefits, as Democrats are signaling there could yet be a breakthrough in negotiations, which have been stalled for two months. But the sliver of hope may be waning: Democratic leaders also announced Wednesday night that they would move forward with a vote on their scaled-down package Thursday if there was not a significant breakthrough.
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“If we have an agreement, that’s what we will consider,” House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said Wednesday. “We want something signed by the president. We want money in people’s hands.”
The current $2.2 trillion proposal that Democrats delayed is a step down from the $3.4 trillion bill Democrats passed in May. But it’s still, apparently, far apart from a package on which Republicans are willing to compromise. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has refused to go along with Democratic proposals ― and he doesn’t seem eager to make a deal.
“We’re very, very far apart,” McConnell said at a weekly press conference on Wednesday.
He called the $2.2 trillion bill “outlandish” this week and dismissed its cost as “too high.”
But House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) are primarily negotiating with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, hoping that President Donald Trump would then pressure McConnell and Senate Republicans to take up a compromise regardless of their cost concerns.
That’s the hope, at least.
“We want something signed by the president. We want money in people’s hands.” - House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.)
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Negotiations are extremely delicate at the moment. After hourlong meetings with both McConnell and Pelosi on Wednesday, Mnuchin suggested the two sides may be closer to reaching a deal but reiterated that they weren’t there yet.
“We made a lot of progress over the last few days. We still don’t have an agreement, but we have more work to do. And we’re going to see where we end up,” Mnuchin said.
Mnuchin’s meeting with Pelosi on Wednesday was their first in-person discussion since talks collapsed in August, and though there appears to have been some progress, there wasn’t enough for Pelosi to call off a vote on the scaled-down proposal in the House. Pelosi announced Wednesday afternoon that there would be a vote later in the day, signifying that Democrats didn’t believe there’d be a deal and that they would once again message that it’s Republicans holding up a compromise, not them.
But that changed later in the day when Pelosi reversed herself and gave the White House a little more time.
The back-and-forth may be short-lived, however, as Democrats said they would vote Thursday if they didn’t feel there was enough movement overnight or in the morning.
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Though passing a bill may seem like a step forward, it actually may be the opposite. Republicans in the Senate aren’t willing to pass even this smaller package, and passage in the House is merely a form of political posturing ― a way for Democrats to message that they’ve compromised and point out that it’s Republicans who are refusing to come to the table.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-09-30--Progressive Group To Spend $35 Million More Targeting Democratic Base Voters

Darryl Webb / Reuters A woman opposed to Arizona 's controversial immigration law protests at the state capitol in Phoenix in 2012 .
Arizona is a Sun Belt state that some progressives say deserves more attention from the Democratic Party .
The progressive group Way to Win announced Wednesday that it is spending an additional $ 35 million to mobilize liberal voters in battleground states behind Democrats up and down the ballot in November .
What distinguishes Way to Win from more traditional Democratic players is its focus on identifying , organizing and turning out what it calls “ base @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Party ideals but may be less likely to vote on a regular basis .
“ The resources are really mobilized behind the goal of expanding the electorate , bringing that fraction of the nearly 100 million people that are estimated to have stayed home in 2016 out to vote in very critical emergent battlegrounds , ” said Tory Gavito , the president and co-founder of Way to Win .
Way to Win , which Gavito co-founded with Leah Hunt-Hendrix and Jennifer Fernandez Ancona in 2017 , is premised on the idea that Hillary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as much about the Democratic Party ’ s inattention to a largely non-white body of non-voters as it was to Donald Trump ’ s gains among white , working-class voters who previously voted for Democrats .
It ’ s a theory championed by Steve Philips , author of “ Brown Is the New White : How the Demographic Revolution Has Created a New American Majority.
” Others promoting it include Democrat Stacey Abrams during her expectation-defying-though-ultimately-unsuccessful run for governor of Georgia in 2018 , and liberal mega-donors like Hyatt hotel heiress Susan Pritzker @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Way to Win ’ s benefactors .
The group ’ s biggest grants by far have gone to Arizona , Florida , Texas , Georgia and North Carolina , diverse states that the national Democratic Party ’ s apparatus hasn ’ t prioritized to the degree it has focused on Pennsylvania and Michigan .
Way to Win ’ s money goes mostly toward the work that groups like Living United for Change in Arizona ( LUCHA ) , the Texas Freedom Network and the New Georgia Project do to engage with these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conversations .
Before the coronavirus pandemic , those conversations often took place at people ’ s doorsteps .
But the recipients of Way to Win money are now more likely to communicate with voters over the phone or through online events .
A key part of Way to Win ’ s approach to persuading the “ high potential ” voters of the power that their ballot has is by substituting Trump ’ s right-wing populism , which blames immigrants and foreign nations for ordinary people ’ s problems , with a more progressive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and its partners tell voters that Trump ’ s efforts to scapegoat immigrants and other groups is an effort to distract from policies that favor the rich and well-connected .
“ We do need to reform the way we pay for schools .
We do need to reform the way we pay for health , ” Gavito said .
“ But you know whose fault it is ?
It ’ s Trump .
He ’ s dividing us .
He ’ s rigging the system .
It ’ s not your neighbor south @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not foreign workers.
” Earlier this month , Way to Win co-founder Fernandez Ancona also launched the Way to Lead PAC , which is aligned with the parent organization but not formally a part of its spending efforts .
The political action committee has partnered with an ad-making firm to produce content for TV and digital advertisements , which it is supporting through independent expenditures .
Nor is it entirely clear that the communities of color where Way to Win ’ s partners are most active are universally receptive to Democrats ’ pitch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lower support among Florida Latinos than Clinton ended up receiving in 2016 , according to a poll earlier this month .
While the-President Barack Obama defeated Mitt Romney in Texas ’ Harris County , which is home to Houston , by less than 1,000 votes in 2012 , Clinton beat Trump there by more than 160,000 votes .
Two years later , then-Rep. Beto O ’ Rourke ( D ) bested Sen. Ted Cruz in Harris County by more than 200,000 votes , a major factor in his closer-than-expected loss to the GOP @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strong showing helped a raft of down-ticket Democrats win offices in Texas .

