usatoday--2020-12-08--RBG, Kobe Bryant, Little Richard: Remembering notables who died in 2020

In this year of the coronavirus pandemic , deaths were often just a cold statistic .
Grieving families barely had a moment to say goodbye , to remember or to celebrate .
But every well-lived life , whether lost to disease , old age , accident or other cause , leaves positive paths forward , or sometimes cautionary tales , for family , friends or fans .
Those memories can bring tears , renew faith , and often spark a smile when the hint of a grandparent shows up in the face of a newborn .
So it is with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” USA TODAY ’ s annual remembrance of those who lived big enough to inspire not only loved ones but whole generations .
Some of those who died in 2020 became icons by the end , bright lights not only of past accomplishments but of new ways still to come .
The lacy “ dissent collar ” worn by Supreme Court Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg , whose death at age 87 shifted the tilt of the court , came to symbolize the resolve of her followers .
The raucous piano and whoops @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a legacy of lascivious joy from the very beginnings of rock and roll .
The shaken , not stirred , martinis of Scottish actor Sean Connery , 90 , who died on Halloween , removed all doubt that he was the true James Bond .
Their voices , too , often brought inspirations and challenges .
“ Your vote is precious , almost sacred .
It is the most powerful , nonviolent tool we have to create a more perfect union , ’ ’ said Rep. John Lewis , 80 , an original @ @ @ @ @ @ @ July , but not before he recommended that Joe Biden pick a woman of color as vice president .
“ What we leave behind is a part of ourselves .
We must die to one life before we can enter into another , ’ ’ wrote journalist Gail Sheehy , 83 , author of the influential “ Passages , ” who died in August .
“ The moment you give up is the moment you let someone else win , ” said NBA superstar Kobe Bryant , 41 , whose death with his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crash was a shocking portent of the grim year to come .
The pandemic was barely starting when the deaths at the hands of police of ordinary Americans like George Floyd , 46 , and Breonna Taylor , 26 , sparked Black Lives Matter protests and helped raise social consciousness .
Some deaths shook nations in other ways .
Three days of mourning were ordered in Argentina following the loss of soccer superstar Diego Maradona , 60 , whose famous “ Hand of God ” goal – the ball came off his hand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stand – helped secure the 1986 World Cup for his country .
Other deaths recalled pioneers .
A former Miss America , Phyllis George , who died at 70 , was just 26 when she joined CBS ’ Sunday pre-game show , “ The NFL Today , ” in 1975 , crossing a goal post for women in sportscasting .
“ Someone has to be first , ’ ’ said ESPN anchor Hannah Storm .
“ That was Phyllis George — a true trailblazer . ''
The loss of media comforts added to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ affable Regis Philbin , 88 , who holds the record for most hours on television , was like a warm muffin and coffee every weekday morning .
And Alex Trebek , 80 , shared his battle with cancer even while proving that game shows like “ Jeopardy !
” could be intelligent and respectful of players and audience .
The largely uncontrolled spread of COVID-19 this year has cost hundreds of thousands of lives in the U.S. , among them well-known figures from all walks of life .
Just a sampling of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Among COVID-19 deaths were Hall of Fame pitcher Tom Seaver , 75 ; folk singer John Prine , 73 ; portrayer of Darth Vader , David Prowse , 85 ; Las Vegas lion handler Roy Horn , 75 , of Siegfried and Roy ; New York federal judge Kevin Duffy , 87 ; Fountains of Wayne rocker Adam Schlesinger , 52 ; singer Trini Lopez , 83 ; rapper Ty , 47 ; historian Henry Graff , 98 ; Japanese Sumo wrestler Shobushi , 28 , and American wrestler Kamala , 70 ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Annie Glenn , 100 ; presidential candidate Herman Cain , 74 ; Bruce Williamson , 49 , of The Temptations ; Toots Hibbert , 77 , of Toots and the Maytals ; Tommy DeVito , 92 , of The Four Seasons ; Broadway ’ s Nick Cordero , 41 , and playwright Terrence McNally , 81 ; actress Lynn Kellogg , 77 ; science-fiction writer Ben Bova , 88 ; and Medal of Honor winner for heroism in Vietnam , Army Command Sgt .
Maj. Bennie G. Adkins , 86 .
As @ @ @ @ @ @ @ past century fade in memory .
Happily , their work survives : Some of the last stars of Hollywood ’ s Golden Age passed away in 2020 , among them eternal tough guy Kirk Douglas , 103 , and Olivia de Havilland , 104 , who brought a gentle spirit to 1939 ’ s grim “ Gone With the Wind.
” And Technicolor was tailor-made for fiery redhead Rhonda Fleming , 97 , co-star of films with Douglas , Charlton Heston and others .
Also lost were Diana Rigg , 82 , whose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ The Avengers ” to a regal turn in “ Game of Thrones ” ; and Max von Sydow , 90 , whose roles ranged from Jesus to an exorcist and Ming the Merciless in “ Flash Gordon.
” Tony Award winner Ian Holm , 88 , was nominated for an Oscar for “ Chariots of Fire , ’ but is also remembered as an evil android in “ Alien.
” The “ Chariots ” cast also lost actor Ben Cross , 72 .
Jacqueline Scott , 89 , was known as “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than 100 movies and TV series such as “ Bat Masterson ” and “ The Fugitive ” ; Edd “ Kookie ” Byrnes , 87 , a breakout star of the 1958 TV show “ 77 Sunset Strip ” also appeared as the dance-show host in “ Grease ” ; character actor Wilford Brimley , 85 , brought homespun truth to his roles in “ Cocoon , '' “ The Natural ” and the journalism drama “ Absence of Malice.
” Ken Osmond , 76 , played the unctuous Eddie Haskell on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ What a lovely dress , Mrs. Cleaver ” – and later , for real , became a Los Angeles police officer .
And no , he did not become rocker Alice Cooper , one of the urban legends that plagued his career .
Character actor John Karlan , 86 , besides playing Tyne Daly ’ s husband on “ Cagney and Lacy , ” first freed vampire Barnabas Collins on the “ Dark Shadows ” soap opera in 1967 .
Other perennials included Hugh Downs , 99 , whose career goes back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; comedy writer Carl Reiner , 98 , who created the “ Dick Van Dyke Show ” and was straight man for Mel Brooks ’ 2000-Year-Old Man ; singer/dancer Paula Kelly , 77 ; deadpan satirist Buck Henry , 89 , and comedian Norm Crosby , 93 ; comic actors Fred Willard , 86 , and Jerry Stiller , 92 ; Ja ’ Net DuBois , 74 , of “ Good Times ” ; and Monty Python ’ s Terry Jones , 77 .
Gruff-guy-next-door Brian Dennehy , 81 , appeared in 180 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , played Pussy Galore in “ Goldfinger ” ; the movie star looks of Lyle Waggoner , 84 , drew laughs with Carol Burnett ; David Lander , 73 , was memorable as Squiggy on “ Laverne and Shirley ” ; and TV star Robert Conrad , 84 , who saw his profile grow in ads with an Eveready battery on his shoulder .
“ I dare ya to knock this off.
” Among unexpected deaths were “ Glee ” star Naya Rivera , 33 , who drowned in a boating accident ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was struck by a car ; and Chadwick Boseman , 43 , who died of cancer after portraying Jackie Robinson , James Brown , Thurgood Marshall and a new cultural touchstone , the Black Panther .
Actress Kelly Preston , 57 , who appeared in “ Jerry Maguire ” and 60 other films and TV shows , died of breast cancer in July .
“ Happy Birthday , Hon !
’ ’ posted husband John Travolta on her birthday in October .
“ All my love , John.
” So many iconic baseball @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are almost enough .
Besides Seaver of the Mets , gone are slugger Al Kaline , 85 ( Tigers ) , and Dick Allen , 78 ( Phillies ) ; pitchers Whitey Ford , 91 , and Don Larsen , 90 ( Yankees ) , and Bob Gibson , 84 ( Cardinals ) ; speedster Lou Brock , 81 ( Cardinals ) , and second baseman Joe Morgan , 77 ( Reds ) .
Also gone is legendary baseball writer Roger Kahn , 92 , who chronicled everyone listed here .
Football lost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the “ Golden Boy ” from Notre Dame and Packers ) , and Gayle Sayers , 77 ( Bears ) , along with Don Shula , 90 ( coach of the undefeated 1972 Dolphins ) .
Basketball greats include Georgetown coach John Thompson Jr. , 78 ; Tommy Heinsohn , 86 , who was with the Celtics as a player , coach and commentator for all 17 championships ; Wes Unseld , 74 ( Bullets ) ; Utah Jazz coach Jerry Sloan , 78 , and NBA Commissioner David Stern , 77 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Richard , 84 , won 11 Stanley Cups with the Montreal Canadiens , the most by any player .
Beyond John Lewis , the civil rights movement lost the Rev .
Joseph Lowery , 98 ; C.T .
Vivian , 95 , a close ally of the Rev .
Martin Luther King ; and Charles Evers , 97 , brother of slain activist Medgar Evers .
Other notables include deposed Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak , 91 ; former Sens .
Slade Gorton , R-Wash. , 92 , Tom Coburn , R-Okla. 72 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 87 ; former national security adviser Brent Scowcroft , 95 ; David Dinkins , 93 , the first Black mayor of New York City ; test pilot Chuck Yeager , 97 , who broke the sound barrier in 1947 , decades before NASA aimed at the moon ; quantum physicist Freeman Dyson , 96 , and Katherine Johnson , 101 , a “ Hidden Figures ” mathematician who helped NASA get to the moon .
Cable television tycoon Sumner Redstone , 97 , GE ’ s Jack Welch , 84 , and TV @ @ @ @ @ @ @ among leaders who found their core businesses changing in a digital world .
“ The replenishing thing that comes with a nap – you end up with two mornings in a day , ” were the soothing words of usually hard-boiled New York City columnist Pete Hamill , gone at 85 .
Journalists silenced included jazz columnist Stanley Crouch , 74 ; political columnist Richard Reeves , 83 ; Deb Price , 62 , who wrote a groundbreaking column on gay issues for The Detroit News ; and PBS anchor Jim Lehrer , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ novelist Clive Cussler , 88 , and the “ Queen of Suspense ” Mary Higgins Clark , 92 ( all 51 of her books were bestsellers ) , to Shere Hite , 77 , whose 1976 “ Hite Report on Female Sexuality ” raised consciousness .
Creative forces such as magazine designer Milton Glaser , 91 ; Christo , 84 , who unveiled epic artwork in public spaces ; Mad magazine artist Mort Drucker , 91 ; and “ Blade Runner ” futurist Syd Mead , 86 , set standards for artists to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 84 , used his plays to push for AIDS awareness and government action .
The world of music lost players in all genres , including hyper-kinetic rock guitarist Eddie Van Halen , 65 ; classical guitarist Julian Bream , 87 ; country stars Kenny Rogers , 81 , Charlie Daniels , 83 , Mac Davis , 78 , Jan Howard , 91 , and Billy Joe Shaver , 81 ; and Ennio Morricone , 91 , composer of the classic theme from “ The Good , the Bad and the Ugly.
” Other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whose “ I Am Woman ” became an anthem ; Jerry Jeff Walker , 78 , writer of “ Bojangles ” ; Annie Ross , 89 , of the bebop jazz trio Lambert , Hendricks and Ross ; and singers Bill Withers , 81 , Betty Wright , 66 , and Johnny Nash , 80 , who sang “ I Can See Clearly Now.
” Lost band members included Bonnie Pointer , 69 ( Pointer Sisters ) , Ronald Bell , 68 ( Kool & the Gang ) , Peter Green , 73 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Manzarek , 74 ( The Doors ) , Neil Peart , 67 ( Rush ) , and Spencer Davis , 81 ( whose Spencer Davis Group was fronted by Steve Winwood ) .
Finally , anyone still living from World War II remembers the hopeful poignancy of “ We ’ ll Meet Again , ” aired during the war on big band broadcasts and Armed Forces Radio by British singer Vera Lynn , who died in June at age 103 .
The song was used ironically at the end of Stanley Kubrick ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1964 , but the words still have meaning , especially now after a year like no other : David Colton – @ dcoltonnow – is a former executive editor at USA TODAY .

