npr--2020-10-18--Lindsey Graham Warmed To Trump, And Some Republican Voters Feel Left In The Cold

Lindsey Graham Warmed To Trump , And Some Republican Voters Feel Left In The Cold Even the most optimistic Democrats did n't have South Carolina on the list of Republican U.S. Senate seats they seriously thought they could flip at the start of 2020 .
But a little more than two weeks out from Election Day , it 's within reach .
Democrat Jaime Harrison — a 44-year-old former state party chairman , congressional aide and lobbyist — has risen in the polls and is giving three-term incumbent Sen. Lindsey Graham something to worry about this election .
Make no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republican state , and since Graham was first elected in 2002 , he has won easily every time .
What has changed this year is Graham himself , specifically how he 's aligned himself within the Republican Party .
For most of his political life , Graham appealed to the middle , those more moderate South Carolina voters who saw him as someone who could cut through partisan politics .
The best symbol of this was his close friendship with the late Arizona GOP Sen. John McCain .
But now McCain is gone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relationship is with none other than President Trump , who not only clashed with McCain on issues , but also mocked and ridiculed his reputation as a military hero , surviving years of torture as a prisoner of war in Vietnam .
At the start of the 2016 campaign , Trump famously said , `` I like people who were n't captured , okay ? ''
At the time , Graham was running against him for the GOP presidential nomination , sugar coating none of his critiques .
Donald Trump was `` unfit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bigot '' according to Graham back then .
One Harrison TV spot shows clips of Graham from the 2016 campaign , when he seemed appalled by Trump .
Then , the ad cuts to more recent statements where Graham proclaims , `` No , I do n't think he 's a race baiting , xenophobic religious bigot , I like the President .
I am like the happiest dude in America right now . ''
Some South Carolina voters , like real estate agent Melinda Nicholson , are mystified by Graham moving from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his current friendship with Trump .
`` I 'm just not pleased , '' Nicholson says of Graham .
`` It 's like he 's Trump 's minion , and I do n't like that . ''
That opinion comes from a Democrat , but Nicholson quickly explains that she has voted for Graham every time he 's run for Senate .
This year , she says , `` I 'm voting for Jaime Harrison . ''
The incumbent 's vocal defense of Trump prompted Democrats from around the country to make online @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support , Harrison has been able to mount an aggressive media campaign , especially with television ads — some of them biographical , introducing himself to voters , some of them classic attack ads going after Graham .
But he 's also had the money to build a campaign organization , reach out to voters through social media , radio , direct mail and phone calls .
He went from being more than 15 points down early in the year to virtually wiping out Graham 's lead in a series of polls as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Then came the blockbuster news that really put Harrison in the spotlight — a record shattering haul in the third quarter , bringing in $ 57 million dollars , topping the previous single quarter fundraising record in any Senate race ever , set by Beto O'Rourke in Texas during the 2018 midterms .
It 's more money than Harrison — who hopes to be the first African American Democrat elected to the U.S. Senate from a southern state — could even hope to spend in the final weeks of the campaign .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Senator Graham 's attention .
He 's even used appearances on Fox News to urge viewers to contribute dollars , as he did in late September on the conservative cable network : `` Every liberal in the country wants to take me out . ''
He then spells out the address to his website , making the plea very clear .
The incumbent senator spent the past week chairing the Supreme Court confirmation hearings for nominee Amy Coney Barrett , and he even alluded to Harrison 's fundraising success during those proceedings when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` I do n't know what 's going on out there , but I can tell you there 's a lot of money being raised in this campaign , '' he said at one point , speaking to the nominee , and seemingly the whole hearing .
`` I 'd like to know where the hell some of it 's coming from . ''
Early voting in the South Carolina is now underway .
In the Charleston area , people have been casting ballots at the local sports coliseum .
Mike O'Connell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who describes himself as an independent who is conservative .
He voted to reelect Graham , explaining , `` He supports the police , I know that for sure .
Supreme Court , that 's a big issue , and even though I 'm independent , I would prefer that Republicans hold on to the senate . ''
The Supreme Court is a motivator for anti-Graham voters , too .
Four years ago , after the death of Justice Antonin Scalia , Graham said it was right to deny President Obama 's nominee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote because it was an election year .
He said then , and has repeated in recent years , that it was a principle he 'd adhere to even under President Trump .
He broke that pledge by fully backing the nomination currently before the Senate in the final days of the 2020 election .
That broken promise is an issue for voter Brenda Toohey , a 56-year-old nurse practitioner from Mount Pleasant , S.C. She says events of the past four years have made her an even stronger Democrat , `` I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for letting this vote go for Supreme Court and the Supreme Court .
It 's very concerning . ''
The big risk for Graham is that this election alters his usual approach to winning .
He 's always relied on moderate voters — be they Republicans , independents or Democrats .
They famously helped him survive primary challenges over the years from far more conservative Republican hopefuls .
This year , many moderates are upset with him and his closeness to the president .
Charleston attorney Andy Savage , who says his politics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that he regular splits his ballot between Democratic and GOP candidates .
But one constant had been his unwavering support for Graham , as a voter and as a contributor .
`` Financially , we supported him , '' Savage said .
`` You know , all the bumper stickers and all that sort of stuff in politics that you do .
We were all in . ''
Not this year .
`` We were always eyeball to eyeball on the issues , '' he says , then the senator , `` just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And in the process , Savage says , Graham signaled to voters like him that he does n't need them any more .
Now it appears , Graham ca n't spare much of any support .

Lindsey Graham Warmed To Trump, And Some Voters Feel Left In The Cold
Enlarge this image toggle caption Patrick Semansky/AP Patrick Semansky/AP
Even the most optimistic Democrats didn't have South Carolina on the list of Republican U.S. Senate seats they seriously thought they could flip at the start of 2020.
But a little more than two weeks out from Election Day, it's within reach.
Democrat Jaime Harrison — a 44-year-old former South Carolina Democratic Party chairman, congressional aide and lobbyist — has risen in the polls and is giving three-term incumbent Sen. Lindsey Graham something to worry about this election.
Make no doubt: South Carolina remains a solidly Republican state, and since Graham was first elected in 2002, he has won easily every time.
What has changed this year is Graham himself, specifically how he has aligned himself within the Republican Party. For most of his political life, Graham appealed to the middle — those more moderate South Carolina voters who saw him as someone who could cut through partisan politics.
The best symbol of this was his close friendship with the late GOP Sen. John McCain of Arizona.
But now McCain is gone, and Graham's most prominent new relationship is with none other than President Trump, who not only clashed with McCain on issues but also mocked and ridiculed his reputation as a military hero who survived years of torture as a prisoner of war in Vietnam. At the start of the 2016 campaign, Trump famously said, "I like people that weren't captured, OK?"
At the time, Graham was running against him for the GOP presidential nomination, sugarcoating none of his critiques. Donald Trump was "unfit for office" and a "religious bigot," according to Graham back then.
One Harrison TV spot shows clips of Graham from the 2016 campaign, when he seemed appalled by Trump. Then, the ad cuts to more recent statements where Graham proclaims, "No, I don't think he's a race-baiting, xenophobic, religious bigot. I like the president. I am like the happiest dude in America right now."
Some South Carolina voters, like real estate agent Melinda Nicholson, are mystified by Graham moving from such a close friendship with McCain to his current friendship with Trump.
"I'm just not pleased," Nicholson says of Graham. "It's like he's Trump's minion, and I don't like that."
That opinion comes from a Democrat, but Nicholson quickly explains that she has voted for Graham every time he has run for Senate. This year, she says, "I'm voting for Jaime Harrison."
The incumbent's vocal defense of Trump has prompted Democrats from around the U.S. to make online donations to Harrison. With that national support, Harrison has been able to mount an aggressive media campaign, especially with television ads — some of them biographical, introducing himself to voters, and some of them classic attack ads going after Graham.
But he has also had the money to build a campaign organization and reach out to voters through social media, radio, direct mail and phone calls. He went from being more than 15 points down early in the year to virtually wiping out Graham's lead in a series of polls as the campaign reached its final month.
Then came the blockbuster news that really put Harrison in the spotlight — a record-shattering haul in the third quarter, bringing in $57 million and topping the previous single-quarter fundraising record in any Senate race ever, set by Beto O'Rourke in Texas during the 2018 midterms.
It's more money than Harrison — who hopes to be the first African American Democrat elected to the U.S. Senate from a Southern state — could even hope to spend in the final weeks of the campaign.
The surge in gifts to Harrison certainly got Graham's attention. He has even used appearances on Fox News to urge viewers to contribute dollars, as he did in late September on the conservative cable network: "Every liberal in the country wants to take me out." He then spelled out the address to his website, making the plea very clear.
The incumbent senator spent the past week chairing the Supreme Court confirmation hearings for nominee Amy Coney Barrett, and he even alluded to Harrison's fundraising success during those proceedings when the topic of campaign finance came up. "I don't know what's going on out there, but I can tell you there's a lot of money being raised in this campaign," he said at one point, speaking to the nominee and, seemingly, everyone at the whole hearing. "I'd like to know where the hell some of it's coming from."
Early voting in South Carolina is now underway. In the Charleston area, people have been casting ballots at the local sports coliseum.
Mike O'Connell, 54, is a police officer who describes himself as an independent who is conservative. He voted to reelect Graham, explaining, "He supports the police, I know that for sure. Supreme Court, that's a big issue, and even though I'm independent, I would prefer that Republicans hold on to the Senate."
The Supreme Court is a motivator for anti-Graham voters too. Four years ago, after the death of Justice Antonin Scalia, Graham said it was right to deny President Barack Obama's nominee, Judge Merrick Garland, a confirmation vote because it was an election year. He said then, and has repeated in recent years, that it was a principle he'd adhere to even under Trump. He broke that pledge by fully backing the nomination currently before the Senate in the final days of the 2020 election.
That broken promise is an issue for voter Brenda Toohey, a 56-year-old nurse practitioner from Mount Pleasant, S.C. She says events of the past four years have made her an even stronger Democrat. "I think that Lindsey Graham is a hypocrite for letting this vote go for the Supreme Court. It's very concerning."
The big risk for Graham is that this election alters his usual approach to winning. He has always relied on moderate voters — be they Republicans, independents or Democrats. They famously helped him survive primary challenges over the years from far more conservative Republican hopefuls.
This year, many moderates are upset with him and his closeness to the president.
Charleston attorney Andy Savage says that his politics are mostly right in the middle and that he regular splits his ballot between Democratic and Republican candidates.
But one constant had been his unwavering support for Graham, as a voter and as a contributor. "Financially, we supported him," Savage said. "You know, all the bumper stickers and all that sort of stuff in politics that you do. We were all in."
Not this year. "We were always eyeball to eyeball on the issues," he says. Then the senator "just veered off into Never Never Land."
And in the process, Savage says, Graham signaled to voters like him that the senator doesn't need them anymore.
Now, it appears, Graham can't spare much of any support.


