usatoday--2020-02-18--OnPolitics: It would appear that Bernie Sanders is the one to beat

It 's Air Force One at Daytona .
Close enough ?
President Donald Trump 's 2020 campaign manager , Brad Parscale , deleted a tweet with a photo of Air Force One amid a large crowd at the Daytona 500 race after users pointed out the photo was actually from 2004 , when George W. Bush attended .
`` .realDonaldTrump won the # Daytona500 before the race even started , '' Parscale wrote in the now-deleted tweet , according to CNN .
The photo , taken by Jonathan Ferrey in 2004 and available on Getty Images , shows Air Force @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his visit Feb. 15 , 2004 .
It 's hard to keep details straight Trump does love to tell stories during speeches .
But the who , what , and where change pretty routinely .
While the overarching theme of Trump ’ s narratives remains the same , the constantly changing details raise questions : Are the stories based on real individuals or merely composites of various people he has met ?
Or are they fiction – presidential parables concocted to drive home a broader truth about public policy ?
The White House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when asked to explain the inconsistencies in Trump ’ s anecdotes .
“ There is no one better at being able to connect with their audience than President Trump , ” White House spokesman Judd Deere said .
Do the candidates fear the Bern ?
Bernie Sanders won New Hampshire ’ s Democrat primary with slightly more than one-quarter of the vote .
He has fewer delegates than Pete Buttigieg , the former mayor of South Bend , Indiana .
So why are many center-left Democrats worried that the self-described democratic socialist is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Because there are too many candidates in the party ’ s center lane dividing up the rest of the vote .
• How Elizabeth Warren stumbled in New Hampshire and her plan for 'the long haul' • Pete Buttigieg responds to Limbaugh claiming America is not ready for a gay president • Voter to Biden : 'What the hell is going on with your campaign ? '

OnPolitics: It would appear that Bernie Sanders is the one to beat
It's Air Force One at Daytona. Close enough?
President Donald Trump's 2020 campaign manager, Brad Parscale, deleted a tweet with a photo of Air Force One amid a large crowd at the Daytona 500 race after users pointed out the photo was actually from 2004, when George W. Bush attended.
".realDonaldTrump won the #Daytona500 before the race even started," Parscale wrote in the now-deleted tweet, according to CNN.
The photo, taken by Jonathan Ferrey in 2004 and available on Getty Images, shows Air Force One taking off with Bush aboard after his visit Feb. 15, 2004.
It's hard to keep details straight
Trump does love to tell stories during speeches. But the who, what, and where change pretty routinely.
While the overarching theme of Trump’s narratives remains the same, the constantly changing details raise questions: Are the stories based on real individuals or merely composites of various people he has met? Or are they fiction – presidential parables concocted to drive home a broader truth about public policy?
The White House did not directly address the fact-or-fiction question when asked to explain the inconsistencies in Trump’s anecdotes.
“There is no one better at being able to connect with their audience than President Trump,” White House spokesman Judd Deere said.
Do the candidates fear the Bern?
How the DNC changed its rules since Sanders, Clinton in 2016 The primaries are here! How does one get elected in the first place and what is in store for the Democratic National Convention in 2020? We explain. Just the FAQs
Bernie Sanders won New Hampshire’s Democrat primary with slightly more than one-quarter of the vote.
He has fewer delegates than Pete Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana.
So why are many center-left Democrats worried that the self-described democratic socialist is the favorite to win the nomination?
Because there are too many candidates in the party’s center lane dividing up the rest of the vote.
More news election news:
Contributing: Jeanine Santucci, Michael Collins, Maureen Groppe


usatoday--2020-02-18--Trump commutes 14-year sentence of former Illinois Gov. Blagojevich amid blitz of pardons

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump commuted the prison sentence of former Illinois Gov .
Rod Blagojevich on Tuesday , one of several high-profile grants of clemency he issued as he ramped up his criticism of federal prosecutions .
Trump announced pardons for former New York City police commissioner Bernard Kerik , rogue financier Michael Milken and former San Francisco 49ers owner Edward DeBartolo Jr. , who pleaded guilty in a gambling fraud case in the late 1990s .
The president said he has not decided what to do with convicted allies Roger Stone , Paul Manafort and Michael Flynn .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ prison in 2012 to serve a 14-year sentence after being convicted on federal charges of using his powers as governor to extract campaign money and other political favors in exchange for naming a successor to fill the Illinois Senate seat left open when Barack Obama became president .
`` He served eight years in jail – a long time , '' Trump said at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland .
`` Many people disagree with the sentence . ''
Trump repeated his claim that FBI Director James Comey was involved in Blagojevich 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and described him as a partisan `` deep state '' foe of his administration .
Comey did not take over at the FBI until years after the Blagojevich case .
Blagojevich was one of four people to receive commutations , or reduced prison sentences , from the president .
He granted pardons to seven others .
Some had political ties to the president 's allies ; others have become advocates for changing the criminal justice system .
Trump has been repeatedly questioned about whether he will reduce the sentences of former aides and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russian meddling in the 2016 election .
Trump , who has broad clemency powers granted by the Constitution , said in August that he was considering a commutation for Blagojevich , calling his prison term excessive .
Trump has said he believed that Blagojevich , who appeared as a guest on his television program `` The Apprentice , '' was treated `` very , very unfairly . ''
Trump pardons ex-49ers owner : Trump grants full pardon to former owner of the San Francisco 49ers Eddie DeBartolo Jr. Thereare connections between the Blagojevich @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Robert Mueller , the special counsel who oversaw the Russia inquiry , was the head of the FBI during the Blagojevich investigation .
Trump has also blamed associates of Comey for the Blagojevich sentence .
Kerik , who was appointed as New York ’ s top police official in 2000 by Mayor Rudy Giuliani , spent three years in federal prison after pleading guilty in 2009 to several felonies , including tax fraud .
Giuliani became Trump ’ s personal attorney .
Kerik thanked Trump on Twitter for making him a `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' He said going to prison was `` like dying with your eyes open . ''
Others had more immediate connections .
Paul Pogue , the owner of a Texas construction company , pleaded guilty and was sentenced to three years in prison in 2010 for filing a false federal tax return .
The family of Pogue , who won a pardon from Trump on Tuesday , has contributed heavily to Republicans this election .
Benjamin Pogue , who is Paul Pogue 's son , gave more than $ 150,000 to Trump or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to data compiled by the non-partisan Center for Responsive Politics .
Milken , known as the `` junk bond king , '' pleaded guilty in 1990 to several counts of securities and tax violations .
In the announcement of his pardon , the White House described Milken as `` one of America 's greatest financiers '' and credited his work on fighting prostate cancer .
The president also issued a pardon to Angela Stanton , an author and reality TV star who served time in prison for her part in a stolen-car @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advocate for criminal justice changes , Stanton spoke at the 2018 Women for Trump Conference and often posts pro-Trump messages to Twitter .
The spate of clemency comes amid a public spat between Trump and Attorney General William Barr about the president ’ s intervention in criminal cases .
That dispute was caused in part by Trump ’ s tweets supporting a more lenient sentence for Stone , a longtime confidant of the president who was convicted of lying to Congress to protect the president 's campaign from the Russia probe .
Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stone Trump repeated his assertion Tuesday that Stone had been “ treated very unfairly ” but declined to say whether he ’ s considering a pardon .
`` You 're going to see what happens , ” Trump said Tuesday as he prepared to embark on a swing to Western states this week .
Barr told ABC last week that the president ’ s penchant for weighing publicly on prosecutions handled by the Justice Department made it `` impossible for me to do my job.
” '' I do make his job harder @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Tuesday before calling the attorney general “ a man with great integrity.
” Blagojevich 's case was the most high-profile of the clemency grants announced Tuesday .
FBI agents captured the Illinois governor on a wire describing the Senate seat as `` golden '' in a profanity-laced conversation .
He said he was `` just not giving it up for ... nothing . ''
The Illinois House voted to impeach Blagojevich a month after his arrest Jan. 9 , 2009 , and the state Senate unanimously voted to convict him 20 days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bloomberg qualifies for Las Vegas debate , trails only Sanders in poll In 2015 , a federal appeals court threw out some of the charges and left others intact .
`` I am thinking very seriously about commuting his sentence so that he can go home to his family after seven years , '' Trump said in August .
`` I ’ ve been thinking about that for a long time .
I thought from Day One – I said , 'Boy , that is really tough stuff . '
'' Blagojevich ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appearances on Fox News to personally appeal to the president .
She tried to draw a parallel between the case against her husband and the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election that dogged Trump during the first years of his presidency .
That effort included an op-ed supporting the president ’ s mistrust of the Justice Department and the FBI .
Blagojevich spent most of his more than seven years in a federal prison in Colorado reading , writing and exercising , according to a 2017 profile in Chicago Magazine .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ lived in a dorm-style room with dozens of other prisoners .
He later moved into a two-person unit , then into a converted motel , where the rooms slept five and were carpeted and had bathrooms with tubs , according to the profile .
“ Gov , ” as he was known in prison , befriended a “ Mr .
B , ” a drug dealer from the Chicago 's West Side , and the two would eat lunch together , according to Chicago Magazine .
For a time , Blagojevich mopped floors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vocals for a band called the Jailhouse Rockers , which played Elvis and Sinatra songs , according to various local news reports .
“ My two-bit cheap Elvis impersonation is less two-bit and less cheap , ” Blagojevich told Chicago Magazine .
Critics said Trump was handing out pardons to political allies .
“ The tragedy of Trump ’ s use of the pardon power is that there are thousands of deserving offenders behind bars , but Trump almost exclusively reserves pardons and commutations for conservative political figures or people whose friends or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ News to lobby for relief , ” said Matthew Miller a spokesman for the Justice Department under the Obama administration .
The president previously granted 18 pardons – a full legal forgiveness for a crime – and six commutations , which shorten sentences .
That clemency has often been aimed at conservative figures such as Joe Arpaio , a former sheriff in Arizona , and commentator Dinesh D'Souza .
Trump acknowledged he does not rely on the standard pardon process , which includes a recommendation and summary of the case from the Justice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all the time , I really rely on the recommendations of people that know them , '' he said .

