usatoday--2020-08-13--What's going on with the post office? Here's what we know

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump offered conflicting statements Thursday about whether he opposes supplementary funding for the U.S .
Postal Service , which has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic , and recently been mired in controversy with its new leadership .
Trump originally acknowledged his positionwould starve the agency of funds that Democrats insist it needs to process and handle the anticipated influx of mail-in ballots for the November election .
More : Trump opposes new funds for U.S .
Postal Service , saying he does n't want to help expand vote by mail '' They need that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ office work so it can take all of these millions and millions of ballots , '' Trump said on Fox Business Network , adding , if they do n't get the funds , `` that means you can ’ t have universal mail-in voting because they ’ re not equipped to have it . ''
Trump 's comments follow repeated unfounded claims that mail-in ballots will lead to widespread voter fraud .
Because of this , critics have looked at the changes within the agency with some alarm .
Presumptive Democratic nominee Joe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comments and actions as `` sabotage . ''
Opinion : Trump 's attack on U.S .
Postal Service is 2020 election sabotage amid COVID-19 .
Be alarmed .
Later Thursday , Trump seemed to suggest the funding may happen if Democrats drop other demands in stalled coronavirus relief fund negotiations in Congress and agree to a deal .
Here 's what we know about what is happening with the U.S .
Postal Service : The USPS 's financial woes were not brought on by the pandemic , though that has exacerbated them .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 9 billion last year .
Some of this comes from years-long decline in first-class mail , and other issues .
More : Here 's what we know about Trump suggesting the idea of delaying the November election In 2006 , the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act was passed , requiring the Postal Service to put money aside for future retiree health benefits .
The law had a 50-year schedule , and for the first 10 years , USPS was supposed to save $ 5 billion .
However , since 2006 , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ revenue .
In 2012 , the Postal Service started defaulting on the payments .
The USPS became eligible for a $ 10 billion loan from the Treasury Department as part of the the CARES Act , which Congress passed in March .
But due to stipulations put in place by Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin , including the recruitment of new leadership , that money was n't made available to the USPS immediately .
The Treasury and USPS finally reached an agreement in principle on aid on July 29 .
In May , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who are appointed by the president , named Louis DeJoy as the postmaster general .
DeJoy is a North Carolina businessman and major Republican and Trump donor , who , according to several reports , had significant investments in companies that compete or do business with the USPS .
Prior to his appointment , DeJoy was a fundraiser for the Republican National Convention and has given about $ 360,000 to Trump Victory , a super PAC supporting Trump ’ s reelection , according to federal filings .
DeJoy , 63 , is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decades who is not a career postal employee .
Trump on Wednesday called him , `` the new man — who is a great person , a great businessman — he just got there a little while ago . ''
Changes at the agency since DeJoy Since he was appointed , DeJoy has eliminated overtime for hundreds of thousands of post office employees and mandated that mail is kept until the next day if distribution centers are running behind .
In a memo to employees , DeJoy wrote that as a result , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the mail due to call offs or shortage of people and you have no other help , the mail will not go out . ''
More : Donald Trump to campaign in 4 states — including in Joe Biden 's hometown — during week of Democratic National Convention This , and other changes , are said to have been implemented to cut costs .
Philip Rubio , a history professor at North Carolina A & T University and a former letter carrier , told USA TODAY in regards to these changes , `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The $ 200 million transportation cost savings that DeJoy claims will result from his policies will be minimal , and they will come at the expense of universal service , which is what the USPS does . ''
DeJoy also dramatically restructured the organization , removing or reassigning nearly two dozen agency leaders , including displacing the two top executives who oversaw day-to-day operations .
He also banned employees from making extra trips to deliver mail , implemented a hiring freeze and requested `` early retirement authority '' for nonunion employees .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the USPS is removing some mail sorting machines from its facilities around the country without any official explanation .
These are the same machines that would be tasked with sorting mail-in ballots .
Opinion : My great-grandfather faced danger as a mail carrier .
He 'd be shocked by Trump ’ s war on USPS .
These changes have resulted in delivery delays in places , prompting fears that some ballots may not reach election offices in time if the issues are n't corrected before the election in November .