npr--2020-10-18--Early Voting Analysis: Historic Turnout Drives Long Lines, Administrative Errors

Early voting turnout continues to shatter records , as sky-high voter enthusiasm meets the realities of the United States ' creaky machinery of democracy amid a pandemic .
That means long lines in some places , administrative errors with some mail ballots , but a system that is working overall according to experts .
`` Despite some of those concerns , things are going at this point , reasonably well , '' said former Deputy Postmaster General Ronald Stroman , speaking specifically about the expansion of voting by mail .
More than 26 million people have voted as of Saturday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Project , a turnout tracking database run by University of Florida political scientist Michael McDonald .
That 's more than six times the number of votes cast by the same point in 2016 .
While there are still more than two weeks to go before Election Day , here are some takeaways from the votes that have already been cast .
Polling data has indicated for months that Democrats intended vote earlier at much higher rates than Republicans , who were reacting to President Trump 's near-constant false claims that voting by mail @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 're now getting evidence from actual voting behavior confirming those polls .
Democrats have cast about 53 % of the early votes , according to predictive analysis by the data firm TargetSmart which uses voter data beyond party registration to project turnout trends , compared to 36 % by Republicans .
The early voters also tend to trend older .
Voters 50 years old or older make up more than 70 % of the votes cast according to the TargetSmart analysis .
Hundreds of thousands more young people have voted at this point @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election , but they still make up a lower share of the overall total than they did then .
Notably , African-American voters make up a larger share of early voters than in 2016 .
More than six times as many African-American voters have voted early than had at the same point in the last presidential election , according to Targetsmart 's analysis .
President Trump 's rhetoric has also affected how confident people feel about the electoral process as Election Day approaches .
Overall , the share of registered voters who say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well this year has dropped significantly over the past two years , from 81 % in October of 2018 to 62 % this year , according to a newly-released Pew Research poll .
That decline is driven by Trump supporters , half of whom now say they do n't think elections will be administered well .
More than half also say they think absentee ballots wo n't be counted correctly .
Those trends worry voting experts , who say confidence in the nuts and bolts of an election 's mechanics are key to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` If significant portions of the public do not have faith that the outcomes of our elections are legitimate , then you quite literally have a divided country , '' said Eddie Perez , an elections expert at the OSET Institute .
`` I do n't mean that rhetorically .
You literally have a divided country where the question of having a peaceful transfer of power really is a concern . ''
As early voting began in states like Georgia and Texas last week , long lines quickly formed at some polling places @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many hours before casting a ballot .
Computer issues played a big role in those delays , according to officials .
In Georgia , Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said the registration database used to check people in for early voting was bogged down by such the high amount of traffic .
`` If you look at the amount of information that 's just flowing , it 's like everyone jumping on I-285 in the morning , and sometimes you have to stagger out the rush hour , '' he said , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fowler .
`` Our vendors have been working on that along with our staff to make sure we 're looking at some other optimizations and we should have that probably done by the end of this week . ''
In Fort Bend County , Texas , a check-in machine glitch shut down at least four precincts there .
`` I , quite frankly , think it 's a form of voter suppression , '' said a voter named Renee told Houston Public Media 's Elizabeth Trovall , after waiting in line to vote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's no way there should be a glitch on the first day of early voting .
No way ...
I 've just never seen anything like this ever . ''
Election officials and experts have warned all summer that some in-person voting locations would probably be plagued by longer lines this fall , as jurisdictions have had to consolidate polling places and recruit more poll workers .
Another factor : social distancing efforts can may make even relatively short lines seem much longer .
But lines have been the exception across the country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there 's also optimism that precincts that have struggled with lines will start to see them ease as early voting continues .
Gwinnett County , Ga. , for instance , was reporting lengthy waits earlier this week at a number of precincts , but by Friday afternoon , the county 's online wait tracker showed no wait longer than 90 minutes .
`` Many people are passionate about participating in this election , '' said Perez .
`` And so it 's appropriate that there 's a lot of bottled up demand for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get their vote in .
The volumes you 're seeing on the very first day of early voting will probably taper off some later in the period . ''
States have rapidly scaled up their vote-by-mail efforts to serve the 40 % of voters who now say they plan to vote that way .
But with an increase in usage , also comes a corresponding increase in administrative errors .
Reports are cropping up seemingly daily of another batch of ballots that went out to voters with some sort of mistake .
Last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ announced that the company in charge of printing and mailing ballots mistakenly sent nearly 29,000 voters the wrong ballots .
Last month , similar clerical issues affected the mail ballots of thousands of voters in Ohio and New York .
`` With a little under three weeks to go , it 's imperative that we ensure that our elections system is one that voters can trust , '' said Allegheny County Elections manager Dave Voye on Wednesday , as WESA 's Lucy Perkins reported .
`` This was a failure on behalf of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our voters . ''
The county added a search function on its website so voters can check whether they were one of those affected , and it will also send all the voters new ballots .
Stroman , the former deputy postmaster general , who is now a senior fellow at the Democracy Fund , said it 's important to remember that in all these instances , officials caught their errors with enough time to fix them .
Officials also have safeguards in place to make sure no one votes twice .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we 're seeing are pretty much the normal mistakes , exacerbated by a global pandemic , '' Stroman said .
President Trump has sought to use these sorts of problems as evidence that the entire system of voting by mail is flawed or fraudulent in some way .
But these sorts of issues happen every election , says Kathleen Hale , an election administration expert at Auburn University , and they are n't the sign of anything nefarious or broken .
`` A significant portion of the process is conducted by human beings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they 're not perfect . ''

