thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-01--People Across The World Are Anxious About ‘Dangerous’ U.S. Election

A victory for President Donald Trump would be a blow to the principle that leaders should commit to peaceful transitions of power .
It would give a stamp of legitimacy to his methods aimed at entrenching his rule , like rushing to appoint a friendly Supreme Court justice pre-election before ballots may face judicial challenges , working to make it harder to vote and rejecting nearly all scrutiny by lawmakers or the public .
And a Trump reelection would vindicate authoritarian tactics like his dismissal of opposition to him as un-American and “ criminal , ” and his months-long effort @ @ @ @ @ @ @ too broken to produce a trustworthy result , which some intelligence officials call a greater threat to the upcoming vote than foreign interference .
“ Despite all the hypocrisy… all its faults and all its problems with racism , [ America ] is seen as a very vibrant democracy which is discussing its problems very openly , ” said Oliver Stuenkel , a professor at the Getúlio Vargas Foundation in São Paulo .
“ Even people who are very critical of U.S. foreign policy recognize that these things are very important for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ democracy.
” In India , where Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his allies have echoed Trump by whipping up fear of Muslims and bashing independent media outlets , Trump ’ s attacks on the rule of law suggest even more troubling developments could lie ahead in both countries , said Harsh Mander , a rights activist who runs the Centre for Equity Studies in New Delhi .
Fear of international criticism , particularly from the U.S. , is one of the few constraints on Modi ’ s power .
Trump would be unlikely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ideological brotherhood ” with the prime minister , Mander said .
“ America is the champion of the liberal order , of checks and balances , and at a time in which… autocracy is trying to gain momentum , the very fact that there are doubts in the U.S. election , such as a contested result and the use of the Supreme Court to find out who will be the president , is of great concern , ” said Paolo Magri , the executive vice president of the Italian Institute for International Political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the attempts in the U.S. to confront its racist past over the summer had already raised the prospect of a “ national renewal towards greater justice , ” she said .
“ My hope is that the American people will overcome… There has been so much divisiveness in society in the time of Trump and Duterte , but we shouldn ’ t lose hope for better days and must not treat each other as the enemy .
This is what authoritarian leaders or tyrants do : They pit the people against each other @ @

Every four years, millions of foreigners watch America choose its president, knowing a decision in which they have no say could reshape their lives. In 2020, observers abroad see a choice that isn’t about a conservative turn or a liberal shift, but whether the world’s most powerful country can maintain the democratic standards it’s long promoted.
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A victory for President Donald Trump would be a blow to the principle that leaders should commit to peaceful transitions of power. It would give a stamp of legitimacy to his methods aimed at entrenching his rule, like rushing to appoint a friendly Supreme Court justice pre-election before ballots may face judicial challenges, working to make it harder to vote and rejecting nearly all scrutiny by lawmakers or the public. And a Trump reelection would vindicate authoritarian tactics like his dismissal of opposition to him as un-American and “criminal,” and his months-long effort to depict the U.S. voting system as too broken to produce a trustworthy result, which some intelligence officials call a greater threat to the upcoming vote than foreign interference.
On Tuesday, Trump used the biggest moment of the campaign so far ― the first presidential debate ― to tell violent right-wing group the Proud Boys to “stand back and stand by,” as he declined to condemn them or white supremacists who have expressed support for him.
For Trump to triumph over Democratic nominee Joe Biden would be an alarming sign that U.S. democratic institutions are badly damaged and likely to crumble further. And that would reverberate internationally. With the world’s most influential country clearly in democratic decline, authoritarianism and political figures dismissive of the rule of law will take advantage.
“Despite all the hypocrisy… all its faults and all its problems with racism, [America] is seen as a very vibrant democracy which is discussing its problems very openly,” said Oliver Stuenkel, a professor at the Getúlio Vargas Foundation in São Paulo. “Even people who are very critical of U.S. foreign policy recognize that these things are very important for the global fight for human rights and for democracy.”
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Brazil serves as an example. Trump’s shock 2016 win boosted Jair Bolsonaro to that nation’s presidency two years later, Stuenkel said. Should Trump succeed in 2020 using undemocratic means, Bolsonaro could behave similarly in his own reelection bid in 2022 ― without fear of American condemnation.
Possibilities like that are what makes America’s election “so much more consequential than I think most U.S. voters appreciate,” Stuenkel added.
In India, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his allies have echoed Trump by whipping up fear of Muslims and bashing independent media outlets, Trump’s attacks on the rule of law suggest even more troubling developments could lie ahead in both countries, said Harsh Mander, a rights activist who runs the Centre for Equity Studies in New Delhi. Fear of international criticism, particularly from the U.S., is one of the few constraints on Modi’s power. Trump would be unlikely to offer that because of his “ideological brotherhood” with the prime minister, Mander said.
“The danger to the United States and to the world of a leader like Donald Trump is something we are conscious of around the world,” Mander added, describing American institutions as “enormously shaky.”
Trump’s disdain for American allies and values, and his transactional, flippant and often brutal approach to global affairs, have already damaged the U.S.’s historic claim to global leadership. His disastrous response to the coronavirus pandemic has further weakened the image of the U.S. to all-time lows in some countries.
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Now even Europeans, America’s closest partners on the world stage, have “huge concern” over the state of U.S. democracy, according to Nathalie Tocci, the director of the Instituto Affari Internazionali think tank in Rome and an adviser to the European Union’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell.
“Democracy is not just elections,” Tocci said. “The real stuff that democracies are made of are the rights and the laws and the institutions. The extent to which that is being harmed and that is being degraded is probably the most dangerous element of all.”
Dark Days Ahead
After campaign season ends, the immediate aftermath of the election will likely spur even more anxiety internationally. The widely expected scenario ― a popular vote loss by Trump, legal battles over ballot-counting and days, if not weeks, of uncertainty over who won the Electoral College ― will suggest a divided, drifting nation rather than a confident, mature republic.
“America is the champion of the liberal order, of checks and balances, and at a time in which… autocracy is trying to gain momentum, the very fact that there are doubts in the U.S. election, such as a contested result and the use of the Supreme Court to find out who will be the president, is of great concern,” said Paolo Magri, the executive vice president of the Italian Institute for International Political Studies in Milan.
Should Trump secure a second term, he and the Republican Party would be emboldened to further solidify their grip on power. That’s a familiar pattern elsewhere: Since winning re-election last year, India’s Modi has revoked the quasi-independence of the disputed state of Kashmir, broken worldwide records for internet shutdowns to deter protesters, rendered almost two million people stateless, pushed new citizenship restrictions that discriminate against Muslims and cracked down on watchdogs like Amnesty International.
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“The United States in a second term with Donald Trump might actually see what is happening to us in our second term [with Modi] where all institutions of democracy seem to be being destroyed,” Mander said.
India Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump share authoritarian instincts -- and both could be emboldened by a Trump reelection. The two are seen here in Ahmedabad, India, earlier this year. Francis Mascarenhas / Reuters
Successful power grabs by Trump would also inspire his ideological fellow travelers. Chamila Liyanage, a researcher at the Britain-based Centre for Analysis of the Radical Right, said a Trump win would empower populist right-wing figures in Europe, from elected officials to extreme anti-immigrant groups and advocates for conspiracy theories like QAnon, which are spreading rapidly on the continent. And more mainstream European politicians may be persuaded that emphasizing nativism and ultra-conservative positions on matters like abortion rights is politically smart, Magri said.
Combined with pandemic-related turmoil, election disputes could be a gift for extremists, according to Liyanage.
“The radical right always wanted a crisis to discredit democracies,” she said in an email.
“While their loyalty to Trump can vary, they accept his reckless attack on liberal democratic ideals,” she added, referring to organizations in the European radical right ecosystem. “These grassroots groups are more dangerous than President Trump himself.”
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The Biden Effect
There’s an alternate scenario that global observers hope for. Should Biden win a clear mandate and Trump leave office relatively calmly, America could show that representative government can survive even serious challenges.
“It does send a signal that populism and challenges to democracy and to the integrity of democratic institutions are short-lived... It would be a signal to Bolsonaro and to other authoritarian-minded populists, not just in Latin America but around the world,” said Orlando Pérez, the dean of the school of liberal arts and sciences at the University of North Texas at Dallas.
A Biden administration would likely roll out policies that bolster faith in the U.S. and re-engage with the international community, like offering temporary protected status to people fleeing the crisis in Venezuela, Pérez said, and addressing concerns about whether a coronavirus vaccine would be distributed to poorer countries.
That’s not to say a Biden win would be a panacea for democracy’s ills.
“An American president is elected to have America first... so I do not have any specific illusions that a Biden presidency will solve the problems of the world or will specifically help Europe and Italy,” Magri said. “Having said that, I believe that Trump was in a sense a threat to Europe’s unity... It’s good to have someone who’s not betting on the disintegration of Europe.”
Trump cheered Britain’s withdrawal from the E.U. and has boosted European nationalists who dislike continent-wide cooperation and shared principles about democratic norms.
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Activists abroad are keen to learn lessons from Trump’s opponents if the president’s reelection bid is thwarted.
In Brazil, interest in the U.S. election has spread beyond those who traditionally follow the process, such as elite policy-makers. Bolsonaro’s critics are tracking how Democrats react to Trump’s efforts to shape the news cycle. They also are watching whether the party can unite factions like Biden fans and supporters of more left-leaning figures like Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Stuenkel said.
Rodrigo Duterte, the president of the Philippines, is another leader who has celebrated violence and targeted journalists. His rise and Trump’s in 2016 were “a wake-up call to our people for action, solidarity, community and movement-building to unite, to protect and defend democracy,” Naomi Fontanos, the executive director of the Philippine transgender rights group GANDA, said in an email.
For her, the attempts in the U.S. to confront its racist past over the summer had already raised the prospect of a “national renewal towards greater justice,” she said. “My hope is that the American people will overcome... There has been so much divisiveness in society in the time of Trump and Duterte, but we shouldn’t lose hope for better days and must not treat each other as the enemy. This is what authoritarian leaders or tyrants do: They pit the people against each other.”
The Deeper Rot
The work of making America a stronger democracy can’t be completed in 2020. And foreigners with the benefit of distance see big problems to address beyond Trump.
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The broader GOP campaign to limit voting access and question government institutions and regulation predates the president. That makes this election a “tipping point” and not a shock to Tocci, the analyst and E.U. adviser.
“We’re taking one step further on the path that the Republican Party has been on that essentially means abdicating democracy. It’s the straw that breaks the camel’s back,” she said.
A recent report from the progressive group Take Back the Court described how even after a Biden win, a strong conservative majority on the Supreme Court could reject Democratic-led attempts to counter voter purges and the practice of drawing legislative districts along partisan lines, a major factor in the increasing extremism of elected officials.
It’s also unclear how far Trump’s opponents would go to tackle how U.S. foreign policy contributes to destructive trends at home like xenophobia, disdain for human rights standards and executive overreach.
Under President Barack Obama, the U.S. expanded its defense ties to the Philippines ― a relationship Trump and Duterte consolidated even as the Philippine leader led a “war on drugs” that killed more than 10,000 people, Fontanos noted. Additionally, Obama crafted the Trans-Pacific Partnership, an expansive trade deal that activists in her country and its neighbors saw as “anti-environment, anti-poor and anti-worker” ― and that she believes Biden would revive. (Biden championed the agreement during the Obama administration but now says he would not join it as it stands and would renegotiate it.)
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“What we need is for leaders in the Philippines and the U.S. to realize how something like the [deal allowing military exercises in the Philippines] enables continued American imperialism,” Fontanos said.
And defeating Trump doesn’t mean defeating all the forces interested in a more authoritarian direction for global politics.
“If Joe Biden wins, the radical right narrative would be emboldened to claim that the leftist Democrats... and the globalists seized power,” said Layanage, the researcher on European right-wing extremism. “Given how far and wide these strange belief systems have already circulated... Biden’s win will present him with wider challenges as a leader of a beleaguered democracy.”
In places where coronavirus concerns have already been used as a cover for more autocratic measures to control people, like parts of Latin America, the path to greater freedom extends well beyond the U.S. election.
“Having Biden as president and beating Trump is going to send a positive signal about the perils of populism and of challenging democratic institutions, but it doesn’t mean that everybody in the region is going to listen to it,” Pérez said.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-01--Lawmakers Are Still Fussing Over Pandemic Relief As Time Runs Out

