wnd--2020-11-01--Election results 'bigger' than President Trump

[ Editor 's note : This story originally was published by Real Clear Politics . ]
Joe Biden and the Democratic Party want Americans to see this year ’ s presidential contest as a referendum on Donald Trump , but the election of 2020 is about bigger things -- bigger , even , than assessing a sitting president ’ s record in office .
TRENDING : Why Kamala Harris is always laughing The stakes in this election involve the American way of life itself , and all that it promises , including personal freedom , domestic tranquility , and economic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Americans to pick a side and decide whether our country will forge a path toward to renewed prosperity or whether it wants to travel down the road of greater government control and constrictions on political and personal freedom .
Even as the coronavirus remains a dominant issue , both in public health and in politics , we must ask ourselves how much longer we can afford to live imprisoned by fear and uncertainty .
Becoming a mask-wearing nation deprived of basic liberties is not living ; it is death by a thousand cuts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ simply are not meant to live confined like laboratory animals .
Yet , at a time when more and more Americans want the economy to reopen , Joe Biden is calling for a national shutdown .
His agenda would worsen circumstances that have already been linked with increased drug and alcohol consumption as well as domestic abuse .
And his Big Government agenda would deal another brutal blow to jobs and businesses , just as the U.S. economy is attempting to get back on its feet .
Further weakening the U.S. would only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and free markets everywhere .
Dealing with a global pandemic is not the only area in which the Left ’ s ideas have proved harmful .
Democrats were slow to condemn the violence and chaos that ensued after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis in May .
Throughout a summer of riots and mayhem , candidate Biden and his party had little to say as violent criminals rampaged through our cities .
Those who want to live and raise families in safe urban communities will get no help from Democrats .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you be safe inside your home if rioters come knocking ?
Will you , your family , and neighbors be able to go outside without the threat of harm ?
Do you trust criminals to police themselves ?
Any candidate who does not stand up against these destructive and destabilizing forces is an enemy of safe communities and law and order .
Yes , some police reforms are needed .
But we can ’ t work toward them when violent protesters are allowed to terrorize innocent people and tear apart the fabric of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2020 is still not clear , then consider the monumental work that must take place if we are to rebuild our economy .
Today , Americans are hurting badly , though the media don ’ t report on it much .
Last month ’ s Bureau of Labor Statistics numbers revealed that 19.4 million were “ unable to work because their employer closed or lost business due to the pandemic.
” Against all odds , the Trump administration has managed to get our economic engine going again .
The Democrats ’ shutdown-obsessed economic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This is no ordinary election ; this is a time for choosing .
And , many voters , including many Latinos , are choosing Trump .
The 32 million Latinos eligible to vote in this election will be critical in this election and future ones .
Currently , polls show President Trump ’ s Latino support in the 30 % range , an improvement over his 2016 numbers .
Some wonder why Trump is winning Latino support when he took a strong stance on illegal immigration , but it ’ s no mystery @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We believe in the American Dream and in law and order .
Many immigrants also come from countries where violence , corruption , tyranny , nepotism , poverty , and human and drug trafficking are commonplace .
They know that putting more power in the hands of politicians does not translate to more power for the people .
Latinos don ’ t want to give up what they have gained by coming to America .
The way forward out of these extraordinarily challenging times is not by taking the path of Big Government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We need to get people back to work , and get Americans back to fostering the most powerful , vibrant economic engine the world has ever known .
Although COVID-19 has turned life and politics upside down , we remain Americans .
We do not give up .
We do not burn down our own house .
We fight for a better tomorrow , and we win .
Luis Farias is a Latino small-business owner and head of operations ( Western Hemisphere ) for DTS Security USA , Inc .
He is also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Target Your Impossible and Make It Possible.
” [ Editor 's note : This story originally was published by Real Clear Politics . ]

[Editor's note: This story originally was published by Real Clear Politics.]
By Luis Farias
Real Clear Politics
Joe Biden and the Democratic Party want Americans to see this year’s presidential contest as a referendum on Donald Trump, but the election of 2020 is about bigger things -- bigger, even, than assessing a sitting president’s record in office.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
The stakes in this election involve the American way of life itself, and all that it promises, including personal freedom, domestic tranquility, and economic opportunity. It’s time for Americans to pick a side and decide whether our country will forge a path toward to renewed prosperity or whether it wants to travel down the road of greater government control and constrictions on political and personal freedom.
Even as the coronavirus remains a dominant issue, both in public health and in politics, we must ask ourselves how much longer we can afford to live imprisoned by fear and uncertainty. Becoming a mask-wearing nation deprived of basic liberties is not living; it is death by a thousand cuts. People -- Americans, especially -- simply are not meant to live confined like laboratory animals.
Yet, at a time when more and more Americans want the economy to reopen, Joe Biden is calling for a national shutdown. His agenda would worsen circumstances that have already been linked with increased drug and alcohol consumption as well as domestic abuse. And his Big Government agenda would deal another brutal blow to jobs and businesses, just as the U.S. economy is attempting to get back on its feet. Further weakening the U.S. would only embolden our enemies abroad and imperil democracy and free markets everywhere.
Dealing with a global pandemic is not the only area in which the Left’s ideas have proved harmful. Democrats were slow to condemn the violence and chaos that ensued after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis in May. Throughout a summer of riots and mayhem, candidate Biden and his party had little to say as violent criminals rampaged through our cities. Those who want to live and raise families in safe urban communities will get no help from Democrats.
In the weeks and months ahead, will you be safe inside your home if rioters come knocking? Will you, your family, and neighbors be able to go outside without the threat of harm? Do you trust criminals to police themselves? Any candidate who does not stand up against these destructive and destabilizing forces is an enemy of safe communities and law and order.
Yes, some police reforms are needed. But we can’t work toward them when violent protesters are allowed to terrorize innocent people and tear apart the fabric of our society. If the choice for 2020 is still not clear, then consider the monumental work that must take place if we are to rebuild our economy.
Today, Americans are hurting badly, though the media don’t report on it much. Last month’s Bureau of Labor Statistics numbers revealed that 19.4 million were “unable to work because their employer closed or lost business due to the pandemic.” Against all odds, the Trump administration has managed to get our economic engine going again. The Democrats’ shutdown-obsessed economic prescriptions will destroy a budding recovery. This is no ordinary election; this is a time for choosing. And, many voters, including many Latinos, are choosing Trump. The 32 million Latinos eligible to vote in this election will be critical in this election and future ones. Currently, polls show President Trump’s Latino support in the 30% range, an improvement over his 2016 numbers. Some wonder why Trump is winning Latino support when he took a strong stance on illegal immigration, but it’s no mystery: Hispanics love freedom and opportunity. We believe in the American Dream and in law and order. Many immigrants also come from countries where violence, corruption, tyranny, nepotism, poverty, and human and drug trafficking are commonplace. They know that putting more power in the hands of politicians does not translate to more power for the people. Latinos don’t want to give up what they have gained by coming to America.
The way forward out of these extraordinarily challenging times is not by taking the path of Big Government but rather to expand individual opportunity. We need to get people back to work, and get Americans back to fostering the most powerful, vibrant economic engine the world has ever known. Although COVID-19 has turned life and politics upside down, we remain Americans. We do not give up. We do not burn down our own house. We fight for a better tomorrow, and we win.
Luis Farias is a Latino small-business owner and head of operations (Western Hemisphere) for DTS Security USA, Inc. He is also founder of the apparel brand, “Target Your Impossible and Make It Possible.”
[Editor's note: This story originally was published by Real Clear Politics.]


