thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-29--What Is The Internet Doing To Boomers’ Brains?

What Makes Older Americans More Vulnerable To Misinformation ?
We Can ’ t Fix This Ourselves

The last time they spoke, John’s father accused him of being part of the deep state.
They have never exactly gelled politically — John, 38, is an executive at a left-wing think tank and his father is a lifelong reader of the New York Post — but there was a time when they could at least work through their disagreements. When he was an aide to a Democratic legislator during the debate over health care reform, John kept a big yellow copy of the Affordable Care Act in his living room.
“When my dad started talking about all the terrible things that would happen if it passed, I would read him the actual sections of the bill,” John said. (Some of the sources in this article asked HuffPost to use pseudonyms to preserve a semblance of family comity.) “That shut a lot of it down.”
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But appealing to reality doesn’t work anymore. Since Donald Trump’s election, John watched his 67-year-old father’s Facebook feed fill with links to Fox News and Breitbart, then more radical websites like Gateway Pundit and Russia Today. By 2017, his father had graduated to Pizzagate and QAnon.
When they spoke two years ago, John’s father insisted that his progressive think tank was part of a cabal of human traffickers. John tried to explain that he had worked in Democratic politics for more than a decade and had never seen anything remotely resembling his father’s QAnon-fueled fantasies.
“It was heartbreaking,” John said. “That was the moment when I knew my father trusted these right-wing Facebook groups more than he trusts his own son.”
It has become a familiar story: The older relative, the intensifying Fox News habit, the alarming Facebook posts, the inevitable detachment from reality. Losing a parent to the conservative cyber-swamp is such a common experience among millennials that it has produced an entire sub-genre of documentaries, books and online support groups.
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What it has not produced, however, is a satisfying answer to a simple question: What is the internet doing to our parents’ brains?
So far, research indicates that older Americans are a major vector of misinformation.
“Older adults consume more misinformation and are more likely to share misinformation,” said Briony Swire-Thompson, a senior research scientist at Northeastern University who specializes in social media networks. During the 2016 election, users over 65 shared more fake news than any other age group and seven times more than users between 18 and 29. In 2020, Trump has dedicated almost half of his reelection campaign budget to Facebook ads — many of which include blatant misinformation — to users over 65 years old.
In the coming decades, this issue will only take on greater importance. America is about to embark on an unprecedented experiment in the political effects of an aging society. By 2030, one in five Americans will be over 65. By 2060, the ratio will be one in four. Over the next four decades, as the overall population grows by 25%, the number of people over 85 will nearly quadruple.
In the U.S., every age group except 65 and over will shrink in the coming decades. HuffPost
At the same time, seniors are becoming increasingly reliant on the internet for information. Over the last decade, older adults reporting that they get their news from social media rocketed from 8% to 40%. Facebook, one of America’s primary delivery devices for partisan, misleading and outright false information, is growing fastest among people over 50. Meanwhile, the percentage of teens reporting Facebook use fell from 71% in 2014 to 51% in 2018.
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This doesn’t have to be an existential crisis. While it’s true that older generations are more vulnerable to fake news in some ways, they are more resilient in others. Millions of millennials’ parents did not suddenly decide to slide into conspiracy-land. They are simply living in a country with more and better ways of pulling them there.
What Makes Older Americans More Vulnerable To Misinformation?
The first and most obvious explanation for older internet users’ increased vulnerability to misinformation is the effect of aging on the brain. A huge body of research has demonstrated that the same factors that make older Americans susceptible to financial scams — lower impulse control, slower cognitive function, higher rates of social isolation — also make them vulnerable to misinformation.
These deficits generally begin to appear around age 45, but recent research indicates that they could be appearing even sooner. A study published in July found that the baby boomer generation was showing signs of cognitive decline earlier than previous generations.
“There’s a sharpness that’s gone,” John said of his father. “He gets very animated in conversations and when you tell him you disagree with something, he’ll say, ‘I never said that.’ I can’t tell if it’s him really not remembering or if he just wants to win the argument.”
John attributes his father’s slowing mental faculties to his decades of alcohol and opioid use. In the July study, researchers found that baby boomers with lower wealth, worse cardiovascular health and higher levels of loneliness and depression had the most severe rates of cognitive decline. These findings add to a growing body of research indicating that baby boomers are in worse health than their parents’ generation at the same age, an effect generally attributed to higher stress, worse diets and the rising cost of health care. Older Americans falling prey to internet conspiracy theories, in other words, could be just another side effect of American inequality.
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But not so fast. Nadia Brashier, a cognitive scientist at Harvard University, points out that a strictly biological explanation for older Americans’ vulnerability to misinformation leaves a lot out.
“It’s tempting to blame cognitive decline because that’s what comes to people’s minds first,” Brashier said. “We associate getting older with impairment, but different cognitive abilities decline at different rates, and some don’t decline at all.”
Older Americans, Brashier noted, are actually better at some cognitive tasks than younger people. For example, they tend to know more about history and politics, giving them a better gut-check against obvious misinformation (“The president can remain in office for five terms,” for example). This may explain why, according to a study published in September, older adults are less likely to believe COVID-19 misinformation than younger Americans.
And some of the most pernicious forms of misinformation don’t appear to have an age dimension. “Truthiness,” to pick just one, is a term used to describe the phenomenon in which claims seem truer if they’re paired with an image. In a 2012 study, researchers found that participants were more likely to believe the statement “the first windmills were built in Persia” if it appeared beside a photo of windmills than if it appeared on a black background. This appears to affect young people and old people roughly equally.
The claim in this meme isn't true, but research indicates that it's more convincing if it's coupled with an image. Turning Point USA
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Where older adults do struggle, however, is with memory and digital literacy. If younger Americans are digital natives, older Americans are digital refugees, drifting onto social media platforms slowly and haphazardly.
Older Americans are worse at distinguishing news from sponsored content, spotting manipulated images and separating factual information from opinion. They also lack basic information about the structures and incentives of social media — in a 2019 survey, just 18% of Facebook users over 65 knew that the site used an algorithm to organize their feeds and deliver recommendations. Around one-third thought Facebook staffers were hand-picking stories according to their relevance and credibility.
David, a graduate student in California, watched his father drift down the internet rabbit hole shortly after retiring, cashing out his pension, and buying an RV.
“Suddenly my dad who had worked his whole life had nothing to do,” David said. “So this 52-year-old man who had never used a computer gets on YouTube. That’s when the algorithms got to work on him.”
Within months, David’s dad was posting conspiracy videos about Bigfoot and the moon landing. Soon political conspiracies started to show up: Hillary Clinton and her pedophile ring, George Soros and his global network of secret banks.
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“A lot of it was blatantly anti-Semitic,” David said. “We’re Jewish, but I don’t think my dad is knowledgeable enough to understand the dog whistles.”
After a series of fights via text message and Facebook Messenger, David and his father stopped speaking. Almost two years later, his father finally reached out — with an e-mail that had no text, just a link to a video in which a former liberal described why he was now a conservative.
“I told him that if he wanted to have a real conversation we could have one, but he never got back to me,” David said. “I don’t think there’s anything I can say to snap him out of it. It feels like he’s been indoctrinated into a cult.”
Social Media Makes Everything Worse
Social media is almost perfectly designed to exploit the vulnerabilities of cognitive decline and digital illiteracy.
Every story on Facebook looks the same, whether it’s from The New York Times, InfoWars or your racist neighbor. While older and younger Americans are roughly equal in their ability to tell the difference between legitimate sources and sketchy conspiracy websites, the ability to remember the source of information is one of the first skills to decline with age.
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In one study, researchers showed participants health claims (“corn chips contain twice as much fat as potato chips”) three times in a row alongside labels describing them as true or false. Three days later, participants between 18 and 25 were more likely to remember the claim itself and whether it was true. Adults between 71 and 86, on the other hand, remembered the health claims but not whether they had been debunked.
Social media also amplifies what researchers call the “illusory truth effect” — the more times you hear something, the truer it seems. If you see the same statistic on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, you’ll probably believe it, even if every post you see is just the same misinformation bouncing around an ideological bubble.
Brashier said that these characteristics encourage social media users to engage in confirmation bias, or seeking out information that confirms their worldview, while simultaneously believing they’re performing independent research.
