usatoday--2020-10-27--Former U.S. attorneys appointed by Republican presidents endorse Joe Biden

WASHINGTON – A group of former U.S. attorneys appointed by Republican presidents are endorsing Democratic presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden , citing what they described as politicization of the Justice Department under President Donald Trump .
`` The president has clearly conveyed that he expects his Justice Department appointees and prosecutors to serve his personal and political interests in the handling of certain cases – such as the investigations into foreign election interference and the prosecution of his political associates – and has taken action against those who have stood up for the interests of justice , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. attorneys who were appointed by Republican presidents , including George W. Bush , George H.W .
Bush , Ronald Reagan , Gerald Ford , Richard Nixon and Dwight Eisenhower .
The Justice Department , under Trump and Attorney General William Barr , has intervened in the high-profile prosecutions of the president 's allies , drawing criticisms from former Justice Department employees who saw the actions as unprecedented intrusions of the agency 's independence to advance Trump 's political interests .
JUDGE RULES : DOJ ca n't shield Trump in E. Jean Carroll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ February , prosecutors who tried longtime presidential ally Roger Stone quit the case in protest after the Justice Department leadership overruled the attorneys ' recommended sentence for the longtime GOP operative .
The unusual move came after Trump publicly criticized the prosecutors ' recommended sentence .
Under Barr , Justice Department launched an investigation into its own prosecution of former national security adviser Michael Flynn and later sought to drop the case .
Flynn , who had pleaded guilty twice , claimed he had been entrapped into admitting to a crime he did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the FBI interview during which Flynn made false statements was `` unjustified . ''
FLYNN LATEST : Lawyer wants judge to recuse himself Stone and Flynn are among half a dozen former Trump aides and associates who were indicted as a result of the Russia investigation headed by former special counsel Robert Mueller .
The investigation , which looked into Russia 's interference in the 2016 presidential race to help Trump win , cast a dark cloud over much of his presidency .
The Justice Department under Barr 's leadership has launched @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russia investigation .
The president and his Republican allies in Congress have sought to make the investigation an election issue , relying on the Justice Department to release significant findings before November .
More recently , the president has repeatedly pressured Barr to indict his political enemies , including former President Barack Obama and Biden .
Barr , who has been mum on the issue , said previously that Obama and Biden are not under a criminal investigation .
Trump frustrated at Barr : Trump lashes out at Barr after realizing inquiry into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election The former U.S. attorneys also criticized the Justice Department 's aggressive deployment of federal officers and agents to cities amid a nationwide civil unrest following the death of George Floyd at the hands of police officers .
In many cases , the Trump administration sent federal officers despite the objections of local and state officials .
`` ( Trump ) has undermined the Department 's ability to unify and lead our nation 's law enforcement by picking political fights with state and local officials in a naked effort to demonize and blame @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over the past several months , '' according to the statement .
Biden , in contrast , will preserve the Justice Department 's independence from political interests , the U.S. attorneys said .
`` We firmly believe that Vice President Joe Biden is the candidate who can – and will – provide the leadership we need to refocus the Justice Department on the cause of impartial justice and to address the deep-seated societal issues that are roiling our country today , '' the U.S. attorneys said .

Former U.S. attorneys appointed by Republican presidents endorse Joe Biden
Show Caption Hide Caption Nearly 500 generals, admirals endorse Biden and blast President Trump Nearly 500 retired generals, admirals and senior civilian national security officials endorse Joe Biden and blast President Donald Trump. USA TODAY
WASHINGTON – A group of former U.S. attorneys appointed by Republican presidents are endorsing Democratic presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden, citing what they described as politicization of the Justice Department under President Donald Trump.
"The president has clearly conveyed that he expects his Justice Department appointees and prosecutors to serve his personal and political interests in the handling of certain cases – such as the investigations into foreign election interference and the prosecution of his political associates – and has taken action against those who have stood up for the interests of justice," according to a statement from 20 U.S. attorneys who were appointed by Republican presidents, including George W. Bush, George H.W. Bush, Ronald Reagan, Gerald Ford, Richard Nixon and Dwight Eisenhower.
The Justice Department, under Trump and Attorney General William Barr, has intervened in the high-profile prosecutions of the president's allies, drawing criticisms from former Justice Department employees who saw the actions as unprecedented intrusions of the agency's independence to advance Trump's political interests.
'RIDING A TIGER': William Barr's politically charged tenure puts DOJ on ballot with Trump
JUDGE RULES: DOJ can't shield Trump in E. Jean Carroll defamation case stemming from rape accusation
In February, prosecutors who tried longtime presidential ally Roger Stone quit the case in protest after the Justice Department leadership overruled the attorneys' recommended sentence for the longtime GOP operative. The unusual move came after Trump publicly criticized the prosecutors' recommended sentence.
Under Barr, Justice Department launched an investigation into its own prosecution of former national security adviser Michael Flynn and later sought to drop the case. Flynn, who had pleaded guilty twice, claimed he had been entrapped into admitting to a crime he didn't commit. The Justice Department argued that the FBI interview during which Flynn made false statements was "unjustified."
FLYNN LATEST: Lawyer wants judge to recuse himself
Stone and Flynn are among half a dozen former Trump aides and associates who were indicted as a result of the Russia investigation headed by former special counsel Robert Mueller. The investigation, which looked into Russia's interference in the 2016 presidential race to help Trump win, cast a dark cloud over much of his presidency.
GOP-LED SENATE REPORT: Paul Manafort was a 'grave' counter-intelligence threat
The Justice Department under Barr's leadership has launched an inquiry into the origins of the Russia investigation. The president and his Republican allies in Congress have sought to make the investigation an election issue, relying on the Justice Department to release significant findings before November.
More recently, the president has repeatedly pressured Barr to indict his political enemies, including former President Barack Obama and Biden. Barr, who has been mum on the issue, said previously that Obama and Biden are not under a criminal investigation.
Trump frustrated at Barr: Trump lashes out at Barr after realizing inquiry into Russia probe won't be public before election
The former U.S. attorneys also criticized the Justice Department's aggressive deployment of federal officers and agents to cities amid a nationwide civil unrest following the death of George Floyd at the hands of police officers. In many cases, the Trump administration sent federal officers despite the objections of local and state officials.
"(Trump) has undermined the Department's ability to unify and lead our nation's law enforcement by picking political fights with state and local officials in a naked effort to demonize and blame them for the disturbances in our cities over the past several months," according to the statement.
Biden, in contrast, will preserve the Justice Department's independence from political interests, the U.S. attorneys said.
"We firmly believe that Vice President Joe Biden is the candidate who can – and will – provide the leadership we need to refocus the Justice Department on the cause of impartial justice and to address the deep-seated societal issues that are roiling our country today," the U.S. attorneys said.


usatoday--2020-10-27--Rand Paul promotes unfounded COVID-19 immunity claims, says recovered patients should serve seniors

LOUISVILLE , Ky. – Speaking at a campaign rally over the weekend , U.S. Sen. Rand Paul encouraged skepticism of public health guidelines meant to stem spread of the coronavirus — and offered some of his own ideas on how to control the pandemic .
The Kentucky Republican spoke Sunday at a campaign event for Nick Freitas , a Republican candidate for Congress in Virginia , and told the crowd cloth masks `` do n't work . ''
`` Ninety-seven percent of viruses go through a cloth mask , '' Paul said at the event , which was livestreamed on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surgical masks , it 's about 50 % .
N95s do actually work ; they 're uncomfortable as hell . ''
Paul did not say where he got the statistics .
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends wearing face coverings , such as cloth masks , in public settings to prevent people who may be infected with COVID-19 but do n't have symptoms from spreading it to others .
Fact check : CDC report does n't show mask-wearers are more likely to contract COVID-19 The CDC also recommends reserving surgical masks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and other first responders , who need protection .
Paul criticized `` so much pessimism '' surrounding the coronavirus , adding `` they wo n't say one thing about immunity . ''
`` I 've had it .
I ca n't get it again , '' Paul said , receiving a loud cheer and applause from the crowd .
Research on immunity from the virus is limited , but according to the CDC , `` While individuals who have recovered from SARS-CoV-2 infection might develop some protective immunity , the duration and extent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' The CDC recommends all people , whether or not they have had COVID-19 , take steps to prevent getting and spreading the virus , including wearing a face covering .
Paul also shared a plan for restaurants based on his unfounded claims about immunity : '' If I own a restaurant , I 'd have a whole wing for senior citizens or for anybody who is worried about getting sick , and I would say all my servers have already had it , '' he said .
`` If I had a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — no exceptions — everybody would have had the infection that works on the boat . ''
Paul has repeatedly challenged Dr. Anthony Fauci , director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the nation 's foremost COVID-19 public health expert , on public health guidelines during the pandemic .
Previously : Rand Paul again rips Fauci over coronavirus : 'We just need more optimism' After testing positive for the virus in March , Paul has said he does n't need to wear a mask , claiming immunity .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Capitol not wearing a mask , including during the Senate 's Supreme Court confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett Monday evening .
Reviewed : We tested cloth face masks—these are the 10 best you can buy online Opinion : My 'suburban mom ' demographic is supposedly all in for Biden .
But I 'm voting for Trump .
Donald Trump made many promises in 2016 and early in his term : Which has he kept and what is he still working on ?

