npr--2020-11-03--Election Night Viewer's Guide: Why You May Need To Be Patient

Election Night Viewer 's Guide : Why You May Need To Be Patient You 're probably anxious about the results , but patience may truly be a virtue on election night .
Followers of NPR 's elections coverage should have read or heard this at least a few times by now : We may not know who wins the presidential election ( or any number of other down-ballot races ) on Tuesday night or early Wednesday , and that 's OK. State results are not final on election night ; instead , organizations like The Associated Press — which NPR @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most winners well before local officials tabulate all votes .
But this year we 're expecting slower counts , and the reason is straightforward : In response to the coronavirus pandemic , many states modified their voting rules , broadening access to mail-in voting and accelerating what had already been a rising mail-in voting trend .
And mailed-in ballots — with envelopes to open and signatures to check — simply take longer to tabulate than in-person votes .
Some individual state rules play key roles too .
Take two swing-state examples : Florida @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Election Day , while officials in Pennsylvania have to wait until the morning of Election Day to begin that work .
And with far more voters opting for mail-in or drop-off ballots this year , Pennsylvania Gov .
Tom Wolf has conceded : `` We probably wo n't know results on election night . ''
Similar restrictive rules on ballot processing are in place in Wisconsin and Michigan as well .
And , of course , these states may play a crucial role in deciding who wins the presidency .
In fact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forecasters the most likely state to put Democratic nominee Joe Biden or President Trump over the election-capturing 270-electoral-vote threshold .
Now add in another element : Poll after poll has shown that Democratic voters said they were far more likely than Republicans this election to use mail-in ballots .
GOP voters ' preference for in-person voting is likely due at least in part to Trump 's unfounded claims of widespread fraud associated with mail-in ballots .
And remember those different state rules about counting mail ballots .
A clear partisan divide over voting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mail-in votes first will likely appear favorable — at least initially — for the Democrat Biden , and states that count in-person ballots first will likely appear better for Trump .
This may not be a small shift , either .
An analysis by FiveThirtyEight estimates that Pennsylvania could see a 21-point shift in the overall margin , from 3 a.m .
ET Wednesday to the final result .
Understanding these potentially misleading shifts may give you a better grasp on election night , as it unfolds .
With that out of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hour : Final Polls That Close At 7 p.m .
ET Top states/races to watch : Georgia highlights the first batch of states .
It 's a presidential toss-up , and it has not one but two contested U.S. Senate races .
Georgia has already begun processing its mail-in ballots , which should expedite results and give us an early glimpse about the course of the evening .
But — now talk about patience — both Senate contests could go to January runoffs if no candidate gets a majority of a race 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could indeed be decided in 2021 .
Also keep an eye on South Carolina , where Republican incumbent Sen. Lindsey Graham is in a tight contest with Democrat and record-fundraiser Jaime Harrison .
Final Polls That Close At 7:30 p.m .
ET Top states/races to watch : Hello , North Carolina .
The state will likely have tight races for president , U.S. Senate and governor .
Democrats hold narrow leads in the polling averages for all three contests , giving the party one of its prime opportunities to flip a Senate seat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a big boost .
The state is also likely to count relatively quickly with most results — advance votes — expected shortly after polls close on election night .
Ohio is a presidential toss-up state as well , but it 's thought to be a safer bet than some others to stay in Trump 's column .
Final Polls That Close At 8 p.m .
ET Top states/races to watch : Now we 're really into the heart of the night .
Pennsylvania , as we detailed above , is key for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
So Florida will be the most important state here .
Most of the state 's polls actually close at 7 p.m .
ET , and all early votes and mail ballots tabulated in advance are supposed to be released starting around 7:30 p.m .
But remember , those advance votes might not be where the race ultimately ends up .
Maine is also notable for two reasons .
One , it doles out two of its four electoral votes by congressional district , and the northern 2nd district is competitive .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Senate race , as Republican Sen. Susan Collins faces a tough reelection challenge .
Ranked-choice voting could determine the winner .
Alabama 's Senate seat is also one to watch , as Republicans are expected to oust Democratic Sen. Doug Jones in the conservative state .
Final Polls That Close At 8:30 p.m .
ET Final Polls That Close At 9 p.m .
ET Top states/races to watch : Fourteen states — accounting for the majority of electoral votes — have final polls that close at 9 p.m .
ET .
Five of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presidential race , along with Nebraska 's 2nd Congressional District .
Texas , which saw record early voting , is the big presidential prize .
The longtime Republican stronghold has been trending more purple , but a Biden win there would be a massive development .
The state is expected to count relatively quickly too .
Other presidential states to watch are Arizona , Michigan , Minnesota and Wisconsin .
Of note : In Arizona , mail votes can be processed and counted well ahead of time , so that should expedite many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of places could only begin processing absentee ballots the day before Election Day , while Wisconsin ca n't begin its processing work until Election Day itself .
These 9 p.m. states also include several key Senate races , including an open seat in Kansas and competitive races in Arizona , Colorado , Michigan and Texas .
Arizona and Colorado are considered two of Democrats ' best pickup opportunities .
Final Polls That Close At 10 p.m .
ET Top states/races to watch : Iowa is the main event here with toss-up races for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. House .
Trump won Iowa by nearly 10 percentage points in 2016 , so a loss or even slim win there for him this year could portend a tough go across the northern swing states .
Nevada is also a closely contested presidential state , while the marquee matchup in Montana is for U.S. Senate , as Democratic Gov .
Steve Bullock tries to knock off GOP Sen. Steve Daines in the conservative state .
The race to replace Bullock for governor is also considered a toss-up .
Final Polls That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ / 1 a.m .
ET All House ratings are from the nonpartisan Cook Political Report .
With research and reporting help by NPR 's Arnie Seipel and Elena Moore .

