usatoday--2020-11-13--After Biden win, Black activists demand reparations for slavery, police reform

When President-elect Joe Biden addressed supporters last week to accept the highest office in the land , he took a moment to thank one specific group of Americans .
“ When this campaign was at its lowest , the African American community stood up again for me , ” Biden said .
“ They always have my back , and I ’ ll have yours.
” Leading Black Lives Matter activists plan to hold him and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris to that I.O.U .
with a vengeance .
In a tumultuous election year , one that both gave rise to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the death of George Floyd and saw Black Americans suffer disproportionately from the COVID-19 pandemic and staggeringly high unemployment , Black Lives Matter activists are asking the new administration to make Black matters paramount .
“ For decades , Black people have shown up time and time again for a country that consistently tells us that our lives don ’ t matter , ” said Mary Hooks , a founding member of Black Lives Matter Atlanta and co-director of Southerners on New Ground , a social justice advocacy organization .
“ Beyond @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this administration to be bold and unapologetic about paying that debt through enacting policy changes.
” After Biden accepted the presidency , Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Cullors wrote an open letter to Biden and Harris saying “ we want something for our vote ” and asked for an immediate meeting .
To date , no meeting has been set , which is concerning , said Melina Abdullah , co-founder of Black Lives Matter Los Angeles and co-director of Black Lives Matter Grassroots , a national organizing arm of the organization .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” said Abdullah , who also is a professor of Pan-African studies at California State University , Los Angeles .
“ We need to be sure this administration realizes that Black people voted out Donald Trump .
Because of us , we saw a massive turnout and a rejection of blatant racism.
” The degree to which the incoming administration works with groups such as Black Lives Matter will help answer a larger unresolved question : how much influence will the progressive arm of the Democratic party have over a career centrist such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ California attorney general , during the biggest reckoning on civil rights and racism since the 1960s ?
While the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was a milestone achievement anchored by Martin Luther King , Jr. , that landmark legislation far from erased the hurdles facing Black Americans , whose educational and economic opportunities continue to be stymied by legacies of slavery and systemic racism that surfaced in the form of redlining , redistricting and other restrictive measures .
Biden has promised to assemble a cabinet that includes voices from across the Democratic spectrum @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Mike Pence that Biden and Harris will `` defund , dismantle , and dissolve police departments , '' the Democratic leaders do not support defunding the police .
It remains to be seen how Biden and his team will handle other demands from Black leaders .
Biden ’ s acceptance speech nod to Black voters and his choice of vice presidents — Harris being the first woman and first Black and South Asian American in the position — suggest the incoming president is aware he has debts to pay , says Todd @ @ @ @ @ @ @ endowed chair for the study of race and popular culture at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles .
“ There seems to be a consciousness on Biden ’ s part that African Americans had a lot to do with him being victorious , ” said Boyd .
“ As to whether Black Lives Matter in particular has leverage , well , they ’ re not a huge lobbying group like the National Rifle Association .
But that doesn ’ t mean they don ’ t get acknowledged.
” It is not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign was brought back from the dead by a March primary victory in South Carolina fueled by the work of South Carolina Congressman and House Majority Whip James Clyburn , who is Black and was an organizer during the 1960s civil rights movement .
That endorsement soon had a snowball effect .
Although Trump gained some ground with Black male voters this election , African Americans in crucial swing states such as Wisconsin , Michigan , Pennsylvania and recount-poised Georgia were instrumental in delivering the White House to Democrats .
In return , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ must take immediate action on matters such as health care , housing , education and , perhaps most paramount , police reform .
A Biden administration could provide a swift change in how law enforcement tactics are discussed across the nation.Trump has repeatedly voiced support for officers while calling those protesting for change `` left-wing mobs , '' a stark contrast to the previous Obama administration where Biden served as vice president .
Impact of protests : Cities and states across the US announce police reform following demands for change After the officer-involved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ferguson , Missouri , and Eric Garner in New York City , President Barack Obama established the President 's Task Force on 21st Century Policing , which pushed for such killings to be investigated by independent prosecutors .
Since Obama left office , Black Lives Matter , which was founded in 2013 after the acquittal of Trayvon Martin 's killer , has become a leading voice on civil rights issues .
The loosely organized movement gathered renewed momentum following the death of Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officers on Memorial Day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 , protests attended by diverse groups of Americans spread across the nation .
The movement soon began calling for an outright defunding of police departments .
Although some Democrats bristle at the slogan — including Clyburn , who recently warned that the defund battle cry “ is killing our party ” — activists are resolute .
“ Our clarion call was defund the police , ” said Abdullah , the Los Angeles organizer .
“ That might not resonate within the core of the Democratic party , but it resonates with people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s hometown , voters just approved Measure J , also known as “ Reimagine LA County , ” which requires that 10 % of the city ’ s unrestricted general funds be invested in social services and alternatives to incarceration .
“ That slogan means what it means , we can ’ t keep investing in a system that harms people of color and expect a different result , ” said Angela Waters Austin , co-founder of Black Lives Matter Michigan , based in Lansing , and CEO of the activist non-profit One @ @ @ @ @ @ @ color , Waters Austin supports the national passage of The Breathe Act , a project of the non-profit Movement for Black Lives that proposes sweeping changes to the way tax dollars are allocated , emphasizing social programs over incarceration and providing grants to promote environmental health and social justice .
Other social issues also need attention , said Marcus McDonald , founder of an independent chapter of Black Lives Matter in Charleston , South Carolina .
“ Trump set us back in so many ways , so I ’ m hoping this new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such as funding public education and embracing the Fair Housing Act , ” said McDonald , CEO of Adesso Entertainment .
“ Biden has a chance to once again make things non-partisan .
Affordable health care , wearing a mask , things like that there ’ s no middle ground on.
” Atlanta activist Hooks does not shy away from a defund the police demand — “ It is a lifeline we need to save ourselves and future generations , ” she said .
But she also is keen to push for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presidency .
With COVID-19 disproportionately hospitalizing and killing people of color , Biden “ must prioritize a stimulus package that halts evictions , ” she said .
What ’ s more , beyond implementing the federal Breathe Act , the new president must expand Medicaid , expand rights for the LGBTQ community , and set a “ dignified ” federal minimum wage .
“ Lastly , ” Hooks added , “ we need reparations for the descendants of Africans both here and abroad , period.
” In many ways , Black Lives Matter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ politicians is part of a time-honored approach to achieving incremental societal change , said Omar Wasow , assistant professor of political science at Princeton University in New Jersey and an expert on protest movements .
“ There ’ s always been a classic tension between insiders and outsiders , where popular movements are purposefully more extreme in their views than those of officials in power , ” said Wasow .
“ Now we ’ re starting to see more subtle arguments , such as a rethinking of how much funding goes to armed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to people who help those with mental health issues , many of whom are killed by police officers.
” Tanya Faison , founder of Black Lives Matter Sacramento , has been in the streets for years fighting for social justice .
The city came to a boil in 2018 after Stephon Clark , a 22-year-old Black man , was killed by two police officers who shot him in the back after mistaking his cell phone for a gun .
More recently , flag-waving Trump truck caravans rumbled through the state capital , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a Democratic win .
Biden and Harris ’ s victory “ was surprising and is positive , ” but it is not a cause for unguarded celebration , she said .
She pointed out that for many in the Black community , Biden 's missteps include his 1994 Crime Bill , a “ tough on crime ” law signed by President Bill Clinton that led to a surge in incarcerations , as well as his defense of Clarence Thomas during his Supreme Court nomination hearing when Anita Hill ’ s charges of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Harris , who served as California ’ s attorney general and the district attorney of San Francisco , Faison said she has come under fire by activists for a track record that includes refusing to prosecute police officers .
“ This election was about getting Trump out , but I don ’ t see a lot of enthusiasm behind Biden , ” she said .
“ We have to move away from believing police without questioning anything . ''
Black Lives Matter Sacramento , like many other Black Lives Matter chapters , did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Rather , Faison and other activists simply urged voters to get informed and get to the polls .
“ If you know what you ’ re talking about , it makes it easier to then hold people ’ s feet to the fire , ” she said .
Faison plans to keep doing just that .
While she hopes the power of the Black vote brought to bear on Biden ’ s win makes the Democratic party take the demands of the African American community seriously , she assumes her activist work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for equity is not a radical position , ” Faison said .
“ The fight for Black liberation needs to keep going .
”