“In surveys and lab studies, we often find that older adults are more discerning — they’re better at sorting true from false information than younger people,” Brashier said. “However, something happens when they log on to Twitter or Facebook that disengages them from analytic thinking.”
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Much of this disengagement is built into the structure of social media. Seniors generally report having more trust in the people around them, a characteristic that may make them more credulous of information that comes from friends and family. There is also the issue of context: Misinformation appears in a stream that also includes baby pictures, recipes and career updates. Users may not expect to toggle between light socializing and heavy truth-assessing when they’re looking at their phone for a few minutes in line at the grocery store.
“Fact-checking isn’t at the front of your mind when you’re scrolling through your aunt’s updates on Facebook,” Swire-Thompson said.
“In an ideal world, we would prevent people from seeing misinformation in the first place.” - Nadia Brashier, Harvard University cognitive scientist
Social media may also prey on stress and anxiety. Ben, an epidemiologist in Chicago, has watched his mother transform over the last three years. She has always been conservative, but spent most of her life indifferent to politics and most of 2016 revolted by Trump. Her life was defined by her Christian faith and Ben spent years helping her come to grips with his homosexuality.
But then her parents moved in.
“They were elderly, hyper-religious and very ill,” Ben said. His mother quit her corporate job to take care of them. “She was stressed out and had nothing to do except use Facebook all day.”
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After they died, Ben saw his mother, who lives in Seattle, join church-based groups, then right-wing groups. She started sharing memes about how God was working through Trump. Soon, she was trolling left-wing politicians.
“She couldn’t name a single policy of Jay Inslee’s, but she’s commenting on his Facebook page that he should return the state to people who aren’t ruining it,” Ben said.
COVID-19 completed her transformation. Ben works in public health disaster management and has spent the last six months reminding his mother to wear a mask and socialize rarely and outdoors. Earlier this month, his sister mentioned that their mother was out of town. From searching her social media history, Ben found that she was at an indoor megachurch event.
“It’s thousands of people screaming in a room without masks,” he said. And from watching clips online, he gathered that the event included talks from anti-gay speakers.
“For her to go and support a community that’s actively trying to dismantle my civil liberties, it was so hurtful,” he said. “She’s getting all her information from these church groups and most of it is completely fabricated. There’s no way I can compete with that.”
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In 2016, Trump won older voters by 7 percentage points. Just over 70% of citizens over 65 voted, compared to 46% of citizens between 18 and 29. Tom Williams via Getty Images
Conservatives See More Misinformation
Age is not the only characteristic that matters when it comes to misinformation. Fox New viewers have a median age of 65, but so do MSNBC viewers. Why are older Americans falling for right-wing conspiracy theories and not falling down left-wing rabbit holes?
The answer has to do with the strikingly different characteristics of the liberal and conservative news ecosystems.
Both liberals and conservatives get their news from sources that range from mainstream, credible outlets (The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal) to fringe partisan and conspiratorial websites (Breitbart, Palmer Report).
On the left, conspiracy theories rarely reach established institutions. You could read The New York Times or watch CNN for days and have no idea that fringe partisans were debating the roster of Republicans on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s payroll or the existence of a Donald Trump sex tape.
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“It’s an amplification pipeline,” said Andy Guess, a politics professor at Princeton University. “There’s an inherent difference between left-wing and right-wing media ecosystems that fundamentally affects the information Americans are receiving.”
These imbalanced news habitats produce strikingly different constituencies. Republicans are twice as likely as Democrats to believe that COVID-19 was a deliberate attack on the United States. More than half of Republicans believe that the QAnon conspiracy theory is mostly or partly true. Nearly three-quarters think a “deep state” cabal is attempting to overthrow President Trump. In 2013, nearly two out of three Republicans thought Barack Obama was hiding information about his birthplace.
By contrast, only 35% of Democrats ever believed that Bush had knowledge of the 9/11 attacks before they happened. Even though it is the go-to example of a left-wing conspiracy theory, the anti-vaccine movement is actually more popular among Republicans.
Healthy young child goes to doctor, gets pumped with massive shot of many vaccines, doesn't feel good and changes - AUTISM. Many such cases! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 28, 2014
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The aging population and the popularity of social media has put this trend on steroids. Facebook’s most popular posts are nearly all from fringe right-wing figures. In the run-up to the 2016 election, 60% of visits to fake news sites were made by the most conservative 10% of the population. Hyper-conservative elderly voters were five times more likely to encounter fake news than hyper-liberal elderly voters.
Even if social media sites wanted to restrict misinformation (and all evidence indicates that they do not), actually achieving this goal would be a monumental task.
The internet is not just awash in fake news, it is also drenched in what researchers call “hyperpartisan” information. As opposed to straightforward fiction (Bigfoot is real, hydroxychloroquine cures COVID-19), hyperpartisan websites take grains of truth and exaggerate them into their most sensationalized version.
Throughout 2020, for example, the right-wing fringe has been obsessed with the (racist, sexist) myth that Kamala Harris used sex to launch her political career. The rumor contains a miniscule grain of truth — Harris did date former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown in the 1990s — but has been exaggerated into a narrative totally divorced from reality.
Forget the Hunter Biden pictures, just wait until Willie Brown leaks the old Polaroids of Kamala Harris! — Errol Webber For Congress (CA-37) (@ErrolWebber) October 14, 2020
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Or consider the Facebook groups dedicated to discussing crimes committed by immigrants. They’re not peddling misinformation — every post describes a real news event — but they reinforce the idea that foreigners are more likely than native-born Americans to commit violence (they’re not) and that crime is at an all time high (nope).
Brashier said hyperpartisan information is almost certainly more widespread than straightforwardly false claims and much harder to monitor, much less get rid of.
“Fake news,” she said, “is only the tip of the iceberg.”
We Can’t Fix This Ourselves
Emma’s father, a liberal physician, has fallen down an anti-vaccine, coronavirus-truther rabbit hole.
“It started with his hatred of pharmaceutical companies,” Emma said. “He starts going on Facebook and finding these fringe groups and the next thing you know he’s saying that the government has a cure for COVID but they’re not giving it to us because they can’t make money on it.”
In a string of text messages Emma provided HuffPost, she confronted him.
“Immunizations are loaded with toxic substances and are routinely delivered to very young babies, like two months old,” he said.
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She tried to fight back, sending him a Los Angeles Times article noting that we breathe, eat or drink more than 20 times the maximum allowed dose of aluminum in a vaccine every day.
“Thanks for link an info,” he responded. “Unfortunately I can’t make an informed response. Texting on a complicated subject isn’t easy for me either.”
This is how it goes, Emma said. Her father says something wildly untrue, she finds better information, sends it, and he checks out. She has seen this pattern before. Three years ago, Emma’s conservative uncle tried to kill himself, believing his life was under threat by radical leftists who wanted to take away his guns and destroy rural America.
Georgia House candidate Marjorie Taylor Greene, center, has received mainstream Republican backing despite declaring belief in the QAnon conspiracy theory. Dustin Chambers via Getty Images
America’s misinformation problem is only going to get worse. In a 2015 study, researchers found that anger made participants more likely to believe misinformation that reinforced their political views. Anxiety, on the other hand, made them more open to misinformation that went against their existing beliefs. Living through times of societal upheaval — like, say, a pandemic — could be making Americans more vulnerable to false beliefs and making our political system more fragile.
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“Our information ecosystem is eroding trust in the media, democracy and other mainstream institutions,” Guess said. “It’s almost impossible to predict what the long-term consequences could be.”
That’s the bad news. The good news is that the problem of misinformation has a relatively simple solution: Suppress it.
“In an ideal world, we would prevent people from seeing misinformation in the first place,” Brashier said. Once people have formed beliefs based on false narratives, correcting them is a monumental task. Keeping them from stumbling across conspiracy theories, however, only takes a government willing to regulate and social media companies willing to curate.
David, the graduate student, and his fiancé live in a mother-in-law unit behind her parents’ house. Over the last six months, the couple has watched his fiancé’s family fall down the same rabbit hole as David’s father. Recently they decided that the coronavirus is no worse than the flu. David and his fiancé are the only ones who wear masks at family gatherings anymore.
“They were indoors for six months with nothing to do but watch Fox News and go on Facebook,” he said. “And now they’re telling me, ‘Oh well, the weak just need to die and then we’ll be over this thing.’”
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But as hurt and angry as he is, he still can’t bring himself to blame them.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-29--CNN’s Brianna Keilar Delivers 7-Minute Takedown Of Donald Trump’s 1950s Worldview