Election Night Viewer's Guide: Why You May Need To Be Patient
toggle caption Jessica McGowan/Getty Images
Updated at 12:40 p.m. ET
You're probably anxious about the results, but patience may truly be a virtue on election night.
Followers of NPR's elections coverage should have read or heard this at least a few times by now: We may not know who wins the presidential election (or any number of other down-ballot races) on Tuesday night or early Wednesday, and that's OK.
State results are not final on election night; instead, organizations like The Associated Press — which NPR relies on for race calls — determine most winners well before local officials tabulate all votes.
But this year we're expecting slower counts, and the reason is straightforward: In response to the coronavirus pandemic, many states modified their voting rules, broadening access to mail-in voting and accelerating what had already been a rising mail-in voting trend.
And mailed-in ballots — with envelopes to open and signatures to check — simply take longer to tabulate than in-person votes.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Courtney Pedroza/Getty Images Courtney Pedroza/Getty Images
Some individual state rules play key roles too. Take two swing-state examples: Florida allows counties to process ballots well ahead of Election Day, while officials in Pennsylvania have to wait until the morning of Election Day to begin that work.
And with far more voters opting for mail-in or drop-off ballots this year, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf has conceded: "We probably won't know results on election night."
Similar restrictive rules on ballot processing are in place in Wisconsin and Michigan as well. And, of course, these states may play a crucial role in deciding who wins the presidency. In fact, likely slow-counting Pennsylvania is considered by forecasters the most likely state to put Democratic nominee Joe Biden or President Trump over the election-capturing 270-electoral-vote threshold.
Now add in another element: Poll after poll has shown that Democratic voters said they were far more likely than Republicans this election to use mail-in ballots. GOP voters' preference for in-person voting is likely due at least in part to Trump's unfounded claims of widespread fraud associated with mail-in ballots.
And remember those different state rules about counting mail ballots. A clear partisan divide over voting method means that states that release their mail-in votes first will likely appear favorable — at least initially — for the Democrat Biden, and states that count in-person ballots first will likely appear better for Trump.
This may not be a small shift, either.
An analysis by FiveThirtyEight estimates that Pennsylvania could see a 21-point shift in the overall margin, from 3 a.m. ET Wednesday to the final result.
Understanding these potentially misleading shifts may give you a better grasp on election night, as it unfolds. With that out of the way, let's look hour by hour:
Final Polls That Close At 7 p.m. ET
Georgia (16 electoral votes)
Indiana (11)
Kentucky (8)
South Carolina (9)
Vermont (3)
Virginia (13)
Top states/races to watch: Georgia highlights the first batch of states. It's a presidential toss-up, and it has not one but two contested U.S. Senate races. Georgia has already begun processing its mail-in ballots, which should expedite results and give us an early glimpse about the course of the evening.
But — now talk about patience — both Senate contests could go to January runoffs if no candidate gets a majority of a race's vote. The Senate balance of power could indeed be decided in 2021.
Also keep an eye on South Carolina, where Republican incumbent Sen. Lindsey Graham is in a tight contest with Democrat and record-fundraiser Jaime Harrison.
Toss-up House seats:
Open Indiana 5th District
Open Virginia 5th District
Final Polls That Close At 7:30 p.m. ET
North Carolina (15)
Ohio (18)
West Virginia (5)
Top states/races to watch: Hello, North Carolina. The state will likely have tight races for president, U.S. Senate and governor. Democrats hold narrow leads in the polling averages for all three contests, giving the party one of its prime opportunities to flip a Senate seat — in addition to potentially giving Biden a big boost. The state is also likely to count relatively quickly with most results — advance votes — expected shortly after polls close on election night.
Ohio is a presidential toss-up state as well, but it's thought to be a safer bet than some others to stay in Trump's column.
Toss-up House seat: Ohio 1st District, with Republican incumbent Steve Chabot
Final Polls That Close At 8 p.m. ET
Alabama (9)
Connecticut (7)
District of Columbia (3)
Delaware (3)
Florida (29)
Illinois (20)
Massachusetts (11)
Maryland (10)
Maine (4)
Missouri (10)
Mississippi (6)
New Hampshire (4)
New Jersey (14)
Oklahoma (7)
Pennsylvania (20)
Rhode Island (4)
Tennessee (11)
Top states/races to watch: Now we're really into the heart of the night.
Pennsylvania, as we detailed above, is key for the presidential race but likely slow to count. So Florida will be the most important state here. Most of the state's polls actually close at 7 p.m. ET, and all early votes and mail ballots tabulated in advance are supposed to be released starting around 7:30 p.m. But remember, those advance votes might not be where the race ultimately ends up.
Maine is also notable for two reasons. One, it doles out two of its four electoral votes by congressional district, and the northern 2nd district is competitive. And two, the state has a toss-up Senate race, as Republican Sen. Susan Collins faces a tough reelection challenge. Ranked-choice voting could determine the winner.
Alabama's Senate seat is also one to watch, as Republicans are expected to oust Democratic Sen. Doug Jones in the conservative state.
Toss-up House seats:
Illinois 13th District, with Republican incumbent Rodney Davis
Missouri 2nd District, with Republican incumbent Ann Wagner
New Jersey 2nd District, with Republican incumbent Jeff Van Drew
Oklahoma 5th District, with Democratic incumbent Kendra Horn
Pennsylvania 10th District, with Republican incumbent Scott Perry
Final Polls That Close At 8:30 p.m. ET
Arkansas (6)
Toss-up House seat: 2nd District, with Republican incumbent French Hill
Final Polls That Close At 9 p.m. ET
Arizona (11)
Colorado (9)
Kansas (6)
Louisiana (8)
Michigan (16)
Minnesota (10)
North Dakota (3)
Nebraska (5)
New Mexico (5)
New York (29)
South Dakota (3)
Texas (38)
Wisconsin (10)
Wyoming (3)
Top states/races to watch: Fourteen states — accounting for the majority of electoral votes — have final polls that close at 9 p.m. ET. Five of those states are considered competitive in the presidential race, along with Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District.
Texas, which saw record early voting, is the big presidential prize. The longtime Republican stronghold has been trending more purple, but a Biden win there would be a massive development. The state is expected to count relatively quickly too.
Other presidential states to watch are Arizona, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Of note: In Arizona, mail votes can be processed and counted well ahead of time, so that should expedite many results; but in Michigan, lots of places could only begin processing absentee ballots the day before Election Day, while Wisconsin can't begin its processing work until Election Day itself.
Another note on key Texas and Michigan: They're two of the states that stretch across two time zones, so while final polls close at 9 p.m. ET, most close at 8 p.m. ET.
These 9 p.m. states also include several key Senate races, including an open seat in Kansas and competitive races in Arizona, Colorado, Michigan and Texas. Arizona and Colorado are considered two of Democrats' best pickup opportunities.
Toss-up House seats:
Arizona 6th District, with Republican incumbent David Schweikert
Open Michigan 3rd District
Minnesota 1st District, with Republican incumbent Jim Hagedorn
Minnesota 7th District, with Democratic incumbent Collin Peterson
Nebraska 2nd District, with Republican incumbent Don Bacon
New Mexico 2nd District, with Democratic incumbent Xochitl Torres Small
Open New York 2nd District
New York 11th, with Democratic incumbent Max Rose
New York 22nd District, with Democratic incumbent Anthony Brindisi
New York 24th District, with Republican incumbent John Katko
Texas 10th District, with Republican incumbent Michael McCaul
Texas 21st District; with Republican incumbent Chip Roy
Open Texas 22nd District
Final Polls That Close At 10 p.m. ET
Iowa (6)
Montana (3)
Nevada (6)
Utah (6)
Top states/races to watch: Iowa is the main event here with toss-up races for president, U.S. Senate and two for the U.S. House. Trump won Iowa by nearly 10 percentage points in 2016, so a loss or even slim win there for him this year could portend a tough go across the northern swing states.
Nevada is also a closely contested presidential state, while the marquee matchup in Montana is for U.S. Senate, as Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock tries to knock off GOP Sen. Steve Daines in the conservative state. The race to replace Bullock for governor is also considered a toss-up.
Toss-up House seats:
Iowa 1st District, with Democratic incumbent Abby Finkenauer
Open Iowa 2nd District
Utah 4th District, with Democratic incumbent Ben McAdams
Final Polls That Close At 11 p.m. / 12 a.m. / 1 a.m. ET
11 p.m. ET
California (55)
Idaho (4)
Oregon (7)
Washington (12)
12 a.m. ET Wednesday
Hawaii (4)
1 a.m. ET
Alaska (3)
Toss-up House seats:
California 21st District, with Democratic incumbent T.J. Cox
California 25th District, with Republican incumbent Mike Garcia
All House ratings are from the nonpartisan Cook Political Report. With research and reporting help by NPR's Arnie Seipel and Elena Moore.


npr--2020-11-03--How An Abortion Fight In Supreme Court Could Threaten Birth Control, Too

How An Abortion Fight In Supreme Court Could Threaten Birth Control , Too Abortion opponents were among those most excited by the addition of Justice Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court in October .
And they had good reason to be .
As a law professor and circuit court judge , Barrett made it clear she is no fan of abortion rights .
She is considered likely to vote not only to uphold restrictions on the procedure , but also , possibly , even to overturn the existing national right to abortion under the Supreme Court 's landmark rulings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey .
Her first opportunity to weigh in could come soon .
A Mississippi ban on abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy — a ban that 's impermissible under existing court precedents — is awaiting review by the justices , who could decide as early as this week to take up the case .
That 's the headline .
But many people overlook other things that could flow from new U.S. jurisprudence on abortion — such as erasing the right to birth control that the court recognized in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ During her confirmation hearings , Barrett specifically refused to say whether she felt Griswold was correctly decided .
That was a flashing red warning light for Nancy Northup , president of the Center for Reproductive Rights , a legal advocacy group that argues cases on abortion and contraception .
Roe , Northup says , is part of a century of jurisprudence based on the idea that the U.S. Constitution protects the liberty of individuals .
`` It began with cases about how one educates one 's children , '' Northup says , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
You ca n't just take Roe out and not unravel the whole fabric . ''
Yet from what Barrett has said and written about the Constitution , Northup says , `` it 's clear she does n't believe it protects the right to personal liberty . ''
Abortion rights advocates worry that the court could go beyond overturning Roe and Casey .
If those precedents are overturned , abortion decisions would return to the states .
But the court could go a step further and recognize `` fetal personhood '' — the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with full constitutional rights from the moment of fertilization .
That would create a constitutional bar to abortion , among other things , meaning even the most liberal states could not allow the procedure .
Personhood amendments were on the ballot in several states about a decade ago .
They were rejected by voters even in conservative states like Mississippi after opponents argued that recognizing life at fertilization would outlaw not just abortion , without exceptions , but also things like in vitro fertilization and many forms of contraception , including some birth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pills , and intrauterine devices ( IUDs ) that some think could cause very early abortions by preventing a fertilized egg from implanting in the uterus .
( More recent scientific evidence suggests nearly all those methods actually prevent ovulation , not implantation , but courts have n't always followed the science on that . )
An abortion law passed in Georgia in 2019 not only includes a ban on abortion at the point a heartbeat can be detected — often before a woman is aware she is pregnant — but also has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appealing a federal district court ruling that struck down the law as a violation of Roe .
Proponents of these `` personhood '' provisions are cautiously optimistic .
`` It looks like there will be a court more friendly to a challenge to Roe , '' says Les Riley , interim president of the Personhood Alliance , the group pushing the concept .
`` But to some extent we 've been down this road before . ''
Previous courts since the early 1990s that were thought poised to overturn Roe did not .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ uphold a law like the Mississippi ban it is considering now , Riley says , `` all that 's saying is they agree that states can regulate or ban abortion at 15 weeks .
What we want to do is have the factual reality that life begins at conception recognized in law . ''
Mary Ziegler , a law professor at Florida State University who has written two books on the abortion battle , says the high court would n't have to recognize fetal personhood to threaten many forms of contraception .
States @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some contraceptives act as abortifacients , she says .
The court has already opened the door to this argument .
In the 2014 Hobby Lobby case , it allowed some companies to decline to offer birth control coverage otherwise required by the Affordable Care Act to their employees .
The owners of the companies that brought the suit said they believe some contraceptives are a form of abortion , and the court said the requirement violated their religious freedom .
The court used a similar reasoning in a 2020 case exempting the Roman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from even having to sign a paper that would officially exempt them from the ACA contraceptive mandate .
Medical groups and the federal government do n't consider any form of contraception approved by the Food and Drug Administration an abortion-equivalent , because the standard medical definition of the start of pregnancy is when a fertilized egg implants in the uterus , not when sperm and egg first unite .
Yet the court has not always followed science on the issue .
Still , Ziegler says , `` personhood has always been the endgame @ @ @ @ @ @ @ overturning Roe , which would let each state decide whether to outlaw abortion .
`` Allowing states to leave abortion legal has never been the endgame , '' she says .
Interestingly , however , Riley , of the Personhood Alliance , says that while he hopes his side will win eventually , he is not necessarily hoping that win will come from the Supreme Court .
`` We think the strategy has been misguided for years , '' he says .
`` Right now , five justices can overturn anything .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ founders had in mind . ''
Rather , he says , his organization is working more at the state and local level `` to lay the groundwork of people 's hearts being changed . ''
Kaiser Health News is a nonprofit , editorially independent program of the Kaiser Family Foundation .
KHN is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente .

How An Abortion Fight In Supreme Court Could Threaten Birth Control, Too
Enlarge this image toggle caption Demetrius Freeman/Bloomberg/Getty Images Demetrius Freeman/Bloomberg/Getty Images
Abortion opponents were among those most excited by the addition of Justice Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court in October. And they had good reason to be.
As a law professor and circuit court judge, Barrett made it clear she is no fan of abortion rights. She is considered likely to vote not only to uphold restrictions on the procedure, but also, possibly, even to overturn the existing national right to abortion under the Supreme Court's landmark rulings in Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey.
Her first opportunity to weigh in could come soon. A Mississippi ban on abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy — a ban that's impermissible under existing court precedents — is awaiting review by the justices, who could decide as early as this week to take up the case.
That's the headline. But many people overlook other things that could flow from new U.S. jurisprudence on abortion — such as erasing the right to birth control that the court recognized in a 1965 case, Griswold v. Connecticut. During her confirmation hearings, Barrett specifically refused to say whether she felt Griswold was correctly decided.
That was a flashing red warning light for Nancy Northup, president of the Center for Reproductive Rights, a legal advocacy group that argues cases on abortion and contraception. Roe, Northup says, is part of a century of jurisprudence based on the idea that the U.S. Constitution protects the liberty of individuals.
"It began with cases about how one educates one's children," Northup says, and includes same-sex marriage, contraception and abortion. You can't just take Roe out and not unravel the whole fabric."
Yet from what Barrett has said and written about the Constitution, Northup says, "it's clear she doesn't believe it protects the right to personal liberty."
Abortion rights advocates worry that the court could go beyond overturning Roe and Casey. If those precedents are overturned, abortion decisions would return to the states. But the court could go a step further and recognize "fetal personhood" — the idea that a fetus is a person with full constitutional rights from the moment of fertilization. That would create a constitutional bar to abortion, among other things, meaning even the most liberal states could not allow the procedure.
Personhood amendments were on the ballot in several states about a decade ago. They were rejected by voters even in conservative states like Mississippi after opponents argued that recognizing life at fertilization would outlaw not just abortion, without exceptions, but also things like in vitro fertilization and many forms of contraception, including some birth control pills, "morning after" pills, and intrauterine devices (IUDs) that some think could cause very early abortions by preventing a fertilized egg from implanting in the uterus. (More recent scientific evidence suggests nearly all those methods actually prevent ovulation, not implantation, but courts haven't always followed the science on that.)
An abortion law passed in Georgia in 2019 not only includes a ban on abortion at the point a heartbeat can be detected — often before a woman is aware she is pregnant — but also has a fetal personhood provision. Georgia is appealing a federal district court ruling that struck down the law as a violation of Roe.
Proponents of these "personhood" provisions are cautiously optimistic. "It looks like there will be a court more friendly to a challenge to Roe," says Les Riley, interim president of the Personhood Alliance, the group pushing the concept. "But to some extent we've been down this road before."
Previous courts since the early 1990s that were thought poised to overturn Roe did not. And even if the court were to uphold a law like the Mississippi ban it is considering now, Riley says, "all that's saying is they agree that states can regulate or ban abortion at 15 weeks. What we want to do is have the factual reality that life begins at conception recognized in law."
Mary Ziegler, a law professor at Florida State University who has written two books on the abortion battle, says the high court wouldn't have to recognize fetal personhood to threaten many forms of contraception.
States could effectively ban contraception by arguing that some contraceptives act as abortifacients, she says. The court has already opened the door to this argument. In the 2014 Hobby Lobby case, it allowed some companies to decline to offer birth control coverage otherwise required by the Affordable Care Act to their employees. The owners of the companies that brought the suit said they believe some contraceptives are a form of abortion, and the court said the requirement violated their religious freedom. The court used a similar reasoning in a 2020 case exempting the Roman Catholic order Little Sisters of the Poor from even having to sign a paper that would officially exempt them from the ACA contraceptive mandate.
Medical groups and the federal government don't consider any form of contraception approved by the Food and Drug Administration an abortion-equivalent, because the standard medical definition of the start of pregnancy is when a fertilized egg implants in the uterus, not when sperm and egg first unite. Yet the court has not always followed science on the issue.
Still, Ziegler says, "personhood has always been the endgame" for abortion foes, not simply overturning Roe, which would let each state decide whether to outlaw abortion. "Allowing states to leave abortion legal has never been the endgame," she says.
Interestingly, however, Riley, of the Personhood Alliance, says that while he hopes his side will win eventually, he is not necessarily hoping that win will come from the Supreme Court.
"We think the strategy has been misguided for years," he says. "Right now, five justices can overturn anything. That's not the system of government our founders had in mind."
Rather, he says, his organization is working more at the state and local level "to lay the groundwork of people's hearts being changed."
Kaiser Health News is a nonprofit, editorially independent program of the Kaiser Family Foundation. KHN is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente.


npr--2020-11-03--Bail For Kyle Rittenhouse, Accused Kenosha Shooter, Set At $2 Million

A Wisconsin court commissioner on Monday set bail at $ 2 million for Kyle Rittenhouse , the 17-year-old accused of killing protesters in Kenosha , in his first court appearance in the state after being extradited from Illinois last week .
Rittenhouse is accused of fatally shooting two demonstrators and injuring a third during protests on Aug. 25 that followed the shooting of Jacob Blake , a Black man who was shot several times at close range by Kenosha police and is now paralyzed .
The Illinois teenager , who will be tried as an adult in Wisconsin , faces @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber and wounding Gaige Grosskreutz .
The charges include first-degree intentional homicide , first-degree reckless homicide and attempted first-degree intentional homicide .
During Monday 's Zoom hearing , Rittenhouse 's lawyers argued that because he had allegedly acted in self-defense and has no prior criminal record , the bond should be set at $ 750,000 .
But Court Commissioner Loren Keating rejected those arguments .
He noted the national network of supporters who have taken up Rittenhouse 's cause and said he considered him a flight risk .
`` As @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impose a $ 2 million cash bond , believing that is reasonable and necessary and sufficient at this juncture to secure the appearance of Mr. Rittenhouse , '' Keating said , The Hill reported .
Rittenhouse faces up to life in prison if convicted .
Attorneys representing Rosenbaum 's family and Grosskreutz , as well as Huber 's father , all had asked for an even higher bail of $ 4 million .
John Huber said Rittenhouse , who allegedly killed his son with a single shot , `` has people out there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that can raise money and harbor him . ''
Give Send Go , a self-described `` Christian crowdfunding site , '' raised nearly $ 550,000 to help cover Rittenhouse 's legal fees before organizers say they were forced to stop receiving donations .
Attorney Kimberly Motley , who represents Grosskreutz , told NPR that `` while we argued for a higher bail we certainly respect the $ 2 million bail imposed by the court . ''
`` We believe that Mr. Rittenhouse has already proven that he is a significant flight risk and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he severely injured , as well as the victims killed demonstrate that he is a significant risk to the public , '' Motley added .
The day of the shooting , Rittenhouse drove from his home in Antioch , Ill. , to Kenosha about 20 minutes away , armed with an AR-15 style semi-automatic rifle with a 30-round magazine — a weapon prosecutors charge he was too young to possess .
Rittenhouse , who is white , told a reporter that he 'd gone to Kenosha as a member of a civilian militia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ broken out on previous nights following the police shooting of Blake .
The Daily Beast reported that as the protests unraveled , Rittenhouse walked down the city 's streets brandishing his weapon .
According to his lawyers , Rosenbaum approached Rittenhouse and attempted to `` engage '' him .
Rittenhouse took off running and Rosenbaum chased after him .
Videos of the incident show Rosenbaum , who was unarmed , threw a plastic bag at Rittenhouse , who responded by firing about five shots into the 36-year-old .
As Rittenhouse ran away , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him with a skateboard .
But the teenager allegedly fatally shot him , too .
Grosskreutz , who was also armed according to the complaint , was shot shortly afterward as he approached Rittenhouse .
Rittenhouse managed to walk away unscathed and drove himself home .
He turned himself into police and was arrested the next day .
On Friday Rittenhouse was ordered extradited from Illinois to Wisconsin by Lake County Judge Paul Novak .

Bail For Kyle Rittenhouse, Accused Kenosha Shooter, Set At $2 Million
Enlarge this image toggle caption Nam Y. Huh/AP Nam Y. Huh/AP
A Wisconsin court commissioner on Monday set bail at $2 million for Kyle Rittenhouse, the 17-year-old accused of killing protesters in Kenosha, in his first court appearance in the state after being extradited from Illinois last week.
Rittenhouse is accused of fatally shooting two demonstrators and injuring a third during protests on Aug. 25 that followed the shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man who was shot several times at close range by Kenosha police and is now paralyzed.
The Illinois teenager, who will be tried as an adult in Wisconsin, faces five criminal charges for allegedly killing Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber and wounding Gaige Grosskreutz. The charges include first-degree intentional homicide, first-degree reckless homicide and attempted first-degree intentional homicide.
During Monday's Zoom hearing, Rittenhouse's lawyers argued that because he had allegedly acted in self-defense and has no prior criminal record, the bond should be set at $750,000. But Court Commissioner Loren Keating rejected those arguments. He noted the national network of supporters who have taken up Rittenhouse's cause and said he considered him a flight risk.
"As such, the court is going to impose a $2 million cash bond, believing that is reasonable and necessary and sufficient at this juncture to secure the appearance of Mr. Rittenhouse," Keating said, The Hill reported.
Rittenhouse faces up to life in prison if convicted.
Attorneys representing Rosenbaum's family and Grosskreutz, as well as Huber's father, all had asked for an even higher bail of $4 million.
John Huber said Rittenhouse, who allegedly killed his son with a single shot, "has people out there that will help him, militia organizations that can raise money and harbor him."
Give Send Go, a self-described "Christian crowdfunding site," raised nearly $550,000 to help cover Rittenhouse's legal fees before organizers say they were forced to stop receiving donations.
Attorney Kimberly Motley, who represents Grosskreutz, told NPR that "while we argued for a higher bail we certainly respect the $2 million bail imposed by the court."
"We believe that Mr. Rittenhouse has already proven that he is a significant flight risk and his reckless actions against my client who he severely injured, as well as the victims killed demonstrate that he is a significant risk to the public," Motley added.
The day of the shooting, Rittenhouse drove from his home in Antioch, Ill., to Kenosha about 20 minutes away, armed with an AR-15 style semi-automatic rifle with a 30-round magazine — a weapon prosecutors charge he was too young to possess. Rittenhouse, who is white, told a reporter that he'd gone to Kenosha as a member of a civilian militia protecting businesses from the vandalism that had broken out on previous nights following the police shooting of Blake.
The Daily Beast reported that as the protests unraveled, Rittenhouse walked down the city's streets brandishing his weapon. According to his lawyers, Rosenbaum approached Rittenhouse and attempted to "engage" him. Rittenhouse took off running and Rosenbaum chased after him. Videos of the incident show Rosenbaum, who was unarmed, threw a plastic bag at Rittenhouse, who responded by firing about five shots into the 36-year-old.
As Rittenhouse ran away, Huber tried to stop him by bashing him with a skateboard. But the teenager allegedly fatally shot him, too. Grosskreutz, who was also armed according to the complaint, was shot shortly afterward as he approached Rittenhouse.
Rittenhouse managed to walk away unscathed and drove himself home. He turned himself into police and was arrested the next day.
On Friday Rittenhouse was ordered extradited from Illinois to Wisconsin by Lake County Judge Paul Novak.


