usatoday--2020-10-29--The pandemic boosted Apple: Company sold more Macs this summer than ever before

Apple just sold more Macs than ever before , a beneficiary of the work and learning from home shift fueled by the coronavirus pandemic .
The first Apple Macintosh computer was released in 1984 , but 2020 was the winning year for the product line .
During its quarterly earnings call Thursday , Apple said it sold $ 9 billion worth of Macs , up from $ 6.9 billion in the year ago quarter .
`` These are tremendous numbers , '' said Apple CEO Tim Cook on the call with investors .
More : Did you unbox a new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 5 things to try .
Macs start at $ 999 for the MacBook Air laptop , $ 1,099 for the iMac desktop and $ 5,000 for the professional level Mac Pro .
Cook attributed the surge in sales to the COVID crisis , and so many people needed work and learning tools to do the tasks at home .
`` The move to remote working and work from home will not go back to normal , '' he said .
`` Normal will end up being something different . ''
That said , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more important in these environments . ''
The sales for the iPad also jumped , with revenues of $ 6.8 billion , vs. $ 4.6 billion in the year-ago quarter .
However , sales of the flagship iPhone took a hit , but that 's because the new iPhones , traditionally released in September , were delayed due to manufacturing issues .
The new iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro , released Oct. 23 , were not included in the earnings report .
Apple said it sold $ 26.4 billion worth of iPhones @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the year ago quarter .
Two more iPhones are scheduled for Nov. 13 , the iPhone 12 Pro Max and iPhone 12 Mini .
Additionally , Apple is releasing a consumer priced smart speaker to take on Amazon 's Echo and Google 's Nest Audio speakers , the HomePod Mini for $ 99 .
The original HomePod , first sold in 2018 , initially sold for $ 349 .
Analyst Dan Ives of Wedbush Securities predicts that Apple will sell 80 million iPhones in the holiday quarter .
It historically sells around 200 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the largest contributor to Apple 's bottom line , followed by the Services division , for movie rentals , online backup , the Music and TV + streaming services .
The division saw some $ 14.5 billion in sales for the quarter , up from $ 12.5 billion in the year ago quarter .

The pandemic boosted Apple: Company sold more Macs this summer than ever before
Apple just sold more Macs than ever before, a beneficiary of the work and learning from home shift fueled by the coronavirus pandemic.
The first Apple Macintosh computer was released in 1984, but 2020 was the winning year for the product line.
During its quarterly earnings call Thursday, Apple said it sold $9 billion worth of Macs, up from $6.9 billion in the year ago quarter.
"These are tremendous numbers," said Apple CEO Tim Cook on the call with investors.
The company reported a fiscal fourth-quarter net income of $12.67 billion.
Entertainment: Former 'Daily Show' host Jon Stewart sets TV return with Apple TV+ show
More: Did you unbox a new iPhone 12? Here are the first 5 things to try.
Macs start at $999 for the MacBook Air laptop, $1,099 for the iMac desktop and $5,000 for the professional level Mac Pro.
Cook attributed the surge in sales to the COVID crisis, and so many people needed work and learning tools to do the tasks at home.
"The move to remote working and work from home will not go back to normal," he said. "Normal will end up being something different." That said, Macs and the iPad tablet "are more important in these environments."
The sales for the iPad also jumped, with revenues of $6.8 billion, vs. $4.6 billion in the year-ago quarter.
However, sales of the flagship iPhone took a hit, but that's because the new iPhones, traditionally released in September, were delayed due to manufacturing issues. The new iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro, released Oct. 23, were not included in the earnings report.
Apple said it sold $26.4 billion worth of iPhones, down from $33.3 billion in the year ago quarter.
Two more iPhones are scheduled for Nov. 13, the iPhone 12 Pro Max and iPhone 12 Mini. Additionally, Apple is releasing a consumer priced smart speaker to take on Amazon's Echo and Google's Nest Audio speakers, the HomePod Mini for $99. The original HomePod, first sold in 2018, initially sold for $349.
Analyst Dan Ives of Wedbush Securities predicts that Apple will sell 80 million iPhones in the holiday quarter. It historically sells around 200 million iPhones yearly.
The iPhone represents the largest contributor to Apple's bottom line, followed by the Services division, for movie rentals, online backup, the Music and TV + streaming services. The division saw some $14.5 billion in sales for the quarter, up from $12.5 billion in the year ago quarter.
Follow USA TODAY's Jefferson Graham (@jeffersongraham) on Twitter


usatoday--2020-10-30--A man fell 10 feet through a New York City sidewalk. Then things got worse: 'Rats crawling on him, h

A man is hospitalized with injuries after a New York City sidewalk collapsed under him , dropping him into a hole filled with rats , according to local media reports .
The incident happened near a bus stop on Third Avenue in the Bronx , according to CBS New York and News 4 New York .
Family members told both stations the victim was scared to speak while stuck in the hole because he was afraid rats would get into his mouth .
The New York Times reports the victim , Leonard Shoulders , remained hospitalized as of Thursday with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ published by CBS New York shows a person walking along the sidewalk on Saturday , then waiting by a building .
After the figure takes a step forward , the sidewalk gives out and swallows up the person , back foot first .
`` He went down feet first , '' Cindy White , the victim 's mother , told News 4 New York .
`` He was just standing and the sidewalk just — it was like a suction .
Like a sinkhole .
He just went down . ''
She said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He was like , 'Ma , the rats down there were ridiculous . '
He was like , 'They were like so big . '
'' The hole was more than 10 feet deep and the incident ended after about 30 minutes , when firefighters were able to rescue the 33-year-old man , CBS New York reports .
`` Rats crawling on him , he ca n't move ... he was just there , '' Greg White , the victim 's brother , told CBS New York .
The Department of Buildings said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and located above an extended portion of a building ’ s basement .
The building containing the dentist ’ s office was ordered vacated until repairs are made , and the owner was ordered to immediately install a fence around the sidewalk .
New York City has spent millions trying to fix a well-documented rat problem in recent years .
And sidewalk collapses are also an ongoing problem for the city .
The New York Times reports the city has received dozens of reports of sidewalk cave-ins since July 2019 .

A man fell 10 feet through a New York City sidewalk. Then things got worse: 'Rats crawling on him, he can't move.'
Show Caption Hide Caption Rat carries entire McDonald's Egg McMuffin away in NYC subway "Egg McMuffin rat" goes viral after stealing an entire McDonald's breakfast sandwich and carrying it down New York City subway stairs. USA TODAY, Wochit
A man is hospitalized with injuries after a New York City sidewalk collapsed under him, dropping him into a hole filled with rats, according to local media reports.
The incident happened near a bus stop on Third Avenue in the Bronx, according to CBS New York and News 4 New York. Family members told both stations the victim was scared to speak while stuck in the hole because he was afraid rats would get into his mouth.
The New York Times reports the victim, Leonard Shoulders, remained hospitalized as of Thursday with head and arm injuries.
Surveillance video published by CBS New York shows a person walking along the sidewalk on Saturday, then waiting by a building. After the figure takes a step forward, the sidewalk gives out and swallows up the person, back foot first.
"He went down feet first," Cindy White, the victim's mother, told News 4 New York. "He was just standing and the sidewalk just — it was like a suction. Like a sinkhole. He just went down."
She said he described the harrowing ordeal: "He was like, 'Ma, the rats down there were ridiculous.' He was like, 'They were like so big.'"
The hole was more than 10 feet deep and the incident ended after about 30 minutes, when firefighters were able to rescue the 33-year-old man, CBS New York reports.
"Rats crawling on him, he can't move ... he was just there," Greg White, the victim's brother, told CBS New York.
The Department of Buildings said the section of sidewalk was in disrepair and located above an extended portion of a building’s basement. The building containing the dentist’s office was ordered vacated until repairs are made, and the owner was ordered to immediately install a fence around the sidewalk.
New York City has spent millions trying to fix a well-documented rat problem in recent years. And sidewalk collapses are also an ongoing problem for the city. The New York Times reports the city has received dozens of reports of sidewalk cave-ins since July 2019.
Contributing: The Associated Press


usatoday--2020-10-29--Trump administration removes gray wolves from federal Endangered Species Act protection