Early Voting Analysis: Huge Turnout By Democrats
Enlarge this image toggle caption Brynn Anderson/AP Brynn Anderson/AP
Early voting turnout continues to shatter records, as sky-high voter enthusiasm meets the realities of the United States' creaky machinery of democracy amid a pandemic. That means long lines in some places and administrative errors with some mail ballots, but a system that is working overall, according to experts.
"Despite some of those concerns, things are going at this point reasonably well," said former Deputy Postmaster General Ronald Stroman, speaking specifically about the expansion of voting by mail.
More than 26 million people had voted as of Saturday, according to the U.S. Elections Project, a turnout-tracking database run by University of Florida political scientist Michael McDonald. That's more than six times the number of votes cast by the same point in 2016.
While there are still more than two weeks to go before Election Day, here are some takeaways from the votes that have already been cast.
1. Democrats are coming in force
Polling data have indicated for months that Democrats have intended to vote earlier at much higher rates than Republicans, who were reacting to President Trump's near-constant false claims that voting by mail would lead to widespread fraud.
We're now getting evidence from actual voting behavior that confirms those polls.
Democrats have cast about 53% of the early votes, according to predictive analysis by the data firm TargetSmart, which uses voter data beyond party registration to project turnout trends. That's compared with 36% by Republicans.
The early voters also tend to trend older. Voters 50 or older make up more than 70% of the votes cast, according to the TargetSmart analysis. Hundreds of thousands more young people have voted at this point in October, compared with the 2016 election, but they still make up a lower share of the overall total than they did then.
Notably, African American voters make up a larger share of early voters than in 2016. More than six times as many African American voters have voted early this year than had at the same point in the last presidential election, according to TargetSmart.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Grant Baldwin/AFP via Getty Images Grant Baldwin/AFP via Getty Images
2. Confidence is down
Trump's rhetoric has also affected how confident people feel about the electoral process as Election Day approaches.
Overall, the share of registered voters who say elections in the U.S. will be administered well has dropped significantly over the past two years, from 81% in October 2018 to 62% this year, according to a new Pew Research Center poll.
That decline is driven by Trump supporters, half of whom now say they don't think elections will be administered well. More than half also say they think absentee ballots won't be counted correctly.
Those trends worry voting experts, who say confidence in the nuts and bolts of an election's mechanics is key to results being accepted as legitimate.
"If significant portions of the public do not have faith that the outcomes of our elections are legitimate, then you quite literally have a divided country," said Eddie Perez, an elections expert at the OSET Institute. "I don't mean that rhetorically. You literally have a divided country where the question of having a peaceful transfer of power really is a concern."
Enlarge this image toggle caption Gabriella Audi/AFP via Getty Images Gabriella Audi/AFP via Getty Images
3. Long lines, tech problems in some precincts
As early voting began in states like Georgia and Texas last week, long lines quickly formed at some polling places, with some voters waiting in line for many hours before casting a ballot.
Computer issues played a big role in those delays, according to officials.
In Georgia, Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said the registration database used to check people in for early voting was bogged down by the high amount of traffic.
"If you look at the amount of information that's just flowing, it's like everyone jumping on I-285 in the morning, and sometimes you have to stagger out the rush hour," he said on Wednesday, according to Georgia Public Broadcasting's Stephen Fowler. "Our vendors have been working on that, along with our staff, to make sure we're looking at some other optimizations, and we should have that probably done by the end of this week."
In Fort Bend County, Texas, a check-in machine glitch shut down at least four precincts there.
"I, quite frankly, think it's a form of voter suppression," a voter named Renee told Houston Public Media's Elizabeth Trovall, after waiting in line to vote for nearly four hours. "There's no way there should be a glitch on the first day of early voting. No way. ... I've just never seen anything like this ever."
Election officials and experts have warned all summer that some in-person voting locations would probably be plagued by longer lines this fall, as jurisdictions have had to consolidate polling places and recruit more poll workers.
Another factor: Social distancing efforts may make even relatively short lines seem much longer.
But lines have been the exception across the country overall, not the rule. And there's also optimism that precincts that have struggled with lines will start to see them ease as early voting continues.
Gwinnett County, Ga., for instance, was reporting lengthy waits this past week at a number of precincts, but by Friday afternoon, the county's online wait tracker showed no wait longer than 90 minutes.
"Many people are passionate about participating in this election," said Perez. "And so it's appropriate that there's a lot of bottled-up demand for people to get there right away and get their vote in. The volumes you're seeing on the very first day of early voting will probably taper off some, later in the period."
Enlarge this image toggle caption Joe Raedle/Getty Images Joe Raedle/Getty Images
4. More mail, more problems
States have rapidly scaled up their vote-by-mail efforts to serve the 40% of voters who now say they plan to vote that way.
But with an increase in usage also comes a corresponding increase in administrative errors. Reports are cropping up seemingly daily of another batch of ballots that went out to voters with some sort of mistake.
Last week, Allegheny County, Pa., announced that the company in charge of printing and mailing ballots mistakenly sent nearly 29,000 voters the wrong ballots. Last month, similar clerical issues affected the mail ballots of thousands of voters in Ohio and New York.
"With a little under three weeks to go, it's imperative that we ensure that our elections system is one that voters can trust," said Allegheny County elections manager Dave Voye on Wednesday, as WESA's Lucy Perkins reported. "This was a failure on behalf of our contractor and impacts too many of our voters."
The county added a search function on its website so voters can check whether they were among those affected, and it will also send all the voters new ballots.
Stroman, the former deputy postmaster general who is now a senior fellow at the Democracy Fund, said it's important to remember that in all these instances, officials caught their errors with enough time to fix them. Officials also have safeguards in place to make sure no one votes twice.
"I think, to this point, what we're seeing are pretty much the normal mistakes, exacerbated by a global pandemic," Stroman said.
Trump has sought to use these sorts of problems as evidence that the entire system of voting by mail is flawed or fraudulent in some way.
But these sorts of issues happen every election, says Kathleen Hale, an election administration expert at Auburn University, and they aren't the sign of anything nefarious or broken.
"A significant portion of the process is conducted by human beings," Hale said. "And they're not perfect."


npr--2020-10-18--Emergency Rooms And Health Clinics Become Voter Registration Hubs

This year , there are n't as many large public events with volunteers signing people up to vote in the weeks before the election , due to the pandemic .
But doctors ' offices are stepping in to fill the void , through programs like VotER and Vote Health 2020 , nonpartisan efforts to register patients in free clinics , community centers and emergency rooms .
In Wisconsin , when patients come in to talk weight loss , high blood pressure , or other issues , medical assistant Marshae Love , who works at Progressive Community Health Centers in Milwaukee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about getting registered , often spurred on by the badge that dangles from her neck with information from VotER .
`` So , when I go in the rooms , just having conversation once I 'm checking in the patients , they 'll ask like , 'Hey , what 's that around your neck ? '
So I 'll let them know it 's just a way for them to register to vote . ''
Patients can scan a QR code from the badge with their cell phone , and it takes them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote and even a live person and helpline if the patient gets stuck .
`` Because people are on their phones all the time anyway , it 's just something quick they can do and it 's one more thing they can knock off their to-do list , '' says Love .
Progressive also sends out monthly text messages asking about 9,500 patients to register .
More than 80 % of Progressive 's patients are Black , with a growing population of Hmong and Burmese refugees .
About 90 % of clinic 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tully of Progressive says it 's a population that 's been hit hard by the pandemic .
`` With people having to move in with family members , people having real issues with their financial security , their food security and all that , '' Tully says .
`` So , you can imagine that registering to vote is not high on that list when you have issues of basic shelter , safety and food . ''
There 's a disparity in the registration rates of Black and Latino voters as compared to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country .
To bridge that gap , Dr. Alister Martin , an ER physician at Massachusetts General Hospital , founded VotER , which is being used by more than 300 hospitals nationwide .
Martin 's experience getting health care as a kid was similar to those in low-income communities across the country .
His mom worked two jobs and could n't always make it to a pediatrician .
Sometimes they had good health insurance , sometimes they did n't .
`` What I came to learn from my own experience , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emergency room doctor , was this idea that emergency rooms play a very important role in the lives of folks who are coming from low income communities , '' he says .
`` Yes , they address emergency .
Yes , they address acute medical issues .
But they also address issues that are more to do with the social determinants of health , things like homelessness , access to food , access to good insurance to be able to pay for the medications that you need . ''
He also saw an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ States who are using emergency rooms for health care and those who are not registered to vote .
So , he started thinking about ways to offer voter registration in a way that 's non-partisan and would encourage voter participation among vulnerable groups .
It was also a plus if it could be easy and done while patients wait , he says .
`` Registering to vote in this country is like running an obstacle course , '' says Martin . ''
The rules to register vary widely by state and in some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ information in order to begin the process .
`` He says the first step is just asking people to register .
Martin says health care professionals are in a good place to start the conversation , because the pandemic has made voting a public health issue .
`` Who better then healthcare workers to be able to advise folks on 'look , you know , this is , this is not the sort of the usual way that this works .
And you ought to think about doing taking extra precautions and voting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around . '
'' It 's a nonpartisan program and health care workers help patients figure out how to vote , but not who to vote for .
Another program , called Patient Voting , helps patients who are unexpectedly hospitalized during the days and weeks before the presidential election cast a ballot .
So far , about 40,000 patients have gotten help registering or requesting ballots through VotER .
Vote Health 2020 also says it 's helped thousands nationwide .
John Curiel of MIT 's Election Data and Science Lab says the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ almost certainly pay off with more political participation .
`` If you look at past American historical trends , participation , politics and registration to vote , usually it was done not by going door to door , but rather by going to a central location where everyone was , '' says Curiel .
`` So , in that sense , the hospital idea , that will be one way to get everybody in one place . ''
While hospitals around the country are part of VotER , Curiel notes these efforts have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ North Carolina and Florida .
Curiel says North Carolina counties with participating hospitals at Duke University and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are shaping up to be some of the highest participation areas in the state .
With the 2016 election having come down to about 100,000 votes in swing states—Curiel says any registration or turnout efforts could be the deciding factor in this year 's election .