Mark Dimondstein , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , told NPR that `` postal workers in general – are absolutely opposed to any policies that just slow down the mail in the name of whatever the name is – cost-cutting , in this case .
It 's about service .
It 's not the United States postal business .
It 's the United States Postal Service . ''
Despite calls for his resignation , DeJoy has pledged more sweeping changes .
Response to the changes Trump has repeatedly railed against mail-in ballots heading toward November , calling them unsafe and untrustworthy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stay home and vote by mail .
He has also been highly critical of the post office , once calling it a `` joke . ''
More : In dramatic shift , half of Americans fear difficulties voting in November election , poll says At a fundraiser Wednesday evening , Biden accused the president of trying to defund the post office to stop mail-in voting , calling it “ a bunch of malarkey !
” Also Wednesday , House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , D-Calif. , and more than 170 other Democrats signed a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the operational changes they argue would hinder mail-in voting .
`` It is always essential that the Postal Service be able to deliver mail in a timely and effective manner .
During the once-in-a-century health and economic crisis of COVID-19 , the Postal Service 's smooth functioning is a matter of life-or-death , and is critical for protecting lives , livelihoods and the life of our American Democracy , '' the lawmakers wrote .
House Oversight Committee chair Rep. Carolyn Maloney , D-N.Y. , introduced legislation on Wednesday aimed at reversing the recent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would prohibit the Postal Service from changing its “ operations or level of service ” until the end of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic , reverting to whatever structures were in place as of Jan. 1 .
“ Our Postal Service should not become an instrument of partisan politics , but instead must be protected as a neutral , independent entity that focuses on one thing and one thing only—delivering the mail , ” Maloney said in a statement about the legislation .
More : Trump , Pelosi , McConnell blame one another as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ negotiations dead ?
Discussions for the next round of coronavirus relief funding have remained entangled in disagreements over election money , with the issue of mail-in voting causing lingering contention between the Trump administration and Democrats .
At the White House , Trump suggested Wednesday that a deal is n't going to happen and pointed a finger at Democrats for demanding $ 3.5 billion for mail-in voting , which he argued would perpetuate voter fraud , and for pushing for an additional $ 25 million for the Postal Service .
On Thursday he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that included funds for the USPS while also slamming the validity of mail-in ballots .
`` If the ( coronavirus ] ) bill is n't gon na get done , that 's gon na mean the Post Office is n't gon na get funded ... so , I do n't know how you could possibly use these ballots , these mail-in ballots , '' Trump said .
Professor Rubio said the massiveness of mail-in voting that could occur this year , and the changes within the USPS may impact that .
`` With @ @ @ @ @ @ @ having the option to vote by mail this year , and at minimum 50 % expected to vote by mail or vote early , this could disenfranchise hundreds of thousands of voters if their ballots are not mailed out or returned in time , '' he said .
Trump 's `` previous attacks on the USPS and mail-in voting already suggested his deliberate sabotage of the democratic process and the USPS at the same time , but this was a stunning , candid admission that his intent was to starve the USPS of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ service as well as democracy , '' Rubio said .

What's going on with the post office? Here's what we know
Show Caption Hide Caption How the US Postal Service found itself in debt The U.S. Postal Service is facing record demand because of COVID-19 and the upcoming election. Does it have the funds to rise to the occasion? Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
WASHINGTON – Speaker Nancy Pelosi called for the House members to return to the Capitol to vote on legislation that aims to protect the Postal Service from changes being implemented by the Trump administration, which Democrats described as an effort to "sabotage" the agency ahead of the November election.
Concerns about the administration's actions have mounted since Louis DeJoy – a major donor to President Donald Trump's campaign with large financial interests in the Postal Service's private competitors – became postmaster general in June.
Trump further fueled Democrats' fears after indicating in an interview that he opposed additional funds for the USPS, even though that money would be needed to manage the anticipated surge of mailed-in ballots in the fall election from voters seeking to avoid crowded polling places amid the coronavirus pandemic.
"They need that money in order to have the post office work so it can take all of these millions and millions of ballots," Trump said on Fox Business Network, adding, if they don't get the funds, "that means you can’t have universal mail-in voting because they’re not equipped to have it."
