npr--2020-11-04--Philadelphia Police Release 'Traumatic' Bodycam Video Of Walter Wallace Jr. Shooting

Philadelphia city officials on Wednesday released `` traumatic '' bodycam footage worn by the officers who fatally shot Walter Wallace Jr. last week , urging the public to remain calm as the city comes under national scrutiny for the shooting .
The Philadelphia Police Department also released multiple 911 calls made by neighbors and Wallace 's own family , pleading for help as the 27-year-old experienced a violent psychological episode .
The bodycam videos begin as officers Sean Matarazzo and Thomas Munz stand outside of Wallace 's parents ' home — a brick row house with a small porch .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the front door , but as they wait on the sidewalk , about 15 feet away , someone inside the house can be heard saying , `` Put the knife down , '' three distinct times .
But the 27-year-old Black man steps out of the screen door and onto the porch holding a large knife in his right hand .
Both Matarazzo and Munz immediately shout at Wallace to `` drop the weapon . ''
Between them , they repeat some variation of the command about 11 times .
Wallace ignores @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the steps and toward the officers with the knife at his side .
He then turns away from Matarazzo and Munz , who both have their weapons drawn .
Wallace 's mother follows her son into the street , grabbing at him and standing between him and the officers .
One officer — it 's unclear which of the two — calls for her to move away from Wallace .
Another man also runs after Wallace as he reaches the opposite sidewalk .
Both officers appear to be standing in the middle of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wallace turns and makes his way back toward the middle of the road .
Throughout the chaos , another woman can be heard repeatedly yelling that Wallace is `` mental . ''
Neither officer appears to acknowledge her cries .
In one of the videos , a male voice — it 's unclear who — can be heard saying , `` Get him , '' and `` Shoot him . ''
Seconds later , each officer fires at least seven rounds at Wallace and he drops to the ground facedown .
His mother @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , `` You killed my son !
You killed my son ! ''
Police have not said how many times Wallace was struck .
As other officers arrive on the scene , one of the officers says , `` He was f****** chasing us . ''
Wallace never appears to get closer than 10 to 15 feet from Matarazzo or Munz .
During an afternoon press conference before the videos were released , District Attorney Larry Krasner said that only part of the footage had been released `` at the request of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ head off any potential unrest that may follow the release of the footage .
`` We understand that the materials released today will be very painful .
It will elicit anger , rage , distress , evoke more questions , and rightfully so , '' he said .
The shooting on Oct. 26 , sparked days of violent clashes in the city between protesters and police , who have been accused of using excessive force against Black residents .
Krasner acknowledged the `` traumatic '' impact of the videos and added , `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ together to ensure this moment does not lead to further division in our communities . ''
It is the first time the department has publicly released bodycam footage for a police shooting .
`` We know this moment is incredibly painful , given so many failures over generations to protect all of Philadelphia 's residents , especially those who are Black or brown , as we continue making measurable steps toward building equity , inclusive and public safety in our city , releasing this footage is a step , but also an indication @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The shooting is under investigation by Krasner 's office as well as the Philadelphia Police Department 's internal affairs unit .
The outcome of the investigations will determine whether charges will be filed against the officers .
Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said on Wednesday that 25-year-old Matarazzo joined the force in 2018 , while 26-year-old Munz has been on the force since 2017 .
Neither of them was carrying a Taser , Outlaw said , noting the department had previously asked for funding to equip more officers with those devices .
She pledged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ next year , including more de-escalation training and improving coordination with mental health specialists .

Philadelphia Police Release 'Traumatic' Bodycam Video Of Walter Wallace Jr. Shooting
Enlarge this image toggle caption Mark Makela/Getty Images Mark Makela/Getty Images
Philadelphia city officials on Wednesday released "traumatic" bodycam footage worn by the officers who fatally shot Walter Wallace Jr. last week, urging the public to remain calm as the city comes under national scrutiny for the shooting.
The Philadelphia Police Department also released multiple 911 calls made by neighbors and Wallace's own family, pleading for help as the 27-year-old experienced a violent psychological episode.
The bodycam videos begin as officers Sean Matarazzo and Thomas Munz stand outside of Wallace's parents' home — a brick row house with a small porch. It is unclear if the officers knocked on the front door, but as they wait on the sidewalk, about 15 feet away, someone inside the house can be heard saying, "Put the knife down," three distinct times.
But the 27-year-old Black man steps out of the screen door and onto the porch holding a large knife in his right hand.
Both Matarazzo and Munz immediately shout at Wallace to "drop the weapon." Between them, they repeat some variation of the command about 11 times.
Wallace ignores the orders and begins to move off the steps and toward the officers with the knife at his side. He then turns away from Matarazzo and Munz, who both have their weapons drawn. Wallace's mother follows her son into the street, grabbing at him and standing between him and the officers. One officer — it's unclear which of the two — calls for her to move away from Wallace.
Another man also runs after Wallace as he reaches the opposite sidewalk. Both officers appear to be standing in the middle of the narrow, residential street.
Then Wallace turns and makes his way back toward the middle of the road.
Throughout the chaos, another woman can be heard repeatedly yelling that Wallace is "mental." Neither officer appears to acknowledge her cries.
In one of the videos, a male voice — it's unclear who — can be heard saying, "Get him," and "Shoot him."
Seconds later, each officer fires at least seven rounds at Wallace and he drops to the ground facedown.
His mother runs toward her son wailing and screaming, "You killed my son! You killed my son!"
Police have not said how many times Wallace was struck.
As other officers arrive on the scene, one of the officers says, "He was f****** chasing us."
Wallace never appears to get closer than 10 to 15 feet from Matarazzo or Munz.
During an afternoon press conference before the videos were released, District Attorney Larry Krasner said that only part of the footage had been released "at the request of the Wallace family." Krasner tried to head off any potential unrest that may follow the release of the footage.
"We understand that the materials released today will be very painful. It will elicit anger, rage, distress, evoke more questions, and rightfully so," he said.
The shooting on Oct. 26, sparked days of violent clashes in the city between protesters and police, who have been accused of using excessive force against Black residents.
Krasner acknowledged the "traumatic" impact of the videos and added, "I ask all of us to work together to ensure this moment does not lead to further division in our communities."
It is the first time the department has publicly released bodycam footage for a police shooting.
"We know this moment is incredibly painful, given so many failures over generations to protect all of Philadelphia's residents, especially those who are Black or brown, as we continue making measurable steps toward building equity, inclusive and public safety in our city, releasing this footage is a step, but also an indication of this failure," Krasner said.
The shooting is under investigation by Krasner's office as well as the Philadelphia Police Department's internal affairs unit. The outcome of the investigations will determine whether charges will be filed against the officers.
Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said on Wednesday that 25-year-old Matarazzo joined the force in 2018, while 26-year-old Munz has been on the force since 2017.
Neither of them was carrying a Taser, Outlaw said, noting the department had previously asked for funding to equip more officers with those devices.
She pledged to put reforms in place by late next year, including more de-escalation training and improving coordination with mental health specialists.


npr--2020-11-04--From Marijuana To Mushrooms, Voters Want Drug Laws Eased

From Marijuana To Mushrooms , Voters Want Drug Laws Eased In states across the country , voters sent a clear message they wanted restrictions on recreational drug use eased .
Yesterday , residents of Arizona , Montana , New Jersey and South Dakota voted to join the ranks of 11 other states that have done so .
In 2012 , Colorado and Washington made the leap to legalize marijuana for recreational use .
Colorado has collected $ 1.23 billion in marijuana taxes and fees since 2014 , including more than $ 302 million last year alone .
Washington eclipsed Colorado @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million .
Oregon , which legalized marijuana for recreational use in 2014 , went a step further Tuesday and voted to decriminalize illicit drugs .
Measure 110 makes the possession of small quantities of cocaine , heroin , methamphetamines and other drugs a civil violation subject to a $ 100 fine , but no jail time .
However , the measure does not go so far as to decriminalize the manufacture or sale of drugs .
Oregon also passed Measure 109 , the legalization of psilocybin often referred to as magic mushrooms .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the use of psychedelics at licensed facilities for mental health purposes .
Studies have shown that psilocybin could be used to treat major depressive disorders , according to the National Institutes of Health .
Washington D.C. did not vote on the the legalization of psilocybin , but they did approve the decriminalization of psychedelic mushrooms .
The Entheogenic Plant and Fungus Policy Act of 2020 was passed on Nov. 3 with 76.3 % approval at the time of reporting .
The measure directs law enforcement to make investigation and arrest of adults associating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ priority .
Along with the legalization of marijuana , states like Montana and Arizona will allow individuals serving specific marijuana-related sentences to request resentencing or even expungement .
According to the National Center for Drug Abuse , 55 million American adults currently use marijuana .
As well , more than half of Americans view marijuana use as socially acceptable .
However , marijuana also accounted for 40 % of all drug arrests in the United States in 2018 , according to a PEW study .
Marijuana , as well as psychedelics and other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ law .
Local governments can choose to ban the sale or cultivation of marijuana .
California was the first state to legalize marijuana for medical use in 1996 .
More than 20 years later , South Dakota and Mississippi followed suit and today , 35 states and four territories allow the use of medical marijuana .