CNN host Brianna Keilar on Wednesday put Donald Trump ’ s sexist and dated view of the world under the spotlight .
Keilar on “ Newsroom ” called out the president ’ s pleas to suburban women this week when he asked for their vote because he was putting their “ husbands back to work.
” “ He seems to miss that , decades ago , women joined the workforce en masse , ” said Keilar .
The anchor aired footage of Trump in 1994 claiming that “ putting a wife to work is a very dangerous thing ” and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when he ’ d return home to find his dinner not ready .
Keilar reeled off other examples of Trump ’ s “ 1950s worldview ” ― from his references to “ Gone With The Wind ” and Bob Hope to his denial of systemic racism and touting of Confederate symbols .
“ His nostalgia for the ’ 50s is obstructing his understanding of the present-day suburbs , ” Keilar concluded .
“ It ’ s 2020 .
Lassie is not coming to save us and June Cleaver is not waiting at home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ here :

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CNN host Brianna Keilar on Wednesday put Donald Trump’s sexist and dated view of the world under the spotlight.
Keilar on “Newsroom” called out the president’s pleas to suburban women this week when he asked for their vote because he was putting their “husbands back to work.”
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“He seems to miss that, decades ago, women joined the workforce en masse,” said Keilar.
The anchor aired footage of Trump in 1994 claiming that “putting a wife to work is a very dangerous thing” and recalling going “through the roof” when he’d return home to find his dinner not ready.
Keilar reeled off other examples of Trump’s “1950s worldview” ― from his references to “Gone With The Wind” and Bob Hope to his denial of systemic racism and touting of Confederate symbols.
“His nostalgia for the ’50s is obstructing his understanding of the present-day suburbs,” Keilar concluded. “It’s 2020. Lassie is not coming to save us and June Cleaver is not waiting at home with meatloaf.”
Check out the video here:


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-29--Conservative Columnist Says There’s Only 1 Way To Save The GOP

And that is by completely destroying it to remove any vestige of President Donald Trump .
“ The GOP needs @ @ @ @ @ , ” Boot declared .
Boot , a longtime anti-Trump Republican who has endorsed Democratic @ @ @ @ @ he ’ d “ watched with incredulity ” the descent “ into collective madness ” @ @ @ @ @ following Trump ’ s 2016 election win .
He condemned the party ’ s infection @ @ @ @ @ cult , ” said “ the same trickle-down craziness is evident in the Republican mishandling @ @ @ @ @ ripped Trump for giving permission “ for Republican bigots to come out into the open.
@ @ @ @ @ sane center-right party , ” Boot wrote .
“ The only way Republicans will come @ @ @ @ @ they see that the path they are on leads to electoral oblivion .
”

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And that is by completely destroying it to remove any vestige of President Donald Trump.
“The GOP needs to be detoxified and de-Trumpified,” Boot declared.
Boot, a longtime anti-Trump Republican who has endorsed Democratic nominee Joe Biden, said he’d “watched with incredulity” the descent “into collective madness” of the party he left following Trump’s 2016 election win.
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He condemned the party’s infection “by the lunatic QAnon cult,” said “the same trickle-down craziness is evident in the Republican mishandling of the coronavirus” and ripped Trump for giving permission “for Republican bigots to come out into the open.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-29--Motivated Muslim Voters Could Prove Consequential In Key Swing States

Two polls conducted over the summer by the U.S. Immigration Policy Center ( USIPC ) at the University of California , San Diego , found that Muslim voters in Arizona and Georgia , two swing states with sizable Muslim populations , were more motivated to vote in 2020 than ever before and that they could influence the outcome of the presidential election in their states , as well as local elections .
“ When we think about statewide election results decided by potentially tens of thousands of voters , it becomes harder to attribute a win or loss to any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about our county board of supervisors or our city council members , and ... that some of those races are decided by not tens of thousands of votes , not even thousands of votes , but sometimes hundreds of votes , then that is another sort of venue in which we can potentially see the Muslim electorate [ shaping ] outcomes in November 2020 , ” said Wong .
Uzma Jafri , a 43-year-old Muslim American physician based in Phoenix , has already voted by mail .
She suspects that some Muslims in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2016 in part because they falsely assumed their votes were insignificant and because there were few initiatives to correct those views .
Mosques , for example , were hesitant to host civic engagement programs or politicians out of fear of endangering their nonprofit status as houses of worship .
“ Politicians are looking to see who is voting .
Regardless of who wins the state , what ’ s going to matter is who went out and voted .
So if we can draw out our community in droves to go to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ show that our community has electoral power , ” said Ahmed .
Voter turnout will also impact policies “ whether that ’ s up to the federal level or state level or the local level , ” she said .
“ I think for both of us , we realize democracy can be very fragile .
... And I think the bare minimum that you can do is cast your vote , ” said Baker , adding : “ For me , it was just really important to at least have my say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want the next four years to look.
” “ There ’ s a lot of reasons why the community should get out to vote , especially when we ’ re a targeted community ― from the Muslim ban to hate crimes to our communities being disregarded .
I think this is a moment to show that we are part of the fabric of American society and the American community at large and now we bring an asset to the United States , ” Monessar added .
“ It ’ s important to me @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve seen the last four years and how they turned out .
Unfortunately , I did not think that my vote counted four years ago , and I did not think that it was possible that America would vote for Trump and I was obviously corrected , ” Barakat said .