More: Trump opposes new funds for U.S. Postal Service, saying he doesn't want to help expand vote by mail
Trump's comments follow repeated unfounded claims that mail-in ballots will lead to widespread voter fraud. Because of this, critics have looked with alarm at the changes, which include cuts to overtime and a ban on "late" or "extra" delivery trips that could delay the mail.
Pelosi said Sunday that the administration's actions threaten the "lives, livelihoods and the life of our American Democracy."
Here's what we know about what is happening with the U.S. Postal Service:
Delivering for America Act
Pelosi called for an early end to the House recess to push for a vote later this week on Rep. Carolyn Maloney's Delivering for America Act, which prohibits changes to Postal Service operations in place on Jan. 1, 2020.
"At this juncture in our nation’s history, when the number of Americans voting by mail for this Presidential election is expected to more than double from the last, Congress must protect the right of all eligible citizens to have their vote counted," Maloney said in a statement.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer urged Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to reconvene the Republican-controlled Senate to act on Maloney's bill.
Opinion:Trump's attack on U.S. Postal Service is 2020 election sabotage amid COVID-19. Be alarmed.
Call for DeJoy to testify
Pelosi, Maloney, Schumer and Sen. Gary Peters, the ranking Democrat on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, issued a joint statement Sunday that called on DeJoy and USPS Board of Governors Chairman Robert Duncan to testify before the House Oversight and Reform Committee.
The Democratic leaders said they wanted explanations for the "sweeping and dangerous operational changes at the Postal Service that are slowing the mail and jeopardizing the integrity of the election."
The statement urged Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Ron Johnson, R-Wis., to hold DeJoy "accountable for the destructive changes he has directed that are undermining this crucial public service and pillar of democracy that Americans in every corner of our country count on.”
Dems want the FBI to get involved
On Monday, Reps. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and Ted Lieu, D-Calif., urged FBI Director Christopher Wray to investigate whether DeJoy's acts were illegal in light of the "overwhelming evidence" that he "hindered the passage of mail."
In a joint letter, Jeffries and Lieu said that if DeJoy or the Board of Governors were "motivated by personal financial reasons," or to make mailing in ballots more difficult, they may have broken the law.
The White House response
White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows said Sunday that most of the Democrats' concerns were part of a "narrative that's not based on facts."
Meadows said he could "guarantee" that "the president of the United States is not going to interfere with anybody casting their vote in a legitimate way, whether it's the post office or anything else."
Contradicting Trump's comment last week, he said that even without additional funding, the Postal Service could handle the rise in mail-in-ballots. He said, "Even if every single voter voted by mail, we're talking about a 1.5% difference."
Problems at the post office
The USPS's financial woes were not brought on by the pandemic, though that has exacerbated them.
The agency reported a loss of nearly $9 billion last year. Some of this comes from years-long decline in first-class mail, and other issues.
More: Here's what we know about Trump suggesting the idea of delaying the November election
In 2006, the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act was passed, requiring the Postal Service to put money aside for future retiree health benefits. The law had a 50-year schedule, and for the first 10 years, USPS was supposed to save $5 billion. However, since 2006, the USPS has seen rising net losses in revenue.
In 2012, the Postal Service started defaulting on the payments.
The USPS became eligible for a $10 billion loan from the Treasury Department as part of the the CARES Act, which Congress passed in March. But due to stipulations put in place by Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, including the recruitment of new leadership, that money wasn't made available to the USPS immediately.
The Treasury and USPS finally reached an agreement in principle on aid on July 29.
Fact check: Voters should request ballots 2 weeks early, but mail isn't intentionally slow
Mail-in balloting increase puts the spotlight on the U.S. Postal Service With the coronavirus pandemic changing the overall conversation in the 2020 election, it’s also changing the way millions of Americans plan to vote...by mail in balloting. And that increase in vote-by-mail is going to place the United States Postal Service in the spotlight. Buzz60
Who is Postmaster General Louis DeJoy?
In May, the Postal Service’s board of governors, who are appointed by the president, named Louis DeJoy as the postmaster general.
DeJoy is a North Carolina businessman and major Republican and Trump donor, who, according to several reports, had significant investments in companies that compete or do business with the USPS.