Rand Paul promotes unfounded COVID-19 immunity claims, says recovered patients should serve seniors at restaurants
Show Caption Hide Caption Dr. Fauci, Sen. Paul clash at coronavirus hearing Dr. Anthony Fauci lost his patience with Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul over Paul's claim that New York's rate of coronavirus infection is significantly down because it has achieved herd immunity. Fauci told Paul he repeatedly misconstrues data. (Sept. 23) AP
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Speaking at a campaign rally over the weekend, U.S. Sen. Rand Paul encouraged skepticism of public health guidelines meant to stem spread of the coronavirus — and offered some of his own ideas on how to control the pandemic.
The Kentucky Republican spoke Sunday at a campaign event for Nick Freitas, a Republican candidate for Congress in Virginia, and told the crowd cloth masks "don't work."
"Ninety-seven percent of viruses go through a cloth mask," Paul said at the event, which was livestreamed on Freitas' Facebook page. "The surgical masks, it's about 50%. N95s do actually work; they're uncomfortable as hell."
Paul did not say where he got the statistics. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends wearing face coverings, such as cloth masks, in public settings to prevent people who may be infected with COVID-19 but don't have symptoms from spreading it to others.
Fact check: CDC report doesn't show mask-wearers are more likely to contract COVID-19
The CDC also recommends reserving surgical masks and N95 respirators for health care workers and other first responders, who need protection.
COVID: Wearing cloth face mask can protect you from serious infection A new report suggests that wearing a cloth mask doesn't just protect others from COVID-19, it can protect you as well. USA TODAY
Paul criticized "so much pessimism" surrounding the coronavirus, adding "they won't say one thing about immunity."
"I've had it. I can't get it again," Paul said, receiving a loud cheer and applause from the crowd.
Research on immunity from the virus is limited, but according to the CDC, "While individuals who have recovered from SARS-CoV-2 infection might develop some protective immunity, the duration and extent of such immunity are not known."
The CDC recommends all people, whether or not they have had COVID-19, take steps to prevent getting and spreading the virus, including wearing a face covering.
Paul also shared a plan for restaurants based on his unfounded claims about immunity:
"If I own a restaurant, I'd have a whole wing for senior citizens or for anybody who is worried about getting sick, and I would say all my servers have already had it," he said. "If I had a cruise ship, I'd hire everybody — no exceptions — everybody would have had the infection that works on the boat."
Paul has repeatedly challenged Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the nation's foremost COVID-19 public health expert, on public health guidelines during the pandemic.
Previously: Rand Paul again rips Fauci over coronavirus: 'We just need more optimism'
After testing positive for the virus in March, Paul has said he doesn't need to wear a mask, claiming immunity. He's often been seen around the Capitol not wearing a mask, including during the Senate's Supreme Court confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett Monday evening.
Follow reporter Emma Austin on Twitter at @emmacaustin.
Reviewed: We tested cloth face masks—these are the 10 best you can buy online
Opinion: My 'suburban mom' demographic is supposedly all in for Biden. But I'm voting for Trump.
Donald Trump made many promises in 2016 and early in his term: Which has he kept and what is he still working on?


usatoday--2020-10-28--As Trump, Biden hammer at swing states, advocates work to dismantle Electoral College

DENVER — As the presidential election between President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden focuses increasingly on a few swing states that could determine the winner , millions of Americans are asking why their votes are essentially being taken for granted .
Now , a long-running effort to make the nation 's presidential election a `` one person , one vote '' system is gaining favor among partisan Democrats still angry that Trump won the 2016 presidency despite losing the popular vote by more than 2.8 million votes .
Colorado is the latest state to consider adopting the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seeks to essentially abolish the Electoral College without going through the near-impossible task of amending the U.S. Constitution .
Coloradans are voting on the measure now , and polls show support is evenly split .
The idea of abolishing the Electoral College has been around for decades , but the current proposal became more popular after Al Gore lost the 2000 election .
It hinges on states agreeing to dedicate their electoral votes to whoever wins the overall popular vote for president , rather than dedicating their votes to the candidate who won @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the U.S. , the presidency is decided not directly by voters , but by members of the Electoral College , who are assigned based on the results of the popular vote in each state .
If approved by voters , Colorado would join 14 states and Washington , D.C. , as members of the compact , which takes effect once states with a total 270 electoral votes sign on .
Colorado 's nine electoral votes would take the current total to 196 .
Supporters say the measure would force candidates to campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for granted because they vote so reliably Democrat or Republican that they can be safely ignored .
The proposal received new attention after the U.S. Supreme Court in July ruled that Electoral College electors in 32 states are legally obligated to cast their vote for the winner of their state 's vote , rather than selecting someone else .
While the plan 's longtime backers have pushed it in large part on a philosophical basis , some frustrated Democrats have hopped aboard in hopes of avoiding a repeat of the 2000 and 2016 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Trump lost the popular vote but still claimed the presidency .
Many of the former 2020 Democratic presidential candidates generally supported either abolishing the Electoral College entirely or just using the compact to make it obsolete .
Biden , however , has said he opposes changing the current system .
`` The 2016 election was a good reminder of our democracy and what we need to do protect every single piece of it , '' said Daniel Ramos , former executive director of the LGBTQ advocacy group One Colorado .
`` The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even more prominent given that Hillary Clinton won the popular vote and Donald Trump still became the president . ''
Electoral College votes are generally distributed based on population , but highly populated states like California and New York , which tend to favor Democrats , have proportionally fewer votes .
That 's because the Electoral College system was also designed to give rural states a larger vote than they might otherwise be entitled to , especially those at the time with large populations of enslaved African Americans .
Today , California , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and 55 electoral votes , while Wyoming has about 560,000 residents and three votes .
That means Wyoming 's electors represent about 186,300 voters apiece , while California 's are proxy for more than 727,000 each .
In other words , Wyoming 's Electoral College votes count almost four times more than California 's on a per-person basis .
Each state has as many Electoral College votes as it does members of Congress .
The 2020 Census will likely cause some states to lose votes while others gain , as the nation 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a `` winner take all '' policy for awarding those electoral votes , a candidate who just barely loses a large state 's popular vote gets zero electoral college votes .
That means candidates are increasingly focusing on swing states they might win , while largely ignoring states that will either reliably support them or their opponent .
In the 2020 presidential election , much of the focus has been on close races in Arizona , Florida , Michigan , North Carolina , Pennsylvania and Wisconsin .
In the waning days , both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pennsylvania , with the president making three separate appearances there on Monday alone .
Neither has campaigned heavily in either California , which is firmly Democratic , or Wyoming , which largely votes Republicans .
The League of Women Voters , the nonpartisan elections advocacy group , has long called for the Electoral College to be abolished or changed , and has backed the NPVIC for 50 years .
The league argues every vote should be weighted the same , regardless of who it benefits politically , because the concept of `` one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ central to the American ideal .
Among the states that have adopted the compact : Vermont , California , New York and Illinois .
`` We think elections should be done with 'one vote for one person ' for every election , right down to student council , '' said Ruth Stemler , president of the Colorado League of Women Voters .
`` We 're sorry that it 's taken us 50 years but it 's time for our democracy to take care of this now . ''
Supporters of a popular vote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Perot won 19 % of the overall vote in 1992 , he did n't collect a single electoral vote because he did n't `` win '' a single state .
And while generally , the winner of the popular vote becomes president , the Electoral College picked someone else five times , in 1824 , 1876 , 1888 , 2000 and 2016 .
Some Democrats and Republicans want the popular vote to pick the president A poll conducted in Colorado a year ago by Magellan Strategies found that support for joining the NPVIC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ among younger Democrats , and opposed most strongly by older Republicans .
Former California Republican legislator Ray Haynes Jr. said he 's always counted himself as a fan of the Electoral College , but now also supports the popular vote compact because it would force candidates to campaign in more places .
Haynes , who served in both the California Assembly and Senate starting in 1992 , and served as chairman of the conservative American Legislative Exchange Council , argues the winner-takes-all approach used by 48 states and the District of Columbia improperly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ precinct in a battleground city in a battleground county in a battleground state , '' giving residents in those areas a disproportionate amount of influence .
`` The party spends so much time to persuade these moderate Republicans in their battleground states that they lose the conservative message , '' said Haynes , who has campaigned for the NPVIC .
`` A lot of the national policy gets driven by very narrow slices of voters in very narrow slices of certain states .
You ought to listen to everybody . ''
Hayes said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inclination of urban residents to vote Democrat by offering a consistent conservative message : `` You get in the trenches , I get in the trenches and we battle it out over ideas . ''
In the 2016 general election campaign , half of all campaign events were held in just Florida , North Carolina , Pennsylvania and Ohio , highlighting their importance in the Electoral College calculations , according to compact backers .
But critics say the measure would actually give more power to Democrat-dominated coastal cities in New York and California @ @ @ @ @ @ @ huge overall margins but still lost the Electoral College and therefore the presidency to Trump .
Under the popular vote , a Democrat could campaign more efficiently by focusing on large cities that already tend to lean liberal , counting on their support to overwhelm less-populated but more conservative areas .
In Colorado , conservative commentator Krista Kafer , who opposes the popular vote , said she 's convinced the current system forces more coalition-building .
Many conservatives joke that direct democracies are the equivalent of two wolves and a sheep voting on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Politicians would spend the season courting Californians , New Yorkers , Illinoisans , and Floridians , '' Kafer said .
`` Those of us in flyover country and our concerns would be ignored . ''
Supporters of the current system say the Electoral College has served the nation well for generations by ensuring rural areas are heard .
`` The Constitution , in a lot of ways , is designed to make sure we do n't have big cities just running everything , '' said Trent England , director of Oklahoma-based Save Our @ @ @ @ @ @ @