Illustration: Rebecca Zisser/HuffPost; Photos: Getty
The year’s election could be the one where Muslim American voters really make the difference.
Two polls conducted over the summer by the U.S. Immigration Policy Center (USIPC) at the University of California, San Diego, found that Muslim voters in Arizona and Georgia, two swing states with sizable Muslim populations, were more motivated to vote in 2020 than ever before and that they could influence the outcome of the presidential election in their states, as well as local elections.
“Muslim voters, like other population subgroups, are increasingly consequential for American politics, especially as long as we have an Electoral College that can decide presidential outcomes by tens of thousands of votes,” said Tom K. Wong, an associate professor and director of the center.
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The surveys estimate there will be as many as 60,000 Muslims voting in each of the two states ― enough to make a difference especially in toss-up races down ballot.
“When we think about statewide election results decided by potentially tens of thousands of voters, it becomes harder to attribute a win or loss to any particular subgroup. But when we think about our county board of supervisors or our city council members, and ... that some of those races are decided by not tens of thousands of votes, not even thousands of votes, but sometimes hundreds of votes, then that is another sort of venue in which we can potentially see the Muslim electorate [shaping] outcomes in November 2020,” said Wong.
Despite their small numbers overall ― Muslims make up just 1% of the U.S. population ― there are significant concentrations of Muslim Americans in key presidential swing states such as Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina and Pennsylvania.
In Michigan ― where more than 270,000 Muslims constitute nearly 2.75% of the population ― Bernie Sanders won the 2016 Democratic primary over Hillary Clinton in part because of Muslim voters.
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More than 86% of Muslim voters in Arizona said it was “absolutely essential” to have a president who understood the issues facing Muslims in the U.S., according to a USIPC poll. U.S. Immigration Policy Center
Uzma Jafri, a 43-year-old Muslim American physician based in Phoenix, has already voted by mail. She suspects that some Muslims in her community didn’t vote in 2016 in part because they falsely assumed their votes were insignificant and because there were few initiatives to correct those views. Mosques, for example, were hesitant to host civic engagement programs or politicians out of fear of endangering their nonprofit status as houses of worship.
“Unfortunately, I think people in the Muslim community [in Arizona] do have that delusion that because we are a red state, their vote doesn’t matter,” said Jafri. “The interest was really low so I think the political literacy in the Muslim community, especially in a swing state, needs to go up.”
But since 2016, she said she’s seen a dramatic increase in civic engagement in her Muslim community and she hopes more Muslim Americans will follow suit.
Leaning Left
Muslim Americans strongly prefer a Democrat for president: 51% opted for a Democrat while just 16% favored a Republican in a survey run during the presidential primary season last spring by the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding. At the time, that Democratic support was split between Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden. Muslim support for President Donald Trump’s reelection sat at just 14% ― a clear minority albeit 10 percentage points higher than Muslim support for his election in 2016.
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Nationwide, more than 66% of Muslims identify as Democrats compared to only 13% who identify as Republicans, according to a 2018 Pew Research poll.
Since the rise of Trump, followed by the election of the most diverse Congress ever in 2018 ― including the nation’s first two Muslim congresswomen ― Democratic politicians have looked to embrace marginalized communities. Indeed, several presidential candidates in this election cycle made it a point to visit mosques on the campaign trail, hire Muslim staffers and speak at Muslim American conferences.
“A lot of times you see that our community isn’t represented [but] it’s changing,” said Ahmed Soussi, the interim executive director for the Arizona chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, one of many organizations aiming to increase civic engagement among Arizona Muslims.
In Georgia, Muslim voters chose hate crimes legislation as a top priority in a USIPC poll. U.S. Immigration Policy Center
In Arizona, more than 86% of Muslim voters said it was “absolutely essential” to have a president who understood the issues facing Muslims in the U.S., according to data from the USIPC. Many of these voters pointed to immigration, police brutality and health care reform as their top priorities.
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In Georgia, Muslim voters wanted the same from the next president and focused in particular on racial justice issues.
The Muslim communities in both states are made up of immigrant Muslims, Black Muslims, and recent refugee populations from the Middle East and Asia.
“Candidates on both the left and the right are taking into account what Muslims want,” said Umer Rupani, executive director at the Georiga Muslim Voter Project. “So I do think that the Muslim community is a large enough and engaged enough voting bloc to swing elections.”
Small Margins Make Big Impacts
Across the country, the Muslim vote has been increasing. In the swing states of Florida, Michigan, Ohio and Virginia, the percentage of Muslim registered voters who turned out to vote jumped about 20 to 30 percentage points from the 2014 to the 2018 midterm elections.
Florida now has approximately 150,000 registered Muslim voters, said Nadia Ahmad, the co-founder of Muslim Delegates and Allies Coalition and a co-director of Muslims for Biden’s 50-state voter mobilization effort.
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“Politicians are looking to see who is voting. Regardless of who wins the state, what’s going to matter is who went out and voted. So if we can draw out our community in droves to go to the polls, it’s going to show that our community has electoral power,” said Ahmad. Voter turnout will also impact policies “whether that’s up to the federal level or state level or the local level,” she said.
Ahmad, who called this year’s level of civic engagement by Muslims unprecedented, pointed to the 2000 election, which was ultimately decided by 537 Florida votes, as evidence that Muslim voters can have impact. That same year, George Bush received approximately 14,000 more Muslim votes in the Sunshine State than his opponent Al Gore.
Virginia Baker and her husband Essam Khattab, both 34 and both Biden supporters in Florida, said it was important for them to vote due to their state’s potential influence in deciding presidential elections. Baker has been voting since she turned 18 and Khattab, a new citizen from Egypt, said politics is all they have been talking about for months.
“I think for both of us, we realize democracy can be very fragile. ... And I think the bare minimum that you can do is cast your vote,” said Baker, adding: “For me, it was just really important to at least have my say and who I wanted and how I want the next four years to look.”
Organizers in the state are pleased with the newfound motivation among Muslim voters.
“It amazes me that you know the community feels like they have a voice now. It’s a beautiful thing to see,” said Vetnah Monessar, a Florida-based community organizer and the founder of MASA, an organization that seeks to advance equity for Muslims in the state.
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“There’s a lot of reasons why the community should get out to vote, especially when we’re a targeted community ― from the Muslim ban to hate crimes to our communities being disregarded. I think this is a moment to show that we are part of the fabric of American society and the American community at large and now we bring an asset to the United States,” Monessar added.
Young Muslims protest presidential candidate Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Wichita, Kansas, on March 5, 2016. Dave Kaup/Reuters
Meanwhile in Pennsylvania, where Biden was born and Trump won in 2016, residents know how valuable their ballots are and are working to convince family and friends to vote. For 41-year-old Salima Suswell, a political strategist and organizer currently working with the Biden campaign, that means engaging as many of the 128,000 Muslim residents there as she can.
Pennsylvania’s Muslims largely reside in Philadelphia ― a hub for Black Muslims in particular ― but also in Pittsburgh, Erie County, Johnstown and Harrisburg.
Suswell said it was important for Muslim Americans to participate in every election. “We should be looking at beyond trusting any one presidential administration, and we should look to hold all of our elected leaders accountable to serve our communities and specifically communities of Black and brown people who are most marginalized.”
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Preston Nouri, a 21-year-old student at the University of Pittsburgh, said that growing up in Erie County ― one of the few hundred counties that had voted for President Barack Obama and then flipped for Trump ― allowed him to appreciate firsthand how a small number of votes can lead to drastic changes.
All it took was 44,000 votes in Pennsylvania.
“Well, if 44,000 people can decide the election and all 44,000 people thought that their vote didn’t matter, which we can see with voter apathy being on the rise ... that mindset that your vote does not matter is what is going to be, well, the destruction of our democracy,” said Nouri.
A Religious And Civic Duty
In Charlotte, North Carolina, 26-year-old Wajeha Barakat is struggling with immense guilt. She didn’t vote in the 2016 election, largely because she never imagined Trump would win. She said she was naive then and now plans to rectify that wrong.
“It’s important to me [to vote now] because I’ve seen the last four years and how they turned out. Unfortunately, I did not think that my vote counted four years ago, and I did not think that it was possible that America would vote for Trump and I was obviously corrected,” Barakat said.
Nida Allam, who became the first Muslim American woman elected to office in North Carolina when she was elected to the Durham County Board of Commissioners this year, has been meeting with Muslims across the state to remind them of their voting power in their swing state.
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Currently, polls show Biden holds a slight lead over Trump in North Carolina. Other races in the state are even tighter. Half of the state’s 30,000 Muslims reside in Charlotte.
“Those state races come down to a few hundred votes. That’s where a few Muslim families sitting out the election can leave Republicans in power in our state legislature in North Carolina,” said Allam, who is currently working to advance two state judicial campaigns.
For people like Barakat, it comes down to their civic duty as a Muslim and an American citizen.
“Just seeing all the indirect backlash [that has come with not voting] and what’s happening with Muslims, what’s happening with Black Lives Matter, what’s happening with the blatant racism that’s come out of Trump and how people are less shy about their racism,” Barakat said.
“It’s just gotten to a point where if I don’t do every single thing in my power to stop this continuing on for the next four years, then I have failed as a citizen and I have failed my civic duty Islamically.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-29--Philadelphia Police Vow To Release 911 Tapes, Body Camera Video Of Black Man's Killing

“ We don ’ t have a behavioral health unit , which is sorely needed , ” said Outlaw , when asked about reports that police had been called to the home twice before that day .
“ There ’ s clearly a disconnect on our end in terms of knowing what ’ s out there “ at the scene .
Police say they fatally shot Wallace on Monday after he ignored orders to drop a knife , a death that intensified already heightened tensions in the presidential battleground state .
Wallace ’ s mother said she warned police Monday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ throes of a mental health crisis .
In the days since , more than 90 people have been arrested and about 50 police officers injured in clashes with protesters and vandals , including the 1,000 or so who suddenly swarmed a shopping center Tuesday night , breaking windows and stealing merchandise .
That scene erupted on the other side of the city , miles from Wallace ’ neighborhood , where protests were underway .
The unrest started Monday evening , shortly after Wallace , 27 , was killed , and set off protests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Brooklyn borough of New York City and Portland , where demonstrators held their hands in the shape of a “ W ” in his honor .
Wallace ’ s wife , Dominique , is pregnant and was scheduled to be induced Wednesday , according to the family ’ s attorney , Shaka Johnson .
Johnson said Wallace had nine children , two of whom briefly spoke at a news conference late Tuesday , along with Wallace ’ s mother and father .
“ When you come to a scene where somebody @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the only tool you have to deal with it is a gun ... where are the proper tools for the job ?
” Johnson said , arguing that Philadelphia police officers are not properly trained to handle mental health crises .
Police officials said they could not confirm what information had been given to the responding officers , whether they were told about a possible mental illness or how many calls they had received for help at Wallace ’ s address Monday .
Outlaw said earlier the officers involved in the shooting were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
She said the officers ’ names and other identifying information , including their race , would be withheld until the department could be sure releasing the information would not pose a threat to their safety .
In video filmed by a bystander and posted on social media , officers could be seen yelling for Wallace to drop a knife .
In the video , Wallace ’ s mother and at least one man followed Wallace , trying to get him to listen to officers , as he briskly walked across the street @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the officers , who then fired several times , said police spokesperson Officer Tanya Little .
Wallace ’ s mother could be seen screaming and throwing something at an officer after her son was shot and fell to the ground .