wnd--2020-11-01--D-Day: Defeating the crazy left in its war against America

Tucker Carlson was recently commenting on the media ’ s atrocious pre-election bias – from their wanton lying to protect Joe Biden , to their defamation of honest whistleblowers as Russian disinformation agents , to their flat-out refusal to cover major stories exposing the Biden family ’ s monumental corruption .
He ended with this prophetic warning : “ When the smoke clears from this election , there ’ ll be a massive realignment in the media , no matter who wins .
Because they showed who they are .
And it ’ s so unappealing , it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can ’ t continue.
” Tucker is correct .
No matter how this election charade ends , the media landscape will be forever changed .
Most so-called “ mainstream journalists ” have disgraced themselves beyond repair , having proven they are no better – and no different – than Pravda , the pretend “ newspaper of record ” in the former Soviet Union that was actually just a craven , lying , servile propaganda operation for that totalitarian regime ’ s ruling elite .
TRENDING : Why Kamala Harris is always laughing After @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump disclosing that both he and Melania were infected with the Chinese coronavirus , the media pounced on him , saying he had it coming .
CNN anchor Don Lemon speculated on whether Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi might become president , while former Barack Obama staffer and Hillary Clinton national spokeswoman Zara Rahim wrote , `` I hope he dies . ''
Just before that , The Atlantic , which had recently published a high-profile libelous story claiming President Trump hates and mocks war heroes , published a second , similar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mocks Christians .
Enough !
As Tucker said , this insanity “ can ’ t continue.
” Americans won ’ t stand for it .
Thus , whatever the future holds after this election , Americans are going to need , more than ever , a courageous and truthful “ free press ” to help the good people of this country navigate what promises to be a tumultuous , dangerous and unpredictable era ahead .
Because even if Trump is re-elected , the left ’ s madness , violence , intimidation , nonstop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and demonization of the innocent will not stop – in fact , they will almost certainly increase .
WorldNetDaily fully intends to remain a key part of America ’ s truth-proclaiming free press in the days , months and years to come .
Indeed , our motto since 1997 – long before most of the rest of the online media pack even existed – has been “ A Free Press for a Free People.
” Unfortunately , I ’ m sorry to say powerful forces are hard at work attempting to destroy us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advertising companies that had long served ads on WND – our main source of revenue and sustenance – all suddenly decided , at the same time , to cancel WND in the run-up to the most important presidential election of our lifetimes .
The ad companies blacklisting WND – namely , TripleLift , AppNexus/Xander and Teads – all cited vague breaches of their terms of service ( i.e .
“ any content that is illegal or otherwise contrary to any applicable law , regulation , directive , guideline or order , including without @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , defamatory , deceptive , gambling-related or hateful content , ” etc. )
.
You get the idea : If they don ’ t like your politics , you ’ re cancelled .
Even worse than losing key ad companies : A few months ago Facebook suddenly decided to massively suppress WND ’ s traffic on their platform – which forms a key part of our overall reader engagement , since WND has close to a million Facebook friends .
Why is Facebook massively suppressing WND ?
No reason given , despite repeated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As a result , WND ’ s overall traffic , and therefore our revenue , is down significantly and painfully from what it was a few months ago .
Meanwhile , Google has virtually written WND out of its search algorithm so that unless you specify “ WND.com ” in your search terms , WND rarely shows up .
The Southern Poverty Law Center , the leftwing hate group that many Big Tech companies rely on to identify hate groups , sees WND as a hate group – specifically , one engaging in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to further the paranoid , gay-hating , conspiratorial and apocalyptic visions … from the fringes of the far-right and fundamentalist worlds.
” Translation : We ’ re conservative and Christian .
I could provide many more examples , but the point is clear .
So WHY do they do this to WND ?
It ’ s not because we are “ conspiracy theorists ” or “ white supremacists ” – or as one of the three advertising companies that just blacklisted us alleged , because we engage in “ hate speech.
” It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the truth , something basically forbidden in today ’ s leftwing-dominated news and information culture .
That ’ s right , the truth – what a concept !
The truth about Joe Biden ’ s decades-long family corruption , serial plagiarism , continual lying , dismal half-century track record , growing dementia and more .
The truth about Kamala Harris being rated by the nonpartisan GovTrack.us as the most leftwing member of the U.S. Senate – further left than Bernie Sanders ( not to mention being one of the most dishonest , vacuous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ excruciatingly unlikeable candidates for high office in our lifetime ) .
The truth about the Chinese coronavirus – about what real science actually says about masks , about lockdowns , about medications like hydroxychloroquine , about school openings , about the importance of early treatment and much more .
The truth about Hillary Clinton being the actual villain at the heart of the whole Trump-Russia collusion hoax .
And much more – including the truth about America ’ s “ mainstream media ” having morphed fully into the militant , continually lying propaganda @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at WND , particularly Joseph Farah and myself , have been warning America for over three years – longer than virtually any other journalists , since shortly after the 2016 election – that Big Tech intended to crush conservative expression and to do everything within their power , moral or immoral , legal or illegal , to prevent Donald Trump ’ s re-election .
They ’ re doing precisely that right now , and WND is in danger of being mortally wounded in this war .
Please help us .
We have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ difficult for us to pay our terrific and dedicated journalists , all of whom have taken major pay-cuts and missed paychecks entirely .
I won ’ t prolong my request : If WND dies , the world will go on , but ( and hopefully you would agree ) it will have lost something valuable and needful .
And I can promise you , the Left – from Big Tech and the “ mainstream media ” to the Democratic Party and their rioting street goons – would be overjoyed to gloat over the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pioneering , independent online news source , now in its 24th year .
I know you ’ re receiving a lot of donation appeals right now ; that ’ s how it is at election time .
But please consider our request .
As Thomas Jefferson so astutely said about America ’ s wellbeing , “ The only security of all is in a FREE PRESS.
” Jefferson was right ; an honest , truth-based press is precious and essential for a free society .
To keep America ’ s free press alive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a donation of any amount .
Everybody at WND will be enormously grateful .
One final thought : Whatever happens in Tuesday ’ s election , the good people in America are going to need to stick together .
As I said , even if Trump wins , the left will go crazy .
( Yeah I know , they ’ re already crazy – but I mean crazy violent . )
If Biden wins … well let ’ s not go there .
Either way , expect the media to lie their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if you want honest news reporting by journalists who honor God , America and the Constitution , please help us out now , so we can be there for you in the months and years to come .
In other words : Let ’ s help each other .
Thank you and God bless you , David Kupelian Vice President and Managing Editor , WND Editor , Whistleblower magazine Author , `` The Marketing of Evil , '' `` How Evil Works '' and `` The Snapping of the American Mind ''

Dear friend of WND,
Tucker Carlson was recently commenting on the media’s atrocious pre-election bias – from their wanton lying to protect Joe Biden, to their defamation of honest whistleblowers as Russian disinformation agents, to their flat-out refusal to cover major stories exposing the Biden family’s monumental corruption. He ended with this prophetic warning:
“When the smoke clears from this election, there’ll be a massive realignment in the media, no matter who wins. Because they showed who they are. And it’s so unappealing, it’s so far from journalism, that it can’t continue.”
Tucker is correct. No matter how this election charade ends, the media landscape will be forever changed. Most so-called “mainstream journalists” have disgraced themselves beyond repair, having proven they are no better – and no different – than Pravda, the pretend “newspaper of record” in the former Soviet Union that was actually just a craven, lying, servile propaganda operation for that totalitarian regime’s ruling elite.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
After all, within hours of President Donald Trump disclosing that both he and Melania were infected with the Chinese coronavirus, the media pounced on him, saying he had it coming. CNN anchor Don Lemon speculated on whether Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi might become president, while former Barack Obama staffer and Hillary Clinton national spokeswoman Zara Rahim wrote, "I hope he dies." Just before that, The Atlantic, which had recently published a high-profile libelous story claiming President Trump hates and mocks war heroes, published a second, similar high-profile libelous story claiming Trump hates and mocks Christians.
Enough! As Tucker said, this insanity “can’t continue.” Americans won’t stand for it.
Thus, whatever the future holds after this election, Americans are going to need, more than ever, a courageous and truthful “free press” to help the good people of this country navigate what promises to be a tumultuous, dangerous and unpredictable era ahead. Because even if Trump is re-elected, the left’s madness, violence, intimidation, nonstop lying, revolutionary lawlessness, massive hoaxes and demonization of the innocent will not stop – in fact, they will almost certainly increase.
WorldNetDaily fully intends to remain a key part of America’s truth-proclaiming free press in the days, months and years to come. Indeed, our motto since 1997 – long before most of the rest of the online media pack even existed – has been “A Free Press for a Free People.”
Unfortunately, I’m sorry to say powerful forces are hard at work attempting to destroy us. Recently, three major international online advertising companies that had long served ads on WND – our main source of revenue and sustenance – all suddenly decided, at the same time, to cancel WND in the run-up to the most important presidential election of our lifetimes. The ad companies blacklisting WND – namely, TripleLift, AppNexus/Xander and Teads – all cited vague breaches of their terms of service (i.e. “any content that is illegal or otherwise contrary to any applicable law, regulation, directive, guideline or order, including without limitation any misleading, unethical, obscene, defamatory, deceptive, gambling-related or hateful content,” etc.). You get the idea: If they don’t like your politics, you’re cancelled.
Even worse than losing key ad companies: A few months ago Facebook suddenly decided to massively suppress WND’s traffic on their platform – which forms a key part of our overall reader engagement, since WND has close to a million Facebook friends. Why is Facebook massively suppressing WND? No reason given, despite repeated attempts to find out from them. As a result, WND’s overall traffic, and therefore our revenue, is down significantly and painfully from what it was a few months ago.
Meanwhile, Google has virtually written WND out of its search algorithm so that unless you specify “WND.com” in your search terms, WND rarely shows up. The Southern Poverty Law Center, the leftwing hate group that many Big Tech companies rely on to identify hate groups, sees WND as a hate group – specifically, one engaging in “manipulative fear-mongering and outright fabrications designed to further the paranoid, gay-hating, conspiratorial and apocalyptic visions … from the fringes of the far-right and fundamentalist worlds.” Translation: We’re conservative and Christian.
I could provide many more examples, but the point is clear.
So WHY do they do this to WND?
It’s not because we are “conspiracy theorists” or “white supremacists” – or as one of the three advertising companies that just blacklisted us alleged, because we engage in “hate speech.”
It’s because we dare to publish the truth, something basically forbidden in today’s leftwing-dominated news and information culture.
That’s right, the truth – what a concept! The truth about Joe Biden’s decades-long family corruption, serial plagiarism, continual lying, dismal half-century track record, growing dementia and more. The truth about Kamala Harris being rated by the nonpartisan GovTrack.us as the most leftwing member of the U.S. Senate – further left than Bernie Sanders (not to mention being one of the most dishonest, vacuous, insincere, abrasive, condescending and excruciatingly unlikeable candidates for high office in our lifetime). The truth about the Chinese coronavirus – about what real science actually says about masks, about lockdowns, about medications like hydroxychloroquine, about school openings, about the importance of early treatment and much more. The truth about Hillary Clinton being the actual villain at the heart of the whole Trump-Russia collusion hoax. And much more – including the truth about America’s “mainstream media” having morphed fully into the militant, continually lying propaganda wing of the Democratic Party.
We at WND, particularly Joseph Farah and myself, have been warning America for over three years – longer than virtually any other journalists, since shortly after the 2016 election – that Big Tech intended to crush conservative expression and to do everything within their power, moral or immoral, legal or illegal, to prevent Donald Trump’s re-election. They’re doing precisely that right now, and WND is in danger of being mortally wounded in this war.
Please help us. We have been hit hard. It’s very difficult for us to pay our terrific and dedicated journalists, all of whom have taken major pay-cuts and missed paychecks entirely.
I won’t prolong my request: If WND dies, the world will go on, but (and hopefully you would agree) it will have lost something valuable and needful. And I can promise you, the Left – from Big Tech and the “mainstream media” to the Democratic Party and their rioting street goons – would be overjoyed to gloat over the demise of America’s original, pioneering, independent online news source, now in its 24th year.
I know you’re receiving a lot of donation appeals right now; that’s how it is at election time. But please consider our request.
As Thomas Jefferson so astutely said about America’s wellbeing, “The only security of all is in a FREE PRESS.” Jefferson was right; an honest, truth-based press is precious and essential for a free society. To keep America’s free press alive, please take a minute to make a donation of any amount. Everybody at WND will be enormously grateful.
One final thought: Whatever happens in Tuesday’s election, the good people in America are going to need to stick together. As I said, even if Trump wins, the left will go crazy. (Yeah I know, they’re already crazy – but I mean crazy violent.) If Biden wins … well let’s not go there. Either way, expect the media to lie their heads off like never before.
But if you want honest news reporting by journalists who honor God, America and the Constitution, please help us out now, so we can be there for you in the months and years to come. In other words: Let’s help each other.
Thank you and God bless you,
David Kupelian
Vice President and Managing Editor, WND
Editor, Whistleblower magazine
Author, "The Marketing of Evil," "How Evil Works" and "The Snapping of the American Mind"