With Biden winning the popular vote, here's how America could end the Electoral College
Show Caption Hide Caption Electoral College vs. the popular vote, explained President Trump and President George W. Bush won the electoral vote during the election, but not the popular vote. How does the electoral college work? Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
DENVER – As the presidential election between President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden focuses increasingly on a few swing states that will determine the winner, millions of Americans are asking why their votes are essentially being taken for granted.
Now, a long-running effort to make the nation's presidential election a "one person, one vote" system is gaining favor among partisan Democrats still angry that Trump won the 2016 presidency despite losing the popular vote by more than 2.8 million votes. Anxious voters continued waiting Thursday for results, which at the time showed Biden ahead of Trump with a significant amount of both popular and Electoral College votes.
Colorado is the latest state to adopt the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, which seeks to essentially abolish the Electoral College without going through the near-impossible task of amending the U.S. Constitution. Coloradans on Nov. 3. approved the measure 52.1% to 47.8%, according to preliminary results.
The idea of abolishing the Electoral College has been around for decades, but the current proposal became more popular after Al Gore lost the 2000 election. It hinges on states agreeing to dedicate their electoral votes to whoever wins the overall popular vote for president, rather than dedicating their votes to the candidate who won their individual state.
Unlike most elections in the U.S., the presidency is decided not directly by voters but by members of the Electoral College, who are assigned based on the results of the popular vote in each state.
Colorado now joins 14 states and Washington, D.C., as members of the compact, which takes effect once states with a total 270 electoral votes sign on. Colorado's nine electoral votes take the total to 196.
Supporters say the measure would force candidates to campaign in states that today are often taken for granted because they vote so reliably Democrat or Republican that they can be safely ignored.
The proposal received new attention after the U.S. Supreme Court in July ruled that Electoral College electors in 32 states are legally obligated to cast their vote for the winner of their state's vote, rather than selecting someone else.
Clinton's 2016 loss emboldened Electoral College critics
While the plan's longtime backers have pushed it in large part on a philosophical basis, some frustrated Democrats have hopped aboard in hopes of avoiding a repeat of the 2000 and 2016 elections, where Republicans George W. Bush and Trump lost the popular vote but still claimed the presidency.
Many of the former 2020 Democratic presidential candidates generally supported either abolishing the Electoral College entirely or just using the compact to make it obsolete. Biden, however, has said he opposes changing the current system.
"The 2016 election was a good reminder of our democracy and what we need to do protect every single piece of it," said Daniel Ramos, former executive director of the LGBTQ advocacy group One Colorado. "The conversation (supporting the initiative) seemed even more prominent given that Hillary Clinton won the popular vote and Donald Trump still became the president."
Electoral College votes are generally distributed based on population, but highly populated states like California and New York, which tend to favor Democrats, have proportionally fewer votes. That's because the Electoral College system was also designed to give rural states a larger vote than they might otherwise be entitled to, especially those at the time with large populations of enslaved African Americans.
Today, California, for instance, has 40 million residents and 55 electoral votes, while Wyoming has about 560,000 residents and three votes. That means Wyoming's electors represent about 186,300 voters apiece, while California's are proxy for more than 727,000 each. In other words, Wyoming's Electoral College votes count almost four times more than California's on a per-person basis.
Each state has as many Electoral College votes as it does members of Congress. The 2020 Census will likely cause some states to lose votes while others gain as the nation's population shifts.
Race to White House hangs on swing states
Because most states have a "winner take all" policy for awarding those electoral votes, a candidate who just barely loses a large state's popular vote gets zero electoral college votes. That means candidates are increasingly focusing on swing states they might win while largely ignoring states that will either reliably support them or their opponent.
In the 2020 presidential election, much of the focus has been on close races in Arizona, Florida, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. In the waning days, both Trump and Biden campaigned frequently in Pennsylvania in particular, which is still counting votes as of Thursday afternoon. Neither has campaigned heavily in either California, which is firmly Democratic, or Wyoming, which largely votes Republicans.
The League of Women Voters, the nonpartisan elections advocacy group, has long called for the Electoral College to be abolished or changed, and it has backed the popular-vote compact for 50 years. The league argues every vote should be weighted the same, regardless of who it benefits politically, because the concept of "one person, one vote" is so central to the American ideal.
Among the states that have adopted the compact: Vermont, California, New York and Illinois.
"We think elections should be done with 'one vote for one person' for every election, right down to student council," said Ruth Stemler, president of the Colorado League of Women Voters. "We're sorry that it's taken us 50 years, but it's time for our democracy to take care of this now."
Supporters of a popular vote point out that while independent presidential candidate Ross Perot won 19% of the overall vote in 1992, he didn't collect a single electoral vote because he didn't "win" a single state. And while generally the winner of the popular vote becomes president, the Electoral College picked someone else five times, in 1824, 1876, 1888, 2000 and 2016.
Some Democrats and Republicans want the popular vote to pick the president
A poll in Colorado a year ago by Magellan Strategies found that support for joining the compact split largely along party lines, strongest among younger Democrats and opposed most strongly by older Republicans.
Former California Republican legislator Ray Haynes Jr. said he has always counted himself a fan of the Electoral College but now also supports the popular-vote compact because it would force candidates to campaign in more places.
Haynes, who served in both the California Assembly and Senate starting in 1992 and was chairman of the conservative American Legislative Exchange Council, argues the winner-takes-all approach used by 48 states and the District of Columbia improperly makes candidates focus on "a battleground precinct in a battleground city in a battleground county in a battleground state," giving residents in those areas a disproportionate amount of influence.
"The party spends so much time to persuade these moderate Republicans in their battleground states that they lose the conservative message," said Haynes, who has campaigned for the popular-vote compact. "A lot of the national policy gets driven by very narrow slices of voters in very narrow slices of certain states. You ought to listen to everybody."
Hayes said the Republican Party can overcome the natural inclination of urban residents to vote Democrat by offering a consistent conservative message: "You get in the trenches, I get in the trenches and we battle it out over ideas."
In the 2016 general election campaign, half of all campaign events were held in just Florida, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Ohio, highlighting their importance in the Electoral College calculations, according to compact backers.
But critics say the measure would actually give more power to Democrat-dominated coastal cities in New York and California, where in 2016 Clinton ran up huge overall margins but still lost the Electoral College and therefore the presidency to Trump. Under the popular vote, a Democrat could campaign more efficiently by focusing on large cities that already tend to lean liberal, counting on their support to overwhelm less-populated but more conservative areas.
In Colorado, conservative commentator Krista Kafer, who opposes the popular vote, said she's convinced the current system forces more coalition-building. Many conservatives joke that direct democracies are the equivalent of two wolves and a sheep voting on what to eat for dinner.
"Politicians would spend the season courting Californians, New Yorkers, Illinoisans and Floridians," Kafer said. "Those of us in flyover country and our concerns would be ignored."
Supporters of the current system say the Electoral College has served the nation well for generations by ensuring rural areas are heard.
"The Constitution, in a lot of ways, is designed to make sure we don't have big cities just running everything," said Trent England, director of Oklahoma-based Save Our States, which opposes the popular-vote compact.


usatoday--2020-10-28--Report warns five states are at high risk for activity by armed groups around election

