thehuffingtonpost--2020-09-17--Biden Blasts Trump's 'Criminal' Response To Coronavirus

“ You ’ ve got to level with the American people — shoot from the shoulder .
There ’ s not been a time they ’ ve not been able to step up .
The president should step down , ” the Democratic presidential nominee said to applause from a CNN drive-in town hall crowd in Moosic , outside his hometown of Scranton .
Later , Biden decried Americans ’ loss of basic “ freedoms ” as the U.S. has struggled to contain the pandemic , like the ability to go to a ballgame or walk around their neighborhoods .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ would see just such a thoroughly , totally irresponsible administration , ” he said .
Biden faced a half-dozen questions about the coronavirus and a potential vaccine in the town hall from moderator Anderson Cooper and audience members .
The pandemic was not just the main topic of the night — it was the cause of the unusual format of the event : a drive-in of 35 cars parked outside PNC Field .
The cars were parked around the stage , each with small groups of people standing outside them or leaning or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Biden on the stage in front of them .
The network erected blue and red spotlights over the dirt and gravel parking lot to make it easier to see , and each parking space was marked off with white chalk in large rectangles to ensure that each group of spectators stayed more than 6 feet ( 1.8 meters ) apart .
The appearances have been seen as tuneups before the three presidential debates ; the first is Sept. 29 , and the stakes for the matchup will be high .
Biden ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ primary contributed to his initial struggles in polls and the early primary vote , and Trump has pushed unfounded conspiracy theories about Biden taking performance-enhancing drugs and has raised questions about Biden ’ s mental acuity .
Biden , meanwhile , has promised to be a “ fact-checker on the stage ” with Trump but has said he doesn ’ t want to get drawn into a “ brawl ” with the Republican .
Biden also weighed in on foreign policy issues , promising to reduce America ’ s military footprint abroad and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the election by a foreign power is a “ violation of our sovereignty.
” He promised that if he ’ s elected and it becomes clear post-election that Russia interfered in the election , “ they ’ ll pay a price for it , and it ’ ll be an economic price.
” Biden described Russia as an “ opponent , ” but declined to use the same word when asked about China .
He instead called the nation a “ competitor ” and pledging to improve trade policy with China .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a stark reminder of the issue that ’ s been a central focus of Biden ’ s campaign — that the pandemic rages on , affecting Americans ’ lives in ways large and small , and that stronger leadership in White House could have eased the crisis .
More than 195,000 Americans have died of the coronavirus — by far the highest death toll in the world .
As Trump prepared for an evening rally in Wisconsin , Biden seized on the president openly contradicting the nation ’ s top health officials to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ early as next month , just before the Nov. 3 election .
Earlier in the day , Biden joined Senate Democrats for a conference call lunch and told allies that he is taking nothing for granted in the race for the White House and the down-ballot effort to wrest the Senate ’ s majority control from Republicans .
“ I ’ ve said , ‘ Joe , people need to know that you recognize the dignity of the work , the people have built this country , ’ ” Manchin told reporters .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ fought for their pensions , you fought for their health care ... and you ’ re not gon na leave them behind .
”

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MOOSIC, Pa. (AP) — Joe Biden on Thursday went after President Donald Trump again and again over his handling of COVID-19, calling Trump’s downplaying of the pandemic “criminal” and his administration “totally irresponsible.”
“You’ve got to level with the American people — shoot from the shoulder. There’s not been a time they’ve not been able to step up. The president should step down,” the Democratic presidential nominee said to applause from a CNN drive-in town hall crowd in Moosic, outside his hometown of Scranton.
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Speaking about Trump’s admission that he publicly played down the impact of the virus while aware of its severity, Biden declared: “He knew it and did nothing. It’s close to criminal.”
"He knew it and he did nothing. It's close to criminal."
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden slams President Trump for his handling of the pandemic, saying if he had acted earlier he would have saved many thousands of lives. https://t.co/OThmsjvgtJ #BidenTownHall pic.twitter.com/c7TPNU1EYa — CNN (@CNN) September 18, 2020
Later, Biden decried Americans’ loss of basic “freedoms” as the U.S. has struggled to contain the pandemic, like the ability to go to a ballgame or walk around their neighborhoods. “I never, ever thought I would see just such a thoroughly, totally irresponsible administration,” he said.
Biden faced a half-dozen questions about the coronavirus and a potential vaccine in the town hall from moderator Anderson Cooper and audience members. The pandemic was not just the main topic of the night — it was the cause of the unusual format of the event: a drive-in of 35 cars parked outside PNC Field.
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The cars were parked around the stage, each with small groups of people standing outside them or leaning or sitting on the hoods to watch Cooper and Biden on the stage in front of them. The network erected blue and red spotlights over the dirt and gravel parking lot to make it easier to see, and each parking space was marked off with white chalk in large rectangles to ensure that each group of spectators stayed more than 6 feet (1.8 meters) apart.
The town hall marked the first time that Biden had faced live, unscripted questions from voters since winning the nomination. Trump participated in an ABC town hall Tuesday in an auditorium in Philadelphia.
The appearances have been seen as tuneups before the three presidential debates; the first is Sept. 29, and the stakes for the matchup will be high. Biden’s uneven debate performances during the Democratic primary contributed to his initial struggles in polls and the early primary vote, and Trump has pushed unfounded conspiracy theories about Biden taking performance-enhancing drugs and has raised questions about Biden’s mental acuity.
Biden, meanwhile, has promised to be a “fact-checker on the stage” with Trump but has said he doesn’t want to get drawn into a “brawl” with the Republican.
On Thursday night, Biden said he was indeed beginning to prepare for the upcoming debate, by reviewing Trump’s remarks and preparing his own.
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Biden also weighed in on foreign policy issues, promising to reduce America’s military footprint abroad and saying that any attempt to interfere with the election by a foreign power is a “violation of our sovereignty.” He promised that if he’s elected and it becomes clear post-election that Russia interfered in the election, “they’ll pay a price for it, and it’ll be an economic price.”
Biden described Russia as an “opponent,” but declined to use the same word when asked about China. He instead called the nation a “competitor” and pledging to improve trade policy with China.
The format of Biden’s event was a stark reminder of the issue that’s been a central focus of Biden’s campaign — that the pandemic rages on, affecting Americans’ lives in ways large and small, and that stronger leadership in White House could have eased the crisis. More than 195,000 Americans have died of the coronavirus — by far the highest death toll in the world.
You lost your freedom because President Trump didn't act. #BidenTownHall pic.twitter.com/wOOeSSNmH6 — Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) September 18, 2020
Trump and Biden have spent the week accusing each other of undermining public trust in a potential coronavirus vaccine.
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As Trump prepared for an evening rally in Wisconsin, Biden seized on the president openly contradicting the nation’s top health officials to claim a vaccine would be ready as early as next month, just before the Nov. 3 election.
“Mark my words — if I’m president, I’ll always level with the American people, and I’ll always tell the truth,” Biden said in a statement.
A former Republican official in the Trump White House — Olivia Troye, onetime homeland security aide to Vice President Mike Pence — endorsed Biden on Thursday, citing Trump’s mishandling of the pandemic.
Earlier in the day, Biden joined Senate Democrats for a conference call lunch and told allies that he is taking nothing for granted in the race for the White House and the down-ballot effort to wrest the Senate’s majority control from Republicans.
The 30-minute event was a homecoming of sorts for the former Delaware senator. On the private call, Biden fielded questions, particularly from senators facing reelection, about his strategy win back the chamber and defeat Trump.
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“He just said, ‘You know what we’re up against. You know why this is so important,’” said Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich.
West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin said he encouraged Biden to remind workers how much he has been on their side during his many years in government.
“I’ve said, ‘Joe, people need to know that you recognize the dignity of the work, the people have built this country,’” Manchin told reporters. “They need to know that you fought for their pensions, you fought for their health care ... and you’re not gonna leave them behind.”
Biden’s campaign team has come under scrutiny in recent days over its outreach efforts, particularly for what some see as short shrift with Latino voters. At the same time, Democrats have mixed views over the party’s get-out-the-vote effort that largely bypasses traditional door-knocking to avoid health risks during the pandemic, instead relying on virtual outreach.
___
Jaffe and Mascaro reported from Washington. Associated Press writer Bill Barrow in Atlanta contributed to this report.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-09-17--GOP Candidate For Washington Governor Claims Wildfires Are 'Coordinated' Arson