Emergency Rooms And Health Clinics Become Voter Registration Hubs
Enlarge this image toggle caption Sarah Francois/Progressive Community Heath Centers Sarah Francois/Progressive Community Heath Centers
This year, there aren't as many large public events with volunteers signing people up to vote in the weeks before the election, due to the pandemic.
But doctors' offices are stepping in to fill the void, through programs like VotER and Vote Health 2020, nonpartisan efforts to register patients in free clinics, community centers and emergency rooms.
In Wisconsin, when patients come in to talk weight loss, high blood pressure or other issues, medical assistant Marshae Love, who works at Progressive Community Health Centers in Milwaukee, has also started chatting with them about getting registered, often spurred on by the badge that dangles from her neck with information from VotER.
"So, when I go in the rooms, just having conversation once I'm checking in the patients, they'll ask like, 'Hey, what's that around your neck?' So I'll let them know it's just a way for them to register to vote," Love says.
Patients can scan a QR code from the badge with their cellphone, and it takes them to a website about registering to vote and even a live person and helpline if the patient gets stuck.
"Because people are on their phones all the time anyway, it's just something quick they can do and it's one more thing they can knock off their to-do list," Love says.
Progressive also sends out monthly text messages asking about 9,500 patients to register. More than 80% of Progressive's patients are Black, with a growing population of Hmong and Burmese refugees. About 90% of clinic's patients are also low-income.
Dr. Madelaine Tully of Progressive says it's a population that's been hit hard by the pandemic.
"With people having to move in with family members, people having real issues with their financial security, their food security and all that," Tully says. "So, you can imagine that registering to vote is not high on that list when you have issues of basic shelter, safety and food."
There's a disparity in the registration rates of Black and Latino voters as compared to white voters, in Wisconsin and across the country. To bridge that gap, Dr. Alister Martin, an ER physician at Massachusetts General Hospital, founded VotER, which is being used by more than 300 hospitals nationwide.
Martin's experience getting health care as a kid was similar to those in low-income communities across the country. His mom worked two jobs and couldn't always make it to a pediatrician. Sometimes they had good health insurance, sometimes they didn't.
"What I came to learn from my own experience, which I brought, to me as an emergency room doctor, was this idea that emergency rooms play a very important role in the lives of folks who are coming from low income communities," he says. "Yes, they address emergency. Yes, they address acute medical issues. But they also address issues that are more to do with the social determinants of health, things like homelessness, access to food, access to good insurance to be able to pay for the medications that you need."
He also saw an overlap between the millions in the United States who are using emergency rooms for health care and those who are not registered to vote. So he started thinking about ways to offer voter registration in a way that's nonpartisan and would encourage voter participation among vulnerable groups.
It was also a plus if it could be easy and done while patients wait, he says.
"Registering to vote in this country is like running an obstacle course," Martin says. "The rules to register vary widely by state and in some places require tracking down disparate pieces of information in order to begin the process."
Martin says health care professionals are in a good place to start the conversation, because the pandemic has made voting a public health issue.
"Who better than health care workers to be able to advise folks on, 'Look, you know, this is, this is not the sort of the usual way that this works. And you ought to think about taking extra precautions and voting in a safe way this time around.' "
It's a nonpartisan program and health care workers help patients figure out how to vote, but not who to vote for. Another program, called Patient Voting, helps patients who are unexpectedly hospitalized during the days and weeks before the presidential election cast a ballot.
So far, about 40,000 patients have gotten help registering or requesting ballots through VotER. Vote Health 2020 also says it's helped thousands nationwide.
John Curiel of MIT's Election Data and Science Lab says the programs are a good idea and will almost certainly pay off with more political participation.
"If you look at past American historical trends, participation, politics and registration to vote, usually it was done not by going door to door, but rather by going to a central location where everyone was," says Curiel. "So, in that sense, the hospital idea, that will be one way to get everybody in one place."
While hospitals around the country are part of VotER, Curiel notes these efforts have already been successful in swing states like North Carolina and Florida. Curiel says North Carolina counties with participating hospitals at Duke University and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are shaping up to be some of the highest participation areas in the state.
With the 2016 election having come down to about 100,000 votes in swing states, Curiel says any registration or turnout efforts could be the deciding factor in this year's election.


npr--2020-10-18--Armenia, Azerbaijan Accuse Each Other Of Breaking Latest Cease-Fire Within Minutes

Armenia , Azerbaijan Accuse Each Other Of Breaking Latest Cease-Fire Within Minutes Fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region took another turn on Sunday , with the two countries accusing each other of violating the latest cease-fire just minutes after it took effect .
The tiny region in the South Caucasus has been the site of hundreds of military and civilian deaths , significant property destruction and inflamed tensions since violence broke out between the two countries in late September , intensifying a decades-long conflict .
Nagorno-Karabakh is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan but governed by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state .
A humanitarian cease-fire , brokered by Russia , initially took effect on Oct. 10 and was met almost immediately by allegations of truce violations from both sides : Azerbaijan accused Armenia of trying to attack its petroleum pipelines , while Armenians countered that Azerbaijan was still trying to seize the disputed territory .
Exactly one week later , Armenia and Azerbaijan issued identical statements agreeing to a `` humanitarian truce '' effective Oct. 18 at midnight local time .
They said the decision was based on statements by the presidents of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which make up the OSCE Minsk Group that has worked to resolve the conflict since 1992 .
Both sides say the fresh cease-fire did not last long .
A spokesperson for Armenia 's Defense Ministry tweeted that Azerbaijan had violated the agreement after four minutes by firing artillery shells to the north and rockets to the south .
Azerbaijan 's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that Armenian forces started firing at the Jabrayil region two minutes after the truce was supposed to take effect , and continued its attacks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ committed to the humanitarian ceasefire , however , Azerbaijan reserves its right to take counter measures to protect its civilians and positions , '' the statement said .
Zohrab Mnatsakanyan , Armenia 's minister of foreign affairs , later said that Azerbaijan had launched a `` large scale offensive operation '' starting at 7:20 a.m. '' Ripping up own commitments again puts on show dishonourable corrupt regime practices of Baku , '' he said .
Baku is the capital of Azerbaijan .
The Armenian defense ministry spokesperson also said Baku rejected an attempt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ soldiers from the battlefield , adding , `` apparent reason was Azerbaijan 's planned offensive . ''
In a statement released Sunday , Nagorno-Karabakh 's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that international recognition of the territory is `` the only way to stop the Azerbaijani-Turkish perfidious behaviour that undermines the efforts and authority of international mediators . ''
Turkey has openly backed Azerbaijan and blamed Armenia for the renewed fighting .
Fighting between the two nations has already caused significant damage in Nagorno-Karabakh , also known as the Republic of Artsakh .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blamed `` Azerbaijani aggression '' for damaging several thousand homes and hundreds of cars in the last few weeks .
The ombudsman reported that 36 civilians had been killed , and 115 people wounded , as of Oct. 16 .
And citing Russian news agency Interfax , Reuters reported that the defense ministry of Nagorno-Karabakh announced 37 military deaths on Sunday , bringing its total to 710 since fighting erupted in late September .
According to Azerbaijani officials , an Oct. 16 missile attack by Armenia killed 13 people , including three minors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president , Ilham Aliyev , said afterward that Armenia would be held accountable .
`` Our revenge happens on the battlefield , '' he tweeted .
A spokesperson for the secretary-general of the United Nations condemned the Oct. 16 attack , as well as `` all attacks on populated areas impacted by the conflict , '' in a statement issued Sunday .
The spokesperson said the secretary-general regrets that both sides have ignored repeated calls from the international community to stop fighting , and that both sides are obligated under international humanitarian law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and protect civilians and civilian infrastructure in the conduct of military operations . ''

Armenia, Azerbaijan Accuse Each Other Of Breaking Latest Cease-Fire Within Minutes
Enlarge this image toggle caption Bulent Kilic/AFP via Getty Images Bulent Kilic/AFP via Getty Images
Fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region took another turn on Sunday, with the two countries accusing each other of violating the latest cease-fire just minutes after it took effect.
The tiny region in the South Caucasus has been the site of hundreds of military and civilian deaths, significant property destruction and inflamed tensions since violence broke out between the two countries in late September, intensifying a decades-long conflict.
Nagorno-Karabakh is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan but governed by ethnic Armenians as a de facto independent state.
A humanitarian cease-fire, brokered by Russia, initially took effect on Oct. 10 and was met almost immediately by allegations of truce violations from both sides: Azerbaijan accused Armenia of trying to attack its petroleum pipelines, while Armenians countered that Azerbaijan was still trying to seize the disputed territory.
Exactly one week later, Armenia and Azerbaijan issued identical statements agreeing to a "humanitarian truce" effective Oct. 18 at midnight local time.
They said the decision was based on statements by the presidents of France, Russia and the United States, which make up the OSCE Minsk Group that has worked to resolve the conflict since 1992.
Both sides say the fresh cease-fire did not last long.
A spokesperson for Armenia's Defense Ministry tweeted that Azerbaijan had violated the agreement after four minutes by firing artillery shells to the north and rockets to the south.
Azerbaijan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that Armenian forces started firing at the Jabrayil region two minutes after the truce was supposed to take effect, and continued its attacks throughout the morning.
"Azerbaijan remains committed to the humanitarian ceasefire, however, Azerbaijan reserves its right to take counter measures to protect its civilians and positions," the statement said.
Zohrab Mnatsakanyan, Armenia's minister of foreign affairs, later said that Azerbaijan had launched a "large scale offensive operation" starting at 7:20 a.m.
"Ripping up own commitments again puts on show dishonourable corrupt regime practices of Baku," he said. Baku is the capital of Azerbaijan.
The Armenian defense ministry spokesperson also said Baku rejected an attempt to reach an agreement to retrieve wounded soldiers from the battlefield, adding, "apparent reason was Azerbaijan's planned offensive."
In a statement released Sunday, Nagorno-Karabakh's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that international recognition of the territory is "the only way to stop the Azerbaijani-Turkish perfidious behaviour that undermines the efforts and authority of international mediators."
Turkey has openly backed Azerbaijan and blamed Armenia for the renewed fighting.
Fighting between the two nations has already caused significant damage in Nagorno-Karabakh, also known as the Republic of Artsakh.
The Republic of Artsakh's human rights ombudsman blamed "Azerbaijani aggression" for damaging several thousand homes and hundreds of cars in the last few weeks.
The ombudsman reported that 36 civilians had been killed, and 115 people wounded, as of Oct. 16.
And citing Russian news agency Interfax, Reuters reported that the defense ministry of Nagorno-Karabakh announced 37 military deaths on Sunday, bringing its total to 710 since fighting erupted in late September.
According to Azerbaijani officials, an Oct. 16 missile attack by Armenia killed 13 people, including three minors, and wounded 52.
Azerbaijan's president, Ilham Aliyev, said afterward that Armenia would be held accountable.
"Our revenge happens on the battlefield," he tweeted.
A spokesperson for the secretary-general of the United Nations condemned the Oct. 16 attack, as well as "all attacks on populated areas impacted by the conflict," in a statement issued Sunday.
The spokesperson said the secretary-general regrets that both sides have ignored repeated calls from the international community to stop fighting, and that both sides are obligated under international humanitarian law "to take constant care to spare and protect civilians and civilian infrastructure in the conduct of military operations."