Corrections & clarifications: A previous version of this story had the incorrect year of Ray Manzarek’s death. He died in 2013.
In this year of the coronavirus pandemic, deaths were often just a cold statistic. Grieving families barely had a moment to say goodbye, to remember or to celebrate.
But every well-lived life, whether lost to disease, old age, accident or other cause, leaves positive paths forward, or sometimes cautionary tales, for family, friends or fans. Those memories can bring tears, renew faith, and often spark a smile when the hint of a grandparent shows up in the face of a newborn.
So it is with this year’s “Passages,” USA TODAY’s annual remembrance of those who lived big enough to inspire not only loved ones but whole generations.
Some of those who died in 2020 became icons by the end, bright lights not only of past accomplishments but of new ways still to come.
Supreme Court Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died of metastatic pancreatic cancer at age 87, was the first woman to lie in state at the U.S. Capitol. H. Darr Beiser, USA TODAY
The lacy “dissent collar” worn by Supreme Court Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, whose death at age 87 shifted the tilt of the court, came to symbolize the resolve of her followers. The raucous piano and whoops of Little Richard, 87, left a legacy of lascivious joy from the very beginnings of rock and roll. The shaken, not stirred, martinis of Scottish actor Sean Connery, 90, who died on Halloween, removed all doubt that he was the true James Bond.
Their voices, too, often brought inspirations and challenges.
Little Richard, left, and Sean Connery are among the icons who died in 2020. A rock and roll pioneer, Richard's frenetic stage presence, trademark piano pounding and supersonic vocals made him into a showbiz institution. Scottish actor Connery, meanwhile, embodied the suave British agent James Bond, playing the role in seven films. They were among the dozens of movies he starred in during his career. Little Richard, left, and Sean Connery are among the icons who died in 2020. A rock and roll pioneer, Richard's frenetic stage presence, trademark piano pounding and supersonic vocals made him into a showbiz institution. Scottish actor Connery, meanwhile, embodied the suave British agent James Bond, playing the role in seven films. They were among the dozens of movies he starred in during his career. Little Richard, left, and Sean Connery are among the icons who died in 2020. A rock and roll pioneer, Richard's frenetic stage presence, trademark piano pounding and supersonic vocals made him into a showbiz institution. Scottish actor Connery, meanwhile, embodied the suave British agent James Bond, playing the role in seven films. They were among the dozens of movies he starred in during his career. LEFT: Stephane De Sakutin, AFP/Getty Images; RIGHT: MATT MENDELSOHN, USA TODAY
“Your vote is precious, almost sacred. It is the most powerful, nonviolent tool we have to create a more perfect union,’’ said Rep. John Lewis, 80, an original Freedom Rider from 1961 who died in July, but not before he recommended that Joe Biden pick a woman of color as vice president.
“It is a paradox that when we reach our prime, we also see there is a place where it finishes,’’ wrote journalist Gail Sheehy, 83, author of the influential “Passages,” who died in August.
Chadwick Boseman, Kobe Bryant, RBG among the icons we lost in 2020 Remembering the stars who passed in 2020, from lawmakers to scholars and entertainers. USA TODAY
“The moment you give up is the moment you let someone else win,” said NBA superstar Kobe Bryant, 41, whose death with his daughter and others in a January helicopter crash was a shocking portent of the grim year to come.
Former NBA basketball player Kobe Bryant, 41, died in a helicopter crash Jan. 26 along with his 13-year-old daughter and seven other people. Harrison Hill, Harrison Hill-USA TODAY via Imag
The pandemic was barely starting when the deaths at the hands of police of ordinary Americans like George Floyd, 46, and Breonna Taylor, 26, sparked Black Lives Matter protests and helped raise social consciousness.
Some deaths shook nations in other ways. Three days of mourning were ordered in Argentina following the loss of soccer superstar Diego Maradona, 60, whose famous “Hand of God” goal – the ball came off his hand into the net but was allowed to stand – helped secure the 1986 World Cup for his country.
Other deaths recalled pioneers. A former Miss America, Phyllis George, who died at 70, was just 26 when she joined CBS’ Sunday pre-game show, “The NFL Today,” in 1975, crossing a goal post for women in sportscasting. “Someone has to be first,’’ said ESPN anchor Hannah Storm. “That was Phyllis George — a true trailblazer."
The loss of media comforts added to the pain of 2020. The always affable Regis Philbin, 88, who holds the record for most hours on television, was like a warm muffin and coffee every weekday morning. And Alex Trebek, 80, shared his battle with cancer even while proving that game shows like “Jeopardy!” could be intelligent and respectful of players and audience.
COVID-19’S TOLL REACHES WIDE
The largely uncontrolled spread of COVID-19 this year has cost hundreds of thousands of lives in the U.S., among them well-known figures from all walks of life. Just a sampling of the virus's deadly reach is breathtaking.
Among COVID-19 deaths were pioneering Black country music legend Charley Pride, 86; Hall of Fame pitcher Tom Seaver, 75; folk singer John Prine, 73; portrayer of Darth Vader, David Prowse, 85; survivor of "Gilligan's Island," Dawn Wells, 82; Las Vegas lion handler Roy Horn, 75, of Siegfried and Roy; New York federal judge Kevin Duffy, 87; Fountains of Wayne rocker Adam Schlesinger, 52; singer Trini Lopez, 83; rapper Ty, 47; historian Henry Graff, 98; Japanese Sumo wrestler Shobushi, 28, and American wrestler Kamala, 70; disability activist and widow of John Glenn, Annie Glenn, 100; presidential candidate Herman Cain, 74; Bruce Williamson, 49, of The Temptations; Toots Hibbert, 77, of Toots and the Maytals; Tommy DeVito, 92, of The Four Seasons; Broadway’s Nick Cordero, 41, and playwright Terrence McNally, 81; actress Lynn Kellogg, 77; science-fiction writer Ben Bova, 88; and Medal of Honor winner for heroism in Vietnam, Army Command Sgt. Maj. Bennie G. Adkins, 86.
Also lost to complications from COVID-19: Congressman-elect Luke Letlow, 41, a Louisiana Republican who died less than a week before being sworn in.
ENTERTAINERS OF YEARS PAST
As lifespans lengthen, inevitably stars of the past century fade in memory. Happily, their work survives:
Some of the last stars of Hollywood’s Golden Age passed away in 2020, among them eternal tough guy Kirk Douglas, 103, and Olivia de Havilland, 104, who brought a gentle spirit to 1939’s grim “Gone With the Wind.” And Technicolor was tailor-made for fiery redhead Rhonda Fleming, 97, co-star of films with Douglas, Charlton Heston and others.
Rhonda Fleming, known as one of the most glamorous actresses of the 1940s and '50s, starred in more than 40 movies. Jim Pringle, AP
Also lost were Diana Rigg, 82, whose career spanned the dapper British TV series “The Avengers” to a regal turn in “Game of Thrones”; and Max von Sydow, 90, whose roles ranged from Jesus to an exorcist and Ming the Merciless in “Flash Gordon.”
Ann Reinking, 71, is remembered as a Broadway dancing queen and Hollywood actress. Tony Award winner Ian Holm, 88, was nominated for an Oscar for “Chariots of Fire," but is also remembered as an evil android in “Alien.” The “Chariots” cast also lost actor Ben Cross, 72.
Wilford Brimley, left, worked his way up from stunt performer to star of films such as “Cocoon” and “The Natural.” Hollywood legend Kirk Douglas wowed audiences in movies including "Spartacus," "The Bad and The Beautiful" and "Champion." Wilford Brimley, left, worked his way up from stunt performer to star of films such as “Cocoon” and “The Natural.” Hollywood legend Kirk Douglas wowed audiences in movies including "Spartacus," "The Bad and The Beautiful" and "Champion." Wilford Brimley, left, worked his way up from stunt performer to star of films such as “Cocoon” and “The Natural.” Hollywood legend Kirk Douglas wowed audiences in movies including "Spartacus," "The Bad and The Beautiful" and "Champion." LEFT: EVAN AGOSTINI, AP; RIGHT: DAB, AP
Jacqueline Scott, 89, was known as “The Youngest Old-Timer” after appearing in more than 100 movies and TV series such as “Bat Masterson” and “The Fugitive”; Edd “Kookie” Byrnes, 87, a breakout star of the 1958 TV show “77 Sunset Strip” also appeared as the dance-show host in “Grease”; character actor Wilford Brimley, 85, brought homespun truth to his roles in “Cocoon," “The Natural” and the journalism drama “Absence of Malice.”
Ken Osmond, 76, played the unctuous Eddie Haskell on “Leave it to Beaver” – “What a lovely dress, Mrs. Cleaver” – and later, for real, became a Los Angeles police officer. And no, he did not become rocker Alice Cooper, one of the urban legends that plagued his career. Character actor John Karlan, 86, besides playing Tyne Daly’s husband on “Cagney and Lacy,” first freed vampire Barnabas Collins on the “Dark Shadows” soap opera in 1967.
Television fans will miss the familiar faces of Ken Osmond, left, and Hugh Downs. Osmond is known for playing the two-faced teenage scoundrel Eddie Haskell on “Leave it to Beaver.” Downs had a seven-decade career that included co-hosting the ABC newsmagazine "20/20" and launching the memory-game show "Concentration." Television fans will miss the familiar faces of Ken Osmond, left, and Hugh Downs. Osmond is known for playing the two-faced teenage scoundrel Eddie Haskell on “Leave it to Beaver.” Downs had a seven-decade career that included co-hosting the ABC newsmagazine "20/20" and launching the memory-game show "Concentration." Television fans will miss the familiar faces of Ken Osmond, left, and Hugh Downs. Osmond is known for playing the two-faced teenage scoundrel Eddie Haskell on “Leave it to Beaver.” Downs had a seven-decade career that included co-hosting the ABC newsmagazine "20/20" and launching the memory-game show "Concentration." LEFT: RICHARD SHOTWELL, INVISION/AP; RIGHT: EVAN AGOSTINI, AP
Other perennials included Hugh Downs, 99, whose career goes back to the original "TODAY" show; comedy writer Carl Reiner, 98, who created the “Dick Van Dyke Show” and was straight man for Mel Brooks’ 2000-Year-Old Man; singer/dancer Paula Kelly, 77; deadpan satirist Buck Henry, 89, and comedian Norm Crosby, 93; comic actors Fred Willard, 86, and Jerry Stiller, 92; Ja’Net DuBois, 74, of “Good Times”; and Monty Python’s Terry Jones, 77.
Gruff-guy-next-door Brian Dennehy, 81, appeared in 180 films; actress Honor Blackman, 94, played Pussy Galore in “Goldfinger”; the movie star looks of Lyle Waggoner, 84, drew laughs with Carol Burnett; David Lander, 73, was memorable as Squiggy on “Laverne and Shirley”; and TV star Robert Conrad, 84, who saw his profile grow in ads with an Eveready battery on his shoulder. “I dare ya to knock this off.”
Actress Naya Rivera drowned in a Southern California lake in July during an outing with her 4-year-old son. Willy Sanjuan, Invision/AP
Among unexpected deaths were “Glee” star Naya Rivera, 33, who drowned in a boating accident; actor Orson Bean, 91, who was struck by a car; and Chadwick Boseman, 43, who died of cancer after portraying Jackie Robinson, James Brown, Thurgood Marshall and a new cultural touchstone, the Black Panther.
Actress Kelly Preston, 57, who appeared in “Jerry Maguire” and 60 other films and TV shows, died of breast cancer in July. “Happy Birthday, Hon!’’ posted husband John Travolta on her birthday in October. “All my love, John.”
SPORTS LOSES LEGENDS
So many iconic baseball players died in 2020 that their names are almost enough. Besides Seaver of the Mets, gone are slugger Al Kaline, 85 (Tigers), and Dick Allen, 78 (Phillies); pitchers Whitey Ford, 91, and Don Larsen, 90 (Yankees), and Bob Gibson, 84 (Cardinals); knuckleballer Phil Niekro, 81 (Braves); speedster Lou Brock, 81 (Cardinals), and second baseman Joe Morgan, 77 (Reds). Also gone is legendary baseball writer Roger Kahn, 92, who chronicled everyone listed here.
Football fans said goodbye this year to running backs Paul Hornung, left, the dazzling “Golden Boy” of the Green Bay Packers, and Gayle Sayers, the Chicago Bears legend whose friendship with teammate Brian Piccolo was featured in the TV movie "Brian's Song." Football fans said goodbye this year to running backs Paul Hornung, left, the dazzling “Golden Boy” of the Green Bay Packers, and Gayle Sayers, the Chicago Bears legend whose friendship with teammate Brian Piccolo was featured in the TV movie "Brian's Song." Football fans said goodbye this year to running backs Paul Hornung, left, the dazzling “Golden Boy” of the Green Bay Packers, and Gayle Sayers, the Chicago Bears legend whose friendship with teammate Brian Piccolo was featured in the TV movie "Brian's Song." LEFT: Associated Press; RIGHT: MALCOLM EMMONS, USA TODAY SPORTS
Football lost running backs Paul Hornung, 84 (the “Golden Boy” from Notre Dame and Packers), and Gayle Sayers, 77 (Bears), along with Don Shula, 90 (coach of the undefeated 1972 Dolphins).
Basketball greats include Georgetown coach John Thompson Jr., 78; Boston Celtics player/coaches Tommy Heinsohn, 86, and K.C. Jones, 88; Tommy Heinsohn, 86, who was with the Celtics as a player, coach and commentator for all 17 championships; Wes Unseld, 74 (Bullets); Utah Jazz coach Jerry Sloan, 78, and NBA Commissioner David Stern, 77.
In hockey, Henri “Pocket Rocket” Richard, 84, won 11 Stanley Cups with the Montreal Canadiens, the most by any player. And 1960 Olympic decathlon winner Rafer Johnson, 86, is also noted for helping subdue Robert F. Kennedy’s assassin in 1968.
NEWSMAKERS REMEMBERED
Beyond John Lewis, the civil rights movement lost the Rev. Joseph Lowery, 98; C.T. Vivian, 95, a close ally of the Rev. Martin Luther King; and Charles Evers, 97, brother of slain activist Medgar Evers.
Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., who carried the struggle against racial discrimination from Southern battlegrounds of the 1960s to the halls of Congress, died in July. H. Darr Beiser, USA TODAY
Other notables include deposed Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, 91; former Sens. Slade Gorton, R-Wash., 92, Tom Coburn, R-Okla. 72, and Paul Sarbanes, D-Md., 87; former national security adviser Brent Scowcroft, 95; David Dinkins, 93, the first Black mayor of New York City; test pilot Chuck Yeager, 97, who broke the sound barrier in 1947, decades before NASA aimed at the moon; quantum physicist Freeman Dyson, 96; and Katherine Johnson, 101, a “Hidden Figures” mathematician who helped NASA get to the moon.
Cable television tycoon Sumner Redstone, 97, GE’s Jack Welch, 84, and TV producer Fred Silverman, 82, were among leaders who found their core businesses changing in a digital world.
ARTS AND LITERATURE
“The replenishing thing that comes with a nap – you end up with two mornings in a day,” were the soothing words of usually hard-boiled New York City columnist Pete Hamill, gone at 85. Journalists silenced included jazz columnist Stanley Crouch, 74; political columnist Richard Reeves, 83; Deb Price, 62, who wrote a groundbreaking column on gay issues for The Detroit News; and PBS anchor Jim Lehrer, 85.
The literary world lost two bestselling authors early this year. Adventure novelist Clive Cussler died in February and "Queen of Suspense" Mary Higgins Clark passed in January. The literary world lost two bestselling authors early this year. Adventure novelist Clive Cussler died in February and "Queen of Suspense" Mary Higgins Clark passed in January. The literary world lost two bestselling authors early this year. Adventure novelist Clive Cussler died in February and "Queen of Suspense" Mary Higgins Clark passed in January. LEFT: LEANNA; RIGHT: MIKE DERER, AP
Top authors ranged from spy turned spy novelist John le Carré, 89, adventure novelist Clive Cussler, 88, and “Queen of Suspense” Mary Higgins Clark, 92 (all 51 of her books were bestsellers), to Shere Hite, 77, whose 1976 “Hite Report on Female Sexuality” raised consciousness.
Creative forces such as fashion icon Pierre Cardin, 98; magazine designer Milton Glaser, 91; Christo, 84, who unveiled epic artwork in public spaces; Mad magazine artist Mort Drucker, 91; and “Blade Runner” futurist Syd Mead, 86, set standards for artists to come. And playwright Larry Kramer, 84, used his plays to push for AIDS awareness and government action.
MUSIC MUTED IN 2020
The world of music lost players in all genres, including hyper-kinetic rock guitarist Eddie Van Halen, 65; classical guitarist Julian Bream, 87; country stars Pride, Kenny Rogers, 81, Charlie Daniels, 83, Mac Davis, 78, Jan Howard, 91, K.T. Oslin, 78, and Billy Joe Shaver, 81; rapper John Fletcher, 56; and Ennio Morricone, 91, composer of the classic theme from “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.”
Guitar legend Eddie Van Halen, performing with Van Halen bandmate David Lee Roth in 2015, died of cancer in October. Greg Allen, Invision/AP
Other musicians included Helen Reddy, 78, whose “I Am Woman” became an anthem; Jerry Jeff Walker, 78, writer of “Bojangles”; Annie Ross, 89, of the bebop jazz trio Lambert, Hendricks and Ross; and singers Bill Withers, 81, Betty Wright, 66, and Johnny Nash, 80, who sang “I Can See Clearly Now.”
Lost band members included Leslie West, 75 (Mountain); Bonnie Pointer, 69 (Pointer Sisters); Ronald Bell, 68 (Kool & the Gang); Peter Green, 73 (original Fleetwood Mac); Neil Peart, 67 (Rush); and Spencer Davis, 81 (whose Spencer Davis Group was fronted by Steve Winwood).
Helen Reddy, left, and Bonnie Pointer were among the many musicians who died this year. Reddy was known for her feminist empowerment anthem "I Am Woman" and a long string of other Top 40 hits. Pointer co-founded the Pointer Sisters and later launched a solo career. Helen Reddy, left, and Bonnie Pointer were among the many musicians who died this year. Reddy was known for her feminist empowerment anthem "I Am Woman" and a long string of other Top 40 hits. Pointer co-founded the Pointer Sisters and later launched a solo career. Helen Reddy, left, and Bonnie Pointer were among the many musicians who died this year. Reddy was known for her feminist empowerment anthem "I Am Woman" and a long string of other Top 40 hits. Pointer co-founded the Pointer Sisters and later launched a solo career. LEFT: MIKE WINDLE, GETTY IMAGES; RIGHT: KATY WINN, INVISION/AP
Finally, anyone still living from World War II remembers the hopeful poignancy of “We’ll Meet Again,” aired during the war on big band broadcasts and Armed Forces Radio by British singer Vera Lynn, who died in June at age 103.
The song was used ironically at the end of Stanley Kubrick’s “Dr. Strangelove” in 1964, but the words still have meaning, especially now after a year like no other:
We'll meet again
Don't know where
Don't know when
But I know we'll meet again some sunny day
David Colton – @dcoltonnow – is a former executive editor at USA TODAY.