From Marijuana To Mushrooms, Voters Want Drug Laws Eased
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post via Getty Images Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post via Getty Images
In states across the country, voters sent a clear message they wanted restrictions on recreational drug use eased. On Tuesday, residents of Arizona, Montana, New Jersey and South Dakota voted to join the ranks of 11 other states that have done so.
In 2012, Colorado and Washington made the leap to legalize marijuana for recreational use. Colorado has collected $1.23 billion in marijuana taxes and fees since 2014, including more than $302 million last year alone. Washington eclipsed Colorado that same year, collecting $395.5 million.
Oregon, which legalized marijuana for recreational use in 2014, went a step further Tuesday and voted to decriminalize illicit drugs. Measure 110 makes the possession of small quantities of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamines and other drugs a civil violation subject to a $100 fine, but no jail time. However, the measure does not go so far as to decriminalize the manufacture or sale of drugs.
Oregon also passed Measure 109, the legalization of psilocybin often referred to as magic mushrooms. Unlike marijuana, this measure only approves the use of psychedelics at licensed facilities for mental health purposes. Studies have shown that psilocybin could be used to treat major depressive disorders, according to the National Institutes of Health.
Washington, D.C., did not vote on the the legalization of psilocybin, but they did approve the decriminalization of psychedelic mushrooms. The Entheogenic Plant and Fungus Policy Act of 2020 was passed on Nov. 3 with 76.3% approval at the time of reporting. The measure directs law enforcement to make investigation and arrest of adults associating with entheogenic plants and fungi the lowest priority.
Along with the legalization of marijuana, states like Montana and Arizona will allow individuals serving specific marijuana-related sentences to request resentencing or even expungement. According to the National Center for Drug Abuse, 55 million American adults currently use marijuana. As well, more than half of Americans view marijuana use as socially acceptable.
However, marijuana also accounted for 40% of all drug arrests in the United States in 2018, according to a Pew Research Center study. Marijuana, as well as psychedelics and other drugs, is still illegal under federal law. Local governments can choose to ban the sale or cultivation of marijuana.
California was the first state to legalize marijuana for medical use in 1996. More than 20 years later, South Dakota and Mississippi followed suit. Now, 35 states and four territories allow the use of medical marijuana.


npr--2020-11-04--Election Got You Stressed? You're Not Alone — Here's 5 Ways To Deal With It

Election Got You Stressed ?
You 're Not Alone — Here 's 5 Ways To Deal With It America is waiting on the results of a close and contentious election .
And we 're not sure when we 'll know who won .
But one thing both parties can agree on ?
They 're stressed .
An American Psychological Association poll showed that more than two-thirds of adults are finding the 2020 election to be a significant source of stress .
This includes 76 % of Democrats and 67 % of Republicans .
That 's because we 're dealing with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' said Judson Brewer , director of research and innovation at the Mindfulness Center at Brown University .
The tension from the pandemic coupled with that from an unresolved election can create high levels of anxiety , he said .
Did we mention that today is National Stress Awareness Day ?
Here are some ways to deal with increased stress and anxiety .
When dealing with stress your body can trigger a `` fight or flight '' response , Brewer said .
So the first step is to ground yourself , which you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ details a process called five-finger breathing , which he also demonstrated on a recent episode of NPR 's Life Kit .
This process helps to pause , distract yourself and `` reboot your brain , '' he says .
Here 's how you do it .
• Place your index finger on the outside of your pinky on the opposite hand .
• Use your index finger to begin tracing your finger , inhaling as your trace up .
When you get to the top , pause , and then trace downward , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this process for each finger , inhaling as you trace up and exhaling as you trace down .
When you get to your thumb , repeat the process across all your fingers again .
Doom scrolling refers to the self-destructive habit of endlessly scrolling through negative news .
Experts tell us it 's eroding our mental health .
`` With the election , or with the pandemic I think one question that we can ask ourselves is : 'Is it helpful for my mind to be here ? '
, '' said Eric @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Brown University .
`` If not , can you bring your mind to a place where it is helpful for you ? ''
One thing that can help ?
Taking a break .
Loucks said if you find yourself in a downward spiral fueled by the news cycle , then interrupt that cycle .
Find a distraction .
It can be something small , like enjoying a hot beverage or taking a walk .
Or it can be talking with friends or watching TV .
But the important thing is to not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ harm .
Exercise is one of the most recommended ways to reduce stress .
But it does n't necessarily require a trip to the gym .
`` It does n't have to be vigorous exercise , it turns out , '' Brewer said .
`` I recommend this to my patients in my clinic — a couple of times a day go out for a 15 minute brisk walk , especially if it can be near or in nature .
[ It 's ] tremendously healing . ''
Almost any type of exercise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can help counteract stress-induced inflammation .
The pandemic already has caused less social interaction and research shows this can also makes us feel more anxious .
`` People are naturally social creatures and the reduction in human interaction can increase feelings of anxiety , isolation and stress , '' said Daniel R. Wilson , president of Western University of Health Sciences .
Talking with family and friends — even just on a video or phone call — can help those who are stressed out .
So can spending time with pets .
Just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are n't creating tension .
`` Those truly personal connections are healing and therapeutic , '' Brewer said .
The thousands-of-years-old practice can help you deal with modern problems .
Research shows that meditation can help reduce anxiety , stress and depression .
There are numerous free resources online to practice meditation .
Brown University provides free mindfulness classes on its website .
Brewer is also a fan of Headspace , which provides app-based guided meditation and offers a free trial .
`` If we 're overwhelmed by the results of the election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be hard to put our mind somewhere else , '' Brewer said .
`` And that 's where meditation training can come in . ''

Election Got You Stressed? You're Not Alone — Here's 5 Ways To Deal With It
Enlarge this image toggle caption Fanatic Studio / Gary Waters/Getty Images/Collection Mix: Sub Fanatic Studio / Gary Waters/Getty Images/Collection Mix: Sub
America is waiting on the results of a close and contentious election. And we're not sure when we'll know who won.
But one thing both parties can agree on? They're stressed.
An American Psychological Association poll showed that more than two-thirds of adults are finding the 2020 election to be a significant source of stress. This includes 76% of Democrats and 67% of Republicans.
That's because we're dealing with a sense of "chronic uncertainty," said Judson Brewer, director of research and innovation at the Mindfulness Center at Brown University.
The tension from the pandemic coupled with that from an unresolved election can create high levels of anxiety, he said.
Did we mention that today is National Stress Awareness Day?
Here are some ways to deal with increased stress and anxiety.
Practice breathing
When dealing with stress your body can trigger a "fight or flight" response, Brewer said. So the first step is to ground yourself, which you can do with mindful breathing.
Brewer details a process called five-finger breathing, which he also demonstrated on a recent episode of NPR's Life Kit.
This process helps to pause, distract yourself and "reboot your brain," he says.
Here's how you do it.
Place your index finger on the outside of your pinky on the opposite hand. Use your index finger to begin tracing your finger, inhaling as your trace up. When you get to the top, pause, and then trace downward, exhaling as you do. Repeat this process for each finger, inhaling as you trace up and exhaling as you trace down. When you get to your thumb, repeat the process across all your fingers again.
Stop doom scrolling
Doom scrolling refers to the self-destructive habit of endlessly scrolling through negative news. Experts tell us it's eroding our mental health.
"With the election, or with the pandemic I think one question that we can ask ourselves is: 'Is it helpful for my mind to be here?'," said Eric Loucks, director of the Mindfulness Center at Brown University. "If not, can you bring your mind to a place where it is helpful for you?"
One thing that can help? Taking a break.
Loucks said if you find yourself in a downward spiral fueled by the news cycle, then interrupt that cycle. Find a distraction.
It can be something small, like enjoying a hot beverage or taking a walk. Or it can be talking with friends or watching TV. But the important thing is to not dwell on information if it's causing harm.
Get some exercise
Exercise is one of the most recommended ways to reduce stress. But it doesn't necessarily require a trip to the gym.
"It doesn't have to be vigorous exercise, it turns out," Brewer said. "I recommend this to my patients in my clinic — a couple of times a day go out for a 15 minute brisk walk, especially if it can be near or in nature. [It's] tremendously healing."
Almost any type of exercise can help. Even low-intensity physical activity can help counteract stress-induced inflammation.
Talk with friends and family
Enlarge this image toggle caption Vesnaandjic/Getty Images Vesnaandjic/Getty Images
The pandemic already has caused less social interaction and research shows this can also makes us feel more anxious.
"People are naturally social creatures and the reduction in human interaction can increase feelings of anxiety, isolation and stress," said Daniel R. Wilson, president of Western University of Health Sciences.
Talking with family and friends — even just on a video or phone call — can help those who are stressed out. So can spending time with pets. Just try limiting the conversation to topics that aren't creating tension.
"Those truly personal connections are healing and therapeutic," Brewer said.
Meditate and practice mindfulness
The thousands-of-years-old practice can help you deal with modern problems. Research shows that meditation can help reduce anxiety, stress and depression.
There are numerous free resources online to practice meditation. Brown University provides free mindfulness classes on its website. Brewer is also a fan of Headspace, which provides app-based guided meditation and offers a free trial.
"If we're overwhelmed by the results of the election or by the pandemic, it can be hard to put our mind somewhere else," Brewer said. "And that's where meditation training can come in."