Prior to his appointment, DeJoy was a fundraiser for the Republican National Convention and has given about $360,000 to Trump Victory, a super PAC supporting Trump’s reelection, according to federal filings.
DeJoy, 63, is the first postmaster general in nearly two decades who is not a career postal employee.
Trump on Wednesday called him, " the new man — who is a great person, a great businessman — he just got there a little while ago."
Changes at the agency since DeJoy
Since he was appointed, DeJoy has eliminated overtime for hundreds of thousands of post office employees and mandated that mail is kept until the next day if distribution centers are running behind.
In a memo to employees, DeJoy wrote that as a result, “if we cannot deliver all the mail due to call offs or shortage of people and you have no other help, the mail will not go out."
More: Donald Trump to campaign in 4 states — including in Joe Biden's hometown — during week of Democratic National Convention
This, and other changes, are said to have been implemented to cut costs.
Philip Rubio, a history professor at North Carolina A&T University and a former letter carrier, told USA TODAY in regards to these changes, "The USPS is not a trucking firm. The $200 million transportation cost savings that DeJoy claims will result from his policies will be minimal, and they will come at the expense of universal service, which is what the USPS does."
DeJoy also dramatically restructured the organization, removing or reassigning nearly two dozen agency leaders, including displacing the two top executives who oversaw day-to-day operations.
He also banned employees from making extra trips to deliver mail, implemented a hiring freeze and requested "early retirement authority" for nonunion employees.
It was also reported this week that the USPS is removing some mail sorting machines from its facilities around the country without any official explanation.
These are the same machines that would be tasked with sorting mail-in ballots.
Opinion: My great-grandfather faced danger as a mail carrier. He'd be shocked by Trump’s war on USPS.
These changes have resulted in delivery delays in places, prompting fears that some ballots may not reach election offices in time if the issues aren't corrected before the election in November.
Mark Dimondstein, president of the American Postal Workers Union, told NPR that "postal workers in general – are absolutely opposed to any policies that just slow down the mail in the name of whatever the name is – cost-cutting, in this case. It's about service. It's not the United States postal business. It's the United States Postal Service."
Despite calls for his resignation, DeJoy has pledged more sweeping changes.
Response to the changes
Trump has repeatedly railed against mail-in ballots heading toward November, calling them unsafe and untrustworthy, as COVID-19 forces many Americans to stay home and vote by mail.
He has also been highly critical of the post office, once calling it a "joke."
More: In dramatic shift, half of Americans fear difficulties voting in November election, poll says
At a fundraiser Wednesday evening, Biden accused the president of trying to defund the post office to stop mail-in voting, calling it “a bunch of malarkey!”
More: Trump, Pelosi, McConnell blame one another as Americans weather pandemic. Are coronavirus stimulus negotiations dead?
What's next?
Discussions for the next round of coronavirus relief funding have remained entangled in disagreements over election money, with the issue of mail-in voting causing lingering contention between the Trump administration and Democrats.
Last week, Trump suggested a deal isn't going to happen and pointed a finger at Democrats for demanding $3.5 billion for mail-in voting, which he argued would perpetuate voter fraud, and for pushing for an additional $25 billion for the Postal Service.
But Meadows said Sunday that Trump would be open to approving the $25 billion for the Postal Service as part of a deal.
"If my Democrat friends are all upset about this, come back to Washington, D.C., where the president and I am right now," Meadows said. "Let's go ahead and get a stimulus check out to Americans. Let's make sure that small businesses are protected with an extended PPP program and put the postal funding in there."
"We will pass it tomorrow. The president will sign it. And this will all go away," he said.
He said he was also open to a stand-alone bill to fund the USPS and claimed "Pelosi is the one who says that she won't do anything unless it's a big deal"
More: Trump campaign, Republican groups sue Iowa election officials over absentee ballot forms
Professor Rubio said the massiveness of mail-in voting that could occur this year, and the changes within the USPS may impact that.
"With up to 76% of eligible voters having the option to vote by mail this year, and at minimum 50% expected to vote by mail or vote early, this could disenfranchise hundreds of thousands of voters if their ballots are not mailed out or returned in time," he said.
