upi--2020-10-10--Texas counties can have multiple absentee ballot drop-off spots, federal judge says

Oct. 10 ( UPI ) -- A federal judge ruled Friday that Texas counties can have multiple drop-off locations for absentee ballots heading into the Nov. 3 general election , blocking the enforcement of Texas Gov .
Greg Abbott 's recent order that sought to limit counties to just one such location .
Saying Abbott 's order confused voters and restricted voter access , U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman granted an injunction late Friday barring its enforcement .
With an unprecedented number of Texas voters requesting mail-in ballots during the coronavirus pandemic , and concerns about the reliability of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Democratic counties had set up numerous locations to accept the ballots before Abbott 's order .
`` By limiting ballot return centers to one per county , '' Pitman wrote , `` older and disabled voters living in Texas 's largest and most populous counties must travel further distances to more crowded ballot return centers where they would be at an increased risk of being infected by the coronavirus in order to exercise their right to vote and have it counted . ''
A spokesperson for Abbott did not immediately respond to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ To qualify to vote by mail , voters must be 65 or older , be confined in jail but otherwise eligible , be out of the county for the election period , or cite a disability or illness .
The Texas Supreme Court has said that lack of immunity to the coronavirus does not itself constitute a disability , but voters may consider that alongside their medical histories to decide whether they qualify .
Texas remains one of only a handful of states that do n't allow for universal mail-in voting during the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back on other efforts to expand access to voting .
Earlier this year , Abbott extended the early voting period for the November election and also allowed people using absentee or mail-in ballots to drop them off before Election Day .
Early voting begins Tuesday , but counties had already started collecting mail-in ballots before Abbott 's attempt to limit the number of drop-off locations in each county .
Voting rights advocates called that move an unconstitutional burden on the right to vote that will disproportionately impact voters of color in the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state 's most populous and home to Houston , had designated a dozen ballot drop-off locations in clerk offices across the county 's roughly 1,700 square miles , and had already begun collecting them .
In Travis County , which includes Austin , officials had designated four locations where voters could deliver their ballots .
Voters must present an approved form of identification to deliver their mail-in ballots , and they may not turn in any one else 's ballot .
Abbott 's order , which the governor said was meant to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state , '' required all but one of each county 's drop-off locations to close and allowed political parties to install poll watchers to observe the process .
A spokesperson for the governor did not answer questions on how allowing multiple locations for ballot delivery might lead to fraud .
The Texas Democratic Party called Friday 's ruling a `` common sense order [ that ] followed well-established law and stopped the governor from making up election rules after the election started . ''
Before Friday 's ruling , Democrats had denounced Abbott @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a state that has repeatedly been knocked in federal court for intentionally discriminating against voters of color .
Voting rights advocates and civic groups quickly sued Abbott in federal court , arguing the order was based on invalid security concerns and places an unconstitutional and unequal burden on the right to vote .
The Texas and national League of United Latin American Citizens , the League of Women Voters of Texas and two Texas voters filed suit the night of Abbott 's order , and another lawsuit was filed the next day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the get-out-the-vote group Bigtent Creative and a 65-year-old voter .
`` Cutting these mail-in voting locations was wrong and done solely to attempt to steal the election from the rising Texas electorate , '' said Gilberto Hinojosa , chair of the Texas Democratic Party .
`` A county , like Harris County , with more than 4.7 million Texans should have more than one hand delivery location .
Limiting counties like Harris is a desperate Republican attempt to hold onto power . ''
There has been a flurry of legal battles over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this year .
The Texas Supreme Court ruled this week against several GOP officials who pushed to keep early voting to a two-week period during the pandemic .
But the state 's highest civil court also ruled this week that Harris County elections officials could not send out mail-in ballot applications to all of the county 's 2.4 million registered voters .
County clerks in large counties , like Harris and Travis , began opening up multiple drop-off locations for absentee ballots to handle the expected influx of ballots delivered by hand , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is plagued by cutbacks and doubts over its ability to deliver ballots on time .
It was a move that seemingly had initial approval from the state of Texas .
One day before Abbott 's limiting proclamation , Texas Solicitor General Kyle Hawkins said Harris County 's multiple drop-off locations were legal in a filing related to another voting lawsuit .
Nothing in Texas election law says that multiple drop-off locations can not be used , Hawkins told the Texas Supreme Court , and `` accordingly , the Secretary of State has advised @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ballots to be returned to any early-voting clerk office . ''
Local officials are also implementing safety precautions at the polls , including getting creative with polling location choices , stocking up on sanitizer and mandating social distancing in lines .
Masks are encouraged but not required at polling places - one of a few exemptions Abbott gave from a statewide mask order earlier this year .
This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune .
Read the original here .
The Texas Tribune is a non-profit , non-partisan media organization that informs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about public policy , politics , government and statewide issues .

| License Photo A federal judge said Texas can't limit counties to having one absentee ballot drop-off location, similar to the one pictured here in California. Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI
Oct. 10 (UPI) -- A federal judge ruled Friday that Texas counties can have multiple drop-off locations for absentee ballots heading into the Nov. 3 general election, blocking the enforcement of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's recent order that sought to limit counties to just one such location. Advertisement
Saying Abbott's order confused voters and restricted voter access, U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman granted an injunction late Friday barring its enforcement. With an unprecedented number of Texas voters requesting mail-in ballots during the coronavirus pandemic, and concerns about the reliability of the U.S. Postal Service, some large, Democratic counties had set up numerous locations to accept the ballots before Abbott's order.
"By limiting ballot return centers to one per county," Pitman wrote, "older and disabled voters living in Texas's largest and most populous counties must travel further distances to more crowded ballot return centers where they would be at an increased risk of being infected by the coronavirus in order to exercise their right to vote and have it counted."
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A spokesperson for Abbott did not immediately respond to a request for comment late Friday.
To qualify to vote by mail, voters must be 65 or older, be confined in jail but otherwise eligible, be out of the county for the election period, or cite a disability or illness. The Texas Supreme Court has said that lack of immunity to the coronavirus does not itself constitute a disability, but voters may consider that alongside their medical histories to decide whether they qualify. Texas remains one of only a handful of states that don't allow for universal mail-in voting during the pandemic, and Republican officials have pushed back on other efforts to expand access to voting.
Earlier this year, Abbott extended the early voting period for the November election and also allowed people using absentee or mail-in ballots to drop them off before Election Day. Early voting begins Tuesday, but counties had already started collecting mail-in ballots before Abbott's attempt to limit the number of drop-off locations in each county.
Voting rights advocates called that move an unconstitutional burden on the right to vote that will disproportionately impact voters of color in the state's biggest cities.
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Harris County, the state's most populous and home to Houston, had designated a dozen ballot drop-off locations in clerk offices across the county's roughly 1,700 square miles, and had already begun collecting them. In Travis County, which includes Austin, officials had designated four locations where voters could deliver their ballots. Voters must present an approved form of identification to deliver their mail-in ballots, and they may not turn in any one else's ballot.
Abbott's order, which the governor said was meant to "strengthen ballot security protocols throughout the state," required all but one of each county's drop-off locations to close and allowed political parties to install poll watchers to observe the process. A spokesperson for the governor did not answer questions on how allowing multiple locations for ballot delivery might lead to fraud.
The Texas Democratic Party called Friday's ruling a "common sense order [that] followed well-established law and stopped the governor from making up election rules after the election started."
Before Friday's ruling, Democrats had denounced Abbott's order, labeling it voter suppression in a state that has repeatedly been knocked in federal court for intentionally discriminating against voters of color. Voting rights advocates and civic groups quickly sued Abbott in federal court, arguing the order was based on invalid security concerns and places an unconstitutional and unequal burden on the right to vote.
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The Texas and national League of United Latin American Citizens, the League of Women Voters of Texas and two Texas voters filed suit the night of Abbott's order, and another lawsuit was filed the next day by the Texas Alliance for Retired Americans, the get-out-the-vote group Bigtent Creative and a 65-year-old voter.
"Cutting these mail-in voting locations was wrong and done solely to attempt to steal the election from the rising Texas electorate," said Gilberto Hinojosa, chair of the Texas Democratic Party. "A county, like Harris County, with more than 4.7 million Texans should have more than one hand delivery location. Limiting counties like Harris is a desperate Republican attempt to hold onto power."
There has been a flurry of legal battles over voting in Texas during the coronavirus pandemic this year. The Texas Supreme Court ruled this week against several GOP officials who pushed to keep early voting to a two-week period during the pandemic. But the state's highest civil court also ruled this week that Harris County elections officials could not send out mail-in ballot applications to all of the county's 2.4 million registered voters.
Advertisement
County clerks in large counties, like Harris and Travis, began opening up multiple drop-off locations for absentee ballots to handle the expected influx of ballots delivered by hand, especially as the U.S. Postal Service is plagued by cutbacks and doubts over its ability to deliver ballots on time.
It was a move that seemingly had initial approval from the state of Texas. One day before Abbott's limiting proclamation, Texas Solicitor General Kyle Hawkins said Harris County's multiple drop-off locations were legal in a filing related to another voting lawsuit. Nothing in Texas election law says that multiple drop-off locations cannot be used, Hawkins told the Texas Supreme Court, and "accordingly, the Secretary of State has advised local officials that the Legislature has permitted ballots to be returned to any early-voting clerk office."
Local officials are also implementing safety precautions at the polls, including getting creative with polling location choices, stocking up on sanitizer and mandating social distancing in lines. Masks are encouraged but not required at polling places - one of a few exemptions Abbott gave from a statewide mask order earlier this year.
Advertisement
Mitchell Ferman and Emma Platoff contributed to this report.
Disclosure: The Texas secretary of state has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a non-profit, non-partisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here
This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune. Read the original here. The Texas Tribune is a non-profit, non-partisan media organization that informs Texans -- and engages with them -- about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.