SALEM , Ore. — The U.S .
Fish and Wildlife Service announced Thursday it was removing gray wolves from Endangered Species Act protection across the Lower 48 states , a move cheered by ranchers and bemoaned by environmentalists .
Interior Secretary David Bernhardt declared the gray wolf 's recovery “ a milestone of success '' during an announcement attended by several dozen people at a national wildlife refuge overlooking the Minnesota River in a rural area outside Minneapolis .
“ In the early part of the 20th century the gray wolf had essentially become a ghost throughout the United States @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is not the case today . ''
First proposed by the Trump Administration in June 2018 and formally announced in March 2019 , the decision to delist the iconic quadruped will give states wide authority to decide how to handle a predator that 's become as controversial as spotted owls in Oregon .
The decision exempts a small population of Mexican gray wolves in Arizona and New Mexico .
Once found nationwide , gray wolves were hunted , trapped , and poisoned for decades .
By 1967 , there were fewer than 1,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ small part of the Midwest .
In 1978 , they were declared endangered by the U.S .
Fish and Wildlife Service .
Related : OR-7 , the most famous wolf in the West , represented promise and peril of grey wolves in Oregon Today , wolf populations are recovering in Minnesota , Wisconsin , Wyoming , Montana , and Idaho .
Wolves have begun to inhabit Washington , Oregon , and California .
And unclaimed wolf habitat remains in Maine , Colorado , and Utah .
The move makes it possible to kill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ western two-thirds of Oregon , where the animals were previously shielded by the federal law .
But overall , the delisting is n't expected to have a major impact on the state 's 150 to 200 wolves because they 've already been managed by the Oregon Wolf Plan — and that will continue .
`` We have a wolf recovery plan that is based on science , '' said Charles Boyle , a spokesman for Oregon Gov .
Kate Brown .
`` That plan is working well , compensating ranchers who lose animals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Oregon . ''
More : In push to be 'energy dominant , ' Trump puts squeeze on polar bears , whales and sage grouse , critics say Federal protections were already removed for wolves in eastern Oregon , Montana , Wyoming and Idaho in 2013 .
Oregon removed wolves from the state endangered species list in 2015 .
Wolf advocates said that while populations might have rebounded in the Midwest and Great Lakes region , that 's not the case for western states .
“ Given that gray wolves in the lower @ @ @ @ @ @ @ historical and currently available habitat , the Fish and Wildlife Service determining they are successfully recovered does not pass the straight-face test , ” said John Mellgren , an attorney with the Western Environmental Law Center .
“ On its face , this appears to be politically motivated . ''
“ This is no ‘ Mission Accomplished ’ moment for wolf recovery , ” said Kristen Boyles , attorney for the Earthjustice .
“ Wolves are only starting to get a toehold in places like Northern California and the Pacific Northwest , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the Southern Rockies and the Northeast .
This delisting decision is what happens when bad science drives bad policy – and it ’ s illegal , so we will see them in court.
” The Fish and Wildlife Service said it based its final determination `` solely on the best scientific and commercial data available , a thorough analysis of threats and how they have been alleviated and the ongoing commitment and proven track record of states and tribes to continue managing for healthy wolf populations once delisted . ''
In total @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lower 48 states is more than 6,000 wolves , greatly exceeding the combined recovery goals for the Northern Rocky Mountains and Western Great Lakes populations , according to the agency .
Oregon home to at least 150 to 200 wolves Oregon removed wolves from the state endangered species act protection in 2015 .
The state crafted its own plan for wolf management in 2005 and updated it in 2019 .
Wolves began re-establishing a population in Oregon after crossing in from Idaho , where they were reintroduced in 1995 .
Wolves , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the 1940s , slowly began establishing a population in the early 2000s .
Led by trailblazing wolf OR-7 , they began making inroads on the west side of the state .
The latest count indicated a minimum of 157 wolves reside in Oregon .
The vast majority are clustered in northeastern Oregon , but that has been changing in recent years .
`` We 're gradually seeing more wolves in the Cascade Range coming in from the northeast , to the point that we 're expecting to see them just about everywhere @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife carnivore coordinator Derek Broman said .
`` The good news is that even as the number of wolves has increased , we have n't seen an increasing rate of conflict with livestock . ''
The Oregon Cattlemen 's Association applauded the decision , saying it removed unneeded bureaucracy .
Read More : Oregon 's wolf population grows to 158 known animals , but famed OR-7 may have died '' This action will remove an unnecessary layer of management that has prevented responsible management for many years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement .
Broman said the biggest change was that wolves in the western two-thirds of Oregon , previously protected by the federal ESA , will lose that protection .
The federal ESA made it illegal to kill a wolf for any reason .
Currently , ranchers have the authority to shoot a wolf caught in the act of biting , wounding , killing or chasing livestock in certain circumstances in some parts of the state .
`` The additional allowance for killing of wolves across the entire state may impact the reestablishment of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' said Amaroq Weiss , senior West Coast wolf advocate for the Center for Biological Diversity .
`` Wolves in Oregon currently occupy a little more than 12 % of identified suitable habitat , and their current numbers of around 158 wolves is just a little more than 10 percent of what scientific studies show the state could support .
It has taken 21 years to get from zero wolves in Oregon to 158 , and the only way that has even happened has been due to legal protections . ''
Ledyard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Press contributed to this story .

Trump administration removes gray wolves from federal Endangered Species Act protection
SALEM, Ore. — The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced Thursday it was removing gray wolves from Endangered Species Act protection across the Lower 48 states, a move cheered by ranchers and bemoaned by environmentalists.
Interior Secretary David Bernhardt declared the gray wolf's recovery “a milestone of success" during an announcement attended by several dozen people at a national wildlife refuge overlooking the Minnesota River in a rural area outside Minneapolis.
“In the early part of the 20th century the gray wolf had essentially become a ghost throughout the United States," Bernhardt said. “That is not the case today."
First proposed by the Trump Administration in June 2018 and formally announced in March 2019, the decision to delist the iconic quadruped will give states wide authority to decide how to handle a predator that's become as controversial as spotted owls in Oregon. The decision exempts a small population of Mexican gray wolves in Arizona and New Mexico.
Once found nationwide, gray wolves were hunted, trapped, and poisoned for decades. By 1967, there were fewer than 1,000 wolves, most of them in one small part of the Midwest. In 1978, they were declared endangered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Related: OR-7, the most famous wolf in the West, represented promise and peril of grey wolves in Oregon
Today, wolf populations are recovering in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho. Wolves have begun to inhabit Washington, Oregon, and California. And unclaimed wolf habitat remains in Maine, Colorado, and Utah.
The move makes it possible to kill wolves that chronically attack livestock in the western two-thirds of Oregon, where the animals were previously shielded by the federal law. But overall, the delisting isn't expected to have a major impact on the state's 150 to 200 wolves because they've already been managed by the Oregon Wolf Plan — and that will continue.
"We have a wolf recovery plan that is based on science," said Charles Boyle, a spokesman for Oregon Gov. Kate Brown. "That plan is working well, compensating ranchers who lose animals while helping to restore the full biodiversity of Oregon."
More: In push to be 'energy dominant,' Trump puts squeeze on polar bears, whales and sage grouse, critics say
Federal protections were already removed for wolves in eastern Oregon, Montana, Wyoming and Idaho in 2013. Oregon removed wolves from the state endangered species list in 2015.
Wolf advocates said that while populations might have rebounded in the Midwest and Great Lakes region, that's not the case for western states.
“Given that gray wolves in the lower 48 states occupy a fraction of their historical and currently available habitat, the Fish and Wildlife Service determining they are successfully recovered does not pass the straight-face test,” said John Mellgren, an attorney with the Western Environmental Law Center. “On its face, this appears to be politically motivated."
Environmental groups have promised legal action opposing the decisions.
“This is no ‘Mission Accomplished’ moment for wolf recovery,” said Kristen Boyles, attorney for the Earthjustice. “Wolves are only starting to get a toehold in places like Northern California and the Pacific Northwest, and wolves need federal protection to explore habitat in the Southern Rockies and the Northeast. This delisting decision is what happens when bad science drives bad policy – and it’s illegal, so we will see them in court.”
The Fish and Wildlife Service said it based its final determination "solely on the best scientific and commercial data available, a thorough analysis of threats and how they have been alleviated and the ongoing commitment and proven track record of states and tribes to continue managing for healthy wolf populations once delisted."
In total, the gray wolf population in the lower 48 states is more than 6,000 wolves, greatly exceeding the combined recovery goals for the Northern Rocky Mountains and Western Great Lakes populations, according to the agency.
Oregon home to at least 150 to 200 wolves
Oregon removed wolves from the state endangered species act protection in 2015. The state crafted its own plan for wolf management in 2005 and updated it in 2019.
Wolves began re-establishing a population in Oregon after crossing in from Idaho, where they were reintroduced in 1995.
Wolves, which had been largely wiped out in Oregon by the 1940s, slowly began establishing a population in the early 2000s. Led by trailblazing wolf OR-7, they began making inroads on the west side of the state.
The latest count indicated a minimum of 157 wolves reside in Oregon. The vast majority are clustered in northeastern Oregon, but that has been changing in recent years.
"We're gradually seeing more wolves in the Cascade Range coming in from the northeast, to the point that we're expecting to see them just about everywhere in the state in coming years," Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife carnivore coordinator Derek Broman said. "The good news is that even as the number of wolves has increased, we haven't seen an increasing rate of conflict with livestock."
The Oregon Cattlemen's Association applauded the decision, saying it removed unneeded bureaucracy.
Read More: Oregon's wolf population grows to 158 known animals, but famed OR-7 may have died
More: Young gray wolf from California pack spotted in Southern Oregon
"This action will remove an unnecessary layer of management that has prevented responsible management for many years," the group said in a statement.
Broman said the biggest change was that wolves in the western two-thirds of Oregon, previously protected by the federal ESA, will lose that protection. The federal ESA made it illegal to kill a wolf for any reason.
Currently, ranchers have the authority to shoot a wolf caught in the act of biting, wounding, killing or chasing livestock in certain circumstances in some parts of the state.
"The additional allowance for killing of wolves across the entire state may impact the reestablishment of more wolves in the remaining suitable habitat," said Amaroq Weiss, senior West Coast wolf advocate for the Center for Biological Diversity. "Wolves in Oregon currently occupy a little more than 12% of identified suitable habitat, and their current numbers of around 158 wolves is just a little more than 10 percent of what scientific studies show the state could support. It has taken 21 years to get from zero wolves in Oregon to 158, and the only way that has even happened has been due to legal protections."
Ledyard King with USA TODAY and the Associated Press contributed to this story.


usatoday--2020-10-29--Florida presidential poll: Biden leads Trump in final stretch before Election Day

Former Vice President Joe Biden holds a five-point lead over President Donald Trump among registered Florida voters , according to a Monmouth University poll released Thursday .
Among all registered voters , Biden has 50 % support compared to Trump 's 45 % .
The former vice president maintains that advantage among likely voters , with Biden holding a 51 % -45 % lead in the case of high voter turnout and a 50 % -46 % lead in a low turnout scenario .
Election 2020 : Poll shows Americans are worried about violence , peaceful transfer of power Florida @ @ @ @ @ @ @ battleground states in the country this electoral cycle , with some recent polls showing Trump narrowing Biden 's lead in the state .
Still , Biden 's strong support among people of color overall at 68 % -23 % and especially among the state 's large Latino population at 58 % -32 % , helps to maintain his lead over the president .
Trump has somewhat expanded his lead among seniors in the state ; a narrow 51 % -47 % back the president over Biden .
Trump had a 2-point lead among @ @ @ @ @ @ @ poll taken in September .
More : More than 78 million people have already voted .
Here 's how that compares with past elections .
More than 58 % of voters in Florida have already cast their ballots .
Most early voters back Biden by a 20-point margin .
Trump has a 15-point edge , though , among those who have not yet voted , according to Monmouth .
Monmouth also found large support for a ballot initiative that would raise the state 's minimum wage to $ 15.00 an hour ; 63 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ versus 32 % who oppose .
Ballot proposals in Florida require 60 % of the vote Monmouth surveyed 504 Floridians from Oct. 24 to 28 .
The poll has a margin of error of 4.4 percentage points .