A new report says five states , including several that are presidential battlegrounds , are at a high risk for activity by armed groups of civilians around the Nov. 3 election .
The Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project ( ACLED ) and MilitiaWatch warned about such movements leading up to and following the election in Pennsylvania , Georgia , Michigan , Wisconsin and Oregon , especially in state capitals and surrounding towns , medium-sized cities and suburban areas .
“ Militia groups and other armed non-state actors pose a serious threat to the safety and security of American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Throughout the summer and leading up to the general election , these groups have become more assertive , with activities ranging from intervening in protests to organizing kidnapping plots targeting elected officials.
” The report , titled “ Standing By : Right-Wing Militia Groups and the US Election , ” takes its name from President Donald Trump ’ s response in a recent debate when he was asked to condemn white nationalist groups and militias .
Instead , Trump told one such group , the Proud Boys , to , “ Stand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ several right-wing groups took as encouragement .
Armed groups use “ hybrid tactics ” ranging from training for urban and rural combat to using public relations and propaganda to acting as “ security operations ” for events .
More : Militias in Pennsylvania say they protect everyone 's rights .
Critics say that 's a sham .
“ There is an increasing narrative and trend that groups are organizing to ‘ supplement ’ the work of law enforcement or to place themselves in a narrowly defined ‘ public protection ’ role in parallel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” the report said .
Pennsylvania Homeland Security Director Marcus Brown said security during the election is a main topic during discussions among his agency , the Pennsylvania Department of State , state police and the Pennsylvania National Guard .
“ The safety and security of people going out to vote is one of the issues we discuss every week , ” Brown said .
Pennsylvania is an open carry state , but there must be a balance between Second Amendment rights and the rights of voters to not feel threatened or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intimidation factor is the voter that ’ s showing up , ” he said .
“ Do they feel comfortable going into that polling place ?
” More : Trump makes campaign stops in Pa. , tries to secure large turnout as race tightens Brown acknowledged that officials are aware of the potential problems such groups might cause , but said the focus is not so much for Election Day .
“ The concern is less leading up to the election and Election Day than it is after the election if there is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he said .
ACLED and MilitaWatch identified nine , large multi-state right-wing groups that could present problems to Pennsylvania and other states , including Three Percenters , Proud Boys , Oath Keepers , Light Foot Militia , Civilian Defense Force , American Contingency , Patriot Prayer , Boogaloo Bois and People ’ s Rights .
Sam Jones , an ACLED spokesman , said his organization and MilitiaWatch have tracked more than 80 armed groups since the start of the summer , most of them right-wing groups , and identified the risks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ propensity for violence .
`` Still , these risks do not mean that violence is inevitable , '' Jones said .
`` Voters should not be intimidated .
Rather , we hope people are able to use the data to evaluate their own threat environment and organize locally to stay safe , reduce polarization in their communities and , ultimately , mitigate the risk of violence . ''
In Pennsylvania , the report says that groups to watch include Proud Boys , Boogaloo Bois , American Contingency , Civilian Defense Force , Light @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an unaffiliated group specific to Pennsylvania .
There is also the Pennsylvania Volunteer Militia , the Domestic Terrorism Response Organization , a coalition formed this summer as response to the Antifa movement , and the Carlisle Light Infantry linked to the DTRO .
The Civilian Defense Force was formed this past summer to train volunteers for “ potential combat , ” the report says , and the Mountain Top Watch Militia held a recruiting event just outside Scranton , the hometown of Democratic presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Boys debate shoutout energized the entire far right .
The damage is done .
Armed individuals and groups have also frequently appeared at Black Lives Matter protests , claiming an intent to protect residents and property from possible rioting .
The report noted that armed groups appeared at BLM events in Juniata County and Berks County in the summer and in July several gathered in Gettysburg to allegedly protect Civil War monuments after a social media hoax fueled rumors that Antifa was planning a flag-burning event there .
Brown said officials know that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state .
“ We have seen this touch areas from Scranton to Erie and then in smaller , more rural areas , ” he said .
“ We ’ re going to be monitoring all of it .
”

J.D. Prose, USA TODAY Network PA State Capitol Bureau

Report warns that 5 states are at high risk for activity by armed groups around election
Show Caption Hide Caption Six men charged in plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer A team of militia operatives is charged with conspiring to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. Wibbitz - News, Wibbitz - News
A new report says five states, including several that are presidential battlegrounds, are at a high risk for activity by armed groups of civilians around the Nov. 3 election.
The Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED) and MilitiaWatch warned about such movements leading up to and following the election in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Michigan, Wisconsin and Oregon, especially in state capitals and surrounding towns, medium-sized cities and suburban areas.
“Militia groups and other armed non-state actors pose a serious threat to the safety and security of American voters,” the report said. “Throughout the summer and leading up to the general election, these groups have become more assertive, with activities ranging from intervening in protests to organizing kidnapping plots targeting elected officials.”
The report, titled “Standing By: Right-Wing Militia Groups and the US Election,” takes its name from President Donald Trump’s response in a recent debate when he was asked to condemn white nationalist groups and militias. Instead, Trump told one group, the Proud Boys, to “stand back and stand by,” which several right-wing groups took as encouragement.
Armed groups use “hybrid tactics” ranging from training for urban and rural combat to using public relations and propaganda to acting as “security operations” for events.
More: Militias in Pennsylvania say they protect everyone's rights. Critics say that's a sham.
“There is an increasing narrative and trend that groups are organizing to ‘supplement’ the work of law enforcement or to place themselves in a narrowly defined ‘public protection’ role in parallel with police departments of a given locale,” the report said.
Pennsylvania Homeland Security Director Marcus Brown said security during the election is a main topic during discussions among his agency, the Pennsylvania Department of State, state police and the Pennsylvania National Guard.
“The safety and security of people going out to vote is one of the issues we discuss every week,” Brown said.
Pennsylvania is an open carry state, but there must be a balance between Second Amendment rights and the rights of voters to not feel threatened or intimidated, Brown said.
“The intimidation factor is the voter that’s showing up,” he said. “Do they feel comfortable going into that polling place?”
More: Trump makes campaign stops in Pa., tries to secure large turnout as race tightens
Brown acknowledged that officials are aware of the potential problems such groups might cause, but said the focus is not so much for Election Day. “The concern is less leading up to the election and Election Day than it is after the election if there is disagreement as to who won the election,” he said.
ACLED and MilitaWatch identified nine, large multistate right-wing groups that could present problems to Pennsylvania and other states, including Three Percenters, Proud Boys, Oath Keepers, Light Foot Militia, Civilian Defense Force, American Contingency, Patriot Prayer, Boogaloo Bois and People’s Rights.
Sam Jones, an ACLED spokesman, said his organization and MilitiaWatch have tracked more than 80 armed groups since the start of the summer, most of them right-wing groups, and identified the risks related to each, such as their propensity for violence.
"Still, these risks do not mean that violence is inevitable," Jones said. "Voters should not be intimidated. Rather, we hope people are able to use the data to evaluate their own threat environment and organize locally to stay safe, reduce polarization in their communities and, ultimately, mitigate the risk of violence."
In Pennsylvania, the report says that groups to watch include Proud Boys, Boogaloo Bois, American Contingency, Civilian Defense Force, Light Foot Militia and Mountain Top Watch, an unaffiliated group specific to Pennsylvania.
There is also the Pennsylvania Volunteer Militia, the Domestic Terrorism Response Organization, a coalition formed this summer as response to the Antifa movement, and the Carlisle Light Infantry linked to the DTRO.
The Civilian Defense Force was formed this past summer to train volunteers for “potential combat,” the report says, and the Mountain Top Watch Militia held a recruiting event just outside Scranton, the hometown of Democratic presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden, in September.
More: Trump's Proud Boys debate shoutout energized the entire far right. The damage is done.
Armed individuals and groups have also frequently appeared at Black Lives Matter protests, claiming an intent to protect residents and property from possible rioting.
The report noted that armed groups appeared at BLM events in Pennsylvania's Juniata County and Berks County in the summer and in July several gathered in Gettysburg to allegedly protect Civil War monuments after a social media hoax fueled rumors that Antifa was planning a flag-burning event there.
Brown said officials know that there has been armed civilian activity across the state. “We have seen this touch areas from Scranton to Erie and then in smaller, more rural areas,” he said. “We’re going to be monitoring all of it.”


usatoday--2020-10-28--Poll: Susan Collins trails challenger Sara Gideon by small margin; Biden leading Trump statewide