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PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia police pledged to release 911 tapes and police body camera footage “in the near future” in the shooting death of a Black man with a history of mental health problems, a death that prompted protests, widespread vandalism and an overnight curfew days before Election Day.
Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw pledged to release the video evidence once the department shares it with the family of Walter Wallace Jr.
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Outlaw, who came to Philadelphia less than a year ago from Portland, Oregon, lamented at a news conference Wednesday that her department lacks a mental health unit or consistent way to coordinate police calls with specialists.
“We don’t have a behavioral health unit, which is sorely needed,” said Outlaw, when asked about reports that police had been called to the home twice before that day. “There’s clearly a disconnect on our end in terms of knowing what’s out there “ at the scene.
Police say they fatally shot Wallace on Monday after he ignored orders to drop a knife, a death that intensified already heightened tensions in the presidential battleground state. Wallace’s mother said she warned police Monday afternoon that her son was in the throes of a mental health crisis.
In the days since, more than 90 people have been arrested and about 50 police officers injured in clashes with protesters and vandals, including the 1,000 or so who suddenly swarmed a shopping center Tuesday night, breaking windows and stealing merchandise. That scene erupted on the other side of the city, miles from Wallace’ neighborhood, where protests were underway.
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“We had zero information to warn us of this,” Deputy Commissioner Melvin Singleton said. “By that time ... the damage was done.”
Protesters confront police during a march Tuesday Oct. 27, 2020 in Philadelphia. Hundreds of demonstrators marched in West Philadelphia over the death of Walter Wallace, a Black man who was killed by police in Philadelphia on Monday. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
The clashes come as Pennsylvania emerges as a key focus of the contentious 2020 election, with President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden, a native son, locked in a battle for the state’s 20 electoral votes. Both candidates have made frequent campaign stops in the state.
More than 9 million Pennsylvanians have registered to vote, and many in Philadelphia waited in line for hours this week to request a mail-in ballot by Tuesday’s deadline, as news of the police shooting spread.
City officials announced Wednesday they would enact a curfew in the city from 9 p.m. until 6 a.m., as business owners cleaned up damage from the melee and boarded up windows.
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Mayor Jim Kenney told reporters the Pennsylvania National Guard would also be deployed to help protect property and assist the police. The first troops were expected Friday and Saturday.
The unrest started Monday evening, shortly after Wallace, 27, was killed, and set off protests elsewhere, including in Washington, D.C., the Brooklyn borough of New York City and Portland, where demonstrators held their hands in the shape of a “W” in his honor.
His family’s lawyer said the family had called for an ambulance to get him help with a mental health crisis.
Wallace’s wife, Dominique, is pregnant and was scheduled to be induced Wednesday, according to the family’s attorney, Shaka Johnson. Johnson said Wallace had nine children, two of whom briefly spoke at a news conference late Tuesday, along with Wallace’s mother and father.
“When you come to a scene where somebody is in a mental crisis, and the only tool you have to deal with it is a gun ... where are the proper tools for the job?” Johnson said, arguing that Philadelphia police officers are not properly trained to handle mental health crises.
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Police officials said they could not confirm what information had been given to the responding officers, whether they were told about a possible mental illness or how many calls they had received for help at Wallace’s address Monday.
Outlaw said earlier the officers involved in the shooting were taken off street duty as they investigate. She said the officers’ names and other identifying information, including their race, would be withheld until the department could be sure releasing the information would not pose a threat to their safety.
Neither had a Taser or similar device at the time of the shooting, Outlaw said, noting the department had previously asked for funding to equip more officers with those devices.
The two officers each fired at least seven rounds — at least 14 total shots — but police could not say how many times Wallace was struck.
Wallace’s father, Walter Wallace Sr. said Tuesday night that he is haunted by the way his son was “butchered.”
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“It’s in my mind. I can’t even sleep at night. I can’t even close my eyes,” he said.
Protesters confront police during a march, Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2020, in Philadelphia. Hundreds of demonstrators marched in West Philadelphia over the death of Walter Wallace, a Black man who was killed by police in Philadelphia on Monday. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum) (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
In video filmed by a bystander and posted on social media, officers could be seen yelling for Wallace to drop a knife. In the video, Wallace’s mother and at least one man followed Wallace, trying to get him to listen to officers, as he briskly walked across the street and between cars.
Wallace advanced toward the officers, who then fired several times, said police spokesperson Officer Tanya Little. Wallace’s mother could be seen screaming and throwing something at an officer after her son was shot and fell to the ground.
The video does not make it clear whether he was in fact holding a knife, but witnesses said he was.
Wallace was hit in the shoulder and chest, Little said. One officer drove him to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead a short time later, she said.
Lawyer Robert Trimble represented Wallace in a 2016 robbery case that led him to spend about a year in jail. His sentence, according to court records, included mental health supervision and six years of probation.
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“I ran into him about a year ago by City Hall. He stopped me on the street and thanked me for helping him,” Trimble said. “I remember him being a decent guy.”
In March, Wallace was arrested and charged with making terroristic threats, according to court records. A status hearing was scheduled for Dec. 2.
Both Outlaw and the mayor pledged to address the lack of coordinated mental health services.
“We have limited resources and we have a large number of people with problems,” Kenney said. “We need to do a better job.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-29--Joe Scarborough Spots ‘Perry Mason’ Moment Of The Trump-Kushner COVID-19 Debacle

MSNBC ’ s Joe Scarborough on Thursday laced into Jared Kushner for boasting about how President Donald Trump seized control @ @ @ @ @ response to the coronavirus pandemic from doctors and scientists .
It was “ the Perry @ @ @ @ @ co-host of “ Morning Joe ” said of the admission of the president ’ s @ @ @ @ @ hailed Trump ’ s anti-science approach to the COVID-19 crisis in an April interview with @ @ @ @ @ book , “ Rage , ” as daily infection rates soared nationwide .
Woodward released @ @ @ @ @ Wednesday .
“ We actually have the person on the witness stand who is actually @ @ @ @ @ and for Donald Trump , ” Scarborough said as he railed at Kushner ’ s @ @ @ @ @ , deliberately ‘ freed ’ America from the doctors and the scientists , ” he @ @ @ @ @ by the end of this , 400,000 people will be dead ― almost as many @ @ @ @ @ War II .
”

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It was “the Perry Mason” moment, the co-host of “Morning Joe” said of the admission of the president’s son-in-law and adviser.
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Kushner hailed Trump’s anti-science approach to the COVID-19 crisis in an April interview with journalist Bob Woodward for his book, “Rage,” as daily infection rates soared nationwide.
Woodward released audio of the exchange on Wednesday.
“We actually have the person on the witness stand who is actually testifying against interests for himself and for Donald Trump,” Scarborough said as he railed at Kushner’s comments.
“They deliberately, deliberately ‘freed’ America from the doctors and the scientists,” he continued. “So, by the end of this, 400,000 people will be dead ― almost as many Americans who died in World War II.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-29--U.S. Jobless Claims Fall As Virus Resurges, Threatens To Weaken Economy

WASHINGTON ( AP ) — The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits fell last week to 751,000 , the lowest since March , but it ’ s still historically high and indicates the viral pandemic is still forcing many employers to cut jobs .
Rising confirmed virus cases in nearly every state , along with a cutoff in federal aid , are threatening to weaken the economy in the coming months .
As temperatures fall , restaurants and bars will likely serve fewer customers outdoors .
And many consumers may increasingly stay home to avoid infection .
Those trends could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the winter .
The seven-day rolling average for confirmed new cases in the U.S. soared over the past two weeks from 51,161 to 71,832 , according to Johns Hopkins University data .
The government said Thursday that growth rebounded sharply in the July-September quarter after an epic collapse in the spring , when the economy shrank at a 31.4 % annual rate .
Yet growth is believed to be slowing sharply in the final three months of the year to a roughly 3 % annual rate .
With Congress having failed to agree @ @ @ @ @ @ @ millions of unemployed Americans who will lose all their jobless benefits in the coming weeks and months will likely pull back further on spending .
Without another round of loans from the government , many small companies will also go out of business .
Thursday ’ s report from the Labor Department said the number of people who are continuing to receive unemployment benefits fell more than 700,000 to 7.76 million .
The decline shows that some of the unemployed are being recalled to their old jobs or are finding new ones .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Americans have used up their state unemployment aid — which typically expires after six months — and have transitioned to a federal extended benefits program that lasts an additional 13 weeks .
The still-elevated number of jobless claims underscores that a full recovery from the pandemic recession remains far off .
Job growth has slowed for three straight months , leaving the economy still 10.7 million jobs short of its pre-pandemic level .
The unemployment rate remains high at 7.9 % .
Layoffs have continued at some large companies .
Boeing said Wednesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the end of next year , almost one-fifth of its entire workforce , up from an earlier announcement that it would shed 19,000 .

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WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits fell last week to 751,000, the lowest since March, but it’s still historically high and indicates the viral pandemic is still forcing many employers to cut jobs.
Rising confirmed virus cases in nearly every state, along with a cutoff in federal aid, are threatening to weaken the economy in the coming months. As temperatures fall, restaurants and bars will likely serve fewer customers outdoors. And many consumers may increasingly stay home to avoid infection. Those trends could force employers to slash more jobs during the winter.
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The seven-day rolling average for confirmed new cases in the U.S. soared over the past two weeks from 51,161 to 71,832, according to Johns Hopkins University data.
The government said Thursday that growth rebounded sharply in the July-September quarter after an epic collapse in the spring, when the economy shrank at a 31.4% annual rate. Yet growth is believed to be slowing sharply in the final three months of the year to a roughly 3% annual rate.
With Congress having failed to agree on any further stimulus this year, millions of unemployed Americans who will lose all their jobless benefits in the coming weeks and months will likely pull back further on spending. Without another round of loans from the government, many small companies will also go out of business.
Thursday’s report from the Labor Department said the number of people who are continuing to receive unemployment benefits fell more than 700,000 to 7.76 million. The decline shows that some of the unemployed are being recalled to their old jobs or are finding new ones. But it also indicates that many jobless Americans have used up their state unemployment aid — which typically expires after six months — and have transitioned to a federal extended benefits program that lasts an additional 13 weeks.
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The still-elevated number of jobless claims underscores that a full recovery from the pandemic recession remains far off. Job growth has slowed for three straight months, leaving the economy still 10.7 million jobs short of its pre-pandemic level. The unemployment rate remains high at 7.9%.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-29--U.S. Economy Rebounds, But Recovery Remains Far From Complete