Loren Culp , the Republican nominee running to unseat Washington Gov .
Jay Inslee ( D ) , is pushing a conspiracy theory that many of the wildfires raging in the Pacific Northwest are the result of a coordinated arson campaign .
“ I know statewide there ’ s about 600,000 acres that have burned , ” Culp said .
“ And a lot of them have apparently been set intentionally ― like this one .
A couple people have been caught so far .
Hopefully they investigate the heck out of this.
” “ There ’ s word ― @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you can speak to this ― there is word that these fires were set intentionally , ” Gergen said .
“ That it wasn ’ t due to lightning strike .
Do you have any insight into that ?
” Culp provided no evidence of an organized effort , and HuffPost found no reporting to indicate that the Cold Springs wildfire or any other blaze in Okanogan County , on the Canadian border , were the result of suspected arson .
Washington State Patrol reported arresting two men earlier this month for allegedly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tacoma area , about 150 miles southwest of Okanogan County , and a third man was arrested on suspicion of arson in a wildfire near Eugene , Oregon .
But multiple law enforcement agencies , including the Okanogan County sheriff , have been forced to dispel rumors swirling online of an organized arson attack by antifa , an umbrella term for loosely affiliated anti-fascist groups , to cause catastrophic blazes .
Asked if Culp was parroting internet falsehoods , Gergen said in an email Thursday that “ Mr .
Culp didn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far right or far left ― set the fires .
Individuals did .
And this has been widely reported ― even in the [ mainstream media ] .
” Gergen told HuffPost that Culp “ was sharing what he ’ d read and heard from credible sources ” in fire-affected communities .
Gergen also leaned into the conspiracy that the fires were the result of a coordinated , intentional effort .
“ Multiple arson attempts on this scale isn ’ t typical , ” he said .
“ In fact , no one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this many arson attempts .
That seems coordinated .
Maybe it is , maybe it isn ’ t .
But it certainly seems that way.
” This month , hundreds of wildfires have consumed a combined 5 million acres in California , Oregon and Washington .
At least 33 people have died and tens of thousands of residents have been displaced .
Climate change is making wildfires in the West worse by driving up temperatures , fueling drought and drying out vegetation .
“ At a time when Washington communities are being devastated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we need to be focused on stopping the spread of fires and the virus , not the reckless conspiracy theories of Loren Culp , ” Inslee campaign spokesperson James Singer said Thursday .
Inslee , who centered his failed 2020 presidential bid on combating the worsening climate crisis , has in recent days highlighted the role climate change plays in driving extreme wildfires .
In an open letter to Donald Trump this week , Inslee slammed the president for his denial of climate change and refusal to address it , which he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those you ’ re seeing today.
” Culp , a vocal Trump supporter and self-proclaimed “ law and order ” candidate , is the police chief of the small northeast Washington town of Republic .
He received national attention in 2018 when he announced that he would not enforce a voter-approved state initiative to tighten gun laws , including raising the age requirement to purchase a semiautomatic rifle to 21 .
“ In the ’ 70s there was the big scare about global cooling , ” he said in a Facebook Live video @ @ @ @ @ @ @ national news .
Global cooling , we ’ re all going to freeze to death .
And then it was global warming , we ’ re all going to burn up .
”

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UPDATE: Sept. 21 — At a campaign rally over the weekend in Enumclaw, Washington, Loren Culp’s campaign manager Christopher Gergen explicitly claimed that antifa is involved in starting wildfires in the West. “I don’t hear silence tonight,” Gergen said before introducing Culp to the stage. “I hear people that are ready to stand tall and be seen and speak loudly to be heard, to let the communists know and the antifa know and [Black Lives Matter] know that you can’t just roll into our state and burn down our forests and destroy our cities.”
PREVIOUSLY: Loren Culp, the Republican nominee running to unseat Washington Gov. Jay Inslee (D), is pushing a conspiracy theory that many of the wildfires raging in the Pacific Northwest are the result of a coordinated arson campaign.
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In a 13-minute campaign video posted to Culp’s YouTube late Wednesday, the gubernatorial candidate talks with two homeowners in a neighborhood that apparently was charred by the Cold Springs fire, near Omak.
“I know statewide there’s about 600,000 acres that have burned,” Culp said. “And a lot of them have apparently been set intentionally ― like this one. A couple people have been caught so far. Hopefully they investigate the heck out of this.”
“It’s something bigger,” one of the homeowners responded.
“To have that many fires set all over the state, it’s gotta be coordinated,” Culp added.
Culp and his campaign manager, Christopher Gergen, had a similar discussion in a Facebook Live video on Tuesday.
“There’s word ― and I don’t know if you can speak to this ― there is word that these fires were set intentionally,” Gergen said. “That it wasn’t due to lightning strike. Do you have any insight into that?”
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“When I talked to the firefighter and the rancher in Okanagan County, he said that it had been set intentionally,” Culp responded, without elaborating.
Culp provided no evidence of an organized effort, and HuffPost found no reporting to indicate that the Cold Springs wildfire or any other blaze in Okanogan County, on the Canadian border, were the result of suspected arson.
Washington State Patrol reported arresting two men earlier this month for allegedly starting brush fires, both in the Tacoma area, about 150 miles southwest of Okanogan County, and a third man was arrested on suspicion of arson in a wildfire near Eugene, Oregon. But multiple law enforcement agencies, including the Okanogan County sheriff, have been forced to dispel rumors swirling online of an organized arson attack by antifa, an umbrella term for loosely affiliated anti-fascist groups, to cause catastrophic blazes.
Asked if Culp was parroting internet falsehoods, Gergen said in an email Thursday that “Mr. Culp didn’t say Antifa or any other group ― far right or far left ― set the fires. Individuals did. And this has been widely reported ― even in the [mainstream media].”
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Gergen told HuffPost that Culp “was sharing what he’d read and heard from credible sources” in fire-affected communities. Gergen also leaned into the conspiracy that the fires were the result of a coordinated, intentional effort.
“Multiple arson attempts on this scale isn’t typical,” he said. “In fact, no one can remember a time when we had this many arson attempts. That seems coordinated. Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t. But it certainly seems that way.”
He called HuffPost “ridiculous” for inquiring about the claims and accused this reporter of “trying to spin Mr. Culp’s statements to make him look bad or uninformed.”
Republican gubernatorial candidate Loren Culp has said "there is word" that the fires were set intentionally but did not provide specifics. Elaine Thompson/ASSOCIATED PRESS
This month, hundreds of wildfires have consumed a combined 5 million acres in California, Oregon and Washington. At least 33 people have died and tens of thousands of residents have been displaced. Climate change is making wildfires in the West worse by driving up temperatures, fueling drought and drying out vegetation.
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“At a time when Washington communities are being devastated by fires and working to defeat COVID, we need to be focused on stopping the spread of fires and the virus, not the reckless conspiracy theories of Loren Culp,” Inslee campaign spokesperson James Singer said Thursday.
Inslee, who centered his failed 2020 presidential bid on combating the worsening climate crisis, has in recent days highlighted the role climate change plays in driving extreme wildfires. In an open letter to Donald Trump this week, Inslee slammed the president for his denial of climate change and refusal to address it, which he said “will accelerate devastating wildfires like those you’re seeing today.”
Culp, a vocal Trump supporter and self-proclaimed “law and order” candidate, is the police chief of the small northeast Washington town of Republic. He received national attention in 2018 when he announced that he would not enforce a voter-approved state initiative to tighten gun laws, including raising the age requirement to purchase a semiautomatic rifle to 21.
More recently, he’s opposed Inslee’s COVID-19 stay-at-home orders and mask mandates and dismissed the link between climate change and devastating wildfires.
“In the ’70s there was the big scare about global cooling,” he said in a Facebook Live video Wednesday. “It was on the national news. Global cooling, we’re all going to freeze to death. And then it was global warming, we’re all going to burn up.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-09-18--Experts Predict A Big Increase In High School Dropouts Is On The Horizon