David Jackson, John Fritze and Michael Collins, USA TODAY

Trump commutes 14-year sentence of former Illinois Gov. Blagojevich amid blitz of pardons
Show Caption Hide Caption Trump frees Rod Blagojevich early and others Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich was one of four to receive reduced prison sentences from President Trump, and he also pardoned seven others. USA TODAY
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump commuted the prison sentence of former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich on Tuesday, one of several high-profile grants of clemency he issued as he ramped up his criticism of federal prosecutions.
Trump announced pardons for former New York City police commissioner Bernard Kerik, rogue financier Michael Milken and former San Francisco 49ers owner Edward DeBartolo Jr., who pleaded guilty in a gambling fraud case in the late 1990s. The president said he has not decided what to do with convicted allies Roger Stone, Paul Manafort and Michael Flynn.
Blagojevich, a Democrat, entered federal prison in 2012 to serve a 14-year sentence after being convicted on federal charges of using his powers as governor to extract campaign money and other political favors in exchange for naming a successor to fill the Illinois Senate seat left open when Barack Obama became president.
"He served eight years in jail – a long time," Trump said at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. "Many people disagree with the sentence."
Trump repeated his claim that FBI Director James Comey was involved in Blagojevich's prosecution. Trump fired Comey in 2017 and described him as a partisan "deep state" foe of his administration. Comey did not take over at the FBI until years after the Blagojevich case.
Blagojevich was one of four people to receive commutations, or reduced prison sentences, from the president. He granted pardons to seven others. Some had political ties to the president's allies; others have become advocates for changing the criminal justice system. Trump has been repeatedly questioned about whether he will reduce the sentences of former aides and allies caught up in the investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election.
Guest on 'The Apprentice'
Trump, who has broad clemency powers granted by the Constitution, said in August that he was considering a commutation for Blagojevich, calling his prison term excessive. Trump has said he believed that Blagojevich, who appeared as a guest on his television program "The Apprentice," was treated "very, very unfairly."
Trump pardons ex-49ers owner: Trump grants full pardon to former owner of the San Francisco 49ers Eddie DeBartolo Jr.
There are connections between the Blagojevich case and the investigation into Russian interference. Robert Mueller, the special counsel who oversaw the Russia inquiry, was the head of the FBI during the Blagojevich investigation. Trump has also blamed associates of Comey for the Blagojevich sentence.
Kerik, who was appointed as New York’s top police official in 2000 by Mayor Rudy Giuliani, spent three years in federal prison after pleading guilty in 2009 to several felonies, including tax fraud. Giuliani became Trump’s personal attorney.
Kerik thanked Trump on Twitter for making him a "full and whole American citizen again." He said going to prison was "like dying with your eyes open."
Others had more immediate connections. Paul Pogue, the owner of a Texas construction company, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to three years in prison in 2010 for filing a false federal tax return. The family of Pogue, who won a pardon from Trump on Tuesday, has contributed heavily to Republicans this election.
Benjamin Pogue, who is Paul Pogue's son, gave more than $150,000 to Trump or the Republican National Committee in 2019, according to data compiled by the non-partisan Center for Responsive Politics.
Milken, known as the "junk bond king," pleaded guilty in 1990 to several counts of securities and tax violations. In the announcement of his pardon, the White House described Milken as "one of America's greatest financiers" and credited his work on fighting prostate cancer.
The president also issued a pardon to Angela Stanton, an author and reality TV star who served time in prison for her part in a stolen-car ring. An avid Trump supporter and advocate for criminal justice changes, Stanton spoke at the 2018 Women for Trump Conference and often posts pro-Trump messages to Twitter.
The spate of clemency comes amid a public spat between Trump and Attorney General William Barr about the president’s intervention in criminal cases. That dispute was caused in part by Trump’s tweets supporting a more lenient sentence for Stone, a longtime confidant of the president who was convicted of lying to Congress to protect the president's campaign from the Russia probe.
Trump: 'See what happens' on Roger Stone
Trump repeated his assertion Tuesday that Stone had been “treated very unfairly” but declined to say whether he’s considering a pardon.
"You're going to see what happens,” Trump said Tuesday as he prepared to embark on a swing to Western states this week.
Barr told ABC last week that the president’s penchant for weighing publicly on prosecutions handled by the Justice Department made it "impossible for me to do my job.”
"I do make his job harder. That's true," Trump said Tuesday before calling the attorney general “a man with great integrity.”
Blagojevich's case was the most high-profile of the clemency grants announced Tuesday.
FBI agents captured the Illinois governor on a wire describing the Senate seat as "golden" in a profanity-laced conversation. He said he was "just not giving it up for ... nothing." The Illinois House voted to impeach Blagojevich a month after his arrest Jan. 9, 2009, and the state Senate unanimously voted to convict him 20 days later.
Bloomberg is debate-bound: Mike Bloomberg qualifies for Las Vegas debate, trails only Sanders in poll
In 2015, a federal appeals court threw out some of the charges and left others intact.
"I am thinking very seriously about commuting his sentence so that he can go home to his family after seven years," Trump said in August. "I’ve been thinking about that for a long time. I thought from Day One – I said, 'Boy, that is really tough stuff.'"
Wife's appeal on Fox News
Blagojevich’s wife, Patti, made several appearances on Fox News to personally appeal to the president. She tried to draw a parallel between the case against her husband and the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election that dogged Trump during the first years of his presidency. That effort included an op-ed supporting the president’s mistrust of the Justice Department and the FBI.
Blagojevich spent most of his more than seven years in a federal prison in Colorado reading, writing and exercising, according to a 2017 profile in Chicago Magazine. For his first three years, Blagojevich lived in a dorm-style room with dozens of other prisoners. He later moved into a two-person unit, then into a converted motel, where the rooms slept five and were carpeted and had bathrooms with tubs, according to the profile.
“Gov,” as he was known in prison, befriended a “Mr. B,” a drug dealer from the Chicago's West Side, and the two would eat lunch together, according to Chicago Magazine. For a time, Blagojevich mopped floors and taught history classes. He performed vocals for a band called the Jailhouse Rockers, which played Elvis and Sinatra songs, according to various local news reports. “My two-bit cheap Elvis impersonation is less two-bit and less cheap,” Blagojevich told Chicago Magazine.
Critics said Trump was handing out pardons to political allies.
“The tragedy of Trump’s use of the pardon power is that there are thousands of deserving offenders behind bars, but Trump almost exclusively reserves pardons and commutations for conservative political figures or people whose friends or relatives can get themselves booked on Fox News to lobby for relief,” said Matthew Miller a spokesman for the Justice Department under the Obama administration.
The president previously granted 18 pardons – a full legal forgiveness for a crime – and six commutations, which shorten sentences. That clemency has often been aimed at conservative figures such as Joe Arpaio, a former sheriff in Arizona, and commentator Dinesh D'Souza.
Trump acknowledged he does not rely on the standard pardon process, which includes a recommendation and summary of the case from the Justice Department.
"Oftentimes, pretty much all the time, I really rely on the recommendations of people that know them," he said.
Contributing: Grace Hauck


usatoday--2020-02-18--DOJ: Two federal prosecutors are coordinating Ukraine-related matters, including information supplie

WASHINGTON–Two federal prosecutors have been tapped to manage open investigations and other yet-to-be-substantiated allegations of wrongdoing involving Ukraine , the Justice Department told lawmakers Tuesday .
Responding to recent inquiries from House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler , D-N.Y. , Assistant Attorney General Stephen Boyd defended the moves , including the appointment of a Pennsylvania prosecutor to review information supplied by President Donald Trump 's personal attorney , Rudy Giuliani .
Giuliani has sought to tar Trump rival Joe Biden by attempting to link him to unsupported corruption claims .
Last week , Attorney General William Barr acknowledged the Justice Department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who has been Trump 's point man in Ukraine .
Giuliani has stoked a discredited theory that Ukraine interfered in the 2016 presidential election , and he has sought damaging information about Biden , who is seeking the Democratic presidential nomination .
Barr said the Justice Department has an `` obligation '' to assess the information , but he did not elaborate on the nature of the review .
In his Tuesday letter , Boyd said Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen took the action to coordinate all matters related to Ukraine .
Boyd @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` any individual unique access to the department .
`` Indeed , any member of the public who has relevant information may contact the department and make use of its intake process for Ukraine-related matters , '' Boyd said .
He said Scott Brady , the chief federal prosecutor in western Pennsylvania , will evaluate anything .
Rosen has assigned Brooklyn U.S. Attorney Richard Donoghue to coordinate `` several open '' inquiries that may have some nexus to Ukraine , according to Boyd .
He wrote that Rosen set up the process `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ offices and components to facilitate information sharing . ''
The campaign waged by Giuliani , whose business dealings in Ukraine are being scrutinized by federal authorities , has been a flashpoint for both Democrats and Trump allies .
Giuliani has claimed Biden improperly used his position as vice president to help his son , Hunter Biden , who was a highly-compensated board member of a Ukrainian energy company called Burisma Holdings .
No evidence has emerged to support that claim .

DOJ: Two federal prosecutors are coordinating Ukraine-related matters, including information supplied by Rudy Giuliani
Show Caption Hide Caption Trump's Ukraine phone call: U.S. and Ukraine relationship, explained U.S. and Ukraine relations go further back than the now infamous phone call between Trump and Zelensky. We explain their relationship. Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
WASHINGTON–Two federal prosecutors have been tapped to manage open investigations and other yet-to-be-substantiated allegations of wrongdoing involving Ukraine, the Justice Department told lawmakers Tuesday.
Responding to recent inquiries from House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., Assistant Attorney General Stephen Boyd defended the moves, including the appointment of a Pennsylvania prosecutor to review information supplied by President Donald Trump's personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani.
Giuliani has sought to tar Trump rival Joe Biden by attempting to link him to unsupported corruption claims.
Last week, Attorney General William Barr acknowledged the Justice Department was evaluating information supplied by Giuliani, who has been Trump's point man in Ukraine. Giuliani has stoked a discredited theory that Ukraine interfered in the 2016 presidential election, and he has sought damaging information about Biden, who is seeking the Democratic presidential nomination.
Barr said the Justice Department has an "obligation" to assess the information, but he did not elaborate on the nature of the review.
In his Tuesday letter, Boyd said Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen took the action to coordinate all matters related to Ukraine. Boyd wrote that the decision does not grant "any individual unique access to the department.
"Indeed, any member of the public who has relevant information may contact the department and make use of its intake process for Ukraine-related matters," Boyd said.
He said Scott Brady, the chief federal prosecutor in western Pennsylvania, will evaluate anything.
Rosen has assigned Brooklyn U.S. Attorney Richard Donoghue to coordinate "several open" inquiries that may have some nexus to Ukraine, according to Boyd.
He wrote that Rosen set up the process "to avoid duplication of efforts across department offices and components to facilitate information sharing."
The campaign waged by Giuliani, whose business dealings in Ukraine are being scrutinized by federal authorities, has been a flashpoint for both Democrats and Trump allies.
Giuliani has claimed Biden improperly used his position as vice president to help his son, Hunter Biden, who was a highly-compensated board member of a Ukrainian energy company called Burisma Holdings. No evidence has emerged to support that claim.


usatoday--2020-02-18--President Trump pardons former San Francisco 49ers owner Edward DeBartolo Jr.