usatoday--2020-12-08--Politics updates: Trump reached out to PA House speaker over election

USA TODAY 's coverage of the 2020 election and President-elect Joe Biden 's transition continues this week as he rolls out more of his picks for top jobs in his administration .
Meanwhile , the remaining final states certify their vote counts before the Electoral College ballots are officially cast Monday .
President Donald Trump has cleared the way for Biden 's team to use federal resources and get briefings during the transition , although Trump has yet to formally concede the race .
Be sure to refresh this page often to get the latest information on the election and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pennsylvania House speaker over election President Donald Trump and his allies have continued to lobby Pennsylvania officials on its failed election cases in the commonwealth , going so far as to try and stop the state ’ s certification of the election results .
The measures reflect a national attempt by the Trump campaign in battleground states ahead of the Dec. 14 convention of the Electoral College .
Trump has sought to overturn results in states he lost to President-elect Joe Biden .
The president called state House Speaker Bryan Cutler to make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Press .
The New York Times reported the president called Cutler twice over the past few days .
Cutler 's spokesman Michael Straub told the Times the president asked `` what options were available to the legislature . ''
Supporters of the president have gathered in front of Cutler ’ s house to protest the results of the election .
Pennsylvania certified Biden 's win in the state in November .
On Saturday , Trump called Georgia Gov .
Brian Kemp , a Republican , urging him to ask the state legislature to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the winner .
Kemp has since told state lawmakers that attempts to change the election outcome by picking their own presidential electors is `` not an option . ''
Georgia : Georgia Gov .
Brian Kemp to state legislators : Picking own presidential electors 'not an option' Some Trump allies , like Republican Rep. Mike Kelly , who represents part of northwestern Pennsylvania , have filed further lawsuits alleging widespread and coordinated fraud in state court .
Nine state Republican lawmakers also filed a lawsuit on Monday levying similar claims .
Ted Cruz @ @ @ @ @ @ @ PA case went to SCOTUS Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas said he would present the oral argument in front of the Supreme Court if the high court decided to hear the Trump campaign 's latest election challenge in Pennsylvania .
“ Petitioners ’ legal team has asked me whether I would be willing to argue the case before the Supreme Court , if the Court grants certiorari .
I have agreed , and told them that if the Court takes the appeal , I will stand ready to present the oral argument @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which he confirmed in a tweet .
The latest case filed in Pennsylvania regarding the election asks for the state to exclude the mail-in ballots received , citing them as unconstitutional .
Pennsylvania received more than 2.5 million mail-in ballots in the 2020 election .
President Donald Trump lost the state to President-elect Joe Biden .
GOP Rep. Mike Kelly of Pennsylvania is leading the case , claiming that all the mail-in votes are illegal votes and that the state ’ s 2019 law that made mail-in voting universal was illegal .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pennsylvania Supreme Court in cases that also ask to invalidate mail-in votes and block Joe Biden ’ s win .
“ As I said last week , the bitter division and acrimony we see across the Nation needs resolution .
I believe # SCOTUS has a responsibility to the American People to ensure , within its powers , that we are following the law and following the Constitution , ” Cruz also tweeted Monday .