WASHINGTON ― It took only one day for the flicker of optimism over a new coronavirus relief bill to extinguish , as Democrats and the Trump administration both signaled Thursday that a deal wasn ’ t coming together .
After Pelosi delayed a vote Wednesday night on a scaled-down proposal that would restore the extra $ 600 a week for the unemployed , provide another round of $ 1,200 checks to most Americans , and give state and local governments $ 436 billion ― a bill costing $ 2.2 trillion ― the possibility of a deal looked better than perhaps @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The major sticking points are the state and local aid , liability protections for businesses that have reopened during the coronavirus pandemic , and the overall cost of the bill .
The Trump administration has said it came up to $ 1.6 trillion from its initial offers of a measure costing less than $ 1 trillion .
But Democrats have been working their way down from a $ 3.4 trillion bill the House passed in May .
Meanwhile , Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ( R-Ky. ) appears to be indifferent about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ offered on Thursday was that he wished Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin well as they attempted to reach an agreement .
But both sides appear to be coming to terms with the fact that there won ’ t be a deal .
Pelosi decided to move ahead with a vote on the scaled-down measure , a signal to voters that Democrats have compromised and that it ’ s Republicans who won ’ t negotiate .
And Republicans ― many of whom have publicly said they would prefer that extra jobless benefits not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rediscover their fiscal conservative credentials as the prospects of a Joe Biden presidency grow by the day .
None of that will be much solace to the millions of unemployed workers whose incomes shrank dramatically with the loss of the extra $ 600 at the end of July .
And with the coronavirus still spreading across the country , jobs aren ’ t necessarily easy to find .
The national unemployment rate has fallen to 8.4 % since peaking at 14.7 % in April , but the pace of job growth has slowed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recovery could stall without another spending boost from the federal government .
A fresh jobs report coming Friday could clarify whether the economy is at risk of a double-dip recession .
One of the most efficient ways to help the economy is to give money to unemployed workers ― that ’ s why in March Congress added $ 600 to state unemployment benefits , which typically pay less than $ 350 per week .
So many people were receiving benefits at the time ― more than 25 million ― that the lapse resulted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in August , according to new numbers released Thursday by the Bureau of Economic Analysis .
Democrats want to bring back the $ 600 and keep it until the end of January .
The administration has offered $ 400 , but the disagreement on a broader package means workers will be left with whatever their state pays .
The numbers represent big changes for real people .
D.C. resident Arlene Johnson said she ’ s been furloughed since March from her job as a program manager at an adult day program for people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the city hasn ’ t returned to normal and Johnson isn ’ t sure whether she ’ ll get called back to her position .
“ Even with the $ 600 , it was still less than what I was making , ” Johnson , 63 , said in an interview .
“ But with the $ 600 it was still manageable because I wasn ’ t driving , I didn ’ t need gas , it was still balancing out somewhat.
” Without the extra money , Johnson said she ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ― she believes she is too young to retire but has had only two Zoom interviews for possible jobs .
She thinks Congress is being too partisan and ignoring people who haven ’ t been able to go back to work .

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WASHINGTON ― It took only one day for the flicker of optimism over a new coronavirus relief bill to extinguish, as Democrats and the Trump administration both signaled Thursday that a deal wasn’t coming together.
“This isn’t half a loaf,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Thursday. “What they’re offering is the heel of the loaf.”
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After Pelosi delayed a vote Wednesday night on a scaled-down proposal that would restore the extra $600 a week for the unemployed, provide another round of $1,200 checks to most Americans, and give state and local governments $436 billion ― a bill costing $2.2 trillion ― the possibility of a deal looked better than perhaps any time during the past two months.
But the optimism quickly turned to pessimism, as Pelosi cast doubt on a deal during a conference call with Democratic members, as well as during a weekly press conference.
“We come from two different places,” Pelosi said of Republicans on Thursday.
The major sticking points are the state and local aid, liability protections for businesses that have reopened during the coronavirus pandemic, and the overall cost of the bill. The Trump administration has said it came up to $1.6 trillion from its initial offers of a measure costing less than $1 trillion. But Democrats have been working their way down from a $3.4 trillion bill the House passed in May.
Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) appears to be indifferent about a deal anyway. All that he offered on Thursday was that he wished Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin well as they attempted to reach an agreement.
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But both sides appear to be coming to terms with the fact that there won’t be a deal. Pelosi decided to move ahead with a vote on the scaled-down measure, a signal to voters that Democrats have compromised and that it’s Republicans who won’t negotiate. And Republicans ― many of whom have publicly said they would prefer that extra jobless benefits not be renewed ― also seem content to rediscover their fiscal conservative credentials as the prospects of a Joe Biden presidency grow by the day.
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin departs from the office of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday. Mnuchin met with Democrats and Republicans about coronavirus relief legislation. Tasos Katopodis via Getty Images
None of that will be much solace to the millions of unemployed workers whose incomes shrank dramatically with the loss of the extra $600 at the end of July. And with the coronavirus still spreading across the country, jobs aren’t necessarily easy to find.
The national unemployment rate has fallen to 8.4% since peaking at 14.7% in April, but the pace of job growth has slowed in recent months. Economists worry the recovery could stall without another spending boost from the federal government. A fresh jobs report coming Friday could clarify whether the economy is at risk of a double-dip recession.
One of the most efficient ways to help the economy is to give money to unemployed workers ― that’s why in March Congress added $600 to state unemployment benefits, which typically pay less than $350 per week.
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So many people were receiving benefits at the time ― more than 25 million ― that the lapse resulted in overall disposable incomes falling 3.2% in August, according to new numbers released Thursday by the Bureau of Economic Analysis.
Democrats want to bring back the $600 and keep it until the end of January. The administration has offered $400, but the disagreement on a broader package means workers will be left with whatever their state pays.
“If there’s not a fiscal package, it’s going to be harder for the economy to recover,” said Marc Goldwein, a budget expert with the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, which had projected a 4% income drop for August.
The numbers represent big changes for real people. D.C. resident Arlene Johnson said she’s been furloughed since March from her job as a program manager at an adult day program for people with intellectual disabilities. Daily life in the city hasn’t returned to normal and Johnson isn’t sure whether she’ll get called back to her position.
She’s drastically cut her expenses ― canceling her alarm system subscription and home warranty, making minimum payments on credit cards, and getting groceries from free food sites around town.
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“Even with the $600, it was still less than what I was making,” Johnson, 63, said in an interview. “But with the $600 it was still manageable because I wasn’t driving, I didn’t need gas, it was still balancing out somewhat.”
Without the extra money, Johnson said she’s “looking down a dark hole” ― she believes she is too young to retire but has had only two Zoom interviews for possible jobs. She thinks Congress is being too partisan and ignoring people who haven’t been able to go back to work.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-09-30--Chris Cuomo Calls Out Ted Cruz To His Face As Interview Gets Heated In A Hurry