Trump's "previous attacks on the USPS and mail-in voting already suggested his deliberate sabotage of the democratic process and the USPS at the same time, but this was a stunning, candid admission that his intent was to starve the USPS of much-needed bailout funds and therefore compromise overall service as well as democracy," Rubio said.
Trump: Not responsible for 50K deaths, financial problems at US Postal Service President Trump says he doesn't take any responsibility for the 50,000 COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. Also says he won't bail out the USPS. (April 24) AP
Contributing: Associated Press; Ella Lee, USA TODAY


usatoday--2020-08-13--Experts worry that a COVID-19 vaccine won't help if not enough people are willing to get one

While companies race to produce a safe , effective vaccine for the novel coronavirus , a crucial question remains : Will enough people take it to make a difference ?
Only about one-third of Americans say they 'd be very likely to get a vaccine to prevent COVID-19 , according to a poll released last month – virtually unchanged since the spring .
More people said they would get it if the vaccine were free , and others said they would sign on if there was a second wave of infections – a sign that while many Americans are hesitant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't set in stone .
But convincing them that getting a vaccine is a good idea will take effort and money .
And so far , no federal dollars have been set aside for vaccine education .
Peter Pitts oversaw the Food and Drug Administration 's public outreach programs during the George W. Bush administration .
Back then , as now , there was no budget .
`` It was all bully pulpit stuff , and that only goes so far , '' said Pitts , now president and co-founder of the Center @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a New York-based nonpartisan think tank .
Now we 're in a global crisis , and funding and attention is urgent , he said .
`` As far as I can tell , there 's no strategy on the federal or state or local levels to educate the public relative the value of a COVID vaccine specifically , or to vaccines just in general . ''
Two decades ago , the Human Genome Project – a $ 3 billion effort to map every gene – set aside 3 % to 5 % of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Emily Brunson , a medical anthropologist at Texas State University .
She 'd like to see the same thing done with COVID-19 vaccine development .
She and other advocates fear that if the work does n't start soon , it 'll be too late .
A vaccine is likely to receive federal approval as soon as later this year .
Not everyone is hesitant for the same reasons .
People of color often have been treated poorly by the medical establishment , so they have good reason to be distrustful , said Dr. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Brigham and Women 's and Massachusetts General hospitals in Boston .
Ojikutu said she 's confident in the vaccine development process because of her own knowledge of the system and some of the people involved .
But others will need to be convinced .
`` I 'm concerned whether or not communities of color are going to take it , '' she said .
Latinos , for instance , may be afraid of authority because of the administration 's aggressive immigration policies .
They also often hold essential jobs with inflexible hours @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them to get a vaccine even if they want one .
Different strategies will be needed to address different causes of vaccine hesitancy , said Monica Schoch-Spana , who with Brunson co-chaired a Working Group on Readying Populations for COVID-19 Vaccines that recently produced a white paper .
People concerned about safety will need reassurance ; people of color will need to be engaged in a process that builds trust ; and people worried about government overreach will need to be heard , said Schoch-Spana , a senior scholar with the Johns Hopkins @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will also be needed to fully appreciate this hesitation , said Lois Privor-Dumm , a senior research associate with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and an expert in vaccine introduction .
`` Understanding and respecting what people believe and what is important to them is really crucial , '' she said .
Then there are those who wo n't like any vaccine , regardless of how it was developed or what officials say .
Pitts , the former FDA official , said such anti-vaxxers should n't be allowed to control @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They are a threat to themselves , their families , their neighbors and their communities , '' he said .
Early signals from feds may have hurt The administration made a mistake emphasizing speed when it announced federal funding for vaccine development , vaccine advocates said .
Calling the project `` Operation Warp Speed '' suggested to many people that it would prioritize speed over safety .
`` This issue of speed is not sitting well within Black communities , '' Ojikutu said , suggesting the title `` Operation Safe Recovery '' instead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this devastating pandemic , '' Ojikutu said .
`` But in communities that have heightened mistrust towards systems , you have to focus in on how you will protect them , not on how you will develop something quickly .
The piece of this that is so critical is safety . ''
In recent weeks , the National Institutes of Health 's Dr. Anthony Fauci and other leaders of the government 's vaccine development effort have repeatedly said safety is their top priority .