wnd--2020-11-01--'No Lives Matter' shirts blasted as 'racist, insulting and offensive'

Two Syracuse City School District employees were placed on leave after a picture of them wearing “ No Lives Matter ” shirts went viral on social media , Syracuse.com reported Saturday .
The shirts also featured the horror movie characters Jason Voorhees , from the movie “ Friday the 13th , ” and Michael Myers from “ Halloween , ” according to Syracuse.com .
The human resources department at the school district is conducting an investigation .
“ We are aware of the recent post on social media .
The two employees have been placed on administrative leave pending an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” a district statement to CNY Central said , according to CNY Central .
“ We believe Black Lives Matter in the Syracuse City School District .
The ‘ costumes ’ are racist , insulting and offensive and not consistent with our core beliefs and values.
” TRENDING : Why Kamala Harris is always laughing “ We hold our employees to a higher standard and expect them to model appropriate behavior for our students , ” the statement continued , according to CNY Central .
The employees were put on leave after the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the t-shirts in a classroom , were spotted on Facebook , CNY Central reported .
The district didn ’ t elaborate on the time and date the employees wore the t-shirts , who they are and at what school they are employed at , Syracuse.com reported .
The Syracuse City School District did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation ’ s requests for comment .
This story originally was published by the Daily Caller News Foundation .
Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a large audience .
For licensing opportunities of our original content , please contact [ email protected ]

Mary Rose Corkery
Daily Caller News Foundation
Two Syracuse City School District employees were placed on leave after a picture of them wearing “No Lives Matter” shirts went viral on social media, Syracuse.com reported Saturday.
The shirts also featured the horror movie characters Jason Voorhees, from the movie “Friday the 13th,” and Michael Myers from “Halloween,” according to Syracuse.com. The human resources department at the school district is conducting an investigation.
“We are aware of the recent post on social media. The two employees have been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation by our Human Resources Department,” a district statement to CNY Central said, according to CNY Central. “We believe Black Lives Matter in the Syracuse City School District. The ‘costumes’ are racist, insulting and offensive and not consistent with our core beliefs and values.”
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
Two Syracuse school employees have been put on leave after photos on Facebook showed them in the classroom wearing shirts with the phrase “No Lives Matter” with photos of fictional serial killers Michael Myers and Jason underneath.https://t.co/cDxSEa0Bjf — CNYCentral (@CNYCentral) October 31, 2020
“We hold our employees to a higher standard and expect them to model appropriate behavior for our students,” the statement continued, according to CNY Central.
The employees were put on leave after the pictures, which also showed them wearing the t-shirts in a classroom, were spotted on Facebook, CNY Central reported. The district didn’t elaborate on the time and date the employees wore the t-shirts, who they are and at what school they are employed at, Syracuse.com reported.
Should the school employees be punished for wearing the 'No Lives Matter' costumes? Yes No Completing this poll entitles you to WND news updates free of charge. You may opt out at anytime. You also agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use You're logged in to Facebook. Click here to log out. 14% (48 Votes) 86% (288 Votes)
The Syracuse City School District did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s requests for comment.
This story originally was published by the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact [email protected].


wnd--2020-11-01--Michigan governor: Up to 6 months prison if businesses don't surveil customers

`` Hello , how many in your party and may I please have their full names and phone numbers ? ''
That nightmarish phrase is going to be heard rather often in Michigan now .
Starting Monday , Democratic Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer 's state will soon require restaurants and bars to take diners ' names and contact information , according to a release from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services .
`` Like many other businesses in Michigan , bars and restaurants will also be required to take names and contact information to support effective contact tracing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
If that seems like a gross overreaction and a case of overreach , that 's because it is .
TRENDING : Why Kamala Harris is always laughing '' Michigan presently has 172 cases per million people and positivity of tests has increased from about 2 % to 5.5 % and both indicators have been increasing for over four weeks .
Hospitalizations for COVID-19 have doubled over the last three weeks while the state death rate has increased for five consecutive weeks , '' the release explained as the reasoning for the new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and her administration did n't have a prior history of hewing dangerously close to abusing their powers , maybe you could give these new restrictions the benefit of the doubt and buy the whole `` contact tracing '' explanation .
But Whitmer has already ran afoul of the Michigan Supreme Court , which ruled against her previous power grab attempt after she tried to unilaterally extend her original emergency declarations .
And again , maybe if it was just the contact tracing they were aiming for , it would feel invasive but not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Whitmer administration DHHS ' new orders are further putting a squeeze on ailing restaurants with some other restrictions on bars , restaurants and general gatherings .
`` As part of the newly extended orders , MDHHS today reduces from 500 persons to 50 persons the maximum gathering size for indoor gatherings such as weddings , parties , and banquets which occur in nonresidential settings without fixed seating , '' the release read .
`` For bars , restaurants , and social events outside private homes , indoor party sizes at a single @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' the release also stated .
Want all of your extended family to be there for your magical wedding day ?
Sorry .
Want to take your family of seven to dinner ?
It looks like mom and dad will each have to pick their favorite kids and eat at separate tables .
Unsurprisingly , restaurants are less than thrilled with Whitmer 's latest move .
“ Again , what ’ s this data gathering if the data is not truthful , how do we know how good it is ?
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ellis asked WXMI-TV .
“ Our front-line servers have already had trouble dealing with masks and mandates and mandating masks , ” Ellis said .
“ We did de-escalation training and all kinds of other things to help with that and now we ’ re taking to the next level .
We have to gather someone ’ s personal information ?
” Ellis raises a great question .
Why is it that this onus falls on the already struggling restaurants ?
If customers refuse to provide their personal information , they can be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them anyway and Whitmer 's goons come asking for some contact tracing information ?
`` Violations are punishable by a civil fine up to $ 1,000 and may also be treated as a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for not more than six months or a fine of not more than $ 200 , or both .
In addition , failure to comply with orders may violate a business or professional ’ s licensure requirements or present a workplace safety violation , '' the release said .
The adage of absolute power corrupting absolutely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case of Gov .
Whitmer , it does n't appear she even needs absolute power to be absolutely drunk on power .
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal .

"Hello, how many in your party and may I please have their full names and phone numbers?"
That nightmarish phrase is going to be heard rather often in Michigan now.
Starting Monday, Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's state will soon require restaurants and bars to take diners' names and contact information, according to a release from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.
"Like many other businesses in Michigan, bars and restaurants will also be required to take names and contact information to support effective contact tracing if necessary," the release reads.
If that seems like a gross overreaction and a case of overreach, that's because it is.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
"Michigan presently has 172 cases per million people and positivity of tests has increased from about 2% to 5.5% and both indicators have been increasing for over four weeks. Hospitalizations for COVID-19 have doubled over the last three weeks while the state death rate has increased for five consecutive weeks," the release explained as the reasoning for the new tighter restrictions.
Now, if Whitmer and her administration didn't have a prior history of hewing dangerously close to abusing their powers, maybe you could give these new restrictions the benefit of the doubt and buy the whole "contact tracing" explanation.
But Whitmer has already ran afoul of the Michigan Supreme Court, which ruled against her previous power grab attempt after she tried to unilaterally extend her original emergency declarations.
And again, maybe if it was just the contact tracing they were aiming for, it would feel invasive but not like an overreach.
Do you agree with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's surveillance policy? Yes No Completing this poll entitles you to WND news updates free of charge. You may opt out at anytime. You also agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use You're logged in to Facebook. Click here to log out. 1% (8 Votes) 99% (702 Votes)
But nope. The Whitmer administration DHHS' new orders are further putting a squeeze on ailing restaurants with some other restrictions on bars, restaurants and general gatherings.
"As part of the newly extended orders, MDHHS today reduces from 500 persons to 50 persons the maximum gathering size for indoor gatherings such as weddings, parties, and banquets which occur in nonresidential settings without fixed seating," the release read.
"For bars, restaurants, and social events outside private homes, indoor party sizes at a single table are now restricted to six people," the release also stated.
Want all of your extended family to be there for your magical wedding day? Sorry.
Want to take your family of seven to dinner? It looks like mom and dad will each have to pick their favorite kids and eat at separate tables.
Unsurprisingly, restaurants are less than thrilled with Whitmer's latest move.
“Again, what’s this data gathering if the data is not truthful, how do we know how good it is?” Michigan Licensed Beverage Association Executive Director Scott Ellis asked WXMI-TV.
“Our front-line servers have already had trouble dealing with masks and mandates and mandating masks,” Ellis said. “We did de-escalation training and all kinds of other things to help with that and now we’re taking to the next level. We have to gather someone’s personal information?”
Ellis raises a great question. Why is it that this onus falls on the already struggling restaurants?
If customers refuse to provide their personal information, they can be refused service. If a restaurant serves them anyway and Whitmer's goons come asking for some contact tracing information?
"Violations are punishable by a civil fine up to $1,000 and may also be treated as a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for not more than six months or a fine of not more than $200, or both. In addition, failure to comply with orders may violate a business or professional’s licensure requirements or present a workplace safety violation," the release said.
The adage of absolute power corrupting absolutely often bears true.
But in the case of Gov. Whitmer, it doesn't appear she even needs absolute power to be absolutely drunk on power.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.