Chris Cuomo ’ s interview with Sen. Ted Cruz ( R-Texas ) started to resemble Tuesday night ’ s chaotic presidential debate as the two raised voices , talked over each other and swapped family insults .
Cruz slammed Cuomo ’ s brother , New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo ( D ) , over his response to the coronavirus pandemic ― causing Cuomo to wonder why Cruz wouldn ’ t be as critical of President Donald Trump .
Then he offered an all-too-blunt reminder of the insults Trump hurled at Cruz and his family during the 2016 presidential campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out Cruz for “ hypocrisy ” after the senator complained about Democrats ’ use of the filibuster .
Cuomo reminded Cruz that he once read the children ’ s book “ Green Eggs and Ham ” during a filibuster of his own .
At another , he slammed Cruz ’ s “ weak-ass argument ” against former Vice President Joe Biden .
It was heated almost from the start : '' Chris , do you actually want to talk substance ? ''
@ TedCruz asks @ ChrisCuomo .
`` We are talking substance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the hypocrisy ... because the audience heads stay on straight that way , '' replies the host amid an interview ranging from the debate to Covid-19 testing .
pic.twitter.com/XOaVrHxVjD — Cuomo Prime Time ( @ CuomoPrimeTime ) October 1 , 2020 But it got especially loud toward the end , when those family matters came to a head during a debate over the coronavirus .
Cruz brought up the nursing home deaths in New York as the coronavirus hit the state earlier this year , leading Cuomo to wonder why Cruz couldn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s shortcomings in dealing with the virus .
“ Why don ’ t you talk to the president the way you talk to my brother , Ted ?
You afraid of him ?
” Cuomo asked .
“ You think he ’ ll smack you down at home ?
” “ I ’ m talking about the president .
The one who called you a liar .
The one who said your wife was ugly , that guy .
You know , the guy now who you won ’ t say anything about.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t have a lot of Republicans who don ’ t come on your show , ” Cruz said , then the two argued about who was raising their voices and insulting the other :

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Chris Cuomo’s interview with Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) started to resemble Tuesday night’s chaotic presidential debate as the two raised voices, talked over each other and swapped family insults.
Cruz slammed Cuomo’s brother, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D), over his response to the coronavirus pandemic ― causing Cuomo to wonder why Cruz wouldn’t be as critical of President Donald Trump.
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Then he offered an all-too-blunt reminder of the insults Trump hurled at Cruz and his family during the 2016 presidential campaign.
At one point, Cuomo called out Cruz for “hypocrisy” after the senator complained about Democrats’ use of the filibuster. Cuomo reminded Cruz that he once read the children’s book “Green Eggs and Ham” during a filibuster of his own.
At another, he slammed Cruz’s “weak-ass argument” against former Vice President Joe Biden.
Cruz, for his part, called Cuomo “disgusting,” among other insults.
It was heated almost from the start:
"Chris, do you actually want to talk substance?" @TedCruz asks @ChrisCuomo.
"We are talking substance. I just like to call out the hypocrisy...because the audience heads stay on straight that way," replies the host amid an interview ranging from the debate to Covid-19 testing. pic.twitter.com/XOaVrHxVjD — Cuomo Prime Time (@CuomoPrimeTime) October 1, 2020
But it got especially loud toward the end, when those family matters came to a head during a debate over the coronavirus.
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Cruz brought up the nursing home deaths in New York as the coronavirus hit the state earlier this year, leading Cuomo to wonder why Cruz couldn’t be as critical of Trump’s shortcomings in dealing with the virus.
“Why don’t you talk to the president the way you talk to my brother, Ted? You afraid of him?” Cuomo asked. “You think he’ll smack you down at home?”
He added:
“I’m talking about the president. The one who called you a liar. The one who said your wife was ugly, that guy. You know, the guy now who you won’t say anything about.”
“You actually wonder why you don’t have a lot of Republicans who don’t come on your show,” Cruz said, then the two argued about who was raising their voices and insulting the other:
This is the most heated tv moment I HAVE EVER WATCHED!
Chris Cuomo just called Ted Cruz out for his hypocrisy. pic.twitter.com/iBZXtdt4Gg — The Daily Angle (@thedailyangle) October 1, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-01--Snapchat Has Helped Register More Than 1 Million People To Vote

Call it unfiltered civic engagement : As of Thursday morning , Snapchat has helped register more than one million people to vote .
Of those , 56 % are first-time voters and 64.5 % are between the ages of 18 and 24 ― a coveted , yet historically hard-to-activate demographic .
A Snap spokesperson told HuffPost they ’ ve seen the most signups in Texas .
Florida , Georgia and North Carolina ― all battleground states ― were also well-represented , Snap said .
President Donald Trump carried all four in 2016 , and losing any one of them this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a severe blow to his reelection prospects .
According to data collected by TurboVote , Snap helped register roughly 450,000 voters ahead of the U.S. midterm elections in 2018 , of whom 57 % went on to actually cast a ballot in the election .
That number will likely skew higher in 2020 , as voter participation in presidential elections typically far exceeds the midterms .
The digital outreach is “ especially vital ” this year , according to a study by the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The study notes that the COVID-19 pandemic has “ limited many usual electoral outreach and education efforts , ” and that “ vote-by-mail ( which youth are largely unfamiliar with ) will play a major role in the election.
” The push follows similar efforts across the Facebook ecosystem , where more than 2.5 million people have registered to vote .
The company hopes to register more than 4 million people across its Facebook , Instagram and Messenger platforms prior to the Nov. 3 election .
TikTok , meanwhile , recently launched an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to vote provided by a handful of non-partisan third-party organizations .
That effort follows in Twitter ’ s footsteps , which launched a similar voter information tab last month .

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Call it unfiltered civic engagement: As of Thursday morning, Snapchat has helped register more than one million people to vote.
Of those, 56% are first-time voters and 64.5% are between the ages of 18 and 24 ― a coveted, yet historically hard-to-activate demographic.
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A Snap spokesperson told HuffPost they’ve seen the most signups in Texas. Florida, Georgia and North Carolina ― all battleground states ― were also well-represented, Snap said. President Donald Trump carried all four in 2016, and losing any one of them this year to Democrat Joe Biden could deal a severe blow to his reelection prospects.
According to data collected by TurboVote, Snap helped register roughly 450,000 voters ahead of the U.S. midterm elections in 2018, of whom 57% went on to actually cast a ballot in the election. That number will likely skew higher in 2020, as voter participation in presidential elections typically far exceeds the midterms.
Turbovote is Snap’s nonpartisan partner in the registration efforts.
The digital outreach is “especially vital” this year, according to a study by the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) at Tufts University.
The study notes that the COVID-19 pandemic has “limited many usual electoral outreach and education efforts,” and that “vote-by-mail (which youth are largely unfamiliar with) will play a major role in the election.”
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The push follows similar efforts across the Facebook ecosystem, where more than 2.5 million people have registered to vote. The company hopes to register more than 4 million people across its Facebook, Instagram and Messenger platforms prior to the Nov. 3 election.
TikTok, meanwhile, recently launched an elections guide, with information on how to vote provided by a handful of non-partisan third-party organizations.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-01--Debate Commission Considers Granting Mic Control To Moderator

NEW YORK ( AP ) — The presidential debate commission says it will soon adopt changes to its format to avoid a repeat of the disjointed first meeting between President Donald Trump and Democrat Joe Biden .
The commission said Wednesday that the debate “ made clear that additional structure should be added to the format of the remaining debates to ensure a more orderly discussion of the issues.
” One possibility being discussed is to give the moderator the ability to cut off the microphone of one of the debate participants while his opponent is talking , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity .
Meanwhile , the Nielsen company said that 73.1 million people watched the debate on television , where it was shown on 16 networks .
That ’ s more than any other television event since the Super Bowl , even if it fell short of the 84 million who watched the first debate between Trump and Hillary Clinton in 2016 .
That was the most-watched presidential debate ever .
Moderator Chris Wallace struggled to gain control of Tuesday ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interruptions , primarily by Trump .
The candidates interrupted Wallace or their opponent 90 times in the 90-minute debate , 71 of them by Trump , according to an analysis by The Washington Post .
Wallace , of Fox News , pleaded for a more orderly debate , at one point looking at Trump and saying , “ the country would be better served if we allowed both people to speak with fewer interruptions .
I ’ m appealing to you , sir , to do that.
” Trump campaign communications director Tim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doing this because their guy got pummeled last night .
President Trump was the dominant force and now Joe Biden is trying to work the refs.
” ABC News ’ Martha Raddatz , who moderated one of the three Trump-Clinton debates in 2016 , said Wallace was put in nearly an impossible situation .
Faced with the same behavior , she said she might have called a full stop to the debate for a moment to recalibrate .
She never had the option , technically , to cut off the microphone of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It also wasn ’ t in the rules that were agreed to in advance by the candidates and commission .
Twitter was ablaze with criticism for Wallace early in the debate for losing control of the proceedings .
That was illustrated by MSNBC ’ s Joe Scarborough , who tweeted , “ What is Chris Wallace doing ?
He has no control over the debate .
He asks a question and let ’ s Trump continue yelling .
This is a disgrace.
” “ While it was extraordinarily frustrating , I think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mile in his shoes before saying the morning after , ‘ He could have done this , he could have done that , ’ ” Scarborough said .
There is some skepticism about what the commission can do that is really meaningful .
“ I ’ m not sure that there ’ s a format change that can solve that problem , ” said Sen. Pat Toomey , Republican , of battleground state Pennsylvania .
Wallace is the only presidential debate moderator this cycle with prior experience , after receiving praise for handling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The other two moderators are Steve Scully of C-SPAN and Kristen Welker of NBC News .