WASHINGTON ( AP ) — The U.S. economy grew at a sizzling 33.1 % annual rate in the July-September quarter — by far the largest quarterly gain on record — rebounding from an epic plunge in the spring , when the eruption of the coronavirus closed businesses and threw tens of millions out of work .
Yet the recovery from the deepest recession since the Great Depression of the 1930s remains far from complete .
The Commerce Department ’ s estimate Thursday of third-quarter growth regained only about two-thirds of the output that was lost early this year when the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restaurants , bars and many retailers to shut down .
The economy is now weakening again and facing renewed threats .
Confirmed viral cases are surging .
Hiring has sagged .
Government stimulus has run out .
With no further federal aid in sight this year , Goldman Sachs has slashed its growth forecast for the current fourth quarter to a 3 % annual rate from 6 % .
“ We have a pretty noxious brew developing with the pandemic intensifying , the lack of any further government stimulus and signs showing that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” said Mark Zandi , chief economist at Moody ’ s Analytics .
Thursday ’ s estimate of GDP growth is the last major economic report before Election Day , after a campaign that President Donald Trump has sought to build around his economic record before the pandemic hit .
Trump has drawn generally solid public support for his handling of the economy .
Though the unemployment rate , at 7.9 % , is down significantly from 14.7 % at the start of the pandemic recession , it is still historically high @ @ @ @ @ @ @ straight months .
The economy is still roughly 10.7 million jobs short of recovering all the 22 million jobs that were lost to the pandemic .

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WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. economy grew at a sizzling 33.1% annual rate in the July-September quarter — by far the largest quarterly gain on record — rebounding from an epic plunge in the spring, when the eruption of the coronavirus closed businesses and threw tens of millions out of work.
Yet the recovery from the deepest recession since the Great Depression of the 1930s remains far from complete. The Commerce Department’s estimate Thursday of third-quarter growth regained only about two-thirds of the output that was lost early this year when the economy essentially froze as safety orders forced restaurants, bars and many retailers to shut down.
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The economy is now weakening again and facing renewed threats. Confirmed viral cases are surging. Hiring has sagged. Government stimulus has run out. With no further federal aid in sight this year, Goldman Sachs has slashed its growth forecast for the current fourth quarter to a 3% annual rate from 6%.
“We have a pretty noxious brew developing with the pandemic intensifying, the lack of any further government stimulus and signs showing that the economy is already slowing pretty significantly,” said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics.
Thursday’s estimate of GDP growth is the last major economic report before Election Day, after a campaign that President Donald Trump has sought to build around his economic record before the pandemic hit. Trump has drawn generally solid public support for his handling of the economy.
Though the unemployment rate, at 7.9%, is down significantly from 14.7% at the start of the pandemic recession, it is still historically high. And hiring has slowed for three straight months. The economy is still roughly 10.7 million jobs short of recovering all the 22 million jobs that were lost to the pandemic.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-29--FBI Warns Of 'Imminent Cybercrime Threat' To U.S. Hospitals

In a joint alert Wednesday , the FBI and two federal agencies warned that they had “ credible information of an increased and imminent cybercrime threat to U.S. hospitals and healthcare providers.
” The alert said malicious groups are targeting the sector with attacks that produce “ data theft and disruption of healthcare services.
” The cyberattacks involve ransomware , which scrambles data into gibberish that can only be unlocked with software keys provided once targets pay up .
Independent security experts say it has already hobbled at least five U.S. hospitals this week , and could potentially impact hundreds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ criminal gang coincides with the U.S. presidential election , although there is no immediate indication they were motivated by anything but profit .
“ We are experiencing the most significant cyber security threat we ’ ve ever seen in the United States , ” Charles Carmakal , chief technical officer of the cybersecurity firm Mandiant , said in a statement .
Alex Holden , CEO of Hold Security , which has been closely tracking the ransomware in question for more than a year , agreed that the unfolding offensive is unprecedented in magnitude @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the heat of a contentions presidential election and the worst global pandemic in a century .
The cybercriminals launching the attacks use a strain of ransomware known as Ryuk , which is seeded through a network of zombie computers called Trickbot that Microsoft began trying to counter earlier in October .
U.S. Cyber Command has also reportedly taken action against Trickbot .
While Microsoft has had considerable success knocking its command-and-control servers offline through legal action , analysts say criminals have still been finding ways to spread Ryuk .
He said the group @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million per target and that criminals involved on the dark web were discussing plans to try to infect more than 400 hospitals , clinics and other medical facilities .
“ One of the comments from the bad guys is that they are expecting to cause panic and , no , they are not hitting election systems , ” Holden said .
“ They are hitting where it hurts even more and they know it.
” U.S. officials have repeatedly expressed concern about major ransomware attacks affecting the presidential election , even if the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ While no one has proven suspected ties between the Russian government and gangs that use the Trickbot platform , Holden said he has “ no doubt that the Russian government is aware of this operation — of terrorism , really.
” He said dozens of different criminal groups use Ryuk , paying its architects a cut .
Neither Holden nor Carmakal would identify the affected hospitals .
Four healthcare institutions have been reported hit by ransomware so far this week , three belonging to the St. Lawrence County Health System in upstate New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Klamath Falls , Oregon .
Increasingly , ransomware criminals are stealing data from their targets before encrypting networks , using it for extortion .
They often sow the malware weeks before activating it , waiting for moments when they believe they can extract the highest payments , said Brett Callow , an analyst at the cybersecurity firm Emsisoft .
Carmakal said Mandiant had provided Microsoft on Wednesday with as much detail as it could about the thr eat so it could distribute details to its customers .
A Microsoft spokesman had no @ @ @

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BOSTON (AP) — Federal agencies warned that cybercriminals are unleashing a wave of data-scrambling extortion attempts against the U.S. healthcare system designed to lock up hospital information systems, which could hurt patient care just as nationwide cases of COVID-19 are spiking.
In a joint alert Wednesday, the FBI and two federal agencies warned that they had “credible information of an increased and imminent cybercrime threat to U.S. hospitals and healthcare providers.” The alert said malicious groups are targeting the sector with attacks that produce “data theft and disruption of healthcare services.”
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The cyberattacks involve ransomware, which scrambles data into gibberish that can only be unlocked with software keys provided once targets pay up. Independent security experts say it has already hobbled at least five U.S. hospitals this week, and could potentially impact hundreds more.
The offensive by a Russian-speaking criminal gang coincides with the U.S. presidential election, although there is no immediate indication they were motivated by anything but profit. “We are experiencing the most significant cyber security threat we’ve ever seen in the United States,” Charles Carmakal, chief technical officer of the cybersecurity firm Mandiant, said in a statement.
Alex Holden, CEO of Hold Security, which has been closely tracking the ransomware in question for more than a year, agreed that the unfolding offensive is unprecedented in magnitude for the U.S. given its timing in the heat of a contentions presidential election and the worst global pandemic in a century.
The federal alert was co-authored by the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Health and Human Services.
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The cybercriminals launching the attacks use a strain of ransomware known as Ryuk, which is seeded through a network of zombie computers called Trickbot that Microsoft began trying to counter earlier in October. U.S. Cyber Command has also reportedly taken action against Trickbot. While Microsoft has had considerable success knocking its command-and-control servers offline through legal action, analysts say criminals have still been finding ways to spread Ryuk.
The U.S. has seen a plague of ransomware over the past 18 months or so, with major cities from Baltimore to Atlanta hit and local governments and schools hit especially hard.
In September, a ransomware attack hobbled all 250 U.S. facilities of the hospital chain Universal Health Services, forcing doctors and nurses to rely on paper and pencil for record-keeping and slowing lab work. Employees described chaotic conditions impeding patient care, including mounting emergency room waits and the failure of wireless vital-signs monitoring equipment.
Also in September, the first known fatality related to ransomware occurred in Duesseldorf, Germany, when an IT system failure forced a critically ill patient to be routed to a hospital in another city.
Holden said he alerted federal law enforcement Friday after monitoring infection attempts at a number of hospitals, some of which may have beaten back infections. The FBI did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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He said the group was demanding ransoms well above $10 million per target and that criminals involved on the dark web were discussing plans to try to infect more than 400 hospitals, clinics and other medical facilities.
“One of the comments from the bad guys is that they are expecting to cause panic and, no, they are not hitting election systems,” Holden said. “They are hitting where it hurts even more and they know it.” U.S. officials have repeatedly expressed concern about major ransomware attacks affecting the presidential election, even if the criminals are motivated chiefly by profit.
Mandiant’s Carmakal identified the criminal gang as UNC1878, saying “it is deliberately targeting and disrupting U.S. hospitals, forcing them to divert patients to other healthcare providers” and producing prolonged delays in critical care.
He called the eastern European group “one of most brazen, heartless, and disruptive threat actors I’ve observed over my career.”
While no one has proven suspected ties between the Russian government and gangs that use the Trickbot platform, Holden said he has “no doubt that the Russian government is aware of this operation — of terrorism, really.” He said dozens of different criminal groups use Ryuk, paying its architects a cut.
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Dmitri Alperovitch, co-founder and former chief technical officer of the cybersecurity firm Crowdstrike, said there are “certainly lot of connections between Russian cyber criminals and the state,” with Kremlin-employed hackers sometimes moonlighting as cyber criminals.
Neither Holden nor Carmakal would identify the affected hospitals. Four healthcare institutions have been reported hit by ransomware so far this week, three belonging to the St. Lawrence County Health System in upstate New York and the Sky Lakes Medical Center in Klamath Falls, Oregon.
Sky Lakes acknowledged the ransomware attack in an online statement, saying it had no evidence that patient information was compromised. It said emergency and urgent care “remain available” The St. Lawrence system did not immediately return phone calls seeking comment.
Increasingly, ransomware criminals are stealing data from their targets before encrypting networks, using it for extortion. They often sow the malware weeks before activating it, waiting for moments when they believe they can extract the highest payments, said Brett Callow, an analyst at the cybersecurity firm Emsisoft.
A total of 59 U.S. healthcare providers/systems have been impacted by ransomware in 2020, disrupting patient care at up to 510 facilities, Callow said.
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Carmakal said Mandiant had provided Microsoft on Wednesday with as much detail as it could about the thr eat so it could distribute details to its customers. A Microsoft spokesman had no immediate comment.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-29--Masked Voters Tell Trump-Supporting Family And Friends How They Really Feel On ‘Kimmel'