Sarah Elbeshbishi and Matthew Brown, USA TODAY

Politics live updates: House approves defense bill amid Trump veto threat
Show Caption Hide Caption Joe Biden's Cabinet picks and other roles in his administration The president says he wants a government as diverse as America when he enters the White House. Here are some of his Executive Branch picks. USA TODAY
USA TODAY's coverage of the 2020 election and President-elect Joe Biden's transition continues this week as he rolls out more of his picks for top jobs in his administration. Meanwhile, the remaining final states certify their vote counts before the Electoral College ballots are officially cast Monday.
President Donald Trump has cleared the way for Biden's team to use federal resources and get briefings during the transition, although Trump has yet to formally concede the race.
Be sure to refresh this page often to get the latest information on the election and the transition.
The Democratic-controlled House on Tuesday approved a wide-ranging defense policy bill, even as President Donald Trump renewed his threat to veto the bill unless lawmakers clamp down on social media companies he claims were biased against him during the election.
Trump tweeted Tuesday that he will veto "the very weak National Defense Authorization Act,'' or NDAA, unless it repeals so-called Section 230, a part of the communications code that shields Twitter, Facebook and other tech giants from content liability. Trump also wants Congress to strip out a provision of the bill that allows renaming of military bases that now honor Confederate leaders.
Congressional leaders vowed to move ahead on the hugely popular bill — which affirms automatic 3% pay raises for U.S. troops and authorizes other military programs — despite the veto threat.
The House approved the bill, 335-78, more than the two-thirds required to override a potential veto. The measure now goes to the Senate.
Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney, a member of the House Republican leadership, urged Trump not to follow through on his veto threat, but added that if he does veto it, "We should override.''
If Trump vetoes the bill, "we will come back to vote to override," said Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee.
But with Trump pressuring Republicans to stand with him, it was unclear until the final tally whether the bill would receive the two-thirds support needed to override a veto. The House Freedom Caucus, a bloc of roughly three-dozen conservatives, backed Trump's position Tuesday and opposed the bill.
– The Associated Press
Leaders of seven civil rights groups said Tuesday they were pleased after meeting with President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris to discuss their priorities for racial justice and other issues, but that the administration would be judged by its appointees and policies.
The leaders described the type of background and diversity they sought with Biden’s nominees for cabinet secretaries and other top posts, but didn’t discuss specific names.
“We can’t judge the diversity of the cabinet in a hypothetical sense,” said Marc Morial, CEO of the National Urban League, who described the nearly two-hour virtual discussion as a “positive meeting.” “But we have to judge ultimately by the results.”
Participants highlighted the need for racial justice following a year of protests nationwide after the deaths of Black men and women at the hands of police. Several participants focused on the need to enforce civil rights and fight voter suppression.
“We did not in any way pull any punches and he did not,” said the Rev. Al Sharpton, president of the National Action Network, who called the meeting “candid” and “very blunt.”
Sherrilyn Ifill, president of the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund, urged Biden to support legislation to restore a key provision of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. She suggested part of the Civil Rights Act could allow the federal government to withhold federal funding from discriminatory law enforcement organizations, as a tool against bigoted police.
“They clearly listened,” Ifill said of Biden and Harris taking notes.
Several participants, including Vanita Gupta, CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, told Biden that whoever is chosen as attorney general must be familiar with the Justice Department and prepared to fight voter suppression and civil rights violations from the first day.
“Voter suppression is alive and well,” said Kristen Clarke, president of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under the Law.
Much of the attention focused on Biden’s pledge to appoint the most diverse administration in history. Melanie Campbell, CEO of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation and convener of the Black Women’s Roundtable, urged Biden to choose more Black women.
The NAACP is urging President-elect Biden to create a new position at the White House for a national adviser on racial justice, equity and advancement. NAACP CEO Derrick Johnson said the post should be similar to the climate envoy slot created for John Kerry, a former secretary of State and senator.
“The meeting was very positive,” Johnson said. “It was a good table-setting opportunity.”
At different stages in the transition, groups representing Black Americans, Latinos and Asian Americans have each urged Biden to appoint a more diverse administration. He asked advocacy groups to wait for all his nominees and appointees before questioning his commitment to diversity.
“Look, it’s each one of these groups’ jobs to push their leaders to make sure there’s a greater diversity,” Biden said Friday at a news conference. “I’m not going to tell you now exactly what I’m doing in any department, but I promise you it will be the single most diverse cabinet based on race, color, based on gender, that’s ever existed in the United States of America.”
Among his department secretaries, Biden nominated Janet Yellen as the first woman at Treasury, Alejandro Mayorkas as the first Latino secretary at Homeland Security, Xavier Becerra as the first Latino secretary at Health and Human Services and Lloyd Austin as the first Black secretary at Defense.
Biden is also expected to nominate Rep. Marcia Fudge, D-Ohio, who is Black, as secretary of Housing and Urban Development. And he said his U.S. ambassador to the United Nations would be a cabinet post for Linda Thomas-Greenfield, who is Black.
–Bart Jansen and Deborah Barfield Berry
President Donald Trump is continuing to push for direct stimulus checks as part of a COVID-19 economic relief package being negotiated on Capitol Hill, an idea jettisoned from recent proposals but that has gained some bipartisan support, a White House official said Tuesday.
Lawmakers are considering a $908 billion bipartisan plan that would extend a loan program for small businesses as well as federal unemployment benefits, among other items. But that proposal does not include another round of direct payments like the $1,200 sent to millions of Americans as part of the first CARES Act signed in March.
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said he spoke with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi late Tuesday and presented a new, $916 billion stimulus proposal. Mnuchin said he had discussed the measure with other Republican leaders. A source with knowledge of the proposal speaking on the condition of anonymity said that it included $600 direct payments.
Ben Williamson, a White House spokesman and adviser to Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, said Tuesday that "direct payments to American workers continue to be a high priority of the president’s." Williamson said that the amount of payment the White House would like to see remains "to be determined."
Direct payments have drawn some support in the Senate, notably from Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., who told Politico this week that he had actively lobbied Trump to veto any stimulus that doesn’t include them. On the other end of the spectrum, a group of Democratic senators led by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., have also advocated for the payments.
Prospects for a lame-duck stimulus remain murky, and the political crosscurrents of the already complicated negotiations are roiled further by the fact that both Trump and President-elect Joe Biden have staked claims on the outcome. Biden last week endorsed the $908 billion bipartisan package and told fellow Democrats – many of whom want a larger package – that there will be other opportunities when his administration takes over next year.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Tuesday floated the idea of Congress proceeding with a slimmed-down stimulus in which Republicans give up their demand for liability protections for businesses while Democrats drop payments to state and local governments. The idea was quickly shot down by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.
– John Fritze and Christal Hayes
The NAACP is urging President-elect Joe Biden to create a new position at the White House for a national adviser on racial justice, equity and advancement.
The request is among the points NAACP CEO Derrick Johnson is raising Tuesday as a group of civil rights leaders meets with Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris about how to increase diversity in his administration.
Biden, who has said his administration would be the most diverse in history, has asked for advocacy groups to await his entire slate of nominees and appointees. He has named the first woman to head the Treasury, the first Latinos to lead the departments of Homeland Security and Health and Human Services, and the first Black person to lead the Pentagon.
But Johnson urged Biden to create the adviser on race, who would report directly to him, similar to the climate envoy slot created for John Kerry, a former secretary of State and senator.
Johnson described the post on race with developing “bold, visionary thinking and strategy on racial justice within the White House and fostering the development of holistic measures throughout government to tackle the pervasive problem of system racism.”
– Bart Jansen
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made an offer Tuesday that he said could help Congress reach a deal on coronavirus relief: eliminate the two most contentious issues and take them up next year.
McConnell, R-Ky., said he would relent on mandating business liability protections, a key provision he has fought to include for months, in exchange for Democrats dropping funds for state and local governments, a provision they have mandated be part of any relief bill. The idea was quickly shot down by Democrats, who pointed to a bipartisan group of lawmakers making progress on a potential deal.
The two issues have been the biggest sticking points as lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have worked to negotiate a compromise on potentially billions of dollars to help unemployed Americans, small businesses and distribution of a vaccine.
"I have a suggestion to make, which is that the two most contentious items be set aside," McConnell said at his weekly news conference. "What I recommend is we set aside liability and set aside state and local and pass those things that we can agree on, knowing full well we'll be back at this after the first of the year."
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., railed against the proposal, arguing state and local governments are weathering a financial crisis due to revenue shortfalls in the pandemic that is leading to layoffs of critical workers such as firefighters, sanitation workers and police officers.
"Leader McConnell has refused to be part of the bipartisan negotiations and now he's sabotaging good faith, bipartisan negotiations," Schumer said. "We believe they have been making good progress, and they ought to be allowed to move forward because they are the best hope for a bipartisan solution."
The House and Senate plan to stick around next week to pass a government spending bill, meaning congressional leaders will have until next Friday to come to some type of compromise before Congress adjourns for the year.
– Christal Hayes
WILMINGTON, Del. – President-elect Joe Biden’s health team described priorities and experience Tuesday beyond just combatting COVID-19, which will dominate their early service in his administration.
Biden introduced Xavier Becerra as his choice to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, briefly mispronouncing the California attorney general's name before quickly correcting himself.