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NEW YORK (AP) — The presidential debate commission says it will soon adopt changes to its format to avoid a repeat of the disjointed first meeting between President Donald Trump and Democrat Joe Biden.
The commission said Wednesday that the debate “made clear that additional structure should be added to the format of the remaining debates to ensure a more orderly discussion of the issues.”
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One possibility being discussed is to give the moderator the ability to cut off the microphone of one of the debate participants while his opponent is talking, according to a person familiar with the deliberations who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
The next presidential debate is a town hall format scheduled for Oct. 15 in Miami.
Meanwhile, the Nielsen company said that 73.1 million people watched the debate on television, where it was shown on 16 networks. That’s more than any other television event since the Super Bowl, even if it fell short of the 84 million who watched the first debate between Trump and Hillary Clinton in 2016. That was the most-watched presidential debate ever.
Moderator Chris Wallace struggled to gain control of Tuesday’s debate in Cleveland because of frequent interruptions, primarily by Trump. The candidates interrupted Wallace or their opponent 90 times in the 90-minute debate, 71 of them by Trump, according to an analysis by The Washington Post.
Wallace, of Fox News, pleaded for a more orderly debate, at one point looking at Trump and saying, “the country would be better served if we allowed both people to speak with fewer interruptions. I’m appealing to you, sir, to do that.”
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“Ask him, too,” Trump said.
“Well, frankly, you’ve been doing more interrupting than he has,” Wallace said.
Biden on Wednesday called the debate “a national embarrassment.” But despite some suggestions that the final two presidential encounters be canceled, both campaigns said they expected their candidate to attend.
Trump campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh said the commission was “only doing this because their guy got pummeled last night. President Trump was the dominant force and now Joe Biden is trying to work the refs.”
ABC News’ Martha Raddatz, who moderated one of the three Trump-Clinton debates in 2016, said Wallace was put in nearly an impossible situation. Faced with the same behavior, she said she might have called a full stop to the debate for a moment to recalibrate.
She never had the option, technically, to cut off the microphone of a candidate four years ago, she said. It also wasn’t in the rules that were agreed to in advance by the candidates and commission.
“To say, ‘He’s not going to follow the rules so we aren’t, either’ — it’s an unprecedented situation,” Raddatz said. “That was so out of control.”
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Twitter was ablaze with criticism for Wallace early in the debate for losing control of the proceedings. That was illustrated by MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough, who tweeted, “What is Chris Wallace doing? He has no control over the debate. He asks a question and let’s Trump continue yelling. This is a disgrace.”
By the time he was on “Morning Joe″ the next morning, Scarborough had cooled off. He called on the debate commission to act.
“While it was extraordinarily frustrating, I think all of us need to walk a mile in his shoes before saying the morning after, ‘He could have done this, he could have done that,’” Scarborough said.
Some of the president’s supporters felt that Wallace was too hard on their candidate. Trump himself suggested he was also debating Wallace, “but that’s no surprise.”
Wallace even got some criticism from opinion personalities on his own network. “Trump is debating the moderator and Biden,” primetime host Laura Ingraham tweeted during the debate.
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Another Fox colleague, Geraldo Rivera, expressed more sympathy.
“The guy signed up to moderate a debate and he ended up trying to referee a knife fight,” he said.
Wallace, host of “Fox News Sunday,” was not immediately made available for comment by Fox.
There is some skepticism about what the commission can do that is really meaningful. “I’m not sure that there’s a format change that can solve that problem,” said Sen. Pat Toomey, Republican, of battleground state Pennsylvania.
Wallace is the only presidential debate moderator this cycle with prior experience, after receiving praise for handling the final Clinton-Trump debate in 2016. The other two moderators are Steve Scully of C-SPAN and Kristen Welker of NBC News.
Scully moderates the Miami debate, a town hall format where citizens get to ask questions, which may make interruptions more difficult.
“Having prepared for these, the town hall is a completely different event in the debate Olympics,” tweeted David Plouffe, an adviser to former President Barack Obama. “If Trump brings the same nastiness to Florida, it will be doubly painful to watch but it will be doubly painful for him politically.”
___
Associated Press writers Bill Barrow, Laurie Kellman and Zeke Miller in Washington contributed to this report.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-01--News Leak: NASA Is Testing New $23 Million Titanium Space Toilet

CAPE CANAVERAL , Fla. ( AP ) — NASA ’ s first new space potty in decades — a $ 23 million titanium toilet better suited for women — is getting a not-so-dry run at the International Space Station before eventually flying to the moon .
Barely 100 pounds ( 45 kilograms ) and just 28 inches ( 71 centimeters ) tall , it ’ s roughly half as big as the two Russian-built toilets at the space station .
It ’ s more camper-size to fit into the NASA Orion capsules that will carry astronauts to the moon in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ test it out for a few months .
If the shakedown goes well , the toilet will be open for regular business .
With SpaceX now launching astronauts to the space station and Boeing less than a year from sending up its first crew , more toilets are needed .
The new one will be in its own stall alongside the old one on the U.S. side of the outpost .
The old toilets cater more toward men .
To better accommodate women , NASA tilted the seat on the new toilet and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should help astronauts position themselves better for No .
2 , said Johnson Space Center ’ s Melissa McKinley , the project manager .
As for No .
1 , the funnels also have been redesigned .
Women can use the elongated and scooped-out funnels to urinate while sitting on the commode to poop at the same time , McKinley said .
Until now , it ’ s been one or the other for female astronauts , she noted .
Like earlier space commodes , air suction , rather than water and gravity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the new toilet will be routed into NASA ’ s long-standing recycling system to produce water for drinking and cooking .
Titanium and other tough alloys were chosen for the new toilet to withstand all the acid in the urine pretreatment .
Going to the bathroom in space may sound simple , but “ sometimes the simple things become very difficult ” without gravity , said NASA astronaut Mike Hopkins , commander of the second SpaceX crew , due to launch Oct. 31 from Kennedy Space Center .
While the old design @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , subtle design changes can make all the difference for women , noted NASA astronaut Shannon Walker , a former space station resident who ’ s also on the next SpaceX crew .
“ Trust me , I ’ ve got going to the bathroom in space down , because that is a vital , vital thing to know how to do , ” she told The Associated Press earlier this week .
The typical space station population will go from six to seven with the next SpaceX flight , and even more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as early as next year .
Astronauts normally stay six months .
The last time NASA ordered up a new toilet was in the early 1990s to accommodate two-week space shuttle missions .
The agency contracted with Collins Aerospace to provide the latest model ; the company also worked on the shuttle potties .
Perhaps the most unique payload : Estee Lauder ’ s newest wrinkle serum .
The cosmetics company is paying $ 128,000 for an out-of-this-world photo shoot , part of NASA ’ s push to open the final frontier to @ @ @ @ @ @

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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA’s first new space potty in decades — a $23 million titanium toilet better suited for women — is getting a not-so-dry run at the International Space Station before eventually flying to the moon.
It’s packed inside a cargo ship set to blast off late Thursday from Wallops Island, Virginia.
Barely 100 pounds (45 kilograms) and just 28 inches (71 centimeters) tall, it’s roughly half as big as the two Russian-built toilets at the space station. It’s more camper-size to fit into the NASA Orion capsules that will carry astronauts to the moon in a few years.
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Station residents will test it out for a few months. If the shakedown goes well, the toilet will be open for regular business.
With SpaceX now launching astronauts to the space station and Boeing less than a year from sending up its first crew, more toilets are needed. The new one will be in its own stall alongside the old one on the U.S. side of the outpost.
The old toilets cater more toward men. To better accommodate women, NASA tilted the seat on the new toilet and made it taller. The new shape should help astronauts position themselves better for No. 2, said Johnson Space Center’s Melissa McKinley, the project manager.
“Cleaning up a mess is a big deal. We don’t want any misses or escapes,” she said.
Let’s just say everything floats in weightlessness.
As for No. 1, the funnels also have been redesigned. Women can use the elongated and scooped-out funnels to urinate while sitting on the commode to poop at the same time, McKinley said. Until now, it’s been one or the other for female astronauts, she noted.
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Like earlier space commodes, air suction, rather than water and gravity, removes the waste. Urine collected by the new toilet will be routed into NASA’s long-standing recycling system to produce water for drinking and cooking. Titanium and other tough alloys were chosen for the new toilet to withstand all the acid in the urine pretreatment.
Going to the bathroom in space may sound simple, but “sometimes the simple things become very difficult” without gravity, said NASA astronaut Mike Hopkins, commander of the second SpaceX crew, due to launch Oct. 31 from Kennedy Space Center.
While the old design isn’t that hard to use, subtle design changes can make all the difference for women, noted NASA astronaut Shannon Walker, a former space station resident who’s also on the next SpaceX crew.
“Trust me, I’ve got going to the bathroom in space down, because that is a vital, vital thing to know how to do,” she told The Associated Press earlier this week.
The typical space station population will go from six to seven with the next SpaceX flight, and even more when non-professionals like tourists start showing up as early as next year. Astronauts normally stay six months.
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The last time NASA ordered up a new toilet was in the early 1990s to accommodate two-week space shuttle missions. The agency contracted with Collins Aerospace to provide the latest model; the company also worked on the shuttle potties.
Also in the 8,000-pound (3,600-kilogram) shipment aboard Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus capsule: air tanks to make up for a slight space station leak, radish seeds for greenhouse growing and a cinematic 360-degree VR camera for you-are-there-spacewalk shots.
Perhaps the most unique payload: Estee Lauder’s newest wrinkle serum. The cosmetics company is paying $128,000 for an out-of-this-world photo shoot, part of NASA’s push to open the final frontier to marketing, industry and tourism.
Don’t count on perfumed aromas, though, to counter bathroom odors.
The serum is fragrance-free and the 10 bottles will remain sealed until returned to Earth early next year.
___


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-01--Sen. Ted Cruz's Odd Attempt To Diss Biden Gets Roasted To Oblivion