upi--2020-10-10--Wendell Pierce, Matt Berry join cast of 'The Watch'

Oct. 10 ( UPI ) -- The Wire and Jack Ryan alum Wendell Pierce and Matt Berry from What We Do in the Shadows have signed up to voice roles in BBC America 's new fantasy series , The Watch .
Pierce will play Death/the Grim Reaper and Berry will play Wayne , a magical speaking sword , respectively .
`` Proud to join the new original series , THE WATCH from Sir Terry Pratchett 's novels @ BBCAMERICA , '' Pierce tweeted after his casting was announced Friday at the virtual New York Comic Con .
Leading the ensemble @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Adam Hugill , Jo Eaton-Ken , Marama Corlett , Paul Kaye , Ralph Ineson , Sam Adewunmi , Anna Chancellor , James Fleet and Ingrid Oliver .
Set to debut Jan. 3 , the show is written and executive produced by Simon Allen whose credits include The Musketeers .
It is based on characters from Pratchett 's famous Discworld novels .
`` The Watch follows an unlikely group of misfits , The City Watch , who are forced to find the guts to save the world , surprising even themselves in the process @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The comedic yet thrilling series pits trolls , werewolves , wizards and other improbable heroes against an evil plot to resurrect a great dragon which would lead to the destruction of life as they know it . ''

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Wendell Pierce is to play the character of Death in BBC America's new drama, "The Watch." File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo
Oct. 10 (UPI) -- The Wire and Jack Ryan alum Wendell Pierce and Matt Berry from What We Do in the Shadows have signed up to voice roles in BBC America's new fantasy series, The Watch. Pierce will play Death/the Grim Reaper and Berry will play Wayne, a magical speaking sword, respectively. Advertisement
"Proud to join the new original series, THE WATCH from Sir Terry Pratchett's novels @BBCAMERICA," Pierce tweeted after his casting was announced Friday at the virtual New York Comic Con.
Leading the ensemble are Richard Dormer, Lara Rossi, Adam Hugill, Jo Eaton-Ken, Marama Corlett, Paul Kaye, Ralph Ineson, Sam Adewunmi, Anna Chancellor, James Fleet and Ingrid Oliver.
Set to debut Jan. 3, the show is written and executive produced by Simon Allen whose credits include The Musketeers. It is based on characters from Pratchett's famous Discworld novels.
"The Watch follows an unlikely group of misfits, The City Watch, who are forced to find the guts to save the world, surprising even themselves in the process," a synopsis said.
"The comedic yet thrilling series pits trolls, werewolves, wizards and other improbable heroes against an evil plot to resurrect a great dragon which would lead to the destruction of life as they know it."
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Welcome to Ankh-Morpork. Don't mind the dragon sightings. #TheWatch premieres Sunday, January 3, 2021 on @BBCAmerica. pic.twitter.com/TGq6rYGHVb— The Watch (@TheWatch) October 9, 2020


upi--2020-10-11--One dead in shooting near rival rallies in Denver

Oct. 11 ( UPI ) -- One person died during a shooting near dueling protests in downtown Denver , and a private security guard hired by a television station was later taken into custody , police said .
The shooting occurred at 3:37 p.m. Mountain time after a planned protest in support of police bill as a `` Patriot Rally '' against a counterprotest led by the left-wing group , which organizers called `` BLM-Antifa Soup Drive , '' according to The Denver Post .
A verbal altercation occurred with two guns and a can of Mace recovered at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Munoz told CNN .
Denver posted on Twitter the shooting is being investigated as a homicide and later tweeted `` further investigation has determined the suspect is a private security guard with no affiliation with Antifa . ''
KUSA-TV reported that the suspect detained by police is a private security guard hired by the station .
`` The private security guard was contracted through Pinkerton by 9NEWS , '' the station said in a report .
`` It has been the practice of 9NEWS for a number of months to hire private security @ @ @ @ @ @ @ originally took two people into custody , and later found the second individual , a 9NEWS producer who works in the investigative unit , was not involved in the incident .
The producer is no longer in police custody and is not a suspect . ''
A Denver Post journalist who witnessed the incident said a man participating in what was billed a `` Patriot Rally '' sprayed mace at another man .
That man then shot the other individual with a handgun near the courtyard outside the Denver Art Museum .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and later pronounced dead , Investigations Division Chief Joe Montoya said during a news conference Saturday .
`` Political differences should be resolved at the ballot box and not in the streets , and we will keep it that way through this election season and beyond , '' Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancock wrote on Twitter .
`` And with the pandemic , we encourage people to not gather in large groups , and stay safe at home .

Oct. 11 (UPI) -- One person died during a shooting near dueling protests in downtown Denver, and a private security guard hired by a television station is being held in jail on suspicion of first-degree murder.
The shooting occurred at 3:37 p.m. Mountain time Saturday after a planned protest in support of police billed as a "Patriot Rally" against a counterprotest led by the left-wing group, which organizers called "BLM-Antifa Soup Drive," according to The Denver Post.
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A verbal altercation occurred with two guns and a can of Mace recovered at the scene, Police Public Information Officer Ana Munoz told CNN.
Denver posted on Twitter the shooting is being investigated as a homicide and later tweeted "further investigation has determined the suspect is a private security guard with no affiliation with Antifa."
"The private security guard was contracted through Pinkerton by 9NEWS," KUSA-TV said in a report. "It has been the practice of 9NEWS for a number of months to hire private security to accompany staff at protests. DPD originally took two people into custody, and later found the second individual, a 9NEWS producer who works in the investigative unit, was not involved in the incident. The producer is no longer in police custody and is not a suspect."
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Matthew Robert Dolloff, 30, remained in jail Sunday without bond on suspicion of first-degree murder in the shooting.
A Denver Post journalist who witnessed the incident said a man participating in what was billed a "Patriot Rally" sprayed mace at another man. That man then shot the other individual with a handgun near the courtyard outside the Denver Art Museum.
The victim was transported to a hospital and later pronounced dead, Investigations Division Chief Joe Montoya said during a news conference Saturday.
Johnathan Keltner identified the victim as his father, Lee Keltner Keltner, 49, a Navy veteran who ran a hat-making business in the Denver area for many years.
"He wasn't a part of any group," Johnathon Keltner told The Denver Post. "He was there to rally for the police department and he'd been down there before rallying for the police department."
Several hundred people gathered at Civic Center for the two demonstrations.
"Political differences should be resolved at the ballot box and not in the streets, and we will keep it that way through this election season and beyond," Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancock wrote on Twitter. "And with the pandemic, we encourage people to not gather in large groups, and stay safe at home.


upi--2020-10-11--Famous birthdays for Oct. 11: Jane Krakowski, Emily Deschanel

Oct. 11 ( UPI ) -- Those born on this date are under the sign of Libra .
-- Clergyman @ @ @ @ @ invented the story of George Washington and the cherry tree , in 1759 -- Englishman @ @ @ @ @ the YMCA , in 1821 -- Former first lady/author Eleanor Roosevelt in 1884