wnd--2020-11-03--Now schools attacked for allowing 'grades and test scores' to 'reinforce' racism

[ Editor 's note : This story originally was published by Real Clear Investigations . ]
At a virtual town hall in Brooklyn about how the pandemic will change admissions to high-performing selective schools , New York City officials got a lecture on systemic racism .
“ Racism is foundational in all of our institutions , in our government , our economy , our health-care system , our legal system and our education system , ” Ayanna Behin , president of a school district council , said at the June meeting .
“ It ’ s our recommendation that we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our schools.
” Behin ’ s comments reflect a racially charged debate in New York City and across the country invoking Jim Crow-era language to describe an education flashpoint more recent than old-fashioned enforced segregation .
The conflict -- influenced by critical race theory , the idea that racism is embedded in the structures of society -- is over disparate racial and ethnic admissions , which critics deem so pernicious that seemingly neutral yardsticks like grades and test scores are actually reinforcing them .
These critics aim to integrate coveted , elite schools @ @ @ @ @ @ @ white and Asian parents defend as fair and objective measures of achievement .
In one of the recent conflicts , the school superintendent in Fairfax County , Va. , is pushing through changes to the competitive admissions process at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology , the nation ’ s top-ranked high school , over protests from Asian parents who say their kids are being penalized for working hard .
At Lowell High School in San Francisco , a plan to drop merit-based admissions for next year because of the pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ board meeting in October from parents who want to protect its reputation for rigor .
In New York City , advocates , backed by hundreds of staffers in the Department of Education , are demanding more sweeping changes in the nation ’ s largest school district .
They are calling for the end to admissions screening for almost 200 selective middle schools , or more than a third of the total .
And a mayoral advisory panel has also urged the city to rid elementary schools of gifted and talented programs and erase @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the system because it ’ s not in keeping with the spirit of integration .
“ I strongly support the elimination of middle-school screens citywide , ” says Miriam Nunberg , a civil rights attorney and leader in the movement to desegregate schools .
“ I found the admissions process we have in our districts to be so discriminatory.
” In this polarizing battle , parents who support screening for accelerated education are tarred as racists on social media .
The idea that all students benefit by vying for admissions to top @ @ @ @ @ @ @ academic excellence is dismissed as a tool of segregation .
Even moderate proposals to expand gifted and talented programs and make them more diverse face strong opposition .
“ Our culture and economy thrive on excellence .
When I think of New York , I think of artistic and intellectual excellence , ” says Jonathan Plucker , a professor at Johns Hopkins University who focuses on making accelerated education more accessible to disadvantaged students .
“ And now , particularly in urban districts we are seeing a backlash , where the ideology is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anti-intellectualism , and that has long-term implications for us.
” Critical race theory provides the underpinnings for the backlash against selective schools .
According to the theory , first developed by legal scholars , curriculums , teaching methods , assessments and much else are designed to reinforce dominant white culture , mute the voices that challenge this supremacy and cast black students as deficient , according to a paper in the International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education .
To help these students , teachers need to enlighten them about the harmful effects @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` as a form of counterinsurgency . ''
In New York City , critical race theory is leaving a mark in the rollout of a new culturally responsive curriculum .
While the term segregation harkens back to a time when kids were forced to go to separate schools , today the highly fraught word is used to describe a statistical reality in many districts around the country .
With 1.1 million students , New York City has one of the most segregated systems in the country , a result of entrenched housing patterns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Today blacks and Latinos make up about two-thirds of public school students .
But in more than half of city schools , they comprise over 80 % of the students and sometimes beyond 90 % .
In this system , achievement gaps have remained remarkably wide .
In 2019 , only about a third of black and Latino students reached proficiency on math and English state tests for grades 3 through 8 .
That compares with roughly two-thirds for white and Asian kids .
But the question of how to improve academic achievement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Advocates say greater diversity is the remedy .
They are pushing the city to replace test , grade and attendance-based admissions with a system designed to mix students of all backgrounds and academic abilities together .
In such integrated schools , low achievers rise partly because of the influence of high achievers , who don ’ t regress academically , says Halley Potter , a senior fellow at the Century Foundation who researches education policy .
What ’ s more , students from different racial and ethnic groups build bonds at a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is fraying .
Parents fighting to keep selective schools in New York City reject the everybody-wins narrative as naive .
Yiatin Chu , co-founder of Parent Leaders for Accelerated Curriculum and Education ( PLACE ) , says students of all groups have a wide range of abilities and lumping them together in classrooms makes it impossible for teachers to challenge all of them at once .
A 2013 study , published in Gifted Child Quarterly , of five diverse elementary schools in several states found reading levels in classrooms ranging from about two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years above it .
“ I see a huge disparity in terms of abilities , and is it reasonable to expect our teachers in big classrooms to differentiate the teaching to really meet the needs of all students in that class ?
” says Chu , who has a child in public school .
“ The truth is no , they can not .
” PLACE is fighting an uphill battle against the education department .
New York City Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza has called screened schools “ antithetical ” to public education @ @ @ @ @ @ @ changing gifted-and-talented programs .
Last year , as PLACE was advocating to keep admissions screens , the department reached out to integration groups , telling them to “ make more noise.
” While advocates say academic research overwhelmingly shows the benefits of integrated schools , there is in fact significant disagreement among scholars .
Their findings vary widely largely because of the difficulty of isolating the effects of peers and schools on performance from other powerful influences like family and its socioeconomic status , says Eric Hanushek of Stanford ’ s Hoover Institution @ @ @ @ @ @ @ carefully controlled for students ’ backgrounds in a robust 2018 study .
He found that the socioeconomic composition of schools had a negligible impact on results in math and reading tests in grades 3 through 8 across three states and over multiple years .
Even scholars who support policies to make schools more diverse do not stress short-term performance benefits .
Gary Orfield at UCLA says 50 years of research has produced a preponderance of evidence of a small gain in test scores .
The bigger benefits come as poor kids of color @ @ @ @ @ @ @ successful students and college counselors in integrated schools , boosting their chances of getting into universities and finding good jobs .
“ If you ’ re in a school that ’ s connected to information about colleges and jobs , you ’ re much better off , ” says Orfield , who co-directs UCLA ’ s Civil Rights Project , an advocacy group .
“ People in our society get jobs through contacts.
” For his part , Armor says he opposes mandatory desegregation because it causes middle-class flight , making segregation worse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ky. , where the number of white students plunged from 89,000 the year after a mandatory integration plan was rolled out in 1975 to 48,000 four decades later , creating a district where the majority of students are black and Latino .
“ New York City would be making a very big mistake by getting rid of its selective schools , ” Armor says .
“ It will probably lose another chunk of its middle-class population .
If they would just look at the data.
” If the city does stop screening for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other districts around the county that have assigned students to schools based on their economic status to spread out poor kids more equally and reduce segregation .
The number of school districts and charter networks pursuing a form of economic integration has grown from just two in 1996 to more than 100 today , according to research by The Century Foundation .
The most common approaches to integration , such as redrawing district boundaries , have mostly kept students closer to home and reduced the need for the kind of busing that ignited @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stefan Lallinger says the current outpouring of support for Black Lives Matter is adding to the momentum for school integration .
“ We can ’ t tackle racial injustice without addressing the fact that our public schools are very segregated along lines of race and class , ” says Lallinger , a Ph.D. from Harvard .
“ I absolutely anticipate that more districts and organizations across this county will be committed to this issue.
” New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio , who campaigned on a pledge to reduce inequity , waited @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The mayor ’ s efforts to end the use of a single test for admission into the city ’ s elite specialized high schools , including Brooklyn Tech where his son attended , were stymied by state officials amid a flurry of protests from parents .
Last year , the mayor ’ s School Diversity Advisory Group took aim at somewhat easier targets -- selective middle schools and gifted and talented programs that cater to “ economic privilege.
” The group ’ s report said families with the means to prep their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Asians who scrimp and save to pay for test classes -- give them an advantage over black and Latino students .
Together they received only 18 % of the offers to join elementary gifted-and-talented programs in 2017 .
Brooklyn ’ s District 15 , a politically progressive area that integrated its middle schools in 2019 , is touted as a model for the rest of the city .
Nunberg , the civil rights attorney , joined a working group of parents , educators and community organization members that led a series of public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Students from low-income families made up about 52 % of the entire district but were heavily clustered together , constituting almost 100 % of students in two schools in a Latino neighborhood .
At the three top-performing selective middle schools , poor kids made up less than a third while white students were more than 50 % of enrollment .
To integrate the schools , screening was ended .
Students entering the sixth grade ranked their school choices and entered a lottery .
Seats were prioritized for low-income kids to distribute them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ schools .
High performers could no longer expect to get into a top schools , but only a small number of parents pulled their kids from the district .
The plan led to a big drop in segregation .
But the district ’ s political bent was a key to its success and finding support for similar shifts in school demographics will be harder in the city ’ s more moderate and conservative districts .
The big question is whether the performance of the disadvantaged students in the Brooklyn district will improve .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ several cities including Cambridge , Mass.
, where integration improved academic outcomes .
Other areas , like Jefferson County , have struggled to close the achievement gap .
The disruption from the pandemic , particularly on low-income students , would complicate any attempt to measure short-term academic effects in the Brooklyn district .
But the long-term impact may never be known either .
The diversity plan didn ’ t include a method to evaluate whether it will improve academic performance over time .
“ That ’ s educational malpractice , ” says Plucker @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are going to do this , you have to have systems in place to study the effects on achievement.
” Asian parents in New York City mobilized last year to protect the selective education that ’ s been a gateway to the middle class .
PLACE , which now has 2,000 supporters of all backgrounds , and Plucker seek to change the debate that pits equity against excellence .
“ We can have a system that provides equitable opportunities for students and also promotes excellence , ” Plucker says .
For instance , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chu says , the city should expand it to achieve its laudable diversity goals .
Today , less than 15 % of the city ’ s more than 700 elementary schools have gifted-and-talented programs .
By spreading them to all elementary school , more kids from every community will get seats , setting them on a path to selective middle schools .
The single-test G & T admissions process also has to change to allow more ways for all students to be selected .
“ Parents want these programs to challenge their kids @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who attended an elite specialized high school in New York City .
“ Why are we not creating more of them ?
” New York could follow the lead of Montgomery County in Maryland .
It used to depend on parents to apply for elementary gifted-and-talented spots , which filled a handful of magnet programs with about 750 mostly Asian and white kids .
Once educators began universal screening of all students , they found thousands of kids , many of them black and Latino , who would benefit from accelerated education and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cards and tests .
Since the 2016-17 school year , the program has spread to four additional magnets and more than 40 elementary schools with classes serving over 4,000 kids , says Kurshanna Dean , supervisor of accelerated and enriched instruction .
“ My advice to New York is to expand your programs , not remove them , ” Dean says .
The pandemic has now brought the controversy to a head .
The cancellation of state tests and modification of grading means that selective middle schools don ’ t have the data @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to determine admission .
Less reliable measures of future performance , such as third grade test scores , are available .
The department is now devising a new admissions policy for the next school year , Deputy Chancellor Josh Wallack said at the Brooklyn town hall .
He made clear that the disproportionate effects of the pandemic would guide the department ’ s decision , which is expected to be announced soon .
“ Black and Latinx New Yorkers have gotten sick and died at greater rates than others , ” Wallack said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deep historical roots and we must reckon with them as we make policy.
” Advocates see a win for integration in the making .
If the department ends middle school screening for next year , that ’ s a big step toward a permanent ban .
“ The city should absolutely end middle school screening for this coming year , ” says Lallinger , who recently served as a special assistant to Chancellor Carranza .
“ And going forward it presents a wonderful opportunity to rethink the way certain schools get to select @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's note : This story originally was published by Real Clear Investigations . ]