npr--2020-11-02--Federal Judge Blocks Trump Rule Designed To Impede Immigrants Seeking Green Cards

U.S. District Judge Gary Feinerman in Chicago , Ill. , rejected a rule Monday implemented by the Trump administration that aimed to deny green cards to immigrants utilizing food stamps and other public benefits .
The decision applies nationwide , not just in the state of Illinois .
The Illinois Coalition of Immigrant and Refugee Rights , as well as Cook County , filed suit in September 2019 in hopes of blocking the rule , but the rule was placed into effect last January by the U.S. Supreme Court .
However , Feinerman said the rule violates the Administrative Procedure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ federal agencies use to develop and issue regulations , the Associated Press reported .
The policy attempted to deny an immigrant 's green card application if they were found to be accessing programs such as food stamps or other health or housing benefits , according to court documents .
Those applicants would have been considered a public charge under the Trump Administration 's new rule .
The ICIRR and Cook County argued that the term public charge , an individual deemed a burden or dependent on the country , is ambiguous and requires @ @ @ @ @ @ @ temporary assistance , court documents said .
The Trump Administration claimed the rule would filter out applicants unable to remain self-sufficient while in the United States .
Immigrant rights advocates believe the rule forced individuals to choose between their health and an opportunity to stay in the country .
Cook County also argued that the rule led to immigrants relying on expensive emergency care over preventative care , the Associated Press reported .
`` As we all continue to be impacted by COVID-19 , it is vital that no one is fearful of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Board President Toni Preckwinkle said in a statement .
`` The court 's decision to block enforcement of the Public Charge Rule re-opens doors for immigrants to access vital services like health care . ''

Federal Judge Blocks Trump Rule Designed To Impede Immigrants Seeking Green Cards
Enlarge this image toggle caption Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images
U.S. District Judge Gary Feinerman in Chicago, Ill., rejected a rule Monday implemented by the Trump administration that aimed to deny green cards to immigrants utilizing food stamps and other public benefits. The decision applies nationwide, not just in the state of Illinois.
The Illinois Coalition of Immigrant and Refugee Rights, as well as Cook County, filed suit in September 2019 in hopes of blocking the rule, but the rule was placed into effect last January by the U.S. Supreme Court. However, Feinerman said the rule violates the Administrative Procedure Act, which governs the process that federal agencies use to develop and issue regulations, the Associated Press reported.
The policy attempted to deny an immigrant's green card application if they were found to be accessing programs such as food stamps or other health or housing benefits, according to court documents. Those applicants would have been considered a public charge under the Trump Administration's new rule.
The ICIRR and Cook County argued that the term public charge, an individual deemed a burden or dependent on the country, is ambiguous and requires "a degree of dependence" beyond temporary assistance, court documents said.
The Trump Administration claimed the rule would filter out applicants unable to remain self-sufficient while in the United States. Immigrant rights advocates believe the rule forced individuals to choose between their health and an opportunity to stay in the country. Cook County also argued that the rule led to immigrants relying on expensive emergency care over preventative care, the Associated Press reported.
"As we all continue to be impacted by COVID-19, it is vital that no one is fearful of accessing health care," Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle said in a statement. "The court's decision to block enforcement of the Public Charge Rule re-opens doors for immigrants to access vital services like health care."


npr--2020-11-02--New Zealand Appoints First Indigenous Female Foreign Minister

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced parliament 's newest ministers Monday , including the appointment of Nanaia Mahuta to the role of Minister of Foreign Affairs ; the nation 's first Indigenous woman to hold the position .
Just shy of a quarter-century of political prowess , including her most recent roles as Minister for Māori Development and Local Government , Mahuta will join what is becoming one of the most diverse parliaments in the world .
`` I am excited by this team , '' Ardern said .
`` They bring experience from the ground , and from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ renewal and reflect the New Zealand we live in today . ''
Mahuta is one of New Zealand 's 16 Māori ministers .
Also contributing to the cabinet 's cultural diversity are members of parliament Ibrahim Omer and Vanushi Walters , parliaments first leaders of African and Sri Lankan origin .
The country of 4.8 million people is represented by 120 elected members of parliament .
At the moment , more than half of those representatives are women and about 10 % are openly lesbian , gay , bisexual and transgender .
New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by bringing in younger members of parliament .
Ardern , who began her second term in October , became the world 's youngest female head of government when elected as New Zealand 's 40th prime minister in 2017 ; she was 37 years old at the time .
Professor Paul Spoonley , Pro Vice-Chancellor of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at Massey University , believes New Zealand 's parliament is the most diverse in the nation 's history in terms of gender , ethnic and indigenous representation .
`` What we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the older , male , white MPs including some who have been in parliament for over 30 years , '' Spoonley told Reuters in an October interview .

New Zealand Appoints First Indigenous Female Foreign Minister
Enlarge this image toggle caption Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images
Updated at 6:33 p.m. ET
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced parliament's newest ministers Monday, including the appointment of Nanaia Mahuta to the role of Minister of Foreign Affairs; the nation's first Indigenous woman to hold the position.
Just shy of a quarter-century of political prowess, including her most recent roles as Minister for Māori Development and Local Government, Mahuta will join what is becoming one of the most diverse parliaments in the world. "I am excited by this team," Ardern said. "They bring experience from the ground, and from within politics. But they also represent renewal and reflect the New Zealand we live in today."
Mahuta is one of New Zealand's 5 Māori ministers. Also contributing to the cabinet's cultural diversity are members of parliament Ibrahim Omer and Vanushi Walters, parliament's first leaders of African and Sri Lankan origin.
The country of 4.8 million people is represented by 120 elected members of parliament. At the moment, more than half of those representatives are women and about 10% are openly lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender.
New Zealand's government is also shifting gears by bringing in younger members of parliament. Ardern, who began her second term in October, became the world's youngest female head of government when elected as New Zealand's 40th prime minister in 2017; she was 37 years old at the time.
Professor Paul Spoonley, Pro Vice-Chancellor of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at Massey University, believes New Zealand's parliament is the most diverse in the nation's history in terms of gender, ethnic and indigenous representation. "What we have seen is a departure of many of the older, male, white MPs including some who have been in parliament for over 30 years," Spoonley told Reuters in an October interview.


npr--2020-11-05--U.S. Sets Coronavirus Record With Daily New Cases Pushing Past 100,000

U.S. Sets Coronavirus Record With Daily New Cases Pushing Past 100,000 The U.S. has reached another grim coronavirus milestone , surpassing 100,000 new confirmed cases in a single day for the first time since the pandemic reached the country more than nine months ago .
The record 102,831 cases reported on Thursday by Johns Hopkins University tops the more than 99,321 cases set just days ago , on Oct. 30 .
The university reported 1,097 new COVID-19 deaths for the same day .
The latest numbers are part of a new spike in infections that have swept through the U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ once been largely insulated from the worst of the pandemic .
Much of the Midwest , from the Dakotas to Ohio , has seen a spike in cases and record hospitalizations in recent days , according to The COVID Tracking Project .
Tennessee , Oklahoma and West Virginia have also broken hospitalization records .
The surge comes as President Trump , in the final days of the presidential campaign , sought once again to minimize the pandemic , insisting without evidence that the country is `` rounding the turn '' on COVID-19 and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to damage his reelection chances .
The president has also grown increasingly critical of his scientific advisors and suggested that he might fire Dr. Anthony Fauci , the nation 's leading infectious disease expert .
The new data also come as Congress has been unable to reach agreement on a new coronavirus relief package , although after months of impasse in the lead up to the Nov. 3 polls , there are signs of possible post-election movement .
Nearly 9.5 million people in the U.S. have been diagnosed with the virus , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disease is nearing 234,000 .
More than 52,000 people are currently being hospitalized in the U.S. with COVID-19 .
Much of Europe is also experiencing a surge in coronavirus cases , with renewed lockdown measures in the U.K. , Germany , Greece and Poland .

U.S. Sets Coronavirus Record With Daily New Cases Pushing Past 100,000
Enlarge this image toggle caption Kathleen Batten/AP Kathleen Batten/AP
The U.S. has reached another grim coronavirus milestone, surpassing 100,000 new confirmed cases in a single day for the first time since the pandemic reached the country more than nine months ago.
The record 102,831 cases reported on Thursday by Johns Hopkins University tops the more than 99,321 cases set just days ago, on Oct. 30. The university reported 1,097 additional COVID-19 deaths for the same day.
The latest numbers are part of a new spike in infections that have swept through the U.S. heartland, including many states that had once been largely insulated from the worst of the pandemic.
From the Dakotas to Ohio, communities have seen a spike in cases and record hospitalizations in recent days, according to The COVID Tracking Project. Tennessee, Oklahoma and West Virginia have also broken hospitalization records.
The surge comes as President Trump, in the final days of the presidential campaign, sought once again to minimize the pandemic, insisting without evidence that the country is "rounding the turn" on COVID-19 and accusing the media of overplaying the story to damage his reelection chances.
The president has also grown increasingly critical of his scientific advisers and suggested that he might fire Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's leading infectious disease expert.
The new data also come as Congress has been unable to reach agreement on a new coronavirus relief package, although after months of impasse in the lead-up to the Nov. 3 polls, there are signs of possible postelection movement.
Nearly 9.5 million people in the U.S. have been diagnosed with the virus, and the number of confirmed deaths from the disease is nearing 234,000. More than 52,000 people are currently hospitalized in the U.S. with COVID-19.
Much of Europe is also experiencing a surge in coronavirus cases, with renewed lockdown measures in the U.K., Germany, Greece and Poland.


npr--2020-11-05--Coronavirus Maps: How Severe Is Your State's Outbreak?