Jane Krakowski speaks to Katie Couric and attendees when AARP hosts a brain health event in New York City on June 25, 2018. The actor turns 52 on October 11. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo
Oct. 11 (UPI) -- Those born on this date are under the sign of Libra. They include: Advertisement
-- Clergyman Mason Locke Weems, who invented the story of George Washington and the cherry tree, in 1759
-- Englishman George Williams, founder of the YMCA, in 1821
-- Food industry pioneer Henry John Heinz in 1844
-- Former first lady/author Eleanor Roosevelt in 1884
UPI File Photo
-- Writer Elmore Leonard in 1925
-- Football Hall of Fame Coach LaVell Edwards in 1930
-- Actor/singer Ron Leibman in 1937
-- Singer Daryl Hall in 1946 (age 74)
-- Sports columnist Thomas Boswell in 1947 (age 73)
-- Actor David Morse in 1953 (age 67)
-- Actor Dawn French in 1957 (age 63)
-- Football Hall of Fame member Steve Young in 1961 (age 59)
-- Actor Joan Cusack in 1962 (age 58)
-- Actor Lennie James in 1965 (age 55)
-- Actor Luke Perry in 1966
-- Actor Jane Krakowski in 1968 (age 52)
-- Actor Constance Zimmer in 1970 (age 50)
-- Actor Emily Deschanel in 1976 (age 44)
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File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI
-- Actor Matt Bomer in 1977 (age 43)
-- Actor Michelle Trachtenberg in 1985 (age 35)
-- Golfer Michelle Wie in 1989 (age 31)
-- Rapper Cardi B, born Belcalis Marlenis Almanzar, in 1992 (age 28)
-- Actor Brandon Flynn in 1993 (age 27)
File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI


upi--2020-10-11--On This Day, Oct. 11: Teddy Roosevelt becomes first president to ride in plane

Oct. 11 ( UPI ) -- On this date in history : In 1811 , the first steam-powered ferry in the world , the Juliana , started its run between New York City and Hoboken , N.J .
In 1868 , Thomas Alva Edison filed papers for his first invention : an electrical vote recorder to rapidly tabulate floor votes in the U.S. Congress .
Edison 's device was issued U.S. Patent 90,646 on June 1 , 1869 .
Members of Congress rejected the apparatus and it was never utilized .
In 1906 , the San Francisco Board of Education @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ordering that instead they were to be taught in racially segregated schools .
A compromise was reached in February 1907 , allowing the students back into the schools with the Japanese government accepting new immigration restrictions for its citizens wishing to travel to the United States .
In 1910 , President Theodore Roosevelt became the first U.S. president to take flight in an airplane .
Piloted by Arch Hoxsey , Roosevelt would stay aloft for 4 minutes in a Wright brothers-built plane at Kinloch Field in St. Louis , Mo .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the United Nations Partition Plan of Palestine , which recommended the creation of independent Arab and Jewish States with the city of Jerusalem placed under direct trusteeship of the United Nations .
The resolution was adopted by the General Assembly on Nov. 29 , 1947 , though a civil war , which would last nearly six months , erupted the next day between Arabs and Jews , resulting in the partition plan failing to be implemented .
In 1950 , the Federal Communications Commission gave CBS the first license to broadcast color television @ @ @ @ @ @ @ premiered on NBC with George Carlin as host and musicians Janis Ian and Billy Preston on the bill .
In 1984 , Kathryn Sullivan , flying into orbit aboard the space shuttle Challenger , became the first American woman to walk in space .
In 1986 , President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev met in Reykjavik , Iceland , to discuss arms control and human rights .
While the talks collapsed at the last minute , work would continue , resulting in the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty between the two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. President George W. Bush its backing for using military force against Iraq .
In 2008 , the U.S. State Department removed North Korea from its list of state sponsors of terrorism .
In return , North Korea agreed to give international inspectors access to its nuclear facilities and to continue disabling its plutonium processing project .
In 2013 , the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons won the Nobel Peace Prize .
The United Nations-backed OPCW , which has headquarters in The Hague , Netherlands , was overseeing the destruction of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time it won the prize .
In 2018 , an American astronaut and a Russian cosmonaut were forced to eject from an aborted launch to the International Space Station and make an emergency landing after a rocket failure .

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In this October 11, 1910, file photo Col. Theodore Roosevelt takes off from Aviation Field in St. Louis with pilot Arch Hoxsey. Roosevelt described the trip as, "the bulliest experience I ever had." UPI File Photo
Oct. 11 (UPI) -- On this date in history: In 1811, the first steam-powered ferry in the world, the Juliana, started its run between New York City and Hoboken, N.J. Advertisement
In 1868, Thomas Alva Edison filed papers for his first invention: an electrical vote recorder to rapidly tabulate floor votes in the U.S. Congress. Edison's device was issued U.S. Patent 90,646 on June 1, 1869. Members of Congress rejected the apparatus and it was never utilized.
In 1906, the San Francisco Board of Education banned Japanese-American students from attending public schools, ordering that instead they were to be taught in racially segregated schools. A compromise was reached in February 1907, allowing the students back into the schools with the Japanese government accepting new immigration restrictions for its citizens wishing to travel to the United States.
In 1910, President Theodore Roosevelt became the first U.S. president to take flight in an airplane. Piloted by Arch Hoxsey, Roosevelt would stay aloft for 4 minutes in a Wright brothers-built plane at Kinloch Field in St. Louis, Mo.
In 1947, the United States agreed to the United Nations Partition Plan of Palestine, which recommended the creation of independent Arab and Jewish States with the city of Jerusalem placed under direct trusteeship of the United Nations. The resolution was adopted by the General Assembly on Nov. 29, 1947, though a civil war, which would last nearly six months, erupted the next day between Arabs and Jews, resulting in the partition plan failing to be implemented.
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File Photo by Stephen Shaver/UPI
In 1950, the Federal Communications Commission gave CBS the first license to broadcast color television.
In 1975, Saturday Night Live premiered on NBC with George Carlin as host and musicians Janis Ian and Billy Preston on the bill.
In 1984, Kathryn Sullivan, flying into orbit aboard the space shuttle Challenger, became the first American woman to walk in space.
In 1986, President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev met in Reykjavik, Iceland, to discuss arms control and human rights. While the talks collapsed at the last minute, work would continue, resulting in the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty between the two nations.
In 2002, Congress gave U.S. President George W. Bush its backing for using military force against Iraq.
Surrounded by members of Congress, President George W. Bush signs the congressional resolution authorizing U.S. use of force against Iraq if needed, during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House on October 16, 2002. File Photo by Chris Corder/UPI
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In 2008, the U.S. State Department removed North Korea from its list of state sponsors of terrorism. In return, North Korea agreed to give international inspectors access to its nuclear facilities and to continue disabling its plutonium processing project.
In 2013, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons won the Nobel Peace Prize. The United Nations-backed OPCW, which has headquarters in The Hague, Netherlands, was overseeing the destruction of Syria's chemical weapons stockpile at the time it won the prize.
In 2018, an American astronaut and a Russian cosmonaut were forced to eject from an aborted launch to the International Space Station and make an emergency landing after a rocket failure.


upi--2020-10-10--Trump cleared for 'activity schedule' after rally-type talk at White House

Oct. 10 ( UPI ) -- President Donald Trump turned his first post-COVID public appearance into a campaign rally on the White House South Lawn on Saturday , nine days after was hospitalized for the coronavirus infection .
Hours later the presidents physician , Sean Conley , cleared the president to return to an `` active schedule '' , with as rally planned for Monday in Sanford , Fla. , north of Orlando .
Thanking supporters for prayers and well wishes for himself and the first lady , within minutes Trump had referred to his Democratic presidential opponent as `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about the border wall and delivered other material typical of a campaign speech .
`` We got ta vote these people into oblivion .
Into oblivion .
Got ta get rid of 'em .
So bad for our country , '' the president said .
About 400 people attended the invitation-only event .
Trump called the event a peaceful protest for law and order and blamed the `` radical Socialist Left '' for civil unrest in U.S. cities this summer .
`` Where there is evidence of wrongdoing by police , the criminal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ must be held accountable , '' Trump said .
`` But we must never allow mob rule . ''
Event organizers of Candace Owens 's BLEXIT Foundation paid for travel and lodging of some attendees and demanded that they wear matching shirts , ABC reported Saturday .
Attendees were asked to wear masks , but were packed tightly together , not following social distancing guidelines .
Attendees were also scheduled to attend a pro-law enforcement rally in Washington , D.C .
The speech lasted about 18 minutes , much shorter than Trump 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last more than an hour .
On Saturday night , Conley gave an update with the `` permission '' of Trump .
`` This evening I am happy to report that in addition to the President meeting CDC criteria for the safe discontinuation of isolation , this morning 's COVID PCR sample demonstrates , by currently recognized standards , he is no longer considered a transmission risk to others .
Now at day 10 from symptom onset , fever-free for well over 24 hours and all symptoms improved , the assortment of advanced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ longer evidence of actively replicating virus . ''
`` In addition , sequential testing throughout his illness has demonstrated decreasing viral loads that correlate with increasing cycle threshold times , as well as decreasing and now undetectable subgenomic mRNA .
`` Moving forward , I will continue to monitor him clinically as he returns to an active schedule . ''
The letter did not specifically say Trump has received a negative coronavirus test since first testing positive for the virus on Oct. 1 .
His last negative test for that date also has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flesh-colored bandages visible on his hands , downplayed his time at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and said he was returning to the campaign trail .
`` I feel great , '' he said .
`` We are starting very , very big with our rallies and with our everything , '' Trump promised .
The president has rallies planned in Florida , Pennsylvania and Iowa next week .
The speech ended with supporters chanting `` four more years ! ''
and Trump urging them to `` get out and vote -- @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president has not been seen in public other than in White House-released videos since his release from the hospital five days ago .
The White House declined to say Saturday whether Trump was still potentially contagious from COVID-19 .
The last public event at the White House was the Sept. 26 Rose Garden ceremony to announce Supreme Court Justice candidate Amy Coney Barret 's nomination .
Public health officials determined the gathering of more than 200 people was a `` super-spreader '' event which has been linked to dozens of COVID-19 infections , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
On Saturday , Trump campaign advisor and former New Jersey Gov .
Chris Christie announced he had been released from the hospital following treatment for the coronavirus .
Joe Biden 's campaign said Saturday that he had again tested negative for the virus .
Biden 's campaign has been releasing regular updates since Biden appeared on the same Cleveland stage as Trump in a debate on Sept. 29 .