npr--2020-10-18--Black Man Serving Life Sentence For Stealing Hedge Clippers Granted Parole

A Louisiana man serving a life sentence for stealing a pair of hedge clippers in 1997 was paroled on Thursday , after spending more than two decades in prison for his crime .
That act of simple burglary would n't normally lead to a life sentence .
But over the previous two decades , Fair Wayne Bryant had committed four other felonies , including armed robbery of a cab driver , stealing merchandise from a store , forging a check for $ 150 , and stealing property from somebody 's home .
Because Louisiana had a so-called `` habitual offender @ @ @ @ @ @ @ convictions , and because Bryant 's 1979 armed robbery was considered a `` violent '' crime , he was given a life sentence for taking the hedge clippers .
Bryant 's story became a cause célèbre for the perceived unfairness of habitual offender laws — also known colloquially as `` three-strikes laws . ''
Many have derided the laws as racist , including Louisiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Bernette Johnson , who called the state 's law a `` modern manifestation '' of 19th century `` Pig Laws '' designed to re-enslave African @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is Black .
Despite multiple appeals , including Bryant 's failed bid this year to have the Louisiana Supreme Court review his sentence , Bryant remained behind bars — until last week .
In a 3-0 decision , the state 's parole board granted the 63-year-old Bryant his freedom .
`` Mr. Bryant was given a second chance today , '' Robert Lancaster , a lawyer who represented Bryant at his parole hearing , told The New York Times .
`` His life sentence , a result of an oppressive habitual sentencing scheme @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pecuniary crimes to fuel an untreated drug addiction .
He was sentenced to a life in prison instead of given the help he needed . ''
During the online parole hearing Thursday , the parole committee focused at length on Bryant 's extensive arrest record , and said Bryant would likely have stolen more items in 1997 had the homeowner not chased him away .
They also discussed his history of alcohol and cocaine use .
`` I had a drug problem , '' Bryant told them , according to The Associated Press @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years to recognize that problem and to be in constant communication with the Lord to help me with that problem . ''
As conditions of his release , Bryant will have to attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings , observe a 9 p.m. curfew , and do community service .
As part of a comprehensive criminal justice reform package in 2017 , the Louisiana state legislature modified its habitual offender law to reduce some of the mandatory sentences to bring them in line with similar laws in other states .
And in 2019 , Gov @ @ @ @ @ @ @ law that would make it harder for prosecutors to seek longer sentences because of previous crimes .
The American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana has called for the state to go further .
`` It is imperative that the Legislature repeal the habitual offender law that allows for these unfair sentences , and for district attorneys across the state to immediately stop seeking extreme penalties for minor offenses , '' said Alanah Odoms , ACLU of Louisiana executive director .
The Louisiana Parole Project , which worked on the case , has set @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They say donations will go toward his driving school , clothing , personal items , `` and other immediate needs that help to ensure that his transition back into society is a successful one . ''

Black Man Serving Life Sentence For Stealing Hedge Clippers Granted Parole
Enlarge this image toggle caption Bill Haber/AP Bill Haber/AP
A Louisiana man serving a life sentence for stealing a pair of hedge clippers in 1997 was paroled on Thursday, after spending more than two decades in prison for his crime.
That act of simple burglary wouldn't normally lead to a life sentence. But over the previous two decades, Fair Wayne Bryant had committed four other felonies, including armed robbery of a cab driver, stealing merchandise from a store, forging a check for $150, and stealing property from somebody's home.
Because Louisiana had a so-called "habitual offender" law for people with multiple felony convictions, and because Bryant's 1979 armed robbery was considered a "violent" crime, he was given a life sentence for taking the hedge clippers.
Bryant's story became a cause célèbre for the perceived unfairness of habitual offender laws — also known colloquially as "three-strikes laws." Many have derided the laws as racist, including Louisiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Bernette Johnson, who called the state's law a "modern manifestation" of 19th century "Pig Laws" designed to re-enslave African Americans for committing minor crimes. Bryant is Black.
Despite multiple appeals, including Bryant's failed bid this year to have the Louisiana Supreme Court review his sentence, Bryant remained behind bars — until last week. In a 3-0 decision, the state's parole board granted the 63-year-old Bryant his freedom.
"Mr. Bryant was given a second chance today," Robert Lancaster, a lawyer who represented Bryant at his parole hearing, told The New York Times. "His life sentence, a result of an oppressive habitual sentencing scheme, came after a series of minor pecuniary crimes to fuel an untreated drug addiction. He was sentenced to a life in prison instead of given the help he needed."
During the online parole hearing Thursday, the parole committee focused at length on Bryant's extensive arrest record, and said Bryant would likely have stolen more items in 1997 had the homeowner not chased him away. They also discussed his history of alcohol and cocaine use.
"I had a drug problem," Bryant told them, according to The Associated Press. "But I've had 24 years to recognize that problem and to be in constant communication with the Lord to help me with that problem."
As conditions of his release, Bryant will have to attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, observe a 9 p.m. curfew, and do community service.
As part of a comprehensive criminal justice reform package in 2017, the Louisiana state legislature modified its habitual offender law to reduce some of the mandatory sentences to bring them in line with similar laws in other states. And in 2019, Gov. John Bel Edwards approved a new law that would make it harder for prosecutors to seek longer sentences because of previous crimes.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana has called for the state to go further. "It is imperative that the Legislature repeal the habitual offender law that allows for these unfair sentences, and for district attorneys across the state to immediately stop seeking extreme penalties for minor offenses," said Alanah Odoms, ACLU of Louisiana executive director.
The Louisiana Parole Project, which worked on the case, has set up a GoFundMe page for Bryant. They say donations will go toward his driving school, clothing, personal items, "and other immediate needs that help to ensure that his transition back into society is a successful one."


npr--2020-10-18--TikTok Tightens Crackdown On QAnon, Will Ban Accounts That Promote Disinformation

TikTok Tightens Crackdown On QAnon , Will Ban Accounts That Promote Disinformation TikTok is toughening its stance against the QAnon conspiracy theory , expanding its ban to all content or accounts that promote videos advancing baseless ideas from the far-right online movement .
The action hardens the video-sharing app 's previous enforcement against QAnon that targeted specific hashtags on the app that QAnon supporters have used to spread unfounded theories .
Now , users that share QAnon-related content on TikTok will have their accounts deleted from the app .
`` Content and accounts that promote QAnon violate our disinformation policy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' a TikTok spokesperson said in a statement to NPR .
`` We 've also taken significant steps to make this content harder to find across search and hashtags by redirecting associated terms to our Community Guidelines . ''
TikTok 's sweeping action against QAnon comes just as Facebook , Twitter , YouTube and other technology giants have announced bans on content from the Trump-supporting conspiracy theory .
QAnon started in October 2017 and has amassed an enormous following online thanks largely to social media companies .
`` There should be recognition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ significant , even if it 's long overdue , '' said Angelo Carusone , president of the liberal nonprofit watchdog group Media Matters for America .
`` TikTok is recognizing that by the nature of the QAnon movement , you ca n't just get rid of their communities , the content itself is the problem . ''
Earlier this month , Media Matters identified more than a dozen hashtags TikTokkers used to spread QAnon conspiracy theories about President Trump 's positive coronavirus test , false beliefs about Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` We 're talking about hundreds of millions of video views just for a limited segment of QAnon communities that we identified , '' Carusone said .
TikTok , which has 100 million monthly active users in the U.S. , made its expanded ban against QAnon quietly in a statement to Media Matters , where it garnered little attention .
A TikTok spokesperson confirmed the policy to NPR on Saturday .
Hany Farid , a UC Berkeley computer science professor who is a member of TikTok 's committee of outside content moderation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social networks over how to respond to misinformation without also amplifying the underlying theories .
`` When you ban it , you give it credibility .
You give it attention , '' Farid told NPR .
`` But the movement got big enough and dangerous enough that people were looking at the landscape and saying , 'Yeah , this is completely out of control , ' `` he said .
`` Were they slow to do it ?
Probably .
But platforms get criticized when they act too quickly .
So there is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a mix of artificial intelligence and thousands of human content moderators to try to curb troubling content .
The Chinese-owned app is best-known for viral dance challenges and comedic performances .
According to TikTok 's Community Guidelines , misinformation that `` causes harm to individuals , our community or the larger public '' is prohibited on the site , including medical misinformation , which QAnon has engaged in by pushing false notions about the deadly coronavirus .
Carusone of Media Matters said misinformation accounts on TikTok have been clever about avoiding detection by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hashtags that are written slightly in code , among other strategies to evade efforts to curb the content .
`` The test of this policy will be how much it affects the creation and germination of new QAnon content on TikTok , '' Carusone said .
`` If you know your video is going to be eliminated before it has a chance to spread , you 're less likely to spend time polluting the TikTok pool . ''
The future of TikTok in the U.S. remains uncertain .
A federal judge last month @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shut down the app .
But a separate order from the White House for TikTok to divest from its Beijing owner or cease operations remains in place , with a deadline of Nov. 12 for TikTok to find an American buyer or close down its U.S. operations .
Trump officials cite national security concerns with TikTok 's China-based corporate owner , ByteDance , but TikTok has long dismissed the effort as an crusade to score political points .
The company says U.S. user data is controlled by an American-led team and that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the data .