npr--2020-11-04--Biden Wins Michigan, Per The AP, Putting Him 6 Electoral Votes From Presidency

Biden Wins Michigan , Per The AP , Putting Him 6 Electoral Votes From Presidency Joe Biden has won the state of Michigan , according to The Associated Press .
With the call , the Democratic nominee adds 16 electoral votes to his column and makes his second inroad at rebuilding the `` blue wall '' around the Great Lakes .
Wisconsin was called for Biden earlier Wednesday .
The win gives Biden 264 electoral votes .
If the AP calls any remaining state for Biden , he would reach 270 electoral votes , and by the AP 's count @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump 's campaign has contested the vote-count process in Michigan and some other states .
In one of the biggest upsets of the 2016 election , Trump won Michigan by just under 11,000 votes .
The Great Lakes State had not voted for a Republican in a presidential election since 1988 .
The Democratic ticket spent significant time in Michigan , including during the last stretch of the race , signaling the state 's key role in Biden 's potential path to victory .
On Saturday , Biden joined his former running mate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time this campaign for drive-in rallies in Detroit and Flint .
On Tuesday , Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris made a final campaign stop in Detroit .
Trump , too , staked a lot on Michigan .
He campaigned in the state throughout the race , including late Monday night , when he held a big rally in Grand Rapids to close out the 2020 campaign .
Grand Rapids is where Trump finished his 2016 campaign , and that late-night 2016 rally , which started after midnight , has taken on somewhat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ telling of his own path to winning Michigan — and the presidency .
Trump had been looking to replicate the energy of that first campaign , but those efforts have fallen short .
While Trump appeared to be ahead in Michigan when most of the U.S. went to sleep on Tuesday night , Biden made major gains as mail ballots were counted in Democratic strongholds like majority-Black Detroit and Flint .
In 2016 , Hillary Clinton 's campaign felt confident about Michigan , but many local Democrats felt like her campaign neglected the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Michigan Democrat who represents a district home to many blue-collar voters , said she started to worry after talking to workers at union picnics throughout that summer who said they were voting for Trump .
A big glaring sign out of the Michigan results in 2016 was that Trump flipped Macomb County — a union-heavy , traditionally Democratic-voting county .
This time around , Democrats had been feeling fairly optimistic about bringing Michigan back into their fold .
Throughout the campaign , Biden maintained a healthy lead in the polls , and in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ governor , attorney general , secretary of state and two safe Republican congressional districts in the suburbs .
Trump looks to have maintained his hold on Macomb County in 2020 , but Biden appears to have cut into his margins there .
In neighboring Oakland County , comprising wealthier suburbs that once voted Republican , Biden not only won the county but improved on Clinton 's margins , mirroring trends across the country as suburban voters , especially women and seniors , shifted away from the Republican Party .
And a big factor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Votes in the Democratic bulwark are often the last to come in — and it 's a big reason Michigan turned blue so late in the count .
On Wednesday morning , election officials were still counting the flood of mail ballots that had been received by Election Day , as had been expected .
Clinton turned out about 45,000 fewer votes in Detroit than Obama did in 2012 .
On Tuesday night , Detroit City Clerk Janice Winfrey estimated that Detroit had hit turnout records dating back at least two decades — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Michigan 's biggest city .

Biden Wins Michigan, Per The AP, Putting Him 6 Electoral Votes From Presidency
Enlarge this image toggle caption Andrew Harnik/AP Andrew Harnik/AP
Joe Biden has won the state of Michigan, according to The Associated Press. With the call, the Democratic nominee adds 16 electoral votes to his column and makes his second inroad at rebuilding the "blue wall" around the Great Lakes. Wisconsin was called for Biden earlier Wednesday.
The win gives Biden 264 electoral votes. If the AP calls any remaining state for Biden, he would reach 270 electoral votes, and by the AP's count, he would be president-elect.
President Trump's campaign has contested the vote-count process in Michigan and some other states.
In one of the biggest upsets of the 2016 election, Trump won Michigan by just under 11,000 votes. The Great Lakes State had not voted for a Republican in a presidential election since 1988.
The Democratic ticket spent significant time in Michigan, including during the last stretch of the race, signaling the state's key role in Biden's potential path to victory. On Saturday, Biden joined his former running mate, Barack Obama, for the first time this campaign for drive-in rallies in Detroit and Flint. On Tuesday, Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris made a final campaign stop in Detroit.
Trump, too, staked a lot on Michigan. He campaigned in the state throughout the race, including late Monday night, when he held a big rally in Grand Rapids to close out the 2020 campaign. Grand Rapids is where Trump finished his 2016 campaign, and that late-night 2016 rally, which started after midnight, has taken on somewhat of a central role in Trump's telling of his own path to winning Michigan — and the presidency.
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Trump had been looking to replicate the energy of that first campaign, but those efforts have fallen short.
While Trump appeared to be ahead in Michigan when most of the U.S. went to sleep on Tuesday night, Biden made major gains as mail ballots were counted in Democratic strongholds like majority-Black Detroit and Flint.
In 2016, Hillary Clinton's campaign felt confident about Michigan, but many local Democrats felt like her campaign neglected the state. Rep. Debbie Dingell, a Michigan Democrat who represents a district home to many blue-collar voters, said she started to worry after talking to workers at union picnics throughout that summer who said they were voting for Trump.
A big glaring sign out of the Michigan results in 2016 was that Trump flipped Macomb County — a union-heavy, traditionally Democratic-voting county.
This time around, Democrats had been feeling fairly optimistic about bringing Michigan back into their fold. Throughout the campaign, Biden maintained a healthy lead in the polls, and in 2018 Democrats managed to win races for governor, attorney general, secretary of state and two safe Republican congressional districts in the suburbs.
Trump looks to have maintained his hold on Macomb County in 2020, but Biden appears to have cut into his margins there. In neighboring Oakland County, comprising wealthier suburbs that once voted Republican, Biden not only won the county but improved on Clinton's margins, mirroring trends across the country as suburban voters, especially women and seniors, shifted away from the Republican Party.
And a big factor at play in Michigan: Detroit.
Votes in the Democratic bulwark are often the last to come in — and it's a big reason Michigan turned blue so late in the count. On Wednesday morning, election officials were still counting the flood of mail ballots that had been received by Election Day, as had been expected.
Clinton turned out about 45,000 fewer votes in Detroit than Obama did in 2012. On Tuesday night, Detroit City Clerk Janice Winfrey estimated that Detroit had hit turnout records dating back at least two decades — foreshadowing a healthy turnout for Biden in Michigan's biggest city.


npr--2020-11-04--Across America, Newspaper Front Pages Reflect A History Still Being Written

Across America , Newspaper Front Pages Reflect A History Still Being Written Newspapers went to press for Wednesday 's edition without knowing who would win the presidency – and indeed , that outcome is still unclear at this publishing .
So what does a newspaper editor do when there 's no answer yet for the question on everyone 's mind ?
You go with what you know so far .
At the Tampa Bay Times , the big news was that Trump had clinched Florida 's electoral votes .
In Peoria , Ill. , the Journal Star 's headline was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ great frequency in the past four years : `` Unpresidented . ''
Many newspapers noted that Election Day voting had been straightforward , even though a result in the presidential race remained unclear .
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution said that voting had gone smoothly — but that the presidential race remained undecided , and the two U.S. Senate races in Georgia could be going to runoffs .
Elsewhere , election results shared front-page real estate with the other story : the COVID-19 pandemic .
Central Maine 's Kennebec Journal , for instance , noted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus infections .
In California , where the state 's support for Democratic nominee Joe Biden was never in doubt , the headline of the San Francisco Chronicle reflected that the election 's outcome would be decided elsewhere — in states including Michigan , Wisconsin , Pennsylvania and Georgia .
And some newspapers sought to capture a mood : of a nation waiting anxiously to learn what comes next .
The Baltimore Sun eschewed photos of voters or candidates , and instead showed a somber image of the White House , illuminated against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ page , the Columbia Missourian captured the anxiety of many Americans about the too-close-to-call election .
Under the headline `` Still Counting '' was a photo of one person , waiting and watching to learn the outcome .
Like the presidential contest , it 's just too soon to tell .