A woman opposed to Arizona's controversial immigration law protests at the state capitol in Phoenix in 2012. Arizona is a Sun Belt state that some progressives say deserves more attention from the Democratic Party. Darryl Webb / Reuters
The progressive group Way to Win announced Wednesday that it is spending an additional $35 million to mobilize liberal voters in battleground states behind Democrats up and down the ballot in November.
The new funding adds to a $50-million investment that Way to Win unveiled in September 2019, bringing the group’s total spending this election to $85 million.
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What distinguishes Way to Win from more traditional Democratic players is its focus on identifying, organizing and turning out what it calls “base” voters who agree with core Democratic Party ideals but may be less likely to vote on a regular basis.
While the party’s national leaders continue to focus on courting moderate “swing” voters in predominantly white industrial states, Way to Win’s “high potential” voters ― including young people, people of color and white liberals ― are more concentrated in the Sun Belt.
“The resources are really mobilized behind the goal of expanding the electorate, bringing that fraction of the nearly 100 million people that are estimated to have stayed home in 2016 out to vote in very critical emergent battlegrounds,” said Tory Gavito, the president and co-founder of Way to Win.
“Trump needs to be put on defense,” added Gavito, a Texas native. “I’d love to see upsets in Texas and Georgia and that’s what we’ve been working for.”
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Way to Win, which Gavito co-founded with Leah Hunt-Hendrix and Jennifer Fernandez Ancona in 2017, is premised on the idea that Hillary Clinton’s defeat in 2016 was as much about the Democratic Party’s inattention to a largely non-white body of non-voters as it was to Donald Trump’s gains among white, working-class voters who previously voted for Democrats.
It’s a theory championed by Steve Philips, author of “Brown Is the New White: How the Demographic Revolution Has Created a New American Majority.” Others promoting it include Democrat Stacey Abrams during her expectation-defying-though-ultimately-unsuccessful run for governor of Georgia in 2018, and liberal mega-donors like Hyatt hotel heiress Susan Pritzker and Texas philanthropist Margery Loeb, two of Way to Win’s benefactors.
To that end, Way to Win has spent the lion’s share of its money in 11 states: Arizona, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Texas, Virginia, Colorado, Minnesota, Nevada, Michigan and Pennsylvania.
The group’s biggest grants by far have gone to Arizona, Florida, Texas, Georgia and North Carolina, diverse states that the national Democratic Party’s apparatus hasn’t prioritized to the degree it has focused on Pennsylvania and Michigan.
Way to Win’s money goes mostly toward the work that groups like Living United for Change in Arizona (LUCHA), the Texas Freedom Network and the New Georgia Project do to engage with these “high potential” voters in one-on-one conversations. Before the coronavirus pandemic, those conversations often took place at people’s doorsteps. But the recipients of Way to Win money are now more likely to communicate with voters over the phone or through online events.
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“We support, first and foremost, organizers leading the charge to rebuild democracy in their communities.” - Tory Gavito, co-founder, Way to Win
“We support, first and foremost, organizers leading the charge to rebuild democracy in their communities,” Gavito said.
A key part of Way to Win’s approach to persuading the “high potential” voters of the power that their ballot has is by substituting Trump’s right-wing populism, which blames immigrants and foreign nations for ordinary people’s problems, with a more progressive analysis of society.
Way to Win and its partners tell voters that Trump’s efforts to scapegoat immigrants and other groups is an effort to distract from policies that favor the rich and well-connected.
“We do need to reform the way we pay for schools. We do need to reform the way we pay for health,” Gavito said. “But you know whose fault it is? It’s Trump. He’s dividing us. He’s rigging the system. It’s not your neighbor south of the border. It’s not foreign workers.”
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Earlier this month, Way to Win co-founder Fernandez Ancona also launched the Way to Lead PAC, which is aligned with the parent organization but not formally a part of its spending efforts. The political action committee has partnered with an ad-making firm to produce content for TV and digital advertisements, which it is supporting through independent expenditures.
Way to Win’s approach is not without its detractors ― or countervailing body of evidence.
For example, the Knight Foundation’s February survey of 13,000 chronic non-voters found that only a narrow plurality of these Americans report plans to vote for Democrats, as opposed to Republicans or third-party candidates.
Nor is it entirely clear that the communities of color where Way to Win’s partners are most active are universally receptive to Democrats’ pitch. Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has lower support among Florida Latinos than Clinton ended up receiving in 2016, according to a poll earlier this month.
But Gavito pointed to the progress that Democrats have made in Texas as evidence that Way to Win’s approach can work if given the chance.
While the-President Barack Obama defeated Mitt Romney in Texas’ Harris County, which is home to Houston, by less than 1,000 votes in 2012, Clinton beat Trump there by more than 160,000 votes. Two years later, then-Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D) bested Sen. Ted Cruz in Harris County by more than 200,000 votes, a major factor in his closer-than-expected loss to the GOP incumbent. O’Rourke’s strong showing helped a raft of down-ticket Democrats win offices in Texas.
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Gavito also insists that organizing infrequent voters is not mutually exclusive with the persuasion techniques emphasized by more traditional campaign groups.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-09-30--Facebook Bans Ads That Seek To 'Delegitimize' Election Results