Florida presidential poll: Biden leads Trump in final stretch before Election Day
Show Caption Hide Caption Florida residents line up in the rain to early vote Florida residents waited anywhere between 30 minutes to an hour in heavy winds and rain to cast their vote Monday morning (Oct. 16) AP
Former Vice President Joe Biden holds a five-point lead over President Donald Trump among registered Florida voters, according to a Monmouth University poll released Thursday.
Among all registered voters, Biden has 50% support compared to Trump's 45%. The former vice president maintains that advantage among likely voters, with Biden holding a 51%-45% lead in the case of high voter turnout and a 50%-46% lead in a low turnout scenario.
Election 2020: Poll shows Americans are worried about violence, peaceful transfer of power
Florida has been one of the most competitive battleground states in the country this electoral cycle, with some recent polls showing Trump narrowing Biden's lead in the state.
Still, Biden's strong support among people of color overall at 68%-23% and especially among the state's large Latino population at 58%-32%, helps to maintain his lead over the president.
Trump has somewhat expanded his lead among seniors in the state; a narrow 51%-47% back the president over Biden. Trump had a 2-point lead among those 65 and older in the same poll taken in September.
More: More than 78 million people have already voted. Here's how that compares with past elections.
More than 58% of voters in Florida have already cast their ballots. Most early voters back Biden by a 20-point margin. Trump has a 15-point edge, though, among those who have not yet voted, according to Monmouth.
Monmouth also found large support for a ballot initiative that would raise the state's minimum wage to $15.00 an hour; 63% of registered voters support the proposal versus 32% who oppose. Ballot proposals in Florida require 60% of the vote
Monmouth surveyed 504 Floridians from Oct. 24 to 28. The poll has a margin of error of 4.4 percentage points.


usatoday--2020-10-29--NBA stars Dennis Smith Jr., Chris Paul rally North Carolina students to vote early

FAYETTEVILLE , N.C. – The Fayetteville State University marching band played on as NBA players Chris Paul and Dennis Smith Jr. led several hundred students Wednesday afternoon in a march from the university across the street to the early-voting site at Smith Recreation Center .
Paul , a 10-time NBA All Star who grew up in Winston-Salem and plays for the Oklahoma City Thunder , and Smith , who grew up in Fayetteville and plays for the New York Knicks , delivered their messages for the students and faculty : Get out and vote , and don ’ t think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Paul has been making his get-out-the-early-vote appeal at historically Black colleges in North Carolina and is also part of a coalition that says it is fighting attempts at voter suppression .
Paul said the best way for one 's vote to be counted is to cast an early vote in person .
Celebrities : Blake Lively celebrates Ryan Reynolds ' first time voting in the US with jokes , no shoes Paul spent the day on the FSU campus meeting with faculty members and then went to the basketball court at Felton J.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the stands to hear him .
He joined Smith , who attended North Carolina State University , to encourage students to vote early in this election .
Paul said close national elections can be won or lost by a couple of thousand votes , which isn ’ t much .
He said that if a skeptical person argues that one vote doesn ’ t matter and then convinces 15 or 20 people that he is right , the number of nonvoters grows and that affects the outcome of an election .
“ If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t be arguing about what is going on , ” Paul said , adding that the choice to not vote is , in a way , like voting .
Smith , speaking in an interview before going into the gym , said the high number of people voting early this year has been “ almost revolutionary to see.
” “ It ’ s something that hasn ’ t really been super-emphasized , and I feel like this year it has been emphasized , '' Smith said .
`` And there have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
We just found out that North Carolina was one of top states that had our votes rejected through the mail , so it is important for people to come out and ( vote early ) and light that fire .
And it ’ s been great to see it grow.
” Students at the rally said they plan to vote early this year — some for the first time ever .
Dakota McLendon , who plays on FSU ’ s football team , was among the first-time voters .
He said he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote Thursday .
FSU football player Shane Booth said he also planned to join the team in voting Thursday morning at Smith Recreation Center instead of doing it Wednesday with other students who marched across the street .
“ It is my first time eligible to vote , ” he said .
He said he is pleased with the record-breaking early-voting numbers .
`` Young people seem to care and are getting involved , ” Booth said .
The votes cast by students Wednesday are just a small fraction of early votes that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cumberland County but nationwide .
Many political science experts say early voting is benefiting Democrats .
North Carolina Voters ' Guide : Here 's what NC legislative candidates had to say on COVID-19 , Medicaid Through Tuesday , 76,752 people had voted at 12 one-stop , early-voting sites in Cumberland County .
Early voting is scheduled to end at 3 p.m. Saturday .
The current number of people in the county who have voted early — with four days left — is nearing the total number of people who early voted in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between 86,000 to 87,000 early voted , said Terri Robertson , director of the Cumberland County Board of Elections , on Wednesday morning .
Robertson said she hopes this year ends up shattering the early-voting record and noted that she is pleased with the turnout .
“ I think it ’ s going really well , ” she said .
“ I expected there would be a heavier turnout than last time .
And it seems like it ’ s going to be.
” Even though voters aren ’ t required to wear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social distance at the polls .
“ Go vote .
Wear your masks , ” Robertson said Wednesday , urging people not to wait until Election Day .
The more people who vote in early voting , the smoother it is for voting on Election Day she said .
“ We ’ re hoping that it will reduce the numbers enough that we can do good social distancing ( on Election Day ) and still not have lines , ” Robertson said .
The high early-voting turnout is not just happening in Cumberland @ @ @ @ @ @ @ North Carolina , the number of votes cast through early voting and absentee ballots has already exceeded the total number in 2016 .
According to the U.S .
Elections Project website , at least 64.7 million people have already cast their ballots .
Statewide , as of Wednesday morning , more than 3.6 million people had cast their ballots either by mail-in or early voting .
According to the state Board of Elections website , there were 7.3 million registered voters in the state as of Wednesday morning .
Through Wednesday morning , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through one-stop early , and 819,363 absentee ballots had been counted out of the more than 1.4 million requested .
Grace Collins , who recently graduated from Terry Sanford High School , was voting for the first time Wednesday morning at Kiwanis Recreation Center .
Collins said she and her mother were first in line and they got in and out quickly .
“ I think especially right now with COVID , crowding one place at once would be dangerous .
So I think it ’ s good that people are early voting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Collins said .

John Henderson, The Fayetteville Observer

NBA stars Dennis Smith Jr., Chris Paul rally North Carolina students to vote early
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. – The Fayetteville State University marching band played on as NBA players Chris Paul and Dennis Smith Jr. led several hundred students Wednesday afternoon in a march from the university across the street to the early-voting site at Smith Recreation Center.
Paul, a 10-time NBA All Star who grew up in Winston-Salem and plays for the Oklahoma City Thunder, and Smith, who grew up in Fayetteville and plays for the New York Knicks, delivered their messages for the students and faculty: Get out and vote, and don’t think your vote doesn’t matter.
Paul has been making his get-out-the-early-vote appeal at historically Black colleges in North Carolina and is also part of a coalition that says it is fighting attempts at voter suppression.
Paul said the best way for one's vote to be counted is to cast an early vote in person.
Celebrities: Blake Lively celebrates Ryan Reynolds' first time voting in the US with jokes, no shoes
Paul spent the day on the FSU campus meeting with faculty members and then went to the basketball court at Felton J. Capel Arena, where athletes sat in the stands to hear him. He joined Smith, who attended North Carolina State University, to encourage students to vote early in this election.
Paul said close national elections can be won or lost by a couple of thousand votes, which isn’t much.
He said that if a skeptical person argues that one vote doesn’t matter and then convinces 15 or 20 people that he is right, the number of nonvoters grows and that affects the outcome of an election.
“If you don’t vote, don’t be arguing about what is going on,” Paul said, adding that the choice to not vote is, in a way, like voting.
Smith, speaking in an interview before going into the gym, said the high number of people voting early this year has been “almost revolutionary to see.”
“It’s something that hasn’t really been super-emphasized, and I feel like this year it has been emphasized," Smith said. "And there have been more people going to vote now physically. We just found out that North Carolina was one of top states that had our votes rejected through the mail, so it is important for people to come out and (vote early) and light that fire. And it’s been great to see it grow.”
Students at the rally said they plan to vote early this year — some for the first time ever.
Dakota McLendon, who plays on FSU’s football team, was among the first-time voters. He said he was planning to join his teammates to vote Thursday.
“Each vote matters,” McLendon said.
FSU football player Shane Booth said he also planned to join the team in voting Thursday morning at Smith Recreation Center instead of doing it Wednesday with other students who marched across the street.
“It is my first time eligible to vote,” he said.
He said he is pleased with the record-breaking early-voting numbers.
"Young people seem to care and are getting involved,” Booth said.
The votes cast by students Wednesday are just a small fraction of early votes that are shattering records, not just in Cumberland County but nationwide.
Many political science experts say early voting is benefiting Democrats.
North Carolina Voters' Guide: Here's what NC legislative candidates had to say on COVID-19, Medicaid
Through Tuesday, 76,752 people had voted at 12 one-stop, early-voting sites in Cumberland County. Early voting is scheduled to end at 3 p.m. Saturday.
The current number of people in the county who have voted early — with four days left — is nearing the total number of people who early voted in the presidential election in 2016.
Then, between 86,000 to 87,000 early voted, said Terri Robertson, director of the Cumberland County Board of Elections, on Wednesday morning.
Robertson said she hopes this year ends up shattering the early-voting record and noted that she is pleased with the turnout.
“I think it’s going really well,” she said. “I expected there would be a heavier turnout than last time. And it seems like it’s going to be.”
Even though voters aren’t required to wear masks, they are being asked to social distance at the polls.
“Go vote. Wear your masks,” Robertson said Wednesday, urging people not to wait until Election Day.
The more people who vote in early voting, the smoother it is for voting on Election Day she said.
“We’re hoping that it will reduce the numbers enough that we can do good social distancing (on Election Day) and still not have lines,” Robertson said.
The high early-voting turnout is not just happening in Cumberland County but across the country.
In North Carolina, the number of votes cast through early voting and absentee ballots has already exceeded the total number in 2016. According to the U.S. Elections Project website, at least 64.7 million people have already cast their ballots.
Statewide, as of Wednesday morning, more than 3.6 million people had cast their ballots either by mail-in or early voting.
According to the state Board of Elections website, there were 7.3 million registered voters in the state as of Wednesday morning. Through Wednesday morning, more than 2.8 million people cast ballots through one-stop early, and 819,363 absentee ballots had been counted out of the more than 1.4 million requested.
Grace Collins, who recently graduated from Terry Sanford High School, was voting for the first time Wednesday morning at Kiwanis Recreation Center. Collins said she and her mother were first in line and they got in and out quickly.
“I think especially right now with COVID, crowding one place at once would be dangerous. So I think it’s good that people are early voting and getting it out of the way,” Collins said.
Follow Fayetteville Observer reporter John Henderson on Twitter: @pcnhjohn.