Trump 's pardons : Former 49ers owner has been pardoned by Trump President Trump signed an executive grant of clemency @ @ @ @ @ San Francisco 49ers , Edward DeBartolo Jr .

Trump's pardons: Former 49ers owner has been pardoned by Trump
President Trump signed an executive grant of clemency pardoning former owner of the San Francisco 49ers, Edward DeBartolo Jr.
USA TODAY


usatoday--2020-02-18--California to issue an official apology for World War II Japanese internment

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 on Feb. 19 , 1942 , ushering in one of the darkest eras in United States history .
More than 120,000 men , women and children of Japanese descent were forced to leave their homes and businesses and were crowded into 10 concentration camps scattered across the West .
Thursday marks the 78th anniversary of the Japanese internment , a day that has come to be known as a Day of Remembrance — but this year , California lawmakers are hoping to do more than just remember .
The California Legislature is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ official apology “ for its past actions in support of the unjust exclusion , removal and incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II , and for its failure to support and defend the civil rights and civil liberties of Japanese Americans during this period.
” All California , all the time : A newsletter that wraps up all things on the Golden State Introduced by Assemblyman Al Muratsuchi , D-Torrance , who was born in Japan , the resolution details the history of racism in the state that preceded internment and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Law of 1913 that barred anyone of Japanese ancestry and those from other parts of Asia from purchasing or leasing land .
In 1945 , lawmakers issued a $ 200,000 grant to the attorney general ’ s office to prosecute Japanese Americans who may have violated the land law .
Along with highlighting past injustices , the resolution emphasizes parallels with current policies .
`` Given recent national events , '' the legislation reads , `` it is all the more important to learn from the mistakes of the past and to ensure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ never again happen to any community in the United States . ''
The resolution is only an apology and does n't include compensation or restitution .
But it serves as an attempt at accountability for the role California played .
Two of the 10 camps — Manzanar and Tule Lake — were located in the state , and California officials at the time pushed for the crackdown .
Muratsuchi , who each year introduces a resolution to memorialize the day , said that he hopes this will help his state lead by example @ @ @ @ @ @ @ capital is hopelessly divided along party lines and President Trump is putting immigrant families and children in cages , '' Muratsuchi told the Pacific Citizen , a news outlet published by the Japanese American Citizens League , `` the California Legislature , with HR 77 will be issuing an official , bipartisan measure for its own actions taken that led to the incarceration of over 120,000 loyal Americans of Japanese ancestry behind barbed wire .
”

California to issue an official apology for World War II Japanese internment
Show Caption Hide Caption Pain of Japanese Internment Still Felt 75 Years Later Today, some Japanese Americans are drawing a comparison between the period of internment and President Donald Trump's travel ban on seven majority-Muslim countries. Wochit
President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 on Feb. 19, 1942, ushering in one of the darkest eras in United States history. More than 120,000 men, women and children of Japanese descent were forced to leave their homes and businesses and were crowded into 10 concentration camps scattered across the West.
Thursday marks the 78th anniversary of the Japanese internment, a day that has come to be known as a Day of Remembrance — but this year, California lawmakers are hoping to do more than just remember. The California Legislature is planning to pass a resolution issuing an official apology “for its past actions in support of the unjust exclusion, removal and incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II, and for its failure to support and defend the civil rights and civil liberties of Japanese Americans during this period.”
All California, all the time: A newsletter that wraps up all things on the Golden State
Introduced by Assemblyman Al Muratsuchi, D-Torrance, who was born in Japan, the resolution details the history of racism in the state that preceded internment and the war, including the California Alien Land Law of 1913 that barred anyone of Japanese ancestry and those from other parts of Asia from purchasing or leasing land. In 1945, lawmakers issued a $200,000 grant to the attorney general’s office to prosecute Japanese Americans who may have violated the land law.
I introduced HR 77, an official apology by the Assembly for legislation actions that led to the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II. I will be introducing the H.R. on Feb 20th as part of the annual Day of Remembrance celebrations.https://t.co/xCpkQsKT8R — Asm. Al Muratsuchi (@AsmMuratsuchi) February 10, 2020
Along with highlighting past injustices, the resolution emphasizes parallels with current policies.
"Given recent national events," the legislation reads, "it is all the more important to learn from the mistakes of the past and to ensure that such an assault on freedom will never again happen to any community in the United States."
The resolution is only an apology and doesn't include compensation or restitution. But it serves as an attempt at accountability for the role California played. Two of the 10 camps — Manzanar and Tule Lake — were located in the state, and California officials at the time pushed for the crackdown.
Muratsuchi, who each year introduces a resolution to memorialize the day, said that he hopes this will help his state lead by example.
"While our nation’s capital is hopelessly divided along party lines and President Trump is putting immigrant families and children in cages," Muratsuchi told the Pacific Citizen, a news outlet published by the Japanese American Citizens League, "the California Legislature, with HR 77 will be issuing an official, bipartisan measure for its own actions taken that led to the incarceration of over 120,000 loyal Americans of Japanese ancestry behind barbed wire.”
More: George Takei compares separation policy to Japanese internment camps


usatoday--2020-02-18--Michael Bloomberg surges in national poll, qualifies for debate stage

Former NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg has qualified to participate in his first Democratic presidential debate , after an NPR/PBS/NewsHour/Marist poll @

Michael Bloomberg surges in national poll, qualifies for debate stage
Former NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg has qualified to participate in his first Democratic presidential debate, after an NPR/PBS/NewsHour/Marist poll.
USA TODAY


usatoday--2020-02-18--Who big-city residents support, and what it might say about 2020 presidential election

Thousands of Americans voted for their favorite 2020 presidential candidate in Iowa and New Hampshire , making Bernie Sanders , Pete Buttigieg and Donald Trump the biggest winners .
Many more thousands of people around the country voted with their money throughout 2019 , and the same three candidates rose to the top .
USA TODAY teamed with RentHop , an algorithm-driven apartment search service , to drill down to the neighborhood level in 20 geographically diverse , large cities .
In 2016 , Trump won 11 of the states where these cities are located – including three that swung @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In total , this analysis encompasses the decisions of presidential campaign contributors from a combined population of nearly 30 million people .
The contributions were reported by the candidates to the Federal Election Commission throughout 2019 .
We also looked at Des Moines to see if the city 's contributions might align with the outcome of the Iowa Caucuses .
The contributions and results were eerily close : The 20 big cities we have selected are most of these states ' population centers and can heavily influence the direction of the states @ @ @ @ @ @ @ won Illinois in 2016 with more than half of her votes coming from just Chicago and its nearby suburbs in Cook County .
Admittedly , individual donors may have less to say in this presidential election than ever before .
Billionaires Tom Steyer and Mike Bloomberg are funding their campaigns with largely ( Steyer ) or entirely ( Bloomberg ) their personal fortunes , which took their fourth-quarter fundraising to a whole different level .
Also , Trump gained more individual donors in nine of the cities RentHop analyzed , but with as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the previous year , Democrats ' donations and choices were split .
What the RentHop analysis found in each the 20 large cities ' campaign donations for the 2020 presidential election : Nearly a third of Nevada 's population resides in Las Vegas – much of Clark County 's population .
That gave the city a big say in the final outcome of the 2016 election : Hillary Clinton won Clark County by 10 percentage points but won the state by just 2 percentage points .
The Nevada Democratic caucus is just days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ donor interest is any indication , it could give Joe Biden a chance to turn his fortunes around .
Besides running second to Sanders , Biden raised more money in the southern half of the city than any other candidate .
Buttigieg had half ( 210 ) the donors Sanders did , but polling since the Iowa caucuses suggests that Buttigieg and Bloomberg have been the beneficiaries of Biden 's poor showing in Iowa and New Hampshire , according to RealClear politics .
Bloomberg is not on the Nevada ballot .
In all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 3 as part of Super Tuesday , Sanders is among the top three candidates for individual donors .
Fourteen states will participate in Super Tuesday this year .
That might not be surprising because Sanders ' fundraising success has rested on numerous small-donation supporters , but he has a commanding number of financial supporters in Denver , Los Angeles and San Jose , California .
Sanders ' lead was narrower in Charlotte , North Carolina , Memphis , Tennessee , and the two Texas cities .
Buttigieg had the second-most donors in Dallas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have over his Democratic opponents wo n't likely matter during the general election in North Carolina , Tennessee and Texas .
All three voted for Trump in 2016 , and his lead in individual donors suggests his support is still strong .
Minnesota also votes on Super Tuesday , and should the vote follow donations from the Minneapolis area , Amy Klobuchar could have a commanding victory .
Minneapolis ' Hennepin County helped Clinton win the almost completely red state in 2016 .
One week after Super Tuesday , six more states hold @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Mississippi , North Dakota and Washington .
From that diverse group , Kansas City and Seattle both voted for Clinton in 2016 , but with vastly different outcomes statewide .
Trump won Missouri handily , while Clinton trounced him in Washington .
What unites Kansas City and Seattle this cycle was a surge in Sanders ' donors during December .
Not surprisingly , Sanders appears to be resonating in the Rust Belt states such as Michigan where he also leapfrogged Trump in individual donors in December .
Michigan swung to Trump in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ percentage points .
Clinton won Detroit 's Wayne County by 25 percentage points , so the rise in support for Sanders in Detroit is unlikely a barometer for the state .
What may be telling , though , is the overwhelming number of unique donations that Trump received in Phoenix and Jacksonville .
In 2016 , Trump beat Clinton by 3 percentage points in Phoenix 's Maricopa County – closely mirroring the margin for all for Arizona .
The number of Trump contributions in Phoenix in 2019 dwarfed Sanders ' and Buttigieg 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by just over 1 percentage point – about the same margin he won Florida .
Individual contributions in 2019 tell a much different story for 2020 .
Trump received more than five times the number of contributions of the next closest candidate .
Chicago and New York City 's boroughs play a large role in their state 's leanings .
Clinton won New York City and Chicago 's Cook County by more than 50 percentage points and subsequently won both states by double digits .
Both Sanders and Buttigieg top the Democratic ticket @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a distant fourth in both cities .
The last of the primary season If the field has n't been winnowed to a presumptive candidate by May , Buttigieg appears to have strong support in his home state 's primary on May 5 and in the Washington , D.C. , primary on June 16 .
Billings ' Democratic donors had aligned themselves largely with Montana Gov .
Steve Bullock who left the race for the Democratic nomination in December .
Renthop retrieved the campaign donations data from the FEC .
The dataset , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has yet to be categorized and coded by the FEC as of Feb 10 .
The data is pulled directly from each committee ’ s raw , electronic reports and does not include paper filings .
The city shape files were retrieved from the U.S. Census Bureau .
For unique donors , RentHop deduped by names , zip codes and committee names .
They adopted five-digit zip codes for this report as not all candidates collect nine-digit ZIP codes .
They then grouped the ZIP codes by their respective cities and further analyzed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who have changed their names or moved in between donations could artificially inflate the results .