Across America, Newspaper Front Pages Reflect A History Still Being Written
Enlarge this image toggle caption Hannah McKay/Reuters Hannah McKay/Reuters
Newspapers went to press for Wednesday's edition without knowing who would win the presidency – and indeed, that outcome is still unclear at this publishing.
So what does a newspaper editor do when there's no answer yet for the question on everyone's mind? You go with what you know so far.
At the Tampa Bay Times, the big news was that Trump had clinched Florida's electoral votes.
toggle caption Paul Driscoll/Screenshot/NPR
In Peoria, Ill., the Journal Star's headline was a twist on a word used with great frequency in the past four years: "Unpresidented."
Enlarge this image toggle caption Journal Star/Twitter/Screengrab by NPR Journal Star/Twitter/Screengrab by NPR
Many newspapers noted that Election Day voting had been straightforward, even though a result in the presidential race remained unclear.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution said that voting had gone smoothly — but that the presidential race remained undecided, and the two U.S. Senate races in Georgia could be going to runoffs.
toggle caption The Atlanta Journal-Constitution/Twitter/Screengrab by NPR
Elsewhere, election results shared front-page real estate with the other story: the COVID-19 pandemic.
Central Maine's Kennebec Journal, for instance, noted state records for both voter turnout and coronavirus infections.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Kennebec Journal/Twitter/Screengrab by NPR Kennebec Journal/Twitter/Screengrab by NPR
In California, where the state's support for Democratic nominee Joe Biden was never in doubt, the headline of the San Francisco Chronicle reflected that the election's outcome would be decided elsewhere — in states including Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Georgia.
toggle caption San Francisco Chronicle/Twitter/Screengrab by NPR
And some newspapers sought to capture a mood: of a nation waiting anxiously to learn what comes next.
The Baltimore Sun eschewed photos of voters or candidates, and instead showed a somber image of the White House, illuminated against the night.
toggle caption Ben Leonard/Twitter/Screengrab by NPR
And on its front page, the Columbia Missourian captured the anxiety of many Americans about the too-close-to-call election.
Under the headline "Still Counting" was a photo of one person, waiting and watching to learn the outcome.
toggle caption Hannah Norton/Twitter/Screengrab by NPR
Will Thursday's front pages show a winner?
Like the presidential contest, it's just too soon to tell.


npr--2020-11-04--Israel Uses Cover Of U.S. Election To Destroy Palestinian Homes, Critics Say

Israel Uses Cover Of U.S. Election To Destroy Palestinian Homes , Critics Say Israeli authorities demolished a rural Palestinian hamlet in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday , residents and rights advocates said .
More than 70 structures were destroyed , making it the largest single demolition in the past decade and the biggest forced displacement of Palestinians in the West Bank in over four years , the United Nations said .
The statement said 73 people — including 41 children — lived in what it called a `` herding community . ''
`` I am 99 % certain this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
...
There were no journalists around , '' Yasser Abu al-Kbash , a resident , told NPR .
The 48-year-old shepherd said he had lived there all his life .
`` They bulldozed everything , '' he said .
Khirbet Humsah , also called Humsah Al Bqai ' a , was a small community in tents and shacks located in the Jordan Valley , the agricultural breadbasket of the West Bank that Palestinians claim for a future state .
Israeli leaders have talked about seeking to permanently control the area for its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` A demolition on this scale is extremely rare , '' said Amit Gilutz of B'Tselem , an Israeli human rights group that documents and opposes Israel 's policies toward Palestinians .
`` Everyone 's attention is directed elsewhere . ''
Smaller demolitions of Palestinian structures are frequent .
This year , Israel broke a four-year record in the number of Palestinians it displaced by destroying their homes , Gilutz said .
The hamlet 's tents , sheds , sheep pens and animal feed were destroyed , as were mobile toilets and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and other European Union countries , he said .
The Israeli Defense Ministry 's agency that oversees Palestinian civilian affairs , the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories , said authorities demolished seven tents and eight animal pens built illegally in a military firing range .
It did not return a request for comment about the timing of Tuesday 's operation .
`` The enforcement was carried out in accordance with the authorities and procedures , and subject to operational considerations , '' the Israeli agency said in a statement .
Abu @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agriculture and is only rarely used by Israel for military exercises .
A Palestinian aid group has provided tents as temporary shelter for the residents who lost their homes , but Abu al-Kbash said they were not sufficient for the village 's families , including children .
He said villagers were now sleeping on the rubble of their destroyed shacks .
`` Our bed is the ground .
Our roof is the sky , '' he said .
`` We hope people will come and see our situation .
They will see that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ compassionate country , is chasing us . ''

Israel Uses Cover Of U.S. Election To Destroy Palestinian Homes, Critics Say
Enlarge this image toggle caption Raneen Sawafta/Reuters Raneen Sawafta/Reuters
Israeli authorities demolished a rural Palestinian hamlet in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, residents and rights advocates said.
More than 70 structures were destroyed, making it the largest single demolition in the past decade and the biggest forced displacement of Palestinians in the West Bank in over four years, the United Nations said. The statement said 73 people — including 41 children — lived in what it called a "herding community."
"I am 99% certain this was taking advantage of the U.S. elections. ... There were no journalists around," Yasser Abu al-Kbash, a resident, told NPR.
The 48-year-old shepherd said he had lived there all his life. "They bulldozed everything," he said.
Israel gave lower numbers for the structures destroyed.
Khirbet Humsah, also called Humsah Al Bqai'a, was a small community in tents and shacks located in the Jordan Valley, the agricultural breadbasket of the West Bank that Palestinians claim for a future state. Israeli leaders have talked about seeking to permanently control the area for its strategic value because it borders Jordan.
"A demolition on this scale is extremely rare," said Amit Gilutz of B'Tselem, an Israeli human rights group that documents and opposes Israel's policies toward Palestinians. "Everyone's attention is directed elsewhere."
Smaller demolitions of Palestinian structures are frequent. This year, Israel broke a four-year record in the number of Palestinians it displaced by destroying their homes, Gilutz said.
The hamlet's tents, sheds, sheep pens and animal feed were destroyed, as were mobile toilets and a solar panel funded by Britain, Sweden and other European Union countries, he said.
The Israeli Defense Ministry's agency that oversees Palestinian civilian affairs, the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories, said authorities demolished seven tents and eight animal pens built illegally in a military firing range. It did not return a request for comment about the timing of Tuesday's operation.
"The enforcement was carried out in accordance with the authorities and procedures, and subject to operational considerations," the Israeli agency said in a statement.
Abu al-Kbash said the area is used for agriculture and is only rarely used by Israel for military exercises.
A Palestinian aid group has provided tents as temporary shelter for the residents who lost their homes, but Abu al-Kbash said they were not sufficient for the village's families, including children. He said villagers were now sleeping on the rubble of their destroyed shacks.
"Our bed is the ground. Our roof is the sky," he said. "We hope people will come and see our situation. They will see that Israel, which pretends to be a compassionate country, is chasing us."


npr--2020-11-04--Rigorous Study Backs A Psychedelic Treatment For Major Depression

The substance that makes some mushrooms `` magic '' also appears to help people with major depressive disorder .
A study of 27 people found that a treatment featuring the hallucinogen psilocybin worked better than the usual antidepressant medications , a team reported Wednesday in the journal JAMA Psychiatry .
`` The effect was more than four times greater , '' says Alan Davis , an author of the study and a faculty member at both Johns Hopkins University and Ohio State University .
The study comes after earlier research offered hints that psilocybin might work against depression and after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ found that it could ease depression and anxiety in patients who had life-threatening cancer .
The study of cancer patients `` led us to consider whether or not this treatment might be effective for people in the general depression community , '' Davis says .
In the new study , patients received two doses of psilocybin on different days and also received about 11 hours of psychotherapy .
The drug was administered in a supervised yet homey setting designed to put participants at ease , Davis says .
`` They have a blindfold @ @ @ @ @ @ @ listening to music , '' he says .
`` And we really encourage them to go inward and to kind of experience whatever is going to come up with the psilocybin . ''
Half the participants began treatment immediately .
The rest were put on a waitlist so they could serve as a comparison group until their own treatment began eight weeks later .
`` There was a significant reduction in depression in the immediate-treatment group compared to those in the waitlist , '' Davis says .
And patients responded much faster than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happened within one day after the first session and sustained at that reduced level through the second psilocybin session all the way up to the one-month follow-up , '' he says .
The study is notable for its scientific rigor , says Dr. Charles F. Reynolds III , distinguished professor emeritus of psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh 's School of Medicine and the author of an editorial that accompanied the research .
`` It offers , I think , a good deal of promise as a feasible approach to treating particularly chronic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Even so , the results still might be skewed because patients were told they were going to get the drug .
`` Some of the rapid improvement that we saw could have been related to expectancy effects on the part of the participants , '' he says .
The study comes less than two years after the Food and Drug Administration approved the anesthetic and party drug ketamine for depression .
And the emergence of treatments like ketamine and psilocybin may signal a new era in treatment , Reynolds says .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he says .
`` It 's just that we need a good deal more research that addresses safety and efficacy and the type of patient who 's likely to benefit . ''
That research should be funded by mainstream institutions like the National Institutes of Health , he says , noting that this study had to rely in part on a crowdsourced funding campaign .
Federal law makes it illegal to grow or possess psilocybin without a special license from the Drug Enforcement Administration .
But on Tuesday , voters in Oregon approved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to create a program to offer psilocybin-assisted therapy .