Education leaders are predicting a sizable increase in the number of high school dropouts during the 2020-2021 school year .
With more than half of school districts using hybrid or remote models , they fear struggling students will disengage from their school systems without a fully in-person option .
Amid an economic crisis with high unemployment rates , more teachers report that their students are opting to work hourly jobs to help support their families .
Others are taking care of siblings in lieu of stable childcare .
Compounding these issues is the fact that many students still lack access @ @ @ @ @ @ @ schooling .
Earlier this month , a national coalition of education and civic groups , including the National League of Cities and the American Institutes for Research , met to discuss strategies for reengaging students and work to get a handle on the numbers of new dropouts the country could be facing .
They discussed fears that this group of students has not received adequate attention .
“ I think the really simple answer is we ’ re pretty nervous , ” said Monika Kincheloe , who leads the GradNation campaign out of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alliance of groups dedicated to improving the lives of young people .
GradNation was launched in 2010 with the goal of getting the four-year high school graduation rate up to 90 % by the class of 2020 .
Now that goal feels substantially more out of reach .
Anxiety over this issue started last spring when schools first transitioned to remote learning .
Some districts failed to get in touch with thousands of students who never signed on for learning or responded to teachers ’ attempts to connect .
In South Carolina , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of students , or roughly 40,000 kids , had failed to hand in a single assignment during remote learning .
This year , experts worry after months at home , struggling students will be on a path to missing important credits , making it impossible for them to graduate on time without stark intervention .
The barriers to success at school can be far steeper when students are learning from home , they note .
Without involved parents , students may have to figure out on their own how to obtain a laptop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a professor at Johns Hopkins University and director of the Everyone Graduates Center .
Kids who were dependent on asking their teachers or peers for help to understand the material are more disconnected from their built-in support systems .
“ If you can get yourself to the building , the school will tell you what to do .
Now that doesn ’ t exist , ” said Balfanz .
“ It ’ s the academic side , but also the connection to school which is so important .
If you ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out a lot on your own , it ’ s easy to get frustrated and feel hopeless.
” Balfanz worries about seniors .
But he also worries about how this time will impact another group of students also going through a transitional period : ninth-graders making the leap to high school .
In a new environment , with less hand-holding , it might be difficult for them to make the connection to school that would keep them engaged .
He worries that this time will have repercussions for these students even years down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , students were not responding or participating in a Zoom or Google Meet or submitting work .
We were learning there were students who , in essence , were just disappearing and that prompted us to do as much outreach as we could , ” said Padilla .
At first , the district of 12,000 didn ’ t hear from close to 2,000 families .
After starting the reengagement process , which involved first checking to see if students and families were safe ― indeed , the community had already lost the vice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ― and then checking on families ’ internet capabilities through home visits , that number shrunk to around 175 .
This fall , the team is also partnering with local community and faith-based organizations to help connect with families .
“ It ’ s about identifying those organizations that have a real reach to families , who support families perhaps with social services , who know families perhaps more intimately than a new teacher would , ” said Padilla .
By October , education groups hope to have a better understanding of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out , or may be at risk of doing so soon .
The groups are meeting monthly , sharing strategies and hoping to get started on releasing guidance .

Illustration: Rebecca Zisser/HuffPost
Since 2011, the four-year high school graduation rate has been inching steadily upward, growing from 79% to 85% in 2018. But experts fear that 2020 could sharply reverse this trendline.
Education leaders are predicting a sizable increase in the number of high school dropouts during the 2020-2021 school year. With more than half of school districts using hybrid or remote models, they fear struggling students will disengage from their school systems without a fully in-person option. Amid an economic crisis with high unemployment rates, more teachers report that their students are opting to work hourly jobs to help support their families. Others are taking care of siblings in lieu of stable childcare. Compounding these issues is the fact that many students still lack access to the appropriate technology to complete online schooling.
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Earlier this month, a national coalition of education and civic groups, including the National League of Cities and the American Institutes for Research, met to discuss strategies for reengaging students and work to get a handle on the numbers of new dropouts the country could be facing. They discussed fears that this group of students has not received adequate attention.
“I think the really simple answer is we’re pretty nervous,” said Monika Kincheloe, who leads the GradNation campaign out of America’s Promise Alliance, an alliance of groups dedicated to improving the lives of young people. GradNation was launched in 2010 with the goal of getting the four-year high school graduation rate up to 90% by the class of 2020. Now that goal feels substantially more out of reach.
“No one seems to be thinking about this or paying attention to this idea that we could just lose large groups of young people right now in the high school years,” Kincheloe said.
Anxiety over this issue started last spring when schools first transitioned to remote learning. Some districts failed to get in touch with thousands of students who never signed on for learning or responded to teachers’ attempts to connect. In South Carolina, by May, an estimated 5% of students, or roughly 40,000 kids, had failed to hand in a single assignment during remote learning.
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At that point, though, the issue was lower stakes for the oldest students: Most seniors had the credits they needed to graduate, and schools were also waiving requirements around grading and attendance.
This year, experts worry after months at home, struggling students will be on a path to missing important credits, making it impossible for them to graduate on time without stark intervention. The barriers to success at school can be far steeper when students are learning from home, they note.
“If you can get yourself to the building, the school will tell you what to do. Now that doesn’t exist.” - Johns Hopkins University professor Robert Balfanz
Without involved parents, students may have to figure out on their own how to obtain a laptop or hot spot, said Robert Balfanz, a professor at Johns Hopkins University and director of the Everyone Graduates Center. Kids who were dependent on asking their teachers or peers for help to understand the material are more disconnected from their built-in support systems.
“If you can get yourself to the building, the school will tell you what to do. Now that doesn’t exist,” said Balfanz. “It’s the academic side, but also the connection to school which is so important. If you’re on your own and asked to figure out a lot on your own, it’s easy to get frustrated and feel hopeless.”
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A survey of students from America’s Promise found that over 20% of students were not feeling connected to their school communities at the end of last year.
“Not everyone will be so disengaged they won’t earn credits, but a good chunk of them would be,” he said. “I think there’s worry there’s some kids who have already dropped out.”
Balfanz worries about seniors. But he also worries about how this time will impact another group of students also going through a transitional period: ninth-graders making the leap to high school. In a new environment, with less hand-holding, it might be difficult for them to make the connection to school that would keep them engaged. He worries that this time will have repercussions for these students even years down the line.
“They’re not getting that sense of community or even know who their teachers are. It’s all from a distance,” he said.
But keeping track of disengaged students, especially in communities where families are struggling to meet their basic needs, requires a level of proactivity that many schools haven’t initiated, too wrapped up in immediate concerns about health and instruction.
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In Newburgh, New York, school Superintendent Roberto Padilla has created an engagement team that knocks on families’ doors to check in, targeting families who have neglected online learning. The district is starting this year remotely.
The team was first created in the spring after the district saw that significant students were failing to log on or respond to teacher emails.
“Week after week, students were not responding or participating in a Zoom or Google Meet or submitting work. We were learning there were students who, in essence, were just disappearing and that prompted us to do as much outreach as we could,” said Padilla.
At first, the district of 12,000 didn’t hear from close to 2,000 families. After starting the reengagement process, which involved first checking to see if students and families were safe ― indeed, the community had already lost the vice president of its school board to COVID-19 ― and then checking on families’ internet capabilities through home visits, that number shrunk to around 175.
This fall, the team is also partnering with local community and faith-based organizations to help connect with families. “It’s about identifying those organizations that have a real reach to families, who support families perhaps with social services, who know families perhaps more intimately than a new teacher would,” said Padilla.
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The efforts, though, shouldn’t all fall on individual districts. Padilla is dismayed that there’s been no national guidance on the issue, or at least some efforts to build a national strategy to reengage students.
“I’m concerned we could see an increase in dropouts in districts all across the state and country,” he said.
By October, education groups hope to have a better understanding of the numbers of students who have effectively dropped out, or may be at risk of doing so soon. The groups are meeting monthly, sharing strategies and hoping to get started on releasing guidance.
If districts don’t start dealing with this issue until January or February, “it will be too late for those students,” said Bryan Joffee, project director of education and youth development for The School Superintendents Association.
“There needs to be a campaign starting now that wakes up schools and community agencies and cities and counties to the idea that we need to rally around our students and families this year,” said Joffee, who has been in touch with superintendents on the issue.
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But amid the many stressors districts are facing — including questions over when to reopen fully in person, how to keep kids safe when they do reopen, how to pay for the cost of implementing social distancing measures and how to handle staffing issues — leaders worry this has become an afterthought.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-09-18--Global Coronavirus Infections Top 30 Million

Johns Hopkins University released the figures on Thursday , which showed the U.S. was still leading the globe with more than 6.6 million cases of the novel coronavirus .
Surging rates of infections in India , including more than 97,000 in a 24-hour period this week , have added to ongoing concern that the pandemic is far from being under control .
The World Health Organization has also warned of an “ alarming ” rise of transmissions in Europe .
More than 944,000 people have died from COVID-19 , including nearly 200,000 people in the U.S. alone .
The figures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of cases due to difficulties in testing early in the pandemic and the fact that many of those infected don ’ t show symptoms .
“ Many pin their hopes on a vaccine , but let ’ s be clear : There is no panacea in a pandemic , ” he continued , urging global unity in the fight for a successful drug .
“ We need to massively expand new and existing tools that can respond to new cases and provide vital treatment that can suppress transmission and save lives.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 each day , The New York Times reported .
It took less than seven months for the planet to hit 10 million cases by June 18 , around six weeks to hit 20 million on August 10 and just over a month to hit the 30 million milestone .
The hunt for a successful vaccine is ongoing , but even if one is discovered , inoculating the world will take time .
The charitable group Oxfam said Thursday that more than half of the expected supply of the vaccine candidates far along @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reserved by wealthy countries .
“ Governments will prolong this crisis in all of its human tragedy and economic damage if they allow pharmaceutical companies to protect their monopolies and profits , ” the interim director of Oxfam said in a statement .
“ No single corporation will ever be able to meet the world ’ s need for a COVID-19 vaccine.
” Getting Americans to even take the vaccine will likely be more difficult as time goes on .
A new poll released this week by the Pew Research Group found just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ obtain one when it became available , a 21 percentage point drop from a similar survey in May .
Despite ongoing concerns over his attempts to politicize the virus , President Donald Trump has continued to push for the release of a vaccine before the end of the year , dangling a potential treatment by Election Day .