After Biden win, Black activists demand reparations for slavery, police reform
Show Caption Hide Caption Could Black Americans get reparations for centuries of slavery? Lawmakers have been trying to pass reparation bills for descendants of slaves. Here's why it's taken so long - and how it might work. Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
When President-elect Joe Biden addressed supporters last week to accept the highest office in the land, he took a moment to thank one specific group of Americans.
“When this campaign was at its lowest, the African American community stood up again for me,” Biden said. “They always have my back, and I’ll have yours.”
Leading Black Lives Matter activists plan to hold him and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris to that I.O.U. with a vengeance.
In a tumultuous election year, one that both gave rise to a new civil rights movement in response to the death of George Floyd and saw Black Americans suffer disproportionately from the COVID-19 pandemic and staggeringly high unemployment, Black Lives Matter activists are asking the new administration to make Black matters paramount.
“For decades, Black people have shown up time and time again for a country that consistently tells us that our lives don’t matter,” said Mary Hooks, a founding member of Black Lives Matter Atlanta and co-director of Southerners on New Ground, a social justice advocacy organization. “Beyond a cheap thank you, we need this administration to be bold and unapologetic about paying that debt through enacting policy changes.”
After Biden accepted the presidency, Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Cullors wrote an open letter to Biden and Harris saying “we want something for our vote” and asked for an immediate meeting.
To date, no meeting has been set, which is concerning, said Melina Abdullah, co-founder of Black Lives Matter Los Angeles and co-director of Black Lives Matter Grassroots, a national organizing arm of the organization.
“Hopefully this is just a delay,” said Abdullah, who also is a professor of Pan-African studies at California State University, Los Angeles. “We need to be sure this administration realizes that Black people voted out Donald Trump. Because of us, we saw a massive turnout and a rejection of blatant racism.”
The degree to which the incoming administration works with groups such as Black Lives Matter will help answer a larger unresolved question: how much influence will the progressive arm of the Democratic party have over a career centrist such as Biden and Harris, a former California attorney general, during the biggest reckoning on civil rights and racism since the 1960s?
Stacey Abrams says investments pay off in Georgia The voting rights advocate says she's been dedicating her life to fighting for equal access to the ballot, especially for Black voters. (Nov. 6) AP
While the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was a milestone achievement anchored by Martin Luther King, Jr., that landmark legislation far from erased the hurdles facing Black Americans, whose educational and economic opportunities continue to be stymied by legacies of slavery and systemic racism that surfaced in the form of redlining, redistricting and other restrictive measures.
Biden has promised to assemble a cabinet that includes voices from across the Democratic spectrum. Despite charges by Trump and Vice President Mike Pence that Biden and Harris will "defund, dismantle, and dissolve police departments," the Democratic leaders do not support defunding the police. It remains to be seen how Biden and his team will handle other demands from Black leaders.
Biden should 'acknowledge' BLM
Biden’s acceptance speech nod to Black voters and his choice of vice presidents — Harris being the first woman and first Black and South Asian American in the position — suggest the incoming president is aware he has debts to pay, says Todd Boyd, the Katherine and Frank Price endowed chair for the study of race and popular culture at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.
“There seems to be a consciousness on Biden’s part that African Americans had a lot to do with him being victorious,” said Boyd. “As to whether Black Lives Matter in particular has leverage, well, they’re not a huge lobbying group like the National Rifle Association. But that doesn’t mean they don’t get acknowledged.”
It is not an overstatement to say that Biden's campaign was brought back from the dead by a March primary victory in South Carolina fueled by the work of South Carolina Congressman and House Majority Whip James Clyburn, who is Black and was an organizer during the 1960s civil rights movement. That endorsement soon had a snowball effect.
Although Trump gained some ground with Black male voters this election, African Americans in crucial swing states such as Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania and recount-poised Georgia were instrumental in delivering the White House to Democrats.
In return, Black activists say, the winning ticket must take immediate action on matters such as health care, housing, education and, perhaps most paramount, police reform.
A Biden administration could provide a swift change in how law enforcement tactics are discussed across the nation. Trump has repeatedly voiced support for officers while calling those protesting for change "left-wing mobs," a stark contrast to the previous Obama administration where Biden served as vice president.
Impact of protests: Cities and states across the US announce police reform following demands for change
After the officer-involved deaths in 2014 of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, and Eric Garner in New York City, President Barack Obama established the President's Task Force on 21st Century Policing, which pushed for such killings to be investigated by independent prosecutors.
Since Obama left office, Black Lives Matter, which was founded in 2013 after the acquittal of Trayvon Martin's killer, has become a leading voice on civil rights issues. The loosely organized movement gathered renewed momentum following the death of Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officers on Memorial Day.
Despite social distancing mandates spurred by COVID-19, protests attended by diverse groups of Americans spread across the nation. The movement soon began calling for an outright defunding of police departments. Although some Democrats bristle at the slogan — including Clyburn, who recently warned that the defund battle cry “is killing our party” — activists are resolute.
“Our clarion call was defund the police,” said Abdullah, the Los Angeles organizer. “That might not resonate within the core of the Democratic party, but it resonates with people on the streets.”
In Abdullah’s hometown, voters just approved Measure J, also known as “Reimagine LA County,” which requires that 10% of the city’s unrestricted general funds be invested in social services and alternatives to incarceration.
“That slogan means what it means, we can’t keep investing in a system that harms people of color and expect a different result,” said Angela Waters Austin, co-founder of Black Lives Matter Michigan, based in Lansing, and CEO of the activist non-profit One Love Global.
Like many activists of color, Waters Austin supports the national passage of The Breathe Act, a project of the non-profit Movement for Black Lives that proposes sweeping changes to the way tax dollars are allocated, emphasizing social programs over incarceration and providing grants to promote environmental health and social justice.
Education, housing also pressing for Black activists
Other social issues also need attention, said Marcus McDonald, founder of an independent chapter of Black Lives Matter in Charleston, South Carolina.
“Trump set us back in so many ways, so I’m hoping this new administration will quickly take action on things such as funding public education and embracing the Fair Housing Act,” said McDonald, CEO of Adesso Entertainment. “Biden has a chance to once again make things non-partisan. Affordable health care, wearing a mask, things like that there’s no middle ground on.”
Atlanta activist Hooks does not shy away from a defund the police demand — “It is a lifeline we need to save ourselves and future generations,” she said. But she also is keen to push for a range of other changes from a Biden-Harris presidency.
With COVID-19 disproportionately hospitalizing and killing people of color, Biden “must prioritize a stimulus package that halts evictions,” she said. What’s more, beyond implementing the federal Breathe Act, the new president must expand Medicaid, expand rights for the LGBTQ community, and set a “dignified” federal minimum wage.
“Lastly,” Hooks added, “we need reparations for the descendants of Africans both here and abroad, period.”
In many ways, Black Lives Matter activists pushing a progressive agenda on mainstream politicians is part of a time-honored approach to achieving incremental societal change, said Omar Wasow, assistant professor of political science at Princeton University in New Jersey and an expert on protest movements.
“There’s always been a classic tension between insiders and outsiders, where popular movements are purposefully more extreme in their views than those of officials in power,” said Wasow. “Now we’re starting to see more subtle arguments, such as a rethinking of how much funding goes to armed officers and how much maybe should go to people who help those with mental health issues, many of whom are killed by police officers.”
Tanya Faison, founder of Black Lives Matter Sacramento, has been in the streets for years fighting for social justice. The city came to a boil in 2018 after Stephon Clark, a 22-year-old Black man, was killed by two police officers who shot him in the back after mistaking his cell phone for a gun.
More recently, flag-waving Trump truck caravans rumbled through the state capital, which made her cast doubts on the possibility of a Democratic win.
Biden and Harris’s victory “was surprising and is positive,” but it is not a cause for unguarded celebration, she said.
She pointed out that for many in the Black community, Biden's missteps include his 1994 Crime Bill, a “tough on crime” law signed by President Bill Clinton that led to a surge in incarcerations, as well as his defense of Clarence Thomas during his Supreme Court nomination hearing when Anita Hill’s charges of sexual assault were questioned.
As for Harris, who served as California’s attorney general and the district attorney of San Francisco, Faison said she has come under fire by activists for a track record that includes refusing to prosecute police officers.
“This election was about getting Trump out, but I don’t see a lot of enthusiasm behind Biden,” she said. “We have to move away from believing police without questioning anything."
Black Lives Matter Sacramento, like many other Black Lives Matter chapters, did not endorse a candidate during this election. Rather, Faison and other activists simply urged voters to get informed and get to the polls.
“If you know what you’re talking about, it makes it easier to then hold people’s feet to the fire,” she said.
Faison plans to keep doing just that. While she hopes the power of the Black vote brought to bear on Biden’s win makes the Democratic party take the demands of the African American community seriously, she assumes her activist work is far from over.
“Asking for equity is not a radical position,” Faison said. “The fight for Black liberation needs to keep going.”


usatoday--2020-11-13--Counties with Big Ten, Big 12 schools see bigger increases in COVID-19 cases