[Editor's note: This story originally was published by Real Clear Investigations.]
By Vince Bielski
Real Clear Investigations
At a virtual town hall in Brooklyn about how the pandemic will change admissions to high-performing selective schools, New York City officials got a lecture on systemic racism.
“Racism is foundational in all of our institutions, in our government, our economy, our health-care system, our legal system and our education system,” Ayanna Behin, president of a school district council, said at the June meeting. “It’s our recommendation that we prioritize the end of racial segregation in our schools.”
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
Behin’s comments reflect a racially charged debate in New York City and across the country invoking Jim Crow-era language to describe an education flashpoint more recent than old-fashioned enforced segregation. The conflict -- influenced by critical race theory, the idea that racism is embedded in the structures of society -- is over disparate racial and ethnic admissions, which critics deem so pernicious that seemingly neutral yardsticks like grades and test scores are actually reinforcing them. These critics aim to integrate coveted, elite schools by removing the performance barriers that many white and Asian parents defend as fair and objective measures of achievement.
In one of the recent conflicts, the school superintendent in Fairfax County, Va., is pushing through changes to the competitive admissions process at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, the nation’s top-ranked high school, over protests from Asian parents who say their kids are being penalized for working hard. At Lowell High School in San Francisco, a plan to drop merit-based admissions for next year because of the pandemic created an uproar at a virtual school board meeting in October from parents who want to protect its reputation for rigor.
In New York City, advocates, backed by hundreds of staffers in the Department of Education, are demanding more sweeping changes in the nation’s largest school district. They are calling for the end to admissions screening for almost 200 selective middle schools, or more than a third of the total. And a mayoral advisory panel has also urged the city to rid elementary schools of gifted and talented programs and erase the “gifted and talented” wording from the system because it’s not in keeping with the spirit of integration.
“I strongly support the elimination of middle-school screens citywide,” says Miriam Nunberg, a civil rights attorney and leader in the movement to desegregate schools. “I found the admissions process we have in our districts to be so discriminatory.”
In this polarizing battle, parents who support screening for accelerated education are tarred as racists on social media. The idea that all students benefit by vying for admissions to top schools because it nurtures a drive for academic excellence is dismissed as a tool of segregation. Even moderate proposals to expand gifted and talented programs and make them more diverse face strong opposition.
“Our culture and economy thrive on excellence. When I think of New York, I think of artistic and intellectual excellence,” says Jonathan Plucker, a professor at Johns Hopkins University who focuses on making accelerated education more accessible to disadvantaged students. “And now, particularly in urban districts we are seeing a backlash, where the ideology is turning against excellence. We are institutionalizing anti-intellectualism, and that has long-term implications for us.”
Critical race theory provides the underpinnings for the backlash against selective schools. According to the theory, first developed by legal scholars, curriculums, teaching methods, assessments and much else are designed to reinforce dominant white culture, mute the voices that challenge this supremacy and cast black students as deficient, according to a paper in the International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education. To help these students, teachers need to enlighten them about the harmful effects of racism and prod them to succeed "as a form of counterinsurgency." In New York City, critical race theory is leaving a mark in the rollout of a new culturally responsive curriculum.
While the term segregation harkens back to a time when kids were forced to go to separate schools, today the highly fraught word is used to describe a statistical reality in many districts around the country.
With 1.1 million students, New York City has one of the most segregated systems in the country, a result of entrenched housing patterns and the proliferation of selective schools. Today blacks and Latinos make up about two-thirds of public school students. But in more than half of city schools, they comprise over 80% of the students and sometimes beyond 90%.
In this system, achievement gaps have remained remarkably wide. In 2019, only about a third of black and Latino students reached proficiency on math and English state tests for grades 3 through 8. That compares with roughly two-thirds for white and Asian kids. But the question of how to improve academic achievement for blacks and Latinos defies easy answers.
Advocates say greater diversity is the remedy. They are pushing the city to replace test, grade and attendance-based admissions with a system designed to mix students of all backgrounds and academic abilities together. In such integrated schools, low achievers rise partly because of the influence of high achievers, who don’t regress academically, says Halley Potter, a senior fellow at the Century Foundation who researches education policy. What’s more, students from different racial and ethnic groups build bonds at a time when America’s social fabric is fraying.
Parents fighting to keep selective schools in New York City reject the everybody-wins narrative as naive. Yiatin Chu, co-founder of Parent Leaders for Accelerated Curriculum and Education (PLACE), says students of all groups have a wide range of abilities and lumping them together in classrooms makes it impossible for teachers to challenge all of them at once. A 2013 study, published in Gifted Child Quarterly, of five diverse elementary schools in several states found reading levels in classrooms ranging from about two years below grade level to about six years above it.
“I see a huge disparity in terms of abilities, and is it reasonable to expect our teachers in big classrooms to differentiate the teaching to really meet the needs of all students in that class?” says Chu, who has a child in public school. “The truth is no, they cannot.”
PLACE is fighting an uphill battle against the education department. New York City Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza has called screened schools “antithetical” to public education and has talked in vague terms about changing gifted-and-talented programs. Last year, as PLACE was advocating to keep admissions screens, the department reached out to integration groups, telling them to “make more noise.”
While advocates say academic research overwhelmingly shows the benefits of integrated schools, there is in fact significant disagreement among scholars. Their findings vary widely largely because of the difficulty of isolating the effects of peers and schools on performance from other powerful influences like family and its socioeconomic status, says Eric Hanushek of Stanford’s Hoover Institution.
David Armor of George Mason University carefully controlled for students’ backgrounds in a robust 2018 study. He found that the socioeconomic composition of schools had a negligible impact on results in math and reading tests in grades 3 through 8 across three states and over multiple years.
Even scholars who support policies to make schools more diverse do not stress short-term performance benefits. Gary Orfield at UCLA says 50 years of research has produced a preponderance of evidence of a small gain in test scores. The bigger benefits come as poor kids of color learn personal skills and make connections with successful students and college counselors in integrated schools, boosting their chances of getting into universities and finding good jobs.
“If you’re in a school that’s connected to information about colleges and jobs, you’re much better off,” says Orfield, who co-directs UCLA’s Civil Rights Project, an advocacy group. “People in our society get jobs through contacts.”
For his part, Armor says he opposes mandatory desegregation because it causes middle-class flight, making segregation worse. He points to Jefferson County, Ky., where the number of white students plunged from 89,000 the year after a mandatory integration plan was rolled out in 1975 to 48,000 four decades later, creating a district where the majority of students are black and Latino.
“New York City would be making a very big mistake by getting rid of its selective schools,” Armor says. “It will probably lose another chunk of its middle-class population. If they would just look at the data.”
Admissions Based on Economic Status
If the city does stop screening for middle school admissions, it could follow other districts around the county that have assigned students to schools based on their economic status to spread out poor kids more equally and reduce segregation. The number of school districts and charter networks pursuing a form of economic integration has grown from just two in 1996 to more than 100 today, according to research by The Century Foundation. The most common approaches to integration, such as redrawing district boundaries, have mostly kept students closer to home and reduced the need for the kind of busing that ignited protests several decades ago.
Foundation Fellow Stefan Lallinger says the current outpouring of support for Black Lives Matter is adding to the momentum for school integration. “We can’t tackle racial injustice without addressing the fact that our public schools are very segregated along lines of race and class,” says Lallinger, a Ph.D. from Harvard. “I absolutely anticipate that more districts and organizations across this county will be committed to this issue.”
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, who campaigned on a pledge to reduce inequity, waited several years before tackling the contentious issue. The mayor’s efforts to end the use of a single test for admission into the city’s elite specialized high schools, including Brooklyn Tech where his son attended, were stymied by state officials amid a flurry of protests from parents.
Last year, the mayor’s School Diversity Advisory Group took aim at somewhat easier targets -- selective middle schools and gifted and talented programs that cater to “economic privilege.” The group’s report said families with the means to prep their young kids – including many relatively poor Asians who scrimp and save to pay for test classes -- give them an advantage over black and Latino students. Together they received only 18% of the offers to join elementary gifted-and-talented programs in 2017.
Brooklyn’s District 15, a politically progressive area that integrated its middle schools in 2019, is touted as a model for the rest of the city. Nunberg, the civil rights attorney, joined a working group of parents, educators and community organization members that led a series of public workshops to build support for the plan.
Students from low-income families made up about 52% of the entire district but were heavily clustered together, constituting almost 100% of students in two schools in a Latino neighborhood. At the three top-performing selective middle schools, poor kids made up less than a third while white students were more than 50% of enrollment.
To integrate the schools, screening was ended. Students entering the sixth grade ranked their school choices and entered a lottery. Seats were prioritized for low-income kids to distribute them out more equally at the 11 middle schools. High performers could no longer expect to get into a top schools, but only a small number of parents pulled their kids from the district.
The plan led to a big drop in segregation. But the district’s political bent was a key to its success and finding support for similar shifts in school demographics will be harder in the city’s more moderate and conservative districts.
The big question is whether the performance of the disadvantaged students in the Brooklyn district will improve. Potter of The Century Foundation points to several cities including Cambridge, Mass., where integration improved academic outcomes. Other areas, like Jefferson County, have struggled to close the achievement gap.
The disruption from the pandemic, particularly on low-income students, would complicate any attempt to measure short-term academic effects in the Brooklyn district. But the long-term impact may never be known either. The diversity plan didn’t include a method to evaluate whether it will improve academic performance over time. “That’s educational malpractice,” says Plucker of Johns Hopkins. “If you are going to do this, you have to have systems in place to study the effects on achievement.”
Asian parents in New York City mobilized last year to protect the selective education that’s been a gateway to the middle class. PLACE, which now has 2,000 supporters of all backgrounds, and Plucker seek to change the debate that pits equity against excellence.
“We can have a system that provides equitable opportunities for students and also promotes excellence,” Plucker says.
For instance, instead of snuffing out accelerated education, Chu says, the city should expand it to achieve its laudable diversity goals. Today, less than 15% of the city’s more than 700 elementary schools have gifted-and-talented programs. By spreading them to all elementary school, more kids from every community will get seats, setting them on a path to selective middle schools. The single-test G&T admissions process also has to change to allow more ways for all students to be selected.
“Parents want these programs to challenge their kids,” says Chu, an immigrant who attended an elite specialized high school in New York City. “Why are we not creating more of them?”
New York could follow the lead of Montgomery County in Maryland. It used to depend on parents to apply for elementary gifted-and-talented spots, which filled a handful of magnet programs with about 750 mostly Asian and white kids. Once educators began universal screening of all students, they found thousands of kids, many of them black and Latino, who would benefit from accelerated education and won seats through an assessment of report cards and tests. Since the 2016-17 school year, the program has spread to four additional magnets and more than 40 elementary schools with classes serving over 4,000 kids, says Kurshanna Dean, supervisor of accelerated and enriched instruction.
“My advice to New York is to expand your programs, not remove them,” Dean says.
The pandemic has now brought the controversy to a head. The cancellation of state tests and modification of grading means that selective middle schools don’t have the data for fourth graders that they typically use to determine admission. Less reliable measures of future performance, such as third grade test scores, are available.
The department is now devising a new admissions policy for the next school year, Deputy Chancellor Josh Wallack said at the Brooklyn town hall. He made clear that the disproportionate effects of the pandemic would guide the department’s decision, which is expected to be announced soon.
“Black and Latinx New Yorkers have gotten sick and died at greater rates than others,” Wallack said. “These forms of discrimination have deep historical roots and we must reckon with them as we make policy.”
Advocates see a win for integration in the making. If the department ends middle school screening for next year, that’s a big step toward a permanent ban.
“The city should absolutely end middle school screening for this coming year,” says Lallinger, who recently served as a special assistant to Chancellor Carranza. “And going forward it presents a wonderful opportunity to rethink the way certain schools get to select which students they serve.”
[Editor's note: This story originally was published by Real Clear Investigations.]