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More than 30 million people have tested positive for COVID-19 since the pandemic began in December 2019.
Johns Hopkins University released the figures on Thursday, which showed the U.S. was still leading the globe with more than 6.6 million cases of the novel coronavirus.
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Surging rates of infections in India, including more than 97,000 in a 24-hour period this week, have added to ongoing concern that the pandemic is far from being under control. The World Health Organization has also warned of an “alarming” rise of transmissions in Europe.
More than 944,000 people have died from COVID-19, including nearly 200,000 people in the U.S. alone.
The figures are almost certainly lower than the actual number of cases due to difficulties in testing early in the pandemic and the fact that many of those infected don’t show symptoms.
“Our world is nearing the grimmest of milestones, 1 million lives lost to the virus,” United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said this week. “Meanwhile the outbreak remains out of control. The virus is the number 1 global security threat in our world today.
“Many pin their hopes on a vaccine, but let’s be clear: There is no panacea in a pandemic,” he continued, urging global unity in the fight for a successful drug. “We need to massively expand new and existing tools that can respond to new cases and provide vital treatment that can suppress transmission and save lives.”
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More than 250,000 people test positive for COVID-19 each day, The New York Times reported. It took less than seven months for the planet to hit 10 million cases by June 18, around six weeks to hit 20 million on August 10 and just over a month to hit the 30 million milestone.
The hunt for a successful vaccine is ongoing, but even if one is discovered, inoculating the world will take time. The charitable group Oxfam said Thursday that more than half of the expected supply of the vaccine candidates far along in development had already been purchased or reserved by wealthy countries.
“Governments will prolong this crisis in all of its human tragedy and economic damage if they allow pharmaceutical companies to protect their monopolies and profits,” the interim director of Oxfam said in a statement. “No single corporation will ever be able to meet the world’s need for a COVID-19 vaccine.”
Getting Americans to even take the vaccine will likely be more difficult as time goes on. A new poll released this week by the Pew Research Group found just 51 percent of Americans said they would obtain one when it became available, a 21 percentage point drop from a similar survey in May.
Despite ongoing concerns over his attempts to politicize the virus, President Donald Trump has continued to push for the release of a vaccine before the end of the year, dangling a potential treatment by Election Day.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-09-17--Nearly 1 Million Homes Are Composed Of Same-Sex Couples, US Census Bureau Finds

ORLANDO , Fla. ( AP ) — Five years after the U.S. Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriages around the U.S. , more than a half million households are made up of married same-sex couples , according to figures the U.S. Census Bureau released Thursday .
Since 2014 , the year before the U.S. Supreme Court legalized same sex marriages , the number of married same-sex households has increased by almost 70 % , rising to 568,110 couples in 2019 , according to the Census Bureau ’ s American Community Survey .
According to the survey , same-sex married households were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than opposite-sex married households , 84.6 % compared to 80.4 % .
However , there was a difference between gay and lesbian couples .
Married women in same-sex households were much more likely to be working than married women in opposite-sex households , but the reverse was true for married men in same-sex households .
They were less likely to be working than married men in opposite-sex households , according to the Census Bureau .
Separate survey results also released Thursday show almost 15 % of same-sex couples had at least one child @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % of opposite-sex couples .
Of the nearly 300,000 children living in a homes with same-sex couples , 66 % were children of both partners or spouses , compared to 95 % for opposite-sex couples , according to the Census Bureau 's Current Population Survey .
The District of Columbia had the greatest concentration of same-sex households , at 2.4 % of households , followed by Delaware ( 1.3 % ) , Oregon ( 1.2 % ) , Massachusetts ( 1.2 % ) and Washington State ( 1.1 % ) , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ survey , the average age of a respondent in a same-sex marriage was 48 , and the average age of the spouse was 47 .
Of those who responded to the survey as being in a same-sex married household , 82 % identified as white , almost 7 % identified themselves as Black and almost 4 % were Asian .
More than 13 % were Hispanic .
The U.S. had 122 million households in 2019 .
The number of gays and lesbian households in the U.S. is greater than 980,000 since that figure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The 2019 American Community Survey for the first time included updated relationship categories that better captured the characteristics and number of same-sex households in the U.S. than in years past .

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ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Five years after the U.S. Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriages around the U.S., more than a half million households are made up of married same-sex couples, according to figures the U.S. Census Bureau released Thursday.
Since 2014, the year before the U.S. Supreme Court legalized same sex marriages, the number of married same-sex households has increased by almost 70%, rising to 568,110 couples in 2019, according to the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.
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Of the 980,000 same-sex couple households reported in 2019, 58% were married couples and 42% were unmarried partners, the survey showed.
There were slightly more female couple households than male couple households.
The survey revealed noticeable economic differences between male couples and female couples, as well as same-sex couples and opposite-sex couples.
Same-sex married couples had a higher median income than opposite-sex married couples, $107,210 compared to $96,932. In same-sex marriages, though, male couples earned more than female couples, $123,646 versus $87,690.
According to the survey, same-sex married households were more likely to be in the workforce than opposite-sex married households, 84.6% compared to 80.4%.
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However, there was a difference between gay and lesbian couples. Married women in same-sex households were much more likely to be working than married women in opposite-sex households, but the reverse was true for married men in same-sex households. They were less likely to be working than married men in opposite-sex households, according to the Census Bureau.
Separate survey results also released Thursday show almost 15% of same-sex couples had at least one child under age 18, compared to 37.8% of opposite-sex couples. Of the nearly 300,000 children living in a homes with same-sex couples, 66% were children of both partners or spouses, compared to 95% for opposite-sex couples, according to the Census Bureau's Current Population Survey.
The District of Columbia had the greatest concentration of same-sex households, at 2.4% of households, followed by Delaware (1.3%), Oregon (1.2%), Massachusetts (1.2%) and Washington State (1.1%), according to the American Community Survey.
In the survey, the average age of a respondent in a same-sex marriage was 48, and the average age of the spouse was 47. Of those who responded to the survey as being in a same-sex married household, 82% identified as white, almost 7% identified themselves as Black and almost 4% were Asian. More than 13% were Hispanic.
More than 16% of same-sex married households were interracial couples, double the rate for opposite-sex married couples.
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The U.S. had 122 million households in 2019. The number of gays and lesbian households in the U.S. is greater than 980,000 since that figure only reflected same-sex couples living together.
The 2019 American Community Survey for the first time included updated relationship categories that better captured the characteristics and number of same-sex households in the U.S. than in years past.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-09-18--Officials: Trump To Block U.S. Downloads Of TikTok, WeChat

Commerce officials said the ban on new U.S. downloads of TikTok could be still rescinded by President Donald Trump before it takes effect late Sunday as TikTok owner ByteDance races to clinch an agreement over the fate of its U.S. operations .
ByteDance has been talking with Oracle Corp and others to create a new company , TikTok Global , that aims to address U.S. concerns about the security of its users ’ data .
ByteDance still needs Trump ’ s approval to stave off a U.S. ban .
Commerce officials said they will not bar additional technical transactions for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the company additional time to see if ByteDance can reach a deal for its U.S. operations .
“ The basic TikTok will stay intact until Nov. 12 , ” Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross told Fox Business Network .
The Commerce Department order will “ deplatform ” the two apps in the United States and bar Apple Inc ’ s app store , Alphabet Inc ’ s Google Play and others from offering the apps on any platform “ that can be reached from within the United States , ” a senior Commerce official @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ban U.S. companies from doing businesses on WeChat outside the United States , which will be welcome news to U.S. firms like Walmart and Starbucks that use WeChat ’ s embedded ‘ mini-app ’ programs to facilitate transactions and engage consumers in China , officials said .
The order will not bar transactions with WeChat-owner Tencent Holdings ’ other businesses , including its online gaming operations , and will not prohibit Apple , Google or others from offering TikTok or WeChat apps anywhere outside the United States .
The bans are in response @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Trump on August 6 that gave the Commerce Department 45 days to determine what transactions to block from the apps he deemed pose a national security threat .
That deadline expires on Sunday .
Commerce Department officials said they were taking the extraordinary step because of the risks the apps ’ data collection poses .
China and the companies have denied U.S. user data is collected for spying .
WeChat has had an average of 19 million daily active users in the United States , analytics firms Apptopia said in early August @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ex-pats and some Americans who have personal or business relationships in China .
WeChat is an all-in-one mobile app that combines services similar to Facebook , WhatsApp , Instagram and Venmo .
The app is an essential part of daily life for many in China and boasts more than 1 billion users .
The Commerce Department will not seek to compel people in the United States to remove the apps or stop using them but will not allow updates or new downloads .
“ We are aiming at a top corporate level @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go out after the individual users , ” one Commerce official said .
“ The expectation is that people will find alternative ways to do these actions , ” a senior official said .
“ We expect the market to act and there will be more secure apps that will fill in these gaps that Americans can trust and that the United States government won ’ t have to take similar actions against.
” “ What immediately is going to happen is users are going to experience a lag or lack of functionality @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of WeChat users .
“ It may still be usable but it is not going to be as functional as it was.
” There may be sporadic outages as well , the official said .
Commerce will bar the same set of technical transactions for TikTok , but that will not take effect until Nov. 12 to give the company additional time to see if ByteDance can reach a deal for its U.S. operations .
The official said TikTok U.S. users would not see “ a major difference ” in the app ’ @ @ @ @ @ @