Coronavirus Maps : How Severe Is Your State 's Outbreak ?
More than 9 million people in the U.S. have had confirmed coronavirus infections and more than 230,000 have died of COVID-19 .
Tens of thousands of new cases are reported daily nationwide .
In the graphics below , explore the trends in your state .
View the data via a heat map ( immediately below ) , curve charts , a table of state-by-state trends over four weeks , or a map of total cases and deaths .
The map above shows the risk of infection in each state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
These color-coded risk levels were developed by a consortium of researchers and public health experts .
The group advises states in the red category to issue stay-home orders .
Orange states may need to consider stay-home orders , along with increased testing and contact tracing .
Yellow states need to keep up social distancing and mask usage , and both yellow and green states should continue testing and contact tracing .
To compare state outbreaks , the chart above graphs trend lines for average new daily cases and deaths against each state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of visualization highlights a state 's daily growth or decline relative to the overall size of its outbreak .
When both new and total case and death counts grow quickly , the curves bend upward .
As new cases and deaths slow , the curves level or bend down .
In New York , the curve rose sharply before reaching over 170,000 total cases in April .
Since then , new cases have fallen from about 10,000 per day in mid-April to over 1,000 per day in mid October .
Explore the map @ @ @ @ @ @ @ figures around the country for both new confirmed cases and reported deaths from COVID-19 .
New York was the original epicenter of the pandemic in the U.S. As of mid October , California , Florida and Texas surpass New York for total cases to date , though New York still has the highest death total .
Click here to see a global map of confirmed cases and deaths .
To show trends , the table below shows the change in average new cases per day in each state , week over week for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in shades of red have growing outbreaks ; those in shades of green , are declining .
The graphics on this page pull from data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University from several sources , including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ; the World Health Organization ; national , state and local government health departments ; 1point3acres ; and local media reports .
The JHU team automates its data uploads and regularly checks them for anomalies .
This may result in occasional data discrepancies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resolves anomalies and updates its feeds .
State-by-state recovery data are unavailable at this time .
There may be discrepancies between what you see here and what you see on your local health department 's website .
Figures shown do not include cases on cruise ships .
Fluctuations in the numbers may happen as health authorities review old cases and or update their methodologies .
For example , in early June , Michigan health authorities started including probable cases in its totals .
This resulted in a brief spike in the state 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ able to reconcile the historical data .
On June 25 , New Jersey included 1,854 previously-unreported probable deaths in its totals , resulting in a spike in the state 's daily death numbers .
On Sept. 2 , Massachusetts changed its methodology for counting probable cases , which lowered its overall case and death numbers .
The JHU team maintains a list of such changes .
This story was originally published on March 16 , 2020 .
Elena Renken was a co-author on that version .
Sean McMinn contributed to and Carmel Wroth @ @ @ @

Tracking the coronavirus around the U.S.: See how your state is doing
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Note: This page was last updated on Feb. 1, 2023. It will no longer be updated. For current data on COVID cases and deaths, demographics, and hospitalizations, consult the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
As of Feb. 1, there have been more than 101 million confirmed coronavirus infections in the U.S. and more than 1 million people have died of COVID-19. In the graphics below, explore the trends in your state.
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The above charts show average new cases per 100,000 people for each state over the last 12 months.
Note: Actual cases may be substantially higher, since many who test positive with at-home tests don't report their cases.
For additional data about COVID-19 in the U.S, including cases and deaths, demographics, and hospitalizations, consult the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.
To show trends, the table below shows the change in average new cases per day in each state, week over week for the last 28 days. States marked in shades of red have growing outbreaks; those in shades of green, are declining.
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Methodology
The graphics on this page pull from data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University from several sources, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; the World Health Organization; national, state and local government health departments; 1point3acres; and local media reports.
The JHU team automates its data uploads and regularly checks them for anomalies. This may result in occasional data discrepancies on this page as the JHU team resolves anomalies and updates its feeds. There may be discrepancies between what you see here and what you see on your local health department's website. Figures shown do not include cases on cruise ships.
Fluctuations in the numbers may happen as health authorities review old cases, process testing backlogs or update their methodologies. The JHU team maintains a list of such changes.
This story was originally published on March 16, 2020. Elena Renken was a co-author on that version. Sean McMinn and Audrey Carlsen contributed to this story. Carmel Wroth edited this story.


npr--2020-11-05--Coronavirus World Map: Tracking The Spread Of The Outbreak

Coronavirus World Map : Tracking The Spread Of The Outbreak On Sept. 28 , the world marked a tragic milestone : 1 million deaths from COVID-19 .
That 's according to a tally maintained by Johns Hopkins University .
And public health experts believe the actual toll – the recorded deaths plus the unrecorded deaths – is much higher .
While the number of cases has slowed in many countries that were hit hard early on by coronavirus , the number of new cases continues to increase .
Since early July , new daily cases averaged over 200,000 worldwide .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ country-by-country breakdown of new and total cases since January .
At over 9 million cases , the United States leads the world 's COVID-19 crisis .
In late spring and early summer , new COVID-19 cases were largely driven by cases in the Americas .
While the U.S. has consistently had the most new daily cases of coronavirus in the region , Brazil 's new daily cases increased rapidly between May and August .
However , in September , several countries that had previously flattened their curve saw a resurgence in cases , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , daily case counts have risen swiftly since June , without signs of slowing down .
Explore how the number of coronavirus cases have shifted in different parts of the world over time .
The first chart compares each continent to each other , while the next charts highlight the number of cases in select countries by region .
To compare country outbreaks , the chart below graphs trend lines for average new daily cases and deaths against each country 's totals to date .
This type of visualization highlights a state 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ overall size of its outbreak .
When both new and total case and death counts grow quickly , the curves bend upward .
As new cases and deaths slow , the curves level or bend down .
In countries like Israel , which is seeing a second wave of case growth after an initial wave in April , the line forms a V-shape , as the initially bent curve spikes upwards again .
Click here to see the state-by-state breakdown of cases in the United States .
This story was originally published on @ @ @ @ @

Coronavirus world map: We've now passed the 600 million mark for infections
Editor's note: This page is no longer being updated. The last update was Sept. 5, 2022. For current data about COVID-19 cases and deaths around the world, Johns Hopkins University and Our World in Data are useful resources.
In late January 2020 only a few dozen COVID-19 infections had been identified outside of China. A year later, the world tallied its first 100 million cases. It took the globe just 7 more months to pass the 200 million mark— then another 5 months to hit 300 million, according to researchers at Johns Hopkins University. Now the virus has spread to every corner of the globe and has been blamed for more than 6 million deaths.
The United States, India and Brazil in that order have had the most COVID cases and the three nations collectively account for almost half of all recorded infections so far in the pandemic.
Explore the chart below to find a country-by-country breakdown of new and total cases since January 2020.
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Explore how the number of coronavirus cases have shifted in different parts of the world over time. The first chart compares each continent to each other, while the next charts highlight the number of cases in select countries by region.
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This story was originally published on March 30, 2020.


npr--2020-11-05--These Women Built Careers In Retail. The Pandemic Tore Through Their Stores

These Women Built Careers In Retail .
The Pandemic Tore Through Their Stores When Diana Newcomb looks back at a retail job she had in the 1970s , it sounds bonkers .
She and other 20-somethings would sit in the office of a Rhode Island department store and tally sales stubs by hand .
They would note sales in a ledger , like this : Five pairs of boys size 6 Levi 's — sold .
`` I was renting a garage apartment and living off of canned vegetables and Triscuits , '' she says and laughs .
`` You @ @ @ @ @ @ @ independent .
I was at that point . ''
Newcomb is one of millions of women who built careers stitching together work like this .
Retail is the most common job in America , and women hold the majority of jobs in clothing and department stores , and gift and souvenir shops .
They run cash registers everywhere .
About a fifth tend to be 55 and older .
The pandemic recession tore through their stores .
Thousands have shuttered .
Major chains have gone bankrupt , including storied ones like Neiman Marcus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
As other stores reopened , many workers , especially those who are older , felt afraid to put their health at risk .
Almost 400,000 lost retail jobs have yet to recover .
Newcomb 's is one of them .
`` This is one of those times in life that you just do n't see coming , '' Newcomb says .
Now 67 , she 's faced several personal crises on top of the pandemic , including a diagnosis of breast cancer .
Over the years , she 's worked what she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kitchen , at a salvage shop she ran with her husband in Oregon .
She got an interior design degree , but time and again came back to sales work : a furniture store , then J.C. Penney .
Newcomb was in her 60s , when she and her husband separated .
Feeling lost , she did what she knew she could do well : retail .
Newcomb got an apartment with her daughter , tied a nice old scarf around her neck and walked to Macy 's at a nearby outdoor mall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and stayed — and soon got promoted to handbag specialist .
`` Big ol ' fancy department stores are kind of fun , although they 've changed , '' Newcomb says .
`` I 've always thought , the whole time I worked there , that they were not changing fast enough with the times . ''
She had watched the industry balloon , malls sprawling across the suburbs .
More real estate is devoted to retail in the U.S. than anywhere else in the world .
Then it boomeranged .
Online-shopping convenience @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to browse shelves , slide hangers across racks .
The pandemic clicked fast-forward and forced stores to confront their weaknesses .
Newcomb 's Macy 's closed , then furloughed its staff .
Some were hired back .
She was not .
Part of her was relieved she did n't have to calculate the risk of working indoors during a pandemic , especially as someone particularly vulnerable to exposure .
Still , it was unnerving to feel suddenly cast aside and not needed .
But Newcomb kept thinking : It was n't just her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ telling herself the exact same thing .
When the pandemic started , Wilcox-Nicholls had been with Mattress Firm for about five years and was about to manage a new store .
She got paintbrushes to fix a few wall dings , a little coffee bar to set up .
Then came the call for voluntary furloughs .
Then stores closed .
Soon , she found herself jobless .
`` At first I was really ashamed .
I wanted to hide , '' Wilcox-Nicholls says .
`` Because this is my life 's work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ person and I 'm really , really good at it.
`` It had been an accidental career for her , even though it became a solid one .
In her early 20s , with a new baby , but without a high-school diploma , she had wandered down the main street of her town , résumé in hand .
A mattress store hired her , and that job allowed her to afford her first car and a house where `` everybody got their own bedroom . ''
But over time , Wilcox-Nicholls wondered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She filled time between customers studying for her GED .
In her 30s , she got into community college .
Now 46 , she 's chipping away at a bachelor 's degree in physics , hoping one day to work in a lab .
`` I see retail as ... you can get lucky for a time and find a decent job , but you ca n't make a career in it anymore , '' Wilcox-Nicholls says .
`` My son is 25 and I want him to have hard-skill knowledge that can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ demand a fair wage . ''
After losing her mattress sales job , she actually found a new one , at a furniture store .
But her elderly mother had an accident — a side effect of not getting in-person assistance visits during the pandemic .
Wilcox-Nicholls flew out to help , missing too many workdays to get through the probationary period at the new gig .
She left the furniture store on good terms , planning to try for another job when she can .
For now , she needs to figure @ @ @ @ @ @ @