Rigorous Study Backs A Psychedelic Treatment For Major Depression
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post via Getty Images Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post via Getty Images
The substance that makes some mushrooms "magic" also appears to help people with major depressive disorder.
A study of 27 people found that a treatment featuring the hallucinogen psilocybin worked better than the usual antidepressant medications, a team reported Wednesday in the journal JAMA Psychiatry.
"The effect was more than four times greater," says Alan Davis, an author of the study and a faculty member at both Johns Hopkins University and Ohio State University.
The study comes after earlier research offered hints that psilocybin might work against depression and after a study by researchers at Johns Hopkins found that it could ease depression and anxiety in patients who had life-threatening cancer.
The study of cancer patients "led us to consider whether or not this treatment might be effective for people in the general depression community," Davis says.
In the new study, patients received two doses of psilocybin on different days and also received about 11 hours of psychotherapy. The drug was administered in a supervised yet homey setting designed to put participants at ease, Davis says.
"They have a blindfold on, they have headphones on, listening to music," he says. "And we really encourage them to go inward and to kind of experience whatever is going to come up with the psilocybin."
Half the participants began treatment immediately. The rest were put on a waitlist so they could serve as a comparison group until their own treatment began eight weeks later.
"There was a significant reduction in depression in the immediate-treatment group compared to those in the waitlist," Davis says. And patients responded much faster than with typical antidepressants.
"The effect happened within one day after the first session and sustained at that reduced level through the second psilocybin session all the way up to the one-month follow-up," he says.
The study is notable for its scientific rigor, says Dr. Charles F. Reynolds III, distinguished professor emeritus of psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh's School of Medicine and the author of an editorial that accompanied the research.
"It offers, I think, a good deal of promise as a feasible approach to treating particularly chronic forms of depression," Reynolds says. Even so, the results still might be skewed because patients were told they were going to get the drug.
"Some of the rapid improvement that we saw could have been related to expectancy effects on the part of the participants," he says.
The study comes less than two years after the Food and Drug Administration approved the anesthetic and party drug ketamine for depression. And the emergence of treatments like ketamine and psilocybin may signal a new era in treatment, Reynolds says.
"Certainly that's my hope," he says. "It's just that we need a good deal more research that addresses safety and efficacy and the type of patient who's likely to benefit."
That research should be funded by mainstream institutions like the National Institutes of Health, he says, noting that this study had to rely in part on a crowdsourced funding campaign.
Federal law makes it illegal to grow or possess psilocybin without a special license from the Drug Enforcement Administration. But on Tuesday, voters in Oregon approved a measure directing the Oregon Health Authority to create a program to offer psilocybin-assisted therapy.


npr--2020-11-04--At Supreme Court, Justices Consider Religion, LGBTQ Rights

The U.S. Supreme Court may be poised to side with Catholic Social Services in a battle that pits religious freedom against anti-discrimination laws in Philadelphia and across the country .
At issue in a case argued on Wednesday is the Catholic charity 's refusal to screen same-sex couples as foster care parents .
While new Justice Amy Coney Barrett did not indicate which way she is leaning , other members of the court 's conservative majority did .
Seven of the nine justices were raised as Catholics , including Barrett , and in the past , five of them have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under the constitution 's guarantee to the free exercise of religion .
Wednesday 's case , however , involved government contracting — an area of the law in which the court in the past has said that government is at the apex of its power to impose conditions .
On one side is the city of Philadelphia , which has custody of about 5,000 abused and neglected children , and contracts with 30 private agencies to provide foster care in group homes and for the certification , placement , and care of children @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The city 's contracts ban discrimination against LGBTQ couples in the screening of foster parents , and Catholic Social Services , citing religious grounds , refuses to consider and certify same-sex married couples .
Because of that , the city ended its contract with CSS for those services in the future .
CSS sued , and two lower courts upheld the city 's decision .
But on Wednesday the Supreme Court seemed divided on the case .
Four of the court 's conservative justices — Samuel Alito , Clarence Thomas , Brett Kavanaugh @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the city 's position , stressing the good work that CSS does for needy children .
Justice Alito , for instance , said , `` If we are honest about what 's really going on here ...
It 's the fact that the city ca n't stand the message that Catholic Social Services and the Archdiocese are sending by continuing to adhere to the old-fashioned view about marriage . ''
That is `` absolutely not '' the case , replied lawyer Neal Katyal , representing Philadelphia .
Katyal pointed out that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 26 million for other foster care services , including group homes .
Justice Kavanaugh pursued another line of questioning .
`` It seems like Philadelphia ... was looking for a fight , and has brought that serious , controversial fight all the way to the Supreme Court , even though no same-sex couple had gone to CSS , '' he said .
Katyal replied that it was not the city , but CSS , that appealed this case all the way to the Supreme Court .
One same-sex couple was , in fact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he explained , and that agency then changed its policy .
If CSS can refuse to certify same-sex couples , Katyal argued , agencies could refuse to allow Buddhists or Baptists too .
And foster care agencies would be `` balkanized . ''
Justice Barrett , for her part , asked more neutral questions , but seemed to draw a line between discrimination based on race , which she said `` nobody on this court '' would endorse , and discrimination based on gender , ethnicity , or other characteristics .
Chief @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both sides .
Addressing the lawyer for CSS , he asked , `` Should n't the city get to strike the balance as it wishes when it comes to setting conditions for participating in what is , after all , its foster program ? ''
In reply , Lori Windham , of the Becket Fund , fudged , but when pressed by Roberts , maintained that because CSS is an independent contractor it ca n't be an agent of the city .
Roberts turned his sights on Philadelphia when he asked lawyer Katyal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not want to be placed in a same-sex couple 's home .
Katyal said that where a child is placed is a different question from certification .
At the certification stage , the question is whether the applicant is able to provide a suitable home for foster care , and the city is trying to get a good pool of applicants .
At the matching phase , where children are placed in appropriate homes , Katyal said , other factors , such as race , geography and disability , may be considered in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And he pointed to one `` rare '' case where a child who used racial slurs was not placed with a minority family .
The court 's three liberals — Justices Stephen Breyer and Elena Kagan , both Jewish , and Sonia Sotomayor , who is Catholic — by contrast , stressed the city 's ban on contracting with groups that discriminate based on race , ethnicity , religion and gender .
What if an agency wanted to discriminate against an interracial couple , they asked .
At the end of the day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not clear , with several justices asking for a compromise .
Breyer , who said he was `` bothered '' by the fact that no same-sex couple approached CSS for certification , suggested that the problem might be solved by including in the city 's contract an explicit statement that a certification of parental eligibility is not an endorsement of same-sex marriage .
But that did n't seem to get much traction .
Nor did either side suggest a compromise when Sotomayor asked for suggestions .
A decision in the case is expected @ @ @ @ @ @