usatoday--2020-10-30--When does the time change in 2020? Here's when we 'fall back' for daylight saving time

WILMINGTON , Del .
– Daylight saving time is almost over , so get ready to `` fall back . ''
The official time for people to turn the clocks back an hour is at 2 a.m. on Sunday , Nov. 1 , meaning the time will go back to 1 a.m. You might get an `` extra '' hour of sleep that day , but it will also begin to get darker earlier in the day .
The amount of daylight will shorten each day until the winter solstice on Dec. 21 .
Here are a few more things @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Why do we switch to daylight saving time ?
The main reason is to make better use of daylight during the spring and summer months , so there is an extra hour of sunlight in the evening instead of the morning .
After numerous changes to the dates , the Energy Policy Act of 2005 gave the U.S. its current start and stop dates for daylight saving time .
It starts on the second Sunday in March and ends the first Sunday in November .
That gives most states about 7.5 months @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of standard time .
The correct spelling and pronunciation of the term is `` daylight saving time , '' not `` daylight savings time . ''
Who is in charge of daylight saving time ?
Daylight saving time was first enacted by the federal government during World War I as a way to conserve coal .
`` Old time , '' as it was described in archives of the Delaware News Journal , part of the USA TODAY Network , was reinstated after about a year , but daylight saving time persisted in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ until the federal government passed the Uniform Time Act in 1966 .
Today , the Department of Transportation oversees daylight saving time .
The agency cites many reasons for daylight saving time , including energy reduction and reduced crime .
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine in August released a statement saying public health and safety would benefit from eliminating daylight saving time .
The organization said standard time more closely aligns with the daily rhythms of the body 's internal clock .
`` Permanent , year-round time is the best choice to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Public Safety Committee Vice Chair Dr. M. Adeel Rishi said in a statement .
`` Daylight saving time results in more darkness in the morning and more light in the evening disrupting the body 's natural rhythm . ''
Not every state follows daylight saving time .
Hawaii and most of Arizona opt out .
Is the stock market rooting for Trump or Biden ?
The answer may surprise you Do you trust FDA on COVID-19 vaccines ?
States and a Black medical group form review boards for second opinion

When does the time change in 2020? Here's when we 'fall back' for daylight saving time
Show Caption Hide Caption Daylight saving time ends: Get ready to 'fall back' Here's what you need to know about daylight saving time. USA TODAY
WILMINGTON, Del. – Daylight saving time is almost over, so get ready to "fall back."
The official time for people to turn the clocks back an hour is at 2 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 1, meaning the time will go back to 1 a.m.
You might get an "extra" hour of sleep that day, but it will also begin to get darker earlier in the day. The amount of daylight will shorten each day until the winter solstice on Dec. 21.
Daylight saving time begins again March 14, when clocks "spring forward."
Here are a few more things to know as the time change approaches.
Halloween: CDC recommends avoiding trick-or-treating
Why do we switch to daylight saving time?
The main reason is to make better use of daylight during the spring and summer months, so there is an extra hour of sunlight in the evening instead of the morning.
After numerous changes to the dates, the Energy Policy Act of 2005 gave the U.S. its current start and stop dates for daylight saving time. It starts on the second Sunday in March and ends the first Sunday in November.
That gives most states about 7.5 months of daylight saving time and 4.5 months of standard time.
A common typo and mispronunciation
The correct spelling and pronunciation of the term is "daylight saving time," not "daylight savings time."
Who is in charge of daylight saving time?
Daylight saving time was first enacted by the federal government during World War I as a way to conserve coal. "Old time," as it was described in archives of the Delaware News Journal, part of the USA TODAY Network, was reinstated after about a year, but daylight saving time persisted in various forms on local and state levels until the federal government passed the Uniform Time Act in 1966.
Today, the Department of Transportation oversees daylight saving time. The agency cites many reasons for daylight saving time, including energy reduction and reduced crime.
Doctor: 'Falling back' benefits the sleep deprived 'Falling back' at the end of daylight saving time has health advantages, doctors say, including a chance to catch up on sleep deprivation. (Nov. 4) AP, AP
A case against daylight saving time
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine in August released a statement saying public health and safety would benefit from eliminating daylight saving time.
The organization said standard time more closely aligns with the daily rhythms of the body's internal clock.
"Permanent, year-round time is the best choice to most closely match our circadian sleep-wake cycle," Public Safety Committee Vice Chair Dr. M. Adeel Rishi said in a statement. "Daylight saving time results in more darkness in the morning and more light in the evening disrupting the body's natural rhythm."
Not every state follows daylight saving time. Hawaii and most of Arizona opt out.
Follow reporter Brandon Holveck on Twitter @holveck_brandon.
Is the stock market rooting for Trump or Biden? The answer may surprise you
Do you trust FDA on COVID-19 vaccines? States and a Black medical group form review boards for second opinion


usatoday--2020-10-30--Jimmy Kimmel asks Dodgers if winning World Series was easier 'when other team wasn't cheating'

Members of a championship team completing the rounds on late-night talk-show television is a customary obligation that Clayton Kershaw and Cody Bellinger fulfilled on behalf of the 2020 Los Angeles Dodgers by appearing on `` Jimmy Kimmel Live '' Thursday .
`` How are you guys feeling ? ''
Kimmel asked the duo , who appeared separately from remote locations – Kershaw in his Texas home and Bellinger in a car parked outside of a Subway .
`` On top of the world , '' Bellinger replied .
`` It 's the best , '' Kershaw said .
`` I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feel great . ''
About midway through the interview , Kimmel asked if it was `` easier to win the World Series when the other team was n't cheating ? ''
in reference to the Houston Astros ' electronic sign-stealing practices when they defeated the Dodgers in the 2017 World Series .
`` I 'd say so ! ''
Bellinger said .
`` Well I guess so , we won , so it must have been easier , '' Kershaw said .
As for an explanation of how things went down with Justin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confirmed during Game 6 , Kershaw and Bellinger described a confused scene .
`` We did n't even really know what was going on , '' Bellinger said .
`` I found out in the ( eighth ) inning .
Literally , Mookie ( Betts ) hit the homer right after I found out .
Then it was pure , 'All right , let 's close this out , let 's win a championship . '
It was a crazy time . ''
As for the Dodgers ' championship celebrations , Kershaw said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over a beer with teammates , while Bellinger said the team made the most of the situation .
`` I still had a great time .
It was n't an ideal celebration that we all had in mind for our first championship , but was still great , '' he said .
Kimmel pointed out that after the final out , Kershaw was one of the last teammates to reach the mass of humanity celebrating between the pitcher 's mound and home plate .
`` Everybody says I was running slow , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fast as I go , right there .
I was just trying to soak it in best I could .
...
Nothing better , just the best feeling ever . ''
Obviously , Kershaw said , the Dodgers would have preferred to win in front of a packed crowd at Dodger Stadium .
But Globe Life Field is a short drive away from his offseason home , while Bellinger did the interview on his phone while driving from Los Angeles to Arizona to visit his father .
`` Do people tell you you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ look like you 're high ? ''
Kimmel asked the 2019 National League MVP after social media had some fun with his facial expressions throughout the postseason .
In an example of perfect timing , Bellinger 's video feed froze at that exact moment .
`` I am not high during the games , '' he clarified when the connection returned , saying that 's how he 's always appeared on the field .
`` If you look at me in the Little League World Series , I look faded .
I was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ old , either .
`` I 'm not high , that 's just how my face looks . ''

Jimmy Kimmel asks Dodgers if winning World Series was easier 'when other team wasn't cheating'
Show Caption Hide Caption Dodgers return to mountaintop with first World Series title in 32 years SportsPulse: The Los Angeles Dodgers are 2020 World Series champions. USA TODAY Sports' Bob Nightengale reflects on the Dodgers finishing off the Rays to win the World Series for the first time since 1988. USA TODAY
Members of a championship team completing the rounds on late-night talk-show television is a customary obligation that Clayton Kershaw and Cody Bellinger fulfilled on behalf of the 2020 Los Angeles Dodgers by appearing on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" Thursday.
"How are you guys feeling?" Kimmel asked the duo, who appeared separately from remote locations – Kershaw in his Texas home and Bellinger in a car parked outside of a Subway.
"On top of the world," Bellinger replied.
"It's the best," Kershaw said. "I'm not gonna lie, I feel great."
About midway through the interview, Kimmel asked if it was "easier to win the World Series when the other team wasn't cheating?" in reference to the Houston Astros' electronic sign-stealing practices when they defeated the Dodgers in the 2017 World Series.
"I'd say so!" Bellinger said.
"Well I guess so, we won, so it must have been easier," Kershaw said.
As for an explanation of how things went down with Justin Turner, whose positive coronavirus test was confirmed during Game 6, Kershaw and Bellinger described a confused scene.
"We didn't even really know what was going on," Bellinger said. "I found out in the (eighth) inning. Literally, Mookie (Betts) hit the homer right after I found out. Then it was pure, 'All right, let's close this out, let's win a championship.' It was a crazy time."
As for the Dodgers' championship celebrations, Kershaw said he offered a "cheers!" over a beer with teammates, while Bellinger said the team made the most of the situation.
"I still had a great time. It wasn't an ideal celebration that we all had in mind for our first championship, but was still great," he said.
Kimmel pointed out that after the final out, Kershaw was one of the last teammates to reach the mass of humanity celebrating between the pitcher's mound and home plate.
"Everybody says I was running slow," Kershaw said. "That's as fast as I go, right there. I was just trying to soak it in best I could. ... Nothing better, just the best feeling ever."
Obviously, Kershaw said, the Dodgers would have preferred to win in front of a packed crowd at Dodger Stadium. But Globe Life Field is a short drive away from his offseason home, while Bellinger did the interview on his phone while driving from Los Angeles to Arizona to visit his father.
"Do people tell you you're high all the time, you look like you're high?" Kimmel asked the 2019 National League MVP after social media had some fun with his facial expressions throughout the postseason.
In an example of perfect timing, Bellinger's video feed froze at that exact moment.
"I am not high during the games," he clarified when the connection returned, saying that's how he's always appeared on the field. "If you look at me in the Little League World Series, I look faded. I was not smoking when I was 12 years old, either.
"I'm not high, that's just how my face looks."
Follow Chris Bumbaca on Twitter @BOOMbaca.