Becerra, who appeared by video, emphasized the second "H" in the Department of Health and Human Services and vowed that children, seniors and disabled Americans will "stand tall" under the Biden administration. He likened his “breathtaking opportunity” that of another California Democrat, John Gardner, who was tapped by President Lyndon B. Johnson to lead the Department of Health, Education and Welfare while ushering in Medicare, Medicaid and greater civil rights.
"Now it's our turn to discover the breathtaking opportunities before us in the midst of this hardship and pain," said Becerra, the son of Mexican immigrants who served 24 years in the House and would become the first Latino secretary of the department. "It's our turn to build up, and to back up, our doctors and medical professionals, our hospitals and clinics battling the coronavirus."
Biden tapped Dr. Vivek Murthy, who served as surgeon general from 2014 to 2017, to return to the post in an expanded role. Murthy cited devastating health crises facing the country in addition to the pandemic, including opioid addiction, mental-health concerns, racial-health disparities and high rates of chronic illness such as heart disease and diabetes.
“These challenges are both caused by but also exacerbated by broader societal issues, from the economic strains so many people are facing to the disconnection and loneliness that so many of us feel,” Murthy said. “In my expanded role, I will work to bring a health focus to our policies across government so that our schools, our workplaces and our communities can be forces for strengthening our health and well-being.”
Biden chose Dr. Rochelle Walensky, a Harvard professor of medicine and chief of infectious diseases at Massachusetts General Hospital, to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Her medical training coincided with the most harrowing years of the AIDS crisis and development in 1995 of the first cocktail of remedies approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
“I’ve dedicated my career ever since to researching and treating infectious diseases, and to ending the HIV/AIDS crisis for good,” Walensky said.
Biden named Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith, an associate professor at Yale School of Medicine, to lead his COVID-19 Equity Task Force. She grew up on St. Thomas, where she said people often died too young from preventable conditions. She said COVID-19 revealed social inequities that left 70% of Black people and 60% of Latinos who know someone who was hospitalized or died from the virus.
“As I grew up, I came to understand that there were deeper dimensions to health beyond what I saw in the human biology textbooks that I borrowed from my mother’s textbooks,” she said. “It is our societal obligation to ensure equitable access to testing, treatments and vaccines,” including for the undocumented, the incarcerated and the homeless.
– Courtney Subramanian and Bart Jansen
Christopher Krebs, the federal government's former top cybersecurity chief who was fired for describing the November vote as the most secure in history, sued the Trump campaign and one of the president's lawyers for defamation Tuesday, claiming that attorney falsely characterized his remarks as treasonous while suggesting that Krebs be "taken out at dawn and shot."
In the legal action filed in a Maryland state court, Krebs characterized Joseph diGenova's statements during a Nov. 30 Newsmax broadcast as "shockingly irresponsible and dangerous."
The former director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency asserted that diGenova's commentary was especially troubling because it was "released into the current climate of political toxicity and instability, in which public officials across the country ... are being targeted with acts and threats of violence simply for performing their public duties."
DiGenova declined comment Tuesday.
Krebs, who also named Newsmax Media Inc. as a defendant, accused the group of encouraging "actual violence" against him and other Republicans "for speaking truth and performing his constitutional duties without regard to party loyalty.”
"This objective—retaliating against Republicans who publicly rejected the 'rigged election' narrative—was ... a central element of the Defendants’ conspiracy," Krebs claimed, adding that the Trump campaign has used the argument to "fraudulently entice" supporters to continue donating money for the president's future political activities.
In a statement, Newsmax called the lawyer's comments "inappropriate."
"Mr. diGenova is not a paid contributor to Newsmax and has no official ties to him," the company said. "Mr. diGenova has appeared on Newsmax since then on two occasions stating that he made the comment 'facetiously' and apologized. He stated that he intended no harm to Mr. Krebs."
Krebs was abruptly fired last month by President Donald Trump, just days after declaring that the election was secure in a pointed rebuke to the president who continues to allege without evidence that the vote was "rigged."
The president's flurry of legal actions, pursued by a team that has included diGenova, have been repeatedly dismissed.
– Kevin Johnson
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump on Tuesday defended the White House’s decision to hold a series of holiday parties and receptions at the presidential mansion despite a surge in coronavirus cases.
At a summit on COVID-19 vaccines, a reporter asked Trump why the parties were being held even though public health officials have discouraged Americans from traveling over the holidays and have suggested avoiding large in-person gatherings.
Trump said the number of guests at the indoor parties has been “reduced substantially” and that many of the attendees are wearing face masks.
“I look out at the audience at those parties...we have a lot of people wearing masks,” he said. “And I think that's a good thing."
Hundreds of people are expected to attend the parties and receptions, which started last week and will continue through December. In addition to paring down the guest lists, first lady Melania Trump’s office has said other safety precautions are being taken, such as serving individually plated food served from plexiglass-protected stations and positioning hand-sanitizer stations throughout the State Floor.
– Michael Collins, David Jackson and John Fritze
WILMINGTON, Del. – President-elect Joe Biden outlined three health goals to combat COVID-19 during his first 100 days in office: to have everyone where masks during that period, to distribute 100 million vaccinations and to reopen many schools if the virus is brought under greater control.
Biden said he developed the goals in consultation with Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. He announced the goals while introducing his appointees, including California Attorney General Xavier Becerra as secretary of Health and Human Services and Dr. Vivek Murthy as surgeon general.
As his first goal, Biden, who will be sworn in Jan. 20, said he would sign an executive order on his first day to require mask wearing in federal buildings and on interstate transportation such as planes, trains and buses. The Trump administration rejected a request to take a similar step.
“We’re going to require masks wherever possible,” Biden said. “It’s not a political statement, it’s a patriotic act.”
As his second priority, Biden said he would push to deliver 100 million vaccinations during the first 100 days. The vaccinations are expected to require two inoculations for each person, so his goal would be to vaccinate 50 million people.
The earliest vaccine recipients under Biden’s goal would go to those at highest risk, first to health care professionals, to people living in long-term care and “as soon as possible” to educators.
“Developing a vaccine is only one herculean task,” Biden said. “Distributing it is another herculean task.”
Biden said his third goal is to reopen many schools. He said the goal would depend on Congress providing funding to students, educators and staffers to return safely, for masking, vaccinations, safety equipment and training.
“We’ll still have much to do in the first 100 days,” Biden said.
– Courtney Subramanian and Bart Jansen
Rep. Jim Clyburn, the highest-ranking Black member of House leadership, said Tuesday that he expects President-elect Joe Biden to nominate Rep. Marcia Fudge to a Cabinet post and that retired Gen. Lloyd Austin would make a good secretary of the Defense Department.
Fudge, D-Ohio, a member of the House Agriculture Committee, has been promoted as a potential secretary of Agriculture. Clyburn, a co-chairman of Biden’s inaugural committee whose support in South Carolina was crucial to Biden winning the Democratic nomination and ultimately the White House, said he expects Fudge to join the Cabinet.
“I look for her to be in the Cabinet,” Clyburn, D-S.C., told MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” on Tuesday. “I don’t know that she will be the secretary of agriculture. That may not be. But she will be a member of the Cabinet, at least she will be nominated for a Cabinet position.”
Clyburn said he also supported Austin, who would become the first Black secretary of Defense, if confirmed by the Senate. Clyburn said he worked with Austin on diversity issues while he was at the Pentagon and that the Congressional Black Caucus supports him.
“We worked together on diversity issues,” Clyburn said. “I look for this to be a pretty smooth hearing and confirmation. I like him very much. I think he’s going to be a good fit for us.”
Clyburn’s comments come as various groups have argued for more diversity on Biden’s Cabinet and among top advisers. Biden will meet Tuesday with civil-rights groups.
– Bart Jansen
President Donald Trump and his allies have continued to lobby Pennsylvania officials on its failed election cases in the commonwealth, going so far as to try and stop the state’s certification of the election results.
The measures reflect a national attempt by the Trump campaign in battleground states ahead of the Dec. 14 convention of the Electoral College. Trump has sought to overturn results in states he lost to President-elect Joe Biden.
The president called state House Speaker Bryan Cutler to make his case, according to the Associated Press. The New York Times reported the president called Cutler twice over the past few days. Cutler's spokesman Michael Straub told the Times the president asked "what options were available to the legislature."
Supporters of the president have gathered in front of Cutler’s house to protest the results of the election.
Pennsylvania certified Biden's win in the state in November.
On Saturday, Trump called Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican, urging him to ask the state legislature to overturn the results, which showed Biden the winner. Kemp has since told state lawmakers that attempts to change the election outcome by picking their own presidential electors is "not an option."
Georgia: Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp to state legislators: Picking own presidential electors 'not an option'
Some Trump allies, like Republican Rep. Mike Kelly, who represents part of northwestern Pennsylvania, have filed further lawsuits alleging widespread and coordinated fraud in state court. Nine state Republican lawmakers also filed a lawsuit on Monday levying similar claims.
– Matthew Brown
Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas said he would present the oral argument in front of the Supreme Court if the high court decided to hear the Trump campaign's latest election challenge in Pennsylvania.
“Petitioners’ legal team has asked me whether I would be willing to argue the case before the Supreme Court, if the Court grants certiorari. I have agreed, and told them that if the Court takes the appeal, I will stand ready to present the oral argument,” Cruz told FOX News Monday, which he confirmed in a tweet.
The latest case filed in Pennsylvania regarding the election asks for the state to exclude the mail-in ballots received, citing them as unconstitutional. Pennsylvania received more than 2.5 million mail-in ballots in the 2020 election. President Donald Trump lost the state to President-elect Joe Biden.
GOP Rep. Mike Kelly of Pennsylvania is leading the case, claiming that all the mail-in votes are illegal votes and that the state’s 2019 law that made mail-in voting universal was illegal. Kelly was ruled against twice by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in cases that also ask to invalidate mail-in votes and block Joe Biden’s win.
“As I said last week, the bitter division and acrimony we see across the Nation needs resolution. I believe #SCOTUS has a responsibility to the American People to ensure, within its powers, that we are following the law and following the Constitution,” Cruz also tweeted Monday.
– Sarah Elbeshbishi