At Supreme Court, Justices Consider Religion, LGBTQ Rights
Enlarge this image toggle caption J. Scott Applewhite/AP J. Scott Applewhite/AP
Updated at 6:24 p.m. ET
The U.S. Supreme Court may be poised to side with Catholic Social Services in a battle that pits religious freedom against anti-discrimination laws in Philadelphia and across the country.
At issue in a case argued on Wednesday is the Catholic charity's refusal to screen same-sex couples as foster care parents.
While new Justice Amy Coney Barrett did not indicate which way she is leaning, other members of the court's conservative majority did.
Seven of the nine justices were raised as Catholics, including Barrett, and in the past, five of them have pushed for an expansion of religious rights under the constitution's guarantee to the free exercise of religion.
Wednesday's case, however, involved government contracting — an area of the law in which the court in the past has said that government is at the apex of its power to impose conditions. On one side is the city of Philadelphia, which has custody of about 5,000 abused and neglected children, and contracts with 30 private agencies to provide foster care in group homes and for the certification, placement, and care of children in individual private foster care homes.
The city's contracts ban discrimination against LGBTQ couples in the screening of foster parents, and Catholic Social Services, citing religious grounds, refuses to consider and certify same-sex married couples. Because of that, the city ended its contract with CSS for those services in the future. CSS sued, and two lower courts upheld the city's decision.
But on Wednesday the Supreme Court seemed divided on the case.
Four of the court's conservative justices — Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch — seemed overtly hostile to the city's position, stressing the good work that CSS does for needy children.
Justice Alito, for instance, said, "If we are honest about what's really going on here ... It's the fact that the city can't stand the message that Catholic Social Services and the Archdiocese are sending by continuing to adhere to the old-fashioned view about marriage."
That is "absolutely not" the case, replied lawyer Neal Katyal, representing Philadelphia. Katyal pointed out that the city right now is giving CSS $26 million for other foster care services, including group homes.
Justice Kavanaugh pursued another line of questioning. "It seems like Philadelphia ... was looking for a fight, and has brought that serious, controversial fight all the way to the Supreme Court, even though no same-sex couple had gone to CSS," he said.
Katyal replied that it was not the city, but CSS, that appealed this case all the way to the Supreme Court. One same-sex couple was, in fact, rejected by another religiously affiliated agency, he explained, and that agency then changed its policy. If CSS can refuse to certify same-sex couples, Katyal argued, agencies could refuse to allow Buddhists or Baptists too. And foster care agencies would be "balkanized."
Justice Barrett, for her part, asked more neutral questions, but seemed to draw a line between discrimination based on race, which she said "nobody on this court" would endorse, and discrimination based on gender, ethnicity, or other characteristics.
Chief Justice John Roberts asked hard questions of both sides. Addressing the lawyer for CSS, he asked, "Shouldn't the city get to strike the balance as it wishes when it comes to setting conditions for participating in what is, after all, its foster program?" In reply, Lori Windham, of the Becket Fund, fudged, but when pressed by Roberts, maintained that because CSS is an independent contractor it can't be an agent of the city.
Roberts turned his sights on Philadelphia when he asked lawyer Katyal what would happen if a child did not want to be placed in a same-sex couple's home.
Katyal said that where a child is placed is a different question from certification. At the certification stage, the question is whether the applicant is able to provide a suitable home for foster care, and the city is trying to get a good pool of applicants. At the matching phase, where children are placed in appropriate homes, Katyal said, other factors, such as race, geography and disability, may be considered in the best interests of the child. And he pointed to one "rare" case where a child who used racial slurs was not placed with a minority family.
The court's three liberals — Justices Stephen Breyer and Elena Kagan, both Jewish, and Sonia Sotomayor, who is Catholic — by contrast, stressed the city's ban on contracting with groups that discriminate based on race, ethnicity, religion and gender. What if an agency wanted to discriminate against an interracial couple, they asked.
At the end of the day, the outcome of the case was not clear, with several justices asking for a compromise.
Breyer, who said he was "bothered" by the fact that no same-sex couple approached CSS for certification, suggested that the problem might be solved by including in the city's contract an explicit statement that a certification of parental eligibility is not an endorsement of same-sex marriage. But that didn't seem to get much traction. Nor did either side suggest a compromise when Sotomayor asked for suggestions.
A decision in the case is expected later in the court term.


npr--2020-11-05--FACT CHECK: Trump Falsely Claims Widespread Fraud In Latest Election Speech

President Trump on Thursday evening made his first public remarks since the late-night hours following Election Day , falsely claiming that he would win `` easily , '' save for what he baselessly referred to as fraud by Democrats and the media .
`` If you look at the legal votes , I win very easily , '' Trump told reporters from the White House briefing room .
`` They 're trying very obviously to commit fraud , '' he said , speaking particularly harshly about Philadelphia and Detroit .
Votes from the county that includes Philadelphia have helped the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lead in the state of Pennsylvania .
The Associated Press has called the state of Michigan , and its 16 electoral votes , for Biden .
The president left after speaking for several minutes and did not take reporter questions .
In his remarks , Trump railed against the process of mail-in voting , which saw a significant uptick this election cycle as a result of the coronavirus pandemic .
He baselessly claimed that the process of counting mailed-in ballots had been tainted and complained that many of the absentee votes had been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fact check about mail-in voting security here . )
`` I 've said very strongly that mail-in ballots are going to end up being a disaster , '' he said .
`` It 's getting worse and worse every day . ''
Trump complained repeatedly that Republican observers had not gained sufficient access to vote counting locations , which the campaign has filed lawsuits over in Michigan , Nevada and Pennsylvania .
However , the suits in Michigan and Nevada were quickly dismissed by state courts .
A state court judge in Pennsylvania @ @ @ @ @ @ @ right to be within 6 feet of the ballot-counting operation , but a federal judge threw out a prospective lawsuit on Thursday in which Trump 's campaign sought to halt vote counting in Philadelphia .
Further , Trump on Thursday misleadingly claimed that observers were excluded from the counting site in Detroit ; city officials say Republicans were not excluded and that there were Republican observers , but that coronavirus-related capacity constraints did not permit everyone who wanted to be an observer into the room .
Trump said he expects `` a lot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's results .
`` We ca n't be disgraced by having something like this happen , '' he said on Thursday .
`` There 's been a lot of shenanigans , and we ca n't stand for that in our country . ''
Noting that only a handful of states remain uncalled in the race , Trump falsely claimed , `` The voting apparatus of those states are run in all cases by Democrats . ''
In fact , the secretaries of state in Georgia and Nevada — two of five states where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ determined — are Republican .
In the case of Georgia 's Brad Raffensperger , Trump actually endorsed him for the office in 2018 .
Following Trump 's speech , a handful of elected Republicans refuted Trump 's fraud claims , saying people should respect the Democratic process .
Earlier in the day , Democratic nominee Joe Biden made brief remarks reaffirming his belief that he would ultimately be declared the winner of the presidency but urged patience as votes continue to be counted .
`` In America , the vote is sacred , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how the people of this nation express their will .
And it is the will of the voters — no one , not anything else — that chooses the president of the United States of America .
So each ballot must be counted . ''
He added : `` Democracy is sometimes messy .
It sometimes requires a little patience as well .
But that patience has been rewarded now for more than 240 years . ''
Biden 's comments come as local poll workers continue to tally votes and as the nation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the White House for the next four years .
Biden holds a lead in electoral votes over Trump , but a handful of critical swing states remain to declare their respective winners .

FACT CHECK: Trump Falsely Claims Widespread Fraud In Latest Election Speech
Enlarge this image toggle caption Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images
Updated at 9:16 p.m. ET
President Trump on Thursday evening made his first public remarks since the late-night hours following Election Day, falsely claiming that he would win "easily," save for what he baselessly referred to as fraud by Democrats and the media.
"If you look at the legal votes, I win very easily," Trump told reporters from the White House briefing room.
"They're trying very obviously to commit fraud," he said, speaking particularly harshly about Philadelphia and Detroit.
Votes from the county that includes Philadelphia have helped the Democratic nominee Joe Biden close Trump's lead in the state of Pennsylvania. The Associated Press has called the state of Michigan, and its 16 electoral votes, for Biden.
The president left after speaking for several minutes and did not take reporter questions.
In his remarks, Trump railed against the process of mail-in voting, which saw a significant uptick this election cycle as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. He baselessly claimed that the process of counting mailed-in ballots had been tainted and complained that many of the absentee votes had been cast for Biden. (Read our fact check about mail-in voting security here.)
"I've said very strongly that mail-in ballots are going to end up being a disaster," he said. "It's getting worse and worse every day."
Trump complained repeatedly that Republican observers had not gained sufficient access to vote counting locations, which the campaign has filed lawsuits over in Michigan, Nevada and Pennsylvania.
However, the suits in Michigan and Nevada were quickly dismissed by state courts. A state court judge in Pennsylvania affirmed on Wednesday that observers have a right to be within 6 feet of the ballot-counting operation, but a federal judge threw out a prospective lawsuit on Thursday in which Trump's campaign sought to halt vote counting in Philadelphia.
Further, Trump on Thursday misleadingly claimed that observers were excluded from the counting site in Detroit; city officials say Republicans were not excluded and that there were Republican observers, but that coronavirus-related capacity constraints did not permit everyone who wanted to be an observer into the room.
Trump said he expects "a lot of litigation" to contest the election's results.
"We can't be disgraced by having something like this happen," he said on Thursday. "There's been a lot of shenanigans, and we can't stand for that in our country."
Noting that only a handful of states remain uncalled in the race, Trump falsely claimed, "The voting apparatus of those states are run in all cases by Democrats." In fact, the secretaries of state in Georgia and Nevada — two of five states where a clear winner has not yet been determined — are Republican. In the case of Georgia's Brad Raffensperger, Trump actually endorsed him for the office in 2018.
Following Trump's speech, a handful of elected Republicans refuted Trump's fraud claims, saying people should respect the democratic process.
Earlier in the day, Democratic nominee Joe Biden made brief remarks reaffirming his belief that he would ultimately be declared the winner of the presidency but urged patience as votes continue to be counted.
"In America, the vote is sacred," he said. "It's how the people of this nation express their will. And it is the will of the voters — no one, not anything else — that chooses the president of the United States of America. So each ballot must be counted."
He added: "Democracy is sometimes messy. It sometimes requires a little patience as well. But that patience has been rewarded now for more than 240 years."
Biden's comments come as local poll workers continue to tally votes and as the nation awaits an answer on who will be in the White House for the next four years.
Biden holds a lead in electoral votes over Trump, but a handful of critical swing states remain to declare their respective winners.