These Women Built Careers In Retail. The COVID-19 Crisis Tore Through Their Stores
Enlarge this image toggle caption Georgia Stanley /Diana Newcomb Georgia Stanley /Diana Newcomb
When Diana Newcomb looks back at a retail job she had in the 1970s, it sounds bonkers. She and other 20-somethings would sit in the office of a Rhode Island department store and tally sales stubs by hand. They would note sales in a ledger, like this: five pairs of boys size 6 Levi's — sold.
"I was renting a garage apartment and living off of canned vegetables and Triscuits," she says and laughs. "You know, I thought I was being independent. I was at that point."
Newcomb is one of millions of women who built careers stitching together work like this. Retail is the most common job in America, and women hold the majority of jobs in clothing and department stores and gift and souvenir shops. They run cash registers everywhere. About a fifth tend to be 55 and older.
The pandemic recession tore through their stores. Thousands have shuttered. Major chains have gone bankrupt, including storied ones like Neiman Marcus, Brooks Brothers, Lord & Taylor. As other stores reopened, many workers, especially those who are older, felt afraid to put their health at risk. Almost 400,000 lost retail jobs have yet to recover. Newcomb's is one of them.
"This is one of those times in life that you just don't see coming," Newcomb says. Now 67, she's faced several personal crises on top of the pandemic, including a diagnosis of breast cancer.
Over the years, she has worked what she calls odd jobs: in a restaurant kitchen, at a salvage shop she ran with her husband in Oregon. She got an interior design degree, but time and again came back to sales work: a furniture store, then J.C. Penney. Newcomb was in her 60s when she and her husband separated.
Feeling lost, she did what she knew she could do well: retail. Newcomb got an apartment with her daughter, tied a nice old scarf around her neck and walked to Macy's at a nearby outdoor mall. She got hired for the holidays and stayed — and soon got promoted to handbag specialist.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Valerie Macon/AFP via Getty Images Valerie Macon/AFP via Getty Images
"Big ol' fancy department stores are kind of fun, although they've changed," Newcomb says. "I've always thought, the whole time I worked there, that they were not changing fast enough with the times."
She had watched the industry balloon, malls sprawling across the suburbs. More real estate is devoted to retail in the U.S. than anywhere else in the world.
Then it boomeranged. Online-shopping convenience began outshining the appeal of going somewhere to browse shelves and slide hangers across racks. The pandemic clicked fast-forward and forced stores to confront their weaknesses.
Newcomb's Macy's closed, then furloughed its staff. Some were hired back. She was not.
Part of her was relieved she didn't have to calculate the risk of working indoors during a pandemic, especially as someone particularly vulnerable to exposure.
Still, it was unnerving to feel suddenly cast aside and not needed. But Newcomb kept thinking: It wasn't just her.
In Texas, Heather Wilcox-Nicholls was telling herself the exact same thing.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Krista Rossow for NPR Krista Rossow for NPR
When the pandemic started, Wilcox-Nicholls had been with Mattress Firm for about five years and was about to manage a new store. She got paintbrushes to fix a few wall dings, a little coffee bar to set up. Then came the call for voluntary furloughs. Then stores closed. Soon, she found herself jobless.
"At first I was really ashamed. I wanted to hide," Wilcox-Nicholls says. "Because this is my life's work. I am a professional mattress salesperson and I'm really, really good at it. "
It had been an accidental career for her, even though it became a solid one. In her early 20s, with a new baby but without a high school diploma, she had wandered down the main street of her town, résumé in hand. A mattress store hired her, and that job allowed her to afford her first car and a house where "everybody got their own bedroom."
But over time, Wilcox-Nicholls wondered whether a retail life was sustainable. She filled time between customers studying for her GED. In her 30s, she got into community college. Now 46, she's chipping away at a bachelor's degree in physics, hoping one day to work in a lab.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Krista Rossow for NPR Krista Rossow for NPR
"I see retail as ... you can get lucky for a time and find a decent job, but you can't make a career in it anymore," Wilcox-Nicholls says. "My son is 25 and I want him to have hard-skill knowledge that can never be taken away and will always demand a fair wage."
After losing her mattress sales job, she actually found a new one, at a furniture store. But her elderly mother had an accident — a side effect of not getting in-person assistance visits during the pandemic. Wilcox-Nicholls flew out to help, missing too many workdays to get through the probationary period at the new gig.
She left the furniture store on good terms, planning to try for another job when she can. For now, she needs to figure out how to pay the rent.


npr--2020-11-05--California Voters Give Uber, Lyft A Win But Some Drivers Aren't So Sure

California Voters Give Uber , Lyft A Win But Some Drivers Are n't So Sure California voters handed Uber and Lyft a big victory — and labor unions a big setback — when they approved a measure allowing the ride-hailing companies to keep classifying their drivers as independent contractors .
For Joe Renice , who drives for Uber in San Francisco , the measure 's passage was a relief .
`` This is a job that I make over $ 100,000 a year doing .
And I have complete and total freedom and flexibility to do that , '' he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Proposition 22 , cements the business models of transportation and food delivery apps , which pay workers for the services they provide on demand .
If the measure had failed , the companies would have had to abide by a new state law that says gig workers should be considered employees , and therefore entitled to costly benefits such as unemployment , health insurance and paid sick leave .
Proposition 22 does mandate that the companies offer drivers some new benefits , including stipends to buy health insurance , accident insurance and some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it 's a far cry from the standard benefits most employers in the state must offer their permanent workers .
Renice says most people know what to expect when they start driving for the app companies .
`` We know going in this is a tradeoff , '' he said , adding that he is willing to give up benefits like a set salary , retirement savings and insurance `` for the ability to do this when and where and how I want to do it . ''
But , he acknowledged , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Some people are better off being employees .
Not me . ''
The companies supporting the measure leaned heavily on drivers who share Renice 's view to make their case to voters .
They blanketed the state with TV , radio and internet ads featuring drivers talking about why they support the measure .
If somehow Californians failed to see those ads , they were likely to catch the messages that came by text , on flyers in mailboxes and on delivery bags used for takeout .
The companies even used their own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sparking a lawsuit from some drivers .
In all , Uber , Lyft and the food delivery app DoorDash spent more than $ 200 million in support of Proposition 22 , making it the most expensive ballot measure campaign in California history .
Opponents raised less than a tenth of that amount .
Their campaign banked on free publicity around events such as driver protests outside Uber 's San Francisco headquarters and the home of chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi .
Khosrowshahi celebrated the victory in an email to drivers on Tuesday night .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ more secure because so many drivers like you spoke up and made your voice heard — and voters across the state listened , '' he wrote .
But not all drivers were happy with the outcome .
`` Drivers are being taken advantage of and Prop 22 was really just an attempt by Uber and Lyft to legalize it , '' said Jerome Gage , a Lyft driver in Los Angeles who worked on the campaign opposing the measure .
`` Drivers now , more than ever , need to organize and improve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was opposed by labor groups that had helped shape the state law Uber and Lyft were rejecting .
They said the companies ' emphasis on flexibility is a distraction , since nothing in the law , known as AB5 , requires them to set schedules for drivers .
Instead , they said , the companies were seeking special treatment to avoid taking on the costs of providing full employment benefits .
`` What happened here was a legal and power grab by billionaires to deprive workers from their workers ' rights and human @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a former Lyft driver and an organizer with the labor group Gig Workers Rising .
Organizers said the election results were a blow , but they said they would not back down from continuing to organize drivers and push for greater labor protections .
Uber and Lyft are still facing a lawsuit from the California government , which has been trying to force them to comply with AB5 .
The ballot measure does not end that legal battle but it will probably have a far more limited impact on the companies .
Labor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other states that are facing off with Uber and Lyft over whether drivers are employees .
`` My pride is hurt , '' Gage said .
`` But one thing that has been inspiring me is the energy in this grassroots level effort to fight Uber and Lyft . ''
Editor 's note : Lyft and Uber are among NPR 's financial supporters .