Facebook announced a new policy on Wednesday banning political ads that seek to “ delegitimize the outcome of an election.
” “ This would include calling a method of voting inherently fraudulent or corrupt , or using isolated incidents of voter fraud to delegitimize the result of an election , ” tweeted Facebook ’ s director of product management , Rob Leathern .
Last week , the company said it also wouldn ’ t allow ads that “ make premature declarations of victory.
” The new policies , which apply to both Facebook and Instagram ads , are meant to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ integrity of the upcoming US 2020 elections , ” according to Facebook ’ s company website .
As we get closer to Election Day we want to provide further clarity on policies we recently announced .
Last week we said we ’ d prohibit ads that make premature declarations of victory .
We also won ’ t allow ads with content that seeks to delegitimize the outcome of an election ( 1/3 ) — Rob Leathern ( @ robleathern ) September 30 , 2020 Facebook has previously been criticized for a policy of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ false information .
Last year , CEO Mark Zuckerberg defended that position , saying private companies shouldn ’ t “ censor ” politicians .
This year , millions of Americans will be voting by mail due to the coronavirus pandemic , meaning the results will likely not be final on election night , Nov. 3 .
Meanwhile , President Donald Trump has repeatedly spread lies about the legitimacy of mail-in voting , claiming it is “ fraudulent.
” ( It is not . )
In Tuesday ’ s presidential debate , moderator Chris @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Joe Biden whether they would commit to not declaring victory until the election can be independently certified and encourage their supporters not to engage in civil unrest .
“ I am urging my supporters to go into the polls and watch very carefully , ” Trump responded in an apparent call for voter intimidation .

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Facebook announced a new policy on Wednesday banning political ads that seek to “delegitimize the outcome of an election.”
“This would include calling a method of voting inherently fraudulent or corrupt, or using isolated incidents of voter fraud to delegitimize the result of an election,” tweeted Facebook’s director of product management, Rob Leathern.
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Last week, the company said it also wouldn’t allow ads that “make premature declarations of victory.” The new policies, which apply to both Facebook and Instagram ads, are meant to take “preventive steps to protect the integrity of the upcoming US 2020 elections,” according to Facebook’s company website.
As we get closer to Election Day we want to provide further clarity on policies we recently announced. Last week we said we’d prohibit ads that make premature declarations of victory. We also won’t allow ads with content that seeks to delegitimize the outcome of an election (1/3) — Rob Leathern (@robleathern) September 30, 2020
Facebook has previously been criticized for a policy of not removing political ads that contain knowingly false information. Last year, CEO Mark Zuckerberg defended that position, saying private companies shouldn’t “censor” politicians.
This year, millions of Americans will be voting by mail due to the coronavirus pandemic, meaning the results will likely not be final on election night, Nov. 3.
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Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has repeatedly spread lies about the legitimacy of mail-in voting, claiming it is “fraudulent.” (It is not.)
In Tuesday’s presidential debate, moderator Chris Wallace asked both Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden whether they would commit to not declaring victory until the election can be independently certified and encourage their supporters not to engage in civil unrest.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-09-30--Shep Smith Debuts On CNBC With Somber Opener Denouncing The First Debate

Former Fox News host Shep Smith made his debut on CNBC Wednesday with a somber segment condemning the disastrous first presidential debate .
Smith opened his new program , “ The News with Shep Smith , ” by explaining that under normal circumstances , the newscast would lead with the best sound and video from Tuesday ’ s debate .
“ It ’ s fast , there ’ s music , it ’ s compelling and rich with emotion , and that was our plan .
That ’ s what we ’ ll usually do , ” he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ this moment , that ’ s just the noise .
You ’ ve heard it , and we need to cut through it.
” He said he would endeavor to use his broadcast to draw distinctions between President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden on issues like COVID-19 , the economy , racial injustice , social unrest , governance , and education “ as best we can , based on what last night ’ s event offered up.
” “ But let ’ s mark this moment , ” he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called into question the heart of our democracy : the peaceful transition of power .
Is there assurance that it ’ ll happen ?
Asked to give it , the president declined , and openly sowed the seeds of distrust in the outcome.
” “ In the debate , the president told a group of white supremacists — some of whom stood by those in Charlottesville with their torches — to ‘ stand back and stand by.
’ Joe Biden declared the duly elected president of the United States unfit to lead , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a ‘ liar , ’ a ‘ clown , ’ and told him to shut up .
We ’ ve never seen any of this .
Not in America .
But from this , we march toward the vote.
” Smith left Fox News last October after more than two decades there , shocking viewers and even some of his close colleagues when he announced his departure on air .
It came after a period of reportedly high tensions between the network ’ s news and opinion divisions , and on-air feuding between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coverage of Trump ’ s impeachment proceedings .

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Former Fox News host Shep Smith made his debut on CNBC Wednesday with a somber segment condemning the disastrous first presidential debate.
Smith opened his new program, “The News with Shep Smith,” by explaining that under normal circumstances, the newscast would lead with the best sound and video from Tuesday’s debate.
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“It’s fast, there’s music, it’s compelling and rich with emotion, and that was our plan. That’s what we’ll usually do,” he said. “But it turns out, in this moment, that’s just the noise. You’ve heard it, and we need to cut through it.”
He said he would endeavor to use his broadcast to draw distinctions between President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden on issues like COVID-19, the economy, racial injustice, social unrest, governance, and education “as best we can, based on what last night’s event offered up.”
“But let’s mark this moment,” he said. “Last night, the president called into question the heart of our democracy: the peaceful transition of power. Is there assurance that it’ll happen? Asked to give it, the president declined, and openly sowed the seeds of distrust in the outcome.”
Smith added:
“In the debate, the president told a group of white supremacists — some of whom stood by those in Charlottesville with their torches — to ‘stand back and stand by.’ Joe Biden declared the duly elected president of the United States unfit to lead, called him a ‘racist,’ a ‘liar,’ a ‘clown,’ and told him to shut up. We’ve never seen any of this. Not in America. But from this, we march toward the vote.”
Smith left Fox News last October after more than two decades there, shocking viewers and even some of his close colleagues when he announced his departure on air. It came after a period of reportedly high tensions between the network’s news and opinion divisions, and on-air feuding between Smith and opinion host Tucker Carlson during coverage of Trump’s impeachment proceedings.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-09-30--Internal Probe Casts Doubt On Police Claim Of Suspicious Mail At Breonna Taylor's Home