Thousands of Americans voted for their favorite 2020 presidential candidate in Iowa and New Hampshire, making Bernie Sanders, Pete Buttigieg and Donald Trump the biggest winners.
Many more thousands of people around the country voted with their money throughout 2019, and the same three candidates rose to the top.
USA TODAY teamed with RentHop, an algorithm-driven apartment search service, to drill down to the neighborhood level in 20 geographically diverse, large cities. In 2016, Trump won nine of the states where these cities are located – including two that swung from supporting Barack Obama four years earlier.
In total, this analysis encompasses the decisions of presidential campaign contributors from a combined population of nearly 30 million people. The contributions were reported by the candidates to the Federal Election Commission throughout 2019.
We also looked at Des Moines to see if the city's contributions might align with the outcome of the Iowa Caucuses. The contributions and results were eerily close:
The 20 big cities we have selected are most of these states' population centers and can heavily influence the direction of the states' voting. Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton won Illinois in 2016 with more than half of her votes coming from just Chicago and its nearby suburbs in Cook County.
Admittedly, individual donors may have less to say in this presidential election than ever before. Billionaires Tom Steyer and Mike Bloomberg are funding their campaigns with largely (Steyer) or entirely (Bloomberg) their personal fortunes, which took their fourth-quarter fundraising to a whole different level.
Also, Trump gained more individual donors in nine of the cities RentHop analyzed, but with as many as two dozen Democratic candidates during the previous year, Democrats' donations and choices were split.
What the RentHop analysis found in each the 20 large cities' campaign donations for the 2020 presidential election:
The Nevada Democratic Caucus
Nearly a third of Nevada's population resides in Las Vegas – much of Clark County's population. That gave the city a big say in the final outcome of the 2016 election: Hillary Clinton won Clark County by 10 percentage points but won the state by just 2 percentage points.
The Nevada Democratic caucus is just days away on Feb. 22, and if donor interest is any indication, it could give Joe Biden a chance to turn his fortunes around. Besides running second to Sanders, Biden raised more money in the southern half of the city than any other candidate.
Buttigieg had half (210) the donors Sanders did, but polling since the Iowa caucuses suggests that Buttigieg and Bloomberg have been the beneficiaries of Biden's poor showing in Iowa and New Hampshire, according to RealClear politics. Bloomberg is not on the Nevada ballot.
Super Tuesday
In all eight cities where residents will vote March 3 as part of Super Tuesday, Sanders is among the top three candidates for individual donors. Fourteen states will participate in Super Tuesday this year.
That might not be surprising because Sanders' fundraising success has rested on numerous small-donation supporters, but he has a commanding number of financial supporters in Denver, Los Angeles and San Jose, California.
Sanders' lead was narrower in Charlotte, North Carolina, Memphis, Tennessee, and the two Texas cities. Buttigieg had the second-most donors in Dallas and Houston.
Whatever lead Sanders may have over his Democratic opponents won't likely matter during the general election in North Carolina, Tennessee and Texas. All three voted for Trump in 2016, and his lead in individual donors suggests his support is still strong.
Minnesota also votes on Super Tuesday, and should the vote follow donations from the Minneapolis area, Amy Klobuchar could have a commanding victory. Minneapolis' Hennepin County helped Clinton win the almost completely red state in 2016.
The next test
One week after Super Tuesday, six more states hold primaries: Idaho, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, North Dakota and Washington.
From that diverse group, Kansas City and Seattle both voted for Clinton in 2016, but with vastly different outcomes statewide. Trump won Missouri handily, while Clinton trounced him in Washington.
What unites Kansas City and Seattle this cycle was a surge in Sanders' donors during December.
Not surprisingly, Sanders appears to be resonating in the Rust Belt states such as Michigan where he also leapfrogged Trump in individual donors in December.
General election implications
Michigan swung to Trump in 2016 where he won by just 0.3 percentage points. Clinton won Detroit's Wayne County by 25 percentage points, so the rise in support for Sanders in Detroit is unlikely a barometer for the state.
What may be telling, though, is the overwhelming number of unique donations that Trump received in Phoenix and Jacksonville.
In 2016, Trump beat Clinton by 3 percentage points in Phoenix's Maricopa County – closely mirroring the margin for all for Arizona. The number of Trump contributions in Phoenix in 2019 dwarfed Sanders' and Buttigieg's.
Trump won Jacksonville's Duval County by just over 1 percentage point – about the same margin he won Florida. Individual contributions in 2019 tell a much different story for 2020. Trump received more than five times the number of contributions of the next closest candidate.
Two behemoths
Chicago and New York City's boroughs play a large role in their state's leanings. Clinton won New York City and Chicago's Cook County by more than 50 percentage points and subsequently won both states by double digits.
Both Sanders and Buttigieg top the Democratic ticket in their respective regions, and Trump is a distant fourth in both cities.
The last of the primary season
If the field hasn't been winnowed to a presumptive candidate by May, Buttigieg appears to have strong support in his home state's primary on May 5 and in the Washington, D.C., primary on June 16.
Billings' Democratic donors had aligned themselves largely with Montana Gov. Steve Bullock who left the race for the Democratic nomination in December.
About RentHop's analysis
Renthop retrieved the campaign donations data from the FEC. The dataset, though, only includes individual receipts and has yet to be categorized and coded by the FEC as of Feb 10. The data is pulled directly from each committee’s raw, electronic reports and does not include paper filings. The city shape files were retrieved from the U.S. Census Bureau.
For unique donors, RentHop deduped by names, zip codes and committee names. They adopted five-digit zip codes for this report as not all candidates collect nine-digit ZIP codes. They then grouped the ZIP codes by their respective cities and further analyzed the data by each candidate. People who have changed their names or moved in between donations could artificially inflate the results.


usatoday--2020-02-19--Iowa caucus recanvass doesn't change Buttigieg-Sanders delegate split, but a recount is likely happe

DES MOINES — Two weeks after the Iowa caucuses , an initial audit of the Democratic results created no change in the split of national delegates between Pete Buttigieg and Bernie Sanders but left them virtually tied in state delegate numbers .
The Iowa Democratic Party released the results of a partial recanvass requested by the two presidential candidates ' campaigns Tuesday night .
As it stands , Buttigieg , the former South Bend , Indiana , mayor , has 14 of Iowa 's national delegates and Sanders , a U.S. senator from Vermont , has 12 , the Iowa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Convention this summer almost 4,000 delegates from across the country will meet to formally vote on the party ’ s 2020 nominee .
The Associated Press has not called a winner in the Iowa race , even as the candidates have moved through New Hampshire 's primary and on to other early-primary states .
The twists of the caucus are n't necessarily finished : An official with the Sanders campaign said it will ask for a recount .
A recanvass was a prerequisite to a recount request , according to party rules .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ How Iowa Democrats had to review caucus data '' We now believe a recount will give Sen. Sanders enough State Delegate Equivalents to put him over the top by that metric as well .
We want to thank the people of Iowa , our supporters , our volunteers and everyone who made this possible , ” Bernie 2020 Senior Advisor Jeff Weaver said in a statement .
The Buttigieg campaign did not immediately issue a statement about the results .
The recanvass covered 81 precincts , including three satellite sites .
Administrators with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of 29 .
The recanvass follows a disastrous delayed caucus results reporting process after which campaigns headed to New Hampshire without knowing even preliminary Iowa results .
A software app that for reporting results malfunctioned , and the backup phone hotline turned into a bottleneck plagued with pranksters , reporters and precinct chairs alike .
The Des Moines Register and other media found errors and inconsistencies in the caucus data released by the party in the week following the caucuses .
The recanvass involved a hand audit of `` caucus math worksheets '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is designed to ensure the caucus results were tallied and reported correctly .
A recount would involve a hand count and audit of presidential preference cards that the precinct chairs collected .
Both presidential campaigns have claimed Iowa victory since the caucuses on Feb. 3 .
Buttigieg has held a lead in state delegate equivalents ; Sanders had more individual support at the caucus sites .
State delegate equivalents have been the traditional measure determining the winner of the Iowa caucuses .
Buttigieg campaign officials had hoped the recanvass would cement his delegate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ believed a recanvass and recount could give him a clean sweep of victory in Iowa .
Nick Coltrain is a politics and data reporter for the Register .
Reach him at ncoltrain @ registermedia.com or at 515-284-8361 .