As fall turns to winter , communities across the United States have become COVID-19 hot spots — and those that host Power Five football programs are no exception .
In fact , data analysis conducted by Emory 's Rollins School of Public Health for USA TODAY found that the counties in which Power Five schools are located have seen an even larger spike in COVID-19 cases than the nationwide average , with communities in the Big Ten and Big 12 experiencing the most dramatic increases in their seven-day averages of daily new cases per 100,000 residents .
Three Big 12 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iowa State — have seen the daily COVID-19 cases in their counties more than double from the previous week .
And Payne County in Oklahoma , which the Cowboys call home , has seen a spike of 172 % — more than four times the national average of 40 % .
`` We are in trouble , '' Dr. Julie Watson , the chief medical officer for Oklahoma-based Integris Health , said in a news conference Tuesday .
`` Our local and state health care resources are approaching their limits .
If nothing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in cases , our hospitals will be more overwhelmed than they already are and we won ’ t be able to be there for all of those who need it . ''
All told , 59 of the 64 counties that host Power Five schools saw an increase in their average number of daily cases from Nov. 3 to Tuesday .
Collectively , the counties reported an increase of 45 % .
Virus rates rise in all five conferences Big Ten country has seen a continued rise in its COVID-19 caseload since the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Johnson County , home to the University of Iowa , has seen 107 new COVID-19 cases per day on average over the past week .
Six other Big Ten counties reported a seven-day average of 65 new cases or more .
The spike in cases has wrecked havoc on college football schedules throughout the country — particularly this week .
In the Southeastern Conference alone , four games involving ranked teams have been canceled in recent days due to COVID-19 concerns .
A fifth SEC game is still scheduled to occur , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the teams — Arkansas ' Sam Pittman — because he tested positive for COVID-19 .
“ I have to acknowledge ( we ’ re ) troubled by what ’ s happened this week , '' SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said during a media conference call Wednesday .
Big Ten counties saw the largest increase in their average daily cases last week , followed by the Big 12 , Pac-12 , SEC and Atlantic Coast Conference , respectively .

As fall turns to winter, communities across the United States have become COVID-19 hot spots — and those that host Power Five football programs are no exception.
In fact, data analysis conducted by Emory's Rollins School of Public Health for USA TODAY found that the counties in which Power Five schools are located have seen an even larger spike in COVID-19 cases than the nationwide average, with communities in the Big Ten and Big 12 experiencing the most dramatic increases in their seven-day averages of daily new cases per 100,000 residents.
Three Big 12 schools — Oklahoma State, Kansas and Iowa State — have seen the daily COVID-19 cases in their counties more than double from the previous week. And Payne County in Oklahoma, which the Cowboys call home, has seen a spike of 172% — more than four times the national average of 40%.
COVID-19 cases in Power 5 counties
"We are in trouble," Dr. Julie Watson, the chief medical officer for Oklahoma-based Integris Health, said in a news conference Tuesday. "Our local and state health care resources are approaching their limits. If nothing is done soon to slow the rise in cases, our hospitals will be more overwhelmed than they already are and we won’t be able to be there for all of those who need it."
All told, 59 of the 64 counties that host Power Five schools saw an increase in their average number of daily cases from Nov. 3 to Tuesday. Collectively, the counties reported an increase of 45%.
Virus rates rise in all five conferences
COVID-19 rates in Big Ten counties
Big Ten country has seen a continued rise in its COVID-19 caseload since the conference resumed play three weeks ago. Johnson County, home to the University of Iowa, has seen 107 new COVID-19 cases per day on average over the past week. Six other Big Ten counties reported a seven-day average of 65 new cases or more.
The spike in cases has wrecked havoc on college football schedules throughout the country — particularly this week. In the Southeastern Conference alone, four games involving ranked teams have been canceled in recent days due to COVID-19 concerns. A fifth SEC game is still scheduled to occur, but without the head coach of one of the teams — Arkansas' Sam Pittman — because he tested positive for COVID-19.
COVID-19 rates in SEC counties
“I have to acknowledge (we’re) troubled by what’s happened this week," SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said during a media conference call Wednesday.
Big Ten counties saw the largest increase in their average daily cases last week, followed by the Big 12, Pac-12, SEC and Atlantic Coast Conference, respectively.
COVID-19 rates in ACC counties
COVID-19 rates in Big 12 counties
COVID-19 rates in PAC 12 counties
Contributing: The Oklahoman


usatoday--2020-11-13--How sports arenas ran up score on 2020 election, hosting hundreds of thousands of voters

LOS ANGELES — Shabazz Williams walked out of Staples Center on Election Day wearing a Lakers jersey and a team-branded face mask , his civic duty complete .
Williams , 38 , knew that he could have voted at a polling site closer to his home in Sherman Oaks , which is about a 15-minute drive from downtown Los Angeles .
But where 's the fun in that ?
Instead , the Lakers fan donned a jersey and drove to the team 's home arena , where he said it took him no more than 15 minutes to fill out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Staples Center every year to games , '' Williams said , `` and this would have been the first year I didn ’ t go . ''
Similar scenes played out in major metropolitan areas across the country last week , as dozens of professional and college sports facilities joined the election process — most , like Staples Center , for the first time .
HE 'LL PASS : At Masters , Nicklaus passes up chance to tell Trump how to lose with dignity | Opinion Some venues became vote-counting hubs , or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as drop-off locations for mail-in ballots .
And dozens pro arenas or stadiums welcomed in-person voters , either on or before Election Day .
`` I think it ’ s neat that they were able to do it right here at the stadium , '' said Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid , who cast his ballot at Arrowhead Stadium on Election Day .
The use of sports arenas as polling places was symbolic , to an extent — another way for leagues and teams to show that they support the cause .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ behind the gesture .
'WE DO N'T HAVE TO WAIT ' : Chiney Ogwumike turns message into action by becoming Election Day clerk USA TODAY Sports contacted local election officials and compiled voter turnout data from 29 counties in which 40 professional arenas and stadiums were used as voting locations .
The data showed that more than 298,000 people cast their ballots at those venues in one method or another .
( Many counties were only able to provide partial data immediately after the election , and officials in New York , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did not reply to repeated requests for its figures . )
Benjamin Hovland , the chairman of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission , said the availability of sports arenas and stadiums `` absolutely made a difference '' in helping the election run smoothly amid the COVID-19 pandemic .
`` What we saw with so many of these ( sports ) facilities is when they volunteered , when they made themselves available , that solved major problems for election officials , '' said Hovland , whose agency provides federal support for state and local @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to early summer , election officials across the country saw the beginnings of a looming challenge .
The death of George Floyd and nationwide movement for social justice led to an increase in voter interest and enthusiasm , which meant their facilities would likely need to accommodate more voters than in previous years .
But the ongoing pandemic also meant that some of their traditional polling places , such as senior centers and schools , would be unavailable .
Replacement venues needed to check a list of boxes .
They had to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with reliable internet , ample parking , security features , ADA accessibility , and proximity to public transportation , for starters .
They also had to be available for six weeks , in some instances .
`` Sometimes people don ’ t realize everything that ( a voting center ) needs , '' said Paul Gronke , a professor of political science at Reed College .
`` When these sports facilities started coming in , I think ( for ) a lot of people in my community , it was one of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that ’ s obvious isn ’ t it ?
It really is .
They have all of these characteristics . ''
NBA teams were the first to offer their arenas as voting sites , as part of an agreement with the players ' association following the shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha , Wisconsin .
Twenty-three teams made arenas and practice facilities available for voting and voting-related activities , including early voting , poll worker training locations , ballot-drop offs , non-partisan voter registration events and Election Day voting .
In Washington , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ players greeted voters at Capital One Arena on Election Day .
Coach Scott Brooks , who lives a few blocks from the arena , voted there .
In Chicago , twice as many people voted at United Center than any other universal voting site or precinct , according to the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners .
And more than 30,000 people voted at Dallas ’ American Airlines Center and New Orleans ’ Smoothie King Arena .
No professional sports arena , however , welcomed more voters than the Atlanta Hawks ’ State Farm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ' data .
Nearly 40,000 Fulton County residents voted at the arena during early voting in Georgia , a key state in which Joe Biden holds a narrow lead over Donald Trump .
The team wanted to provide a non-partisan site without long waiting times .
With 302 voting machines at physically-distanced locations , poll workers kept lines moving even when there were 3,000 people per day during the first week of early voting .
`` The biggest thing for us was taking that initial step , '' Hawks coach Lloyd Pierce said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to activate our arena .
It ’ s an idea , thought and action item that came to fruition .
It started off as idea and then became a no-brainer .
... We were really proud as an organization to pull it off . ''
Pierce , who volunteered as a greeter for early voting , said he will never forget the dad who brought his son to vote for the first time .
Hawks CEO Steve Koonin said watching people vote in the arena was `` much more emotional than I ever @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relayed the story of an 80-year-old Black man who used a walker .
The man told Koonin he hadn ’ t voted in 30 years because he didn ’ t think his vote made a difference .
He put his ballot in the machine , the machine said his vote had been accepted , and the man started crying .
“ We were helping our state , and our city , take part in the democratic process , ” Koonin said .
“ Also , we were helping to make voting easier .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
No one should wait in line for 10 hours to vote , or vote in a Kiwanis club or library .
Nothing against those places but voting should take place in large venues.
” In Los Angeles , the use of sports venues like Staples Center and Dodger Stadium was part of a broader shift toward a vote center model – which could become a trend .
Instead of being assigned a specific polling place , the county set up several hubs and invited its residents to cast their ballots at a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rhode Island assistant professor Gretchen Macht and her team spent Election Day observing some of these sites through the URI VOTES project , which seeks to use data to improve voting procedures .
At Dodger Stadium , she saw waves of fans in team gear who decided to vote there almost as a means of celebrating the team 's recent World Series title .
First-time voters were greeted with cheers from poll workers .
`` If you ’ re a first-time voter , what better of a place to go and exercise your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be memorable like that ? ''
Macht said .
`` I think that holds some value . ''
Staples Center and Dodger Stadium were each among the highest-grossing vote centers in the county , in terms of turnout .
And Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk Dean Logan wrote in an email that his office saw signs of excitement about voting at those sports venues , and others – though many people still chose to vote at a community center or city hall in their immediate neighborhood .
`` Professional sporting venues and their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the general election , '' Logan wrote .
`` Not only in serving as a vote center , but as a community partner in civic engagement and enfranchisement . ''
Hovland , the federal voting official , said it 'll be difficult to quantify the impact that sports arenas and stadiums had on the 2020 election due to the variances from county to county , and the prevalence of mail-in voting .
But he suggested they might have influenced even voters who cast their ballots elsewhere .
`` Maybe I didn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wasn ’ t my location in downtown Denver , but I saw that and thought it was cool .
And then I went and looked up where I was supposed to vote , and went and voted , because I saw that , '' Hovland said .
He also credited the sports world for its voting efforts beyond the use of arenas and stadiums .
Professional and college teams , for example , held voter registration drives to ensure that all of their athletes were signed up to vote .
And Lakers star @ @ @ @ @ @ @ More Than a Vote '' that , among other things , recruited 40,000 people to serve as poll workers .
The use of sports venues as polling places this year was , at its core , a one-time solution to the one-time challenges presented by COVID-19 .
In fact , in a normal year , many of the venues that were used for voting would have otherwise been hosting games or other events , such as concerts .
But experts and election officials hope their partnerships with sports organizations will continue – and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could become common .
`` A sports arena has a sort of community feeling .
There ’ s the fan base , and the sense that it ’ s a gathering place , '' said Gronke , the political science professor .
`` I hope that those ( arenas ) become a trend .
I don ’ t know if it will be .
But I hope it does . ''
Follow the reporters on Twitter @ joshlpeter11 , @ Tom_Schad and @ JeffZillgitt .