TikTok Tightens Crackdown On QAnon, Will Ban Accounts That Promote Disinformation
Enlarge this image toggle caption Kiichiro Sato/AP Kiichiro Sato/AP
Updated 10:14 p.m. Monday ET
TikTok is toughening its stance against the QAnon conspiracy theory, expanding its ban to all content or accounts that promote videos advancing baseless ideas from the far-right online movement.
The action hardens the video-sharing app's previous enforcement against QAnon that targeted specific hashtags on the app that QAnon supporters have used to spread unfounded theories. Now, users that share QAnon-related content on TikTok will have their accounts deleted from the app.
"Content and accounts that promote QAnon violate our disinformation policy and we remove them from our platform," a TikTok spokesperson said in a statement to NPR. "We've also taken significant steps to make this content harder to find across search and hashtags by redirecting associated terms to our Community Guidelines."
TikTok's sweeping action against QAnon comes just as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other technology giants have announced bans on content from the Trump-supporting conspiracy theory. QAnon started in October 2017 and has amassed an enormous following online thanks largely to social media companies.
"There should be recognition of a thing that is good and significant, even if it's long overdue," said Angelo Carusone, president of the liberal nonprofit watchdog group Media Matters for America. "TikTok is recognizing that by the nature of the QAnon movement, you can't just get rid of their communities, the content itself is the problem."
Technology Troll Watch: How Tech Is Cracking Down On Election Disinformation Troll Watch: How Tech Is Cracking Down On Election Disinformation Listen · 7:59 7:59
Earlier this month, Media Matters identified more than a dozen hashtags TikTokkers used to spread QAnon conspiracy theories about President Trump's positive coronavirus test, false beliefs about Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and videos questioning the reality of the pandemic.
"We're talking about hundreds of millions of video views just for a limited segment of QAnon communities that we identified," Carusone said.
TikTok, which has 100 million monthly active users in the U.S., made its expanded ban against QAnon quietly in a statement to Media Matters, where it garnered little attention. A TikTok spokesperson confirmed the policy to NPR on Saturday. A company official said it has been TikTok's internal policy since August.
Hany Farid, a UC Berkeley computer science professor who is a member of TikTok's committee of outside content moderation experts, said there is tension within social networks over how to respond to misinformation without also amplifying the underlying theories.
"When you ban it, you give it credibility. You give it attention," Farid told NPR.
"But the movement got big enough and dangerous enough that people were looking at the landscape and saying, 'Yeah, this is completely out of control,' " he said. "Were they slow to do it? Probably. But platforms get criticized when they act too quickly. So there is a dilemma there."
TikTok uses a mix of artificial intelligence and thousands of human content moderators to try to curb troubling content. The Chinese-owned app is best-known for viral dance challenges and comedic performances.
According to TikTok's Community Guidelines, misinformation that "causes harm to individuals, our community or the larger public" is prohibited on the site, including medical misinformation, which QAnon has engaged in by pushing false notions about the deadly coronavirus.
Carusone of Media Matters said misinformation accounts on TikTok have been clever about avoiding detection by hijacking otherwise-benign hashtags, or creating new hashtags that are written slightly in code, among other strategies to evade efforts to curb the content.
"The test of this policy will be how much it affects the creation and germination of new QAnon content on TikTok," Carusone said. "If you know your video is going to be eliminated before it has a chance to spread, you're less likely to spend time polluting the TikTok pool."
The future of TikTok in the U.S. remains uncertain. A federal judge last month temporarily halted a Trump administration attempt to shut down the app. But a separate order from the White House for TikTok to divest from its Beijing owner or cease operations remains in place, with a deadline of Nov. 12 for TikTok to find an American buyer or close down its U.S. operations.
Trump officials cite national security concerns with TikTok's China-based corporate owner, ByteDance, but TikTok has long dismissed the effort as an crusade to score political points. The company says U.S. user data is controlled by an American-led team and that the Chinese government has never requested access to the data.


npr--2020-10-18--After Brutal Beheading, Rallies Erupt Across France To Honor Slain Teacher

After Brutal Beheading , Rallies Erupt Across France To Honor Slain Teacher Crowds gathered throughout France on Sunday to pay tribute to Samuel Paty , the 47-year-old history teacher who was beheaded after he reportedly showed cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad during a civics lesson .
Rallies formed in cities including Paris , Lyon , Nantes , Toulouse , Strasbourg , Marseille and Bordeaux .
Thousands convened in Paris ' Place de la République , which Huffington Post France reported was filled at times with the sounds of applause , the French national anthem and a solemn minute of silence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ carried signs reading `` I am Samuel '' and `` I am a teacher , '' according to the BBC .
France is reeling from the killing , which took place in the Paris suburb of Conflans-Sainte-Honorine on Friday .
According to police , an 18-year-old Chechen refugee attacked Paty near the school and cut his throat , before posting a graphic claim of responsibility on social media .
Police fatally shot the attacker after he acted threateningly and did not respond to commands to disarm , authorities said .
Shortly after , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an Islamist terrorist attack '' and said the teacher was targeted because he `` taught freedom of expression . ''
Jean-François Ricard , France 's anti-terrorism prosecutor , said Paty had received death threats after he allegedly showed caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad during a class about freedom of speech .
The Muslim faith prohibits depictions of the Prophet Muhammad .
The BBC reported that Paty advised Muslim students in the class to look away if they anticipated being offended .
Paty 's lesson prompted some angry reactions , with one parent accusing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ naked , the BBC said .
That parent lodged a formal complaint and called on people to protest at the school .
The lesson was related to the ongoing trial over the 2015 attack at the Paris offices of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo , which came under fire for its caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad .
Islamist extremists killed 12 people , and 14 defendants stand accused of giving the gunmen logistical support .
And late last month , after the trial had begun , two people were wounded in an attack near @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investigated as a possible terrorist act .
Ricard 's office said on Friday that a terror investigation had been opened and authorities had arrested nine suspects , including several members of the attacker 's family .
The number of people detained rose to 11 on Sunday , according to Reuters .
Political and religious leaders in France have expressed outrage at the killing and called for solidarity .
French education minister Jean-Michel Blanquer on Saturday stressed the need for unity within the education community and more generally , urging French people to show @ @ @ @ @ @ @ equality and fraternity .
`` Secularism is key , it allows us to have differences , to believe or not to believe , and to respect each other , '' Blanquer said .
`` And today it is clear to everyone that it is this that has been attacked . ''
Marlène Schiappa , France 's junior minister for citizenship , condemned the attack in a series of tweets and said she would attend Sunday 's demonstration `` in support of teachers , secularism , freedom of expression and against Islamism . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to France 24 , and spoke of being shocked and saddened by the killing .
`` As a kindergarten teacher , I came here to defend my mission to educate , to sharpen the critical thinking skills of my pupils , '' said one .
`` This makes me want to teach even more .
There will be a before and after this horrible event . ''
Another protester told the network that people had gathered `` to simply be together . ''
French Prime Minister Jean Castex and Paris Mayor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ demonstrators in Paris on Sunday .
Both shared messages of strength and support on social media .
`` You will not divide us , '' Castex tweeted alongside a video of crowds singing the national anthem .
`` We are France ! ''
Outrage and sympathy have also poured in from outside of the country .
The secretary general of the 57-nation Organization of Islamic Cooperation condemned the attack on Sunday , reiterating that it rejects `` all forms of extremism , radicalization and terrorism for any reason or motive . ''
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Saturday night , President Trump expressed his condolences to Macron for what he called a `` vicious , vicious Islamic terrorist attack . ''
Reuters reports a national tribute to Paty will be held in France on Wednesday .