Iowa caucus recanvass doesn't change Buttigieg-Sanders delegate split, but a recount is likely happening
Show Caption Hide Caption Watch: The three things that led to the Iowa caucus disaster Three things led to a disastrous caucus night for Democrats. The Des Moines Register
DES MOINES — Two weeks after the Iowa caucuses, an initial audit of the Democratic results created no change in the split of national delegates between Pete Buttigieg and Bernie Sanders but left them virtually tied in state delegate numbers.
The Iowa Democratic Party released the results of a partial recanvass requested by the two presidential candidates' campaigns Tuesday night. As it stands, Buttigieg, the former South Bend, Indiana, mayor, has 14 of Iowa's national delegates and Sanders, a U.S. senator from Vermont, has 12, the Iowa party reported. At the Democratic National Convention this summer almost 4,000 delegates from across the country will meet to formally vote on the party’s 2020 nominee.
The Associated Press has not called a winner in the Iowa race, even as the candidates have moved through New Hampshire's primary and on to other early-primary states.
The twists of the caucus aren't necessarily finished: An official with the Sanders campaign said it will ask for a recount. A recanvass was a prerequisite to a recount request, according to party rules.
More: What is a recanvass? How Iowa Democrats had to review caucus data
The recanvass reduced Buttigieg's slim lead in state delegate equivalents.
"We now believe a recount will give Sen. Sanders enough State Delegate Equivalents to put him over the top by that metric as well. We want to thank the people of Iowa, our supporters, our volunteers and everyone who made this possible,” Bernie 2020 Senior Advisor Jeff Weaver said in a statement.
The Buttigieg campaign did not immediately issue a statement about the results.
The recanvass covered 81 precincts, including three satellite sites. Administrators with the Iowa Democratic Party changed the results of 29.
Iowa caucus: Just how much influence does it have on the primary? The Iowa caucus is sure to be competitive this year. But what makes caucuses different from primaries? Just the FAQs
The recanvass follows a disastrous delayed caucus results reporting process after which campaigns headed to New Hampshire without knowing even preliminary Iowa results. A software app that for reporting results malfunctioned, and the backup phone hotline turned into a bottleneck plagued with pranksters, reporters and precinct chairs alike.
The Des Moines Register and other media found errors and inconsistencies in the caucus data released by the party in the week following the caucuses.
The recanvass involved a hand audit of "caucus math worksheets" used by precinct chairs. The check is designed to ensure the caucus results were tallied and reported correctly. A recount would involve a hand count and audit of presidential preference cards that the precinct chairs collected.
Both presidential campaigns have claimed Iowa victory since the caucuses on Feb. 3.
Buttigieg has held a lead in state delegate equivalents; Sanders had more individual support at the caucus sites. State delegate equivalents have been the traditional measure determining the winner of the Iowa caucuses.
Buttigieg campaign officials had hoped the recanvass would cement his delegate lead, while Sanders' camp folks believed a recanvass and recount could give him a clean sweep of victory in Iowa.
Nick Coltrain is a politics and data reporter for the Register. Reach him at ncoltrain@registermedia.com or at 515-284-8361.


usatoday--2020-02-19--What is a recanvass? How Iowa Democrats had to review caucus data

The Iowa Democratic Party on Tuesday released updated information from the Iowa Democratic caucuses after concerns about the accuracy of information being reported caused the chairman of the Democratic National Committee called for a recanvass .
A recanvass is essentially a review of the caucus results in each county .
At the end of every caucus , the precinct chair completes a `` caucus math worksheet '' which lists the first and final alignment numbers , as well as the county delegates for each candidate .
In a recanvass , representatives for the Iowa Democratic Party audit these worksheets for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the numbers match what was reported through the app or telephone line .
But the process would not correct errors in the math , and party officials have said publicly that the only opportunity to correct the math would be a recount .
The campaigns of both former mayor Pete Buttigieg and Sen. Bernie Sanders had requested a recanvass of certain results .
The requests covered 82 caucus-night precincts and all 61 in-state satellite caucus sites .
The party also reviewed another 95 precincts prior to the formal recanvass requests .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is essentially a re-tallying of votes .
The Iowa Democratic caucus results were delayed by a glitch in an app that caucus sites were using to report information to the party , as well as jammed results-reporting phone lines and other problems , including the release of inaccurate data .
Perez made his call for a recanvass as those details continued to mount .
The head of the state party resigned from his position Feb. 12 .
The Iowa Democratic Party prepared a 21-page caucus recanvass and recount manual ahead of this year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go about requesting a recanvass and under what circumstances .
`` Requests must present credible evidence suggesting that results were misreported or erroneously counted , '' the manual said .
A committee would validate the requests , according to the manual , and include the cost `` assessed to the candidate in order to complete the recanvass . ''
In a recount , party officials use the preference cards that caucusgoers filled out outlining their first and second choices in the room on caucus night and rerun all the math in each individual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Sanders ’ campaign plans to ask for a partial recount of the Iowa caucus results .
Contributing : Associated Press and The Des Moines Register

What is a recanvass? How Iowa Democrats had to review caucus data
Show Caption Hide Caption Iowa caucus: Just how much influence does it have on the primary? The Iowa caucus is sure to be competitive this year. But what makes caucuses different from primaries? Just the FAQs
The Iowa Democratic Party on Tuesday released updated information from the Iowa Democratic caucuses after concerns about the accuracy of information being reported caused the chairman of the Democratic National Committee called for a recanvass.
A what?
A recanvass is essentially a review of the caucus results in each county. At the end of every caucus, the precinct chair completes a "caucus math worksheet" which lists the first and final alignment numbers, as well as the county delegates for each candidate.
In a recanvass, representatives for the Iowa Democratic Party audit these worksheets for every precinct and satellite caucus, checking that the numbers match what was reported through the app or telephone line. But the process would not correct errors in the math, and party officials have said publicly that the only opportunity to correct the math would be a recount.
The campaigns of both former mayor Pete Buttigieg and Sen. Bernie Sanders had requested a recanvass of certain results.
The requests covered 82 caucus-night precincts and all 61 in-state satellite caucus sites. The party also reviewed another 95 precincts prior to the formal recanvass requests.
A recanvass is not a recount, which is essentially a re-tallying of votes.
Iowa caucuses explained: What is a delegate equivalent? Or a viability threshold?
The Iowa Democratic caucus results were delayed by a glitch in an app that caucus sites were using to report information to the party, as well as jammed results-reporting phone lines and other problems, including the release of inaccurate data. Perez made his call for a recanvass as those details continued to mount. The head of the state party resigned from his position Feb. 12.
The Iowa Democratic Party prepared a 21-page caucus recanvass and recount manual ahead of this year's caucusing, detailing how campaigns can go about requesting a recanvass and under what circumstances.
"Requests must present credible evidence suggesting that results were misreported or erroneously counted," the manual said.
A committee would validate the requests, according to the manual, and include the cost "assessed to the candidate in order to complete the recanvass."
In a recount, party officials use the preference cards that caucusgoers filled out outlining their first and second choices in the room on caucus night and rerun all the math in each individual precinct.
The Associated Press reported Tuesday that Sanders’ campaign plans to ask for a partial recount of the Iowa caucus results.
Contributing: Associated Press and The Des Moines Register


usatoday--2020-02-20--Bloomberg attacked, Warren fights back, Sanders holds steady: How each candidate fared in a rowdy de

Candidates piled on former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg – and at times Sen. Bernie Sanders – during a tense Democratic primary debate in Las Vegas on Wednesday .
Six candidates took the stage where health care once again dominated the discussion , as well as who is most fit to take on President Donald Trump in the November general election .
Politics updates , once a day : Get them distilled , explained and delivered straight to your inbox Here 's a look at how each candidate performed : Biden stood his ground Wednesday night while not taking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in previous debates .
Biden for months dominated national and state polling .
But lackluster performances in the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary have brought questions of whether he is electable .
In past debates , Biden often took the bulk of the attacks due to his frontrunner status .
This time around , though , he took much of his fight to Bloomberg , sharply criticizing the former New York City mayor 's stop-and-frisk policy .
More : Everybody came for Mike Bloomberg , and other top moments from the February @ @ @ @ @ @ @ policy was abhorrent , ” said Biden , who added that the program only stopped after President Barack Obama sent monitors to oversee it .
While Biden largely avoided attacks from his fellow candidates , he did receive one major interruption from protesters in the audience at the tail end of the debate .
“ You deported three million people !
” the protesters yelled , likely referencing the number of immigrants deported under the Obama administration .
Protesters have interrupted Biden in the past about the Obama administration 's mass deportation policies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Joe ” in response as the protesters were removed from the room .
From the first minute of the debate , Bloomberg was the main target of all of his Democratic counterparts .
A billionaire who has been self-funding his campaign , Bloomberg was repeatedly hit for his implementation of the stop-and-frisk policy .
Sanders pointing to it specifically as a reason why Bloomberg would n't earn broad support , particularly from black and Latino voters .
Sanders said the policy “ went after the African American and Latino people in an outrageous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only candidate who could beat Trump , Bloomberg at times drew boos from the Democratic crowd and stumbled in response to attacks from the other candidates .
One moment in particular came after Sen. Elizabeth Warren pressed him about how many women who worked for him were subject to non-disclosure agreements that made them unable to talk about harassment and abuse in the workplace .
Bloomberg was previously asked about some of his past comments about women and the way women were treated at his company .
Bloomberg said his company , Bloomberg @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the kind of behavior the Me Too movement has exposed.
” “ I hope you heard what his defense was : ‘ I ’ ve been nice to some women , ’ ” Warren replied .
“ The mayor needs to stand on his record.
” Both Warren and Biden called on Bloomberg to release women from the non-disclosure agreements .
Bloomberg declined .
“ They decided , when they made an agreement , that they wanted to keep it quiet for everyone ’ s interest , ” Bloomberg said .
With most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Buttigieg kept his eye on his main competitor : Sanders .
Buttigieg repeatedly went after Sanders , who has been his closest competitor in both Iowa and New Hampshire , questioning Wednesday the Vermont senator 's signature Medicare for All policy and whether the senator had what it takes to unite the country .
But Buttigieg also joined in the criticism of Bloomberg .
`` Look , we should n't have to choose between one candidate who wants to burn this party down and another candidate who wants to buy this party out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sanders and Bloomberg .
`` We can do better . ''
But Buttigieg took his own hits , mostly from Sen. Amy Klobuchar , who again questioned his limited experience as have only served as mayor of South Bend , Indiana .
She accused Buttigieg of not having “ been in the arena ” doing the work but instead just having “ memorized a bunch of talking points.
” Buttigieg countered that leading a diverse city that had been facing ruin may not sound like an arena to some .
But “ you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Washington to matter.
” After placing third in New Hampshire primary , Klobuchar was trying to keep that momentum .
The Minnesota Senator , who has leaned into snappy one-liners on previous debate stages , continued that habit Wednesday .
At one point she chimed in after a back-and-forth between Bloomberg and Sanders that there 's a boxing rematch happening Saturday night in Las Vegas and the two candidates should attend .
But Klobuchar also threw a couple punches of her , often sparring with Buttigieg , who holds the lead in national @ @ @ @ @ @ @ past debates and Wednesday was no different .
Buttigieg at one point criticized Klobuchar for failing to name Mexico 's president Andrés Manuel López Obrador in a recent interview , even though she serves on the Senate committee that oversees trade and border security .
“ Are you trying to stay that I ’ m dumb ?
Are you mocking me ?
” Klobuchar interjected .
“ People sometimes forget names.
” Klobuchar said she had “ momentary forgetfulness.
” Sen. Elizabeth Warren jumped to Klobuchar 's defense , saying that forgetting a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t by itself “ indicate that you don ’ t understand what ’ s going on.
” Sanders got a bit of the frontrunner treatment at Wednesday 's debate , but he walked away largely unscathed .
Overall , Sanders stood his ground against several attacks , including criticism of his Medicare for All plan and how it could affect labor unions ' health care coverage .
Sanders promised never to sign a bill that would give labor union workers worse benefits .
“ We will only expand for them , for every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of this country , ” Sanders said .
But Buttigieg pushed back in the discussion , at one point claiming Sanders was “ at war with ( Nevada ’ s ) Culinary Union.
” The accusation comes days after Sanders ' supporters reportedly threatened union members for criticizing Sanders ' Medicare for All plan .
More : Donald Trump at Phoenix rally weighs in on Democratic debate , criticizes Michael Bloomberg “ We are all responsible for our supporters and need to step up , ” Buttigieg told Sanders , adding that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ' leadership is drawing out of supporters .
Sanders responded that his campaign has `` more union support than you have ever dreamed of . ''
`` If there are a few people who make ugly remarks , who attack union leaders , then I disown those people .
They are not part of our movement , ” he said .
The Massachusetts Senator came out punching Wednesday .
She hit Bloomberg within the first five minutes of the debate , saying Democrats should not nominate someone who has “ a history of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ women , and of supporting racist policies like redlining and stop and frisk.
” She said that voters should n't nominate a “ billionaire who calls women fat broads and horseface lesbians , ” noting she was n't talking about Trump , but rather Bloomberg During an extended debate about health care , Warren dismissed Buttigieg ’ s “ Medicare for all who want it ” proposal as a Power Point plan .
She called Klobuchar ’ s health care proposal nothing more than a `` post-it note . ''
Warren , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was looking to get back into the conversation following a lackluster fifth place finish in New Hampshire .
It may have worked .
Warren 's chief mobilization officer , Caitlin Mitchell , tweeted at 10:40 p.m .
ET .
that Warren 's campaign `` raised $ 425,000 in the last 30 minutes . ''
Later , the campaign said it raised $ 1 million during the 2-hour debate .
More than 70,000 Nevadans have already participated in early caucusing , but the rest of the state heads to caucus sites Saturday .