usatoday--2020-12-08--Clemson football's Ray Ray McElrathbey talks about movie 'Safety' a week before streaming begins

Just days before the debut , former Clemson football player Ray McElrathbey shared details about the Disney+ film that recreates his redshirt freshman year at Clemson when he eventually took custody of his younger brother , Fahmarr .
The movie , which releases Dec. 11 , is the streaming platform 's first original sports film , some of which was filmed in front of fans during halftime of a Tigers football game last year .
Fans in attendance during the September 2019 game may be able to spot themselves on the big screen , and most Clemson visitors will recognize @ @ @ @ @ @ @ You ’ ll see the campus , you ’ ll see things on campus that you ’ ll notice , ” McElrathbey said during a news conference .
“ From all the stadium footage , it ’ s during a game in Death Valley .
For me , it takes me back to the moment .
It takes me back to the times that I spent at Clemson and I hope it does the same for ( the audience ) .
” The preview : Disney drops trailer for 'Safety , ' a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ McElrathbey The storyline in the movie follows the narrative Clemson fans remember from McElrathbey 's time in the area .
Not much was changed from real life to movie that the public would notice , he said .
Fahmarr , who still lived in Atlanta , came to visit his brother during the summer of 2006 and asked not to go home .
Fearful his brother would end up in foster care again due to their mother 's struggle with drug addiction , McElrathbey let him stay , according to a 2006 AP @ @ @ @ @ @ @ film Disney movie during halftime at Clemson game There wasn ’ t a steady love interest as depicted in the movie , he said , though he had plenty of support from people on campus , the surrounding community , his teammates and coaches .
Clemson representatives – effectively Clemson ’ s money – can ’ t provide the use of an automobile or transportation for enrolled athletes , according to the 2006-07 NCAA manual .
“ The most difficult part about the first few months was , I guess , struggling the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do and what others were able to do , being that I was moving in silence and not necessarily telling a lot of people what I was doing early on , ” he said of bringing Fahmarr on campus .
“ It was just being alone for the most part in my decision , that was the toughest part .
Once everyone found out , life became a lot easier but then for a moment it was hard because no one could help.
” McElrathbey was granted an exception from the NCAA that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ community that wouldn ’ t put his eligibility status at risk .
'Now it ’ s all coming together ' : Ray Ray McElrathbey on family , Clemson football and film “ Eventually , everyone was allowed to help , and my teammates were always there , they were always guys I could count on and so , even through the tougher times , I had people I could lean on , ” he said .
“ And that was God ’ s gift , I guess.
” McElrathbey graduated from Clemson in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Howard University in Washington , D.C. , to earn a communications degree .
His football career ended just outside Asheville , N.C. , at Mars Hill University in 2010 .
Not just another sports movie Director Reginald Hudlin and producer Mark Ciardi said “ Safety ” may sound similar in setting to other athletic movies , but this isn ’ t another feel-good football film .
It ’ s a rich genre , Hudlin said , but “ Safety ” brings more to the table .
“ The trick is , ‘ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
’ It ’ s not about , ‘ Oh let ’ s just do what they did , ’ ” Hudlin said .
“ Fortunately , we had a true story .
It was really valuable to have Ray involved in the entire process .
“ Everyone who sees ‘ Safety ’ goes , ‘ I like this movie.
’ And yes , it ’ s part of a tradition , but I think Ray ’ s story is unique .
It has something special to say and that resonates with everyone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are or where they ’ re from .
”

Caitlin Herrington, Anderson Independent Mail

Clemson football's Ray Ray McElrathbey talks about movie 'Safety' a week before streaming begins
Just days before the debut, former Clemson football player Ray McElrathbey shared details about the Disney+ film that recreates his redshirt freshman year at Clemson when he eventually took custody of his younger brother, Fahmarr.
The movie, which releases Dec. 11, is the streaming platform's first original sports film, some of which was filmed in front of fans during halftime of a Tigers football game last year. Fans in attendance during the September 2019 game may be able to spot themselves on the big screen, and most Clemson visitors will recognize the scenes shot on campus.
“You’ll see the campus, you’ll see things on campus that you’ll notice,” McElrathbey said during a news conference. “From all the stadium footage, it’s during a game in Death Valley. For me, it takes me back to the moment. It takes me back to the times that I spent at Clemson and I hope it does the same for (the audience).”
The preview: Disney drops trailer for 'Safety,' a movie about Clemson football star Ray Ray McElrathbey
More: Where the College Football Playoff stands after Week 14
Spoiler alert: Movie based on the true Clemson story
The storyline in the movie follows the narrative Clemson fans remember from McElrathbey's time in the area. Not much was changed from real life to movie that the public would notice, he said.
Fahmarr, who still lived in Atlanta, came to visit his brother during the summer of 2006 and asked not to go home. Fearful his brother would end up in foster care again due to their mother's struggle with drug addiction, McElrathbey let him stay, according to a 2006 AP report.
In action: Camera crews film Disney movie during halftime at Clemson game
There wasn’t a steady love interest as depicted in the movie, he said, though he had plenty of support from people on campus, the surrounding community, his teammates and coaches.
Clemson representatives – effectively Clemson’s money – can’t provide the use of an automobile or transportation for enrolled athletes, according to the 2006-07 NCAA manual.
“The most difficult part about the first few months was, I guess, struggling the line of what I was able to do and what others were able to do, being that I was moving in silence and not necessarily telling a lot of people what I was doing early on,” he said of bringing Fahmarr on campus. “It was just being alone for the most part in my decision, that was the toughest part. Once everyone found out, life became a lot easier but then for a moment it was hard because no one could help.”
McElrathbey was granted an exception from the NCAA that permitted limited amounts of assistance from the community that wouldn’t put his eligibility status at risk.
'Now it’s all coming together': Ray Ray McElrathbey on family, Clemson football and film
“Eventually, everyone was allowed to help, and my teammates were always there, they were always guys I could count on and so, even through the tougher times, I had people I could lean on,” he said. “And that was God’s gift, I guess.”
McElrathbey graduated from Clemson in 2008 with an undergraduate degree before transferring to Howard University in Washington, D.C., to earn a communications degree. His football career ended just outside Asheville, N.C., at Mars Hill University in 2010.
Not just another sports movie
Director Reginald Hudlin and producer Mark Ciardi said “Safety” may sound similar in setting to other athletic movies, but this isn’t another feel-good football film. It’s a rich genre, Hudlin said, but “Safety” brings more to the table.
“The trick is, ‘What new do you have to say?’ It’s not about, ‘Oh let’s just do what they did,’” Hudlin said. “Fortunately, we had a true story. It was really valuable to have Ray involved in the entire process.
“Everyone who sees ‘Safety’ goes, ‘I like this movie.’ And yes, it’s part of a tradition, but I think Ray’s story is unique. It has something special to say and that resonates with everyone who sees it no matter who they are or where they’re from.”