Josh Peter, Tom Schad and Jeff Zillgitt, USA TODAY

How sports arenas ran up score on 2020 election, hosting hundreds of thousands of voters
Show Caption Hide Caption LeBron James, Doc Rivers on voting: Yes, your vote does matter Sports Pulse: Top athletes speak to the importance of voting SportsPulse, USA TODAY
LOS ANGELES — Shabazz Williams walked out of Staples Center on Election Day wearing a Lakers jersey and a team-branded face mask, his civic duty complete.
Williams, 38, knew that he could have voted at a polling site closer to his home in Sherman Oaks, which is about a 15-minute drive from downtown Los Angeles. But where's the fun in that?
Instead, the Lakers fan donned a jersey and drove to the team's home arena, where he said it took him no more than 15 minutes to fill out his ballot.
"I go to Staples Center every year to games," Williams said, "and this would have been the first year I didn’t go."
Similar scenes played out in major metropolitan areas across the country last week, as dozens of professional and college sports facilities joined the election process — most, like Staples Center, for the first time.
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Some venues became vote-counting hubs, or hosted voter registration drives. Others served as drop-off locations for mail-in ballots. And dozens pro arenas or stadiums welcomed in-person voters, either on or before Election Day.
"I think it’s neat that they were able to do it right here at the stadium," said Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid, who cast his ballot at Arrowhead Stadium on Election Day.
The use of sports arenas as polling places was symbolic, to an extent — another way for leagues and teams to show that they support the cause. But there was also a tangible impact behind the gesture.
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USA TODAY Sports contacted local election officials and compiled voter turnout data from 29 counties in which 40 professional arenas and stadiums were used as voting locations. The data showed that more than 298,000 people cast their ballots at those venues in one method or another. (Many counties were only able to provide partial data immediately after the election, and officials in New York, which had voting at two sports venues, did not reply to repeated requests for its figures.)
Benjamin Hovland, the chairman of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, said the availability of sports arenas and stadiums "absolutely made a difference" in helping the election run smoothly amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
"What we saw with so many of these (sports) facilities is when they volunteered, when they made themselves available, that solved major problems for election officials," said Hovland, whose agency provides federal support for state and local election officials.
'A no-brainer'
As late spring turned to early summer, election officials across the country saw the beginnings of a looming challenge.
The death of George Floyd and nationwide movement for social justice led to an increase in voter interest and enthusiasm, which meant their facilities would likely need to accommodate more voters than in previous years. But the ongoing pandemic also meant that some of their traditional polling places, such as senior centers and schools, would be unavailable.
Replacement venues needed to check a list of boxes. They had to be large enough to allow for social distancing, with reliable internet, ample parking, security features, ADA accessibility, and proximity to public transportation, for starters. They also had to be available for six weeks, in some instances.
"Sometimes people don’t realize everything that (a voting center) needs," said Paul Gronke, a professor of political science at Reed College.
"When these sports facilities started coming in, I think (for) a lot of people in my community, it was one of those head-slapping moments. Like boy, that’s obvious isn’t it? It really is. They have all of these characteristics."
NBA teams were the first to offer their arenas as voting sites, as part of an agreement with the players' association following the shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Twenty-three teams made arenas and practice facilities available for voting and voting-related activities, including early voting, poll worker training locations, ballot-drop offs, non-partisan voter registration events and Election Day voting.
In Washington, D.C., Wizards executives, coaches and players greeted voters at Capital One Arena on Election Day. Coach Scott Brooks, who lives a few blocks from the arena, voted there. In Chicago, twice as many people voted at United Center than any other universal voting site or precinct, according to the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners. And more than 30,000 people voted at Dallas’ American Airlines Center and New Orleans’ Smoothie King Arena.
No professional sports arena, however, welcomed more voters than the Atlanta Hawks’ State Farm Arena, according to USA TODAY Sports' data.
Nearly 40,000 Fulton County residents voted at the arena during early voting in Georgia, a key state in which Joe Biden holds a narrow lead over Donald Trump. The team wanted to provide a non-partisan site without long waiting times. With 302 voting machines at physically-distanced locations, poll workers kept lines moving even when there were 3,000 people per day during the first week of early voting.
"The biggest thing for us was taking that initial step," Hawks coach Lloyd Pierce said. "We were the first team to activate our arena. It’s an idea, thought and action item that came to fruition. It started off as idea and then became a no-brainer. ... We were really proud as an organization to pull it off."
Pierce, who volunteered as a greeter for early voting, said he will never forget the dad who brought his son to vote for the first time. Hawks CEO Steve Koonin said watching people vote in the arena was "much more emotional than I ever thought it would be."
Koonin relayed the story of an 80-year-old Black man who used a walker. The man told Koonin he hadn’t voted in 30 years because he didn’t think his vote made a difference. He put his ballot in the machine, the machine said his vote had been accepted, and the man started crying.
“We were helping our state, and our city, take part in the democratic process,” Koonin said. “Also, we were helping to make voting easier. That’s how it should be. No one should wait in line for 10 hours to vote, or vote in a Kiwanis club or library. Nothing against those places but voting should take place in large venues.”
The start of a trend?
In Los Angeles, the use of sports venues like Staples Center and Dodger Stadium was part of a broader shift toward a vote center model – which could become a trend. Instead of being assigned a specific polling place, the county set up several hubs and invited its residents to cast their ballots at a location of their choosing.
University of Rhode Island assistant professor Gretchen Macht and her team spent Election Day observing some of these sites through the URI VOTES project, which seeks to use data to improve voting procedures. At Dodger Stadium, she saw waves of fans in team gear who decided to vote there almost as a means of celebrating the team's recent World Series title. First-time voters were greeted with cheers from poll workers.
"If you’re a first-time voter, what better of a place to go and exercise your right to vote than someplace that will be memorable like that?" Macht said. "I think that holds some value."
Staples Center and Dodger Stadium were each among the highest-grossing vote centers in the county, in terms of turnout. And Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk Dean Logan wrote in an email that his office saw signs of excitement about voting at those sports venues, and others – though many people still chose to vote at a community center or city hall in their immediate neighborhood.
"Professional sporting venues and their corresponding franchises played an important role in the general election," Logan wrote. "Not only in serving as a vote center, but as a community partner in civic engagement and enfranchisement."
Hovland, the federal voting official, said it'll be difficult to quantify the impact that sports arenas and stadiums had on the 2020 election due to the variances from county to county, and the prevalence of mail-in voting. But he suggested they might have influenced even voters who cast their ballots elsewhere.
"Maybe I didn’t go to the Pepsi Center because that wasn’t my location in downtown Denver, but I saw that and thought it was cool. And then I went and looked up where I was supposed to vote, and went and voted, because I saw that," Hovland said.
He also credited the sports world for its voting efforts beyond the use of arenas and stadiums. Professional and college teams, for example, held voter registration drives to ensure that all of their athletes were signed up to vote. And Lakers star LeBron James created an organization called "More Than a Vote" that, among other things, recruited 40,000 people to serve as poll workers.
The use of sports venues as polling places this year was, at its core, a one-time solution to the one-time challenges presented by COVID-19. In fact, in a normal year, many of the venues that were used for voting would have otherwise been hosting games or other events, such as concerts.
But experts and election officials hope their partnerships with sports organizations will continue – and that voting at a stadium or arena could become common.
"A sports arena has a sort of community feeling. There’s the fan base, and the sense that it’s a gathering place," said Gronke, the political science professor.
"I hope that those (arenas) become a trend. I don’t know if it will be. But I hope it does."
Contributing: Peter Barzilai and Mike Freeman
Follow the reporters on Twitter @joshlpeter11, @Tom_Schad and @JeffZillgitt.