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President Donald Trump, with flesh-colored bandages on his hands, speaks to supporters at the White House Saturday. Trump, making his first public appearance since returning from a three-day hospitalization for Covid-19, is setting the stage for a return to the campaign trail even as questions remain about whether he's still contagious. Photo by Erin Scott/UPI | License Photo
Oct. 10 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump turned his first post-COVID public appearance into a campaign rally on the White House South Lawn on Saturday, nine days after was hospitalized for the coronavirus infection. Hours later the presidents physician, Sean Conley, cleared the president to return to an "active schedule", with as rally planned for Monday in Sanford, Fla., north of Orlando. Advertisement
Thanking supporters for prayers and well wishes for himself and the first lady, within minutes Trump had referred to his Democratic presidential opponent as "Sleepy Joe Biden," had boasted about the border wall and delivered other material typical of a campaign speech.
"We gotta vote these people into oblivion. Into oblivion. Gotta get rid of 'em. So bad for our country," the president said.
About 400 people attended the invitation-only event. Trump called the event a peaceful protest for law and order and blamed the "radical Socialist Left" for civil unrest in U.S. cities this summer.
Advertisement
"Where there is evidence of wrongdoing by police, the criminal justice system must investigate and any perpetrators must be held accountable," Trump said. "But we must never allow mob rule."
Event organizers of Candace Owens's BLEXIT Foundation paid for travel and lodging of some attendees and demanded that they wear matching shirts, ABC reported Saturday. Attendees were asked to wear masks, but were packed tightly together, not following social distancing guidelines.
Attendees were also scheduled to attend a pro-law enforcement rally in Washington, D.C.
The speech lasted about 18 minutes, much shorter than Trump's usual campaign rally remarks, which can last more than an hour.
On Saturday night, Conley gave an update with the "permission" of Trump.
"This evening I am happy to report that in addition to the President meeting CDC criteria for the safe discontinuation of isolation, this morning's COVID PCR sample demonstrates, by currently recognized standards, he is no longer considered a transmission risk to others. Now at day 10 from symptom onset, fever-free for well over 24 hours and all symptoms improved, the assortment of advanced diagnostic tests obtained reveal there is no longer evidence of actively replicating virus."
"In addition, sequential testing throughout his illness has demonstrated decreasing viral loads that correlate with increasing cycle threshold times, as well as decreasing and now undetectable subgenomic mRNA.
Advertisement
"Moving forward, I will continue to monitor him clinically as he returns to an active schedule."
The letter did not specifically say Trump has received a negative coronavirus test since first testing positive for the virus on Oct. 1. His last negative test for that date also has not been disclosed.
Trump, with flesh-colored bandages visible on his hands, downplayed his time at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and said he was returning to the campaign trail.
"I feel great," he said. "We are starting very, very big with our rallies and with our everything," Trump promised. The president has rallies planned in Florida, Pennsylvania and Iowa next week.
The speech ended with supporters chanting "four more years!" and Trump urging them to "get out and vote -- and I love you."
The president has not been seen in public other than in White House-released videos since his release from the hospital five days ago. The White House declined to say Saturday whether Trump was still potentially contagious from COVID-19 .
The last public event at the White House was the Sept. 26 Rose Garden ceremony to announce Supreme Court Justice candidate Amy Coney Barret's nomination. Public health officials determined the gathering of more than 200 people was a "super-spreader" event which has been linked to dozens of COVID-19 infections, including those in Trump's inner circle.
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On Saturday, Trump campaign advisor and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie announced he had been released from the hospital following treatment for the coronavirus.
Joe Biden's campaign said Saturday that he had again tested negative for the virus. Biden's campaign has been releasing regular updates since Biden appeared on the same Cleveland stage as Trump in a debate on Sept. 29.


upi--2020-10-11--Louisiana struggles to recover after back-to-back landfalls with Laura and Delta

Oct. 11 ( UPI ) -- After being lashed by both Laura and Delta within the span of just a few weeks , Lake Charles , La.
, is struggling to recover from the damage , and with national attention focusing elsewhere , some residents and officials are worried they will not receive the aid they require to rebuild .
Delta made landfall on Friday near Creole , just 13 miles from where Laura made landfall only 43 days prior .
As it struck the coast with 100 mph winds , Delta left a path of destruction in the form @ @ @ @ @ @ @ homes .
There have only been two deaths in the state caused by Delta compared with 32 total deaths reported due to Laura .
The Louisiana Department of Health on Sunday said a 70-year-old woman in Iberia Parish died of a fire likely caused by a gas leak due to damage from Hurricane Delta .
Louisiana Gov .
John Bel Edwards announced earlier that an 86-year-old man from St. Martin Parish died in a fire that sparked after he refueled a generated , becoming the first Delta-storm related fatality .
A 19-year-old also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , officials said .
The Okaloosa County Sheriff 's Office said Sunday that Dakota Pierce , a tourist from Illinois , drowned a day prior after being caught in a rip current in the Gulf of Mexico .
The sheriff 's office said in a statement that `` multiple people '' were pulled from the gulf by lifeguards despite it being closed to swimming `` due to dangerous conditions created by the outer bands of Hurricane Delta . ''
Early Sunday , a CSX train derailed in Gwinnett County , Ga. , after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Delta .
The train 's engineer and conductor were taken to a hospital with minor injuries , according to a news release by Gwinnett County Fire and Emergency Services , which responded to the incident at 1:43 a.m. Crews found 38 rail cars derailed and several engulfed in flames shortly after arrival .
Delta , which held an AccuWeather RealImpact score of 2 , was the 10th storm to make landfall in the United States this hurricane season , breaking the record previously set in 1916 .
It was also the first hurricane @ @ @ @ @ @ @ landfall in the United States .
The 2020 season has become unprecedented in many aspects , and Lake Charles is now left to rebuild from the aftermath of back-to-back landfalls .
On Saturday , 9,400 people were being sheltered by the state .
According to Edwards , however , only 935 of those people evacuated from Delta , and the rest were still evacuated from Laura .
The Mutual Aid Response Network Imagine , a group of Louisiana residents led by Water Works , is providing more unique necessities to those affected , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , food , clothing , mobility devices , laundry services , mini-fridges to be used for breastmilk and medicine , activities for children , slow cookers , grills and more , while prioritizing the funding , leadership , and safety of Black , Indigenous and people of color .
So far they have raised more than $ 71,000 of their $ 250,000 goal .
`` [ The impacts from Laura ] will surely slow down rebuilding efforts and make things slower for recovering from Delta , '' AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alan Reppert said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likely requires a second round of rebuilding for some things that might have been done already , and could have brought more damage to those areas that already saw the damage from Laura . ''