WASHINGTON — With less than a week until Election Day , Republican Sen. Susan Collins is trailing Democratic challenger Sara Gideon by a slim margin , according to a poll released Wednesday .
Gideon , the speaker of the Maine House , is leading Collins , 47 % to 43 % , among likely voters , according to the poll by Colby College in Waterville , Maine , and first reported by USA TODAY .
A combined 7 % of voters are supporting Independent candidates Lisa Savage ( 5 % ) and Max Linn ( 2 % ) .
Dan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and lead researcher on the poll , noted there hasn ’ t been much movement over the past few months between Gideon and Collins , as there are few undecided voters left .
`` For all that money , and all this attention , and all those efforts , the electorate seems pretty well stuck where they started several months ago , '' he told USA TODAY .
Democrats are hoping to flip Collins ' seat in an effort to win back the Senate in 2020 ; Republicans currently hold a 53-47 majority @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s unpopularity in the state , Collins is considered one of the most vulnerable Republican incumbent senators this election .
As a result , Collins , who was first elected in 1996 , has attempted to distance herself from Trump and has repeatedly criticized the president .
She has not said if she is voting for Trump in this election and said she wrote in former Republican Speaker of the House Paul Ryan in 2016 .
Election Day is days away : Here 's when we might know a winner and how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ criticisms of Trump , Democrats have targeted the senator after her vote to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court in 2017 and voting to acquit Trump in his impeachment trial earlier this year .
But Collins also was the only Republican to vote no to confirm Justice Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court this week and has pointed to her history as a middle-of-the-road politician .
Shea said split-ticket voters are the key for a Collins victory .
`` If she does n't get a lot of split ticket voters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden , and then her , she 's going to return to private life , '' he said .
Shea also noted ranked-choice voting also likely will determine who wins the Senate seat .
Savage , who is running on a progressive platform , has encouraged her supporters to rank Gideon as their second choice , using the campaign slogan “ Vote Blue Number Two.
” Ranked-choice voting allows voters to mark their preferred candidate as their first choice and then mark a second and third choice .
The winner of the election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the votes , and if no candidate has more than 50 % of the vote , then it goes to ranked choice tabulations .
Using a ranked-choice process , the poll found that Savage voters selected Gideon as their second choice roughly 51 % of the time , Linn 29 % of the time and Collins 13 % of the time .
“ I think it 's entirely likely that the voters for Lisa Savage , this small group of progressive voters , may decide the next senator from Maine , '' Shea @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million people have already voted .
Here 's how that compares with past elections .
Biden leads Trump statewide , but in dead heat in key district But in the 2nd Congressional district , the two candidates are single digits apart .
Maine is one of two states that award Electoral College votes based on who wins in each congressional district .
In 2016 , Trump won the 2nd Congressional district ’ s lone electoral vote .
Biden has a slight lead over Trump , 46 % to 42 % , in that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re voting for minor party candidates in that district , there are still 9 % of likely voters who are undecided .
The results are virtually unchanged from a Colby College poll last month that showed Biden at 46 % but Trump at 43 % .
Winnable but not yet won : Why Joe Biden and Mike Pence are both headed to Iowa this week Shea said Biden has been making inroads across the state , but he is unsure if it 's a result of his debate performances or because the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` Whereas the Senate race seemed a bit stuck , there seems to be some fluidity in the presidential contest in the second district , '' he said .
The poll was conducted Oct. 21 to Oct. 25 , with 879 likely voters surveyed .
Roughly one-third of those surveyed were called on either landline or cell phones , and the other two-thirds contacted online .
There is a margin of error of plus or minus 3.3 percentage points .

Poll: Susan Collins trails challenger Sara Gideon by small margin; Biden leading Trump statewide
Show Caption Hide Caption Maine race key to flipping control of U.S. Senate Sara Gideon was leading a local town council less than a decade ago, but the Democrat is tapping anger with President Donald Trump and Sen. Susan Collin's vote for Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh in her push to oust the Republican. (Oct. 22) AP
WASHINGTON – With less than a week until Election Day, Republican Sen. Susan Collins is trailing Democratic challenger Sara Gideon by a slim margin, according to a poll released Wednesday.
Gideon, the speaker of the Maine House, leads Collins, 47% to 43%, among likely voters, according to the poll by Colby College in Waterville, Maine, and first reported by USA TODAY. A combined 7% of voters are supporting Independent candidates Lisa Savage (5%) and Max Linn (2%).
Dan Shea, Colby College Government Department chair and lead researcher on the poll, noted there hasn’t been much movement over the past few months between Gideon and Collins, as there are few undecided voters left.
"For all that money, and all this attention, and all those efforts, the electorate seems pretty well stuck where they started several months ago," he told USA TODAY.
Democrats hope to flip Collins' seat in an effort to win back the Senate; Republicans currently hold a 53-47 majority. Largely due to President Donald Trump’s unpopularity in the state, Collins is considered one of the most vulnerable Republican incumbents this election.
As a result, Collins, who was first elected in 1996, has attempted to distance herself from Trump and has repeatedly criticized the president. She has not said whether she is voting for Trump and said she wrote in former Republican Speaker of the House Paul Ryan in 2016.
Election Day is days away: Here's when we might know a winner and how each candidate could claim victory
Despite Collins’ criticisms of Trump, Democrats have targeted the senator after her vote to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court in 2017 and voting to acquit Trump in his impeachment trial earlier this year. But Collins also was the only Republican to vote no to confirm Justice Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court this week and has pointed to her history as a middle-of-the-road politician.
Shea said split-ticket voters are the key for a Collins victory.
"If she doesn't get a lot of split-ticket voters, voters that will vote for Joe Biden, and then her, she's going to return to private life," he said.
Shea also noted ranked-choice voting likely will determine who wins the Senate seat. Savage, who is running on a progressive platform, has encouraged her supporters to rank Gideon as their second choice, using the campaign slogan “Vote Blue Number Two.”
Ranked-choice voting allows voters to mark their preferred candidate as their first choice and then mark a second and third choice. The winner of the election must have more than 50% of the votes, and if no candidate has more than 50%, then it goes to ranked-choice tabulations.
Using a ranked-choice process, the poll found Savage voters selected Gideon as their second choice roughly 51% of the time, Linn 29% of the time and Collins 13% of the time.
“I think it's entirely likely that the voters for Lisa Savage, this small group of progressive voters, may decide the next senator from Maine," Shea said.
More: More than 66 million people have already voted. Here's how that compares with past elections.
Biden leads Trump statewide, but it's close in key district
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden is leading Trump statewide, 51% to 38%. But in the 2nd Congressional district, the two candidates are single digits apart.
Maine is one of two states that award Electoral College votes based on who wins in each congressional district. In 2016, Trump won the 2nd Congressional district’s lone electoral vote.
Biden has a slight lead over Trump, 46% to 42%, in that district. While 4% say they’re voting for minor party candidates in that district, there are still 9% of likely voters who are undecided. The results are virtually unchanged from a Colby College poll last month that showed Biden at 46% and Trump at 43%.
Winnable but not yet won: Why Joe Biden and Mike Pence are both headed to Iowa this week
Shea said Biden has been making inroads across the state, but he is unsure whether it's a result of his debate performances or because the coronavirus pandemic is continuing across the country.
"Whereas the Senate race seemed a bit stuck, there seems to be some fluidity in the presidential contest in the second district," he said.
The poll was conducted Oct. 21-25, with 879 likely voters surveyed. Roughly one-third of those surveyed were called on either landline or cellphones, and the other two-thirds contacted online. There is a margin of error of plus or minus 3.3 percentage points.


usatoday--2020-10-28--'The Voice': Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani's 'teaming up' against Kelly Clarkson backfires

It may be every coach for themselves on `` The Voice , '' but what happens when two of them are dating , and now engaged ?
`` I feel like there ’ s a teaming up scenario , '' Kelly Clarkson said about Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani during Tuesday 's Blind Audition , which was filmed in August , way ahead of the couple 's engagement .
`` The Voice '' started with a major reveal , as four-chair-turn singer Desz picked Clarkson as her coach .
Then the battle heated up with different alliances and strategies in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ turned around after Olivia Reyes , 19 , perfectly executed an angelic rendition of Harry Styles ' `` Falling . ''
Reyes credited her audition to the mentorship of her family friend Jermaine Paul .
If that name sounds familiar to you , it 's because he won Season 2 of `` The Voice '' with Shelton .
`` If ( Paul ) told you to listen to me at all , you have a great opportunity to work with a girl who has written and sang one of the No .
1-selling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said in an attempt to woo Reyes over to his girlfriend 's side .
Last night on 'The Voice ' : Kelly Clarkson is speechless after contestant ‘ sang the crap out of ' her own song Legend wished for the help of his own significant other , Chrissy Teigen , although he was n't too sure where her allegiance lay : `` I would call Chrissy in , but she would tell you to go with Kelly . ''
Clarkson took it upon herself to `` stand in for Chrissy right now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also have an EGOT ( Emmy , Grammy , Oscar and Tony Award ) winner to choose , '' Clarkson said about Legend .
`` So he ’ s obviously talented as well , '' That may have done the trick , because Reyes went with Legend .
'The Voice ' : Kelly Clarkson 's rivalry with Blake Shelton gets 'dirty ' after double block Shelton , however , remained undeterred in trying to sabotage everyone but Stefani .
Clarkson , Stefani and Legend turned around for country singer Tanner Gomes ' rendition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dustin Lynch .
Surprisingly , Shelton did n't push his button .
`` I already have a lot of country artists on my team , and the best thing for you is to be on a team with no other country artists , '' he said , before attempting to throw Clarkson under the bus .
Shelton continued : `` There is a country artist on Kelly ’ s team .
And I don ’ t think there ’ s any country artists on John or Gwen ’ s team .
It ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to know about . ''
Stefani 's own pitch centered around her `` access to the greatest country star in the world . ''
`` I have a No .
1 in country … riding Blake Shelton ’ s coattails , '' Stefani said of their song `` Nobody But You . ''
`` In the last five years , I ’ ve learned so much about country music .
It ’ s a new chapter of my life and I could help you . ''
Shelton and Stefani may want to rethink @ @ @ @ @ @ @ again .
Gomes selected Clarkson as his coach based on her love of '90s country .
`` You can ’ t let the cowboy get in there , '' Clarkson said .
`` You have to keep him out . ''