usatoday--2020-11-13--As COVID-19 shuts malls and hotels, their owners fall behind on loans, setting the stage for a chang

New York 's historic Roosevelt Hotel shut down last month , the latest casualty of the coronavirus pandemic that has upended the city 's tourism and retail markets .
Many more hotels and retail properties in the nation 's biggest cities across the country are struggling .
In the New York area , the owners of 43 hotel loans were delinquent on loans backed by $ 1.5 billion in bonds as of Oct. 31 , according to Trepp LLC , a research firm that tracks commercial real estate markets .
Another 30 owners of shopping malls and storefronts in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ problems with loans backed by more than $ 630 million in bonds .
And that 's two sets of borrowers in two of the hardest-hit areas of the economy in two of the biggest cities in the United States .
Coast to coast , more than a thousand hotel and retail borrowers have defaulted on more than $ 35 billion in loans since the coronavirus pandemic stalled travel and tourism and made visits to shopping mall unappealing , especially with easy online alternatives for consumers .
As it stands now , nearly 20 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than 14 % of all retail loans originated by commercial real estate lenders and packaged into securities that are sold to investors are now delinquent .
That 's fewer delinquencies than at the peak of the crisis in June .
But problem loans are still at disturbingly high levels compared with previous economic downturns .
Hotels hit hard : Battered by COVID-19 , hotels pitch themselves as remote workspaces Big retailers exiting malls : Gap Inc. is exiting malls : 220 Gap stores , 130 Banana Republic stores to shutter by 2024 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most immediate and dramatic impact on hotels and motels , as we 've taken a vacation from vacations , '' said Jamie Woodwell , vice president of commercial real estate research at the Mortgage Bankers Association .
`` It 's also put a lot of stress on retail , where the conversion to online purchasing that should have happened over five years has accelerated and is now taking place over a matter of months . ''
The result is that shopping malls are becoming obsolete far faster than anticipated .
Nearly $ 20 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the now-bankrupt JCPenney and Neiman Marcus department stores are now in default , according to Trepp LLC .
Hundreds of America 's 1,100 malls are expected to shut down because of COVID-19 and pressures from online retailers , experts say , and as many as 25,000 stores will close this year , according to Coresight Research , a research and advisory firm .
New York alone could lose 20 % of its hotel rooms by the time the pandemic is over , according to Cushman & Wakefield .
That 's 6,800 rooms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ use .
The shakeout across the country is already causing hotels to lose 20 % to 30 % of their value , according to the Avison Young brokerage firm .
`` The hotel industry has been devastated by this pandemic , '' said Stephen Michels , the managing director for Cushman & Wakefield 's hospitality practice .
`` The combined impact has been greater than 9/11 and the financial crisis combined .
It 's been very painful for a lot of owners . ''
Occupancy rates across the country dropped to 33 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from 70 % during the same period in 2019 , while average room rates dwindled to $ 83 per night from $ 133 , according to Cushman & Wakefield , a global real estate services firm .
This , in turn , led to 738 borrowers defaulting on hotel loans backed by about $ 17 billion in bonds as of Oct 31 , according to Trepp LLC .
That 's down slightly from July .
But according to Michels , the Cushman & Wakefield analyst , hotel delinquencies were never this high during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been identified and delivered , Michels says the hotel and motel industry will begin to recover and should hopefully be back to full strength by the beginning of 2023. Leisure tourism is expected to bounce back first , followed by corporate travel and finally by group travel and international tourism .
`` Large citywide convention and major group bookings have longer lead times than leisure travel , '' Michels said .
`` It takes six to nine months for the group market to get back into full swing . ''
In the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lot of owners to default on their loans and a lot of properties to change hands .
In some markets , like New York , there will be a large decrease in total hotel rooms before the shakeout is over .
`` A significant number of hotels will be converted to workforce housing or senior housing or some higher better use , '' Michels said .
`` These will likely be older hotels , with inefficient layouts , and unionized labor structures . ''
For shopping malls and storefronts in urban areas , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just an acceleration of the retail-apocalypse that was supposed to occur anyway , thanks to Amazon and the trend toward online shopping .
`` It was looking pretty bleak pre-Covid because of the transition away from bricks and mortar , '' said Manus Clancy , senior managing director applied data , research , pricing at Trepp LLC .
`` We had been seeing a wave of bankruptcies - big , medium and small .
Mall occupancies were dropping from 98 % then 92 % and down to 86 % .
Big retailers like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stores . ''
With coronavirus , the bankruptcy trend has only accelerated , Clancy said .
`` We will see dozens and dozens of loans go into default and lenders will only be able to recover 30 cents on the dollar , '' Clancy said .
Lenders that made $ 100 million loans will only be able to collect $ 30 million .
Like with hotel loans , many loans to these shopping mall owners and large retailers are made in the CMBS , or commercial mortgage-backed securities , market , Clancy said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very large – often $ 100 million to $ 150 million apiece .
So they need to be parceled out among a broad pool of investors .
Trepp LLC counted 652 delinquent retail loans totaling about $ 18.9 billion in the CMBS as of Oct. 31 .
The first investors who will be affected when these loans go bad are big private equity firms like KKR , Clancy said .
They are the ones that hold the riskiest pieces of the loan packages .
The next to be impacted will be private money @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the next riskiest pieces .
Then pension funds and the big mutual funds that manage money for retirees and average investors .
Unlike in the Great Recession , Clancy does not expect retirees and average investors with 401 ( k ) plans to be as affected by loan defaults this time around .
`` Nobody is predicting the problems to reach that high , '' he said .
Still , owners of retail properties , especially owners of second- and third-tier malls that have lost their anchor tenants , will get crushed .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ once valued at $ 150 million , may get repurchased by a company like Namdar Realty Group for $ 30 million , That will enable them to continue functioning as malls , Clancy said .
But other properties will have to be repurposed .
Mall operator Simon Property Group , for example , is reportedly in talks with Amazon to convert department stores into e-commerce fulfillment centers .
Other malls will be converted into office space or used for community colleges , while others will be knocked down and turned into multi-family housing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not as likely to be repurposed .
Overpriced properties will simply change hands and rents will come down , Clancy said .
`` The market may come back , but it will come back at a much lower price per square foot , '' Clancy said .
`` Two-mall cities will become one-mall cities . ''