Absolutely devastating to see the damage in Lake Charles.#Hurricane #Delta left streets flooded in neighborhoods where homes were damaged by #Laura.
One family tells us they stayed in their damaged home last night and regret staying behind. @accuweatherhttps://t.co/J6hQ6NkGRh pic.twitter.com/GxgW7duRfA - Bill Wadell (@BillWadell) October 10, 2020
Oct. 11 (UPI) -- After being lashed by Laura and Delta within the span of just a few weeks, Lake Charles, La., is struggling to recover from the damage, and with national attention focusing elsewhere, some residents and officials are worried they will not receive the aid they require to rebuild.
Delta made landfall on Friday near Creole, just 13 miles from where Laura made landfall only 43 days prior. As it struck the coast with 100 mph winds, Delta left a path of destruction in the form of flooded streets and damaged buildings and homes.
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There have only been two deaths in the state caused by Delta compared with 32 total deaths reported due to Laura.
The Louisiana Department of Health on Sunday said a 70-year-old woman in Iberia Parish died of a fire likely caused by a gas leak due to damage from Hurricane Delta.
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Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards announced earlier that an 86-year-old man from St. Martin Parish died in a fire that sparked after he refueled a generated, becoming the first Delta-storm related fatality.
A 19-year-old also died in Florida due to the storm, officials said.
The Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office said Sunday that Dakota Pierce, a tourist from Illinois, drowned a day prior after being caught in a rip current in the Gulf of Mexico. The sheriff's office said in a statement that "multiple people" were pulled from the gulf by lifeguards despite it being closed to swimming "due to dangerous conditions created by the outer bands of Hurricane Delta."
Early Sunday, a CSX train derailed in Gwinnett County, Ga., after heavy rains from the remnants of Hurricane Delta.
The train's engineer and conductor were taken to a hospital with minor injuries, according to a news release by Gwinnett County Fire and Emergency Services, which responded to the incident at 1:43 a.m. Crews found 38 rail cars derailed and several engulfed in flames shortly after arrival.
Delta, which held an AccuWeather RealImpact score of 2, was the 10th storm to make landfall in the United States this hurricane season, breaking the record previously set in 1916. It was also the first hurricane named after the Greek alphabet to make landfall in the United States. The 2020 season has become unprecedented in many aspects, and Lake Charles is now left to rebuild from the aftermath of back-to-back landfalls.
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On Saturday, 9,400 people were being sheltered by the state. According to Edwards, however, only 935 of those people evacuated from Delta, and the rest were still evacuated from Laura.
The Mutual Aid Response Network Imagine, a group of Louisiana residents led by Water Works, is providing more unique necessities to those affected, including chainsaws, box fans, tools, food, clothing, mobility devices, laundry services, mini-fridges to be used for breastmilk and medicine, activities for children, slow cookers, grills and more, while prioritizing the funding, leadership, and safety of Black, Indigenous and people of color. So far they have raised more than $71,000 of their $250,000 goal.
"[The impacts from Laura] will surely slow down rebuilding efforts and make things slower for recovering from Delta," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alan Reppert said of the two hurricanes. "It likely requires a second round of rebuilding for some things that might have been done already, and could have brought more damage to those areas that already saw the damage from Laura."


upi--2020-10-11--LeBron, Lakers top Heat for 17th NBA title in franchise history

Oct. 11 ( UPI ) -- LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers cruised to a 106-93 win over the Miami Heat in Game 6 of the NBA Finals on Sunday night to secure the franchise 's 17th championship in team history .
James , who claimed his fourth Larry O'Brien Trophy , had 28 points , 14 rebounds and 10 assists to lead the Lakers to their first title in a decade .
The 16-time All-Star selection also earned his fourth NBA Finals MVP award in the blowout victory .
Lakers star big man Anthony Davis , who was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , notched 19 points , 15 rebounds , three assists and two blocks .
Rajon Rondo notched 19 points off the bench to claim his second NBA title .
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope added 17 points for the Lakers , and Danny Green had 11 points on 3-of-7 shooting from 3-point range .
Bam Adebayo led the Heat with 25 points and 10 rebounds .
Jimmy Butler , who kept Miami afloat for much of the series , was limited to 12 points , eight assists and seven rebounds .
Jae Crowder scored 12 points @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first time since suffering a foot injury in Game 1 -- had only five points on 2-of-8 shooting .
Duncan Robinson finished with 10 points .

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (C) drives to the basket between Miami Heat forwards Jae Crowder (B) and Bam Adebayo (L) during the first quarter in Game 6 of the NBA Finals on Sunday at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex near Orlando, Fla. Photo by Erik S. Lesser/EPA-EFE
Oct. 11 (UPI) -- LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers cruised to a 106-93 win over the Miami Heat in Game 6 of the NBA Finals on Sunday night to secure the franchise's 17th championship in team history. The Lakers conquered the NBA bubble -- brought about by the coronavirus pandemic -- in historic fashion, leading from beginning to end and by as much as 36 points. It was the third wire-to-wire victory to clinch a championship in the last 50 seasons, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, as this year's Lakers team joined the 1982 Lakers and the 1986 Boston Celtics. Advertisement
James, who claimed his fourth Larry O'Brien Trophy and third championship with three different franchises, had 28 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists to lead the Lakers to their first title in a decade. The 16-time All-Star selection also earned his fourth NBA Finals MVP award in the blowout victory.
James, who won Finals MVP in 2012 and 2013 with the Heat and in 2016 with the Cleveland Cavaliers, became the first player in league history to capture the award with three different teams.
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"We just want our respect," James said during the trophy presentation. "[General manager] Rob [Pelinka] wants his respect, coach [Frank] Vogel wants his respect, our organization wants its respect, Laker Nation wants its respect.
"And I want my damn respect, too."
Lakers star big man Anthony Davis, who was in tears after earning his first championship, notched 19 points, 15 rebounds, three assists and two blocks. Rajon Rondo notched 19 points off the bench to claim his second NBA title.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope added 17 points for the Lakers, who are now tied with the Celtics for the most championships in league history. Danny Green had 11 points on 3-of-7 shooting from 3-point range.
Bam Adebayo led the Heat with 25 points and 10 rebounds. Jimmy Butler, who kept Miami afloat for much of the series, was limited to 12 points, eight assists and seven rebounds.
Jae Crowder scored 12 points, and Goran Dragic -- playing for the first time since suffering a foot injury in Game 1 -- had only five points on 2-of-8 shooting. Duncan Robinson finished with 10 points.


upi--2020-10-11--Saints' Michael Thomas benched for MNF after altercation with teammate

Oct. 11 ( UPI ) -- The New Orleans Saints have ruled out star wide receiver Michael Thomas for Monday @ @ @ @ @ Los Angeles Chargers for disciplinary reasons , the team announced Sunday .
League sources told @ @ @ @ @ Thomas was benched after he had an altercation with a teammate during practice this weekend @ @ @ @ @ , the altercation was with safety C.J .
Gardner-Johnson .
Thomas had been listed as @ @ @ @ @ , but the Saints updated his status to out/not injury related on the team 's @ @ @ @ @ The three-time Pro Bowl wideout has been sidelined by the ankle ailment since Week 1 @ @ @ @ @ a limited basis every day for two consecutive weeks .
In his only game this @ @ @ @ @ catches for 17 yards against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers .
Thomas led the NFL with @ @ @ @ @ yards last season .
The Saints ( 2-2 ) host the Chargers ( 1-3 ) @ @ @ @ @ Monday at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome .

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas (pictured) was involved in an altercation with teammate C.J. Gardner-Johnson during a practice this weekend. File Photo by AJ Sisco/UPI | License Photo
Oct. 11 (UPI) -- The New Orleans Saints have ruled out star wide receiver Michael Thomas for Monday night's game against the Los Angeles Chargers for disciplinary reasons, the team announced Sunday. League sources told ESPN and NFL Media that Thomas was benched after he had an altercation with a teammate during practice this weekend. According to the outlets, the altercation was with safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson. Advertisement
Thomas had been listed as questionable with an ankle injury, but the Saints updated his status to out/not injury related on the team's final injury report Sunday.
The three-time Pro Bowl wideout has been sidelined by the ankle ailment since Week 1. He has practiced on a limited basis every day for two consecutive weeks.
In his only game this season, Thomas recorded three catches for 17 yards against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Thomas led the NFL with 149 receptions and 1,725 receiving yards last season.
The Saints (2-2) host the Chargers (1-3) at 8:15 p.m. EST on Monday at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.
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This week in the National Football League


upi--2020-10-11--Watch: Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott suffers gruesome ankle injury

Oct. 11 ( UPI ) -- Dallas Cowboys star quarterback Dak Prescott was transported to a local hospital after suffering a serious right ankle injury during Sunday 's game against the New York Giants at AT & T Stadium in Arlington , Texas .
Prescott sustained the gruesome injury midway through the third quarter while being tackled by Giants defensive back Logan Ryan on a nine-yard run .
The two-time Pro Bowler 's ankle appeared to bend the wrong way when Ryan was bringing him down .
The crowd at AT & T Stadium was silent as Prescott was examined @ @ @ @ @ @ @ several minutes before leaving on a cart .
Players and coaches from both teams -- including former Cowboys head coach and current Giants offensive coordinator Jason Garrett -- consoled Prescott as he departed the field in tears .
The quarterback raised his right hand in acknowledgement .
League sources told ESPN that Prescott will undergo surgery Sunday night to repair the injured ankle .
Prescott was off to a record-setting start in the 2020 season , posting three consecutive games with at least 450 passing yards .
He entered this week with an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by a Cowboys quarterback through four games in franchise history .
Prescott was playing on a one-year franchise tag worth about $ 31.4 million this year after the sides were unable to reach an agreement on a long-term contract .