wnd--2020-11-03--Twitter's 'living internet' killing free speech

Twitter 's excuse for censoring the New York Post 's stories on Biden-family influence peddling bears striking resemblance to the far left 's view of the Constitution , constitutional scholar Jonathan Turley wrote Monday .
In a Senate hearing last week , Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey said his company 's policies are `` living documents , '' subject to continual change .
Turley , a law professor at George Washington University , said that sounds like an internet version of the `` living Constitution . ''
He explained Monday on his website why a `` living internet '' is so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ return to their original role as utilitities for free speech , not publishers that vet it .
`` These companies are driven by profits and politics , not principle , '' he said .
`` If Democrats take control of Congress and the White House , these companies will face growing demands for increased censorship .
That is when 'living policies ' change 'to update and adjust them when we encounter new scenarios or receive important feedback . '
'' Turley said the alternative is `` internet originalism , '' with no censorship @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to their original roles , there would be no slippery slope of political bias or opportunism ; they would assume the same status as telephone companies , '' he argued .
`` We do not need companies to protect us from harmful or 'misleading ' thoughts .
The solution to bad speech is more speech , not approved speech . ''
Turley argued that if House Speaker Nancy Pelosi demanded that Verizon or Sprint interrupt calls to stop people saying false or misleading things , the public would be outraged .
`` Twitter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parties ; it simply allows thousands of people to participate in such digital exchanges , '' he noted .
`` Those people do not sign up to exchange thoughts only to have Dorsey or some other internet overlord monitor their conversations and 'protect ' them from errant or harmful thoughts . ''
He pointed out that Twitter now admits there was no evidence that the emails on Hunter Biden 's abandoned laptop were fabricated or were the product of Russian disinformation , a conclusion confirmed by both the FBI and the director of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the company wo n't apologize for its error .
Instead , Twitter claims its policies are `` living documents , '' just as the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg saw the Constitution as a `` living document , '' subject to continual reinterpretation as society evolves .
Twitter 's claim , he said , `` should turn every citizen into a strict 'internet originalist . '
'' Turley noted the Bidens have n't denied the emails sourced in the Post story are authentic , and some people in the message threads have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ business associate Tony Bobulinski has been interviewed by the FBI , under oath , about his claims and evidence of Joe Biden 's involvement in Hunter Biden 's business deals in China , Ukraine and other nations .
`` The only obvious 'disinformation ' about this story has come from Joe Biden and his allies .
House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff , for example , stated that the entire story was Russian disinformation , a claim repeated by Biden this week .
In reality , Twitter and Facebook tried to bury a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appears to be accurate regarding the source and the content of the emails , '' Turley said .