'The Voice': Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani's 'teaming up' against Kelly Clarkson backfires
Show Caption Hide Caption 'The Voice': Kelly Clarkson speechless after contestant sings her song Kelly Clarkson isn’t left speechless often, but she was when a contestant on "The Voice" sang one of Clarkson's songs for her audition. USA TODAY
It may be every coach for themselves on "The Voice," but what happens when two of them are dating, and now engaged?
"I feel like there’s a teaming up scenario," Kelly Clarkson said about Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani during Tuesday's Blind Audition, which was filmed in August, way ahead of the couple's engagement.
"The Voice" started with a major reveal, as four-chair-turn singer Desz picked Clarkson as her coach. Then the battle heated up with different alliances and strategies in play.
Stefani and John Legend both turned around after Olivia Reyes, 19, perfectly executed an angelic rendition of Harry Styles' "Falling."
Reyes credited her audition to the mentorship of her family friend Jermaine Paul. If that name sounds familiar to you, it's because he won Season 2 of "The Voice" with Shelton.
"If (Paul) told you to listen to me at all, you have a great opportunity to work with a girl who has written and sang one of the No. 1-selling albums of all time," Shelton said in an attempt to woo Reyes over to his girlfriend's side.
'I heard a YES': Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani are engaged
Last night on 'The Voice': Kelly Clarkson is speechless after contestant ‘sang the crap out of' her own song
Legend wished for the help of his own significant other, Chrissy Teigen, although he wasn't too sure where her allegiance lay: "I would call Chrissy in, but she would tell you to go with Kelly."
Clarkson took it upon herself to "stand in for Chrissy right now."
"I will say you also have an EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Award) winner to choose," Clarkson said about Legend. "So he’s obviously talented as well,"
That may have done the trick, because Reyes went with Legend.
'The Voice': Kelly Clarkson's rivalry with Blake Shelton gets 'dirty' after double block
Shelton, however, remained undeterred in trying to sabotage everyone but Stefani.
Clarkson, Stefani and Legend turned around for country singer Tanner Gomes' rendition of "Cowboys and Angels" by Dustin Lynch. Surprisingly, Shelton didn't push his button.
"I already have a lot of country artists on my team, and the best thing for you is to be on a team with no other country artists," he said, before attempting to throw Clarkson under the bus.
Shelton continued: "There is a country artist on Kelly’s team. And I don’t think there’s any country artists on John or Gwen’s team. It’s an interesting fact that you need to know about."
Stefani's own pitch centered around her "access to the greatest country star in the world."
"I have a No. 1 in country … riding Blake Shelton’s coattails," Stefani said of their song "Nobody But You." "In the last five years, I’ve learned so much about country music. It’s a new chapter of my life and I could help you."
Shelton and Stefani may want to rethink their allegiance, because it backfired once again. Gomes selected Clarkson as his coach based on her love of '90s country.
"You can’t let the cowboy get in there," Clarkson said. "You have to keep him out."


usatoday--2020-10-28--Election 2020 live updates: Trump, Harris campaign in Arizona; Obama knocks Trump on COVID response

With six days until Election Day , the campaigns turn to swing-state Arizona .
President Donald Trump will hold two rallies – in Bullhead City and Goodyear – while Sen. Kamala Harris , the Democrats ' vice presidential nominee , will meet with Latina business owners and encourage residents to vote in Tucson and Phoenix .
A last-minute push by both sides suggests Arizona is very much still in play .
USA TODAY 's average of averages on Monday had Joe Biden leading by 2.7 percentage points in Arizona , but with Trump making gains .
The campaign stops Wednesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ticket visits to the state .
The Biden campaign continues to attack Trump on his response to the coronavirus pandemic .
On Tuesday , former President Barack Obama slammed Trump 's handling of COVID-19 during a speech in Orlando , saying the president would n't be complaining about coverage of the virus had he handled it better .
“ He ’ s complaining , he ’ s jealous of COVID ’ s media coverage , '' Obama said .
`` If he had been focused on COVID from the beginning , cases would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ • Where is Pence ?
: Vice President Mike Pence makes campaign stops in Mosinee , Wisconsin , and Flint , Michigan , on Wednesday .
• Where is Biden ?
: Biden will give a speech today on health care , including his plan to address COVID-19 .
• Biden quotes FDR : In Warm Springs , Georgia , the former vice president quoted the late President Franklin Delano Roosevelt , saying `` Today … we must cultivate the science of human relationships — the ability of all peoples , of all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ together in the same world at peace . ''
• Iowa : Biden and Pence will campaign in Iowa this week .
Here 's why .
• The Trump-Fauci relationship : The president 's relationship with the United States ' leading infectious disease expert has publicly eroded as the COVID-19 pandemic rages on .
Here 's a timeline of Trump and Dr. Anthony Fauci 's relationship .
• Obama in Florida : Biden 's former boss had a lot to say about the Trump administration during his stop in Orlando on Tuesday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about Black Americans .
📆 Six days until Election Day , 84 days until Inauguration Day , 65 days left in 2020 .
🗳 Voting : See USA TODAY 's Voter Guide for information on registering to vote , when your state begins voting and what the candidates think about the issues .
We will update this article throughout the day .
You can follow all of USA TODAY 's politics reporters on Twitter or subscribe to our daily On Politics newsletter .
Thousands of Trump rally attendees in Nebraska stranded in freezing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when President Donald Trump ended his campaign rally in Omaha , Nebraska ’ s Eppley Airfield Tuesday night and boarded Air Force One .
Over the course of the next four hours , thousands of Trump rally attendees were stranded outside of the event — waiting for buses that were delayed due to what the Trump administration told an Omaha reporter was a traffic jam .
Aaron Sanderford , a reporter at the Omaha World-Herald , was told by Trump officials that buses were having difficulty traveling through the access road to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to one direction.
” The report was corroborated by CNN correspondent Jeff Zeleny , who said that thousands continued to be stuck nearly an hour-and-a-half after Trump left Omaha and called the scene a `` cluster . ''
Omaha : Thousands of Trump rally attendees in Nebraska stranded in freezing cold after event Trump to women at Michigan rally : 'We 're getting your husbands back to work' President Donald Trump made an appeal to women voters at a rally in the battleground state of Michigan one week before Election Day : that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the economic impacts of the coronavirus pandemic .
`` I 'm also getting your husbands , they want to get back to work , right ?
They want to get back to work .
We 're getting your husbands back to work , and everybody wants it , '' Trump said .
`` And the cure can never be worse than the problem itself . ''
Moments earlier , Trump was touting his support among women , claiming that they would back him in the presidential election because `` they want security , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and order . ''
`` We 're going to do great .
And I love women , and I ca n't help it .
They 're the greatest .
I love them much more than the men , '' he said .
Trump to women at Michigan rally : 'We 're getting your husbands back to work' With less than a week until Election Day , Republican Sen. Susan Collins is trailing Democratic challenger Sara Gideon by a slim margin , according to a poll released Wednesday .
Gideon , the speaker of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 47 % to 43 % , among likely voters , according to the poll by Colby College in Waterville , Maine , and first reported by USA TODAY .
A combined 7 % of voters are supporting Independent candidates Lisa Savage ( 5 % ) and Max Linn ( 2 % ) .
Dan Shea , Colby College government department chair and lead researcher on the poll , noted there hasn ’ t been much movement over the past few months between Gideon and Collins , as there are few undecided voters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dorsey and Pichai to testify before senators Republicans will escalate charges of anti-conservative bias against social media companies a little less than a week before Election Day when they haul the leaders of the nations ’ top internet companies before a Senate committee to question how these powerful online platforms decide what content is allowed and what ’ s not .
Facebook ’ s Mark Zuckerberg , Twitter ’ s Jack Dorsey and Google ’ s Sundar Pichai are scheduled to answer growing criticism from the right over the moderation of prominent conservatives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before the Senate Commerce Committee on Wednesday .
Fueling tensions ahead of the hearing are explosive allegations by conservatives that Facebook and Twitter interfered in the 2020 election by throttling a New York Post article earlier this month that alleged ties between the Democratic presidential nominee and his son Hunter ’ s business dealings with Ukraine .