California Voters Give Uber, Lyft A Win But Some Drivers Aren't So Sure
Enlarge this image toggle caption Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images
California voters handed Uber and Lyft a big victory — and labor unions a big setback — when they approved a measure allowing the ride-hailing companies to keep classifying their drivers as independent contractors.
For Joe Renice, who drives for Uber in San Francisco, the measure's passage was a relief.
"This is a job that I make over $100,000 a year doing. And I have complete and total freedom and flexibility to do that," he said.
The measure, known as Proposition 22, cements the business models of transportation and food delivery apps, which pay workers for the services they provide on demand. If the measure had failed, the companies would have had to abide by a new state law that says gig workers should be considered employees, and therefore entitled to costly benefits such as unemployment, health insurance and paid sick leave.
Proposition 22 does mandate that the companies offer drivers some new benefits, including stipends to buy health insurance, accident insurance and some guaranteed level of pay. Still, it's a far cry from the standard benefits most employers in the state must offer their permanent workers.
Renice says most people know what to expect when they start driving for the app companies.
"We know going in this is a tradeoff," he said, adding that he is willing to give up benefits like a set salary, retirement savings and insurance "for the ability to do this when and where and how I want to do it."
But, he acknowledged, "it's not for everybody. Some people are better off being employees. Not me."
The companies supporting the measure leaned heavily on drivers who share Renice's view to make their case to voters. They blanketed the state with TV, radio and internet ads featuring drivers talking about why they support the measure.
If somehow Californians failed to see those ads, they were likely to catch the messages that came by text, on flyers in mailboxes and on delivery bags used for takeout. The companies even used their own apps to lobby drivers and passengers, sparking a lawsuit from some drivers.
In all, Uber, Lyft and the food delivery app DoorDash spent more than $200 million in support of Proposition 22, making it the most expensive ballot measure campaign in California history.
Opponents raised less than a tenth of that amount. Their campaign banked on free publicity around events such as driver protests outside Uber's San Francisco headquarters and the home of chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi.
Khosrowshahi celebrated the victory in an email to drivers on Tuesday night. "The future of independent work is more secure because so many drivers like you spoke up and made your voice heard — and voters across the state listened," he wrote.
But not all drivers were happy with the outcome.
"Drivers are being taken advantage of and Prop 22 was really just an attempt by Uber and Lyft to legalize it," said Jerome Gage, a Lyft driver in Los Angeles who worked on the campaign opposing the measure. "Drivers now, more than ever, need to organize and improve our working conditions."
The proposition was opposed by labor groups that had helped shape the state law Uber and Lyft were rejecting. They said the companies' emphasis on flexibility is a distraction, since nothing in the law, known as AB5, requires them to set schedules for drivers. Instead, they said, the companies were seeking special treatment to avoid taking on the costs of providing full employment benefits.
"What happened here was a legal and power grab by billionaires to deprive workers from their workers' rights and human rights," said Edan Alva, a former Lyft driver and an organizer with the labor group Gig Workers Rising.
Organizers said the election results were a blow, but they said they would not back down from continuing to organize drivers and push for greater labor protections.
Uber and Lyft are still facing a lawsuit from the California government, which has been trying to force them to comply with AB5. The ballot measure does not end that legal battle but it will probably have a far more limited impact on the companies.
Labor groups are also looking beyond California to other states that are facing off with Uber and Lyft over whether drivers are employees.
"My pride is hurt," Gage said. "But one thing that has been inspiring me is the energy in this grassroots level effort to fight Uber and Lyft."
Editor's note: Lyft and Uber are among NPR's financial supporters.


npr--2020-11-05--Trump Wants A Recount In Wisconsin. How Would It Work?

Trump Wants A Recount In Wisconsin .
How Would It Work ?
Not long after The Associated Press and other news outlets declared Wednesday that Democrat Joe Biden had won Wisconsin 's 10 electoral votes , the Trump campaign announced it would ask for a recount in the state .
The margin separating Biden and Trump in what is one of the nation 's most contested swing states is roughly 20,000 votes , or less than 1 % .
It was absentee ballots in the cities of Milwaukee , Green Bay and Kenosha , added to county totals Wednesday morning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on top .
Wisconsin was part of the so-called `` blue wall '' that Trump shattered last election cycle , when he narrowly won the state by less than 23,000 votes in 2016 .
If there 's a recount , the Trump campaign will pay The state does not have automatic recounts , however under Wisconsin law , a losing candidate can file a sworn petition , along with a filing fee .
Should the Trump campaign follow through on its promise to call for a recount , it will be on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rules enacted by a Republican legislature and governor a few years ago , the state will only pay for a recount if the margin of victory is .25 % or less .
The Trump campaign said Wednesday there had been `` reports of irregularities in several Wisconsin counties , '' which it said cast doubt about the validity of the ballots cast .
The campaign later clarified , without providing evidence to support their claim , that some ballots in heavily Democratic Milwaukee County had been `` cured '' in red pen , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voters themselves — `` corrected or added information to the ballot itself , '' spokesman Tim Murtaugh said .
`` We estimate that 15-20 % of absentee ballots in Milwaukee County were tainted in this manner , '' Murtaugh said .
`` This is also only an estimate because our legal volunteers were prevented from having meaningful access all of the time . ''
But Wisconsin 's top elections official , Meagan Wolfe , said the voting and ballot counting process is open and transparent , and bristled at the suggestion of widespread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for our local election officials to say that yesterday 's election was anything but an incredible success , '' Wolfe told reporters in a news conference over Zoom Wednesday .
She added the integrity of Wisconsin 's election system is `` the result of years of preparation and meticulously , carefully following the law . ''
The Trump campaign wo n't be able file a recount petition until Wisconsin certifies its election results , which are due by Dec. 1 .
The Badger State is no stranger to presidential recounts , having conducted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : 2000 , 2004 and 2016 .
The 2016 Wisconsin recount was triggered after two third-party candidates , independent Roque `` Rocky '' De La Fuente and the Green Party 's Jill Stein , filed petitions .
As Wisconsin Public Radio points out , previous recounts have changed a handful of votes , but not the outcome of elections .
That recount , WPR reports only changed roughly 1,500 votes out of some 3 million cast .
In total , Trump gained just 131 more votes during the recount over the Democratic nominee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than a week ; involved hundreds of election workers , observers and campaign attorneys ; and cost $ 3.5 million , which was paid for by Stein 's campaign , according to WPR .
Former Wisconsin Gov .
Scott Walker , a Republican , tweeted early Wednesday that he was skeptical a recount would swing the state in Trump 's favor .
`` After recount in 2011 race for WI Supreme Court , there was a swing of 300 votes , '' Walker tweeted .
`` After recount in 2016 Presidential race @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up by 131 .
As I said , 20,000 is a high hurdle . ''
Republicans are raising questions about what they see as late-arriving votes that erased what appeared to be a solid lead for President Trump .
But many are likely to have been some of the earliest ballots cast , as they were absentee ballots mailed in , dropped off at secure ballot boxes , and ballots cast early in-person at polling places in the days and weeks before Election Day .
Under Wisconsin law , those ballots could not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In many smaller cities and towns , those absentee ballots are tallied at the municipal clerk 's office with the votes cast on Election Day itself .
But in 39 larger communities , including Milwaukee , Madison , Green Bay and other cities , the votes are tallied at a separate central count facility .
The process of tabulating the votes can be long and slow .
Milwaukee , for example , had almost 170,000 votes that had to be counted this way ; statewide some 2 million voters cast their ballots early @ @ @ @ @ @ @ law prohibits ballots returned after 8 p.m. Tuesday night from being accepted , which was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court last week , so no late ballots were counted , according to Wolfe , the Wisconsin Elections Commission administrator .

Trump Wants A Recount In Wisconsin. How Would It Work?
Enlarge this image toggle caption Wong Maye-E/AP Wong Maye-E/AP
Not long after The Associated Press and other news outlets declared Wednesday that Democrat Joe Biden had won Wisconsin's 10 electoral votes, the Trump campaign announced it would ask for a recount in the state.
The margin separating Biden and Trump in what is one of the nation's most contested swing states is roughly 20,000 votes, or less than 1%. It was absentee ballots in the cities of Milwaukee, Green Bay and Kenosha, added to county totals Wednesday morning, that appear to have put Biden on top.
Wisconsin was part of the so-called "blue wall" that Trump shattered last election cycle, when he narrowly won the state by less than 23,000 votes in 2016.
If there's a recount, the Trump campaign will pay
The state does not have automatic recounts, however under Wisconsin law, a losing candidate can file a sworn petition, along with a filing fee.
Should the Trump campaign follow through on its promise to call for a recount, it will be on the hook to pay for it. Under rules enacted by a Republican legislature and governor a few years ago, the state will only pay for a recount if the margin of victory is .25% or less.
The Trump campaign said Wednesday there had been "reports of irregularities in several Wisconsin counties," which it said cast doubt about the validity of the ballots cast.
The campaign later clarified, without providing evidence to support their claim, that some ballots in heavily Democratic Milwaukee County had been "cured" in red pen, arguing that poll workers — and not voters themselves — "corrected or added information to the ballot itself," spokesman Tim Murtaugh said.
"We estimate that 15-20% of absentee ballots in Milwaukee County were tainted in this manner," Murtaugh said. "This is also only an estimate because our legal volunteers were prevented from having meaningful access all of the time."
Enlarge this image toggle caption David Schaper/NPR David Schaper/NPR
But Wisconsin's top elections official, Meagan Wolfe, said the voting and ballot counting process is open and transparent, and bristled at the suggestion of widespread election fraud.
"It's insulting for our local election officials to say that yesterday's election was anything but an incredible success," Wolfe told reporters in a news conference over Zoom Wednesday.
She added the integrity of Wisconsin's election system is "the result of years of preparation and meticulously, carefully following the law."
Wisconsin has experience with recounts
The Trump campaign won't be able file a recount petition until Wisconsin certifies its election results, which are due by Dec. 1.
The Badger State is no stranger to presidential recounts, having conducted them in three previous White House contests: 2000, 2004 and 2016.
The 2016 Wisconsin recount was triggered after two third-party candidates, independent Roque "Rocky" De La Fuente and the Green Party's Jill Stein, filed petitions.
As Wisconsin Public Radio points out, previous recounts have changed a handful of votes, but not the outcome of elections.
That recount, WPR reports only changed roughly 1,500 votes out of some 3 million cast. In total, Trump gained just 131 more votes during the recount over the Democratic nominee, Hillary Clinton.
The recount took more than a week; involved hundreds of election workers, observers and campaign attorneys; and cost $3.5 million, which was paid for by Stein's campaign, according to WPR.
Former Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, a Republican, tweeted early Wednesday that he was skeptical a recount would swing the state in Trump's favor.
"After recount in 2011 race for WI Supreme Court, there was a swing of 300 votes," Walker tweeted. "After recount in 2016 Presidential race in WI, @realDonaldTrump numbers went up by 131. As I said, 20,000 is a high hurdle."
Enlarge this image toggle caption David Schaper/NPR David Schaper/NPR
How Wisconsin tallies its ballots
Republicans are raising questions about what they see as late-arriving votes that erased what appeared to be a solid lead for President Trump.
But many are likely to have been some of the earliest ballots cast, as they were absentee ballots mailed in, dropped off at secure ballot boxes, and ballots cast early in-person at polling places in the days and weeks before Election Day.
Under Wisconsin law, those ballots could not be opened and counted until Tuesday.
In many smaller cities and towns, those absentee ballots are tallied at the voters' polling places with the votes cast on Election Day itself.
But in 39 larger communities, including Milwaukee, Green Bay and other cities, the votes are tallied at a separate central count facility. The process of tabulating the votes can be long and slow.
Milwaukee, for example, had almost 170,000 votes that had to be counted this way; statewide some 2 million voters cast their ballots early, by mail or absentee.
State law prohibits ballots returned after 8 p.m. Tuesday night from being accepted, which was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court last week, so no late ballots were counted, according to Wolfe, the Wisconsin Elections Commission administrator.