When a police officer in Louisville , Kentucky , requested a search warrant for Breonna Taylor ’ s apartment , he told a judge that a drug suspect had been receiving potentially suspicious packages at the woman ’ s home .
It was a key reason provided by the Louisville Metro Police Department to convince the judge that a warrant was necessary .
But , according to an internal LMPD investigation , obtained and reported by Louisville ’ s WDRB-TV on Wednesday , officers at the department were told “ repeatedly ” that no packages ― “ suspicious or otherwise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s home in connection with the drug probe .
Taylor , a 26-year-old Black EMT , was shot dead by police in her Louisville apartment in the early hours of March 13 — a day after LMPD Det .
Joshua Jaynes penned a sworn affidavit seeking a judge ’ s permission to search her home .
In the affidavit , Jaynes said a suspect in a narcotics investigation — Taylor ’ s ex-boyfriend Jamarcus Glover — had been seen retrieving a “ suspected USPS package in his right hand ” from Taylor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a “ known drug house , ” according to The Courier-Journal .
A U.S. postal inspector in Louisville , however , told WDRB-TV in May that the LMPD had not used his office to verify that Glover was receiving packages at Taylor ’ s home .
The inspector , Tony Gooden , said a different law enforcement agency had asked his office in January to look into whether Taylor ’ s home was receiving any potentially suspicious mail .
His office concluded that “ no packages of interest [ were ] going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wednesday , WDRB-TV , citing an investigative report from LMPD ’ s Public Integrity Unit , said officers at the department were well aware of the postal inspector ’ s conclusion .
The LMPD had reportedly asked two members of the Shively Police Department to assist them in the case and to ask a postal inspector on their behalf whether suspicious mail was being sent to Taylor ’ s apartment .
The Shively officers learned from the postal inspector that no dubious packages were being sent there .
Shively police Sgt .
Timothy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Public Integrity Unit in May that he shared this information with several LMPD officers , including Sgt .
Jonathan Mattingly ― one of the three officers who executed the search warrant at Taylor ’ s home .
Salyer told Mattingly in January that “ no packages had been received at the address , and the post office did not receive any packages either , ” WDRB-TV reported .
Salyer said he provided the “ same information ” to two other LMPD officers a week later .
After the # BreonnaTaylor shooting , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inspector for LMPD about the packages asked Mattingly & Det .
Mike Nobles , about what Jaynes wrote in the warrant .
Nobles said he was confused about the `` conflicting information on the affidavit as well '' pic.twitter.com/BWCnVxY7JC — Jason Riley ( @ JasonRileyWDRB ) September 30 , 2020 Glover ― who police said had also listed Taylor ’ s address as his own and had been seen making multiple trips between her apartment and allegedly known drug houses ― has claimed he never sent anything “ illegal ” to Taylor ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seen carrying from her apartment in January had contained shoes and clothes , he told The Courier-Journal in August .
A grand jury declined in September to issue homicide charges against Mattingly and the two other LMPD officers who were at the scene when Taylor was killed ― a decision that has sparked protests in Louisville and across the country .

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When a police officer in Louisville, Kentucky, requested a search warrant for Breonna Taylor’s apartment, he told a judge that a drug suspect had been receiving potentially suspicious packages at the woman’s home. It was a key reason provided by the Louisville Metro Police Department to convince the judge that a warrant was necessary.
But, according to an internal LMPD investigation, obtained and reported by Louisville’s WDRB-TV on Wednesday, officers at the department were told “repeatedly” that no packages ― “suspicious or otherwise” ― had been delivered to Taylor’s home in connection with the drug probe.
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Taylor, a 26-year-old Black EMT, was shot dead by police in her Louisville apartment in the early hours of March 13 — a day after LMPD Det. Joshua Jaynes penned a sworn affidavit seeking a judge’s permission to search her home.
In the affidavit, Jaynes said a suspect in a narcotics investigation — Taylor’s ex-boyfriend Jamarcus Glover — had been seen retrieving a “suspected USPS package in his right hand” from Taylor’s apartment in January before driving to a “known drug house,” according to The Courier-Journal.
Glover, Jaynes wrote, “may be keeping narcotics and/or proceeds from the sale of narcotics” at Taylor’s home “for safekeeping.”
The officer added that he’d verified “through a U.S. postal inspector” that Glover had been receiving packages at Taylor’s address.
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A U.S. postal inspector in Louisville, however, told WDRB-TV in May that the LMPD had not used his office to verify that Glover was receiving packages at Taylor’s home.
The inspector, Tony Gooden, said a different law enforcement agency had asked his office in January to look into whether Taylor’s home was receiving any potentially suspicious mail. His office concluded that “no packages of interest [were] going there,” Gooden said.
On Wednesday, WDRB-TV, citing an investigative report from LMPD’s Public Integrity Unit, said officers at the department were well aware of the postal inspector’s conclusion.
The LMPD had reportedly asked two members of the Shively Police Department to assist them in the case and to ask a postal inspector on their behalf whether suspicious mail was being sent to Taylor’s apartment. The Shively officers learned from the postal inspector that no dubious packages were being sent there.
Shively police Sgt. Timothy Salyer told investigators with LMPD’s Public Integrity Unit in May that he shared this information with several LMPD officers, including Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly ― one of the three officers who executed the search warrant at Taylor’s home.
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Salyer told Mattingly in January that “no packages had been received at the address, and the post office did not receive any packages either,” WDRB-TV reported. Salyer said he provided the “same information” to two other LMPD officers a week later.
Salyer also told investigators that he’d asked Mattingly about Jayne’s warrant affidavit following Taylor’s death.
“Sgt. Mattingly stated he told Detective Jaynes there was no package history at that address,” Salyer told investigators, according to WDRB-TV.
Jaynes was placed on administrative reassignment in June.
After the #BreonnaTaylor shooting, a detective who had checked with a postal inspector for LMPD about the packages asked Mattingly & Det. Mike Nobles, about what Jaynes wrote in the warrant. Nobles said he was confused about the "conflicting information on the affidavit as well" pic.twitter.com/BWCnVxY7JC — Jason Riley (@JasonRileyWDRB) September 30, 2020
Glover ― who police said had also listed Taylor’s address as his own and had been seen making multiple trips between her apartment and allegedly known drug houses ― has claimed he never sent anything “illegal” to Taylor’s home. The package he was seen carrying from her apartment in January had contained shoes and clothes, he told The Courier-Journal in August.
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A grand jury declined in September to issue homicide charges against Mattingly and the two other LMPD officers who were at the scene when Taylor was killed ― a decision that has sparked protests in Louisville and across the country.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-09-30--Pennsylvania Republicans Put Election Nightmare Scenario In Motion