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Trump administration will ban WeChat and video-sharing app TikTok from U.S. app stores starting Sunday night, a move that will block Americans from downloading the Chinese-owned platforms over concerns they pose a national security threat.
The bans, announced on Friday, affect only new downloads and updates and are less sweeping than expected, particularly for TikTok, giving its parent group ByteDance some breathing space to clinch an agreement over the fate of its U.S. operations.
WeChat, an all-in-one messaging, social media and electronic payment app, faces more severe restrictions from Sunday. Existing TikTok users, on the other hand, will see little change until Nov. 12 when a ban on some technical transactions will kick in, which TikTok said would amount to an effective ban.
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“We disagree with the decision from the Commerce Department, and are disappointed that it stands to block new app downloads from Sunday and ban use of the TikTok app in the U.S. from Nov. 12,” the company said in a statement. “We will continue to challenge the unjust executive order, which was enacted without due process and threatens to deprive the American people and small businesses across the U.S. of a significant platform for both a voice and livelihoods.”
Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross told Fox Business Network that “the basic TikTok will stay intact until Nov. 12.”
The ban on new U.S. downloads of the widely popular app could still be rescinded by President Donald Trump before it takes effect if ByteDance seals a deal with Oracle that addresses concerns about the security of its users’ data.
“This is the right move - ratchet up the pressure on Beijing, protect Americans,” said Republican Senator Josh Hawley on Twitter.
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The Trump administration has ramped up efforts to purge “untrusted” Chinese apps from U.S. digital networks amid escalating tensions with Beijing on a range of issues from trade and human rights to the battle for tech supremacy.
The ban on WeChat, used by over 1 billion people worldwide, bars the transfer of funds or processing of payments to or from people in the United States through it. Users could also start to experience slower service from Sunday night.
The Commerce Department order bars Apple Inc’s app store, Alphabet Inc’s Google Play and others from offering the apps on any platform “that can be reached from within the United States,” a senior Commerce official told Reuters.
While the bans are less dramatic than some had originally feared, Commerce officials said additional transactions could be added at a later date.
Oracle shares were down 0.3% after initially dropping 1.6% in pre-market trading.
The American Civil Liberties Union said the Commerce order “violates the First Amendment rights of people in the United States by restricting their ability to communicate and conduct important transactions on the two social media platforms.”
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It added it also “harms the privacy and security of millions of existing TikTok and WeChat users in the United States by blocking software updates, which can fix vulnerabilities and make the apps more secure.”
The order does not ban U.S. companies from doing businesses on WeChat outside the United States, which will be welcome news to U.S. firms like Walmart and Starbucks that use WeChat’s embedded ‘mini-app’ programs to facilitate transactions and engage consumers in China, officials said.
The order will not bar transactions with WeChat-owner Tencent Holdings’ other businesses, including its online gaming operations, and will not prohibit Apple, Google or others from offering TikTok or WeChat apps anywhere outside the United States.
The bans are in response to a pair of executive orders issued by Trump on Aug. 6 that gave the Commerce Department 45 days to determine what transactions to block from the apps he deemed to pose a national security threat. That deadline expires on Sunday.
Commerce Department officials said they were taking the extraordinary step because of the risks the apps’ data collection poses. China and the companies have denied U.S. user data is collected for spying.
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Ross said in a written statement “we have taken significant action to combat China’s malicious collection of American citizens’ personal data while promoting our national values, democratic rules-based norms, and aggressive enforcement of U.S. laws and regulations.”
Apple and Google did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
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TikTok has 100 million users in the United States and is especially popular among younger Americans.
WeChat has had an average of 19 million daily active users in the United States, analytics firms Apptopia said in early August. It is popular among Chinese students, ex-pats and some Americans who have personal or business relationships in China.
The Commerce Department will not seek to compel people in the United States to remove the apps or stop using them. “We are aiming at a top corporate level. We’re not going to go out after the individual users,” one Commerce official said.
Over time, officials said, the lack of updates will degrade the apps’ usability.
“The expectation is that people will find alternative ways to do these actions,” a senior official said. “We expect the market to act and there will be more secure apps that will fill in these gaps that Americans can trust and that the United States government won’t have to take similar actions against.”
Commerce is also barring additional technical transactions with WeChat starting Sunday that will significantly reduce the usability and functionality of the app in the United States.
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The order bars data hosting within the United States for WeChat, content delivery services, and networks that can increase functionality and internet transit or peering services.
“What immediately is going to happen is users are going to experience a lag or lack of functionality,” a senior Commerce official said of WeChat users. “It may still be usable but it is not going to be as functional as it was.”
Commerce will bar the same set of technical transactions for TikTok, but that will not take effect until Nov. 12.
Commerce will not penalize people who use TikTok or WeChat in the United States.
The order does not bar data storage within the United States for WeChat or TikTok.
Some Americans may find workarounds. There is nothing that would bar an American from traveling to a foreign country and downloading either app or potentially using a virtual private network and a desktop client, officials conceded.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-09-18--Blink And You May Miss Chrissy Teigen's Low-Key Gender Reveal On Instagram

Chrissy Teigen revealed the gender of her third child in the most low-key way .
The pregnant model and cookbook author , while talking on Instagram stories Thursday about “ poopy placenta ” that ’ s forced her into 24/7 bed rest , appeared to let slip that she and husband John Legend are expecting a boy .
“ It ’ s super weak , ” she said of her placenta .
“ But it ’ s so weird because the baby is really , really healthy .
And he ’ s big , he ’ s probably getting , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ covering her mouth with her hands .
It ’ s unclear whether the revelation was really accidental .
Either way , Teigen later tweeted that there were “ no fires and no one shot in the dick ” with her reveal .
Authorities announced last week that the El Dorado Fire that ’ s scorched more than 7,000 acres to the east of Los Angeles was sparked by a pyrotechnic device at a gender reveal party .
Teigen and Legend haven ’ t announced the due date for their third child .
Their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2016 , and Miles , was born two years later .
The celebrity couple hinted at the arrival of another baby when , in the music video for Legend ’ s song “ Wild ” released last month , the musician cradled his wife ’ s belly from behind .