npr--2020-11-05--Why Joe Biden Saw Mixed Success With Latinos

Why Joe Biden Saw Mixed Success With Latinos Democrats ' long-term hopes for electoral success have long cited the growing Latino population in the country .
But former Vice President Joe Biden 's performance in heavily Latino areas of key states has concerned members of his party — and may have cost him Electoral College votes , according to groups and activists working to mobilize Latino voters .
Nationally , Biden appears to have gotten support from roughly twice as many Latino voters as President Trump , but that support looked very different depending on where you looked in three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrats were pleased with their performance in Arizona , where The Associated Press awarded Biden the state 's 11 electoral votes early Wednesday morning , while anxiety ran high about the results in Florida , where President Trump 's strength with conservative Cuban American voters helped secure him that state 's 29 electoral votes , according to AP .
And while Texas was a long shot for Biden , Democrats had seen opportunity in the explosive growth in the state 's Latino population .
During a post-election virtual press conference on Wednesday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voters expressed frustration that the votes of Latinos were not more aggressively pursued , even as they cheered record levels of turnout among Latinos in some key states .
Domingo Garcia , president of the League of United Latin American Citizens ( LULAC ) , said that the Biden campaign missed an opportunity in Florida and Texas .
`` The Democrats can not take Latinos for granted .
I think Biden missed a grand opportunity to have been able to carry both Florida and Texas , '' he said .
`` If he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more , if he had delivered the correct message .
The numbers that we 've seen out of Miami-Dade is he got 250,000 less Latino votes than Hillary Clinton got . ''
Leaders in the Latino community have repeatedly stressed the diversity and complexity of the Latino vote , ranging from conservatives with more traditional social views to young liberals .
There are first-generation citizens and families who have been in the United States for decades .
President Trump 's reelection campaign has aggressively courted Latino voters in Florida for years , particularly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to offset likely losses among suburban voters and seniors .
Trump won a significant majority of Cuban American voters in Florida , as Republican attacks on Joe Biden and Democrats as `` socialists '' have resonated .
While Trump won over Cuban Americans across the state , Biden 's campaign won the other segments of the state 's Latino electorate .
But Biden 's support among Florida 's Latinos fell short of the support that Hillary Clinton carried them with in 2016 .
Four years ago , Clinton won Miami-Dade County , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out of every 10 residents are Hispanic , by 30 percentage points , despite losing the state .
This year , Biden won it by just seven points .
Biden 's campaign manager , Jen O'Malley Dillon , told reporters on Wednesday that Biden had not underperformed among Latinos .
`` We just saw Donald Trump increase his support with the Cuban American vote , '' she said .
She defended the campaign 's Latino voter outreach program both in Florida and nationally , citing strong Latino support in states like Arizona and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to turn Texas blue , due to a combination of Democratic breakthroughs in the suburbs and demographic change that they believed benefitted them , including explosive growth in the state 's Latino population .
Democrats in the state had been focused heavily on the Rio Grande Valley near the southern border with Mexico , but they ultimately came up short .
Garcia and others pointed to Trump 's victory in Zapata County , just north of the Rio Grande Valley , where voters had overwhelmingly backed the Democratic candidate in the past two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hillary to Trump .
Why ?
Because the issues of law and order are impacting Latinos quite a bit , '' Garcia said .
`` For example , a lot of the border patrol , law enforcement are heavily Latino in the Rio Grande Valley .
So when you are talking about defunding the police , and you do n't stand up to those types of rhetoric , then it leaves an opening for Republicans to come in and take advantage of that . ''
That 's despite the fact that Biden vociferously @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has support in the Democratic base .
Biden 's strength in Arizona was in Maricopa County , which includes Phoenix and its suburbs .
Biden 's campaign focused its efforts there , and drove up turnout among Latinos there , who are largely of Mexican origin .
Strategists say that they believe Latinos younger than 30 to have been decisive in that state .
The Trump campaign also worked to win over Latinos in this state , particularly Latino men , and the president was in the state in the closing days of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus pandemic .

Why Joe Biden Saw Mixed Success With Latinos
Enlarge this image toggle caption Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
Democrats' long-term hopes for electoral success have long cited the growing Latino population in the country. But former Vice President Joe Biden's performance in heavily Latino areas of key states has concerned members of his party — and may have cost him Electoral College votes, according to groups and activists working to mobilize Latino voters.
Nationally, Biden appears to have gotten support from roughly twice as many Latino voters as President Trump, but that support looked very different depending on where you looked in three key states with large Latino populations.
Democrats were pleased with their performance in Arizona, where The Associated Press awarded Biden the state's 11 electoral votes early Wednesday morning, while anxiety ran high about the results in Florida, where President Trump's strength with conservative Cuban American voters helped secure him that state's 29 electoral votes, according to AP. And while Texas was a long shot for Biden, Democrats had seen opportunity in the explosive growth in the state's Latino population.
During a post-election virtual press conference on Wednesday, leaders from groups aimed at mobilizing Latino voters expressed frustration that the votes of Latinos were not more aggressively pursued, even as they cheered record levels of turnout among Latinos in some key states.
Domingo Garcia, president of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), said that the Biden campaign missed an opportunity in Florida and Texas.
"The Democrats cannot take Latinos for granted. I think Biden missed a grand opportunity to have been able to carry both Florida and Texas," he said. "If he had just invested in the Latino community more, if he had delivered the correct message. The numbers that we've seen out of Miami-Dade is he got 250,000 less Latino votes than Hillary Clinton got."
Enlarge this image toggle caption Joe Raedle/Getty Images Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Leaders in the Latino community have repeatedly stressed the diversity and complexity of the Latino vote, ranging from conservatives with more traditional social views to young liberals. There are first-generation citizens and families who have been in the United States for decades.
President Trump's reelection campaign has aggressively courted Latino voters in Florida for years, particularly conservative Cuban Americans, in an effort to offset likely losses among suburban voters and seniors. Trump won a significant majority of Cuban American voters in Florida, as Republican attacks on Joe Biden and Democrats as "socialists" have resonated.
While Trump won over Cuban Americans across the state, Biden's campaign won the other segments of the state's Latino electorate. But Biden's support among Florida's Latinos fell short of the support that Hillary Clinton carried them with in 2016.
Four years ago, Clinton won Miami-Dade County, the state's largest county where nearly 7 out of every 10 residents are Hispanic, by 30 percentage points, despite losing the state. This year, Biden won it by just seven points.
Biden's campaign manager, Jen O'Malley Dillon, told reporters on Wednesday that Biden had not underperformed among Latinos.
"We just saw Donald Trump increase his support with the Cuban American vote," she said. She defended the campaign's Latino voter outreach program both in Florida and nationally, citing strong Latino support in states like Arizona and Nevada.
Democrats also had high hopes to turn Texas blue, due to a combination of Democratic breakthroughs in the suburbs and demographic change that they believed benefitted them, including explosive growth in the state's Latino population. Democrats in the state had been focused heavily on the Rio Grande Valley near the southern border with Mexico, but they ultimately came up short.
Garcia and others pointed to Trump's victory in Zapata County, just north of the Rio Grande Valley, where voters had overwhelmingly backed the Democratic candidate in the past two presidential elections.
"It went from Hillary to Trump. Why? Because the issues of law and order are impacting Latinos quite a bit," Garcia said. "For example, a lot of the border patrol, law enforcement are heavily Latino in the Rio Grande Valley. So when you are talking about defunding the police, and you don't stand up to those types of rhetoric, then it leaves an opening for Republicans to come in and take advantage of that." That's despite the fact that Biden vociferously opposed defunding the police, something that has support in the Democratic base.
Biden's strength in Arizona was in Maricopa County, which includes Phoenix and its suburbs. Biden's campaign focused its efforts there, and drove up turnout among Latinos there, who are largely of Mexican origin. Strategists say that they believe Latinos younger than 30 to have been decisive in that state.
The Trump campaign also worked to win over Latinos in this state, particularly Latino men, and the president was in the state in the closing days of the election, holding rallies despite the coronavirus pandemic.