`` My concern is that there 's be a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and tested the vaccine to get it out as quickly as possible , '' said Jeffrey Freed , a 59-year-old information technology consultant from Charlotte , North Carolina .
`` If it takes four years to do it right , then that 's what we have to do . ''
Freed said he 's not opposed to vaccines , he just wants to be convinced the science behind one is solid .
Once he is and his doctor gives him the all-clear , Freed said he 'll be more than willing to get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from home for months has left him as ready as everyone else for the coronavirus outbreak to end .
`` I want out , '' he said .
President Donald Trump and Operation Warp Speed may also have created unrealistic expectations , said Sandra Crouse Quinn , a professor and chair of the department of family science at the University of Maryland .
Unless trials go perfectly , Quinn does n't believe a vaccine will be ready before the end of the year , as the president has promised , and even if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reach the average citizen for months .
But by creating this expectation , Trump may be setting people up for disappointment – and potentially disillusionment in the process .
`` Operation Warp Speed is raising doubts about safety and cutting corners , '' she said .
Who delivers a pro-vaccine message will be important , Ojikutu said .
If African Americans do n't see people who look like them talking about getting vaccinated , they 'll be far less likely to take that step themselves , she said .
She suggests enlisting Black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ care providers – `` people who have a vested interest in caring for people '' – in efforts to inform the public about COVID-19 vaccines .
It 's not a matter of rebuilding Black confidence in vaccines , she said , because there 's so little to begin with .
But done right , a COVID-19 vaccination campaign could help build public faith in other vaccines .
It would be great to have Black doctors recommending vaccines , but only 2 % of all doctors in the U.S. are African-American , said Dr. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assistant professor at Georgetown University School of Medicine .
Still , role models are essential , as is Black participation in clinical trials that will determine whether a vaccine is safe and effective .
`` If you can show that the vaccine works for us , works in us and that we were part of the process , that will build trust , '' Perkins said .
One way to remove people 's hesitancy about vaccines is to make it easy to get them , said Privor-Dumm , at Johns Hopkins .
Vaccines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ given out at convenient times and locations , she said .
Someone who has to miss work to get a shot – or even two , as most of the vaccines under development will require – will be much more hesitant about a vaccine than someone who can get one for free , close to home at a time that works , she said .
It 's also crucial to counter misinformation with accurate data about an eventual COVID-19 vaccine .
There are so many myths right now `` it 's mind-boggling , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the public health department at St. Francis University in Loretto , Pennsylvania .
`` Information that can help alleviate that and provide honest answers and truths , it will certainly serve the United States well in trying to eradicate this ( virus ) , '' she said .
The bottom line is that the pandemic ca n't end without a vaccine that the majority of Americans are willing to take , said Dr. Lindsey Baden , director of infectious disease clinical research at the Brigham and Women 's Hospital in Boston .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( only ) half the people take it , we 've failed . ''
Health and patient safety coverage at USA TODAY is made possible in part by a grant from the Masimo Foundation for Ethics , Innovation and Competition in Healthcare .
The Masimo Foundation does not provide editorial input .

Experts worry that a COVID-19 vaccine won't help if not enough people are willing to get one
Show Caption Hide Caption Coronavirus: How vaccines are developed and tested Pressure to create a coronavirus vaccine is increasing by the day, but for a safe vaccine to enter the market, it takes time. Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
While companies race to produce a safe, effective vaccine for the novel coronavirus, a crucial question remains: Will enough people take it to make a difference?
Early statistics are grim.
Only about one-third of Americans say they'd be very likely to get a vaccine to prevent COVID-19, according to a poll released last month – virtually unchanged since the spring.
More people said they would get it if the vaccine were free, and others said they would sign on if there was a second wave of infections – a sign that while many Americans are hesitant about a vaccine, their opinions aren't set in stone.
But convincing them that getting a vaccine is a good idea will take effort and money. And so far, no federal dollars have been set aside for vaccine education.
Peter Pitts oversaw the Food and Drug Administration's public outreach programs during the George W. Bush administration. Back then, as now, there was no budget.
"It was all bully pulpit stuff, and that only goes so far," said Pitts, now president and co-founder of the Center for Medicine in the Public Interest, a New York-based nonpartisan think tank.