Oct. 11 (UPI) -- Dallas Cowboys star quarterback Dak Prescott was transported to a local hospital after suffering a serious right ankle injury during Sunday's game against the New York Giants at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Prescott sustained the gruesome injury midway through the third quarter while being tackled by Giants defensive back Logan Ryan on a nine-yard run. The two-time Pro Bowler's ankle appeared to bend the wrong way when Ryan was bringing him down.
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The crowd at AT&T Stadium was silent as Prescott was examined by the Cowboys' training staff for several minutes before leaving on a cart.
Players and coaches from both teams -- including former Cowboys head coach and current Giants offensive coordinator Jason Garrett -- consoled Prescott as he departed the field in tears. The quarterback raised his right hand in acknowledgement.
League sources told ESPN that Prescott will undergo surgery Sunday night to repair the injured ankle.
Dak Prescott is such a good representative of the NFL. This is an absolute shame. Watching him leave the field crying as his teammates dap him up and the fans cheer is just heart-breaking. pic.twitter.com/fy1Zr0c2EN— Grant Paulsen (@granthpaulsen) October 11, 2020
Prescott was off to a record-setting start in the 2020 season, posting three consecutive games with at least 450 passing yards. He entered this week with an NFL-best 1,690 passing yards -- the most by a Cowboys quarterback through four games in franchise history.
Prescott was playing on a one-year franchise tag worth about $31.4 million this year after the sides were unable to reach an agreement on a long-term contract.
This week in the National Football League


upi--2020-10-11--Rafael Nadal wins French Open for record-tying 20th men's Grand Slam title

Oct. 11 ( UPI ) -- Rafael Nadal beat top-ranked Novak Djokovic in the French Open final Sunday to claim his record-tying 20th Grand Slam title .
Nadal tied longtime rival Roger Federer for the most major singles championships won by a man and added to his own record at Roland Garros with his 13th victory in the tournament .
Nadal accomplished those feats in dominant fashion , posting a 6-0 , 6-2 , 7-5 victory over Djokovic .
The 34-year-old from Spain improved to 100-2 at the French Open -- including a combined 26-0 record in the semifinals and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was his fourth consecutive title in Paris .
`` What you are doing on this court is unbelievable .
Not just this court -- throughout your entire career , you 've been a great champion , '' Djokovic told Nadal during the trophy presentation .
`` Today , you showed why you are 'King of the Clay . '
'' When Nadal sealed the victory with an ace , he dropped to his knees and pumped his arms .
It marked the fourth time he has won the French Open without dropping a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I have with this city , and with this court , is unforgettable , '' said Nadal , who became the oldest French Open champion since 1972 .
Federer reacted to Nadal 's victory on social media , congratulating his `` greatest rival . ''
`` I have always had the utmost respect for my friend Rafa as a person and as a champion , '' Federer wrote Sunday on Twitter .
`` As my greatest rival over many years , I believe we have pushed each other to become better players .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ for me to congratulate him on his 20th Grand Slam victory .
`` ...
I hope 20 is just another step on the continuing journey for both of us .
Well done , Rafa .
You deserve it . ''
Entering Sunday 's final , Djokovic had won 14 of the past 18 meetings against Nadal and led the series 29-26 overall , including a straight-sets victory at the 2019 Australian Open .
`` In Australia , he killed me .
... Today was for me , '' Nadal said .
`` That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nadal had only 14 unforced errors across 183 points , while Djokovic accumulated 52 .
`` I am not so pleased with the way I played , '' Djokovic said .
`` But I was definitely [ outplayed ] by a better player . ''

Rafael Nadal of Spain (pictured) holds his trophy after beating Novak Djokovic of Serbia in the men's French Open final on Sunday at Roland Garros in Paris. Photo by Julien De Rosa/EPA-EFE
Oct. 11 (UPI) -- Rafael Nadal beat top-ranked Novak Djokovic in the French Open final Sunday to claim his record-tying 20th Grand Slam title. Nadal tied longtime rival Roger Federer for the most major singles championships won by a man and added to his own record at Roland Garros with his 13th victory in the tournament. Advertisement
Nadal accomplished those feats in dominant fashion, posting a 6-0, 6-2, 7-5 victory over Djokovic. The 34-year-old from Spain improved to 100-2 at the French Open -- including a combined 26-0 record in the semifinals and finals -- with the win. It was his fourth consecutive title in Paris.
"What you are doing on this court is unbelievable. Not just this court -- throughout your entire career, you've been a great champion," Djokovic told Nadal during the trophy presentation. "Today, you showed why you are 'King of the Clay.'"
When Nadal sealed the victory with an ace, he dropped to his knees and pumped his arms. It marked the fourth time he has won the French Open without dropping a set.
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"The love story that I have with this city, and with this court, is unforgettable," said Nadal, who became the oldest French Open champion since 1972.
Federer reacted to Nadal's victory on social media, congratulating his "greatest rival."
"I have always had the utmost respect for my friend Rafa as a person and as a champion," Federer wrote Sunday on Twitter. "As my greatest rival over many years, I believe we have pushed each other to become better players. Therefore, it is a true honor for me to congratulate him on his 20th Grand Slam victory.
"... I hope 20 is just another step on the continuing journey for both of us. Well done, Rafa. You deserve it."
Entering Sunday's final, Djokovic had won 14 of the past 18 meetings against Nadal and led the series 29-26 overall, including a straight-sets victory at the 2019 Australian Open.
"In Australia, he killed me. ... Today was for me," Nadal said. "That's part of the game."
Nadal had only 14 unforced errors across 183 points, while Djokovic accumulated 52.
"I am not so pleased with the way I played," Djokovic said. "But I was definitely [outplayed] by a better player."


upi--2020-10-11--Twitter flags Trump tweet claiming he is 'immune' to COVID-19 after treatment

Oct. 11 ( UPI ) -- Twitter on Sunday flagged a tweet in which President Donald Trump claimed he was now `` immune '' to COVID-19 after receiving treatment for the virus .
The social media platform hid the president 's tweet behind a warning , stating that it `` violated Twitter rules about spreading misleading and potentially harmful information '' related to the coronavirus that has sickened 7.7 million Americans and killed 214,690 more .
`` A total and complete sign off from White House Doctors yesterday .
That means I ca n't get it ( immune ) , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nice to know !
!
! ''
Trump wrote in the tweet .
Trump 's tweet referenced a memo by his personal physician Dr. Sean Conley in which he said the president met Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria to safely emerge from isolation and is `` no longer considered a transmission risk to others '' but made no mention of immunity from the virus .
The White House has also not confirmed whether Trump has tested negative since contracting the coronavirus .
The president also claimed immunity on Fox News ' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ safe from contracting the virus `` maybe a long time , maybe a short time , could be a lifetime '' adding it was unclear how much immunity can be expected after recovery .
In the same interview , Trump again praised the staff at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center where he received three days of treatment for COVID-19 stating that the treatments he received were standard and `` pretty routine . ''
Trump 's treatment , however , included an experimental antibody cocktail from Regeneron Pharmaceuticals known as REGEN-COV2 .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a `` cure '' for the coronavirus , although Regeneron CEO Dr. Leonard Schleifer told CBS News ' Face the Nation Sunday that Trump 's experience was `` a case report '' and represented the `` weakest evidence that you can get '' of the drug 's effectiveness .
`` The real evidence has to come -- about how good a drug is and what it will do on average -- has to come from these large clinical trials , these randomized clinical trials , which are the gold standard , '' Schleifer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Trump is set to hold a rally in Sanford , Fla. , on Monday after making his first post-COVID public appearance in a campaign-style rally on the White House South Lawn on Saturday .
Dr. Sean Conley , in a letter Saturday night , said he will `` continue to monitor him clinically as he returns to an active schedule . ''
The Trump campaign has also launched a new campaign ad praising Trump for overcoming the virus and his administration for its handling of the pandemic , which contains a clip @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in which he says , I ca n't imagine that anybody could be doing more , '' in reference to the administration 's pandemic response .
However , Fauci , the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , told CNN he did not consent to participate in the ad and the quote was not shown in the appropriate context .
`` In my nearly five decades of public service , I have never publicly endorsed any political candidate .
The comments attributed to me without my permission in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ context from a broad statement I made months ago about the efforts of federal public health officials , '' he said .
The quote originates from a March Fox News interview in which Fauci described the White House Coronavirus Task Force 's consistent efforts to respond to the virus , including numerous White Hous meetings and late-night phone calls .
Trump campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh defended the inclusion of the quote .
`` These are Dr. Fauci 's own words .
The video is from a nationally broadcast television interview in which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Trump administration .
The words spoken are accurate , and directly from Dr. Fauci 's mouth , '' he said .
`` They are indeed Dr. Fauci 's own words .
We have done a 'phenomenal ' job , according to certain governors .
Many people agree ... And now come the vaccines and cures , long ahead of projections , '' he wrote .