Republicans in the state House of Representatives passed a resolution out of the chamber ’ s government committee on a 15-10 party-line vote to create a special “ election integrity committee ” of three Republicans and two Democrats to investigate the 2020 election .
It could possibly certify its own slate of electors for Trump based on phony charges of voter fraud .
“ This is an unprecedented attack on non-partisan election administrators at a time when we should all be doing everything we can to instill confidence in our elections , ” Gov .
Tom Wolf ( D ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heard the president say last night , ‘ Bad things happen in Philadelphia , ’ ” State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta said , referencing Tuesday night ’ s presidential debate between Trump and his Democratic opponent Joe Biden , at the hearing on the resolution .
“ The reality is , bad things are happening in this committee .
This is a bad bill that never should have been brought up.
” Republicans , led by Trump , have been laying the groundwork for this type of move for weeks through lawsuits to limit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and more .
The Atlantic reported that Pennsylvania Republicans discussed a plan with Trump ’ s campaign whereby the Republican-controlled legislature would use accusations of voter fraud in order to discard the popular vote as too tainted to count .
They could then , theoretically , certify Trump ’ s slate of electors and send them to Congress for the official Electoral College count on Jan. 6 .
Since Wolf would likely certify electors for Biden if he wins the popular vote that the legislature discards , Congress would then be forced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ We wake up and they have this resolution , ” Dermody said .
“ It came out of nowhere .
My guess is they wanted to have a companion operation going along with their plan to try and fix the Electoral College.
” “ I ’ ve got to believe that they are serious about trying to seat another full set of electors , which is a coup , ” Dermody added .
State legislative Republicans dismissed Democratic colleagues ’ concerns as “ dangerous left wing conspiracy theories , ” saying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ oversight over the election .
( Trump claims that he can only lose the election if it is “ rigged , ” and said he would only leave office peacefully if the country were to “ Get rid of the ballots.
” ) The move is also a response to a Pennsylvania Supreme Court decision that extended the state ’ s absentee ballot receipt deadline to three days after Election Day for ballots postmarked by Election Day .
Pennsylvania Republicans are currently challenging that ruling at the U.S. Supreme Court .
Republican state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the resolution , claimed during the hearing on the resolution that the special election committee would only look back at the election to “ see what was good , what was bad , what we can do better.
” The new committee would , however , launch before the election with full subpoena power for “ witnesses , documents and other materials , ” according to the language of the bill .
Efforts by Democrats to change the bill to launch the committee after the election were rebuffed on Wednesday .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investigation after the election to cast doubt on the results by misinterpreting errors or making otherwise misleading accusations , as other Republican politicians have done after losing elections .
“ It gives them subpoena and investigatory power that they could use to find ‘ “ facts ’ ” as a predicate for claiming the election was not fairly run and they can choose electors directly , ” said Rick Hasen , an election law expert at the University of California , Irvine .
The Department of Justice has already manufactured a phony incident @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a press release claiming that nine discarded military ballots in Pennsylvania constituted evidence of fraud .
It turned out that a new worker , confused by the ballots ’ failure to arrive in their necessary secrecy envelopes , accidentally threw them out .
The top state elections official said what happened was “ not intentional fraud .
”