Bloomberg attacked, Warren fights back, Sanders holds steady: How each candidate fared in a rowdy debate
Show Caption Hide Caption Michael Bloomberg takes debate stage and brunt of attacks The Democratic Primary Debate in Las Vegas, Nevada featured former NYC mayor Michael Bloomberg, who took the majority of attacks for the evening. USA TODAY
Candidates piled on former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg – and at times Sen. Bernie Sanders – during a tense Democratic primary debate in Las Vegas on Wednesday.
Six candidates took the stage where health care once again dominated the discussion, as well as who is most fit to take on President Donald Trump in the November general election.
Politics updates, once a day: Get them distilled, explained and delivered straight to your inbox
Here's a look at how each candidate performed:
Former Vice President Joe Biden
Biden stood his ground Wednesday night while not taking the same number of hits he has in previous debates.
Biden for months dominated national and state polling. But lackluster performances in the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary have brought questions of whether he is electable. In past debates, Biden often took the bulk of the attacks due to his frontrunner status.
This time around, though, he took much of his fight to Bloomberg, sharply criticizing the former New York City mayor's stop-and-frisk policy.
More: Everybody came for Mike Bloomberg, and other top moments from the February Democratic debate in Las Vegas
"The policy was abhorrent,” said Biden, who added that the program only stopped after President Barack Obama sent monitors to oversee it.
While Biden largely avoided attacks from his fellow candidates, he did receive one major interruption from protesters in the audience at the tail end of the debate.
What is Super Tuesday and why is it important? A previous version of this video displayed an incorrect date in a graphic. It was 1988 when 14 Southern and border states held their primaries. Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
“You deported three million people!” the protesters yelled, likely referencing the number of immigrants deported under the Obama administration. Protesters have interrupted Biden in the past about the Obama administration's mass deportation policies.
The crowd booed and chanted “Joe” in response as the protesters were removed from the room.
Former Mayor Mike Bloomberg
From the first minute of the debate, Bloomberg was the main target of all of his Democratic counterparts.
A billionaire who has been self-funding his campaign, Bloomberg was repeatedly hit for his implementation of the stop-and-frisk policy. Sanders pointing to it specifically as a reason why Bloomberg wouldn't earn broad support, particularly from black and Latino voters.
Sanders said the policy “went after the African American and Latino people in an outrageous way.”
Despite billing himself as the only candidate who could beat Trump, Bloomberg at times drew boos from the Democratic crowd and stumbled in response to attacks from the other candidates.
Nevada Democratic Caucus Results: Follow live results from Nevada's Democratic caucuses
One moment, in particular, came after Sen. Elizabeth Warren pressed him about how many women who worked for him were subject to non-disclosure agreements that made them unable to talk about harassment and abuse in the workplace. Bloomberg was previously asked about some of his past comments about women and the way women were treated at his company.
Bloomberg said his company, Bloomberg LP, had “no tolerance for the kind of behavior the Me Too movement has exposed.”
“I hope you heard what his defense was: ‘I’ve been nice to some women,’” Warren replied. “The mayor needs to stand on his record.”
Both Warren and Biden called on Bloomberg to release women from the non-disclosure agreements. Bloomberg declined.
“They decided, when they made an agreement, that they wanted to keep it quiet for everyone’s interest,” Bloomberg said.
Former mayor Pete Buttigieg
With most of the candidates focused on Bloomberg, Buttigieg kept his eye on his main competitor: Sanders.
Buttigieg repeatedly went after Sanders, who has been his closest competitor in both Iowa and New Hampshire, questioning Wednesday the Vermont senator's signature Medicare for All policy and whether the senator had what it takes to unite the country. But Buttigieg also joined in the criticism of Bloomberg.
"Look, we shouldn't have to choose between one candidate who wants to burn this party down and another candidate who wants to buy this party out," Buttigieg said, seemingly referencing Sanders and Bloomberg. "We can do better."
But Buttigieg took his own hits, mostly from Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who again questioned his limited experience as have only served as mayor of South Bend, Indiana.
She accused Buttigieg of not having “been in the arena” doing the work but instead just having “memorized a bunch of talking points.”
Buttigieg countered that leading a diverse city that had been facing ruin may not sound like an arena to some. But “you don’t have to be in Washington to matter.”
Sen. Amy Klobuchar
After placing third in New Hampshire primary, Klobuchar was trying to keep that momentum.
The Minnesota Senator, who has leaned into snappy one-liners on previous debate stages, continued that habit Wednesday. At one point she chimed in after a back-and-forth between Bloomberg and Sanders that there's a boxing rematch happening Saturday night in Las Vegas and the two candidates should attend.
But Klobuchar also threw a couple of punches of her, often sparring with Buttigieg, who holds the lead in national delegates. The two have tussled in past debates and Wednesday was no different. Buttigieg at one point criticized Klobuchar for failing to name Mexico's President Andrés Manuel López Obrador in a recent interview, even though she serves on the Senate committee that oversees trade and border security.
“Are you trying to stay that I’m dumb? Are you mocking me?” Klobuchar interjected. “People sometimes forget names.”
Klobuchar said she had “momentary forgetfulness.”
Sen. Elizabeth Warren jumped to Klobuchar's defense, saying that forgetting a name happens to everyone and doesn’t by itself “indicate that you don’t understand what’s going on.”
Sen. Bernie Sanders
Sanders got a bit of the frontrunner treatment at Wednesday's debate, but he walked away largely unscathed. Overall, Sanders stood his ground against several attacks, including criticism of his Medicare for All plan and how it could affect labor unions' health care coverage.
Sanders promised never to sign a bill that would give labor union workers worse benefits.
“We will only expand for them, for every union in America for the working class of this country,” Sanders said.
But Buttigieg pushed back in the discussion, at one point claiming Sanders was “at war with (Nevada’s) Culinary Union.” The accusation comes days after Sanders' supporters reportedly threatened union members for criticizing Sanders' Medicare for All plan.
More: Donald Trump at Phoenix rally weighs in on Democratic debate, criticizes Mike Bloomberg
“We are all responsible for our supporters and need to step up,” Buttigieg told Sanders, adding that the attacks are a reflection of what Sanders' leadership is drawing out of supporters.
Sanders responded that his campaign has "more union support than you have ever dreamed of."
"If there are a few people who make ugly remarks, who attack union leaders, then I disown those people. They are not part of our movement,” he said.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren
The Massachusetts Senator came out punching Wednesday.
She hit Bloomberg within the first five minutes of the debate, saying Democrats should not nominate someone who has “a history of hiding his tax returns, of harassing women, and of supporting racist policies like redlining and stop and frisk.”
She said that voters shouldn't nominate a “billionaire who calls women fat broads and horse-face lesbians,” noting she wasn't talking about Trump, but rather Bloomberg
During an extended debate about health care, Warren dismissed Buttigieg’s “Medicare for all who want it” proposal as a PowerPoint plan. She called Klobuchar’s health care proposal nothing more than a "post-it note."
Warren, who has the third most pledged delegates, was looking to get back into the conversation following a lackluster fifth-place finish in New Hampshire. It may have worked. Warren's chief mobilization officer, Caitlin Mitchell, tweeted at 10:40 p.m. ET. that Warren's campaign "raised $425,000 in the last 30 minutes." Later, the campaign said it raised $1 million during the 2-hour debate.
More than 70,000 Nevadans have already participated in early caucusing, but the rest of the state heads to caucus sites Saturday.