Twitter on Sunday flagged a tweet by President Donald Trump claiming he is now "immune" to COVID-19 infection after recovering from the virus, saying it violated the platform's rules. Photo by Erin Scott/UPI | License Photo
Oct. 11 (UPI) -- Twitter on Sunday flagged a tweet in which President Donald Trump claimed he was now "immune" to COVID-19 after receiving treatment for the virus. The social media platform hid the president's tweet behind a warning, stating that it "violated Twitter rules about spreading misleading and potentially harmful information" related to the coronavirus that has sickened 7.7 million Americans and killed 214,690 more. Advertisement
"A total and complete sign off from White House Doctors yesterday. That means I can't get it (immune), and can't give it. Very nice to know!!!" Trump wrote in the tweet.
Trump's tweet referenced a memo by his personal physician Dr. Sean Conley in which he said the president met Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria to safely emerge from isolation and is "no longer considered a transmission risk to others" but made no mention of immunity from the virus. The White House has also not confirmed whether Trump has tested negative since contracting the coronavirus.
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The president also claimed immunity on Fox News' Sunday Morning Futures saying he could be safe from contracting the virus "maybe a long time, maybe a short time, could be a lifetime" adding it was unclear how much immunity can be expected after recovery.
In the same interview, Trump again praised the staff at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center where he received three days of treatment for COVID-19 stating that the treatments he received were standard and "pretty routine."
Trump's treatment, however, included an experimental antibody cocktail from Regeneron Pharmaceuticals known as REGEN-COV2.
The president has since touted the treatment as a "cure" for the coronavirus, although Regeneron CEO Dr. Leonard Schleifer told CBS News' Face the Nation Sunday that Trump's experience was "a case report" and represented the "weakest evidence that you can get" of the drug's effectiveness.
"The real evidence has to come -- about how good a drug is and what it will do on average -- has to come from these large clinical trials, these randomized clinical trials, which are the gold standard," Schleifer said.
Following his doctor's clearance, Trump is set to hold a rally in Sanford, Fla., on Monday after making his first post-COVID public appearance in a campaign-style rally on the White House South Lawn on Saturday.
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Dr. Sean Conley, in a letter Saturday night, said he will "continue to monitor him clinically as he returns to an active schedule."
The Trump campaign has also launched a new campaign ad praising Trump for overcoming the virus and his administration for its handling of the pandemic, which contains a clip from an interview with Dr. Anthony Fauci in which he says, I can't imagine that anybody could be doing more," in reference to the administration's pandemic response.
However, Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told CNN he did not consent to participate in the ad and the quote was not shown in the appropriate context.
"In my nearly five decades of public service, I have never publicly endorsed any political candidate. The comments attributed to me without my permission in the GOP campaign ad were taken out of context from a broad statement I made months ago about the efforts of federal public health officials," he said.
The quote originates from a March Fox News interview in which Fauci described the White House Coronavirus Task Force's consistent efforts to respond to the virus, including numerous White Hous meetings and late-night phone calls.
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Trump campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh defended the inclusion of the quote.
"These are Dr. Fauci's own words. The video is from a nationally broadcast television interview in which Dr. Fauci was praising the work of the Trump administration. The words spoken are accurate, and directly from Dr. Fauci's mouth," he said.
Trump also tweeted a similar response on Sunday evening.
"They are indeed Dr. Fauci's own words. We have done a 'phenomenal' job, according to certain governors. Many people agree ... And now come the vaccines and cures, long ahead of projections," he wrote.


upi--2020-10-11--U.S. daily COVID-19 cases remain above 50,000, Montana adds 5,000 cases in October

Oct. 11 ( UPI ) -- New COVID-19 cases in the United States continued to rise at their highest rates since August amid surges in states like Montana .
The Johns Hopkins University global tracker reported 54,639 new cases and 618 deaths on Saturday , the fourth consecutive day with more than 50,000 deaths , a level of daily increase not seen since August .
Since the first reported case in the country on Jan. 21 , the United States has reported world-leading totals of 7,745,951 cases and 214,641 deaths , according to Johns Hopkins data .
Johns Hopkins data @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases from Sept. 30 through Oct. 10 after recording just 5,017 cases in the 150 days between its first reported case on March 13 and Aug. 10 .
With 585 new cases Sunday , Montana has reported 18,702 total cases , up from 14,645 as of last Sunday , and a death toll of 210 .
California , which leads the nation in COVID-19 cases , reported 3,803 new cases for a total of 846,579 while adding 64 deaths for a death toll of 16,564 , which is second in the nation .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ total at 792,478 , with an addition of 2,262 , as well ass 16,557 deaths , including 31 new ones , in third ahead of New Jersey with 16,274 .
Third place Florida tallied 5,570 new cases and 178 deaths over two days on Sunday after the state did not report data on Saturday while officials worked to strike hundreds of thousands of duplicate test results resent on Friday by Helix Laboratory , a private testing lab .
Sunday 's numbers brought Florida 's case total to 734,491 and its death toll to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ntation .
In New York , Gov .
Andrew Cuomo announced 1,143 new cases for the country 's fourth-highest total at 474,286 , while adding five deaths to bring the nation 's leading death toll to 25,574 of confirmed deaths and 33,942 including probable deaths .
The state 's overall positivity reached 0.96 % the first time it fell below 1 % since Sept. 24 .
However , in `` Red Zone '' areas -- which account for 2.8 % of the state 's population but 14.9 % of all positive tests -- @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while the rate for the rest of the state was 0.84 % .
`` We are taking strong action to respond to these outbreaks and to stop the spread .
Mask up , '' Cuomo wrote on Twitter .
No .
5 Georgia reported 1,162 new cases for a total of 331,409 and 23 new deaths , bringing its death toll to 7,416 .

The United States reported a fourth straight day of more than 50,000 new COVID-19 cases, as the state of Montana has added more than 5,000 cases in just 11 days. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo
Oct. 11 (UPI) -- New COVID-19 cases in the United States continued to rise at their highest rates since August amid surges in states like Montana. The Johns Hopkins University global tracker reported 54,639 new cases and 618 deaths on Saturday, the fourth consecutive day with more than 50,000 deaths, a level of daily increase not seen since August. Advertisement
Since the first reported case in the country on Jan. 21, the United States has reported world-leading totals of 7,745,951 cases and 214,641 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins data.
Johns Hopkins data showed that Montana has reported 5,046 COVID-19 cases from Sept. 30 through Oct. 10 after recording just 5,017 cases in the 150 days between its first reported case on March 13 and Aug. 10.
With 585 new cases Sunday, Montana has reported 18,702 total cases, up from 14,645 as of last Sunday, and a death toll of 210.
California, which leads the nation in COVID-19 cases, reported 3,803 new cases for a total of 846,579 while adding 64 deaths for a death toll of 16,564, which is second in the nation.
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Texas reported the nation's second-highest case total at 792,478, with an addition of 2,262, as well ass 16,557 deaths, including 31 new ones, in third ahead of New Jersey with 16,274.
Third place Florida tallied 5,570 new cases and 178 deaths over two days on Sunday after the state did not report data on Saturday while officials worked to strike hundreds of thousands of duplicate test results resent on Friday by Helix Laboratory, a private testing lab.
Sunday's numbers brought Florida's case total to 734,491 and its death toll to 15,364, which is fifth in the ntation.
In New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced 1,143 new cases for the country's fourth-highest total at 474,286, while adding five deaths to bring the nation's leading death toll to 25,574 of confirmed deaths and 33,942 including probable deaths.
The state's overall positivity reached 0.96% the first time it fell below 1% since Sept. 24. However, in "Red Zone" areas -- which account for 2.8% of the state's population but 14.9% of all positive tests -- the positivity rate was 5.74%, while the rate for the rest of the state was 0.84%.
"We are taking strong action to respond to these outbreaks and to stop the spread. Mask up," Cuomo wrote on Twitter.
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No. 5 Georgia reported 1,162 new cases for a total of 331,409 and 23 new deaths, bringing its death toll to 7,416.