npr--2020-11-05--First COVID-19 Vaccine Doses To Go To Health Workers, Say CDC Advisers

First COVID-19 Vaccine Doses To Go To Health Workers , Say CDC Advisers Health care workers will almost certainly get the first doses of COVID-19 vaccine in the U.S. when one is approved , according to Dr. José Romero , head of the committee that develops evidence-based immunization guidelines for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
That 's a decision based on the science of what will quell the pandemic fastest .
`` It 's not just the doctors and nurses that are interacting with patients , but also the support personnel that help , '' Romero said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` It could include those persons that are delivering food , or maintenance people that could come in contact with them , '' so they can protect themselves and patients from the virus , and stay healthy to keep the U.S. health care system running .
Romero chairs the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices , or ACIP , a longstanding CDC advisory group that includes 15 voting members , plus other vaccination experts who weigh in .
Once the Food and Drug Administration judges a COVID-19 vaccine to be safe , effective and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rapid recommendations to the CDC on how a COVID-19 vaccine should be used and who should get the first shots .
`` We anticipate having some vaccine for the high-risk individuals — health care providers — sometime in December or early January , '' Romero told NPR 's Mary Louise Kelly on All Things Considered .
`` And then more and more vaccine will be rolled out . ''
The committee 's goals for deploying a COVID-19 vaccine are to `` decrease death and serious disease as much as possible '' to keep @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of health disparities , according to the CDC website .
Beyond health care workers , three additional groups are considered by ACIP to be especially vulnerable to COVID-19 , based on their exposure or susceptibility to the virus : essential workers , people age 65 and older , and anyone with underlying medical conditions associated with getting seriously ill from COVID-19 .
The order of which of those groups would get their first doses — and when — may depend on the particular characteristics of whichever vaccine or vaccines are ultimately approved by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whether a particular vaccine has been demonstrated to be effective in older people , safe in people with conditions such as cancer or heart disease , or safe during a pregnancy .
It 's too soon to say which of the possible vaccines might be most suitable for which groups of people , he said .
`` We have n't seen the data yet , '' Romero said , because vaccine clinical trials are still underway .
While they wait for that data , the committee members have been reviewing possible scenarios , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that project the number of lives that would be saved , based on assumptions about how effective a vaccine is and how many people get immunized .
By reviewing these potential outcomes now , the committee hopes to be able to move quickly once a vaccine is authorized .
`` There will be an emergency meeting of ACIP within 24 to 48 hours after the FDA has made [ its ] recommendations on the approval , '' Romero said .
At that meeting , ACIP members will vote on recommendations on dosage and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will become part of public health guidance issued by the CDC to states and territories , on how to vaccinate populations effectively against disease .
Those guidelines will also signal the federal government to start shipping vaccine vials out to hospitals and vaccination sites across the country .
`` We want shots in arms within 24 hours [ of ACIP 's recommendations ] , '' Paul Mango , a top official with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services , told reporters in a call last month .
The urgency with which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the intention to save lives , Romero said — and is free from political influence .
`` I 've had no contact with the [ Trump ] administration or with pharmaceutical companies influencing my decision , '' he said .
`` No shortcuts should be taken for this vaccine , and it should be scrutinized the same way we would advise any other vaccine for prevention of infectious diseases . ''
State health officials are responsible for determining where vaccines should be distributed within their borders .
Romero plays a key role @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he also is health secretary .
`` We 've identified the top 10 hospitals to receive the initial allotment of vaccine , '' he said .
`` And as the vaccine becomes more available , we 'll add more and more hospitals to that list . ''

First COVID-19 Vaccine Doses To Go To Health Workers, Say CDC Advisers
Enlarge this image toggle caption Go Nakamura/Getty Images Go Nakamura/Getty Images
Health care workers will almost certainly get the first doses of COVID-19 vaccine in the U.S. when one is approved, according to Dr. José Romero, head of the committee that develops evidence-based immunization guidelines for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
That's a decision based on the science of what will quell the pandemic fastest. "It's not just the doctors and nurses that are interacting with patients, but also the support personnel that help," Romero said in an interview Thursday with NPR. "It could include those persons that are delivering food, or maintenance people that could come in contact with them," so they can protect themselves and patients from the virus, and stay healthy to keep the U.S. health care system running.
Romero chairs the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, or ACIP, a longstanding CDC advisory group that includes 15 voting members, plus other vaccination experts who weigh in.
Once the Food and Drug Administration judges a COVID-19 vaccine to be safe, effective and authorized for use, ACIP will make rapid recommendations to the CDC on how a COVID-19 vaccine should be used and who should get the first shots.
"We anticipate having some vaccine for the high-risk individuals — health care providers — sometime in December or early January," Romero told NPR's Mary Louise Kelly on All Things Considered. "And then more and more vaccine will be rolled out."
The committee's goals for deploying a COVID-19 vaccine are to "decrease death and serious disease as much as possible" to keep society functioning and to reduce the burden of health disparities, according to the CDC website.
Beyond health care workers, three additional groups are considered by ACIP to be especially vulnerable to COVID-19, based on their exposure or susceptibility to the virus: essential workers, people age 65 and older, and anyone with underlying medical conditions associated with getting seriously ill from COVID-19.
The order of which of those groups would get their first doses — and when — may depend on the particular characteristics of whichever vaccine or vaccines are ultimately approved by the FDA. Such characteristics might include whether a particular vaccine has been demonstrated to be effective in older people, safe in people with conditions such as cancer or heart disease, or safe during a pregnancy. It's too soon to say which of the possible vaccines might be most suitable for which groups of people, he said.
"We haven't seen the data yet," Romero said, because vaccine clinical trials are still underway.
While they wait for that data, the committee members have been reviewing possible scenarios, using tools such as CDC computer models that project the number of lives that would be saved, based on assumptions about how effective a vaccine is and how many people get immunized.
By reviewing these potential outcomes now, the committee hopes to be able to move quickly once a vaccine is authorized. "There will be an emergency meeting of ACIP within 24 to 48 hours after the FDA has made [its] recommendations on the approval," Romero said.
At that meeting, ACIP members will vote on recommendations on dosage and a list of priority groups, which will become part of public health guidance issued by the CDC to states and territories, on how to vaccinate populations effectively against disease. Those guidelines will also signal the federal government to start shipping vaccine vials out to hospitals and vaccination sites across the country.
"We want shots in arms within 24 hours [of ACIP's recommendations]," Paul Mango, a top official with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, told reporters in a call last month.
The urgency with which the committee intends to move is motivated by the intention to save lives, Romero said — and is free from political influence.
"I've had no contact with the [Trump] administration or with pharmaceutical companies influencing my decision," he said. "No shortcuts should be taken for this vaccine, and it should be scrutinized the same way we would advise any other vaccine for prevention of infectious diseases."
State health officials are responsible for determining where vaccines should be distributed within their borders. Romero plays a key role regarding that distribution in Arkansas, where he also is health secretary.
"We've identified the top 10 hospitals to receive the initial allotment of vaccine," he said. "And as the vaccine becomes more available, we'll add more and more hospitals to that list."


npr--2020-11-05--Election Dispute Increases Risk Of Political Violence, Analysts Warn