usatoday--2020-12-08--Pandemic pivot: Why this couple gave up their dream café in Missouri – and don't regret it

Brandon and Whitney Vair had the job of their dreams .
Together they owned and operated Meriwether Café and Bike Shop , a small scratch-cooking pastry shop and café that also offered bike rentals .
Tucked in Rocheport , Missouri , a town of just 260 people , the café is situated beside the Katy Trail , the country ’ s longest recreational rail trail and a destination for tourists in the spring and summer months .
When the Vair 's opened for the season on March 13 , they had the busiest weekend in their three-year history .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many COVID-19 health restrictions began to come down .
The business was forced to close for a period of time and then was limited to take-out .
Their customer base subsequently decreased .
Changing careers during COVID-19 : Here 's how one millennial went from violist to medical technician Opportunities come to industry leaders : Here are 5 steps to becoming a genuine authority in your field The Vairs , who had just recovered from a catastrophic flood the year before , were in for a challenge they could have never anticipated .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's profits dwindling , Brandon 's salary was no longer tenable .
The Vairs had a big decision to make .
With two children under the age of five and Whitney 's side gig as a massage therapist on indefinite hold , the Vair 's decided to walk away from the café .
They gave ownership up to their investors and with it a huge part of their identities .
`` I often refer to the café as our third child , because we loved it that deeply , '' Whitney said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ decisions that we 've ever had to make . ''
Across the country , the food-service industry has been battered by the pandemic .
The Independent Restaurant Coalition estimates that as many as 85 % of independent restaurants around the country may close permanently by the end of 2020 .
Brandon found a paid community internship at Veterans United , a home loan agency based in Columbia , Missouri .
The internship was catered to people in the restaurant industry impacted by the pandemic .
Brandon now works there full-time as an operations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ homeowners .
`` It was so difficult to reinvent myself at 38 years old , '' Brandon says .
`` My first job was in a restaurant when I was 15 .
My last job was in a restaurant . ''
Whitney decided to stay home and care for the children , Freda , 4 , and Bel , 1 .
With family members nearby who are immunocompromised , it would be too risky to send them to daycare .
Today , the Vairs are constantly reminded of what they gave up .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ yards in front of their front porch .
Since March , they have n't gone back .
`` It 's been hard to watch it continue to live without us , '' says Whitney .
`` We gave it so much of ourselves . ''
Still , Brandon and Whitney have found peace with their decision .
`` I 'm not split in half .
I 'm not so dad for two hours , business owner for six hours . ''
Brandon says , `` I think there 's a better balance in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ works 40 hours a week from home and has more time with his wife and children .
His desk sits right next to his daughter Freda 's , and she delivers him breakfast in the mornings .
The family now has more financial security than they ever have , they said .
Brandon opened his first 401 ( k ) and is beginning to pay down debt .
While it may not be his passion job , he says it pays well and he 's treated well .
`` Having the ability to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) a far second … to what my financial responsibility is to my home , '' Brandon said .
Whitney enjoys spending time with her children and watching them grow – and hopes to be back in a professional kitchen in the coming years .
`` Sometimes I feel like I 'm happier than I should be , '' she said .
`` In our little town of Rocheport in this little house , it is happy . ''
Brandon 's advice to others : Trust that things happen for a reason .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ tough to overcome and you have another option , he said , `` Sometimes it 's best to just take it and see where it leads , because it could be a great decision . ''

Pandemic pivot: Why this couple gave up their dream café in Missouri – and don’t regret it
Show Caption Hide Caption Why this small business owner gave up his restaurant, got 9-to-5 job Brandon Vair faced a big decision at the start of COVID-19: Keep his restaurant or give it up and get his finances and family in order. Andrea Kramar, Justin Cardoza and Kenneth Eng, USA TODAY
Brandon and Whitney Vair had the job of their dreams. Together they owned and operated Meriwether Café and Bike Shop, a small scratch-cooking pastry shop and café that also offered bike rentals.
Tucked in Rocheport, Missouri, a town of just 260 people, the café is situated beside the Katy Trail, the country’s longest recreational rail trail and a destination for tourists in the spring and summer months.
When the Vair's opened for the season on March 13, they had the busiest weekend in their three-year history. But a week later, the first of many COVID-19 health restrictions began to come down. The business was forced to close for a period of time and then was limited to take-out. Their customer base subsequently decreased.
Changing careers during COVID-19: Here's how one millennial went from violist to medical technician
Opportunities come to industry leaders: Here are 5 steps to becoming a genuine authority in your field
The Vairs, who had just recovered from a catastrophic flood the year before, were in for a challenge they could have never anticipated. With COVID-19 spreading rapidly and the restaurant's profits dwindling, Brandon's salary was no longer tenable. The Vairs had a big decision to make.
With two children under the age of five and Whitney's side gig as a massage therapist on indefinite hold, the Vair's decided to walk away from the café. They gave ownership up to their investors and with it a huge part of their identities.
"I often refer to the café as our third child, because we loved it that deeply," Whitney said. "Parting was one of the hardest decisions that we've ever had to make."
Across the country, the food-service industry has been battered by the pandemic. The Independent Restaurant Coalition estimates that as many as 85% of independent restaurants around the country may close permanently by the end of 2020.
Brandon found a paid community internship at Veterans United, a home loan agency based in Columbia, Missouri. The internship was catered to people in the restaurant industry impacted by the pandemic. Brandon now works there full-time as an operations coordinator, managing accounts of approximately 100 homeowners.
"It was so difficult to reinvent myself at 38 years old," Brandon said. "My first job was in a restaurant when I was 15. My last job was in a restaurant."
Whitney decided to stay home and care for the children, Freda, 4, and Bel, 1. With family members nearby who are immunocompromised, it would be too risky to send them to daycare.
Today, the Vairs are constantly reminded of what they gave up. The Meriwether Café is just a few yards in front of their front porch. Since March, they haven't gone back.
"It's been hard to watch it continue to live without us," said Whitney. "We gave it so much of ourselves."
Still, Brandon and Whitney have found peace with their decision.
"I'm not split in half. I'm not so dad for two hours, business owner for six hours." Brandon said, "I think there's a better balance in my life now."
Brandon now works 40 hours a week from home and has more time with his wife and children. His desk sits right next to his daughter Freda's, and she delivers him breakfast in the mornings. The family now has more financial security than they ever have, they said. Brandon opened his first 401(k) and is beginning to pay down debt.
While it may not be his passion job, he said it pays well and he's treated well.
"Having the ability to be my own boss (that's) a far second … to what my financial responsibility is to my home," Brandon said.
Whitney enjoys spending time with her children and watching them grow – and hopes to be back in a professional kitchen in the coming years.
"Sometimes I feel like I'm happier than I should be," she said. "In our little town of Rocheport in this little house, it is happy."
Brandon's advice to others: Trust that things happen for a reason.
If you're facing an obstacle too tough to overcome and you have another option, he said, "Sometimes it's best to just take it and see where it leads, because it could be a great decision."


usatoday--2020-12-08--On immigration, Biden should look to the Obama administration and do the opposite