Sen. Ted Cruz ( R-Texas ) threw a potshot at Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden that the internet chewed up and spat right back at him .
Cruz posted a graphic of a train labeled “ Biden Express ” taking “ Exit 2020″ to the “ radical left.
” It ’ s conducted by Sen. Bernie Sanders ( I-Vt. ) .
On board are fellow progressive Sens .
Elizabeth Warren ( D-Mass . )
and Ed Markey ( D-Mass . )
; Reps. Ilhan Omar ( D-Minn. ) , Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ( D-N.Y. ) , Ayanna Pressley ( D-Mass .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; and Democratic New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo .
“ Biden may be the Democrat Party ’ s nominee , but we know who is driving the train , ” Cruz claimed , parroting President Donald Trump ’ s go-to narrative about his moderate opponent being a puppet for those further to his left .
Trump and his Republican allies also persistently conflate Democrats with the “ radical ” left .
Biden may be the Democrat Party ’ s nominee , but we know who is driving the train .
https : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ SenTedCruz ) October 1 , 2020 People took issue with the graphic on several fronts .
For one , Trump can ’ t seem to make up his mind what train his opponent is on ; he tweeted just days ago that the “ Radical Left is dumping ” Biden .
Critics also questioned the mix of people Cruz chose to cast as “ radical left ” riders and , frankly , the logistics of a train cruising by a highway off-ramp sign .
Several of the train ’ s “ passengers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who pointed out the railway Cruz is traveling on : I must say , Ted Cruz making poorly executed memes while riding in the quiet car of the White Supremacist Express is pretty on brand for both him and 2020 https : //t.co/cqWKxHFKs9 — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ( @ AOC ) October 1 , 2020 Here ’ s some of the other blowback .
It says something about the centrality of white male grievance to GOP messaging that they have made three female POC first-term members of Congress so central to their argument to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — Don Moynihan ( @ donmoyn ) October 1 , 2020 There ’ s a lot that ’ s funny about this but perhaps the funniest is Andrew Cuomo as part of the “ radical left.
” Ask actual members of New York ’ s radical left about Cuomo https : //t.co/ArjjxO4fqo — Chris Hayes ( @ chrislhayes ) October 1 , 2020 I am very confused , somebody help me out , is Biden being controlled by the radical left or not ?
https : //t.co/ufgaNpvaWs — Max Kennerly ( @ MaxKennerly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said it best - “ I like Ted Cruz more than most of my other colleagues like Ted Cruz .
And I hate Ted Cruz.
” — Dave ( @ eaglesdiehard ) October 1 , 2020 Your social media intern lied about their photoshop experience , Reek .
I especially like that you think trains have exit ramps .
ted cruz , man of the people — Ned Pyle ( @ NerdPyle ) October 1 , 2020

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Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) threw a potshot at Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden that the internet chewed up and spat right back at him.
Cruz posted a graphic of a train labeled “Biden Express” taking “Exit 2020″ to the “radical left.” It’s conducted by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). On board are fellow progressive Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Ed Markey (D-Mass.); Reps. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) and Adam Schiff (D-Calif.); and Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
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“Biden may be the Democrat Party’s nominee, but we know who is driving the train,” Cruz claimed, parroting President Donald Trump’s go-to narrative about his moderate opponent being a puppet for those further to his left. Trump and his Republican allies also persistently conflate Democrats with the “radical” left.
Biden may be the Democrat Party’s nominee, but we know who is driving the train. https://t.co/i0pVuunNh2 pic.twitter.com/p9LqbsRGZ7 — Senator Ted Cruz (@SenTedCruz) October 1, 2020
People took issue with the graphic on several fronts. For one, Trump can’t seem to make up his mind what train his opponent is on; he tweeted just days ago that the “Radical Left is dumping” Biden. Critics also questioned the mix of people Cruz chose to cast as “radical left” riders and, frankly, the logistics of a train cruising by a highway off-ramp sign.
Several of the train’s “passengers” chimed in, including Ocasio-Cortez, who pointed out the railway Cruz is traveling on:
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I must say, Ted Cruz making poorly executed memes while riding in the quiet car of the White Supremacist Express is pretty on brand for both him and 2020 https://t.co/cqWKxHFKs9 — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) October 1, 2020
Trains don't use highway exits. https://t.co/1z7AjOmTVQ — Ed Markey (@EdMarkey) October 1, 2020
Here’s some of the other blowback.
Do ... do you think trains have interstate off-ramp signs? — Kevin M. Kruse (@KevinMKruse) October 1, 2020
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Ah yes, that well-known radical leftist, Governor Cuomo pic.twitter.com/wGTbFTTHBN — Don Moynihan (@donmoyn) October 1, 2020
It says something about the centrality of white male grievance to GOP messaging that they have made three female POC first-term members of Congress so central to their argument to re-elect Donald Trump. https://t.co/kJU7nbIleS — Don Moynihan (@donmoyn) October 1, 2020
There’s a lot that’s funny about this but perhaps the funniest is Andrew Cuomo as part of the “radical left.” Ask actual members of New York’s radical left about Cuomo https://t.co/ArjjxO4fqo — Chris Hayes (@chrislhayes) October 1, 2020
I am very confused, somebody help me out, is Biden being controlled by the radical left or not? https://t.co/ufgaNpvaWs — Max Kennerly (@MaxKennerly) October 1, 2020
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Al Franken said it best - “I like Ted Cruz more than most of my other colleagues like Ted Cruz. And I hate Ted Cruz.” — Dave (@eaglesdiehard) October 1, 2020
Your social media intern lied about their photoshop experience, Reek.
I especially like that you think trains have exit ramps. ted cruz, man of the people — Ned Pyle (@NerdPyle) October 1, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-01--Melania Trump Caught On Tape Swearing In Response To Children Separated At Border

As her husband ’ s administration was separating migrant families at the U.S.-Mexico border in the summer of 2018 , @ @ @ @ @ the gravity of the situation , telling a friend : “ They said , ‘ @ @ @ @ @ children that were separated ?
’ Give me a fucking break .
”

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As her husband’s administration was separating migrant families at the U.S.-Mexico border in the summer of 2018, first lady Melania Trump dismissed the gravity of the situation, telling a friend and former aide: “They said, ‘Oh, what about the children that were separated?’ Give me a fucking break.”
CNN aired her comments ― reportedly made in July 2018 to Stephanie Winston Wolkoff ― on Thursday. Winston Wolkoff, who wrote the book “Melania and Me” about her relationship with the first lady, has said previously that she began recording phone conversations with her after the White House accused her of profiting excessively from her work organizing inauguration events in 2017.
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Also: “They said, ‘Oh, what about the children that were separated?’ Give me a fucking break.” — Melania Trump in July 2018, when her husband’s administration was separating migrant families at the border. https://t.co/eIRkxTaim4 — Philip Rucker (@PhilipRucker) October 2, 2020
In a series of these audio recordings obtained by CNN’s “Anderson Cooper 360,” Melania Trump is heard telling Winston Wolkoff about her husband’s family separation policy.
Though she admits that it’s “sad” that children are separated from their families, she says the kids are “nicely” taken care of and provided with some comforts, like beds and cabinets for their belongings.
“They didn’t have that in their own countries,” she tells Winston Wolkoff of the amenities provided to the kids.
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“Yeah, they’re not with parents, it’s sad. But when they come here alone or with coyotes or illegally, you know, you need to do something,” she adds.
Migrant children have described being held in cages at U.S. Customs and Border Protection facilities. Photos captured at these detention centers show children sleeping on thin mattresses on the floor with nothing but foil blankets to protect them.
In the recordings, Melania Trump is also heard railing against her critics who challenged her on this immigration policy.
“They say I’m complicit. I’m the same like him, I support him. I don’t say enough. I don’t do enough,” she tells Winston Wolkoff.
“I’m working my ass off [doing] Christmas stuff,” she continues, referring to her responsibilities as first lady to prepare the White House for the holiday season. “Who gives fuck about Christmas stuff and decoration? But I need to do it, right? ... OK, and then I do it and I say that I’m working on Christmas planning ... and they said, ‘Oh, what about the children that were separated?’ Give me a fucking break.”
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"The jacket was... a publicity stunt, and it was to garner the attention of the press, to make sure that everyone was aware that Melania was going to the border."
Melania Trump's former friend, Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, on the infamous "I really don't care. Do U?" jacket. pic.twitter.com/sCJAAAcvBf — Anderson Cooper 360° (@AC360) October 2, 2020
Winston Wolkoff was also asked by host Anderson Cooper about the infamous jacket the first lady wore in June 2018 while boarding a plane to visit migrant children at the southern border.
The author said the jacket ― which had the phrase “I really don’t care. Do U?” written on the back ― had been a “publicity stunt” to “garner the attention of the press.”
In one of the recordings, Winston Wolkoff is heard asking the first lady why she chose to wear the jacket on that occasion.
“I’m driving liberals crazy, that’s for sure ... and they deserve it,” she replies.
A White House spokesperson insisted at the time that “there was no hidden message” to Trump’s fashion choice.
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“I’d hope you guys would want to cover her visit with children today. It’s a jacket. ... After today’s important visit to Texas, I hope the media isn’t going to choose to focus on her wardrobe,” said then-White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham.
In a statement to CNN this week, Grisham, who now serves as the first lady’s chief of staff, lambasted Winston Wolkoff for releasing the recordings.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-01--Moderate Democrats Pressure Pelosi On Unemployment, Coronavirus Relief

Some of the members have taken to sending Pelosi a form text , asking her to not send members home before the House has passed a bipartisan deal .
“ Madame Speaker : With respect , we must meet the moment and can not leave Washington without passing a BIPARTISAN covid relief bill .
Thank you for your understanding and leadership , ” the form text reads .
Members seem to prefer Pelosi taking the $ 1.6 trillion offer that Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin proposed over no deal at all , though one member involved in the campaign said lawmakers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take the current GOP offer — just that she not send members home without reaching an agreement .
“ We need a bipartisan deal that can actually be signed into law and get money into the hands of people who need it right now , ” Rep. Conor Lamb ( D-Pa. ) said Thursday night , adding that the Democratic bill the House passed Thursday night wouldn ’ t get to the president ’ s desk .
The moderate push comes at a high-stakes moment , with the economic recovery from springtime coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election just a month away .
Republicans could lose control of both the Senate and the White House and would likely benefit electorally from a stronger economy , but all of a sudden , they ’ ve soured on extra spending .
Pelosi and Mnuchin have been going back and forth over the last few days on a potential coronavirus stimulus .
But talks don ’ t seem to be bringing the two sides much closer .
While Pelosi delayed a vote Wednesday on a scaled-down coronavirus relief bill , she quickly rescheduled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was clear Mnuchin and the Trump administration wouldn ’ t be coming up significantly from their $ 1.6 trillion offer .
But some lawmakers seem to believe the current offer is good enough , or that it ’ s at least preferable to nothing .
Mnuchin ’ s proposal includes many of the top priorities of the Democratic bill , but with less money behind them .
Democrats want to extend through January the extra $ 600 unemployment benefit that Congress allowed to lapse in July .
Mnuchin ’ s offer would set @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than Republicans have previously offered , but not enough for Pelosi .
“ The reality is this : We can take their deal and save the jobs of thousands of airline workers in my district , or they get laid off , ” Lamb said .
“ We can get $ 400 for unemployed workers and another round of stimulus checks , or nothing .
We can get some funding for state and local governments , or none.
” Four hundred dollars would still be more than Congress has ever added to state-funded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In the midst of the Great Recession , lawmakers boosted state benefits by just $ 25 .
There ’ s probably no other policy more effective for alleviating material suffering and stimulating the economy , since jobless workers spend the benefits quickly on necessities like food and shelter .
Losing the extra benefits significantly affected Americans ’ disposable income in August .
Democrats and Republicans have been deadlocked over a number of other issues , including state and local aid , liability protections for businesses that reopen during the pandemic , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mnuchin to clarify a few different sticking points , though the two sides seem much further apart than just a few sticking points .
But moderates are hoping Pelosi will take their message to heart and continue negotiating .
Lamb said that Democrats really do care about helping workers .
“ That ’ s why we should take the money that ’ s on the table so we can save jobs and help people survive this pandemic right now , ” he said .