usatoday--2020-10-30--6 dead, millions powerless as Zeta roars across southern, eastern US

• The storm knocked out power to over 2.6 million homes and businesses .
• Power outages from the storm also affected polling places in some areas , including northern Georgia .
• Zeta made landfall Wednesday afternoon near Cocodrie , Louisiana .
At landfall , estimated wind speeds were at 110 mph .
Zeta , now downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone , continued to lash portions of the eastern U.S. Thursday with heavy rain and high winds as the potent system made its way out to sea .
The storm , which made landfall as a Category 2 hurricane @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than 2.6 million homes and businesses and has been blamed for at least six deaths in the South .
One man was electrocuted in New Orleans , a man drowned in Biloxi , Mississippi , and a man in Acworth , Georgia , was killed when an oak tree fell on the mobile home in which he was staying .
Two people were killed near Atlanta when a tree fell on their house , pinning them to the bed .
In Alabama , one person died when a tree fell on a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Zeta ripped off roofs , knocked down power lines and trees and flooded streets as it roared through Mississippi , Alabama and Georgia early Thursday , the Weather Channel said .
Heavy rain and winds also pounded eastern Tennessee and the Carolinas .
Zeta damage : See aftermath photos , video from across Louisiana , New Orleans Power outages from the storm also affected polling places in some areas , including northern Georgia .
State officials weren ’ t sure how many of the 336 early voting locations statewide were closed or delayed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Atlanta ’ s western suburbs , all six polling locations were without power , as were county offices .
Voting was also affected by the storm in portions of Alabama , Mississippi and Florida .
Zeta made landfall Wednesday afternoon near Cocodrie , Louisiana , with estimated wind speeds of 110 mph , the National Hurricane Center said .
The storm was a ferocious hit for some along the Gulf Coast .
In Waveland , Mississippi , on the state 's coast , the town 's mayor , Mike Smith , told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its worst storm damage since Katrina blasted the city in 2005 .
Video from Grand Isle , Louisiana , a barrier island in Jefferson Parish , showed large homes with their roofs torn off , a crumpled gas station canopy and downed utility poles and wires , the Weather Channel reported .
`` We 're really getting beat .
We 're looking at wind over 100 ( mph ) for sure , '' Grand Isle Mayor David Camardelle said in an interview with WDSU as Zeta 's eyewall moved over the island .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a historically busy Atlantic hurricane season , which still has more than a month left .
It was the 11th tropical storm or hurricane to hit the United States this year , marking an all-time record high for the country .
Forecasters also were monitoring an area of disturbed weather in the Caribbean , one that could develop into a tropical depression or storm over the weekend or early next week , the Hurricane Center said .

6 dead, millions powerless as Zeta roars across southern, eastern US
Show Caption Hide Caption Mississippi crews clean up wreckage left by Hurricane Zeta Biloxi, Mississippi is cleaning up the damage from Hurricane Zeta. . Accuweather
The storm knocked out power to over 2.6 million homes and businesses.
Power outages from the storm also affected polling places in some areas, including northern Georgia.
Zeta made landfall Wednesday afternoon near Cocodrie, Louisiana. At landfall, estimated wind speeds were at 110 mph.
Zeta, now downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone, continued to lash portions of the eastern U.S. Thursday with heavy rain and high winds as the potent system made its way out to sea.
The storm, which made landfall as a Category 2 hurricane Wednesday afternoon, knocked out power to more than 2.6 million homes and businesses and has been blamed for at least six deaths in the South.
One man was electrocuted in New Orleans, a man drowned in Biloxi, Mississippi, and a man in Acworth, Georgia, was killed when an oak tree fell on the mobile home in which he was staying. Two people were killed near Atlanta when a tree fell on their house, pinning them to the bed. In Alabama, one person died when a tree fell on a mobile home in rural Clarke County.
Zeta ripped off roofs, knocked down power lines and trees and flooded streets as it roared through Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia early Thursday, the Weather Channel said. Heavy rain and winds also pounded eastern Tennessee and the Carolinas.
Zeta damage: See aftermath photos, video from across Louisiana, New Orleans
Power outages from the storm also affected polling places in some areas, including northern Georgia. State officials weren’t sure how many of the 336 early voting locations statewide were closed or delayed in opening. In Douglas County, in Atlanta’s western suburbs, all six polling locations were without power, as were county offices.
Voting was also affected by the storm in portions of Alabama, Mississippi and Florida.
Zeta made landfall Wednesday afternoon near Cocodrie, Louisiana, with estimated wind speeds of 110 mph, the National Hurricane Center said.
The storm was a ferocious hit for some along the Gulf Coast. In Waveland, Mississippi, on the state's coast, the town's mayor, Mike Smith, told WLOX-TV that the town may have suffered its worst storm damage since Katrina blasted the city in 2005.
Video from Grand Isle, Louisiana, a barrier island in Jefferson Parish, showed large homes with their roofs torn off, a crumpled gas station canopy and downed utility poles and wires, the Weather Channel reported.
"We're really getting beat. We're looking at wind over 100 (mph) for sure," Grand Isle Mayor David Camardelle said in an interview with WDSU as Zeta's eyewall moved over the island.
Zeta is the 27th named storm of a historically busy Atlantic hurricane season, which still has more than a month left. It was the 11th tropical storm or hurricane to hit the United States this year, marking an all-time record high for the country.
Forecasters also were monitoring an area of disturbed weather in the Caribbean, one that could develop into a tropical depression or storm over the weekend or early next week, the Hurricane Center said.
Contributing: The Associated Press


usatoday--2020-10-30--Millions of Americans are voting for the first time this year, and it's not just young people