Now we're in a global crisis, and funding and attention is urgent, he said. "As far as I can tell, there's no strategy on the federal or state or local levels to educate the public relative the value of a COVID vaccine specifically, or to vaccines just in general."
Two decades ago, the Human Genome Project – a $3 billion effort to map every gene – set aside 3% to 5% of its budget for public communication, said Emily Brunson, a medical anthropologist at Texas State University. She'd like to see the same thing done with COVID-19 vaccine development.
She and other advocates fear that if the work doesn't start soon, it'll be too late. A vaccine is likely to receive federal approval as soon as later this year.
Causes for hesitancy vary widely
Not everyone is hesitant for the same reasons.
People of color often have been treated poorly by the medical establishment, so they have good reason to be distrustful, said Dr. Bisola Ojikutu, an infectious disease specialist at Brigham and Women's and Massachusetts General hospitals in Boston.
Ojikutu said she's confident in the vaccine development process because of her own knowledge of the system and some of the people involved. But others will need to be convinced. "I'm concerned whether or not communities of color are going to take it," she said.
Latinos, for instance, may be afraid of authority because of the administration's aggressive immigration policies. They also often hold essential jobs with inflexible hours, which may make it challenging for them to get a vaccine even if they want one.
Different strategies will be needed to address different causes of vaccine hesitancy, said Monica Schoch-Spana, who with Brunson co-chaired a Working Group on Readying Populations for COVID-19 Vaccines that recently produced a white paper.
People concerned about safety will need reassurance; people of color will need to be engaged in a process that builds trust; and people worried about government overreach will need to be heard, said Schoch-Spana, a senior scholar with the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security.
More research will also be needed to fully appreciate this hesitation, said Lois Privor-Dumm, a senior research associate with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and an expert in vaccine introduction.
"Understanding and respecting what people believe and what is important to them is really crucial," she said.
Then there are those who won't like any vaccine, regardless of how it was developed or what officials say.
Pitts, the former FDA official, said such anti-vaxxers shouldn't be allowed to control the public discussion around vaccines. "They are a threat to themselves, their families, their neighbors and their communities," he said.
Early signals from feds may have hurt
The administration made a mistake emphasizing speed when it announced federal funding for vaccine development, vaccine advocates said. Calling the project "Operation Warp Speed" suggested to many people that it would prioritize speed over safety.
"This issue of speed is not sitting well within Black communities," Ojikutu said, suggesting the title "Operation Safe Recovery" instead.
"Everyone wants a resolution to this devastating pandemic," Ojikutu said. "But in communities that have heightened mistrust towards systems, you have to focus in on how you will protect them, not on how you will develop something quickly. The piece of this that is so critical is safety."
In recent weeks, the National Institutes of Health's Dr. Anthony Fauci and other leaders of the government's vaccine development effort have repeatedly said safety is their top priority.
But first impressions linger.
"My concern is that there's be a great deal of pressure on whoever developed and tested the vaccine to get it out as quickly as possible," said Jeffrey Freed, a 59-year-old information technology consultant from Charlotte, North Carolina. "If it takes four years to do it right, then that's what we have to do."
Freed said he's not opposed to vaccines, he just wants to be convinced the science behind one is solid. Once he is and his doctor gives him the all-clear, Freed said he'll be more than willing to get a shot.
Living alone and working from home for months has left him as ready as everyone else for the coronavirus outbreak to end. "I want out," he said.
President Donald Trump and Operation Warp Speed may also have created unrealistic expectations, said Sandra Crouse Quinn, a professor and chair of the department of family science at the University of Maryland.
Unless trials go perfectly, Quinn doesn't believe a vaccine will be ready before the end of the year, as the president has promised, and even if there is one, it won't reach the average citizen for months. But by creating this expectation, Trump may be setting people up for disappointment – and potentially disillusionment in the process.
"Operation Warp Speed is raising doubts about safety and cutting corners," she said.
Concrete steps to take
Who delivers a pro-vaccine message will be important, Ojikutu said. If African Americans don't see people who look like them talking about getting vaccinated, they'll be far less likely to take that step themselves, she said.