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Chrissy Teigen revealed the gender of her third child in the most low-key way.
The pregnant model and cookbook author, while talking on Instagram stories Thursday about “poopy placenta” that’s forced her into 24/7 bed rest, appeared to let slip that she and husband John Legend are expecting a boy.
“It’s super weak,” she said of her placenta.
“But it’s so weird because the baby is really, really healthy. And he’s big, he’s probably getting, oops,” Teigen added, before covering her mouth with her hands.
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Check out the clip here:
It’s unclear whether the revelation was really accidental.
Either way, Teigen later tweeted that there were “no fires and no one shot in the dick” with her reveal.
Authorities announced last week that the El Dorado Fire that’s scorched more than 7,000 acres to the east of Los Angeles was sparked by a pyrotechnic device at a gender reveal party.
😩 no fires and no one shot in the dick https://t.co/XivbQ8o5mq — chrissy teigen (@chrissyteigen) September 17, 2020
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Teigen and Legend haven’t announced the due date for their third child. Their others, Luna, was born in 2016, and Miles, was born two years later.
The celebrity couple hinted at the arrival of another baby when, in the music video for Legend’s song “Wild” released last month, the musician cradled his wife’s belly from behind.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-09-18--'Forrest Gump' Author Winston Groom Dead At 77

Mayor Karin Wilson of Fairhope , Alabama , said in a message on social media that Groom had died in that south Alabama town .
A local funeral home also confirmed the death and said arrangements were pending .
“ While he will be remembered for creating Forrest Gump , Winston Groom was a talented journalist & noted author of American history .
Our hearts & prayers are extended to his family , ” Alabama Gov .
Kay Ivey said in a statement .
Groom wrote 16 books of fiction and nonfiction .
One , “ Conversations with the Enemy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ war in Vietnam accused of collaboration , was a Pulitzer Prize finalist .
“ Forrest Gump ” was the improbable tale of a slow-witted but mathematically gifted man who was a participant or witness to key points of 20th-century history — from Alabama segregationist Gov .
George Wallace ’ s “ stand at the schoolhouse door , ” to meetings with presidents .
It was the best-known book by Groom , who grew up in Mobile , Alabama , and graduated from the University of Alabama in 1965 , according to a biography @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the Army ’ s Fourth Infantry Division from 1965 to 1969 , the university said .
His service included a tour in Vietnam — one of the settings for “ Forrest Gump.
” He wrote 16 books , fiction and nonfiction .
One , “ Conversations with the Enemy , ” about an American prisoner of war in Vietnam accused of collaboration , was a Pulitzer Prize finalist , according to the university .
It was “ Forrest Gump ” — and the success of the 1994 movie starring Tom Hanks in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well as Sally Field and Gary Sinise — that earned him widespread fame and some financial success .
The novel is considerably different from the film .
Don Noble , University of Alabama professor emeritus of English , and a 40-year friend of Groom ’ s told The Tuscaloosa News that the novel was “ darker ” and “ richer ” than the movie .
“ You can make a lot of money as a comic writer , but you can ’ t get no respect , ” Noble said .
“ But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quite a fine novel .
It ’ s more subtle and more complicated ... richer than the movie.
” The movie , which also starred Robin Wright and Mykelti Williamson , became deeply embedded in the American psyche and has remained an enduring television staple and huge cultural phenomenon since .
The basic outlines of Gump ’ s life are the same as they are in the book : Gump plays football under Paul “ Bear ” Bryant at the University of Alabama , serves in Vietnam and starts a major shrimp business @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Gump was not a math savant as he was in the book , and was a more saintly soul .
The film took away Gump ’ s size ― Groom said he envisioned John Goodman playing him ― along with his profanity , and most of his sex life .
In 2009 he released “ Vicksburg 1863 , ” an account of the Union siege that brought a novelist ’ s touch to historical figures like Ulysses S. Grant , William T. Sherman and Jefferson Davis , president of the confederacy .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to “ Forrest Gump ” plus 3 % of the net profit of the movie .
But he got into a serious dispute with Paramount Pictures when they told him a film that had earned over $ 600 million was in the red after expenses .

FAIRHOPE, Ala. (AP) — Winston Groom, the writer whose novel “Forrest Gump” was made into a six-Oscar winning 1994 movie that became a soaring pop cultural phenomenon, has died at age 77.
Mayor Karin Wilson of Fairhope, Alabama, said in a message on social media that Groom had died in that south Alabama town. A local funeral home also confirmed the death and said arrangements were pending.
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“While he will be remembered for creating Forrest Gump, Winston Groom was a talented journalist & noted author of American history. Our hearts & prayers are extended to his family,” Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey said in a statement.
Groom wrote 16 books of fiction and nonfiction. One, “Conversations with the Enemy,” about an American prisoner of war in Vietnam accused of collaboration, was a Pulitzer Prize finalist. ASSOCIATED PRESS
“Forrest Gump” was the improbable tale of a slow-witted but mathematically gifted man who was a participant or witness to key points of 20th-century history — from Alabama segregationist Gov. George Wallace’s “stand at the schoolhouse door,” to meetings with presidents.
It was the best-known book by Groom, who grew up in Mobile, Alabama, and graduated from the University of Alabama in 1965, according to a biography posted by the university.
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Groom served in the Army’s Fourth Infantry Division from 1965 to 1969, the university said. His service included a tour in Vietnam — one of the settings for “Forrest Gump.”
He wrote 16 books, fiction and nonfiction. One, “Conversations with the Enemy,” about an American prisoner of war in Vietnam accused of collaboration, was a Pulitzer Prize finalist, according to the university.
It was “Forrest Gump” — and the success of the 1994 movie starring Tom Hanks in the iconic role of Gump, as well as Sally Field and Gary Sinise — that earned him widespread fame and some financial success.
The novel is considerably different from the film. Don Noble, University of Alabama professor emeritus of English, and a 40-year friend of Groom’s told The Tuscaloosa News that the novel was “darker” and “richer” than the movie.
“You can make a lot of money as a comic writer, but you can’t get no respect,” Noble said. “But ‘Forrest Gump’ is really actually quite a fine novel. It’s more subtle and more complicated ... richer than the movie.”
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The movie, which also starred Robin Wright and Mykelti Williamson, became deeply embedded in the American psyche and has remained an enduring television staple and huge cultural phenomenon since.
“It touched a nerve,” Groom told the Tuscaloosa News in 2014.
The film dominated the 1995 Academy Awards, winning six Oscars including best picture, best director for Robert Zemeckis and best actor for Hanks.
It was 1994’s No. 2 grossing film at the box office, second only to “The Lion King.”
The basic outlines of Gump’s life are the same as they are in the book: Gump plays football under Paul “Bear” Bryant at the University of Alabama, serves in Vietnam and starts a major shrimp business.
But the film made major departures. Gump was not a math savant as he was in the book, and was a more saintly soul. The film took away Gump’s size ― Groom said he envisioned John Goodman playing him ― along with his profanity, and most of his sex life.
They “took some of the rough edges off,” Groom told The New York Times in 1994.
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Groom also wrote nonfiction on diverse subjects including the Civil War, World War I and Alabama’s Crimson Tide football.
In 2005, Groom released “1942: The Year That Tried Men’s Souls,” which chronicled the first year of U.S. involvement in World War II.
In 2009 he released “Vicksburg 1863,” an account of the Union siege that brought a novelist’s touch to historical figures like Ulysses S. Grant, William T. Sherman and Jefferson Davis, president of the confederacy.
His most recent novel, “El Paso,” was published in 2016.
Groom got $350,000 for the rights to “Forrest Gump” plus 3% of the net profit of the movie. But he got into a serious dispute with Paramount Pictures when they told him a film that had earned over $600 million was in the red after expenses.
But years later he wasn’t bitter.
“They did an excellent job,” he told the Tuscaloosa News. “I would have probably preferred my version of it, but that thing never would have opened.”
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The book became a major bestseller in the wake of the film, and Groom got a much better deal for the follow-up novel, 1995’s “Gump and Co.”
“I’m happy as a pig in sunshine,” he told the Mobile Register.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-09-18--How You Can Help Farmers Suffering From Wildfires Right Now

California , Oregon and Washington are all suffering from raging wildfires this year .
Over 3 million acres have burned in 2020 in California alone , while it took just one week this month to decimate over a million acres in Oregon and more than 790,000 acres in Washington , leaving a trail of devastation and loss of life .
With the land ablaze around them , farms in the West Coast region have been struggling ― including in the agricultural powerhouse of California , which grows almost 50 % of the fruits , nuts and vegetables that Americans consume @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to learn how they are dealing with the crisis and to find out what you can do to help these farmers , who produce the food we eat each day .
How farmers have been managing amid wildfires “ Farming continues even with COVID , smoke or whatever ’ s going on , ” said Barb Iverson , who co-owns Woodburn , Oregon ’ s Iverson Family Farms and is president of the Oregon Farm Bureau .
“ The plants keep growing , the livestock still need to be fed .
You have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s going on and make the best of it.
” “ We ’ ve been trying to improve how we track impacted farms , ” said Kelly Damewood , the CEO of California Certified Organic Farmers ( CCOF ) , a nonprofit that advocates for organic agriculture and is a USDA-accredited organic certification agency .
“ Right now , we know of 21 that have been impacted .
The majority of them have had to evacuate and/or have lost structures like water tanks , barns or even their homes.
” “ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Iverson said .
“ The only thing I can liken it to is when Mount St. Helens erupted in the ’ 80s ― we got ash fall from that .
The ash has been pretty bad on a number of the crops.
” Smoky conditions can also make it difficult for farmworkers .
“ The air quality has been hard on employees , ” Iverson said .
“ We ’ ve hovered around 500 on the [ air quality ] index , and 150 is the max [ value ] you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t had employees come out in the last week just because the air quality has been so poor.
” In Oregon ’ s Willamette Valley , Sarah Brown and her husband Conner Voss founded the 48-acre Diggin ’ Roots Farm .
Brown , who is also the director of education and advocacy at the organic farming nonprofit Oregon Tilth , and her children evacuated in the first week of September .
Her husband remained at the farm .
According to Brown , he ’ s been quite busy , watering down their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on fire , moving a litter of newborn piglets and a sow to a safer area , and bringing in what Brown said was the largest harvest of the year .
To top it all off , Voss joined with a number of community members and fellow farmers to help put out the Wilhoit fire , which got within a mile of their farm .
What you can do to help For those looking to aid organic farmers specifically , the CCOF said it ’ s giving away 100 % of what it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Our fund to help farmers through the tough times has received record applications ― about four times what we normally see , ” Damewood said .
( If you give through the website , send an email to foundation @ ccof.org to note that your donation is for the fund specifically . )
If you live in an affected area and want to help out locally , joining a local farm ’ s CSA or buying produce from a farmers market is always a good option .
Even if a local @ @ @ @ @ @ @ program for the season , you can still offer support .
“ Consider preordering !
” Damewood said .
“ See if a farmer in your area is taking orders now for next year .
Winegrowers have been impacted , as the Sonoma region continually gets hit .
Can you join a wine club and provide a revenue source for them ?
Try to shop regionally and locally to help the smaller farmers operating on smaller margins .
”