At age 99 , Barbara Duvall survived COVID-19 , pneumonia and five days in the hospital .
Last week , the Indiana resident voted for the first time .
`` I guess I did n't have time before because of my kids , my husband and our family .
I stayed with them , '' said Duvall , who raised three children with her husband of 63 years .
`` I decided this time that I wanted the right man in there . ''
With four days until Election Day , more than 80 million people have already voted – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ counted in the 2016 general election , according to Michael McDonald , a professor at the University of Florida who runs the U.S .
Elections Project .
`` The numbers are stunning , '' McDonald said in an update on his website this week .
`` The pace of some states ' early voting is such that with almost certainty states will begin surpassing their total 2016 total vote this week . ''
From ages 18 to 65 : These Arizona voters celebrate their first time casting ballots Turnout among younger voters accounts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cycle .
But older voters are turning out , too .
Of the nearly 5.5 million first-time voters who have cast their ballots , more than 2.1 million are voters over 40 , according to data from TargetSmart , a Democratic political data firm .
It 's likely that 2020 will see an increase in first-time voters .
At this time in 2016 , about 3.8 million first-time voters had cast ballots , including 1.9 million people over 40 .
Some of those voters – such as newly naturalized citizens – have never @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But many , like Duvall , have been eligible to vote in previous presidential elections even though they did not cast a ballot .
Amid the coronavirus pandemic , an economic recession and nationwide protest movement , voters say that stakes are high and that hot-button policy issues are driving them to the polls .
Some are motivated by President Donald Trump 's impeachment , his handling of the coronavirus pandemic and the conservative lean of Supreme Court .
Others have fears about the future of law and order in the U.S .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ easier to vote this year : States have expanded early and mail-in voting options , and voting is all people are talking about .
`` I was never registered or nothing .
Until this time .
It makes you feel better , '' said Duvall , who filled out an absentee ballot at her nursing home for Trump .
`` I know that he ’ s the right man – all he 's done for the people . ''
Duvall said her husband always voted , but she stayed home with the children @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his mother has followed Trump on Fox News every day since his election .
`` We almost lost her , but she fought her way through it , '' he said .
`` And she couldn ’ t wait to get her vote in for Trump . ''
Guns , lies and ballots set on fire : This is voter suppression in 2020 Tennessean Jay Gilmore , 41 , has sat out of elections for 20 years .
For him , the importance of voting was n't emphasized growing up , and he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rather than caring about the issues that affect his family and day-to-day life .
`` I have always felt like my vote does n't not matter .
My voice does not count , '' Gilmore said .
What changed in 2020 was seeing `` so much hate coming from our Oval Office , '' he said .
Gilmore voted early and went to a polling location at a church with his wife , who supported him and encouraged him to vote .
He was on his way out and forgot to get his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wife told him to run back in .
He placed the stick on his mask .
`` I did feel some sense of 'This is monumental , ' '' he said .
`` This might shape the way my three children view voting . ''
Fellow Tennessean James Butler , 52 , an HVAC technician and carpenter , said he felt `` on top of the world '' after voting for the first time , for Biden .
Like Gilmore , he proudly wore his sticker .
`` I see now that my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country to be a good country again , '' Butler said .
`` We 're in the worst shape since I ’ ve been a child .
The world as we knew it – it may very well take decades before we can go back to the way we were .
This country was founded on morals and values , and we ’ ve lost our way .
So it 's time for me to stake my claim in what our forefathers fought for . ''
Julie Hess is a bondswoman in Ithaca @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who is developmentally delayed .
At age 59 , she 's casting her first-ever vote because it was easier to vote by absentee ballot .
She had to make the choice between throwing the `` people of my profession under the bus '' and `` a bully . ''
Biden 's platform includes ending cash bail , but Trump in 2015 mocked a reporter with a disability .
Sitting in front of her computer staring at her absentee ballot , she said she had an anxiety attack .
In previous years , she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ never actually cast a vote .
When she was 18 , a fight broke out between a Democrat and a Republican , she said , and it turned her off to voting .
In 2008 , she was prepared to vote for Barack Obama , but someone directed a racial slur at her in line , causing her to leave .
So when COVID-19 allowed for expanded voting by absentee ballot across the country , Hess knew she could cast her vote without having to face similar issues .
`` I do n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Hess said of Trump .
Family members have been hospitalized with COVID-19 , she said , and she has approved of the response by her governor , Democrat Gretchen Whitmer , to the virus .
Dana Fisher , 39 , and his wife drove more than 1,000 miles from South Carolina to Massachusetts to cast their votes for Trump at the polls this year .
For Fisher , a software engineer and the former director of a nonprofit working with people experiencing homelessness , it was his first time voting in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nurse who works with COVID-19 patients , voted for the first time .
She declined to comment .
`` I lean right , but I have a lot of social-justice-type beliefs .
And so I didn ’ t vote for Trump in 2016 .
I didn ’ t vote for anyone , '' Fisher said .
`` The things President Trump said he would do , he has done .
And he ’ s certainly done a lot for minorities , which is important to me . ''
Fisher , who is white @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Trump 's funding for historically black colleges and universities and his executive order prioritizing job skills over a college degree in government hiring .
Fisher said he voted for the first time in 2000 but became disillusioned with politics , which took a backseat to his school and work life .
Fisher also said he did n't feel as if his vote in Massachusetts mattered because of the Electoral College , but his views on that later changed .
`` This just seems like a really , really important time , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ breaking from tradition this year .
The New England Journal of Medicine published an editorial earlier this month condemning Trump and his administration for their response to the pandemic and , for the first time in it 's 208-year history , called for current leadership to be voted out of office .
Weeks later , USA TODAY 's Editorial Board endorsed a presidential candidate for the first time since its founding in 1982 .
Four years ago , the board urged readers not to vote for Trump but stopped short of an outright @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nominee .
Other groups that had n't endorsed a presidential candidate backed Trump this year .
In New York City , the president of the city 's largest police union said his group 's support of Trump was the first time he can recall in the organization 's history .
`` That 's how important this is , '' Patrick Lynch , president of the New York City Police Benevolent Association , said during an event in August at Trump 's New Jersey golf course .
Jeffrey Baker , 63 , said he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He never voted until the primaries in 2020 .
In 2016 , he said he was certain Hillary Clinton would win .
`` I thought they did n't need my vote .
What 's one vote ?
Boy was I wrong , '' he said .
His brother , Alan Baker , 64 , had n't voted since 1984 .
`` I was young , dumb , I was more worried about having more fun than I was worried about the vote , '' the elder Baker said .
Both men served in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he felt apolitical for years with his military background .
`` I got in my head that voting was n't important . ''
`` What he 's done to disparage military families and the military in general , forget it , '' Alan Baker said of Trump .
Jeffrey Baker was critical of Trump 's relationship with foreign leaders like Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korea 's Kim Jong Un .
Both men cast their ballots for Biden this year absentee , Alan from Florida and Jeffrey from Texas .
Celebrities are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ star Shaquille O ’ Neal , 48 , said he had never voted until recently completing an absentee ballot .
He also participated in a virtual rally to support Democratic candidate Joe Biden .
`` I don ’ t have any excuses , but I didn ’ t have time , '' O'Neal had told USA TODAY .
`` There ’ s a lot of people speaking out and a lot of people that are fed up .
That is good .
... We ’ re making a lot of noise , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote and get people in places that understand what we ’ re talking about so laws can be changed . ''
Former Major League Baseball pitcher David Wells , 57 , announced in a video posted to Twitter Wednesday that he voted for the first time this election , for Trump .
`` Four more years , baby .
Four more years , '' he said in the video .
Rapper Snoop Dogg , 49 , and boxer Mike Tyson , 54 , said they 're finally voting after years of believing that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a ballot .
About 5.2 million people in the U.S. are of voting age but can not vote because of a prior felony conviction , according to the Sentencing Project , a D.C.-based research and advocacy center .
Roger Speer , 59 , of Lakewood , Washington , had his voting rights restored in 2017 after a felony conviction .
For decades , politics did n't really interest Speer .
`` When I got clean and then the whole Bush-Gore thing in Florida was when I started becoming more interested in what was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't vote . ''
`` Once Trump became president , then I could n't wait '' to regain eligibility and vote , he said .
`` The impeachment hearing was like the tipping point , '' Speer said .
While he said he felt good when filling in his absentee ballot , he still has concerns about the election given the concern many have raised about mail-in voting .
Luckily , he said he could check online and see his ballot was received and accepted .
For Adriana Hoffman , 43 , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it 'll be her first time voting – and her first opportunity to do so .
Originally from Brazil , where voting is compulsory , Hoffman first came to the U.S. 10 years ago .
She got married and received citizenship two years ago .
Hoffman is not registered with a political party and did not vote in the primary , but she said she plans to vote for Trump because she favors his tax and foreign policies .
`` He 's not with the establishment , '' Hoffman said .
`` I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He did major peace deals nobody 's talking about .
He 's not perfect , you know , but I think he 's a better choice . ''
Hoffman said she has n't voted yet because she 's looking forward to going to the polling station near her house on Election Day .
`` My husband , he sent his ballot , but I like actually to go and vote there .
It ’ s really close to my house , '' Hoffman said .
`` In Brazil , by the law you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t have the choice .
But here you have the choice .
I 'm going to go there on Nov. 3 and vote . ''

Grace Hauck and Ryan W. Miller, USA TODAY

Millions of Americans are voting for the first time this year, and it's not just young people
Show Caption Hide Caption First-time voters are going to the polls by the millions in 2020 The 2020 election is motivating first-time voters of all ages and walks of life to cast their ballots. USA TODAY
At age 99, Barbara Duvall survived COVID-19, pneumonia and five days in the hospital.
Last week, the Indiana resident voted for the first time.
"I guess I didn't have time before because of my kids, my husband and our family. I stayed with them," said Duvall, who raised three children with her husband of 63 years. "I decided this time that I wanted the right man in there."
With four days until Election Day, nearly 85 million people have already voted – more than half of the total votes counted in the 2016 general election, according to Michael McDonald, a professor at the University of Florida who runs the U.S. Elections Project.
"The numbers are stunning," McDonald said in an update on his website this week. "The pace of some states' early voting is such that with almost certainty states will begin surpassing their total 2016 total vote this week."
From ages 18 to 65: These Arizona voters celebrate their first time casting ballots
Turnout among younger voters accounts for much of the surge this election cycle. But older voters are turning out, too. Of the nearly 6.2 million first-time voters who have cast their ballots, nearly 2.6 million are voters over 40, according to data from TargetSmart, a Democratic political data firm.
It's likely that 2020 will see an increase in first-time voters. At this time in 2016, about 4.4 million first-time voters had cast ballots, including 2.1 million people over 40.
Some of those voters – such as newly naturalized citizens – have never had the opportunity to vote before. But many, like Duvall, have been eligible to vote in previous presidential elections even though they did not cast a ballot.
This year, they're seizing the chance.
Amid the coronavirus pandemic, an economic recession and nationwide protest movement, voters say that stakes are high and that hot-button policy issues are driving them to the polls. Some are motivated by President Donald Trump's impeachment, his handling of the coronavirus pandemic and the conservative lean of Supreme Court. Others have fears about the future of law and order in the U.S.
But many said it's simply much easier to vote this year: States have expanded early and mail-in voting options, and voting is all people are talking about.
"I was never registered or nothing. Until this time. It makes you feel better," said Duvall, who filled out an absentee ballot at her nursing home for Trump. "I know that he’s the right man – all he's done for the people."
Early voter turnout breaks records, leads to long lines in many states The surge in voting has led to hours long wait times in states, like Georgia and Wisconsin, that have in-person early voting. USA TODAY
Duvall said her husband always voted, but she stayed home with the children. Rick Duvall, 66, said his mother has followed Trump on Fox News every day since his election.
"We almost lost her, but she fought her way through it," he said. "And she couldn’t wait to get her vote in for Trump."
Guns, lies and ballots set on fire: This is voter suppression in 2020
Tennessean Jay Gilmore, 41, has sat out of elections for 20 years. For him, the importance of voting wasn't emphasized growing up, and he believes politicians often only want his vote rather than caring about the issues that affect his family and day-to-day life.
"I have always felt like my vote doesn't not matter. My voice does not count," Gilmore said.
What changed in 2020 was seeing "so much hate coming from our Oval Office," he said.
Gilmore voted early and went to a polling location at a church with his wife, who supported him and encouraged him to vote. He was on his way out and forgot to get his "I voted" sticker. His wife told him to run back in. He placed the stick on his mask.
"I did feel some sense of 'This is monumental,'" he said. "This might shape the way my three children view voting."
Fellow Tennessean James Butler, 52, an HVAC technician and carpenter, said he felt "on top of the world" after voting for the first time, for Biden. Like Gilmore, he proudly wore his sticker.
"I see now that my vote does matter. I want our country to be a good country again," Butler said. "We're in the worst shape since I’ve been a child. The world as we knew it – it may very well take decades before we can go back to the way we were. This country was founded on morals and values, and we’ve lost our way. So it's time for me to stake my claim in what our forefathers fought for."
Julie Hess is a bondswoman in Ithaca, Michigan, who has a child who is developmentally delayed. At age 59, she's casting her first-ever vote because it was easier to vote by absentee ballot.
She had to make the choice between throwing the "people of my profession under the bus" and "a bully." Biden's platform includes ending cash bail, but Trump in 2015 mocked a reporter with a disability.
Sitting in front of her computer staring at her absentee ballot, she said she had an anxiety attack.
In previous years, she has made it to voting sites but never actually cast a vote. When she was 18, a fight broke out between a Democrat and a Republican, she said, and it turned her off to voting. In 2008, she was prepared to vote for Barack Obama, but someone directed a racial slur at her in line, causing her to leave. So when COVID-19 allowed for expanded voting by absentee ballot across the country, Hess knew she could cast her vote without having to face similar issues.
"I don't think he's handled this pandemic properly," Hess said of Trump. Family members have been hospitalized with COVID-19, she said, and she has approved of the response by her governor, Democrat Gretchen Whitmer, to the virus.
Ultimately, she chose Biden.
Dana Fisher, 39, and his wife drove more than 1,000 miles from South Carolina to Massachusetts to cast their votes for Trump at the polls this year. For Fisher, a software engineer and the former director of a nonprofit working with people experiencing homelessness, it was his first time voting in 20 years. His wife, a nurse who works with COVID-19 patients, voted for the first time. She declined to comment.
"I lean right, but I have a lot of social-justice-type beliefs. And so I didn’t vote for Trump in 2016. I didn’t vote for anyone," Fisher said. "The things President Trump said he would do, he has done. And he’s certainly done a lot for minorities, which is important to me."
Fisher, who is white, referenced pre-pandemic low unemployment for minorities, Trump's funding for historically black colleges and universities and his executive order prioritizing job skills over a college degree in government hiring.
Fisher said he voted for the first time in 2000 but became disillusioned with politics, which took a backseat to his school and work life. Fisher also said he didn't feel as if his vote in Massachusetts mattered because of the Electoral College, but his views on that later changed.
"This just seems like a really, really important time," he said.
Some organizations are also breaking from tradition this year. The New England Journal of Medicine published an editorial earlier this month condemning Trump and his administration for their response to the pandemic and, for the first time in it's 208-year history, called for current leadership to be voted out of office.
Weeks later, USA TODAY's Editorial Board endorsed a presidential candidate for the first time since its founding in 1982. Four years ago, the board urged readers not to vote for Trump but stopped short of an outright endorsement of Hillary Clinton, the Democratic nominee.
Other groups that hadn't endorsed a presidential candidate backed Trump this year. In New York City, the president of the city's largest police union said his group's support of Trump was the first time he can recall in the organization's history.
"That's how important this is," Patrick Lynch, president of the New York City Police Benevolent Association, said during an event in August at Trump's New Jersey golf course.
Jeffrey Baker, 63, said he "can't stand Trump." He never voted until the primaries in 2020. In 2016, he said he was certain Hillary Clinton would win. "I thought they didn't need my vote. What's one vote? Boy was I wrong," he said.
His brother, Alan Baker, 64, hadn't voted since 1984. "I was young, dumb, I was more worried about having more fun than I was worried about the vote," the elder Baker said.
Both men served in the Marines, and Jeffrey Baker said he felt apolitical for years with his military background. "I got in my head that voting wasn't important."
"What he's done to disparage military families and the military in general, forget it," Alan Baker said of Trump. Jeffrey Baker was critical of Trump's relationship with foreign leaders like Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korea's Kim Jong Un.
Both men cast their ballots for Biden this year absentee, Alan from Florida and Jeffrey from Texas.
Celebrities are joining in, too. Former NBA star Shaquille O’Neal, 48, said he had never voted until recently completing an absentee ballot. He also participated in a virtual rally to support Democratic candidate Joe Biden.
"I don’t have any excuses, but I didn’t have time," O'Neal had told USA TODAY. "There’s a lot of people speaking out and a lot of people that are fed up. That is good. ... We’re making a lot of noise, and now we have to urge people to vote and get people in places that understand what we’re talking about so laws can be changed."
Former Major League Baseball pitcher David Wells, 57, announced in a video posted to Twitter Wednesday that he voted for the first time this election, for Trump. "Four more years, baby. Four more years," he said in the video.
Rapper Snoop Dogg, 49, and boxer Mike Tyson, 54, said they're finally voting after years of believing that their felony records prevented them from casting a ballot. About 5.2 million people in the U.S. are of voting age but cannot vote because of a prior felony conviction, according to the Sentencing Project, a D.C.-based research and advocacy center.
Roger Speer, 59, of Lakewood, Washington, had his voting rights restored in 2017 after a felony conviction. For decades, politics didn't really interest Speer. "When I got clean and then the whole Bush-Gore thing in Florida was when I started becoming more interested in what was going on, but I still didn't vote."
"Once Trump became president, then I couldn't wait" to regain eligibility and vote, he said.
"The impeachment hearing was like the tipping point," Speer said. While he said he felt good when filling in his absentee ballot, he still has concerns about the election given the concern many have raised about mail-in voting. Luckily, he said he could check online and see his ballot was received and accepted.
For Adriana Hoffman, 43, a yoga teacher and Southern California resident, it'll be her first time voting – and her first opportunity to do so. Originally from Brazil, where voting is compulsory, Hoffman first came to the U.S. 10 years ago. She got married and received citizenship two years ago.
Hoffman is not registered with a political party and did not vote in the primary, but she said she plans to vote for Trump because she favors his tax and foreign policies.
"He's not with the establishment," Hoffman said. "I see him as a good businessman. He did major peace deals nobody's talking about. He's not perfect, you know, but I think he's a better choice."
Hoffman said she hasn't voted yet because she's looking forward to going to the polling station near her house on Election Day.
"My husband, he sent his ballot, but I like actually to go and vote there. It’s really close to my house," Hoffman said. "In Brazil, by the law you have to vote. You don’t have the choice. But here you have the choice. I'm going to go there on Nov. 3 and vote."