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Pennsylvania Republican legislators took the first step on Wednesday toward enacting a nightmare scenario in which they could challenge the outcome of the state’s presidential election if President Donald Trump loses.
Republicans in the state House of Representatives passed a resolution out of the chamber’s government committee on a 15-10 party-line vote to create a special “election integrity committee” of three Republicans and two Democrats to investigate the 2020 election. It could possibly certify its own slate of electors for Trump based on phony charges of voter fraud.
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“This is an unprecedented attack on non-partisan election administrators at a time when we should all be doing everything we can to instill confidence in our elections,” Gov. Tom Wolf (D) said in a statement.
The push to create this new election committee came “out of nowhere,” according to Pennsylvania House Democratic Leader Frank Dermody.
“We heard the president say last night, ‘Bad things happen in Philadelphia,’” State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta said, referencing Tuesday night’s presidential debate between Trump and his Democratic opponent Joe Biden, at the hearing on the resolution. “The reality is, bad things are happening in this committee. This is a bad bill that never should have been brought up.”
Republicans, led by Trump, have been laying the groundwork for this type of move for weeks through lawsuits to limit ballot-counting, claims of potential mass fraud, and more. The Atlantic reported that Pennsylvania Republicans discussed a plan with Trump’s campaign whereby the Republican-controlled legislature would use accusations of voter fraud in order to discard the popular vote as too tainted to count. They could then, theoretically, certify Trump’s slate of electors and send them to Congress for the official Electoral College count on Jan. 6.
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Since Wolf would likely certify electors for Biden if he wins the popular vote that the legislature discards, Congress would then be forced to vote on which slate to adopt.
“I’ve mentioned it to [the Trump campaign], and I hope they’re thinking about it too,” Lawrence Tabas, the Pennsylvania Republican Party’s chairman, said about the plan to certify Trump electors.
If the Electoral College vote is close, this scheme could help Trump “win” a second term.
“We wake up and they have this resolution,” Dermody said. “It came out of nowhere. My guess is they wanted to have a companion operation going along with their plan to try and fix the Electoral College.”
“I’ve got to believe that they are serious about trying to seat another full set of electors, which is a coup,” Dermody added.
A proposed resolution in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives could create a committee allowing Republican legislators to investigate the 2020 election for supposed voter fraud. ASSOCIATED PRESS
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State legislative Republicans dismissed Democratic colleagues’ concerns as “dangerous left wing conspiracy theories,” saying the Republican House simply wants to assert oversight over the election. (Trump claims that he can only lose the election if it is “rigged,” and said he would only leave office peacefully if the country were to “Get rid of the ballots.”)
The move is also a response to a Pennsylvania Supreme Court decision that extended the state’s absentee ballot receipt deadline to three days after Election Day for ballots postmarked by Election Day. Pennsylvania Republicans are currently challenging that ruling at the U.S. Supreme Court.
Republican state Rep. Garth Everett, the lead sponsor of the resolution, claimed during the hearing on the resolution that the special election committee would only look back at the election to “see what was good, what was bad, what we can do better.”
“It doesn’t have the power to do anything,” Everett said of the proposed committee.
The new committee would, however, launch before the election with full subpoena power for “witnesses, documents and other materials,” according to the language of the bill. Efforts by Democrats to change the bill to launch the committee after the election were rebuffed on Wednesday.
The new committee could also pursue its own investigation after the election to cast doubt on the results by misinterpreting errors or making otherwise misleading accusations, as other Republican politicians have done after losing elections.
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“It gives them subpoena and investigatory power that they could use to find ‘“facts’” as a predicate for claiming the election was not fairly run and they can choose electors directly,” said Rick Hasen, an election law expert at the University of California, Irvine.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-09-30--Clare Bronfman Sentenced For Role In NXIVM Cult Scandal

NEW YORK ( AP ) — A wealthy benefactor of Keith Raniere , the disgraced leader of a self-improvement group in upstate New York convicted of turning women into sex slaves who were branded with his initials , was sentenced Wednesday to almost seven years in prison in the federal conspiracy case .
Seagram ’ s liquor fortune heir Clare Bronfman was taken into custody to begin her 81-month sentence immediately after her appearance in federal court in Brooklyn .
Bronfman , 41 , admitted in a guilty plea last year that she harbored someone who was living in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ services ” and that she committed credit card fraud on behalf of Raniere , leader of the group called NXIVM .
In a letter to the court last month , Bronfman wrote that she “ never meant to hurt anyone , however I have and for this I am deeply sorry.
” Still , she said that she couldn ’ t disavow Raniere because “ NXIVM and Keith greatly changed my life for the better.
” At trial , prosecutors told jurors the 60-year-old Raniere ’ s organization , NXIVM — pronounced NEHK-see-uhm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called him “ Vanguard.
” To honor him , the group formed a secret sorority comprised of brainwashed female “ slaves ” who were branded with his initials and forced to have sex with him , the prosecutors said .
Bronfman ’ s lawyers argued she deserved leniency because she had no direct involvement in the most disturbing allegations and has a health condition that could put her at greater risk for a coronavirus infection if incarcerated .
But in court papers , prosecutors argued she deserved a serious punishment since , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would not have been able to commit the crimes with which he was convicted were it not for powerful allies like Bronfman.
” The defendant had long been affiliated with NXIVM , giving away tens of million of dollars to bankroll Raniere and his program of intense self-improvement classes .
She also paid for lawyers to defend the group against a lawsuit brought by its critics .
Along with Bronfman , Raniere ’ s teachings won him the devotion of Hollywood actresses like Allison Mack of TV ’ s “ Smallville.
” Mack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sentencing .
As part of a plea agreement , Bronfman agreed to forfeit $ 6 million from a fortune prosecutors have said is worth $ 200 million .
They also are seeking a $ 500,000 fine .

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NEW YORK (AP) — A wealthy benefactor of Keith Raniere, the disgraced leader of a self-improvement group in upstate New York convicted of turning women into sex slaves who were branded with his initials, was sentenced Wednesday to almost seven years in prison in the federal conspiracy case.
Seagram’s liquor fortune heir Clare Bronfman was taken into custody to begin her 81-month sentence immediately after her appearance in federal court in Brooklyn.
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Bronfman, 41, admitted in a guilty plea last year that she harbored someone who was living in the U.S. illegally for unpaid “labor and services” and that she committed credit card fraud on behalf of Raniere, leader of the group called NXIVM.
In a letter to the court last month, Bronfman wrote that she “never meant to hurt anyone, however I have and for this I am deeply sorry.” Still, she said that she couldn’t disavow Raniere because “NXIVM and Keith greatly changed my life for the better.”
At trial, prosecutors told jurors the 60-year-old Raniere’s organization, NXIVM — pronounced NEHK-see-uhm — operated like a cult whose members called him “Vanguard.” To honor him, the group formed a secret sorority comprised of brainwashed female “slaves” who were branded with his initials and forced to have sex with him, the prosecutors said.
Bronfman’s lawyers argued she deserved leniency because she had no direct involvement in the most disturbing allegations and has a health condition that could put her at greater risk for a coronavirus infection if incarcerated. But in court papers, prosecutors argued she deserved a serious punishment since, “There can be little doubt that Raniere would not have been able to commit the crimes with which he was convicted were it not for powerful allies like Bronfman.”
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The defendant had long been affiliated with NXIVM, giving away tens of million of dollars to bankroll Raniere and his program of intense self-improvement classes. She also paid for lawyers to defend the group against a lawsuit brought by its critics.
Along with Bronfman, Raniere’s teachings won him the devotion of Hollywood actresses like Allison Mack of TV’s “Smallville.” Mack also has pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-09-30--Proud Boys Member Arrested On Assault Charges After Trump Told Hate Group: 'Stand By'