As COVID-19 shuts malls and hotels, their owners fall behind on loans, setting the stage for a changed landscape
Show Caption Hide Caption Can malls survive COVID-19 pandemic and permanent store closings? Consumers are scared to go out and retailers are floundering. Is there a future for the traditional indoor shopping mall? USA TODAY, Wochit
New York's historic Roosevelt Hotel shut down last month, the latest casualty of the coronavirus pandemic that has upended the city's tourism and retail markets.
Many more hotels and retail properties in the nation's biggest cities are struggling.
In the New York area, the owners of 43 hotel loans were delinquent on loans backed by $1.5 billion in bonds as of Oct. 31, according to Trepp LLC, a research firm that tracks commercial real estate markets.
Another 30 owners of shopping malls and storefronts in the Greater Chicago area were facing similar financial problems, with loans backed by more than $630 million in bonds.
And that's two sets of borrowers in two of the hardest-hit areas of the economy in two of the biggest cities in the United States.
Coast to coast, more than a thousand hotel and retail borrowers have defaulted on more than $35 billion in loans since the coronavirus pandemic stalled travel and tourism and made visits to shopping malls unappealing, especially with easy online alternatives for consumers.
As it stands now, nearly 20% of all hotel loans and slightly more than 14% of all retail loans originated by commercial real estate lenders and packaged into securities that are sold to investors are now delinquent.
That's fewer delinquencies than at the peak of the crisis in June. But problem loans are still at disturbingly high levels compared with previous downturns.
Hotels hit hard: Battered by COVID-19, hotels pitch themselves as remote workspaces
Big retailers exiting malls: Gap Inc. is exiting malls: 220 Gap stores, 130 Banana Republic stores to shutter by 2024.
"The pandemic has had the most immediate and dramatic impact on hotels and motels, as we've taken a vacation from vacations," said Jamie Woodwell, vice president of commercial real estate research at the Mortgage Bankers Association. "It's also put a lot of stress on retail, where the conversion to online purchasing that should have happened over five years has accelerated and is now taking place over a matter of months."
The result is that shopping malls are becoming obsolete far faster than expected. Nearly $20 billion in loans tied to malls anchored by the now-bankrupt JCPenney and Neiman Marcus department stores are now in default, according to Trepp LLC.
Hundreds of America's 1,100 malls are expected to shut down because of COVID-19 and pressures from online retailers, experts say, and as many as 25,000 stores will close this year, according to Coresight Research, a research and advisory firm.
New York alone could lose 20% of its hotel rooms by the time the pandemic is over, according to Cushman & Wakefield. That's 6,800 rooms that will be converted to some other use.
The shakeout across the country is already causing hotels to lose 20% to 30% of their value, according to the Avison Young brokerage firm.
"The hotel industry has been devastated by this pandemic," said Stephen Michels, the managing director for Cushman & Wakefield's hospitality practice. "The combined impact has been greater than 9/11 and the financial crisis combined. It's been very painful for a lot of owners."
Occupancy rates across the country dropped to 33% for the three months that ended June 30, from 70% during the same period in 2019, while average room rates dwindled to $83 per night from $133, according to Cushman & Wakefield.
This, in turn, led to 738 borrowers defaulting on hotel loans backed by about $17 billion in bonds as of Oct 31, according to Trepp LLC.
That's down slightly from July. But according to Michels, the Cushman & Wakefield analyst, hotel delinquencies were never this high during the Great Recession.
Once a vaccine has been identified and delivered, Michels says the hotel and motel industry will begin to recover and should be back to full strength by the beginning of 2023. Leisure tourism is expected to bounce back first, followed by corporate travel and finally by group travel and international tourism.
"Large citywide convention and major group bookings have longer lead times than leisure travel," Michels said. "It takes six to nine months for the group market to get back into full swing."
In the meantime, however, Michels expects a lot of owners to default on their loans and a lot of properties to change hands. In some markets, like New York, there will be a large decrease in total hotel rooms before the shakeout is over.
"A significant number of hotels will be converted to workforce housing or senior housing or some higher better use," Michels said. "These will likely be older hotels, with inefficient layouts, and unionized labor structures."
No longer postponing the inevitable
For shopping malls and storefronts in urban areas, the carnage wrought by the coronavirus is just an acceleration of the retail-apocalypse that was supposed to occur anyway, thanks to Amazon and the trend toward online shopping.
"It was looking pretty bleak pre-Covid because of the transition away from bricks and mortar," said Manus Clancy, senior managing director applied data, research, pricing at Trepp LLC. "We had been seeing a wave of bankruptcies - big, medium and small. Mall occupancies were dropping from 98% then 92% and down to 86%. Big retailers like Macy's and Nordstrom's were closing stores."
With coronavirus, the bankruptcy trend has only accelerated, Clancy said.
"We will see dozens and dozens of loans go into default and lenders will only be able to recover 30 cents on the dollar," Clancy said. Lenders that made $100 million loans will only be able to collect $30 million.
As with hotel loans, many loans to these shopping mall owners and large retailers are made in the CMBS, or commercial mortgage-backed securities, market, Clancy said. That's because these loans are very large – often $100 million to $150 million apiece. So they need to be parceled out among a broad pool of investors.
Trepp LLC counted 652 delinquent retail loans totaling about $18.9 billion in the CMBS as of Oct. 31.
The first investors who will be affected when these loans go bad are big private equity firms like KKR, Clancy said. They are the ones that hold the riskiest pieces of the loan packages. The next to be impacted will be private money managers and hedge funds, who hold the next riskiest pieces. Then pension funds and the big mutual funds that manage money for retirees and average investors.
Unlike in the Great Recession, Clancy does not expect retirees and average investors with 401(k) plans to be as affected by loan defaults this time around.
"Nobody is predicting the problems to reach that high," he said.
Still, owners of retail properties, especially owners of second- and third-tier malls that have lost their anchor tenants, will get crushed. Some of those malls, which were once valued at $150 million, may get repurchased by a company like Namdar Realty Group for $30 million, That will enable them to continue functioning as malls, Clancy said. But other properties will have to be repurposed.
Mall operator Simon Property Group, for example, is reportedly in talks with Amazon to convert department stores into e-commerce fulfillment centers. Other malls will be converted into office space or used for community colleges, while others will be knocked down and turned into multi-family housing.
In big cities, storefronts are not as likely to be repurposed. Overpriced properties will simply change hands and rents will come down, Clancy said.
"The market may come back, but it will come back at a much lower price per square foot," Clancy said. "Two-mall cities will become one-mall cities."


usatoday--2020-11-13--'Grey's Anatomy' premiere shocker: (SPOILER) returns for the first time in years

`` Grey 's Anatomy '' fans , take a seat .
And maybe put on some `` Chasing Cars . ''
Patrick Dempsey , who played Dr. Derek `` McDreamy '' Shepherd on ABC ’ s medical mainstay `` Grey ’ s Anatomy '' for more than 10 seasons , appeared at the end of the Season 17 premiere Thursday night .
Meredith Grey ( Ellen Pompeo ) , his widow , envisioned herself on an empty beach at the top of the two-hour premiere .
It seemed like she was daydreaming herself away from the state of Grey-Sloan Memorial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into a COVID center , as the show intends to cover the pandemic throughout the season .
But it was not a daydream after all .
At the close of the premiere Meredith collapses in the parking lot .
It ’ s unclear why , exactly , but all signs point to her having COVID-19 .
She returns to the beach daydream – which may not be a daydream after all – only to hear Derek calling her name .
Then she sees him .
We thought it might be some kind of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but no , Dempsey is reprising his role .
Pompeo said in 2018 that she and Dempsey had n't spoken since his exit from the show in 2015 .
But : `` I have no hard feelings toward him .
He 's a wonderful actor , and we made the best TV you can make together , '' Pompeo said on Red Table Talk in December 2018 .
Pompeo has been candid over the years about the toxic culture on set during the early years of the show .
`` The first 10 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very bad behavior , really toxic work environment , '' Pompeo said in June 2019 talking with Taraji P. Henson for Variety ’ s `` Actors on Actors '' series .
Pompeo and Dempsey , along with showrunner Krista Vernoff , gave an exclusive interview to Deadline about how the reunion came to be .
The former onscreen lovebirds – who apparently began talking again , after Dempsey reached out asking what the pair could do to help frontline responders – went for a hike in Malibu , California , where they both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ struck me so I just said to him , would you ever consider coming and being a part of the storytelling this season ? ''
Pompeo told Deadline .
The moment shocked fans , of course , since the character died in Season 11 .
“ oh so we ’ re doing GHOSTS again ?
!
?
!
?
!
” @ 4evrmalone asked on Twitter .
An Instagram post featuring Pompeo and Dempsey is full of love for the reunited pair .
Meredith has survived a plane crash , a bomb going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a patient – the list goes on .
If anyone could survive COVID , she could , but the reunion is a nice surprise nonetheless .
Pompeo teased the beginning of the new season during a panel earlier this year with three keywords : `` Girl , hold on . ''
`` We are bringing it this season , '' she added .
`` Just hold on , it 's coming . ''
Otherwise the premiere focused on catching us up on the doctors ’ pre-COVID lives in addition to the new world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ real life included a dwindling supply of PPE for the doctors , and constantly having to inform patients ’ loved ones that someone died of COVID .
`` We 're not responsible for politicizing COVID , '' Pompeo also said during that panel .
`` That 's not on us . ''
Executive producer Krista Vernoff agreed : `` I think it 's our job to humanize it , '' she said during the panel .
`` I feel like the politicians have politicized an illness that affects human beings regardless of political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make it human , not political . ''
More from that panel : 'Grey 's Anatomy ' is 'not responsible for politicizing COVID , ' Ellen Pompeo says of new pandemic season In case you missed : Ellen Pompeo reveals her 'new favorite couple ' on Season 17 of 'Grey 's Anatomy '