usatoday--2020-10-30--Live election updates: We're just four days away from the election. Here's what you need to know

President Donald Trump and Democratic candidate Joe Biden are in the home stretch of this election .
Refresh this blog all day for updates as the candidates make their final push .
Black voters could make the difference in the battle for Pennsylvania Pennsylvania is a top prize for President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden , and some activists say Black voters could prove crucial to deciding who wins the presidential race and earns the state 's 20 electoral votes .
Organizers expect social unrest , the disproportionate impact of the novel coronavirus pandemic on communities of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on civil rights for Black Americans will spur more Black voters to show up at the polls in Pennsylvania than they did in 2016 .
Pennsylvania : In fierce presidential battle for Pennsylvania , Black voters could make all the difference To activate those voters , groups are hosting socially distant rallies featuring local artists ; conducting phone banks from home ; setting up voter information booths at outdoor events ; and leading caravans through Black neighborhoods .
Trump narrowly beat Democrat Hillary Clinton in Pennsylvania in 2016 , but Biden is now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to USA TODAY 's polling average .
The state is 76 % white and 12 % Black , and had voted Democrat since 1992 before it swung right for Trump .
Voting 2020 : Many people in jail are eligible to vote .
But casting a ballot behind bars is n't easy Poll : Most disapprove of Trump 's decision to hold rallies during pandemic A new USA TODAY/Suffolk University poll finds nearly two-thirds of likely voters prefer Democrat Joe Biden ’ s low-key campaign strategy to President Donald Trump 's raucous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supporters at dozens of rallies .
Nearly six in 10 Americans disapprove of Trump 's decision to continue to hold large rallies during the pandemic , according to the poll , while nearly 64 % approve of Biden 's decision to jettison big events in favor of much smaller gatherings .
Poll : Most disapprove of Trump 's decision to hold campaign rallies during COVID Trump has held more than two dozen rallies since recovering from his own bout with COVID-19 this month – and he is expected to hold at least a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The rallies are held outdoors , usually at airports , and supporters are packed in tight .
While some rallygoers wear masks , many do not and Trump himself does not wear one .
Biden has rarely gathered more than a few dozen supporters at a time , often enforcing recommended distancing with white , spray-painted circles for each participant .
His campaign has insisted participants get tested before they show up and wear masks .
How many have voted ?
: More than 80 million people have already voted .
Here 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 'Give me a break ' : Sen. McSally brushes off Trump 's treatment at rally President Donald Trump 's interactions with GOP Sen. Martha McSally at recent Arizona campaign rallies have been much-scrutinized with some viewing the exchanges as disrespectful and dismissive .
While campaigning in swing-state Arizona , Trump has kept McSally by his side , unlike some GOP candidates facing tough campaigns .
But Trump has exuded little warmth for her lately .
On Wednesday at a rally in Goodyear , Trump hurried McSally on stage and told her to speak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rallies in Iowa and Michigan where the GOP Senate candidates were not brought on stage to speak during his prime-time slot .
American voters : Millions of Americans are voting for the first time this year , and it 's not just young people '' Martha , just come up fast , ” Trump said , after issuing her praise and slamming her Democratic challenger Mark Kelly .
“ Fast .
Fast .
Come on .
Quick .
You got one minute !
One minute , Martha !
They don ’ t want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on .
Let ’ s go .
Quick , quick , quick .
Come on .
Let ’ s go.
” For her part , McSally shrugged off Trump ’ s treatment of her .
`` Give me a break , '' McSally told reporters Thursday at an event with Sen. Rick Scott , R-Fla. , in Scottsdale .
`` President Trump will be President Trump , and I 'm fighting with him to save the country . ''
'Give me a break ' : Sen. Martha McSally brushes off Trump 's treatment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ away There are now just four days to Election Day , and more than 80 million people have already voted , according to numbers compiled by @ electproject .
Millions of mail ballots are still outstanding , and the date the USPS recommended to mail them back to make state deadlines is a few days passed .
Officials stress those ballots now be dropped off in-person .
Trump and COVID : Trump said not to worry about COVID-19 .
These people beg to differ .
In Wisconsin , a crucial swing-state , multiple @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up during this coronavirus-era election season to help provide transportation to the polls on Nov. 3 .
Early in-person voting also ends in a few states today , including in Georgia , Texas , Idaho , and Massachusetts , among some others .
As Trump continues to hold large in-person rallies , coronavirus cases have emerged .
Two people who attended a rally in North Carolina last week have tested positive for COVID-19 .
• A Florida judge has resigned from Duval County ’ s vote-counting board after findings that he donated repeatedly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Florida judicial rules bar judges from political donations of any kind .
• Biden holds a slight lead over Trump among Latino voters in the battleground state of Florida , according to a poll published Thursday , but is struggling with the Cuban population there .
He is leading among Latino voters in Texas , Arizona and Nevada .
• A new USA TODAY/Suffolk University Poll found that 3 of 4 voters express concern about the possibility of violence on Election Day .
• Trump cancelled his rally Thursday in North Carolina due @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Zeta .
No presidential winner on election night ?
Mail-in ballots could put the outcome in doubt for weeks .
Where are the candidates today ?
The Biden and Trump campaigns will hold dueling events in two states : Minnesota and Wisconsin , with drastically different event styles given the ongoing pandemic In Minnesota , Biden will hold a drive-in car rally while Trump 's location , as of Thursday night , was influx due to the state 's COVID-19 safety regulations and his crowd size .
Trump will rally in Green Bay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be in Milwaukee .
Biden will also visit Iowa , making Friday his fullest day of travel during the general election .
Trump will rally in Michigan , as well .
Sen. Kamala Harris will campaign around Texas , in Fort Worth , McAllen and Houston .