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WASHINGTON — A group of roughly two dozen Democrats is pressuring House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) to take the GOP coronavirus stimulus offer, even if it’s far short of current Democratic proposals.
Some of the members have taken to sending Pelosi a form text, asking her to not send members home before the House has passed a bipartisan deal.
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“Madame Speaker: With respect, we must meet the moment and cannot leave Washington without passing a BIPARTISAN covid relief bill. Thank you for your understanding and leadership,” the form text reads.
Members seem to prefer Pelosi taking the $1.6 trillion offer that Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin proposed over no deal at all, though one member involved in the campaign said lawmakers weren’t necessarily insisting that Pelosi take the current GOP offer — just that she not send members home without reaching an agreement.
“We need a bipartisan deal that can actually be signed into law and get money into the hands of people who need it right now,” Rep. Conor Lamb (D-Pa.) said Thursday night, adding that the Democratic bill the House passed Thursday night wouldn’t get to the president’s desk.
The moderate push comes at a high-stakes moment, with the economic recovery from springtime coronavirus lockdowns possibly losing steam and a presidential election just a month away. Republicans could lose control of both the Senate and the White House and would likely benefit electorally from a stronger economy, but all of a sudden, they’ve soured on extra spending.
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Pelosi and Mnuchin have been going back and forth over the last few days on a potential coronavirus stimulus. But talks don’t seem to be bringing the two sides much closer. While Pelosi delayed a vote Wednesday on a scaled-down coronavirus relief bill, she quickly rescheduled the vote for Thursday evening after it was clear Mnuchin and the Trump administration wouldn’t be coming up significantly from their $1.6 trillion offer.
But some lawmakers seem to believe the current offer is good enough, or that it’s at least preferable to nothing. Mnuchin’s proposal includes many of the top priorities of the Democratic bill, but with less money behind them.
Democrats want to extend through January the extra $600 unemployment benefit that Congress allowed to lapse in July. Mnuchin’s offer would set the benefit at $400 ― more than Republicans have previously offered, but not enough for Pelosi.
“The reality is this: We can take their deal and save the jobs of thousands of airline workers in my district, or they get laid off,” Lamb said. “We can get $400 for unemployed workers and another round of stimulus checks, or nothing. We can get some funding for state and local governments, or none.”
Four hundred dollars would still be more than Congress has ever added to state-funded benefits in the history of unemployment insurance. In the midst of the Great Recession, lawmakers boosted state benefits by just $25.
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There’s probably no other policy more effective for alleviating material suffering and stimulating the economy, since jobless workers spend the benefits quickly on necessities like food and shelter. Losing the extra benefits significantly affected Americans’ disposable income in August.
Democrats and Republicans have been deadlocked over a number of other issues, including state and local aid, liability protections for businesses that reopen during the pandemic, and education funding.
And Pelosi has asked Mnuchin to clarify a few different sticking points, though the two sides seem much further apart than just a few sticking points. But moderates are hoping Pelosi will take their message to heart and continue negotiating.
Lamb said that Democrats really do care about helping workers. “That’s why we should take the money that’s on the table so we can save jobs and help people survive this pandemic right now,” he said.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-01--Florida Woman Out Of Luck When Winning Lottery Ticket Gets Lost In Mail

RIDGE MANOR , Fla. ( AP ) — A woman who won $ 1,000 in a second chance drawing on July 29 isn ’ t getting her prize because the certified letter she sent to the Florida Lottery ’ s headquarters never arrived .
The second chance lottery prize gives winners limited time to turn in a ticket to claim the prize .
Their options are to either put the ticket in a drop box at a local lottery office , which were not then open to the public due to the coronavirus pandemic , or mail them to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she felt it would be safer to send the ticket via certified mail with the U.S .
Postal Service .
The tracking information shows the ticket arrived at a Tallahassee post office at 7:12 a.m. on Aug. 12 .
But the online tracking shows the ticket was never delivered to the lottery office .
When Burgess called , lottery officials told her that without a ticket , the prize would go to an alternate winner .
In a second chance game , the lottery has a record of winners because players register their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the station she was notified she won by a lottery official who called to give her the good news .
Typically , lottery winners of more than $ 600 can submit winning tickets in person at their local lottery office .
But because of COVID-19 , offices were closed to the public .
Burgess says she was told she could send the ticket via certified mail or leave the ticket in a drop box at a local lottery office .
Burgess said there was a one-week time frame to submit the ticket , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a winner and by the time the office called her , she only had days to get the ticket post-marked .
“ That ’ s why you chose certified mail , ” Burgess told the station .
“ With COVID , I understand the mail is a little bit slow .
But for safety sake , certified mail usually has priority.
” The claims department told Burgess to contact the postal service to find out what happened to the letter .
The postal service said they are investigating what happened .
If the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ station they would bend the rules and pay Burgess the $ 1,000 if it was postmarked by the original deadline .

RIDGE MANOR, Fla. (AP) — A woman who won $1,000 in a second chance drawing on July 29 isn’t getting her prize because the certified letter she sent to the Florida Lottery’s headquarters never arrived.
Sue Burgess told WFLA that officials in Tallahassee told her “no ticket, no prize.”
The second chance lottery prize gives winners limited time to turn in a ticket to claim the prize. Their options are to either put the ticket in a drop box at a local lottery office, which were not then open to the public due to the coronavirus pandemic, or mail them to the headquarters.
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Burgess told the television station she felt it would be safer to send the ticket via certified mail with the U.S. Postal Service.
The tracking information shows the ticket arrived at a Tallahassee post office at 7:12 a.m. on Aug. 12. But the online tracking shows the ticket was never delivered to the lottery office.
When Burgess called, lottery officials told her that without a ticket, the prize would go to an alternate winner.
In a second chance game, the lottery has a record of winners because players register their names and contact information. Burgess told the station she was notified she won by a lottery official who called to give her the good news.
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Typically, lottery winners of more than $600 can submit winning tickets in person at their local lottery office. But because of COVID-19, offices were closed to the public. Burgess says she was told she could send the ticket via certified mail or leave the ticket in a drop box at a local lottery office.
Burgess said there was a one-week time frame to submit the ticket, but she missed an email about being a winner and by the time the office called her, she only had days to get the ticket post-marked.
“That’s why you chose certified mail,” Burgess told the station. “With COVID, I understand the mail is a little bit slow. But for safety sake, certified mail usually has priority.”
Lottery officials told WFLA the claim was never received at the headquarters.
The claims department told Burgess to contact the postal service to find out what happened to the letter. The postal service said they are investigating what happened.
In a statement to the station, the postal service offered an apology to Burgess for any “inconvenience.”
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If the package arrives, lottery officials told the station they would bend the rules and pay Burgess the $1,000 if it was postmarked by the original deadline.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-01--Adam Sandler Tells Jimmy Kimmel The Strangest Thing He's Ever Autographed

In the nearly 30 years that he ’ s been in the public eye , Adam Sandler has had some @ @ @ @ @ .
Still , there is one experience that tops them all , he told Jimmy @ @ @ @ @ his latest movie , “ Hubie Halloween.
” “ I was leaving [ from getting @ @ @ @ @ a kid came out with a bag of my haircut and asked me to sign @ @ @ @ @ said , laughing .
“ I did that.
” But what Sandler said happened next @ @ @ @ @ On the internet that night , he was selling it and saying , ‘ Adam @ @ @ @ @ , ’ ” he told the late night host .
“ It ’ s a @ @ @ @ @ bought them back for $ 65.
” Watch the complete segment below .
The autograph @ @ @ @ @ mark .