For the Nov 3 election : States are making it easier for citizens to vote absentee by mail this year @ @ @ @ @ Each state has its own rules for mail-in absentee voting .
Visit your state election @ @ @ @ @ if you can vote by mail .

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Jimmy Kimmel’s crew asked people on the street to tell their President Donald Trump-supporting relatives and friends exactly what they thought of their political views.
And, from behind the anonymity of a mask, they didn’t hold back.
One woman had a scathing message for her sister who she said goes on and on “about this orange stain being the best thing to happen to this country.”
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Another simply asked how “David” could “vote for a pig like that?”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-29--Mark Hamill Shows Why Trump’s The 'Worst President Ever’ In New Biden Video

When screen icon Mark Hamill tried to fact-check a series of clips featuring President Donald Trump , he realized he @ @ @ @ @ make it through the experience .
“ I don ’ t know about you , @ @ @ @ @ this administration I ’ m exhausted , ” the Star Wars star declared in a @ @ @ @ @ of Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden .
In the video , Hamill reacted to the @ @ @ @ @ commit to a peaceful transition , his lies about healthcare and more .
“ This @ @ @ @ @ the president of the PTA , ” he said .
“ He is easily the @ @ @ @ @ concluded with a plea to vote Trump out .
“ Oh please , please , @ @ @ @ @ That ’ s all I want for Christmas .
”

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When screen icon Mark Hamill tried to fact-check a series of clips featuring President Donald Trump, he realized he might need The Force to make it through the experience.
“I don’t know about you, but after four years of this administration I’m exhausted,” the Star Wars star declared in a new video for the campaign of Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden.
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In the video, Hamill reacted to the president’s failure to commit to a peaceful transition, his lies about healthcare and more.
“This guy couldn’t be the president of the PTA,” he said. “He is easily the worst president ever.”
Hamill concluded with a plea to vote Trump out.
“Oh please, please,” he said. “That’s all I want for Christmas.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-29--Bruce Springsteen Delivers Extraordinary Call For Voters To Dump Trump

Rock icon Bruce Springsteen gave his fans a Halloween message on Wednesday , calling for an exorcism to cast out @ @ @ @ @ week ’ s election .
“ In just a few days , we ’ ll @ @ @ @ @ , ” Springsteen said on his SiriusXM radio show .
“ I thought it was @ @ @ @ @ it was so true.
” Then , he delivered a stirring reading of a poem @ @ @ @ @ ” by Elayne Griffin Baker : Springsteen ’ s song “ The Rising ” was @ @ @ @ @ Convention in August , and earlier this month his song “ Streets of Philadelphia ” @ @ @ @ @ to Pennsylvania voters in a video from author Don Winslow .
His newest album , @ @ @ @ @ ” dropped this week along with a matching documentary on AppleTV+ .

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Rock icon Bruce Springsteen gave his fans a Halloween message on Wednesday, calling for an exorcism to cast out President Donald Trump during next week’s election.
“In just a few days, we’ll be throwing the bums out,” Springsteen said on his SiriusXM radio show. “I thought it was a fucking nightmare, but it was so true.”
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Then, he delivered a stirring reading of a poem called “The Gray House” by Elayne Griffin Baker:
Springsteen’s song “The Rising” was featured at the Democratic National Convention in August, and earlier this month his song “Streets of Philadelphia” was used in an appeal to Pennsylvania voters in a video from author Don Winslow.
His newest album, “Letter To You,” dropped this week along with a matching documentary on AppleTV+.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-29--'Borat 2' Babysitter Says She Had No Idea She Was Being Set Up

Jeanise Jones , the woman who appears in the film “ Borat 2 ” as a babysitter , believed she was taking part in a real documentary ― and she was genuinely concerned for the child in her care .
In the film , Sacha Baron Cohen ’ s titular character hired Jones to watch his 15-year-old Kazakh daughter Tutar Sagdiyev , who was played by 24-year-old actor Maria Bakalova .
During their time together , Tutar told Jones that she planned to get breast implants so she could be given as a gift to an American man .
Jones @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her into one of the film ’ s breakout stars , explaining to Tutar that “ any man should like you as you are ” and “ your daddy is a liar.
” “ I ’ m thinking she ’ s really from a Third World [ country ] and that ’ s how they treat women and young girls , ” Jones told Variety in an interview .
“ I [ suggested they ] take her to a school and let her observe girls in a classroom who can read and write @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was real , so my thought was they were going to take her to see different things and make it so she could be able to stay in the United States .
Evidently , that ’ s not what happened.
” According to Jones ’ pastor Derrick Scobey , the production approached Atlanta ’ s Ebenezer Baptist Church to recruit a “ Black grandmother ” for a documentary .
Jones said she was aghast when Cohen ’ s character first dropped off Tutar .
“ You can ’ t print what first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like , ‘ What … in the world ... is this ?
’ It threw me off , ” she said .
Jones said she had no idea she was being set up by the filmmakers : “ I can ’ t say it was fair because they knew it was going to be a movie , and I didn ’ t , ” she said .
“ I just thought I was doing a documentary about how we do things in America .
But I blame myself for not reading when I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s release last week on Amazon Prime Video , Jones ’ pastor has set up a GoFundMe page to raise money for the mom of three and grandmother of six , who he said has been unemployed due to the coronavirus pandemic .
“ We have been praying for the young lady in the movie because we all genuinely thought she was in trouble .
The joke is on us/Jeanise and that ’ s no problem , ” Scobey wrote .
“ Many of you have reached from around the world to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it would be great to give people a vehicle to say thank you in a tangible way .
”

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Jeanise Jones, the woman who appears in the film “Borat 2” as a babysitter, believed she was taking part in a real documentary ― and she was genuinely concerned for the child in her care,
In the film, Sacha Baron Cohen’s titular character hired Jones to watch his 15-year-old Kazakh daughter Tutar Sagdiyev, who was played by 24-year-old actor Maria Bakalova. During their time together, Tutar told Jones that she planned to get breast implants so she could be given as a gift to an American man.
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Jones responded with an empowering speech that turned her into one of the film’s breakout stars, explaining to Tutar that “any man should like you as you are” and “your daddy is a liar.”
“I’m thinking she’s really from a Third World [country] and that’s how they treat women and young girls,” Jones told Variety in an interview. “I [suggested they] take her to a school and let her observe girls in a classroom who can read and write just like boys. I was thinking it was real, so my thought was they were going to take her to see different things and make it so she could be able to stay in the United States. Evidently, that’s not what happened.”
Jeanise Jones, right, was hired to watch an alleged 15-year-old girl, who was played by 24-year-old actor Maria Bakalova. Borat
According to Jones’ pastor Derrick Scobey, the production approached Atlanta’s Ebenezer Baptist Church to recruit a “Black grandmother” for a documentary. Jones said she was aghast when Cohen’s character first dropped off Tutar.
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“You can’t print what first went through my mind. I was like, ‘What … in the world ... is this?’ It threw me off,” she said.
Jones said she had no idea she was being set up by the filmmakers:
Jones was paid $3,600 in total for her role in the film, she told Variety.
“I can’t say it was fair because they knew it was going to be a movie, and I didn’t,” she said. “I just thought I was doing a documentary about how we do things in America. But I blame myself for not reading when I signed those papers.”
Since the film’s release last week on Amazon Prime Video, Jones’ pastor has set up a GoFundMe page to raise money for the mom of three and grandmother of six, who he said has been unemployed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“We have been praying for the young lady in the movie because we all genuinely thought she was in trouble. The joke is on us/Jeanise and that’s no problem,” Scobey wrote. “Many of you have reached from around the world to say thank you, so I thought it would be great to give people a vehicle to say thank you in a tangible way.”
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So far, the campaign has raised over $100,000.
Watch Jones’ inspirational speech below:


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-29--Hurricane Zeta Hammers Storm-Weary Gulf Coast, Leaves Hundreds Of Thousands Without Power

The storm raged onshore Wednesday afternoon in the small village of Cocodrie in Louisiana as a strong Category 2 and then moved swiftly across the New Orleans area and into neighboring Mississippi , bringing with it both fierce winds and storm surge .
There was heavy rain at times but since the storm was so fast-moving , rain-related flooding wasn ’ t as much of a concern .
Zeta weakened over central Alabama but its strong winds continued across portions of the state and the Florida Panhandle .
The storm was about 25 miles ( 40 kilometers ) south southeast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sustained winds of 70 mph ( 112 kmh ) .
Zeta is moving quickly toward the northeast near 31 mph ( 49 kmh ) .
“ We ’ re going to see a whole lot of damage in the morning , ” Smith said .
Among the many trees blown down was one that fell on Smith ’ s own house .
“ It was my next-door neighbor ’ s and he wanted to give it to me , apparently , ” Smith said .
In Louisiana , Gov .
John Bel Edwards @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regions hardest hit by the storm .
During a radio interview Wednesday evening , Edwards said the wind had caused extensive structural damage .
And as neighbors and church groups started reaching out to help those affected , he also highlighted the need to protect against the coronavirus at the same time .
Much of New Orleans and the surrounding area was without power Wednesday night .
The storm packed a punch as it whipped through the city .
Signs outside bars and restaurants swayed back and forth in the wind and palm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Officials said a person was hospitalized with minor injuries after a structure collapsed .
More than 200 trees were reported down in the city .
Echoing a plea made by officials across the Gulf Coast in the dark hours after the storm passed , New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell implored residents to stay home and let city officials assess the damage .
Zeta had top sustained winds of 110 mph ( 177 kph ) as a Category 2 hurricane at landfall and is the 27th named storm of a historically busy Atlantic hurricane @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to go .
It set a new record as the 11th named storm to make landfall in the continental U.S. in a single season , well beyond the nine storms that hit in 1916 .
New Orleans was in the warning areas of six previous storms that veered east or west this season .
This time , Zeta stayed on course .
Officials had been worried about the loss of a power from a turbine that helps power the city ’ s aging drainage infrastructure and whether that would leave the city vulnerable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ movement meant flooding wasn ’ t an issue .
It then regained strength over the Gulf of Mexico along a path slightly to the east of those of Hurricane Laura , which was blamed for at least 27 deaths in Louisiana in August , and Hurricane Delta , which exacerbated Laura ’ s damage in the same area weeks later .
And the fact that so many of the storms have been concentrated in such a small piece of Gulf Coast real estate has meant repeated damage for some places .
On Dauphin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said residents and workers had nearly finished cleaning up from Hurricane Sally when the wind started blowing and the water started rising yet again .

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NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A fast-moving Zeta weakened to a tropical storm as it barreled northeast Thursday morning after ripping through Louisiana and Mississippi where storm-weary residents were advised to stay indoors overnight while officials assessed the havoc the storm had wrought.
The storm raged onshore Wednesday afternoon in the small village of Cocodrie in Louisiana as a strong Category 2 and then moved swiftly across the New Orleans area and into neighboring Mississippi, bringing with it both fierce winds and storm surge. There was heavy rain at times but since the storm was so fast-moving, rain-related flooding wasn’t as much of a concern.
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Zeta weakened over central Alabama but its strong winds continued across portions of the state and the Florida Panhandle. The storm was about 25 miles (40 kilometers) south southeast of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, with maximum sustained winds of 70 mph (112 kmh). Zeta is moving quickly toward the northeast near 31 mph (49 kmh).
The storm killed at least one person, a 55-year-old man who a Louisiana coroner said was electrocuted by a downed power line in New Orleans, and officials said life-threatening conditions would last into Thursday.
Waveland Mayor Mike Smith told WLOX-TV that his Mississippi Gulf Coast city, which was part of the area most heavily damaged by 2005’s Hurricane Katrina has maybe taken the worst hit since then from Zeta.
“We’re going to see a whole lot of damage in the morning,” Smith said. Among the many trees blown down was one that fell on Smith’s own house. “It was my next-door neighbor’s and he wanted to give it to me, apparently,” Smith said.
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In Louisiana, Gov. John Bel Edwards was expected Thursday to tour the coastal regions hardest hit by the storm. During a radio interview Wednesday evening, Edwards said the wind had caused extensive structural damage. And as neighbors and church groups started reaching out to help those affected, he also highlighted the need to protect against the coronavirus at the same time.
“Offer the help but do it with a mask on,” he said.
Much of New Orleans and the surrounding area was without power Wednesday night. The storm packed a punch as it whipped through the city. Signs outside bars and restaurants swayed back and forth in the wind and palm trees along Canal Street whipped furiously. Officials said a person was hospitalized with minor injuries after a structure collapsed.
More than 200 trees were reported down in the city. Echoing a plea made by officials across the Gulf Coast in the dark hours after the storm passed, New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell implored residents to stay home and let city officials assess the damage.
“Although we have made it through, we have been damaged, we have been hit,” she said.
Along coastal Louisiana, there were reports of some trailers flipped over, a gas station destroyed, and downed power lines and trees.
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Zeta had top sustained winds of 110 mph (177 kph) as a Category 2 hurricane at landfall and is the 27th named storm of a historically busy Atlantic hurricane season — with over a month left to go. It set a new record as the 11th named storm to make landfall in the continental U.S. in a single season, well beyond the nine storms that hit in 1916.
Zeta weakened to a Category 1 hurricane with winds of 90 mph (144 kph) as it moved into southern Mississippi a few hours after landfall.
As much as 5 feet of Gulf water surrounded a casino in Biloxi, Mississippi, and deputies in Harrison County, Mississippi, received multiple calls from people who had remained in mobile homes that were threatened by winds.
In the small coastal town of Bay St. Louis in Mississippi, former mayor Les Fillingame said the storm was “very intense” when it blew through.
“It was a noisy storm. It was a truly howling wind,” he said, but said thankfully it was also fast-moving. “It was a lot of wind for several hours which is enough.”
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Tropical storm warnings were issued as far away as southern Virginia, highly unusual for the region. Forecasters issued a string of tornado warnings for as far east as the Florida Panhandle.
New Orleans was in the warning areas of six previous storms that veered east or west this season. This time, Zeta stayed on course. Officials had been worried about the loss of a power from a turbine that helps power the city’s aging drainage infrastructure and whether that would leave the city vulnerable to flooding but Zeta’s swift movement meant flooding wasn’t an issue.
On Tuesday, Zeta raked across Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, toppling trees and briefly cutting power to more than 300,000 people but causing no deaths.
It then regained strength over the Gulf of Mexico along a path slightly to the east of those of Hurricane Laura, which was blamed for at least 27 deaths in Louisiana in August, and Hurricane Delta, which exacerbated Laura’s damage in the same area weeks later.
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The deteriorating weather prompted early voting sites to close for hours in the western Florida Panhandle. One voter in Mississippi worried about how long felled trees and debris might block roads.
“With the election I just kind of hope the city gets the roads clear by November 3rd so everybody can get out and vote,” said Mackenzie Umanzor, of D’Iberville, Mississippi.
Joel Martinez, who until just recently lived in the lower apartment, takes a photo of Washington Garden's Apartments after it collapsed from the winds brought by Hurricane Zeta in New Orleans on Wednesday. Kathleen Flynn / Reuters
An average season sees six hurricanes and 12 named storms. This extraordinarily busy season has focused attention on climate change, which scientists say is causing wetter, stronger and more destructive storms.
And the fact that so many of the storms have been concentrated in such a small piece of Gulf Coast real estate has meant repeated damage for some places. On Dauphin Island, Alabama, Mayor Jeff Collier said residents and workers had nearly finished cleaning up from Hurricane Sally when the wind started blowing and the water started rising yet again.
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“This is going to put his back to square one again,” Collier said.
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