'Grey's Anatomy' premiere shocker: (SPOILER) returns for the first time in years
Show Caption Hide Caption SPOILER ALERT: 'Grey's Anatomy' is back for season 17 with a former cast favorite Dr. Derek 'McDreamy' Shepherd, who Patrick Dempsey played for more than 10 seasons, is back for at least part of Season 17 of ABC’s 'Grey’s Anatomy.' USA TODAY
"Grey's Anatomy" fans, take a seat. And maybe put on some "Chasing Cars."
Patrick Dempsey, who played Dr. Derek "McDreamy" Shepherd on ABC’s medical mainstay "Grey’s Anatomy" for more than 10 seasons, appeared at the end of the Season 17 premiere Thursday night.
Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo), his widow, envisioned herself on an empty beach at the top of the two-hour premiere. It seemed like she was daydreaming herself away from the state of Grey-Sloan Memorial. The show’s hospital turned into a COVID-19 center, as the show intends to cover the pandemic throughout the season.
But it was not a daydream after all. At the close of the premiere Meredith collapses in the parking lot. It’s unclear why, exactly, but all signs point to her having COVID-19.
She returns to the beach daydream – which may not be a daydream after all – only to hear Derek calling her name. Then she sees him.
We thought it might be some kind of found footage situation or a hologram, but no, Dempsey is reprising his role.
Pompeo said in 2018 that she and Dempsey hadn't spoken since his exit from the show in 2015.
But: "I have no hard feelings toward him. He's a wonderful actor, and we made the best TV you can make together," Pompeo said on Red Table Talk in December 2018.
Pompeo has been candid over the years about the toxic culture on set during the early years of the show. "The first 10 years we had serious culture issues, very bad behavior, really toxic work environment," Pompeo said in June 2019, talking with Taraji P. Henson for Variety’s "Actors on Actors" series.
Pompeo and Dempsey, along with showrunner Krista Vernoff, gave an exclusive interview to Deadline about how the reunion came to be. The former onscreen lovebirds – who apparently began talking again, after Dempsey reached out asking what the pair could do to help frontline responders – went for a hike in Malibu, California, where they both have homes. "The idea just struck me so I just said to him, would you ever consider coming and being a part of the storytelling this season?" Pompeo told Deadline.
The moment shocked fans, of course, because the character died in Season 11.
“oh so we’re doing GHOSTS again ?!?!?!” @4evrmalone asked on Twitter. An Instagram post featuring Pompeo and Dempsey is full of love for the reunited pair.
Instagram user @chanelcabak wrote: “BEST ENDING OF AN EPISODE EVER.”
Meredith has survived a plane crash, a bomb going off, drowning, an assault from a patient – the list goes on. If anyone could survive COVID-19, she could, but the reunion is a nice surprise nonetheless.
Pompeo teased the beginning of the new season during a panel earlier this year with three keywords: "Girl, hold on." "We are bringing it this season," she added. "Just hold on, it's coming."
She wasn’t kidding.
Otherwise the premiere focused on catching us up on the doctors’ pre-COVID-19 lives in addition to the new world the characters have entered. Reflections of real life included a dwindling supply of PPE for the doctors and constantly having to inform patients’ loved ones that someone died of COVID-19.
"We're not responsible for politicizing COVID," Pompeo also said during that panel. "That's not on us."
Executive producer Krista Vernoff agreed: "I think it's our job to humanize it," she said during the panel. "I feel like the politicians have politicized an illness that affects human beings regardless of political affiliation. So our job is to make it human, not political."
More from that panel: 'Grey's Anatomy' is 'not responsible for politicizing COVID,' Ellen Pompeo says of new pandemic season
In case you missed: Ellen Pompeo reveals her 'new favorite couple' on Season 17 of 'Grey's Anatomy'


usatoday--2020-11-13--Donald Trump lost the 2020 election, but misinformation will continue to win

The election is over , but the misinformation age is just beginning .
While President Donald Trump , who has been a major disseminator of falsehoods , lost the election to Democratic challenger Joe Biden , the allure of conspiracy theories , misleading videos and digital lies will endure .
Experts say the propagators of misinformation – ranging from nefarious foreign actors like Russia to American politicians to ordinary folks who have no idea they ’ re sharing falsehoods – will continue to flourish even as mainstream social media companies take a more aggressive stance against them .
“ Misinformation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ politics , ” said Josh Pasek , a University of Michigan professor and expert on misinformation and political communication .
One key reason : With Trump out of power , his legion of supporters will be energized to circulate posts , memes and videos that undermine Biden , misinformation experts say .
Still others will fall into the basic human trap of sharing , posting or commenting on misleading content that they have no idea is off base .
“ The forces that have made President Trump ’ s misinformation such an effective @ @ @ @ @ @ @ away , ” said Brendan Nyhan , a Dartmouth College political scientist who has studied the issue .
“ The same incentives will exist for politicians , cable news networks and partisan websites to create misinformation .
If anything , they ’ ll have a more receptive audience because negative information about a Biden administration will be even more appealing.
” Misinformation flourishes : How QAnon and other dark forces are radicalizing Americans There are already signs of a new chapter beginning with the rise of conservative social media alternatives such as Parler @ @ @ @ @ @ @ promote that they wo n't take down accounts or posts that spread misinformation .
Those services say they have gained millions of followers since the election because Americans are fed up with the increasingly active moderation policies of Facebook and Twitter , in particular .
They have become a major source of false attacks on the validity of the election results – which Trump has widely promoted .
But they have also become a haven for the spread of dark conspiracy theories such as the extremist ideology known as QAnon , whose followers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evil cabal of Democrats is running a secret child-sex-trafficking ring .
QAnon adherents , who have held Trump as a savior figure anointed to uproot the cabal , are not likely to fade away simply because the Oval Office has changed occupants .
“ Historically , conspiracy theories have thrived amid people who are out of power , so you could imagine QAnon gaining greater potency with Trump out of office , ” Nyhan said .
“ I don ’ t know how they ’ ll adapt , but the movement , such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be quite flexible in how it contorts itself to events.
” While Trump , who has refused to denounce QAnon , will no longer be president , Congress now has at least one member who has been described as a supporter of the radicalized theory : Marjorie Taylor Greene , who won her race in Georgia .
QAnon will draw oxygen from that momentum , experts said .
“ It will evolve , it will mutate and it will be weaponized and exploited , ” said Fil Menczer , director of the Observatory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and an expert on the spread of misinformation To be sure , the major social media platforms have announced crackdowns on QAnon in recent months , including Facebook and Google ’ s YouTube , which have banned QAnon content from their platforms .
Facebook and Twitter have also recently begun more regularly placing warning labels on Trump ’ s posts and taking down groups or accounts that make false claims , such as a Facebook group that baselessly claimed the election was being stolen .
But Menczer said misinformation will continue to capitalize @ @ @ @ @ @ @ echo chambers .
And it will only get worse if people begin to choose their social media services based on their political identity , he said .
“ The risk , if that happens , is further segregation into homogeneous echo chambers where alternative facts are unchallenged , conspiracies can fester , exposure to corrections is suppressed and a common reality becomes more elusive , ” Menczer said .
That said , the mainstream social media companies remain under significant pressure from both sides of the political aisle – from Republicans who have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrats who have accused them of enabling misinformation .
Both sides have lambasted the tech giants for allegedly violating antitrust regulations .
Trump ’ s Justice Department recently sued Google , accusing it of anti-competitive violations .
One thing the social media companies will have to address is how to deal with Trump ’ s posts once he ’ s out of office .
On Twitter , the president has been especially prolific , reaching an audience of more than 88 million followers with constant posts and retweets , including some that Twitter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of false or misleading claims .
“ That will continue to be his megaphone , ” Menczer said .
The news media will also face a question of how much attention they ’ ll pay to Trump ’ s tweets once he ’ s out of office .
Journalists have come under scrutiny for giving Trump ’ s misleading or false tweets too much publicity .
“ The problem certainly won ’ t go away , and the weaknesses that Trump has revealed in our political system are very much there , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the media should refrain from magnifying Trump ’ s tweets once he has left Washington .
“ Even now while he ’ s in office there are serious questions about whether the media should be amplifying Trump ’ s false statements , ” Nyhan said .
“ I think that question becomes clearer when he is out of office .
Absent compelling reasons to the contrary , Donald Trump making false statements on Twitter ( after he ’ s left office ) is not a news event , and the media should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they can.
” While Trump ’ s tweets may soon be a less influential source of misinformation , there are new threats on the horizon , such as the emergence of “ deepfakes , ” which are fabricated video or audio that purposely mislead people .
Experts say deepfakes are on their way in the coming years , threatening to fool people into thinking that others said or did things they never said or did .
But “ cheap fakes ” are a bigger concern for now , said Katy Byron , manager @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s MediaWise , a fact-check training group .
“ Cheap fakes ” are videos or photos that are crudely edited to mislead and easier to generate with a simple set of skills and technology .
Shortly before the election , for example , an edited video circulated on social media showing Biden appear to forget what state he was in .
In reality , Biden had correctly referred to his location .
“ Low-quality fakes produced at volume quickly seem to be more likely to propagate than high-quality deep fakes that require technical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cheap fakes are perfectly sufficient for generating the kind of rumors that people are trying to spread.
” Recent actions by Facebook , Twitter and others to crack down on misinformation is a welcome development , said Tim Kendall , a former Pinterest and Facebook executive .
But he is skeptical it will make a big difference .
Kendall , who is CEO of Moment , an app that helps users limit their phone usage , said misinformation will flourish because the fundamental business model of social media is predicated in grabbing people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Without sensational content to keep users coming back , social media giants would not be able to satisfy their investors , he said .
“ They ’ re starting to be aggressive , but it ’ s kind of like saying we ’ re going to fight a forest fire after it ’ s burned 100,000 acres , ” Kendall said .