upi--2020-10-11--'War with Grandpa' tops the North American box office with $3.6M

Oct. 11 ( UPI ) -- Family comedy The War with Grandpa is the No .
1 film in North @ @ @ @ @ $ 3.6 million in receipts , BoxOfficeMojo.com announced Sunday .
The film , which opened @ @ @ @ @ De Niro , Uma Thurman and Christopher Walken .
Sci-fi thriller Tenet topped the box @ @ @ @ @ weekends , including $ 2.7 million last weekend .
It came in at No .
@ @ @ @ @ 2.1 million , followed by Hocus Pocus at No .
3 with $ 1.2 million @ @ @ @ @ No .
4 with $ 685,000 and Unhinged at No .
5 with $ 660,000 @ @ @ @ @ tier are Infidel at No .
6 with $ 205,000 , Possessor Uncut at No @ @ @ @ @ , Yellow Rose at No .
8 with $ 150,000 , Star Wars Episode V @ @ @ @ @ at No .
9 with $ 145,000 and The Broken Hearts Gallery at No .
@ @ @ @ @

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Robert De Niro's "The War with Grandpa" is No. 1 at the North American box office this weekend. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo
Oct. 11 (UPI) -- Family comedy The War with Grandpa is the No. 1 film in North America this weekend, earning $3.6 million in receipts, BoxOfficeMojo.com announced Sunday. The film, which opened on Friday, stars Robert De Niro, Uma Thurman and Christopher Walken. Advertisement
Sci-fi thriller Tenet topped the box office for the previous five weekends, including $2.7 million last weekend.
It came in at No. 2 this weekend with $2.1 million, followed by Hocus Pocus at No. 3 with $1.2 million, The New Mutants at No. 4 with $685,000 and Unhinged at No. 5 with $660,000.
Rounding out the top tier are Infidel at No. 6 with $205,000, Possessor Uncut at No. 7 with $164,000, Yellow Rose at No. 8 with $150,000, Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back at No. 9 with $145,000 and The Broken Hearts Gallery at No. 10 with $90,000.


upi--2020-10-11--Gal Gadot to play Cleopatra in new Patty Jenkins film

Oct. 11 ( UPI ) -- Gal Gadot said Sunday she is reteaming with her Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins @ @ @ @ @ Egyptian queen , Cleopatra .
`` I love embarking on new journeys , '' Gadot @ @ @ @ @ the excitement of new projects , the thrill of bringing new stories to life.Cleopatra is @ @ @ @ @ tell for a very long time .
Ca n't be more grateful about this A @ @ @ @ @ Kalogridis -- whose credits include Alexander , Shutter Island and Alita : Battle Angel -- @ @ @ @ @ will executive produce the epic for the Paramount Pictures .
The last time Cleopatra got @ @ @ @ @ Taylor 's 1963 classic , Cleopatra .
Wonder Woman 1984 , the sequel to 2017 @ @ @ @ @ set for theatrical release this winter .

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Gal Gadot is set to play Cleopatra in a new film for Paramount. File Photo by Chris Chew/UPI | License Photo
Oct. 11 (UPI) -- Gal Gadot said Sunday she is reteaming with her Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins for a film about the Egyptian queen, Cleopatra. "I love embarking on new journeys," Gadot tweeted. "I love the excitement of new projects, the thrill of bringing new stories to life.Cleopatra is a story I wanted to tell for a very long time. Can't be more grateful about this A team!!" Advertisement
Laeta Kalogridis -- whose credits include Alexander, Shutter Island and Alita: Battle Angel -- is writing the script and will executive produce the epic for the Paramount Pictures.
The last time Cleopatra got her own movie was Elizabeth Taylor's 1963 classic, Cleopatra.
Wonder Woman 1984, the sequel to 2017's Wonder Woman, is set for theatrical release this winter.


upi--2020-10-11--Jennifer Aniston adopts puppy: 'He stole my heart immediately'

Oct. 11 ( UPI ) -- The Morning Show star and Friends icon Jennifer Aniston announced on Instagram Sunday that @ @ @ @ @ puppy .
`` Hi !
I 'd like to introduce to you the newest member @ @ @ @ @ is ( a very tired ) Lord Chesterfield , '' the 51-year-old actress captioned a @ @ @ @ @ is snoozing on a doggie bed with a chew toy in his mouth .
`` @ @ @ @ @ .
A HUGE thank you to @ wagmorpets for the incredible work you do .
@ @ @ @ @ care of these rescues and find them their forever homes . ''
The clip has @ @ @ @ @ likes .

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Jennifer Aniston has adopted a new puppy named Lord Chesterfield. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI. | License Photo
Oct. 11 (UPI) -- The Morning Show star and Friends icon Jennifer Aniston announced on Instagram Sunday that she has adopted a new puppy. "Hi! I'd like to introduce to you the newest member of our family....this is (a very tired) Lord Chesterfield," the 51-year-old actress captioned a video of her pet who is snoozing on a doggie bed with a chew toy in his mouth. Advertisement
"He stole my heart immediately. A HUGE thank you to @wagmorpets for the incredible work you do. Grateful you take such great care of these rescues and find them their forever homes."
The clip has gotten more than 1.3 million likes.
Aniston also owns Clyde, a Schnauzer mix, and Sophie, a white pitbull.


upi--2020-10-11--NFL postpones Broncos-Patriots game after another positive test

Oct. 11 ( UPI ) -- Monday 's NFL game between the New England Patriots and the Denver Broncos was postponed an unnamed Patriots player tested positive for coronavirus , the league announced Sunday .
`` This decision was made to ensure the health and safety of players , coaches and game day personnel and in consultation with medical experts , '' the NFL said in a statement .
No makeup date has been set for the game that was to be played with a kickoff of 5 p.m. in Foxborough , Mass.
, and to be televised by ESPN @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Sunday afternoon to Monday because Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore earlier tested positive for COVID-19 .
Last Monday night , the Patriots played the Kansas City Chiefs after the game was rescheduled from Sunday when Patriots quarterback Cam Newton 's positive COVID-19 test .
The Patriots returned to practice Saturday after consecutive days of negative tests .
The Patriots now four positive coronavirus tests over the past eight days , ESPN reported .
Also Sunday , the Tennessee Titans closed their practice facilities after a staff member tested positive .
The Titans ' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ already been moved from Sunday to Tuesday amid an outbreak .
The Titans have now received 24 positive test results dating back to Sept. 24 with 11 staff members and 13 players .
In Week 4 of the NFL season , the Titans ' game against Pittsburgh Steelers was moved to Week 7 because of a positive Titan .
The Steelers ' Week 7 game against the Baltimore Ravens was moved to Week 8 to accommodate the Steelers-Titans game .

New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick talks to his defense in the first quarter against the Las Vegas Raiders at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts on Sunday, September 27, 2020. Fans are not allowed into the stadium as part of the New England Patriots COVID-19 protocol. Photo by Matthew Healey/UPI | License Photo
Oct. 11 (UPI) -- Monday's NFL game between the New England Patriots and the Denver Broncos was postponed an unnamed Patriots player tested positive for coronavirus, the league announced Sunday. "This decision was made to ensure the health and safety of players, coaches and game day personnel and in consultation with medical experts," the NFL said in a statement. Advertisement
Earlier Sunday, the Patriots announced practice was closed.
No makeup date has been set for the game that was to be played with a kickoff of 5 p.m. in Foxborough, Mass., and to be televised by ESPN. The game originally had been moved from Sunday afternoon to Monday because Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore earlier tested positive for COVID-19.
Last Monday night, the Patriots played the Kansas City Chiefs after the game was rescheduled from Sunday when Patriots quarterback Cam Newton's positive COVID-19 test.
The Patriots returned to practice Saturday after consecutive days of negative tests.
The Patriots now four positive coronavirus tests over the past eight days, ESPN reported.
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Also Sunday, the Tennessee Titans closed their practice facilities after a staff member tested positive.
The Titans' home game against the Buffalo Bills had already been moved from Sunday to Tuesday amid an outbreak.
The Titans have now received 24 positive test results dating back to Sept. 24 with 11 staff members and 13 players.
In Week 4 of the NFL season, the Titans' game against Pittsburgh Steelers was moved to Week 7 because of a positive Titan. The Steelers' Week 7 game against the Baltimore Ravens was moved to Week 8 to accommodate the Steelers-Titans game.