Election 2020 live updates: Biden leads Trump in Wisconsin, Georgia; Americans are stressed about the election
Show Caption Hide Caption Former Pres. Obama slams Trump's COVID-19 responses at Biden rally Former President Barack Obama took aim at President Donald Trump's COVID-19 response at a rally in Philadelphia for Joe Biden. USA TODAY, Associated Press
With six days until Election Day, the campaigns turned to swing-state Arizona on Wednesday
President Donald Trump is holding rallies in Bullhead City and Goodyear while Sen. Kamala Harris, the Democrats' vice presidential nominee, meets with Latina business owners and encourage residents to vote in Tucson and Phoenix.
A last-minute push by both sides suggests Arizona is very much still in play. USA TODAY's average of averages on Monday had Joe Biden leading by 2.7 percentage points in Arizona, but with Trump making gains. The campaign stops Wednesday likely break an all-time record for presidential ticket visits to the state.
Meanwhile, Biden attacked his opponent over his coronavirus response, calling it a "failure" during a speech in Wilmington, Delaware.
☕ The latest:
📊 What the polls are saying: Biden leads Trump by five percentage points in two state polls released Wednesday. The former vice president is up 50%-45% among registered Georgia voters, a new Monmouth University poll found. Biden also leads Trump 48%-43% among likely voters in Wisconsin, according to a Marquette University Law School poll.
📆 Six days until Election Day, 84 days until Inauguration Day, 65 days left in 2020.
🗳 Voting: See USA TODAY's Voter Guide for information on registering to vote, when your state begins voting and what the candidates think about the issues.
We will update this article throughout the day. You can follow all of USA TODAY's politics reporters on Twitter or subscribe to our daily On Politics newsletter.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg told Congress that Facebook throttled the spread of a New York Post article earlier this month after a warning from law enforcement to be on "heightened alert" about "hack and leak operations" in the final days before the 2020 election.
Zuckerberg said Facebook was not contacted by the FBI about the New York Post article, which alleged ties between the Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and his son Hunter’s business dealings with Ukraine. He also said he had no evidence that the article was the work of Russian election interference.
He made the remarks during questioning from lawmakers at a Senate Commerce Committee hearing where Zuckerberg testified Wednesday alongside Google’s Sundar Pichai and Twitter’s Jack Dorsey.
“One of the threats that the FBI has alerted our company and the public to was the possibility of a hack and leak operation in the days or weeks leading up to this election," Zuckerberg said.
– Jessica Guynn
Tech chiefs testify: Facebook throttled Hunter Biden article after being warned by FBI of 'hack and leak' operations, Mark Zuckerberg says
For the first time on the 2020 campaign trail, former President Barack Obama is set to campaign in-person with Democratic nominee Joe Biden.
Obama, who has stumped for Biden individually the past week, will campaign Saturday with his former vice president in Michigan three days before the Nov. 3 election. The campaign did not announce a city or location.
“President Obama will join Joe Biden in Michigan to discuss bringing Americans together to address the crises facing the country and win the battle for the soul of the nation,” the campaign said.
Michigan, where polls show Biden leading, is among three Rust Belt battleground states, along with Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, that Democrat Hillary Clinton narrowly lost in 2016. Clinton failed to get the same turnout as Obama had in 2012 and 2008 in cities like Detroit, Philadelphia and Milwaukee.
The past week, Obama has campaigned for Biden in Philadelphia, Miami and Orlando, delivering blistering attacks on President Donald Trump’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic and leadership in the White House.
– Joey Garrison
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden voted early in-person Wednesday afternoon in his hometown of Wilmington, Delaware.
The former vice president voted “by appointment” after he gave a speech on health care and combating the coronavirus pandemic at a nearby location.
“Well, we just voted,” Biden said, walking down the steps of the Carvel Delaware State Building, holding hands with his wife, Dr. Jill Biden.
Six days from the election, more than 74 million people have voted early, either by-mail or in-person, shattering turnout records for early voting.
– Joey Garrison
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden blasted President Donald Trump on Wednesday for failing to better curb the coronavirus pandemic.
Biden compared Trump’s departure Tuesday from a rally in Omaha, Nebraska, where hundreds were left in sub-zero cold, to his abdication in dealing with COVID-19.
“It’s an image that captures President Trump’s whole approach to this crisis,” Biden told reporters at The Queen theater in Wilmington, Delaware. “He gets his photo op and then he gets out. He leaves everyone else to suffer the consequences of his failure to make a responsible plan.”
Biden’s 12-mintue speech came after a health briefing with Dr. Vivek Murthy, a former U.S. Surgeon General; Dr. David Kessler, a former Food and Drug Administration commissioner and board chair of the Center for Science in the Public Interest; Dr. Celine Gounder, clinical assistant professor at New York University; and Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith, associate professor of medicine at Yale University
Kessler noted a 32% increase in cases during the last two weeks, with 500,000 cases last week.
“Almost the entire nation is worsening at this point,” Kessler said. “I don’t think anyone can tell you how high this is going to get.”
Biden vowed if elected to develop a national program for testing and tracing infections, and for providing free vaccine once it is developed. Biden also proposed to have the federal government negotiate lower drug prices with manufacturers, as it does under Medicare, a contentious issue that would need congressional legislation.
“We will start on day one doing the right things,” Biden said. “I’m going to fight to protect your health care.”
Biden proposed to expand the Affordable Care Act, which the Trump administration is seeking to overturn in the Supreme Court, with a hearing scheduled Nov. 10. But Biden quoted Trump’s “60 Minutes” interview Sunday, when the president said, “I hope that they end it.”
– Maureen Groppe and Bart Jansen
Americans are moving through the final stretch before Election Day with lumps in their throats, trying to quell the unsettling sensation of the in-between.
Nearly 70% of U.S. adults say the presidential election is a significant source of stress, according to the American Psychological Association's Stress in America survey this month, a dramatic increase from the 2016 election when 52% of Americans said the same. While Democrats are more stressed than Republicans, majorities of both political parties say the contest between President Donald Trump and challenger former Vice President Joe Biden is a significant stressor.
– Alia E. Dastagir
Election 2020:: Terrified to lose and afraid to hope
Theresa Greenfield, Democratic candidate for Senate in Iowa, will pause her campaign's RV tour after members of her staff came into contact with a person who later tested positive for COVID-19.
The disruption comes just six days before Election Day as campaigns make their final push to meet with and persuade voters. Greenfield is in the midst of an intensely competitive race against Republican Sen. Joni Ernst. The race is key in Democrats' efforts to take back the Senate from Republican control.
"While masks and social distancing measures are required at all of our in-person events, our campaign is temporarily pausing our RV tour, including today’s events, at the advice of medical professionals in order to take appropriate precautions to ensure we protect the health and safety of Iowans and our team," campaign spokesperson Sam Newton said in a statement Wednesday.
Newton said Greenfield plans to be tested.
"Theresa regularly gets tested for COVID-19 and recently tested negative, but she’s getting tested again to be safe," he said in the statement. "She is eager to get back on her GOTV tour once we get test results and we’re absolutely certain it’s safe to do so, which is hopefully very soon.”
– Brianne Pfannenstiel, Des Moines Register
Iowa Senate race: Democrat Theresa Greenfield pauses RV tour after staff members possibly exposed to COVID-19
In the latest sign that Texas is really in play in the presidential race, Michael Bloomberg will be spending about $1 million a day the last week of the campaign on statewide advertising in Texas in both Spanish and English to help Democratic nominee Joe Biden defeat President Donald Trump.
Howard Wolfson, a top Bloomberg adviser, told The New York Times Tuesday morning that the billionaire businessman and former Democratic presidential contender, who has already committed $100 million to helping Biden in the critical swing state of Florida, had asked his team to poll other states where Trump may be especially vulnerable and both Ohio and Texas looked ripe.
Altogether, Bloomberg’s super PAC, Independence USA, will spend $15 million on advertising in the two states beginning Wednesday, the Times reported. The Texas ads will attack the president for mismanaging the response to COVID-19.
The ads will run through Election Day.
– Jonathan Tilove (Austin American Statesman)
It was 34 degrees when President Donald Trump ended his campaign rally in Omaha, Nebraska’s Eppley Airfield Tuesday night and boarded Air Force One.
Over the course of the next four hours, thousands of Trump rally attendees were stranded outside of the event — waiting for buses that were delayed due to what the Trump administration told an Omaha reporter was a traffic jam.
Aaron Sanderford, a reporter at the Omaha World-Herald, was told by Trump officials that buses were having difficulty traveling through the access road to the rally site — which was “limited to one direction.”
The report was corroborated by CNN correspondent Jeff Zeleny, who said that thousands continued to be stuck nearly an hour-and-a-half after Trump left Omaha and called the scene a "cluster."
– Joshua Bote
Omaha: Thousands of Trump rally attendees in Nebraska stranded in freezing cold after event
President Donald Trump made an appeal to women voters at a rally in the battleground state of Michigan one week before Election Day: that he would help their husbands recover from the economic impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.
"I'm also getting your husbands, they want to get back to work, right? They want to get back to work. We're getting your husbands back to work, and everybody wants it," Trump said. "And the cure can never be worse than the problem itself."
Moments earlier, Trump was touting his support among women, claiming that they would back him in the presidential election because "they want security, they want safety, they want law and order."
"We're going to do great. And I love women, and I can't help it. They're the greatest. I love them much more than the men," he said.
– Jeanine Santucci
Trump to women at Michigan rally: 'We're getting your husbands back to work'
With less than a week until Election Day, Republican Sen. Susan Collins is trailing Democratic challenger Sara Gideon by a slim margin, according to a poll released Wednesday.
Gideon, the speaker of the Maine House, is leading Collins, 47% to 43%, among likely voters, according to the poll by Colby College in Waterville, Maine, and first reported by USA TODAY. A combined 7% of voters are supporting Independent candidates Lisa Savage (5%) and Max Linn (2%).
Dan Shea, Colby College government department chair and lead researcher on the poll, noted there hasn’t been much movement over the past few months between Gideon and Collins, as there are few undecided voters left.
– Rebecca Morin
Poll: Collins trails challenger Gideon by small margin; Biden leading Trump statewide
Republicans will escalate charges of anti-conservative bias against social media companies a little less than a week before Election Day when they haul the leaders of the nations’ top internet companies before a Senate committee to question how these powerful online platforms decide what content is allowed and what’s not.
Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg, Twitter’s Jack Dorsey and Google’s Sundar Pichai are scheduled to answer growing criticism from the right over the moderation of prominent conservatives' posts, including President Trump, before the Senate Commerce Committee on Wednesday.
Fueling tensions ahead of the hearing are explosive allegations by conservatives that Facebook and Twitter interfered in the 2020 election by throttling a New York Post article earlier this month that alleged ties between the Democratic presidential nominee and his son Hunter’s business dealings with Ukraine.
– Jessica Guynn
Senate: Trump-led conservatives accuse Big Tech of election interference, escalate bias charges ahead of Senate showdown


usatoday--2020-10-28--Open enrollment for 2021 benefits starts soon. Here's what you should know