After Brutal Beheading, Rallies Erupt Across France To Honor Slain Teacher
Enlarge this image toggle caption Bertrand Guay/AFP via Getty Images Bertrand Guay/AFP via Getty Images
Crowds gathered throughout France on Sunday to pay tribute to Samuel Paty, the 47-year-old history teacher who was beheaded after he reportedly showed cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad during a civics lesson.
Rallies formed in cities, including Paris, Lyon, Nantes, Toulouse, Strasbourg, Marseille and Bordeaux. Thousands convened in Paris' Place de la République, which Huffington Post France reported was filled at times with the sounds of applause, the French national anthem and a solemn minute of silence.
Attendees at demonstrations across the country carried signs reading "I am Samuel" and "I am a teacher," according to the BBC.
France is reeling from the killing, which took place Friday in the Paris suburb of Conflans-Sainte-Honorine.
According to police, an 18-year-old Chechen refugee attacked Paty near the school and cut his throat before posting a graphic claim of responsibility on social media. Police fatally shot the attacker after he acted threateningly and did not respond to commands to disarm, authorities said.
Shortly afterward, President Emmanuel Macron characterized it as "an Islamist terrorist attack" and said the teacher was targeted because he "taught freedom of expression."
Jean-François Ricard, France's anti-terrorism prosecutor, said Paty had received death threats after he allegedly showed caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad during a class about freedom of speech.
The Muslim faith prohibits depictions of Muhammad. The BBC reported that Paty advised Muslim students in the class to look away if they anticipated being offended.
Paty's lesson prompted some angry reactions, with one parent accusing the teacher of showing depictions of the prophet naked, the BBC said. That parent lodged a formal complaint and called on people to protest at the school.
The lesson was related to the ongoing trial over the 2015 attack at the Paris offices of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, which came under fire for its caricatures of Muhammad. Islamist extremists killed 12 people, and 14 defendants stand accused of giving the gunmen logistical support.
And late last month, after the trial had begun, two people were wounded in an attack near the magazine's former offices that authorities investigated as a possible terrorist act.
Ricard's office said Friday that a terror investigation had been opened and authorities had arrested nine suspects, including several members of the attacker's family. The number of people detained rose to 11 on Sunday, according to Reuters.
Political and religious leaders in France have expressed outrage at the killing and called for solidarity.
French Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer on Saturday stressed the need for unity within the education community and more generally, urging French people to show pride in their values of liberty, equality and fraternity.
"Secularism is key, it allows us to have differences, to believe or not to believe, and to respect each other," Blanquer said. "And today it is clear to everyone that it is this that has been attacked."
Marlène Schiappa, France's junior minister for citizenship, condemned the attack in a series of tweets and said she would attend Sunday's demonstration "in support of teachers, secularism, freedom of expression and against Islamism."
Many of the attendees were teachers themselves, according to France 24, and spoke of being shocked and saddened by the killing.
"As a kindergarten teacher, I came here to defend my mission to educate, to sharpen the critical thinking skills of my pupils," one instructor said. "This makes me want to teach even more. There will be a before and after this horrible event."
Another protester told the network that people had gathered "to simply be together."
French Prime Minister Jean Castex and Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo were among the thousands of demonstrators Sunday in the French capital. Both shared messages of strength and support on social media.
"You will not divide us," Castex tweeted alongside a video of crowds singing the national anthem. "We are France!"
Outrage and sympathy have also poured in from outside the country.
The secretary general of the 57-nation Organization of Islamic Cooperation condemned the attack on Sunday, reiterating that it rejects "all forms of extremism, radicalization and terrorism for any reason or motive."
And during a campaign rally Saturday night in Wisconsin, President Trump expressed his condolences to Macron for what he called a "vicious, vicious Islamic terrorist attack."
Reuters reported a national tribute to Paty will be held Wednesday in France.


npr--2020-10-18--Biden Campaign Warns Supporters: 'Donald Trump Can Still Win This Race'

Biden Campaign Warns Supporters : 'Donald Trump Can Still Win This Race' Joe Biden 's campaign is urging its supporters not to become complacent in the final weeks of the presidential race , even as polling suggests the former vice president remains ahead of President Trump in several key swing states .
`` The very searing truth is that Donald Trump can still win this race , and every indication we have shows that this thing is going to come down to the wire , '' Biden campaign manager Jen O'Malley Dillon wrote in a memo to supporters on Saturday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ race is far closer than some of the punditry we 're seeing on Twitter and on TV would suggest , '' O'Malley Dillon wrote .
`` In the key battleground states where this election will be decided , we remain neck and neck with Donald Trump . ''
Campaigns often have motivation to keep backers invested in the race .
But in fact it is polling — in addition to some punditry — that finds Biden leading .
In the latest NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll , published Thursday , Biden leads Trump 54 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And the Democratic nominee is ahead by several percentage points in critical states like Pennsylvania , Michigan and Wisconsin , according to Real Clear Politics polling averages — with smaller margins in places like Florida and North Carolina .
Biden campaigned in Durham , N.C. , on Sunday , urging supporters gathered at a drive-in event to vote and noting that the state 's early voting period began Thursday .
Trump , meanwhile , has had a busy weekend of campaigning .
He made stops in Michigan and Wisconsin Saturday , before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Las Vegas Sunday morning , and then holds a rally in Carson City , Nev. , on Sunday evening .
On Monday he heads to Arizona .
In her memo , O'Malley Dillon referenced 2016 , when Trump won the Electoral College ( despite losing the popular vote ) , though polls had Hillary Clinton as the favorite .
`` If we learned anything from 2016 , it 's that we can not underestimate Donald Trump or his ability to claw his way back into contention in the final days of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ noted a recent injection of millions of dollars to pro-Trump super PACs , saying they could `` very easily erase our financial advantage with the stroke of a pen . ''
She was likely referring to the $ 75 million cash infusion to Preserve America PAC by casino magnate and billionaire Sheldon Adelson and his wife , Miriam .
Although Trump began his reelection campaign with a big financial advantage , Biden and his allies have raked in record-breaking hauls each month since the summer .
Last week , Biden 's campaign announced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ raised $ 383 million in September alone .
His campaign says it currently has $ 432 million on hand and has been outspending Trump by $ 240 million on TV ads in six key states .
In the memo , O'Malley Dillon said the campaign is projecting to raise another $ 234 million before Nov. 3 .
She wrote that the campaign is investing over $ 100 million in on-the-ground organizing , with nearly 3,500 staff in key states .
The Biden operation had eschewed in-person canvasing for months , due to concerns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decision early this month .

Biden Campaign Warns Supporters: 'Donald Trump Can Still Win This Race'
Enlarge this image toggle caption Carolyn Kaster/AP Carolyn Kaster/AP
Joe Biden's campaign is urging its supporters not to become complacent in the final weeks of the presidential race, even as polling suggests the former vice president remains ahead of President Trump in several key swing states.
"The very searing truth is that Donald Trump can still win this race, and every indication we have shows that this thing is going to come down to the wire," Biden campaign manager Jen O'Malley Dillon wrote in a memo to supporters on Saturday.
"The reality is that this race is far closer than some of the punditry we're seeing on Twitter and on TV would suggest," O'Malley Dillon wrote. "In the key battleground states where this election will be decided, we remain neck and neck with Donald Trump."
Campaigns often have motivation to keep backers invested in the race. But in fact it is polling — in addition to some punditry — that finds Biden leading.
In the latest NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll, published Thursday, Biden leads Trump 54% to 43% nationally among likely voters.
And the Democratic nominee is ahead by several percentage points in critical states like Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, according to Real Clear Politics polling averages — with smaller margins in places like Florida and North Carolina.
Biden campaigned in Durham, N.C., on Sunday, urging supporters gathered at a drive-in event to vote and noting that the state's early voting period began Thursday.
toggle caption Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images
Trump, meanwhile, has had a busy weekend of campaigning. He made stops in Michigan and Wisconsin Saturday, before heading west. He visited a church in Las Vegas Sunday morning, and then holds a rally in Carson City, Nev., on Sunday evening. On Monday he heads to Arizona.
In her memo, O'Malley Dillon referenced 2016, when Trump won the Electoral College (despite losing the popular vote), though polls had Hillary Clinton as the favorite.
"If we learned anything from 2016, it's that we cannot underestimate Donald Trump or his ability to claw his way back into contention in the final days of a campaign," she wrote.
She noted a recent injection of millions of dollars to pro-Trump super PACs, saying they could "very easily erase our financial advantage with the stroke of a pen."
She was likely referring to the $75 million cash infusion to Preserve America PAC by casino magnate and billionaire Sheldon Adelson and his wife, Miriam.
Although Trump began his reelection campaign with a big financial advantage, Biden and his allies have raked in record-breaking hauls each month since the summer.
Last week, Biden's campaign announced that along with allied Democratic groups it raised $383 million in September alone.
His campaign says it currently has $432 million on hand and has been outspending Trump by $240 million on TV ads in six key states.
In the memo, O'Malley Dillon said the campaign is projecting to raise another $234 million before Nov. 3.
She wrote that the campaign is investing over $100 million in on-the-ground organizing, with nearly 3,500 staff in key states.
The Biden operation had eschewed in-person canvasing for months, due to concerns about the pandemic, before reversing its decision early this month.


npr--2020-10-18--Iowa Derecho This August Was Most Costly Thunderstorm Event In Modern U.S. History