Twitter's excuse for censoring the New York Post's stories on Biden-family influence peddling bears striking resemblance to the far left's view of the Constitution, constitutional scholar Jonathan Turley wrote Monday.
In a Senate hearing last week, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey said his company's policies are "living documents," subject to continual change.
Turley, a law professor at George Washington University, said that sounds like an internet version of the "living Constitution."
He explained Monday on his website why a "living internet" is so dangerous, urging social media companies to return to their original role as utilitities for free speech, not publishers that vet it.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
"These companies are driven by profits and politics, not principle," he said. "If Democrats take control of Congress and the White House, these companies will face growing demands for increased censorship. That is when 'living policies' change 'to update and adjust them when we encounter new scenarios or receive important feedback.'"
Turley said the alternative is "internet originalism," with no censorship.
"If social media companies returned to their original roles, there would be no slippery slope of political bias or opportunism; they would assume the same status as telephone companies," he argued. "We do not need companies to protect us from harmful or 'misleading' thoughts. The solution to bad speech is more speech, not approved speech."
Turley argued that if House Speaker Nancy Pelosi demanded that Verizon or Sprint interrupt calls to stop people saying false or misleading things, the public would be outraged.
"Twitter serves the same communicative function between consenting parties; it simply allows thousands of people to participate in such digital exchanges," he noted. "Those people do not sign up to exchange thoughts only to have Dorsey or some other internet overlord monitor their conversations and 'protect' them from errant or harmful thoughts."
He pointed out that Twitter now admits there was no evidence that the emails on Hunter Biden's abandoned laptop were fabricated or were the product of Russian disinformation, a conclusion confirmed by both the FBI and the director of national intelligence.
However, he said, the company won't apologize for its error.
Instead, Twitter claims its policies are "living documents," just as the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg saw the Constitution as a "living document," subject to continual reinterpretation as society evolves.
Twitter's claim, he said, "should turn every citizen into a strict 'internet originalist.'"
Turley noted the Bidens haven't denied the emails sourced in the Post story are authentic, and some people in the message threads have confirmed they're real.
And former business associate Tony Bobulinski has been interviewed by the FBI, under oath, about his claims and evidence of Joe Biden's involvement in Hunter Biden's business deals in China, Ukraine and other nations.
"The only obvious 'disinformation' about this story has come from Joe Biden and his allies. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, for example, stated that the entire story was Russian disinformation, a claim repeated by Biden this week. In reality, Twitter and Facebook tried to bury a story by the New York Post that appears to be accurate regarding the source and the content of the emails," Turley said.


wnd--2020-11-03--U.S. condemns Hong Kong for arresting politicians

( SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST ) -- US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo condemned Hong Kong authorities for arresting eight @ @ @ @ @ Monday , including five currently serving legislators , over an incident at a Legislative Council @ @ @ @ @ allegedly broke into shouting and physical scuffles with each other .
“ The arrest of @ @ @ @ @ the incident in question is a clear abuse of law enforcement for political purposes , @ @ @ @ @ remarks were Pompeo ’ s second statement in a week condemning a wave of arrests @ @ @ @ @ activists and politicians .

(SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST) -- US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo condemned Hong Kong authorities for arresting eight pan-democratic politicians
on Sunday and Monday, including five currently serving legislators, over an incident at a Legislative Council meeting in May where lawmakers allegedly broke into shouting and physical scuffles with each other.
“The arrest of these lawmakers six months after the incident in question is a clear abuse of law enforcement for political purposes,” Pompeo said.
The remarks were Pompeo’s second statement in a week condemning a wave of arrests in Hong Kong of opposition activists and politicians.
Read the full story ›


wnd--2020-11-03--Vatican breaks silence on pope's gay civil-union remarks

( FOX NEWS ) -- The Vatican says Pope Francis ’ comments on gay civil unions were taken out of @ @ @ @ @ spliced together parts of an old interview , but still confirmed Francis ’ belief that @ @ @ @ @ protections .
The Vatican secretariat of state issued guidance to ambassadors to explain the uproar @ @ @ @ @ following the Oct. 21 premiere of the film “ Francesco , ” at the Rome @ @ @ @ @ nuncio to Mexico , Archbishop Franco Coppola , posted the unsigned guidance on his Facebook @ @ @ @ @ , the Vatican confirmed that Francis was referring to his position in 2010 when he @ @ @ @ @ and strongly opposed moves to allow same-sex marriage .
Instead , he favored extending legal @ @ @ @ @ what is understood in Argentina as a civil union law .

(FOX NEWS) -- The Vatican says Pope Francis’ comments on gay civil unions were taken out of context in a documentary that spliced together parts of an old interview, but still confirmed Francis’ belief that gay couples should enjoy legal protections.
The Vatican secretariat of state issued guidance to ambassadors to explain the uproar that Francis’ comments created following the Oct. 21 premiere of the film “Francesco,” at the Rome Film Festival. The Vatican nuncio to Mexico, Archbishop Franco Coppola, posted the unsigned guidance on his Facebook page Sunday.
In it, the Vatican confirmed that Francis was referring to his position in 2010 when he was archbishop of Buenos Aires and strongly opposed moves to allow same-sex marriage. Instead, he favored extending legal protections to gay couples under what is understood in Argentina as a civil union law.
Read the full story ›


wnd--2020-11-03--Disgraced Prince Andrew 'making secret nighttime visits to Queen, begging for old job back'

( KNEWZ ) -- The beleaguered Prince Andrew has been making secret late-night visits for audiences with his mother , @ @ @ @ @ a desperate attempt to secure her blessing to return to public duties , the Mirror @ @ @ @ @ York saw his cushy life as a senior royal member of the Windsor clan crash @ @ @ @ @ ago after a disastrous interview he gave to the BBC regarding his affiliation with the @ @ @ @ @ left his reputation in tatters .
The Queen , 94 , now subject to pleading @ @ @ @ @ son , decreed that the 60-year-old Prince Andrew would be forced into early retirement .

(KNEWZ) -- The beleaguered Prince Andrew has been making secret late-night visits for audiences with his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in a desperate attempt to secure her blessing to return to public duties, the Mirror reports.
The Duke of York saw his cushy life as a senior royal member of the Windsor clan crash down around him a year ago after a disastrous interview he gave to the BBC regarding his affiliation with the late sexual predator Jeffrey Epstein left his reputation in tatters.
The Queen, 94, now subject to pleading secret visits from her middle son, decreed that the 60-year-old Prince Andrew would be forced into early retirement.
Read the full story ›


wnd--2020-11-03--The best not-so-political lawn signs spotted across America

( FOX NEWS ) -- Here ’ s a sign that Americans still have a sense of humor despite a @ @ @ @ @ election season , civil unrest and an all-around dismal 2020 .
As Election Day nears @ @ @ @ @ to be sprouting up in yards across the country — and also for sale online @ @ @ @ @ a bit of comic relief as Americans prepare to hit the polls on Tuesday .
@ @ @ @ @ Wu-Tang Forever '' sign , a sign that advocates for beer and cheese in 2020 @ @ @ @ @ optimistic “ Life is a gift ” sign , among some of the other winners @ @ @ @ @ .

(FOX NEWS) -- Here’s a sign that Americans still have a sense of humor despite a global pandemic, a nerve-wracking election season, civil unrest and an all-around dismal 2020.
As Election Day nears, lighthearted lawn signs appear to be sprouting up in yards across the country — and also for sale online — helping to give spectators a bit of comic relief as Americans prepare to hit the polls on Tuesday.
Bipartisan sentiments include a “Wu-Tang Forever" sign, a sign that advocates for beer and cheese in 2020, and even a more optimistic “Life is a gift” sign, among some of the other winners spotted on America's lawns.
Read the full story ›


wnd--2020-11-03--Sanctuary illegals take refuge in Texas church, watch election closely

( NPR ) -- Among those anxiously watching the U.S. presidential election is a Guatemalan mother and her teenaged son @ @ @ @ @ a church in Austin , Texas , for the entirety of Donald Trump 's presidency @ @ @ @ @ are ensconced in the Sunday school wing of St. Andrews Presbyterian Church , which has @ @ @ @ @ for more than four and a half years .
The 32-year-old mother and 14-year-old son @ @ @ @ @ cozy prison because they believe that if they leave church property they 'll be picked @ @ @ @ @ Enforcement .
ICE agents generally do not make arrests inside churches , schools and hospitals @

(NPR) -- Among those anxiously watching the U.S. presidential election is a Guatemalan mother and her teenaged son who have taken refuge in a church in Austin, Texas, for the entirety of Donald Trump's presidency.
Hilda and Iván Ramirez are ensconced in the Sunday school wing of St. Andrews Presbyterian Church, which has given them sanctuary from deportation for more than four and a half years.
The 32-year-old mother and 14-year-old son have chosen this kind of cozy prison because they believe that if they leave church property they'll be picked up by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. ICE agents generally do not make arrests inside churches, schools and hospitals.
Read the full story ›