usatoday--2020-02-20--From 'stop and frisk' to comments about women, Bloomberg faced multiple attacks in his first debate

WASHINGTON – There appears to be no shortage of beefs that other Democratic candidates have with former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg .
At the Las Vegas debate , Bloomberg was on defense all evening – the target for virtually every other candidate on stage – and had to answer for his previous positions on health care , policing policies that disproportionately affected black New Yorkers and his company ’ s treatment of its female employees .
Bloomberg said his company , Bloomberg LP , had “ no tolerance for the kind of behavior the Me Too movement has exposed.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the former New York mayor on how many women who worked for him were subject to non-disclosure agreements and were unable to talk about harassment and abuse in the work place .
Warren said the women were being “ muzzled ” by Bloomberg and she encouraged him to release the women for those agreements on stage .
“ I hope you heard what his defense was : ‘ I ’ ve been nice to some women , ’ ” Warren said .
“ The mayor needs to stand on his record.
” Sen. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ require the largest voter turnout in history and Bloomberg can ’ t do that because of his past support for the controversial “ stop-and-frisk ” police strategy that had a disproportionate impact on black communities in New York .
Sanders said the policy , which Bloomberg apologized for again on Wednesday , “ went after the African American and Latino people in an outrageous way.
” Though his competition sought to put Bloomberg ’ s back against the wall , the former Republican landed several blows of his own – describing Sanders and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I can ’ t think of a way to make it easier for Donald Trump to get reelected than listening to this conversation , ” Bloomberg said during a fight over imposing higher taxes on the wealthy , which he said he opposes .
In a zinger at Sanders , Bloomberg said : “ What a wonderful country we have .
The best known socialist in the country happens to be a millionaire with three houses.
” The Las Vegas forum was the ninth Democratic debate but the first to include @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have skipped this and all debates , '' tweeted longtime political analyst Stuart Rothenberg .
Even before the debate began , former Vice President Joe Biden seized on the fact that Bloomberg didn ’ t rejoin the Democratic Party until 2018 – after switching to the GOP to run for mayor .
“ I don ’ t endorse Republicans , ” Biden tweeted Wednesday in response to a Bloomberg video showing Biden ’ s past praise for the former mayor .
More : Everybody came for Mike Bloomberg , and other top moments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vegas While Bloomberg is skipping the first four states to vote in Democrats ' presidential nominating contest – including Nevada where the debate was held – he is spending heavily across the country .
That earned him enough support in polls to qualify for the debate after the Democratic National Committee last month changed the entry rules that had included donor requirements .
Bloomberg , who has already spent more on advertising than President Barack Obama spent on ads during his entire 2012 re-election campaign , is self-funding his bid .
Warren last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the leader of our party ” because of comments he made in 2008 about the financial crisis .
Bloomberg said the crisis was started because banks were pressured to end the discriminatory housing practice known as “ redlining.
” Warren and other Democrats have also accused Bloomberg of trying to buy the nomination .
And she ’ s charged him with overseeing , as mayor , “ a program that surveilled and tracked Muslim communities in mosques , restaurants , and even college campuses.
” Shortly before the debate , Sanders circulated a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about decreasing benefits or raising the eligibility age of Medicare and Social Security .
“ Let ’ s have some austerity for billionaires , ” Sanders says at the end of the video .
But Bloomberg isn ’ t shying from battle .
His campaign has circulated a video criticizing the harassing “ energy ” of some of Sanders ’ supporters .
His aides are also warning that it ’ s almost too late for Democrats to coalesce behind an alternative to Sanders to stop him from getting the nomination .

Maureen Groppe and John Fritze, USA TODAY

From 'stop and frisk' to comments about women, Bloomberg faced multiple attacks in his first debate
Show Caption Hide Caption Michael Bloomberg takes debate stage and brunt of attacks The Democratic Primary Debate in Las Vegas, Nevada featured former NYC mayor Michael Bloomberg, who took the majority of attacks for the evening. USA TODAY
WASHINGTON – There appears to be no shortage of beefs that other Democratic candidates have with former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
At the Las Vegas debate, Bloomberg was on defense all evening – the target for virtually every other candidate on stage – and had to answer for his previous positions on health care, policing policies that disproportionately affected black New Yorkers and his company’s treatment of its female employees.
Bloomberg said his company, Bloomberg LP, had “no tolerance for the kind of behavior the Me Too movement has exposed.” But Sen. Elizabeth Warren quickly pressed the former New York mayor on how many women who worked for him were subject to non-disclosure agreements and were unable to talk about harassment and abuse in the work place.
Warren said the women were being “muzzled” by Bloomberg and she encouraged him to release the women for those agreements on stage.
“I hope you heard what his defense was: ‘I’ve been nice to some women,’” Warren said. “The mayor needs to stand on his record.”
Sen. Bernie Sanders argued that beating Trump would require the largest voter turnout in history and Bloomberg can’t do that because of his past support for the controversial “stop-and-frisk” police strategy that had a disproportionate impact on black communities in New York.
Sanders said the policy, which Bloomberg apologized for again on Wednesday, “went after the African American and Latino people in an outrageous way.”
Though his competition sought to put Bloomberg’s back against the wall, the former Republican landed several blows of his own – describing Sanders and Warren as too left to beat Trump.
“I can’t think of a way to make it easier for Donald Trump to get reelected than listening to this conversation,” Bloomberg said during a fight over imposing higher taxes on the wealthy, which he said he opposes.
In a zinger at Sanders, Bloomberg said: “What a wonderful country we have. The best known socialist in the country happens to be a millionaire with three houses.”
The Las Vegas forum was the ninth Democratic debate but the first to include Bloomberg.
"Clearly, Bloomberg should have skipped this and all debates," tweeted longtime political analyst Stuart Rothenberg.
'I don't endorse Republicans'
Even before the debate began, former Vice President Joe Biden seized on the fact that Bloomberg didn’t rejoin the Democratic Party until 2018 – after switching to the GOP to run for mayor.
“I don’t endorse Republicans,” Biden tweeted Wednesday in response to a Bloomberg video showing Biden’s past praise for the former mayor.
More: Everybody came for Mike Bloomberg, and other top moments from the February Democratic debate in Las Vegas
While Bloomberg is skipping the first four states to vote in Democrats' presidential nominating contest – including Nevada where the debate was held – he is spending heavily across the country.
That earned him enough support in polls to qualify for the debate after the Democratic National Committee last month changed the entry rules that had included donor requirements. Bloomberg, who has already spent more on advertising than President Barack Obama spent on ads during his entire 2012 re-election campaign, is self-funding his bid.
I don’t endorse Republicans. https://t.co/uQMjLdxHA3 — Joe Biden (Text Join to 30330) (@JoeBiden) February 19, 2020
Warren last week said Bloomberg “should not be the leader of our party” because of comments he made in 2008 about the financial crisis. Bloomberg said the crisis was started because banks were pressured to end the discriminatory housing practice known as “redlining.”
It’s a shame Mike Bloomberg can buy his way into the debate. But at least now primary voters curious about how each candidate will take on Donald Trump can get a live demonstration of how we each take on an egomaniac billionaire. https://t.co/H02radEZcv — Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) February 18, 2020
Warren and other Democrats have also accused Bloomberg of trying to buy the nomination. And she’s charged him with overseeing, as mayor, “a program that surveilled and tracked Muslim communities in mosques, restaurants, and even college campuses.”
Shortly before the debate, Sanders circulated a video of comments Bloomberg made in 2012 about decreasing benefits or raising the eligibility age of Medicare and Social Security.
“Let’s have some austerity for billionaires,” Sanders says at the end of the video.
y.
But Bloomberg isn’t shying from battle. His campaign has circulated a video criticizing the harassing “energy” of some of Sanders’ supporters.
His aides are also warning that it’s almost too late for Democrats to coalesce behind an alternative to Sanders to stop him from getting the nomination. In a memo, the aides wrote that Biden, Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar have "no path to appreciably collecting delegates on Super Tuesday (and beyond)," suggesting they should get out of the race.
Bringing up the memo during the debate, Klobuchar was having none of it.
"I've been told many times to wait my turn and to step aside," she said. "I think we need something different than Donald Trump. I don't think you look at Donald Trump and say we need someone richer in the White House."
Bloomberg countered that he has the best chance of beating Trump.
"I'm a New Yorker," he said. "I know how to take on an arrogant conman like Donald Trump.".


usatoday--2020-02-19--Nevada Democrats intensify last-minute training to avoid Iowa-like issues on Caucus Day

RENO – Nevada officials are making one final push to avert a repeat of Iowa ’ s calamitous Caucus Day .
The Nevada State Democratic Party on Wednesday announced a two-day training blitz meant to ensure that its precinct volunteers know how to use a new “ caucus calculator ” set to debut during the Silver State ’ s pivotal , third-in-the-nation nominating contest .
The calculator , first unveiled by Nevada Democrats last week , will be downloaded to party-purchased iPads and only available for use by precinct chairs charged with completing sometimes complicated caucus math .
It will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into final caucus results .
In a statement released Wednesday , party officials said they had updated online training materials and planned to host 55 in-person and online practice sessions ahead of Saturday ’ s closely watched caucus .
They said those meetings will provide “ hands-on guidance ” about the Google Forms-based calculator technology adopted to replace faulty app software widely blamed for vote-reporting delays in Iowa .
Related : Nevada Democrats turn to Scantron-style paper ballots after Caucus Day chaos in Iowa “ We understand just how important it is that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ integrity of Nevadans ’ votes , ” said Shelby Wiltz , the state party ’ s caucus director .
“ We are proud that we have a robust training program that started over the summer , and that is continuing up until Caucus Day .
We will continue to train our volunteers to make sure we have a successful caucus.
” Officials on Tuesday also held a mock caucus for Southern Nevada reporters , where they reportedly offered a smooth demonstration of how the iPad-based Google Forms technology would mimic the paper caucus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ caucuses .
Training materials posted to the party ’ s website show precinct captains will first fill out those sheets by hand , then on the calculator , before announcing vote totals to caucusgoers .
From there , volunteers will use the calculator to view the number of early ballots cast in their precinct and add that total to the number of in-person participants on Caucus Day .
This is how volunteers will determine which candidates have amassed a “ viable ” number of backers at the polling place , moving the process @ @ @ @ @ @ @ less-popular candidates are encouraged to join up with groups who backed a contender with more support .
The training materials go on to instruct volunteers to use their phones to take a photo of caucusing results and text it to party officials .
It wasn ’ t immediately clear how or whether the caucus calculator would aid in that process .
A spokeswoman said the state party has recruited additional tech volunteers to help facilitate and troubleshoot problems if the iPads fail on Caucus Day .
The party on Wednesday also confirmed some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expanded four-day early caucusing period , putting the state on pace to easily meet or exceed voter participation in recent presidential caucuses .
Officials used Scantron-style paper ballots to record those early results , which were then sent to party-run “ processing hubs ” for scanning and storage .
Unique voter PIN numbers attached to the ballots were intended to help officials route early results to the correct precinct for tallying on Caucus Day .
The party has not offered further details on the transfer of that early voting data .
James DeHaven @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gazette Journal .
He covers campaigns , the Nevada Legislature and everything in between .