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In the nearly 30 years that he’s been in the public eye, Adam Sandler has had some unusual encounters with his fans.
Still, there is one experience that tops them all, he told Jimmy Kimmel Wednesday night while promoting his latest movie, “Hubie Halloween.”
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“I was leaving [from getting] a haircut, and a kid came out with a bag of my haircut and asked me to sign that,” the actor said, laughing. “I did that.”
But what Sandler said happened next was really hair-raising.
“On the internet that night, he was selling it and saying, ‘Adam Sandler’s pubic hair,’” he told the late night host. “It’s a true story. ... I bought them back for $65.”
Watch the complete segment below. The autograph story begins around the 2:20 mark.
Sandler’s new movie, “Hubie Halloween,” debuts Oct. 7 on Netflix.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-01--Images Of California's Wine Country Fire Show A Community Changed Forever

California ’ s world-famous wine country is bracing for more dangerous wildfire weather conditions Thursday while its communities reel from the Glass fire ’ s already devastating damage .
The Glass fire in Napa and Sonoma counties has ravaged more than 56,781 acres so far and remains just 5 % contained .
More than 240 structures have been completely destroyed ― including homes , schools and wineries ― and another 140 have sustained damages .
Cal Fire Battalion Chief Mark Brunton said in an update Thursday morning he was “ cautiously optimistic ” that fire control lines would stop the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but dangerous weather conditions ― high heat , strong winds and low humidity ― mean the “ spread of fire is almost imminent.
” That fire-friendly weather is expected to pick up Thursday afternoon and last for a day and a half .
“ It ’ s going to be a big firefight for us for the next 36 hours , ” Brunton said , noting Cal Fire had several firefighting squads in from out of state and the National Guard there to help .
Some of the region ’ s beloved landmarks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are among the devastation , including St. Helena ’ s Meadowood resort and Calistoga ’ s Castello di Amorosa winery .
One of the worst-hit residential areas is Deer Park , a community nestled in the northeast hills of St. Helena .
The air throughout Napa Valley remains choked with smoke , inflicting dangerous air quality on people near the blazes and far into other parts of Northern California .
See photos below of the devastation the Glass fire has already inflicted .
• A swimming pool is the only thing left at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
• The main building at St. Helena 's famous Meadowood Napa Valley luxury resort crumbles from the flames on Monday .
• St. Helena 's Chateau Boswell Winery is seen engulfed in flames Monday .
• The charred remains of cars are lined up outside a home in Napa Valley on Monday .
• People watch the Glass fire from the side of the road and the flames make their way down the hill near Calistoga on Monday .
• This is all that 's left of the one of the buildings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Monday .
• People watch the Glass fire burn a hillside near St. Helena 's Beckstoffer Vineyards on Monday .
• Firefighters scrape a fire line with hand tools in Napa Valley on Monday in an attempt to contain the blaze .
• The Glass fire is seen along Highway 29 on Wednesday .
• St. Helena 's Foothills Adventist Elementary School is left with little standing besides a statue of Jesus Christ .
• The charred remains of guest houses seen Wednesday at Calistoga Ranch .
• The farm house at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is seen gutted by the Glass fire on Tuesday .
• A look inside the devastation at Castello di Amorosa 's farm house on Tuesday .
• Smoke lingers over Lake Hennessey in Napa County on Wednesday .

California’s world-famous wine country is bracing for more dangerous wildfire weather conditions Thursday while its communities reel from the Glass fire’s already devastating damage.
The Glass fire in Napa and Sonoma counties has ravaged more than 56,781 acres so far and remains just 5% contained. More than 240 structures have been completely destroyed ― including homes, schools and wineries ― and another 140 have sustained damages.
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Cal Fire Battalion Chief Mark Brunton said in an update Thursday morning he was “cautiously optimistic” that fire control lines would stop the blaze from moving into some communities, but dangerous weather conditions ― high heat, strong winds and low humidity ― mean the “spread of fire is almost imminent.”
That fire-friendly weather is expected to pick up Thursday afternoon and last for a day and a half.
“It’s going to be a big firefight for us for the next 36 hours,” Brunton said, noting Cal Fire had several firefighting squads in from out of state and the National Guard there to help.
Some of the region’s beloved landmarks that employ huge swaths of the community are among the devastation, including St. Helena’s Meadowood resort and Calistoga’s Castello di Amorosa winery. One of the worst-hit residential areas is Deer Park, a community nestled in the northeast hills of St. Helena.
The air throughout Napa Valley remains choked with smoke, inflicting dangerous air quality on people near the blazes and far into other parts of Northern California.
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See photos below of the devastation the Glass fire has already inflicted.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-01--Sacha Baron Cohen Dresses As Trump To Troll Mike Pence In 'Borat 2' Trailer

The trailer for “ Borat 2 ” was released on Thursday and many viewers ’ reactions likely will echo the main character ’ s catchphrase : “ Very nice.
” But Vice President Mike Pence may not be one of them .
Oh , and he ’ s carrying the limp body of a woman over his shoulder ― Borat , not Pence .
“ Michael Pennis !
I brought a girl for you !
” Borat as Trump shouts as CPAC attendees stare .
The trailer also shows Cohen ’ s Kazakhstani character meeting Americans from all walks of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suggest to Borat that slapping a frying pan against a wall won ’ t kill the coronavirus .
The new film , “ Borat : Gift of Pornographic Monkey to Vice Premiere Mikhael Pence to Make Benefit Recently Diminished Nation of Kazakhstan , ” will debut Oct. 23 on Amazon Prime .
Pence isn ’ t the only politician who might appear in the movie .
Trump lawyer Rudolph Giuliani also reportedly has a cameo role .
Sacha Baron Cohen dresses as Donald Trump in `` Borat 2 '' : “ Michael Pennis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ !
”

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The trailer for “Borat 2” was released on Thursday and many viewers’ reactions likely will echo the main character’s catchphrase: “Very nice.”
But Vice President Mike Pence may not be one of them.
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Oh, and he’s carrying the limp body of a woman over his shoulder ― Borat, not Pence.
“Michael Pennis! I brought a girl for you!” Borat as Trump shouts as CPAC attendees stare.
The trailer also shows Cohen’s Kazakhstani character meeting Americans from all walks of life, including COVID-19 skeptics who nonetheless suggest to Borat that slapping a frying pan against a wall won’t kill the coronavirus.
The new film, “Borat: Gift of Pornographic Monkey to Vice Premiere Mikhael Pence to Make Benefit Recently Diminished Nation of Kazakhstan,” will debut Oct. 23 on Amazon Prime.
Pence isn’t the only politician who might appear in the movie. Trump lawyer Rudolph Giuliani also reportedly has a cameo role.
Sacha Baron Cohen dresses as Donald Trump in "Borat 2": “Michael Pennis! I brought a girl for you!” YouTube


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-01--Kylie Jenner's Voting Thirst Trap Prompts 1,500% Surge In Registration

Kylie Jenner is using her bikini photos to get fans to register to vote , and apparently it ’ s working .
The reality TV star shared a link to Vote.org ’ s online tool on her Instagram , directing fans to the link with a saucy series of photos of herself in a bathing suit .
“ But are you registered to vote ?
Click the link in my bio ... let ’ s make a plan to vote together , ” Jenner wrote earlier this week .
The online voter registration and verification tool saw a massive surge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her page , a spokesperson told The Hill .
It had a whopping 1,500 % increase in users over the previous day after Jenner posted .
“ Following Kylie Jenner ’ s Instagram post , the surge in interactions with Vote.org ’ s registration verification tool speaks to an energy among young Americans who want to make sure their voices are heard this election , ” Vote.org CEO Andrea Hailey said in a statement to the outlet .
“ By making voting easier , and in turn , getting more people to vote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ representative democracy , ” she added .
Jenner ’ s older sister Khloe Kardashian said that she registered in response to her post , as did many others .
The KarJenners ’ relationship with politics has been all over the map in recent years .
Many of the Kardashians have spoken out against Trump , but Caitlyn Jenner has long outwardly supported the president , as has Kanye West .
Both West and his wife , Kim Kardashian , have notably worked alongside Trump to discuss various issues , including prison reform .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ efforts to talk to the president resulted in freedom for a grandmother imprisoned for more than two decades for a nonviolent offense .

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Kylie Jenner is using her bikini photos to get fans to register to vote, and apparently it’s working.
The reality TV star shared a link to Vote.org’s online tool on her Instagram, directing fans to the link with a saucy series of photos of herself in a bathing suit.
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“But are you registered to vote? Click the link in my bio ... let’s make a plan to vote together,” Jenner wrote earlier this week.
The online voter registration and verification tool saw a massive surge in use after Jenner endorsed it on her page, a spokesperson told The Hill. It had a whopping 1,500% increase in users over the previous day after Jenner posted.
“Following Kylie Jenner’s Instagram post, the surge in interactions with Vote.org’s registration verification tool speaks to an energy among young Americans who want to make sure their voices are heard this election,” Vote.org CEO Andrea Hailey said in a statement to the outlet.
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“By making voting easier, and in turn, getting more people to vote, we create a stronger, more representative democracy,” she added.
Jenner’s older sister Khloe Kardashian said that she registered in response to her post, as did many others.
The KarJenners’ relationship with politics has been all over the map in recent years. Many of the Kardashians have spoken out against Trump, but Caitlyn Jenner has long outwardly supported the president, as has Kanye West.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-01--NFL Postpones Titans-Steelers After 2 More Positive COVID Tests

NASHVILLE , Tenn. ( AP ) — The NFL postponed Sunday ’ s Pittsburgh Steelers game at Tennessee until later in the season after one additional Titans player and one personnel member tested positive for COVID-19 .
The announcement Thursday came one day after the league said it hoped to play the game on Monday or Tuesday .
The NFL said a new game date would be announced “ shortly.
” “ The decision to postpone the game was made to ensure the health and safety of players , coaches , and game day personnel , ” the league said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ closed and the team will continue to have no in-person activities until further notice.
” On Tuesday , the Titans ( 3-0 ) placed three players on the reserve/COVID-19 list , including key players defensive captain and lineman DaQuan Jones and long snapper Beau Brinkley .
Outside linebacker Kamalei Correa became the fourth on that list Wednesday .
With the two new cases , the Titans ’ total is now 11 : five players and six other organization members .
That doesn ’ t include outside linebackers coach Shane Bowen whose positive result @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from traveling with Tennessee to Minnesota for a 31-30 win .
Coach Mike Vrabel said Wednesday he was not among the group of five personnel , but he declined to identify any of those people who tested positive .
Vrabel said some of those who tested positive were experiencing “ flu-like ” symptoms .
Now the NFL has to figure out how to reschedule a game between two of its seven undefeated teams after the league ’ s first COVID-19 outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic .
The simplest scenario for rescheduling is Week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s the Titans ’ bye .
Pittsburgh is scheduled to play in Baltimore that week , but both the Steelers and Ravens have byes in Week 8 allowing the NFL to make a change affecting only one other team .
The challenge is turning this week into a bye for both Tennessee and Pittsburgh and comes after both teams started preparing to play as early as Monday .
The Titans , who played in the AFC championship game in January , and the Steelers , revived with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger back now , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rest of the regular season .
Pittsburgh hosts Philadelphia on Oct. 11 .
Buffalo is scheduled to visit Tennessee that day , the next game that could be affected depending on how the Titans ’ outbreak continues .