wnd--2020-11-03--Poll that nailed 2016 election publishes final 2020 survey

A polling company that correctly predicted Britain 's Brexit vote and the election of Donald Trump in 2016 has published its final 2020 survey , which indicates President Trump will get another four years .
The Democracy Institute poll for the Sunday Express finds Trump will win the vote nationally by 48 % to 47 % over Joe Biden .
In 2016 , Hillary Clinton received 2.87 million more votes nationally than Trump .
In the tally that counts , the Electoral College , Trump is on course to win by 326 to 212 votes , 22 more than in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the final days of the campaign , the revelations from Hunter Biden 's laptop and other sources of alleged influence peddling by Joe Biden and his family had an impact .
The controversy over Twitter 's censorship of the story only enhanced its profile .
The final survey has Trump with a lead of 2 to 4 points in the key swing states of Florida , Iowa , Michigan , Minnesota , Pennsylvania and Wisconsin .
Unlike most other polls , which predict a Biden victory , the Democracy Institute poll identifies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and tries to identify the `` shy '' Trump vote .
The latest poll found 79 % of Trump supporters would not admit their vote to friends and family compared to 21 % of Biden supporters .
Another pollster who factors in the shy vote and who predicted Trump 's victory in 2016 , says 20-25 % of blacks in battleground states will vote for the president this time , which is enough to `` tip the scales '' in his favor .
`` It 's a significant move in this vote , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Trafalgar Group , in an interview Monday with Fox Business host Maria Baritromo .
`` And everytime a black leader comes forward and says they ’ re with Trump , it makes people actually less shy about declaring they ’ re for Trump . ''
Cahaly said many independents have n't voted yet , and are `` still weighing the candidates . ''
He noted that most polls show the economy is the No .
1 issue , and working class , hourly-wage workers and college students who do n't want another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Trump .
Regarding the Hunter Biden allegations , the Democracy Institute asked voters who they thought was telling the truth .
Fifty-seven percent chose former Biden associate Tony Bobulinski over the former vice president .
Bobulinksi claims he met twice with Joe Biden regarding his son 's business deal with China while the former VP insists he never discussed his son 's business deals with his son or anyone .
Meanwhile , 52 % agreed that Biden is `` a corrupt politician , '' with 21 % saying they are less likely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saying it makes no difference .
The Democracy Institute found that 4 in 10 black voters approve of Trump 's presidency and 21 % are prepared to vote for him .
Patrick Basham , CEO of the Democracy Institute , said Trump 's voters `` are more evenly dispersed across the country than are Biden 's . ''
`` Biden 's comparatively inefficient vote is likely to mirror Hillary Clinton 's from four years ago , '' he said .
`` Biden will do incredibly well in the heavily populated states of California @ @ @ @ @ @ @ York . ''
`` In these states , and in others reliably painted a deep Democratic blue , he will rack up enormous margins of victory over Trump , providing him with the potential to score a national popular vote victory , yet probably depriving him of sufficient votes in Iowa , Pennsylvania , Michigan , Ohio , Wisconsin , Arizona , North Carolina , and Florida to turn Trump into a one-term president , '' Basham said .
Meanwhile , political analyst and talk-radio host Kevin McCullough is set to release his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Twitter .
He predicted in 2016 that Trump after would win 30 states and Hillary Clinton would pick up 20 .
It turned out Trump got 30.5 and Hillary 19.5 , reflecting the splitting of Electoral College votes in Nebraska and Maine .
In an interview Monday with Eric Metaxes , McCullough explained why he thinks Trump will win again .
Republicans also have been buoyed by the final Des Moines Register poll shows a strong shift to Trump in Iowa , putting the president 7 points ahead of Biden .
Matt Margolis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ never-Trumper Bill Kristol who wrote Friday prior to the poll 's release that he recalled a conversation with a Republican friend days before the 2016 election .
Kristol 's friend said in 2016 that if Iowa was +7 for Trump , he had a good shot at winning Pennsylvania , Wisconsin and Michigan and could win the whole thing .
`` I was worried , '' Kristol wrote .
`` He was right.
” Margolis noted that in September ’ s Iowa Poll , the candidates were tied at 47 % .
J.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ & Co. , which conducted the poll , said the gender gap has narrowed , and independents have flooded back to the president .
`` The president is holding demographic groups that he won in Iowa four years ago , and that would give someone a certain level of comfort with their standing , '' she said .
`` There ’ s a consistent story in 2020 to what happened in 2016 . ''
Margolis noted that Republican Sen. Joni Ernst also saw a boost in the Des Moines Register poll .
She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to 42 % .
On Saturday , Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison told CNN 's Chris Cuomo he believes Trump has a chance to become the first Republican since Richard Nixon to win Minnesota .
Cuomo , noting Trump has invested considerable resources in the state , asked Ellison thought the president had `` a real shot . ''
`` Honestly , yes I do , '' Ellison said .

A polling company that correctly predicted Britain's Brexit vote and the election of Donald Trump in 2016 has published its final 2020 survey, which indicates President Trump will get another four years.
The Democracy Institute poll for the Sunday Express finds Trump will win the vote nationally by 48% to 47% over Joe Biden. In 2016, Hillary Clinton received 2.87 million more votes nationally than Trump.
In the tally that counts, the Electoral College, Trump is on course to win by 326 to 212 votes, 22 more than in 2016.
The Democracy Institute said that in the final days of the campaign, the revelations from Hunter Biden's laptop and other sources of alleged influence peddling by Joe Biden and his family had an impact. The controversy over Twitter's censorship of the story only enhanced its profile.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
The final survey has Trump with a lead of 2 to 4 points in the key swing states of Florida, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
Unlike most other polls, which predict a Biden victory, the Democracy Institute poll identifies likely voters instead of just registered voters and tries to identify the "shy" Trump vote.
The latest poll found 79% of Trump supporters would not admit their vote to friends and family compared to 21% of Biden supporters.
Another pollster who factors in the shy vote and who predicted Trump's victory in 2016 says 20-25% of blacks in battleground states will vote for the president this time, which is enough to "tip the scales" in his favor.
Will President Trump win reelection? Yes No Completing this poll entitles you to WND news updates free of charge. You may opt out at anytime. You also agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use You're logged in to Facebook. Click here to log out. 99% (951 Votes) 1% (9 Votes)
"It's a significant move in this vote," said Robert Cahaly, CEO of the Trafalgar Group, in an interview Monday with Fox Business host Maria Baritromo. "And everytime a black leader comes forward and says they’re with Trump, it makes people actually less shy about declaring they’re for Trump."
Cahaly said many independents haven't voted yet and are "still weighing the candidates."
He noted that most polls show the economy is the No. 1 issue, and working class, hourly-wage workers and college students who don't want another shutdown are moving late in the campaign to Trump.
Meanwhile, Helmut Norpoth, the professor of political science at Stony Brook University who predicted Trump's 2016 win, gives Trump a 91% chance of winning.
His primary model, based on the candidates' performance in the primary elections, predicts the president will win with 362 Electoral College votes.
See Helmut Norpoth's interview with Fox Business host Lou Dobbs:
'Inefficient vote'
Regarding the Hunter Biden allegations, the Democracy Institute asked voters who they thought was telling the truth. Fifty-seven percent chose former Biden associate Tony Bobulinski over the former vice president. Bobulinksi claims he met twice with Joe Biden regarding his son's business deal with China while the former VP insists he never discussed his son's business deals with his son or anyone.
Meanwhile, 52% agreed that Biden is "a corrupt politician," with 21% saying they are less likely to vote for him and 75% saying it makes no difference.
The Democracy Institute found that 4 in 10 black voters approve of Trump's presidency and 21% are prepared to vote for him.
Patrick Basham, CEO of the Democracy Institute, said Trump's voters "are more evenly dispersed across the country than are Biden's."
"Biden's comparatively inefficient vote is likely to mirror Hillary Clinton's from four years ago," he said. "Biden will do incredibly well in the heavily populated states of California, Illinois, New Jersey and New York."
"In these states, and in others reliably painted a deep Democratic blue, he will rack up enormous margins of victory over Trump, providing him with the potential to score a national popular vote victory, yet probably depriving him of sufficient votes in Iowa, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, Arizona, North Carolina, and Florida to turn Trump into a one-term president," Basham said.
2016 all over again
Political analyst and talk-radio host Kevin McCullough is set to release his final Electoral College map Tuesday morning via Twitter. He predicted in 2016 that Trump after would win 30 states and Hillary Clinton would pick up 20. It turned out Trump got 30.5 and Hillary 19.5, reflecting the splitting of Electoral College votes in Nebraska and Maine.
In an interview Monday with Eric Metaxes, McCullough explained why he thinks Trump will win again.
See the interview:
Republicans also have been buoyed by the final Des Moines Register poll, which shows a late shift to Trump in Iowa, putting the president 7 points ahead of Biden.
Matt Margolis of PJ Media spotlighted a tweet by never-Trumper Bill Kristol, who wrote Friday prior to the poll's release that he recalled a conversation with a Republican friend days before the 2016 election.
Kristol's friend said in 2016 that if Iowa was +7 for Trump, he had a good shot at winning Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan and could win the whole thing.
"I was worried," Kristol wrote. "He was right.”
Trump ultimately won Iowa in 2016 by 9.4 points.
Margolis noted that in September’s Iowa Poll, the candidates were tied at 47%.
J. Ann Selzer, the president of Selzer & Co., which conducted the poll, said the gender gap has narrowed, and independents have flooded back to the president.
"The president is holding demographic groups that he won in Iowa four years ago, and that would give someone a certain level of comfort with their standing," she said. "There’s a consistent story in 2020 to what happened in 2016."
I remember well my phone conversation with a smart Republican friend (sadly, pro-Trump) Sat. eve, Nov. 5, 2016, after the final DMR poll of IA at Trump +7. He said, if IA is +7, then Trump has a good shot in PA/WI/MI, and could win the whole thing. I was worried. He was right. https://t.co/li1sTAYCP1 — Bill Kristol (@BillKristol) October 31, 2020
Either... a) The DMR poll is an outlier.
b) Iowa is an outlier.
c) Almost every poll in almost every other state, and almost every national poll, are outliers. Needless to say, a) or b) are MUCH more likely than c). Still: You may want a stiff drink to settle your nerves. — Bill Kristol (@BillKristol) October 31, 2020
Margolis noted that Republican Sen. Joni Ernst also saw a boost in the Des Moines Register poll. She's now leading her challenger 46% to 42%.
On Saturday, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison told CNN's Chris Cuomo he believes Trump has a chance to become the first Republican since Richard Nixon to win Minnesota.
Cuomo, noting Trump has invested considerable resources in the state, asked Ellison thought the president had "a real shot."
"Honestly, yes I do," Ellison said.