“ We ’ ll grow this group of patriots and we ’ ll never back down , ” Swinney said @ @ @ @ @ .
“ If we win , it will make more patriots come to the next @ @ @ @ @ to go there and we ’ ll beat them .
We ’ ll have enough @ @ @ @ @ point.
” When asked about his calls for violence , Swinney told HuffPost at the @ @ @ @ @ are “ warriors ” and that “ Choir boys don ’ t go up against @ @ @ @ @ .
It takes a person with a certain type of mindset.
” Swinney ’ s @ @ @ @ @ more than $ 500,000 , according to jail records .

“We’ll grow this group of patriots and we’ll never back down,” Swinney said in one of the chats. “If we win, it will make more patriots come to the next rally. We just need to go there and we’ll beat them. We’ll have enough to crush them at some point.”
When asked about his calls for violence, Swinney told HuffPost at the time that Proud Boys members are “warriors” and that “Choir boys don’t go up against people like [anti-fascists]. It takes a person with a certain type of mindset.”
Swinney’s bail has been set at more than $500,000, according to jail records.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-09-30--NFL Postpones Titans-Steelers Game Due to COVID-19 Outbreak

NASHVILLE , Tenn. ( AP ) — The Pittsburgh-Tennessee NFL game will be played either Monday or Tuesday due to @ @ @ @ @ the Titans .
The NFL announced the switch on Wednesday .
The previous day the @ @ @ @ @ and five other team personnel had tested positive for COVID-19 .
The Titans have closed @ @ @ @ @ Friday and will not be able to practice in any fashion together until Saturday at @ @ @ @ @ Titans and Steelers are 3-0 and among the NFL ’ s seven undefeated teams .
@ @ @ @ @ Sunday , and the Vikings ’ team facility is closed at least through Wednesday .
@ @ @ @ @ originally scheduled for Sunday at 1 p.m .
ET , will be rescheduled to allow @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 testing and to ensure the health and safety of players , coaches and game @ @ @ @ @ NFL said .
“ Details on the new game date and time on either Monday @ @ @ @ @ as soon as possible .
”

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Pittsburgh-Tennessee NFL game will be played either Monday or Tuesday due to positive coronavirus test results among the Titans.
The NFL announced the switch on Wednesday. The previous day the NFL said that three Titans and five other team personnel had tested positive for COVID-19. The Titans have closed their facility at least through Friday and will not be able to practice in any fashion together until Saturday at the earliest.
Both the Titans and Steelers are 3-0 and among the NFL’s seven undefeated teams.
Tennessee beat Minnesota 31-30 on Sunday, and the Vikings’ team facility is closed at least through Wednesday.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-09-30--70s' Singer Songwriter Mac Davis Dies At 78

NASHVILLE , Tenn. ( AP ) — Country star Mac Davis , who crafted the Elvis hits “ A Little Less Conversation ” and “ In the Ghetto ” before launching his own successful artist career , has died .
He was 78 .
His longtime manager Jim Morey said in a press release that Davis died in Nashville on Tuesday after heart surgery and was surrounded by family and friends .
Davis had a long and varied career in music for decades as a writer , singer , actor and TV host and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ named 1974 ’ s entertainer of the year by the Academy of Country Music after the success of songs including “ Baby Don ’ t Get Hooked on Me.
” Born in Lubbock , Texas , and raised in Georgia , Davis was inspired by fellow Lubbock native Buddy Holly , but it was Elvis who gave him his first musical big break .
Davis helped craft the song “ Memories ” that was a cornerstone of Elvis ’ big 1968 comeback TV special .
“ A small town boy who ’ d @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he remained a good guy , a family man , ” said country star Kenny Chesney .
“ That was Mac : a giant heart , quick to laugh and a bigger creative spirit .
I was blessed to have it shine on me .
And Mac , who was joyous , funny and created a family around him , never stopped writing great songs , creating music and inspiring everyone around him . ''
Davis got a recording deal of his own in 1970 , recording “ Hooked on Music , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Humble , ” and “ Texas in my Rearview Mirror , ” and getting crossover success on pop charts .
He had his own TV series , “ The Mac Davis Show ” on NBC , and also acted in TV and film , including alongside Nick Nolte in the football film “ North Dallas Forty.
” He even starred on Broadway , in “ The Will Rogers Follies ” and toured with the musical .
He also wrote songs recorded by Kenny Rogers ( “ Something ’ s Burning ” ) , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) and Ray Price ( “ Lonesomest Lonesome ” ) .
He was still writing later in life , getting co-writing credits on songs by Avicii and Bruno Mars .
“ Today our country community lost an amazing entertainer , songwriter and artist , ” said Sarah Trahern , CEO of CMA .
“ I remember watching Mac ’ s TV show as a kid as well as his three years co-hosting the CMA Awards with Barbara Mandrell , which proved his command of the TV medium as well as the music .
@