Nevada Democrats intensify last-minute training to avoid Iowa-like issues on Caucus Day Organizers say the beefed-up training regimen will help volunteers use new 'caucus calculators'
Show Caption Hide Caption Watch: Hear from early caucus voters in Washoe County Early caucus voters at the University of Nevada and the Washoe County Democratic headquarters share their experience with the RGJ on Feb. 15, 2020. Jason Bean, RGJ
RENO – Nevada officials are making one final push to avert a repeat of Iowa’s calamitous Caucus Day.
The Nevada State Democratic Party on Wednesday announced a two-day training blitz meant to ensure that its precinct volunteers know how to use a new “caucus calculator” set to debut during the Silver State’s pivotal, third-in-the-nation nominating contest.
The calculator, first unveiled by Nevada Democrats last week, will be downloaded to party-purchased iPads and only available for use by precinct chairs charged with completing sometimes complicated caucus math. It will also help organizers incorporate early vote totals into final caucus results.
In a statement released Wednesday, party officials said they had updated online training materials and planned to host 55 in-person and online practice sessions ahead of Saturday’s closely watched caucus.
They said those meetings will provide “hands-on guidance” about the Google Forms-based calculator technology adopted to replace faulty app software widely blamed for vote-reporting delays in Iowa.
Nevada Caucus results: Follow live Nevada Democratic Caucus Results
Related: Nevada Democrats turn to Scantron-style paper ballots after Caucus Day chaos in Iowa
“We understand just how important it is that we get this right and protect the integrity of Nevadans’ votes,” said Shelby Wiltz, the state party’s caucus director. “We are proud that we have a robust training program that started over the summer, and that is continuing up until Caucus Day. We will continue to train our volunteers to make sure we have a successful caucus.”
Officials on Tuesday also held a mock caucus for Southern Nevada reporters, where they reportedly offered a smooth demonstration of how the iPad-based Google Forms technology would mimic the paper caucus reporting sheets and posters used in past caucuses.
Difference between caucus and primary, explained The 2020 election is nearing and with that, comes the caucuses and primary elections. But what’s the difference? Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
Training materials posted to the party’s website show precinct captains will first fill out those sheets by hand, then on the calculator, before announcing vote totals to caucusgoers.
From there, volunteers will use the calculator to view the number of early ballots cast in their precinct and add that total to the number of in-person participants on Caucus Day.
This is how volunteers will determine which candidates have amassed a “viable” number of backers at the polling place, moving the process to a second phase when supporters of less-popular candidates are encouraged to join up with groups who backed a contender with more support.
The training materials go on to instruct volunteers to use their phones to take a photo of caucusing results and text it to party officials.
It wasn’t immediately clear how or whether the caucus calculator would aid in that process.
A spokeswoman said the state party has recruited additional tech volunteers to help facilitate and troubleshoot problems if the iPads fail on Caucus Day.
The party on Wednesday also confirmed some 70,000 Nevadans turned out during a newly expanded four-day early caucusing period, putting the state on pace to easily meet or exceed voter participation in recent presidential caucuses.
Officials used Scantron-style paper ballots to record those early results, which were then sent to party-run “processing hubs” for scanning and storage. Unique voter PIN numbers attached to the ballots were intended to help officials route early results to the correct precinct for tallying on Caucus Day. The party has not offered further details on the transfer of that early voting data.
James DeHaven is the politics reporter for the Reno Gazette Journal. He covers campaigns, the Nevada Legislature and everything in between.


usatoday--2020-02-19--Rod Blagojevich calls himself a 'Trumpocrat' after Trump commutes sentence

Former Illinois Gov .
Rod Blagojevich , who was convicted in 2011 of trying to sell Barack Obama 's Senate @ @ @ @ @ from Pres .
Trump .

Blagojevich: Says he's a 'Trumpocrat' after Trump commutes sentence
Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who was convicted in 2011 of trying to sell Barack Obama's Senate seat, received a commutation from Pres. Trump.
USA TODAY


usatoday--2020-02-20--George Zimmerman sues Elizabeth Warren, Pete Buttigieg for defamation, seeks $265 million

LAKELAND , Fla. – George Zimmerman , who was acquitted in the fatal shooting of a Florida teenager in 2012 , filed a lawsuit against two presidential candidates , alleging they defamed him .
Zimmerman , who lives in Polk County , filed the lawsuit Tuesday in 10th Judicial Circuit Court .
The suit names Elizabeth Warren and Pete Buttigieg as defendants .
The suit claims Warren and Buttigieg separately defamed Zimmerman in Twitter statements Feb. 5 recognizing what would have been Trayvon Martin ’ s 25th birthday .
The suit says both did so “ for political gain in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ standings amongst African-American voters , all at Zimmerman ’ s expense.
” Sen. Warren , D-Mass.
, has about 3.6 million Twitter followers , and Buttigieg , former mayor of South Bend , Indiana , has about 1.6 million .
Zimmerman is represented by Larry Klayman of Freedom Watch , a Washington organization that frequently files lawsuits on behalf of conservative causes .
In the court filing , Zimmerman seeks a damages award of $ 265 million .
Feb. 26 will mark eight years since Martin , 17 , was shot and killed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a neighborhood watch group in 2012 when he followed Martin , who was visiting family in a gated community in Sanford , Florida .
Martin noticed Zimmerman and confronted him , and a struggle ensued in which Zimmerman fatally shot the teenager .
After being charged with murder , Zimmerman claimed self-defense under Florida ’ s “ Stand Your Ground ” statute .
He was acquitted in a trial in 2013 .
On Feb. 5 , Buttigieg tweeted , “ Trayvon Martin would have been 25 today .
How many 25th birthdays have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , gun violence , prejudice , and fear ?
” The same day , Warren tweeted , “ My heart goes out to @ SybrinaFulton and Trayvon ’ s family and friends .
He should still be with us today .
We need to end gun violence and racism .
And we need to build a world where all of our children – especially young Black boys – can grow up safe and free.
” The 30-page lawsuit includes a long summary of the events leading up to the shooting of Martin .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in December against Fulton , family lawyer Benjamin Crump , the Florida Department of Law Enforcement , the state of Florida and others , seeking $ 100 million in damages .
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George Zimmerman sues Elizabeth Warren, Pete Buttigieg for defamation, seeks $265 million
Show Caption Hide Caption George Zimmerman sues Elizabeth Warren, Pete Buttigieg for defamation George Zimmerman is suing Elizabeth Warren and Pete Buttigieg and seeks a damages award of $265 million. USA TODAY
LAKELAND, Fla. – George Zimmerman, who was acquitted in the fatal shooting of a Florida teenager in 2012, filed a lawsuit against two presidential candidates, alleging they defamed him.
Zimmerman, who lives in Polk County, filed the lawsuit Tuesday in 10th Judicial Circuit Court. The suit names Elizabeth Warren and Pete Buttigieg as defendants.
The suit claims Warren and Buttigieg separately defamed Zimmerman in Twitter statements Feb. 5 recognizing what would have been Trayvon Martin’s 25th birthday. The suit says both did so “for political gain in misguided and malicious attempts to bolster their standings amongst African-American voters, all at Zimmerman’s expense.”
Trayvon Martin would have been 25 today.
How many 25th birthdays have been stolen from us by white supremacy, gun violence, prejudice, and fear?#BlackLivesMatter — Pete Buttigieg (@PeteButtigieg) February 5, 2020
Sen. Warren, D-Mass., has about 3.6 million Twitter followers, and Buttigieg, former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, has about 1.6 million.
Zimmerman is represented by Larry Klayman of Freedom Watch, a Washington organization that frequently files lawsuits on behalf of conservative causes.
In the court filing, Zimmerman seeks a damages award of $265 million.
Feb. 26 will mark eight years since Martin, 17, was shot and killed.
My heart goes out to @SybrinaFulton and Trayvon's family and friends. He should still be with us today.
We need to end gun violence and racism. And we need to build a world where all of our children—especially young Black boys—can grow up safe and free. https://t.co/9lXXlRnvzL — Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) February 6, 2020
Zimmerman was a volunteer member of a neighborhood watch group in 2012 when he followed Martin, who was visiting family in a gated community in Sanford, Florida. Martin noticed Zimmerman and confronted him, and a struggle ensued in which Zimmerman fatally shot the teenager.
After being charged with murder, Zimmerman claimed self-defense under Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” statute. He was acquitted in a trial in 2013.
On Feb. 5, Buttigieg tweeted, “Trayvon Martin would have been 25 today. How many 25th birthdays have been stolen from us by white supremacy, gun violence, prejudice, and fear?”
The same day, Warren tweeted, “My heart goes out to @SybrinaFulton and Trayvon’s family and friends. He should still be with us today. We need to end gun violence and racism. And we need to build a world where all of our children – especially young Black boys – can grow up safe and free.”
Sybrina Fulton is Martin’s mother.
The 30-page lawsuit includes a long summary of the events leading up to the shooting of Martin.
Zimmerman filed a lawsuit in Polk County in December against Fulton, family lawyer Benjamin Crump, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the state of Florida and others, seeking $100 million in damages.
Follow reporter Gary White on Twitter: @garywhite13.
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