San Diego — What will President-elect Joe Biden do with regard to the thorny issue of immigration ?
As someone who has written about this topic for three decades — and who followed closely the missteps , mistakes and misdeeds of the last administration in which Biden served — here ’ s my advice : Mr. President-elect , every time you formulate a policy or face a predicament on immigration , ask yourself , “ What would former President Barack Obama do ?
” Then do the opposite .
Biden is off to an encouraging start with his first Latino @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Alejandro Mayorkas .
The Cuban American , a former U.S. Attorney who was director of U.S .
Citizenship and Immigration Services in the Obama administration , seems to favor a kinder and gentler approach to immigration Already , Mayorkas is trying to calm immigrant advocates who worry about the return of Obama-style mass deportations .
He tweeted : “ When I was very young , the United States provided my family and me a place of refuge .
Now , I have been nominated to be the DHS Secretary and oversee the protection @ @ @ @ @ @ @ persecution in search of a better life for themselves and their loved ones.
” In 2017 , Mayorkas told PBS ’ s Judy Woodruff that he favored expanding DACA — which he developed and shepherded — to include more people , based on their age when they came to the United States .
As for Obama , there is a reason the 44th president was heckled by undocumented young people .
There ’ s a reason why immigrant advocates — including then Rep. Luis Gutierrez , D-IL , — were arrested for protesting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years .
And there ’ s a reason why immigration activists picketed outside the Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte , North Carolina during the 2012 Democratic National Convention .
Obama was vexed by immigration .
He couldn ’ t get it right .
Here ’ s an executive summary of what went wrong : Obama broke his campaign promise to make immigration reform a top priority ; vastly expanded the Secure Communities program , which enlisted local and state police to help in the apprehension of illegal immigrants ; deported about three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hundreds of thousands of families , and put into foster care tens of thousands of U.S.-born children whose parents got deported ; refused initially to halt deportations , insisting he wasn ’ t a “ king ” ; claimed falsely that his administration only deported criminals ; ordered , in 2014 , thousands of Central American refugees to be removed without due process , jailed thousands of others including infants and toddlers housed in what activists called “ baby jails , ” and released a third group into the custody of U.S. relatives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years later ; and , whenever he faced pushback from the left , blamed the heavy-handed approach on Republicans in Congress who he supposedly needed to please so he could get through a comprehensive immigration reform bill .
No such bill was ever produced .
The only part of the Obama immigration agenda that turned out to be real was the pain that his administration inflicted on immigrant communities .
The one bright spot was DACA ( Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals ) , a change in executive policy by the Department of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ apply for a two-year work permit and have their deportation deferred temporarily .
The catch : recipients had to turn themselves into authorities , get photographed and fingerprinted , and hand over their home address .
That was a good deal for the authorities , but — as we learned when Donald Trump became president and ended DACA , leaving more than 600,000 recipients vulnerable to deportation — not so good for Dreamers .
What a debacle .
It ’ s no wonder that , as Obama ’ s vice president , Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during the campaign .
In November 2019 , during the primary , Biden was confronted at a town hall in Greenwood , South Carolina .
Carlos Rojas , a Latino immigrant advocate , grilled Biden about Obama ’ s immigration record .
Rojas was fishing for an assurance from the Democratic candidate for president that , if elected , he would not repeat Obama ’ s mistakes .
Biden defensively snapped at Rojas : `` You should vote for Trump !
” In February 2020 — as primaries in states with heavy Latino @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Obama administration had bungled its policy toward immigrants and refugees .
They made a “ big mistake , ” Biden told Univision ’ s Jorge Ramos before the caucuses in Nevada , where 30 % of the population is Latino .
We ca n't win on immigration alone : Latinos helped elect Biden , but Democrats can do better Biden has promised to issue in the first 100 days , more than a dozen executive orders and policy changes rolling back Trump ’ s immigration policies .
He vowed to reinstate DACA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wall , stop separating families , end prolonged detentions , restore asylum , and curb deportations .
He even promised to send Congress a bill to give legal status to the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants in the United States — all in the first 100 days .
Don ’ t hold your breath .
The same political considerations that tripped up Obama are likely to ensnare Biden .
Do n't hold your breath waiting for Biden to deliver on immigration promises Obama drove his immigration policy into a ditch by trying to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ turned out to be much better at the former than he was at the latter .
Now Biden is likely to travel the same road .
He can ’ t afford to be seen as soft on border security .
If Biden encounters a refugee crisis like the one that flummoxed Obama in 2014 , we can expect him to follow Obama ’ s example — and make all the same errors in judgment .
Obama was squeezed between Latinos who wanted legal status for the undocumented and a more lenient approach to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ members and African-Americans who — feeling overrun by Latino immigrants and seeing the prospect of legalizing millions of them as economic suicide because it would only increase competition for jobs — favored the opposite approach .
Biden will now find himself between the same rock and hard place .
Expect him to bring back DACA , and call it a day .
He may yield to the demand of immigrant activists to strengthen the program and make it permanent , or he may be satisfied with just taking DACA back to what it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Obama administration .
Either way , there won ’ t be much else happening on immigration , and Biden will blame his failure to produce anything more on a GOP-controlled Senate led by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell .
Meanwhile , deportations will continue at roughly the same pace that they ’ re happening now , which is an improvement over Obama ’ s deportation juggernaut .
And a mass granting of legal status — which the right-wing derides as “ amnesty — will never be mentioned again .
Policy over president : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need to focus on policies , not presidents That ’ s a far cry from what Biden promised a group of Hispanic supporters in September when he traveled to Kissimmee , Florida for an event to mark Hispanic Heritage Month .
He said that , if elected , he would commence to “ finally building an immigration system that treats people with dignity and is true to American values.
” That ’ s not likely to happen .
The politics of immigration won ’ t allow it to happen .
The players change @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Ruben Navarrette Jr. , a member of the USA Today Board of Contributors , is a syndicated columnist with the Washington Post Writers Group and host of the podcast , “ Navarrette Nation.
” Follow him on Twitter : @ RubenNavarrette

On immigration, Biden should look to the Obama administration and do the opposite Biden has made a lot of lofty promises about immigration reform. We'll see if he actually delivers.
SAN DIEGO — What will President-elect Joe Biden do with regard to the thorny issue of immigration?
As someone who has written about this topic for three decades — and who followed closely the missteps, mistakes and misdeeds of the last administration in which Biden served — here’s my advice: Mr. President-elect, every time you formulate a policy or face a predicament on immigration, ask yourself, “What would former President Barack Obama do?” Then do the opposite.
Biden is off to an encouraging start with his first Latino Cabinet pick — Homeland Security Secretary-nominee Alejandro Mayorkas. The Cuban American, a former U.S. Attorney who was director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in the Obama administration, seems to favor a kinder and gentler approach to immigration
Already, Mayorkas is trying to calm immigrant advocates who worry about the return of Obama-style mass deportations.
He tweeted: “When I was very young, the United States provided my family and me a place of refuge. Now, I have been nominated to be the DHS Secretary and oversee the protection of all Americans and those who flee persecution in search of a better life for themselves and their loved ones.”
In 2017, Mayorkas told PBS’ Judy Woodruff that he favored expanding the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program — which he developed and shepherded — to include more people, based on their age when they came to the United States.
Obama's horrible and harmful immigration policies
As for Obama, there is a reason the 44th president was heckled by undocumented young people. There’s a reason why immigrant advocates — including then-Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., — were arrested for protesting outside the White House during the Obama years. And there’s a reason why immigration activists picketed outside the Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte, North Carolina, during the 2012 Democratic National Convention.
Obama was vexed by immigration. He couldn’t get it right. Here’s an executive summary of what went wrong:
►Obama broke his campaign promise to make immigration reform a top priority.
►Vastly expanded the Secure Communities program, which enlisted local and state police to help in the apprehension of undocumented immigrants.
►Deported 3 million people in eight years and put into foster care tens of thousands of U.S.-born children whose parents got deported.
►Refused initially to halt deportations, insisting he wasn’t "a king."
►Claimed falsely that his administration only deported criminals.
►Ordered, in 2014, thousands of Central American refugees to be removed without due process; jailed thousands of others, including infants and toddlers housed in what activists called “baby jails”; and released a third group into the custody of U.S. relatives — only to round them up a little over a year later.
►Whenever he faced pushback from the left, blamed the heavy-handed approach on Republicans in Congress whom he supposedly needed to please so he could get through a comprehensive immigration reform bill.
No such bill was ever produced. The only part of the Obama immigration agenda that turned out to be real was the pain that his administration inflicted on immigrant communities.
The one bright spot was DACA, a change in executive policy by the Department of Homeland Security. Undocumented young people brought here as children could apply for a two-year work permit and have their deportation deferred temporarily.
The catch: Recipients had to turn themselves into authorities, get photographed and fingerprinted, and hand over their home address. That was a good deal for the authorities, but — as we learned when Donald Trump became president and ended DACA, leaving more than 600,000 recipients vulnerable to deportation — not so good for "Dreamers."
What a debacle. It’s no wonder that as Obama’s vice president, Biden tried to avoid the topic of immigration during his own presidential campaign.
In November 2019, Biden was confronted at a town hall in Greenwood, South Carolina. Carlos Rojas, a Latino immigrant advocate, grilled Biden about Obama’s immigration record. Rojas was fishing for an assurance from the Democratic candidate for president that, if elected, he would not repeat Obama’s mistakes. Biden defensively snapped at Rojas: "You should vote for Trump!”
This February — as primaries in states with heavy Latino populations loomed — Biden finally acknowledged that the Obama administration had bungled its policy toward immigrants and refugees. They made a “big mistake,” Biden told Univision’s Jorge Ramos before the caucuses in Nevada, where 30% of the population is Latino.
We can't win on immigration alone: Latinos helped elect Biden, but Democrats can do better
The president-elect has promised to issue in the first 100 days more than a dozen executive orders and policy changes rolling back Trump’s immigration policies. He vowed to reinstate DACA, halt construction of the U.S.-Mexico border wall, stop separating families, end prolonged detentions, restore asylum and curb deportations. He even promised to send Congress a bill to give legal status to the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants in the United States.
Don’t hold your breath. The same political considerations that tripped up Obama are likely to ensnare Biden.
Tough vs. compassionate
Obama drove his immigration policy into a ditch by trying to be simultaneously tough and compassionate. He turned out to be much better at the former than he was at the latter.
Now Biden is likely to travel the same road. He can’t afford to be seen as soft on border security. If Biden encounters a migrant crisis like the one that flummoxed Obama in 2014, we can expect him to follow Obama’s example — and make all the same errors in judgment.
Obama was squeezed between Latinos who wanted legal status for the undocumented and a more lenient approach to deportations, and white working class union members and African Americans who — feeling overrun by Latino immigrants and seeing the prospect of legalizing millions of them as economic suicide because it would only increase competition for jobs — favored the opposite approach.
Biden will now find himself between the same rock and hard place. Expect him to bring back DACA and call it a day. He may yield to the demand of immigrant activists to strengthen the program and make it permanent, or he could be satisfied with just taking DACA back to what it was on the last day of the Obama administration.
Either way, there won’t be much else happening on immigration, and Biden will blame his failure to produce anything more on a GOP-controlled Senate led by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.
Meanwhile, deportations will continue at roughly the same pace that they’re happening now, which is an improvement over Obama’s deportation juggernaut. And a mass granting of legal status — which the right-wing derides as “amnesty" — will never be mentioned again.
Policy over president: Why activists for police, immigration reform need to focus on policies, not presidents
That’s a far cry from what Biden promised a group of Hispanic supporters in September when he traveled to Kissimmee, Florida, for an event to mark Hispanic Heritage Month. He said that, if elected, he would commence to “finally building an immigration system that treats people with dignity and is true to American values.”
That’s not likely to happen. The politics of immigration won’t allow it to happen. The players change, But the game stays the same.
Ruben Navarrette Jr., a member of the USA TODAY Board of Contributors, is a syndicated columnist with the Washington Post Writers Group and host of the podcast “Navarrette Nation.” Follow him on Twitter: @RubenNavarrette