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California, Oregon and Washington are all suffering from raging wildfires this year. Over 3 million acres have burned in 2020 in California alone, while it took just one week this month to decimate over a million acres in Oregon and more than 790,000 acres in Washington, leaving a trail of devastation and loss of life.
With the land ablaze around them, farms in the West Coast region have been struggling ― including in the agricultural powerhouse of California, which grows almost 50% of the fruits, nuts and vegetables that Americans consume.
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We spoke to West Coast farmers to learn how they are dealing with the crisis and to find out what you can do to help these farmers, who produce the food we eat each day.
Courtesy of Conner Voss Farmer Conner Voss wears a mask at Diggin’ Roots Farm in Oregon's Willamette Valley.
How farmers have been managing amid wildfires
Plenty of Americans have shifted where they do their job since the pandemic began, but farmers don’t have that luxury, whether they’re facing a virus or a wildfire.
“Farming continues even with COVID, smoke or whatever’s going on,” said Barb Iverson, who co-owns Woodburn, Oregon’s Iverson Family Farms and is president of the Oregon Farm Bureau. “The plants keep growing, the livestock still need to be fed. You have to get out and deal with what’s going on and make the best of it.”
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Exactly how many farms have been harmed by the wildfires is unknown at this time.
“We’ve been trying to improve how we track impacted farms,” said Kelly Damewood, the CEO of California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF), a nonprofit that advocates for organic agriculture and is a USDA-accredited organic certification agency. “Right now, we know of 21 that have been impacted. The majority of them have had to evacuate and/or have lost structures like water tanks, barns or even their homes.”
Even if a farm hasn’t been destroyed by fire, there can be significant consequences from the weeks of burning.
“The smoke and ash have been fairly oppressive,” Iverson said. “The only thing I can liken it to is when Mount St. Helens erupted in the ’80s ― we got ash fall from that. The ash has been pretty bad on a number of the crops.”
Crops covered in ash don’t necessarily all have to be discarded; ashy produce could be safe if washed properly. Smoke has been known to ruin wine grapes.
Smoky conditions can also make it difficult for farmworkers. “The air quality has been hard on employees,” Iverson said. “We’ve hovered around 500 on the [air quality] index, and 150 is the max [value] you want anyone out in. We haven’t had employees come out in the last week just because the air quality has been so poor.”
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Courtesy of Conner Voss Cattle graze at Diggin’ Roots Farm in Oregon during the wildfires in September.
In Oregon’s Willamette Valley, Sarah Brown and her husband Conner Voss founded the 48-acre Diggin’ Roots Farm. Brown, who is also the director of education and advocacy at the organic farming nonprofit Oregon Tilth, and her children evacuated in the first week of September. Her husband remained at the farm.
According to Brown, he’s been quite busy, watering down their pasture to prevent the farm from catching on fire, moving a litter of newborn piglets and a sow to a safer area, and bringing in what Brown said was the largest harvest of the year. Diggin’ Roots has stayed safe thanks to community members and fellow farmers, who extinguished the Wilhoit fire, a small blaze that got to within a mile of the farm.
What you can do to help
Natural disasters may unfold on a scale that’s unfathomable, but there are concrete things you can do to help vulnerable farmers.
For those looking to aid organic farmers specifically, the CCOF said it’s giving away 100% of what it collects for its Bricmont Hardship Assistance Fund. “Our fund to help farmers through the tough times has received record applications ― about four times what we normally see,” Damewood said. (If you give through the website, send an email to foundation@ccof.org to note that your donation is for the fund specifically.)
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An individual GoFundMe account has been set up for the Molino Creek Farming Collective in the Santa Cruz Mountains, which Brown said was hit hard.
If you live in an affected area and want to help out locally, joining a local farm’s CSA or buying produce from a farmers market is always a good option. Even if a local farm has closed up its community-supported agriculture program for the season, you can still offer support.
“Consider preordering!” Damewood said. “See if a farmer in your area is taking orders now for next year. Winegrowers have been impacted, as the Sonoma region continually gets hit. Can you join a wine club and provide a revenue source for them? Try to shop regionally and locally to help the smaller farmers operating on smaller margins.”
And while slowing down the climate change that makes wildfires more frequent and deadly isn’t quite as easy as opening your wallet for a farmer, there is no better time to get active on that front.
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Damewood noted that the choices you make at the dinner table can support American farmers and mitigate climate change.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-09-18--Trevor Noah Comes Up With The Most Trumpian Fix For America's Coronavirus Stats

President Donald Trump said that the U.S. death toll from coronavirus would be among the world ’ s lowest if we just ignored blue states .
In response , Trevor Noah came up with an even worse solution on “ The Daily Show ” Thursday night .
“ I mean , while we ’ re at it , why don ’ t we just not count the red states too ?
Then , the U.S. has zero deaths , which is pretty impressive if you ask me , ” Noah said .
“ It ’ s truly astounding that a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think of his country in that way.
” On Wednesday , Trump politicized the deaths of tens of thousands of people during a White House press briefing , blaming the nation ’ s high COVID-19 death toll on states whose voters lean Democratic .
“ If you take the blue states out , we ’ re at a level that I don ’ t think anybody in the world would be at , we ’ re really at a very low level , ” Trump said .
Noah noted that the president ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unpatriotic , it was wrong .
“ Because even if you made the very weird decision to not count deaths from all the blue states , America would still have one of the worst death rates of any country in the world .
So , even Trump ’ s lies are lies , ” he said .

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President Donald Trump said that the U.S. death toll from coronavirus would be among the world’s lowest if we just ignored blue states. In response, Trevor Noah came up with an even worse solution on “The Daily Show” Thursday night.
“I mean, while we’re at it, why don’t we just not count the red states too? Then, the U.S. has zero deaths, which is pretty impressive if you ask me,” Noah said. “It’s truly astounding that a leader ― a leader ― would even think of his country in that way.”
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On Wednesday, Trump politicized the deaths of tens of thousands of people during a White House press briefing, blaming the nation’s high COVID-19 death toll on states whose voters lean Democratic.
“If you take the blue states out, we’re at a level that I don’t think anybody in the world would be at, we’re really at a very low level,” Trump said.
Noah noted that the president’s claim was not only embarrassing and unpatriotic, it was wrong.
“Because even if you made the very weird decision to not count deaths from all the blue states, America would still have one of the worst death rates of any country in the world. So, even Trump’s lies are lies,” he said.
Watch “The Daily Show” roast below:


thehuffingtonpost--2020-09-18--Jon Hamm Adopts Dog That Was Returned To Shelter Twice Due To His 'Puppy Energy'

“ I wish more people would take advantage of pet rescue , ” Hamm said at the time .
“ @ @ @ @ @ do and inexpensive .
Cora provides me with pure joy and love – and those @ @ @ @ @ to have in your life.
” The day after Cora ’ s death , Hamm @ @ @ @ @ that he couldn ’ t talk too much about her or he ’ d “ @ @ @ @ @ “ She ’ ll always have a real sweet place in my heart , ” @ @ @ @ @ some snaps of Hamm ’ s new little love below :

“I wish more people would take advantage of pet rescue,” Hamm said at the time. “It’s easy to do and inexpensive. Cora provides me with pure joy and love – and those are two pretty nice things to have in your life.”
The day after Cora’s death, Hamm told The New York Times that he couldn’t talk too much about her or he’d “just be a mess.”
“She’ll always have a real sweet place in my heart,” he said.
Check out some snaps of Hamm’s new little love below:


thehuffingtonpost--2020-09-18--Terry Goodkind, Bestselling Fantasy Author Behind ‘The Sword Of Truth,’ Dead At 72