Live election updates: Minnesota Gov. thanks Trump for ‘finally following public health guidance at a campaign rally’
Show Caption Hide Caption Election: President Trump makes new appeal to women at Michigan rally President Trump made an appeal to women voters at a rally in Michigan to help their husbands recover from economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. USA TODAY
President Donald Trump and Democratic candidate Joe Biden are in the home stretch of this election. Refresh this blog all day for updates as the candidates make their final push.
Minnesota’s Democratic Governor Tim Walz appeared to sarcastically thank the Trump campaign for “finally following public health guidance at a campaign rally” after an event in the state Friday night.
The Trump campaign had to change venues a few times before the event on Friday, as Officials in Minnesota and the city of Rochester objected to thousands of attendees, and insisted that the rally crowd be restricted to 250 people.
The president has been crisscrossing the country and holding rallies with thousands of attendees. There is growing evidence his crowded rallies have contributed to spikes in COVID-19 cases.
Trump wrapped up his speech after just 21 minutes. He usually speaks for upwards of an hour.
Outside the event, Trump bashed Walz for "playing games" and doing "a terrible job" because the Governor tried to require rally attendees to adhere to social distancing. He then waved to a large crowd of supporters who were not able to get in.
In text campaign, 96.3% of Sanders voters say they back Biden
While supporters of Sen. Bernie Sanders weren't quick to back Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, Sanders campaign officials say many of their supporters now support the former vice president.
Friends of Bernie Sanders, the Vermont Senator's campaign pack, invested $200,000 this fall to reactivate its peer-to-peer texting program that is focused on key battleground states and electing progressives down-ballot, according to Sanders officials.
Through the program, 1.3 million people have been reached out to in crucial battleground states. The officials said that 96.3% of Sanders supporters who replied to texts of who they are supporting said they are supporting Biden.
The group hopes to reach more than 4 million texts to voters in 14 states by Nov. 3, the officials said.
Sanders was quick to support Biden after the Vermont Senator suspended his presidential campaign in March. Unlike in 2016, Sanders continued his campaign until June. Over the past several weeks, Sanders has campaign in-person for Biden in several key states including Michigan and Pennsylvania.
— Rebecca Morin
With less than four days until the election and amid record levels of early voting, a majority of Americans say they're going to cast their ballots early in person or by mail, according to a new survey.
When combining those who are voting by mail (42%) and those who voting early in person (26%), nearly 2 in 3 voters will be casting their ballot ahead of Election Day, according to a survey from the Democracy Fund + UCLA Nationscape Project.
Record high levels of early voting have been reported across the nation. More than 84 million people have early voted in this election, according to the United States Election Project. More than 23.3 million people have voted in person and more than 52.4 million mail-in ballots have been returned nationwide.
– Rebecca Morin
Early voting has surged to unprecedented levels in the 2020 election, especially in Texas where the number of early votes has already surpassed the total number of ballots cast four years ago.
According to the Texas Secretary of State office, 8,969,226 out of 15,101,087 registered voters cast ballots in the entire 2016 general election. The official vote count in Texas through Thursday is already at 9,009,850 – with a full day of early voting and Election Day left to go.
– William Cummings
Texas: Early votes in Texas surpass total cast in 2016 with Election Day still to go
President Donald Trump and aides appeared to take a jab at public officials who worry that his campaign rallies could spread COVID-19 by officially describing those campaign events as "peaceful protests."
"THE PRESIDENT delivers remarks at a Make America Great Again Peaceful Protest," said the official White House schedule in reference to Friday's events in Rochester, Minnesota.
Officials in Minnesota and the city of Rochester had objected to Trump's event, and insisted that the rally crowd be restricted to 250 people.
"Officials have been told that this is now an invitation only event and is not open to the public," said a statement from the city of Rochester. "It will comply with State of Minnesota COVID-19 guidelines."
Trump, who complained on Twitter about the Minnesota restrictions, has often said that local officials don't seem worried about COVID spread at the many mass protests over police misconduct and other issues.
Trump: Trump’s campaign made stops nationwide. Coronavirus cases surged in his wake in at least five places.
"There's a legal definition you can't have a political rally – they did that to keep me out, right?" Trump said Tuesday at a rally in West Salem, Wisc., another state that has cited concerns about the spread of COVID.
Trump claimed, falsely, that some states want "to protect anarchists, rioters, people that were burning down your stores." He then told his crowd of supporters: "So you have the absolute right to protest – so I call this a friendly protest, OK, officially? Not a rally."
Trump also has events Friday in Waterford Township, Michigan, and Green Bay, Wisconsin, but each is described the standard way, as a "Make American Great Again Victory Rally."
There is evidence Trump rallies have contributed to spikes in COVID-19 cases.
A USA TODAY analysis showed that COVID-19 cases grew at a faster rate than before after at least five recent rallies in counties across the Midwest: Blue Earth, Minnesota; Lackawanna, Pennsylvania; Marathon, Wisconsin; Dauphin, Pennsylvania; and Beltrami, Minnesota.
– David Jackson
Pennsylvania is a top prize for President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden, and some activists say Black voters could prove crucial to deciding who wins the presidential race and earns the state's 20 electoral votes.
Organizers expect social unrest, the disproportionate impact of the novel coronavirus pandemic on communities of color, and the renewed national focus on civil rights for Black Americans will spur more Black voters to show up at the polls in Pennsylvania than they did in 2016.
Pennsylvania: In fierce presidential battle for Pennsylvania, Black voters could make all the difference
To activate those voters, groups are hosting socially distant rallies featuring local artists; conducting phone banks from home; setting up voter information booths at outdoor events; and leading caravans through Black neighborhoods.
Trump narrowly beat Democrat Hillary Clinton in Pennsylvania in 2016, but Biden is now leading Trump by 5.4 points there, according to USA TODAY's polling average. The state is 76% white and 12% Black, and had voted Democrat since 1992 before it swung right for Trump.
– Deborah Barfield Berry
Voting 2020: Many people in jail are eligible to vote. But casting a ballot behind bars isn't easy
A new USA TODAY/Suffolk University poll finds nearly two-thirds of likely voters prefer Democrat Joe Biden’s low-key campaign strategy to President Donald Trump's raucous fanfare of surrounding himself with thousands of supporters at dozens of rallies.
Nearly six in 10 Americans disapprove of Trump's decision to continue to hold large rallies during the pandemic, according to the poll, while nearly 64% approve of Biden's decision to jettison big events in favor of much smaller gatherings.
Poll: Most disapprove of Trump's decision to hold campaign rallies during COVID
Trump has held more than two dozen rallies since recovering from his own bout with COVID-19 this month – and he is expected to hold at least a dozen more before Tuesday's election. The rallies are held outdoors, usually at airports, and supporters are packed in tight. While some rallygoers wear masks, many do not and Trump himself does not wear one.
Biden has rarely gathered more than a few dozen supporters at a time, often enforcing recommended distancing with white, spray-painted circles for each participant. His campaign has insisted participants get tested before they show up and wear masks.
– John Fritze, Bart Jansen and Joshua Bowling
How many have voted?: More than 80 million people have already voted. Here's how that compares with past elections.
How polls work: The science behind gathering voter opinions The news cycle is jampacked with polls. But have you ever wondered how polls actually work and what they mean? Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
President Donald Trump's interactions with GOP Sen. Martha McSally at recent Arizona campaign rallies have been much-scrutinized with some viewing the exchanges as disrespectful and dismissive.
While campaigning in swing-state Arizona, Trump has kept McSally by his side, unlike some GOP candidates facing tough campaigns. But Trump has exuded little warmth for her lately.
On Wednesday at a rally in Goodyear, Trump hurried McSally on stage and told her to speak quickly, a departure from his recent rallies in Iowa and Michigan where the GOP Senate candidates were not brought on stage to speak during his prime-time slot.
American voters: Millions of Americans are voting for the first time this year, and it's not just young people
"Martha, just come up fast,” Trump said, after issuing her praise and slamming her Democratic challenger Mark Kelly. “Fast. Fast. Come on. Quick. You got one minute! One minute, Martha! They don’t want to hear this, Martha. Come on. Let’s go. Quick, quick, quick. Come on. Let’s go.”
For her part, McSally shrugged off Trump’s treatment of her.
"Give me a break," McSally told reporters Thursday at an event with Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., in Scottsdale. "President Trump will be President Trump, and I'm fighting with him to save the country."
– Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Farah Eltohamy
'Give me a break': Sen. Martha McSally brushes off Trump's treatment at Arizona rally
There are now just four days to Election Day, and more than 80 million people have already voted, according to numbers compiled by @electproject.
Millions of mail ballots are still outstanding, and the date the USPS recommended to mail them back to make state deadlines is a few days passed. Officials stress those ballots now be dropped off in-person.
Trump and COVID: Trump said not to worry about COVID-19. These people beg to differ.
In Wisconsin, a crucial swing-state, multiple Milwaukee area agencies and organizations are teaming up during this coronavirus-era election season to help provide transportation to the polls on Nov. 3.
Early in-person voting also ends in a few states today, including in Georgia, Texas, Idaho, and Massachusetts, among some others.
As Trump continues to hold large in-person rallies, coronavirus cases have emerged. Two people who attended a rally in North Carolina last week have tested positive for COVID-19.
A Florida judge has resigned from Duval County’s vote-counting board after findings that he donated repeatedly to Trump’s re-election campaign. Florida judicial rules bar judges from political donations of any kind.
Biden holds a slight lead over Trump among Latino voters in the battleground state of Florida, according to a poll published Thursday, but is struggling with the Cuban population there. He is leading among Latino voters in Texas, Arizona and Nevada.
A new USA TODAY/Suffolk University Poll found that 3 of 4 voters express concern about the possibility of violence on Election Day.
Trump cancelled his rally Thursday in North Carolina due to high winds produced by Tropical Storm Zeta.
No presidential winner on election night? Mail-in ballots could put the outcome in doubt for weeks.
Where are the candidates today?
The Biden and Trump campaigns will hold dueling events in two states: Minnesota and Wisconsin, with drastically different event styles given the ongoing pandemic
In Minnesota, Biden will hold a drive-in car rally while Trump's location, as of Thursday night, was influx due to the state's COVID-19 safety regulations and his crowd size.
Trump will rally in Green Bay, Wisconsin while the Biden campaign will be in Milwaukee.
Biden will also visit Iowa, making Friday his fullest day of travel during the general election. Trump will rally in Michigan, as well.
Sen. Kamala Harris will campaign around Texas, in Fort Worth, McAllen and Houston.