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The NFL postponed Sunday’s Pittsburgh Steelers game at Tennessee until later in the season after one additional Titans player and one personnel member tested positive for COVID-19.
The announcement Thursday came one day after the league said it hoped to play the game on Monday or Tuesday. The NFL said a new game date would be announced “shortly.”
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“The decision to postpone the game was made to ensure the health and safety of players, coaches, and game day personnel,” the league said. “The Titans facility will remain closed and the team will continue to have no in-person activities until further notice.”
On Tuesday, the Titans (3-0) placed three players on the reserve/COVID-19 list, including key players defensive captain and lineman DaQuan Jones and long snapper Beau Brinkley. Outside linebacker Kamalei Correa became the fourth on that list Wednesday.
With the two new cases, the Titans’ total is now 11: five players and six other organization members. That doesn’t include outside linebackers coach Shane Bowen whose positive result came back last Saturday, preventing him from traveling with Tennessee to Minnesota for a 31-30 win.
Coach Mike Vrabel said Wednesday he was not among the group of five personnel, but he declined to identify any of those people who tested positive. Vrabel said some of those who tested positive were experiencing “flu-like” symptoms.
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Now the NFL has to figure out how to reschedule a game between two of its seven undefeated teams after the league’s first COVID-19 outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.
The simplest scenario for rescheduling is Week 7 on Oct. 25. That’s the Titans’ bye. Pittsburgh is scheduled to play in Baltimore that week, but both the Steelers and Ravens have byes in Week 8 allowing the NFL to make a change affecting only one other team.
The challenge is turning this week into a bye for both Tennessee and Pittsburgh and comes after both teams started preparing to play as early as Monday. The Titans, who played in the AFC championship game in January, and the Steelers, revived with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger back now, may be playing without a break through the rest of the regular season.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-01--Russian Operation Masqueraded As Right-Wing News Site To Target U.S. Voters: Report

LONDON , Oct 1 ( Reuters ) - The Russian group accused of meddling in the 2016 U.S. election has posed as an independent news outlet to target right-wing social media users ahead of this year ’ s vote , two people familiar with an FBI probe into the activity told Reuters .
U.S. prosecutors say the agency played a key role in Russian efforts to sway the 2016 election in favor of President Donald Trump , and Facebook and Twitter exposed a fake left-wing media outlet in September which they said was run by people connected to the organization @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have not been previously reported , now show that Russian attempts to influence U.S. voters ahead of the 2020 election have targeted both sides of the political divide .
The website predominantly focused on U.S. politics and current events , republishing articles from conservative media and paying real Americans to write about politically-sensitive issues .
A network of accounts posing as editors and journalists then promoted the articles on social media sites favored by right-wing users .
Russia has repeatedly denied allegations of election interference .
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said he did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fake left-wing news site , Peace Data .
“ The Russian state does not engage in such activity , ” he said .
When asked by email about NAEBC ’ s connections to Russia , a person identifying themselves as Nora Berka , an assistant editor , said : “ I have no idea what does NAEBC have to do with it.
” The person declined to speak by phone or video call .
After Reuters contacted NAEBC for comment , social media accounts in the name of Nora Berka and other NAEBC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from their profiles and deleted some of their previous posts .
Ben Nimmo , head of investigations at social media analytics firm Graphika , analyzed the website after being alerted to the activity by Reuters .
He said NAEBC and the left-wing Peace Data showed Russian influence operations had evolved since 2016 .
NAEBC has been active since late June and built a small network of personas on Twitter and LinkedIn - some of which used computer-generated photographs of non-existent people - to solicit articles from followers and freelance journalists , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nimmo said the accounts failed to attract any significant following with many posts only receiving a handful of shares , but got more traction on Gab and Parler - two social media platforms favored by right-wing users for their lax approach to content moderation .
Paul Rockwell , head of trust and safety at LinkedIn , said his company had previously suspended three NAEBC accounts .
“ This is part of our regular work to actively seek out signs of state-sponsored activity on the platform and quickly take action against bad actors , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comment .
Before being contacted by Reuters , the company had already suspended NAEBC ’ s main account and an account in the name of Nora Berka , as well as blocking the NAEBC website address as a “ potentially harmful ” link .
A spokeswoman for Parler said the company was not aware of NAEBC and had not discussed the activity with law enforcement .
Gab did not respond to a request for comment .
A senior U.S. security official , who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russian operatives were increasingly recruiting “ unwitting Americans ” to write articles and post online .
Reuters identified three writers located in the United States who contributed articles to NAEBC .
Two of them were established authors who had written for a number of right-wing outlets , while the third was an amateur journalist .
One of the writers , who asked not to be named publicly , said they had been working for NAEBC for the last month with no knowledge of its Russian backing .
Emails seen by Reuters show the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Peace Data .
Writers were paid from $ 50 to $ 75 per an article , and money was sent promptly via online transfer .

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LONDON, Oct 1 (Reuters) - The Russian group accused of meddling in the 2016 U.S. election has posed as an independent news outlet to target right-wing social media users ahead of this year’s vote, two people familiar with an FBI probe into the activity told Reuters.
The latest operation centered around a pseudo media organization called the Newsroom for American and European Based Citizens (NAEBC), which was run by people associated with the St. Petersburg-based Internet Research Agency, the sources said.
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U.S. prosecutors say the agency played a key role in Russian efforts to sway the 2016 election in favor of President Donald Trump, and Facebook and Twitter exposed a fake left-wing media outlet in September which they said was run by people connected to the organization.
NAEBC and its activity, which have not been previously reported, now show that Russian attempts to influence U.S. voters ahead of the 2020 election have targeted both sides of the political divide.
The website predominantly focused on U.S. politics and current events, republishing articles from conservative media and paying real Americans to write about politically-sensitive issues. A network of accounts posing as editors and journalists then promoted the articles on social media sites favored by right-wing users.
Topics covered by NAEBC ranged from attacks on Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden to criticism of the Black Lives Matter movement and praise for Wisconsin shooter Kyle Rittenhouse.
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Russia has repeatedly denied allegations of election interference. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said he did not know anything about NAEBC or the fake left-wing news site, Peace Data. “The Russian state does not engage in such activity,” he said.
The FBI declined to comment.
When asked by email about NAEBC’s connections to Russia, a person identifying themselves as Nora Berka, an assistant editor, said: “I have no idea what does NAEBC have to do with it.” The person declined to speak by phone or video call.
After Reuters contacted NAEBC for comment, social media accounts in the name of Nora Berka and other NAEBC staff removed all references to the website from their profiles and deleted some of their previous posts.
‘SCREW OVER’
NAEBC presents itself as a “free and independent” media outlet based in Hungary with a mission to promote conservative and right-wing voices. Its main page carries a warning to its readers: “Don’t get yourself fooled.”
The website’s own name, however, is a pun on a Russian expletive meaning to deceive or “screw over.”
Ben Nimmo, head of investigations at social media analytics firm Graphika, analyzed the website after being alerted to the activity by Reuters. He said NAEBC and the left-wing Peace Data showed Russian influence operations had evolved since 2016.
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“But the overall strategy looks unchanged: energize Trump supporters, depress support for Biden, and target both sides with divisive and polarizing messages,” he said.
NAEBC has been active since late June and built a small network of personas on Twitter and LinkedIn - some of which used computer-generated photographs of non-existent people - to solicit articles from followers and freelance journalists, according to the Graphika analysis https://public-assets.graphika.com/reports/graphika_report_step_into_my_parler.pdf.
Nimmo said the accounts failed to attract any significant following with many posts only receiving a handful of shares, but got more traction on Gab and Parler - two social media platforms favored by right-wing users for their lax approach to content moderation.
Paul Rockwell, head of trust and safety at LinkedIn, said his company had previously suspended three NAEBC accounts. “This is part of our regular work to actively seek out signs of state-sponsored activity on the platform and quickly take action against bad actors,” he said.
Facebook said it had stopped one attempt to create an NAEBC account and blocked the website from being shared on its platforms.
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Twitter declined to comment. Before being contacted by Reuters, the company had already suspended NAEBC’s main account and an account in the name of Nora Berka, as well as blocking the NAEBC website address as a “potentially harmful” link.
A spokeswoman for Parler said the company was not aware of NAEBC and had not discussed the activity with law enforcement. Gab did not respond to a request for comment.
DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS
A senior U.S. security official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the press, said Russian operatives were increasingly recruiting “unwitting Americans” to write articles and post online.
Reuters identified three writers located in the United States who contributed articles to NAEBC. Two of them were established authors who had written for a number of right-wing outlets, while the third was an amateur journalist.
One of the writers, who asked not to be named publicly, said they had been working for NAEBC for the last month with no knowledge of its Russian backing.
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Emails seen by Reuters show the website operated much like its left-wing counterpart, Peace Data. Writers were paid from $50 to $75 per an article, and money was sent promptly via online transfer.
NAEBC staff also gave detailed instructions for the articles they commissioned and how they should be framed.
In late August, a person emailing as Nora Berka asked one writer for a story about calls to defund U.S. police departments in the wake of nationwide protests over a string of high-profile killings of black men by white officers.
NAEBC asked the author to question “how American citizens are supposed to protect themselves without police,” and specifically mention increased gun purchases as well as incidents of violence and shootings.
“Here we should mention that a lot of democrats support de-funding the police,” the person writing as Berka said. “And in case if they win 2020, it can happen.”
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