Terry Goodkind , a bestselling author of fantasy books , including the epic series The Sword of Truth , died on Thursday .
Cause of death was not released .
He was 72 .
Goodkind ’ s representatives confirmed his death on Facebook , calling his passing an “ unimaginable loss ” for the publishing industry : Goodkind was born in Omaha , Nebraska .
Despite having dyslexia , he published his first novel , Wizard ’ s First Rule , in 1994 .
Over the next three decades , Goodkind wrote more than 30 bestselling books that sold over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first sat down to write Wizard ’ s First Rule , I didn ’ t start out thinking I would ever publish a book , ” Goodkind wrote during a Reddit Q & A in 2008 .
“ I wanted to tell myself a story .
As it developed , it began to feel right and that ’ s when I realized , I might have discovered something about myself here.
” Goodkind was best known for the 21-volume Sword of Truth saga that followed a wizard who fought darkness , battled demonic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He was praised for his deep worldbuilding skills in the series , which was turned into a short-lived television show in 2008 .
“ My privilege in life is the joy of writing books and telling stories about people who fascinate me , the good and the bad , ” Goodkind wrote on his website .
“ I am grateful to all of my readers for the critical role they play in making these books possible .
Your passion is my passion , and I thank you.
” Goodkind ’ s career @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was often criticized for its depictions of women .
He also fueled backlash after lambasting the cover of one of his own books because it featured an image of a female character .
But fans regularly treated Goodkind ’ s work as canon within the fantasy sphere .
Readers and fellow authors flocked to Facebook groups and social media to remember the author : I just heard that Terry Goodkind has died .
I never got to meet him , but he and I , Robert Jordan and Terry Brooks always seemed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tours .
My condolences to those who loved him , and to those readers who drew inspiration from him .
— R.A. Salvatore ( @ r_a_salvatore ) September 18 , 2020 We are tremendously sad to hear about the passing of author Terry Goodkind .
Wizard 's First Rule played a pivotal part in the introduction into the fantasy genre for some of our booksellers and we 're sure many of our customers as well .
His books are a staple of the fantasy genre .
— Mysterious Galaxy ( @ MystGalaxyBooks ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ learn of the death of Terry Goodkind , master epic fantasy author .
He was also a very close friend , but he was an extremely private man so I did n't share photos and stories .
Yes , he could be a curmudgeon and he knew it , but I loved him anyway .
Miss him already .
— Kevin J Anderson ( @ TheKJA ) September 17 , 2020 In recent years , Goodkind described himself as an “ avid race car driver , ” and owned Rahl Racing .

Terry Goodkind, a bestselling author of fantasy books, including the epic series The Sword of Truth, died on Thursday. Cause of death was not released. He was 72.
Goodkind’s representatives confirmed his death on Facebook, calling his passing an “unimaginable loss” for the publishing industry:
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Goodkind was born in Omaha, Nebraska. Despite having dyslexia, he published his first novel, Wizard’s First Rule, in 1994. Over the next three decades, Goodkind wrote more than 30 bestselling books that sold over 26 million copies.
“When I first sat down to write Wizard’s First Rule, I didn’t start out thinking I would ever publish a book,” Goodkind wrote during a Reddit Q&A in 2008. “I wanted to tell myself a story. As it developed, it began to feel right and that’s when I realized, I might have discovered something about myself here.”
Goodkind was best known for the 21-volume Sword of Truth saga that followed a wizard who fought darkness, battled demonic creatures and struggled to save the world. He was praised for his deep worldbuilding skills in the series, which was turned into a short-lived television show in 2008.
“My privilege in life is the joy of writing books and telling stories about people who fascinate me, the good and the bad,” Goodkind wrote on his website. “I am grateful to all of my readers for the critical role they play in making these books possible. Your passion is my passion, and I thank you.”
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Goodkind’s career was not without controversy. His work was often criticized for its depictions of women. He also set off a critical backlash after he lambasted the cover of one of his own books as sexist because of how it depicted a female character.
But fans regularly treated Goodkind’s work as canon within the fantasy sphere. Readers and fellow authors flocked to Facebook groups and social media to remember the author:
I just heard that Terry Goodkind has died. I never got to meet him, but he and I, Robert Jordan and Terry Brooks always seemed to be following around the country on our tours.
My condolences to those who loved him, and to those readers who drew inspiration from him. — R.A. Salvatore (@r_a_salvatore) September 18, 2020
We are tremendously sad to hear about the passing of author Terry Goodkind. Wizard's First Rule played a pivotal part in the introduction into the fantasy genre for some of our booksellers and we're sure many of our customers as well. His books are a staple of the fantasy genre. — Mysterious Galaxy (@MystGalaxyBooks) September 18, 2020
In shock to learn of the death of Terry Goodkind, master epic fantasy author. He was also a very close friend, but he was an extremely private man so I didn't share photos and stories. Yes, he could be a curmudgeon and he knew it, but I loved him anyway. Miss him already. — Kevin J Anderson (@TheKJA) September 17, 2020
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In recent years, Goodkind described himself as an “avid race car driver,” and owned Rahl Racing.
He is survived by his wife, Jeri.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-09-17--Parents Knowingly Send Student Who Was Infected With COVID-19 To School

Nearly 30 Massachusetts students must quarantine for 14 days after a fellow student went to school despite having tested positive for COVID-19 .
The Attleboro High School student was tested for coronavirus on Wednesday , Sept. 9 , and received a positive result on Friday , Attleboro Mayor Paul Heroux told HuffPost .
The parents then sent the student to school on Monday .
Heroux said the student should have been kept isolated after the test date .
The city ’ s contact tracing team identified the issue on Monday afternoon .
When authorities contacted the family Tuesday morning , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were aware their child was infected but thought they could still go to school after quarantining for several days .
He said that the student had posted about his diagnosis on Snapchat , prompting chatter on social media pages .
“ A lot of parents are very angry at the parents who sent the kid to school , ” the mayor said .
Authorities have not identified the student .
There are currently six known active coronavirus infections in the school district of 6,000 students .
“ If parents know that they have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need to keep the kid home .
If they are awaiting results , they really should keep the kid home , ” Heroux said .
” If the child has come into contact with someone who is COVID-positive , we encourage them to reach out to the nurse , the school or to contact the city health nurse .
Everybody should be self-monitoring for symptoms.
” “ This unacceptable outcome was caused by delays in the reporting timeline , not a breakdown in our safety protocols , ” he said in a copy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I understand that this inevitable moment is stressful for many , ” he said .
“ However , it shouldn ’ t change anything .
The guidance from the state can not ensure a virus-free environment , especially considering we know that some carriers are asymptomatic.
” Sawyer said that contact tracing and daily prescreening were in place to help reduce the threat .
“ We will have to wait for the end of the quarantines to be certain we were successful , but there is no reason at this moment to @ @ @ @ @ @ @

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Nearly 30 Massachusetts students must quarantine for 14 days after a fellow student went to school despite having tested positive for COVID-19.
The Attleboro High School student was tested for coronavirus on Wednesday, Sept. 9, and received a positive result on Friday, Attleboro Mayor Paul Heroux told HuffPost. The parents then sent the student to school on Monday.
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Heroux said the student should have been kept isolated after the test date. The city’s contact tracing team identified the issue on Monday afternoon. When authorities contacted the family Tuesday morning, he said, the parents confirmed they were aware their child was infected but thought they could still go to school after quarantining for several days. He said that the student had posted about his diagnosis on Snapchat, prompting chatter on social media pages.
“A lot of parents are very angry at the parents who sent the kid to school,” the mayor said.
Authorities have not identified the student. There are currently six known active coronavirus infections in the school district of 6,000 students.
“If parents know that they have a child who is COVID-positive, they need to keep the kid home. If they are awaiting results, they really should keep the kid home,” Heroux said. ”If the child has come into contact with someone who is COVID-positive, we encourage them to reach out to the nurse, the school or to contact the city health nurse. Everybody should be self-monitoring for symptoms.”
Superintendent David Sawyer notified other parents in a letter Tuesday night.
“This unacceptable outcome was caused by delays in the reporting timeline, not a breakdown in our safety protocols,” he said in a copy of the letter provided to HuffPost.
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“I understand that this inevitable moment is stressful for many,” he said. “However, it shouldn’t change anything. The guidance from the state cannot ensure a virus-free environment, especially considering we know that some carriers are asymptomatic.”
Sawyer said that contact tracing and daily prescreening were in place to help reduce the threat.