Would you spend more time choosing a health plan or debating whether `` Tiger King '' or `` Schitt 's Creek '' is a better choice for binge-watching ?
If you put more thought into picking a show , you 're not alone .
Open enrollment for 2021 benefits will kick off in November when companies ask their workers to pick everything from medical and dental plans to long-term disability insurance .
While those are big decisions — it turns out workers typically spend just 17 minutes on their choices , less time than they spend on picking a Netflix @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This year , workers need to buckle down given the backdrop of the coronavirus pandemic , experts say .
People are creatures of habit , meaning that more than 9 of 10 workers usually select the same choices as in the previous year , says Matthew Owenby , chief human resources officer at insurance company Aflac .
“ Having been in HR for my entire career , I wish I could tell you why they are on autopilot , ” Owenby says .
“ Our main takeaway is that workers need to stop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will work for them moving forward.
” Those issues are thrown into stark relief given the ongoing pandemic , with more than 8 million people infected in the U.S. and over 225,000 deaths .
About 1 in 3 workers told Aflac in a recent survey that they don ’ t feel confident or aren ’ t sure if their benefits will protect them or their family if they are affected by COVID-19 .
Moving during COVID-19 ?
: Relocating for work could come with a massive pay cut Technology : Ditch the soundbar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are worried about getting sick , or know someone who has gotten sick , and they are thinking , ‘ Would I be covered for the medical bills if I have to go into the hospital or get a test ?
’ , ” says Mona Zielke , senior vice president of employee benefits operations and claims at financial-services firm Voya Financial .
There are signs that workers are getting the message , with Voya finding in a recent survey that slightly more than half of employees intend to make changes to their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ typically the only chance to make changes to your benefits unless you have a significant life change , like getting married or having a baby .
Here ’ s advice from the experts about how to navigate open enrollment this November : Your employer will typically alert you to its open enrollment period ahead of time .
While there is no required length of time that companies must offer open enrollment , the sign-up period typically lasts three to four weeks , Zielke notes .
By comparison , open enrollment for the Affordable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plans to people without employer-sponsored coverage — is open from November 1 to December 15 .
But employers typically offer a smaller window for open enrollment .
Because of that , it ’ s important to be aware of the deadlines so you don ’ t miss that window .
Start by reviewing your employer ’ s options for 2021 “ You don ’ t want to procrastinate , ” Zielke says .
“ I would start to look at the material as soon as open enrollment opens so you can understand what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ start will give you time to understand the financial impact of different plans and options .
If your employer offers calculators or other cost tools , take advantage of them to examine different scenarios .
For instance , picking a high-deductible insurance plan might help lower monthly costs , but it could deliver a financial hit if a worker or a family member is hospitalized due to COVID or another health setback .
In that case , opening a health savings account ( HSA ) could be an option , since HSAs are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that allows them to sock away money for medical expenses .
Go through your spending in the past year to understand your patterns and whether another plan might better fit your needs , experts say .
“ Do your homework and look at how much money you spent last year .
Did you choose a less expensive plan that only offered coverage for in-network doctors , but were you paying more to visit a doctor that was out of network ?
” Owenby says .
“ If so , opting for a slightly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out-of-network doctors may make more sense financially.
” Even with health and dental insurance , there can be gaps in coverage , experts say .
That ’ s why more employers are offering supplemental benefits — such as disability and life insurance .
About 1 in 3 employers currently offer supplemental insurance , according to Aflac .
“ If you ’ re worried about gaps in insurance coverage , consider supplemental insurance , which covers expenses health insurance doesn ’ t , ” Owenby says .
“ Supplemental plans like critical illness , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ insurance pay cash benefits that can be used however you want .
”

Open enrollment for 2021 benefits starts soon. Here's what you should know
Would you spend more time choosing a health plan or debating whether "Tiger King" or "Schitt's Creek" is a better choice for binge-watching?
If you put more thought into picking a show, you're not alone.
Open enrollment for 2021 benefits will kick off in November when companies ask their workers to pick everything from medical and dental plans to long-term disability insurance. While those are big decisions, it turns out workers typically spend just 17 minutes on their choices, less time than they spend picking a Netflix show, according to Voya Financial, citing research from Businessolver and Reelgood/Learndipity.
This year, workers need to buckle down given the backdrop of the coronavirus pandemic, experts say. People are creatures of habit, meaning that more than 9 of 10 workers usually select the same choices as in the previous year, says Matthew Owenby, chief human resources officer at insurance company Aflac.
“Having been in HR for my entire career, I wish I could tell you why they are on autopilot,” Owenby says. “Our main takeaway is that workers need to stop assuming that what worked in the past will work for them moving forward.”
Is COVID-19 covered?
Those issues are thrown into stark relief given the ongoing pandemic, with more than 8 million people infected in the U.S. and more than 225,000 deaths. About 1 in 3 workers told Aflac in a recent survey that they don’t feel confident or aren’t sure whether their benefits will protect them or their family if they are affected by COVID-19.
Moving during COVID-19?: Relocating for work could come with a massive pay cut
Technology: Ditch the soundbar with new Amazon Echo speakers
“People are worried about getting sick, or know someone who has gotten sick, and they are thinking, ‘Would I be covered for the medical bills if I have to go into the hospital or get a test?’,” says Mona Zielke, senior vice president of employee benefits operations and claims at financial-services firm Voya Financial.
There are signs that workers are getting the message, with Voya finding in a recent survey that slightly more than half of employees intend to make changes to their benefits this year. Open enrollment is typically the only chance to make changes to your benefits unless you have a significant life change, like getting married or having a baby.
Here’s advice from the experts about how to navigate open enrollment this November:
Be alert for open enrollment dates
Your employer will typically alert you to its open enrollment period ahead of time. While there is no required length of time that companies must offer open enrollment, the sign-up period typically lasts three to four weeks, Zielke notes.
By comparison, open enrollment for the Affordable Care Act – which offers medical insurance plans to people without employer-sponsored coverage – is open from Nov. 1 to Dec. 15.
But employers typically offer a smaller window for open enrollment. Because of that, it’s important to be aware of the deadlines so you don’t miss that window.
Start by reviewing your employer’s options for 2021
“You don’t want to procrastinate,” Zielke says. “I would start to look at the material as soon as open enrollment opens so you can understand what your employer is offering.”
An early start will give you time to understand the financial impact of different plans and options. If your employer offers calculators or other cost tools, take advantage of them to examine different scenarios.
For instance, picking a high-deductible insurance plan might help lower monthly costs, but it could deliver a financial hit if a worker or a family member is hospitalized due to COVID-19 or another health setback.
In that case, opening a health savings account could be an option, since HSAs are tax-advantaged vehicles for people with high-deductible plans that allows them to sock away money for medical expenses.
Examine your medical spending in 2020
Go through your spending in the past year to understand your patterns and whether another plan might better fit your needs, experts say.
“Do your homework and look at how much money you spent last year. Did you choose a less expensive plan that only offered coverage for in-network doctors, but were you paying more to visit a doctor that was out of network?” Owenby says. “If so, opting for a slightly higher-cost plan that allows you to visit out-of-network doctors may make more sense financially.”
Don’t overlook supplemental benefits
Even with health and dental insurance, there can be gaps in coverage, experts say.
That’s why more employers are offering supplemental benefits – such as disability and life insurance. About 1 in 3 employers currently offer supplemental insurance, according to Aflac.
“If you’re worried about gaps in insurance coverage, consider supplemental insurance, which covers expenses health insurance doesn’t,” Owenby says. “Supplemental plans like critical illness, hospital indemnity, accident and short-term disability insurance pay cash benefits that can be used however you want.”


usatoday--2020-10-27--Dad living with cancer does 176,200 pushups

Approximately 176,200 people were diagnosed with a blood cancer in the U.S. in 2019 .
Nathan Tirey did a pushup @ @ @ @ @ .

Dad living with cancer does 176,200 pushups
Approximately 176,200 people were diagnosed with a blood cancer in the U.S. in 2019. Nathan Tirey did a pushup for each one of them.
Humankind, USA TODAY