Domestic terrorism analysts have warned for weeks about the possible triggers of election-related violence : a protracted vote count .
Claims of rigging .
Rampant disinformation .
Protesters and vigilantes .
For all the worry about voter intimidation on Election Day , the aftermath was always the more urgent concern for groups and scholars who track how political disagreements spiral into street violence or extremist mobilizing .
Now , the moment they dreaded has arrived , with a contentious vote count plunging the U.S. into an open-ended danger zone .
`` As I 've said repeatedly , the period between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' tweeted researcher J.J. MacNab of George Washington University 's Program on Extremism .
`` When definitive information is lacking , conspiracy theories thrive . ''
Increasingly , extremism trackers say , the threat of unrest is n't just from a radical fringe but from ordinary people who are whipped up by partisan , conspiratorial messages .
Already , Trump voters are coalescing by the tens of thousands in Facebook groups associated with the hashtag campaign `` Stop the Steal '' ; one group amassed more than 350,000 members before it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had called for `` boots on the ground to protect the integrity of the vote . ''
In many cases , right-wing organizers are reactivating the same channels they used over the summer to protest pandemic lockdown orders or to form vigilante groups against the perceived threat of militant leftists .
After months of arranging pro-Trump convoys and gathering disparate factions under the `` Liberate '' or `` Reopen '' banners , organizers have ready conduits for moving grievances to the streets .
`` You can see the same thing happening over and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , chief executive of Card Strategies , a consulting firm that tracks disinformation .
`` They try to create this impression that it 's people spontaneously showing up to protest because they 're angry , but it 's the exact opposite .
It 's the same folks that show up every time , and it 's the same groups giving them directives and messaging . ''
Most right-wing media outlets are spinning a narrative of rampant irregularities , echoing President Trump 's attempts to undermine the integrity of the election .
The relentless @ @ @ @ @ @ @ County , ground zero for the Nevada count , to announce beefed-up security measures for his staff .
`` We will not allow anyone to stop us from doing what our duty is and counting ballots , '' Clark County Registrar Joe Gloria told a news conference .
Some of the most inflammatory language is coming from the White House and Trump himself .
Twitter took the extraordinary measure of adding warning labels to several of the president 's tweets .
Trump repeatedly has suggested that there 's something nefarious about the mundane @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of mail-in ballots in the middle of a pandemic .
His supporters also promoted `` Sharpiegate , '' the debunked claim that Trump voters were given Sharpie markers to fill out their ballots with , the idea being that the heavy ink might invalidate them .
When it comes to fueling unrest , `` the bully pulpit is going to be one of the main factors , '' said Brian Levin , director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University , San Bernardino .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the sustained nature of the invective , particularly when it 's coming from the highest transmitter in the land , can result in multiple spikes , '' Levin said .
The wild card , Levin added , is that 2020 is n't like previous years .
This time , a disputed election is unfolding in a polarized nation that 's in the throes of a pandemic and a recession .
Usually , Levin said , a burst of political violence is triggered by one big event .
He 's worried that prolonged uncertainty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This is a whole different circumstance because usually the catalytic event has a beginning and end time , '' Levin said .
`` This is going to go on for some time . ''
So far , only small street protests have taken place , drawing activists from both the left and the right in several cities .
But the worry is that those could spiral once the vote is called .
A Trump loss , Levin said , could help reunite the mishmash of his supporters who came together over the summer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only had small-business people and outdoor enthusiasts , as well as anti-vaxxers , but we also had QAnon folks , we also had Second Amendment insurrectionists and even some racists get into this milieu , '' Levin said .
`` When we see groups and movements that have their issues or connections to the mainstream severed or eroded , '' he warned , `` they tend to act more as an insurgency . ''
In an October report about the risk of domestic terrorism , the Center for Strategic and International Studies concluded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democratic presidential victory , the threat could involve specific attacks by radicalized white supremacists , militias , and other related individuals . ''
A roundup of memes and social media posts compiled by MEMRI , a group that monitors extremist messaging , shows hate groups and neo-Nazi commentators promoting racist and anti-Semitic conspiracy theories about the election .
In some cases , the posts amount to clear calls for violence .
But analysts emphasized that the threat is no longer confined to the far-right extremist world — it 's much closer now .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to see some events in the coming weeks that are going to be troubling and unfortunate .
And they 're not all going to be committed by individuals that are neo-Nazi skinheads that have dedicated their lives to this , '' said Michael Jensen , a researcher at the University of Maryland who led a new study on hate crime offenders .
`` They 're going to be committed by seemingly regular folks that have gotten kind of caught up in the madness of the moment around the election . ''

Election Dispute Increases Risk Of Political Violence, Analysts Warn
Enlarge this image toggle caption Courtney Pedroza/Getty Images Courtney Pedroza/Getty Images
Domestic terrorism analysts have warned for weeks about the possible triggers of election-related violence: a protracted vote count. Claims of rigging. Rampant disinformation. Protesters and vigilantes.
For all the worry about voter intimidation on Election Day, the aftermath was always the more urgent concern for groups and scholars who track how political disagreements spiral into street violence or extremist mobilizing. Now, the moment they dreaded has arrived, with a contentious vote count plunging the U.S. into an open-ended danger zone.
"As I've said repeatedly, the period between Election Day and election results is dicey," tweeted researcher J.J. MacNab of George Washington University's Program on Extremism. "When definitive information is lacking, conspiracy theories thrive."
Increasingly, extremism trackers say, the threat of unrest isn't just from a radical fringe but from ordinary people who are whipped up by partisan, conspiratorial messages. Already, Trump voters are coalescing by the tens of thousands in Facebook groups associated with the hashtag campaign "Stop the Steal"; one group amassed more than 350,000 members before it was removed for spreading disinformation. The group had called for "boots on the ground to protect the integrity of the vote."
In many cases, right-wing organizers are reactivating the same channels they used over the summer to protest pandemic lockdown orders or to form vigilante groups against the perceived threat of militant leftists. After months of arranging pro-Trump convoys and gathering disparate factions under the "Liberate" or "Reopen" banners, organizers have ready conduits for moving grievances to the streets.
"You can see the same thing happening over and over again," said Melissa Ryan, chief executive of Card Strategies, a consulting firm that tracks disinformation. "They try to create this impression that it's people spontaneously showing up to protest because they're angry, but it's the exact opposite. It's the same folks that show up every time, and it's the same groups giving them directives and messaging."
Most right-wing media outlets are spinning a narrative of rampant irregularities, echoing President Trump's attempts to undermine the integrity of the election. The relentless attacks prompted the beleaguered registrar of Clark County, ground zero for the Nevada count, to announce beefed-up security measures for his staff.
"We will not allow anyone to stop us from doing what our duty is and counting ballots," Clark County Registrar Joe Gloria told a news conference.
Some of the most inflammatory language is coming from the White House and Trump himself. Twitter took the extraordinary measure of adding warning labels to several of the president's tweets. Trump repeatedly has suggested that there's something nefarious about the mundane, laborious process of counting an unprecedented number of mail-in ballots in the middle of a pandemic. His supporters also promoted "Sharpiegate," the debunked claim that Trump voters were given Sharpie markers to fill out their ballots with, the idea being that the heavy ink might invalidate them.
When it comes to fueling unrest, "the bully pulpit is going to be one of the main factors," said Brian Levin, director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino.
"From what we've been seeing, the sustained nature of the invective, particularly when it's coming from the highest transmitter in the land, can result in multiple spikes," Levin said.
The wild card, Levin added, is that 2020 isn't like previous years. This time, a disputed election is unfolding in a polarized nation that's in the throes of a pandemic and a recession. Usually, Levin said, a burst of political violence is triggered by one big event. He's worried that prolonged uncertainty could bring waves of unrest.
"This is a whole different circumstance because usually the catalytic event has a beginning and end time," Levin said. "This is going to go on for some time."
So far, only small street protests have taken place, drawing activists from both the left and the right in several cities. But the worry is that those could spiral once the vote is called. A Trump loss, Levin said, could help reunite the mishmash of his supporters who came together over the summer to fight lockdowns.
"We not only had small-business people and outdoor enthusiasts, as well as anti-vaxxers, but we also had QAnon folks, we also had Second Amendment insurrectionists and even some racists get into this milieu," Levin said.
"When we see groups and movements that have their issues or connections to the mainstream severed or eroded," he warned, "they tend to act more as an insurgency."
In an October report about the risk of domestic terrorism, the Center for Strategic and International Studies concluded that "in the event of a Democratic presidential victory, the threat could involve specific attacks by radicalized white supremacists, militias, and other related individuals."
A roundup of memes and social media posts compiled by MEMRI, a group that monitors extremist messaging, shows hate groups and neo-Nazi commentators promoting racist and anti-Semitic conspiracy theories about the election. In some cases, the posts amount to clear calls for violence.
But analysts emphasized that the threat is no longer confined to the far-right extremist world — it's much closer now.
"I fully anticipate that we're going to see some events in the coming weeks that are going to be troubling and unfortunate. And they're not all going to be committed by individuals that are neo-Nazi skinheads that have dedicated their lives to this," said Michael Jensen, a researcher at the University of Maryland who led a new study on hate crime offenders. "They're going to be committed by seemingly regular folks that have gotten kind of caught up in the madness of the moment around the election."