Donald Trump lost the 2020 election, but misinformation will continue to win
Show Caption Hide Caption New documentary explores how social media profits off outrage, fake news A new Netflix documentary is setting out to expose social media’s corrosive effects on society during a pandemic that's left people more dependent than ever on tools that keep them connected with friends, family and colleagues. (Sept. 8) AP
The election is over, but the misinformation age is just beginning.
While President Donald Trump, who has been a major disseminator of falsehoods, lost the election to Democratic challenger Joe Biden, the allure of conspiracy theories, misleading videos and digital lies will endure.
Experts say the propagators of misinformation – ranging from nefarious foreign actors like Russia to American politicians to ordinary folks who have no idea they’re sharing falsehoods – will continue to flourish even as mainstream social media companies take a more aggressive stance against them.
“Misinformation will remain a potent force in American politics,” said Josh Pasek, a University of Michigan professor and expert on misinformation and political communication.
One key reason: With Trump out of power, his legion of supporters will be energized to circulate posts, memes and videos that undermine Biden, misinformation experts say. Still others will fall into the basic human trap of sharing, posting or commenting on misleading content that they have no idea is off base.
“The forces that have made President Trump’s misinformation such an effective strategy for him won’t go away,” said Brendan Nyhan, a Dartmouth College political scientist who has studied the issue. “The same incentives will exist for politicians, cable news networks and partisan websites to create misinformation. If anything, they’ll have a more receptive audience because negative information about a Biden administration will be even more appealing.”
Misinformation flourishes: How QAnon and other dark forces are radicalizing Americans
Leaving Twitter and Facebook: Parler, MeWe, Gab gain momentum as conservative social media alternatives
There are already signs of a new chapter beginning with the rise of conservative social media alternatives such as Parler, MeWe and Gab, which largely promote that they won't take down accounts or posts that spread misinformation. Those services say they have gained millions of followers since the election because Americans are fed up with the increasingly active moderation policies of Facebook and Twitter, in particular. They have become a major source of false attacks on the validity of the election results – which Trump has widely promoted.
But they have also become a haven for the spread of dark conspiracy theories such as the extremist ideology known as QAnon, whose followers believe in the debunked theory that an evil cabal of Democrats is running a secret child-sex-trafficking ring. QAnon adherents, who have held Trump as a savior figure anointed to uproot the cabal, are not likely to fade away simply because the Oval Office has changed occupants.
“Historically, conspiracy theories have thrived amid people who are out of power, so you could imagine QAnon gaining greater potency with Trump out of office,” Nyhan said. “I don’t know how they’ll adapt, but the movement, such as it is, has proven to be quite flexible in how it contorts itself to events.”
Trump on QAnon conspiracy theory: 'They like me very much' QAnon has been classified by the FBI as a domestic terror threat, according to an internal memo first published by Yahoo! News. USA TODAY
While Trump, who has refused to denounce QAnon, will no longer be president, Congress now has at least one member who has been described as a supporter of the radicalized theory: Marjorie Taylor Greene, who won her race in Georgia.
QAnon will draw oxygen from that momentum, experts said.
“It will evolve, it will mutate and it will be weaponized and exploited,” said Fil Menczer, director of the Observatory on Social Media at Indiana University Bloomington and an expert on the spread of misinformation
To be sure, the major social media platforms have announced crackdowns on QAnon in recent months, including Facebook and Google’s YouTube, which have banned QAnon content from their platforms.
Facebook and Twitter have also recently begun more regularly placing warning labels on Trump’s posts and taking down groups or accounts that make false claims, such as a Facebook group that baselessly claimed the election was being stolen.
But Menczer said misinformation will continue to capitalize on social media’s capacity for echo chambers. And it will only get worse if people begin to choose their social media services based on their political identity, he said.
“The risk, if that happens, is further segregation into homogeneous echo chambers where alternative facts are unchallenged, conspiracies can fester, exposure to corrections is suppressed and a common reality becomes more elusive,” Menczer said.
Big tech, journalists under pressure
That said, the mainstream social media companies remain under significant pressure from both sides of the political aisle – from Republicans who have accused them of anti-conservative biases and from Democrats who have accused them of enabling misinformation. Both sides have lambasted the tech giants for allegedly violating antitrust regulations. Trump’s Justice Department recently sued Google, accusing it of anti-competitive violations.
One thing the social media companies will have to address is how to deal with Trump’s posts once he’s out of office. On Twitter, the president has been especially prolific, reaching an audience of more than 88 million followers with constant posts and retweets, including some that Twitter has flagged or blocked from circulating because of false or misleading claims.
“That will continue to be his megaphone,” Menczer said.
The news media will also face a question of how much attention they’ll pay to Trump’s tweets once he’s out of office. Journalists have come under scrutiny for giving Trump’s misleading or false tweets too much publicity.
“The problem certainly won’t go away, and the weaknesses that Trump has revealed in our political system are very much there,” Nyhan said.
Nyhan made the case that the media should refrain from magnifying Trump’s tweets once he has left Washington.
“Even now while he’s in office there are serious questions about whether the media should be amplifying Trump’s false statements,” Nyhan said. “I think that question becomes clearer when he is out of office. Absent compelling reasons to the contrary, Donald Trump making false statements on Twitter (after he’s left office) is not a news event, and the media should try to refrain from amplifying it whenever they can.”
New threats emerge
While Trump’s tweets may soon be a less influential source of misinformation, there are new threats on the horizon, such as the emergence of “deepfakes,” which are fabricated video or audio that purposely mislead people. Experts say deepfakes are on their way in the coming years, threatening to fool people into thinking that others said or did things they never said or did.
But “cheap fakes” are a bigger concern for now, said Katy Byron, manager of journalism nonprofit The Poynter Institute’s MediaWise, a fact-check training group.
“Cheap fakes” are videos or photos that are crudely edited to mislead and easier to generate with a simple set of skills and technology. Shortly before the election, for example, an edited video circulated on social media showing Biden appear to forget what state he was in. In reality, Biden had correctly referred to his location.
“Low-quality fakes produced at volume quickly seem to be more likely to propagate than high-quality deep fakes that require technical expertise,” Nyhan said. “Cheap fakes are perfectly sufficient for generating the kind of rumors that people are trying to spread.”
Recent actions by Facebook, Twitter and others to crack down on misinformation is a welcome development, said Tim Kendall, a former Pinterest and Facebook executive. But he is skeptical it will make a big difference.
Kendall, who is CEO of Moment, an app that helps users limit their phone usage, said misinformation will flourish because the fundamental business model of social media is predicated in grabbing people’s attention and pursuing aggressive growth. Without sensational content to keep users coming back, social media giants would not be able to satisfy their investors, he said.
“They’re starting to be aggressive, but it’s kind of like saying we’re going to fight a forest fire after it’s burned 100,000 acres,” Kendall said.
Follow USA TODAY reporter Nathan Bomey on Twitter @NathanBomey.