Iowa Derecho This August Was Most Costly Thunderstorm Event In Modern U.S. History The powerful derecho that swept through the Midwest in August , focusing its destruction on central Iowa , is officially the most costly thunderstorm event in recorded U.S. history .
According to figures released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration , the sustained line of thunderstorms that traveled 770 miles from South Dakota through Ohio in 14 hours , has cost $ 7.5 billion and counting .
Millions of acres of corn and soybean crops were flattened , as were numerous homes , businesses and vehicles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Thousands filed for unemployment insurance , and some residents still have not been able to return to their homes , more than two months later .
A derecho is a bruising , fast-moving windstorm that is associated with intense thunderstorms .
The derecho that struck in August brought sustained and widespread winds over 100 mph , and easily cracked the top five list of most expensive weather events in the U.S. this year , surpassing even the damage cost caused by most hurricanes and tornadoes .
Only Hurricane Laura , with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ caused more financial ruin .
`` One could make a strong case that this is the most destructive individual thunderstorm cluster on record in terms of damage cost , '' Steve Bowen , head of catastrophe insight at the insurance broker Aon , told the Washington Post .
`` I do n't think most of the country truly realizes how severe the event ended up being . ''
The thunderstorm system formed in eastern Nebraska and southern South Dakota during the early morning hours of Aug. 10 , before tearing a path through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ripped out trees , damaged structures , and cut power to half a million people .
According to NOAA , an estimated 90 % of structures in Cedar Rapids were damaged by the storm , and more than 1,000 homes were destroyed .
The storm also impacted Illinois , Ohio , Minnesota and Indiana .
Four people were killed , three of them Iowans .
Within weeks of the storms , thousands of Iowans — mostly workers impacted by the derecho — filed for unemployment benefits .
And Iowa Gov .
Kim Reynolds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aid to help the state 's agricultural industry .
All told , the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that 850,000 crop acres were lost — 50 % more than originally estimated .
The fact that the storm hit in August made the cost even greater , Allan Curtis , a meteorologist for the National Weather Service of Des Moines , told the Des Moines Register .
Since crops had already been growing for months at that point , they were tall enough to be caught in the wind path .
`` They would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ damage closer to the ground , '' Curtis said .
`` If you were looking to exert the most damage on corn crops when it comes to thunderstorms and heavy winds , when the derecho rolled through in August , it was the perfect time to do it . ''
Even today , some displaced Iowans are stilling feeling the effects of the storm .
Local businesses have been collecting furniture to donate to victims in Cedar Rapids , where some still have n't returned to their homes .
The Lutheran Church of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ filled four semi-trucks with furniture that they have stormed in '' We 've all seen the destruction , '' church official Dave Schwartz told KCCI Des Moines .
`` We 're called to help our fellow man .
And when we see someone who 's really taken a hit , who 's really down , we need to step up . ''

Iowa Derecho This August Was Most Costly Thunderstorm Event In Modern U.S. History
Enlarge this image toggle caption David Pitt/AP David Pitt/AP
The powerful derecho that swept through the Midwest in August, focusing its destruction on central Iowa, is officially the most costly thunderstorm event in recorded U.S. history.
According to figures released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the sustained line of thunderstorms that traveled 770 miles from South Dakota through Ohio in 14 hours, has cost $7.5 billion and counting. Millions of acres of corn and soybean crops were flattened, as were numerous homes, businesses and vehicles, especially in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Thousands filed for unemployment insurance, and some residents still have not been able to return to their homes, more than two months later.
A derecho is a bruising, fast-moving windstorm that is associated with intense thunderstorms. The derecho that struck in August brought sustained and widespread winds over 100 mph, and easily cracked the top five list of most expensive weather events in the U.S. this year, surpassing even the damage cost caused by most hurricanes and tornadoes. Only Hurricane Laura, with a price tag of $14 billion, caused more financial ruin.
"One could make a strong case that this is the most destructive individual thunderstorm cluster on record in terms of damage cost," Steve Bowen, head of catastrophe insight at the insurance broker Aon, told the Washington Post. "I don't think most of the country truly realizes how severe the event ended up being."
The thunderstorm system formed in eastern Nebraska and southern South Dakota during the early morning hours of Aug. 10, before tearing a path through central Iowa later that morning. It ripped out trees, damaged structures, and cut power to half a million people.
According to NOAA, an estimated 90% of structures in Cedar Rapids were damaged by the storm, and more than 1,000 homes were destroyed. The storm also impacted Illinois, Ohio, Minnesota and Indiana. Four people were killed, three of them Iowans.
Within weeks of the storms, thousands of Iowans — mostly workers impacted by the derecho — filed for unemployment benefits. And Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds requested nearly $4 billion in federal aid to help the state's agricultural industry. All told, the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that 850,000 crop acres were lost — 50% more than originally estimated.
The fact that the storm hit in August made the cost even greater, Allan Curtis, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service of Des Moines, told the Des Moines Register. Since crops had already been growing for months at that point, they were tall enough to be caught in the wind path.
"They would have been much more resistant to wind damage closer to the ground," Curtis said. "If you were looking to exert the most damage on corn crops when it comes to thunderstorms and heavy winds, when the derecho rolled through in August, it was the perfect time to do it."
Even today, some displaced Iowans are stilling feeling the effects of the storm. Local businesses have been collecting furniture to donate to victims in Cedar Rapids, where some still haven't returned to their homes. The Lutheran Church of Hope, working with local companies, filled four semi-trucks with furniture donations.
"We've all seen the destruction," church official Dave Schwartz told KCCI Des Moines. "We're called to help our fellow man. And when we see someone who's really taken a hit, who's really down, we need to step up."


npr--2020-10-18--Michigan Gov. Whitmer Says Trump Incites Domestic Terrorism

Michigan Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer , who the FBI says was targeted in a foiled kidnapping plot , on Sunday accused President Trump of fanning the flames of domestic terrorism when he did n't put a stop to chants of `` lock her up ! ''
that erupted the day before during a rally in her home state .
`` It 's incredibly disturbing that the president of the United States , 10 days after a plot to kidnap , put me on trial and execute me — 10 days after that was uncovered — the president is at it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this kind of domestic terrorism , '' she said on NBC 's Meet the Press .
During his rally in Muskegon , Mich. , on Saturday , Trump blamed Whitmer for imposing what he sees as too severe restrictions on the state during the coronavirus pandemic .
That led to a chorus of `` lock her up ! ''
chants .
And instead of condemning the chants , Trump seemed to egg on his supporters , smiling and saying , `` You got to get your governor to open up your state , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
A number of members or associates of the militia group Wolverine Watchmen face an array of state and federal charges for allegedly plotting to kidnap Whitmer .
`` It 's got to end .
It is dangerous not just for me and my family but for public servants everywhere who are doing their jobs and trying to protect their fellow Americans , '' the Democrat Whitmer said , urging people on both sides of the aisle to `` call this out and bring the heat down . ''
But Trump 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , dismissed the rally 's chants as part of the `` fun '' setting .
`` He was n't doing anything , I do n't think , to provoke people to threaten this woman at all , '' she told CNN 's State of the Union on Sunday .
`` It 's a fun , light atmosphere .
Of course he was n't encouraging people to threaten this woman — that 's ridiculous . ''
Senior Trump campaign adviser Jason Miller told Fox News Sunday that Trump did n't regret the chant that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the crowd was frustrated by Whitmer 's restrictions for the state .
`` I 'm glad that President Trump 's [ Department of Justice ] was able to get these psychopaths and put them away , '' Miller said , `` but the fact of the matter is , people in Michigan want to get their state opened back up . ''
Trump supporters frequently chanted `` lock her up ! ''
about his 2016 Democratic presidential opponent , Hillary Clinton .

Michigan Gov. Whitmer Says Trump Incites Domestic Terrorism
Enlarge this image toggle caption Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who the FBI says was targeted in a foiled kidnapping plot, on Sunday accused President Trump of fanning the flames of domestic terrorism when he didn't put a stop to chants of "lock her up!" that erupted the day before during a rally in her home state.
"It's incredibly disturbing that the president of the United States, 10 days after a plot to kidnap, put me on trial and execute me — 10 days after that was uncovered — the president is at it again and inspiring and incentivizing and inciting this kind of domestic terrorism," she said on NBC's Meet the Press.
During his rally in Muskegon, Mich., on Saturday, Trump blamed Whitmer for imposing what he sees as too severe restrictions on the state during the coronavirus pandemic. That led to a chorus of "lock her up!" chants. And instead of condemning the chants, Trump seemed to egg on his supporters, smiling and saying, "You got to get your governor to open up your state," and "Lock them all up."
A number of members or associates of the militia group Wolverine Watchmen face an array of state and federal charges for allegedly plotting to kidnap Whitmer.
"It's got to end. It is dangerous not just for me and my family but for public servants everywhere who are doing their jobs and trying to protect their fellow Americans," the Democrat Whitmer said, urging people on both sides of the aisle to "call this out and bring the heat down."
But Trump's senior adviser and daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, dismissed the rally's chants as part of the "fun" setting.
"He wasn't doing anything, I don't think, to provoke people to threaten this woman at all," she told CNN's State of the Union on Sunday. "It's a fun, light atmosphere. Of course he wasn't encouraging people to threaten this woman — that's ridiculous."
Senior Trump campaign adviser Jason Miller told Fox News Sunday that Trump didn't regret the chant that broke out at the rally, saying the crowd was frustrated by Whitmer's restrictions for the state.
"I'm glad that President Trump's [Department of Justice] was able to get these psychopaths and put them away," Miller said, "but the fact of the matter is, people in Michigan want to get their state opened back up."
Trump supporters frequently chanted "lock her up!" about his 2016 Democratic presidential opponent, Hillary Clinton.