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Country star Mac Davis, who crafted the Elvis hits “A Little Less Conversation” and “In the Ghetto” before launching his own successful artist career, has died. He was 78.
His longtime manager Jim Morey said in a press release that Davis died in Nashville on Tuesday after heart surgery and was surrounded by family and friends.
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Mac Davis, seen here in 2015, had his own TV series, “The Mac Davis Show” on NBC, and also acted in TV and film. David Edwards/MediaPunch/MediaPunch/IPx
Davis had a long and varied career in music for decades as a writer, singer, actor and TV host and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2006. He was named 1974’s entertainer of the year by the Academy of Country Music after the success of songs including “Baby Don’t Get Hooked on Me.”
Born in Lubbock, Texas, and raised in Georgia, Davis was inspired by fellow Lubbock native Buddy Holly, but it was Elvis who gave him his first musical big break. Davis helped craft the song “Memories” that was a cornerstone of Elvis’ big 1968 comeback TV special.
“A small town boy who’d achieved the greatest kinds of fame, he remained a good guy, a family man,” said country star Kenny Chesney. “That was Mac: a giant heart, quick to laugh and a bigger creative spirit. I was blessed to have it shine on me. And Mac, who was joyous, funny and created a family around him, never stopped writing great songs, creating music and inspiring everyone around him.”
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Davis got a recording deal of his own in 1970, recording “Hooked on Music,” “It’s Hard to be Humble,” and “Texas in my Rearview Mirror,” and getting crossover success on pop charts. He had his own TV series, “The Mac Davis Show” on NBC, and also acted in TV and film, including alongside Nick Nolte in the football film “North Dallas Forty.” He even starred on Broadway, in “The Will Rogers Follies” and toured with the musical.
He also wrote songs recorded by Kenny Rogers (“Something’s Burning”), Dolly Parton (“White Limozeen”) and Ray Price (“Lonesomest Lonesome”). He was still writing later in life, getting co-writing credits on songs by Avicii and Bruno Mars.
“Today our country community lost an amazing entertainer, songwriter and artist,” said Sarah Trahern, CEO of CMA. “I remember watching Mac’s TV show as a kid as well as his three years co-hosting the CMA Awards with Barbara Mandrell, which proved his command of the TV medium as well as the music.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-01--Hope Hicks Tests Positive For Coronavirus After Traveling With Trump: Reports

Hicks , one of Trump ’ s closest and most trusted aides , traveled on Air Force One with the president to Cleveland for Tuesday ’ s presidential debate and to Minnesota for a rally on Wednesday , Bloomberg said .
She was photographed leaving Air Force One in Cleveland while not wearing a mask .
People close to Hicks told Bloomberg that she was experiencing symptoms of the coronavirus .
It ’ s unclear , however , what those symptoms were and for how long she ’ d been experiencing them .
White House officials have known since at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ positive for the virus , the Times reported .
A White House spokesperson did not confirm Hicks ’ s positive test when asked , saying only that Trump “ takes the health and safety of himself and everyone who works in support of him and the American people very seriously.
” “ White House Operations collaborates with the Physician to the President and the White House Military Office to ensure all plans and procedures incorporate current CDC guidance and best practices for limiting COVID-19 exposure to the greatest extent possible both on complex @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” White House deputy press secretary Judd Deere said .
Hicks , a former model and public relations consultant who previously worked for the Trump Organization , returned to the White House as Trump ’ s counselor in February after resigning in March 2018 from her role as White House communications director .
Several White House employees have tested positive for COVID-19 since the pandemic began , including national security adviser Robert O ’ Brien , Vice President Mike Pence ’ s press secretary Katie Miller and one of Trump ’ s personal @ @

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Hope Hicks, a counselor and senior adviser to President Donald Trump, has tested positive for COVID-19, the president said Thursday night.
Hicks, one of Trump’s closest and most trusted aides, traveled on Air Force One with the president to Cleveland for Tuesday’s presidential debate and to Minnesota for a rally on Wednesday, Bloomberg said. She was photographed leaving Air Force One in Cleveland while not wearing a mask.
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Close Trump aide Hope Hicks traveled aboard Air Force One Tuesday. Here she is deplaning in Cleveland, without a mask. pic.twitter.com/pyegkSxChI — Monica Alba (@albamonica) October 2, 2020
Trump told Fox News on Thursday night that he and first lady Melania Trump were tested for the coronavirus in response to Hicks’s infection. He later announced in a tweet that he and the first lady had tested positive for the disease and were quarantining. The White House canceled Trump’s travel plans but said he would continue with his duties.
People close to Hicks told Bloomberg that she was experiencing symptoms of the coronavirus. It’s unclear, however, what those symptoms were and for how long she’d been experiencing them.
White House officials have known since at least Wednesday evening that she had tested positive for the virus, the New York Times reported.
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A White House spokesperson did not confirm Hicks’s positive test when asked, saying only that Trump “takes the health and safety of himself and everyone who works in support of him and the American people very seriously.”
“White House Operations collaborates with the Physician to the President and the White House Military Office to ensure all plans and procedures incorporate current CDC guidance and best practices for limiting COVID-19 exposure to the greatest extent possible both on complex and when the President is traveling,” White House deputy press secretary Judd Deere said.
Hicks, a former model and public relations consultant who previously worked for the Trump Organization, returned to the White House as Trump’s counselor in February after resigning in March 2018 from her role as White House communications director.
Several White House employees have tested positive for COVID-19 since the pandemic began, including national security adviser Robert O’Brien, Vice President Mike Pence’s press secretary Katie Miller and one of Trump’s personal valets.
This story has been updated with the Trumps’ diagnosis.