She suggests enlisting Black community leaders, faith leaders and health care providers – "people who have a vested interest in caring for people" – in efforts to inform the public about COVID-19 vaccines.
It's not a matter of rebuilding Black confidence in vaccines, she said, because there's so little to begin with. But done right, a COVID-19 vaccination campaign could help build public faith in other vaccines.
It would be great to have Black doctors recommending vaccines, but only 2% of all doctors in the U.S. are African-American, said Dr. LaTasha Perkins, a family physician and assistant professor at Georgetown University School of Medicine.
Still, role models are essential, as is Black participation in clinical trials that will determine whether a vaccine is safe and effective.
"If you can show that the vaccine works for us, works in us and that we were part of the process, that will build trust," Perkins said.
One way to remove people's hesitancy about vaccines is to make it easy to get them, said Privor-Dumm, at Johns Hopkins. Vaccines should be low-cost or free, and given out at convenient times and locations, she said.
Someone who has to miss work to get a shot – or even two, as most of the vaccines under development will require – will be much more hesitant about a vaccine than someone who can get one for free, close to home at a time that works, she said.
It's also crucial to counter misinformation with accurate data about an eventual COVID-19 vaccine. There are so many myths right now "it's mind-boggling," said Theresa Horner, chair of the public health department at St. Francis University in Loretto, Pennsylvania.
"Information that can help alleviate that and provide honest answers and truths, it will certainly serve the United States well in trying to eradicate this (virus)," she said.
The bottom line is that the pandemic can't end without a vaccine that the majority of Americans are willing to take, said Dr. Lindsey Baden, director of infectious disease clinical research at the Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.
"If we have a successful vaccine and (only)half the people take it, we've failed."
Contact Weintraub at kweintraub@usatoday.
Health and patient safety coverage at USA TODAY is made possible in part by a grant from the Masimo Foundation for Ethics, Innovation and Competition in Healthcare. The Masimo Foundation does not provide editorial input.


usatoday--2020-08-13--NCAA Division I fall championships postponed

As conference after conference in Division I postponed fall sports , the NCAA has made the inevitable decision that there will be no fall championships in the organization ’ s top tier in 2020 due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic .
“ We can not , at this point , have fall NCAA championships , ” said NCAA President Mark Emmert in a video interview posted Thursday evening , adding it is hoped championships can be moved to the 2021 calendar year .
Emmert noted that the Board of Governors requirement of 50 % of schools playing to hold the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sadly , tragically , that 's going to be the case this fall , '' Emmert said .
`` That does n't mean we should n't and ca n't turn toward winter and spring and say 'OK , how can we create a legitimate championship for all those students . '
...
I 'm completely confident that we can figure this out . ''
Fall championships in Divisions II and III had already been put on hold .
This now means there will be no FCS football playoff this fall .
Other sports @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s soccer , men ’ s and women ’ s cross country , women ’ s field hockey and women ’ s volleyball .
Emmert said the possibility of playing next year will have to come with a few contingencies , though .
He says first that priority must be given to the fall and winter sports that lost their championships this past year .
He also suggested that it may have to be done in a bubble or a `` semi-bubble '' which restricts travel for these sports .
However , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be a chaotic spring in collegiate athletics .
`` Will it be normal ?
Of course not .
It 'll be playing fall sports in the spring .
Will it create other conflicts and challenges ?
Of course , '' Emmert said .
`` But is it doable ?
Yeah .
And we want to do that .
We want to make it work for these students . ''
It should be noted , however , that this decision does not apply to the College Football Playoff , which is not an NCAA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
As of now six of the 10 FBS leagues , including the SEC , ACC and Big 12 , are still hoping to play football starting in September .

NCAA Division I fall championships postponed
Show Caption Hide Caption Why postponing the college football season to the spring would only create more problems USA Today Sports' Paul Myerberg and Dan Wolken explain why postponing the college football season to the spring is not as easy as it sounds. USA TODAY
As conference after conference in Division I postponed fall sports, the NCAA has made the inevitable decision that there will be no fall championships in the organization’s top tier in 2020 due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
“We cannot, at this point, have fall NCAA championships,” said NCAA President Mark Emmert in a video interview posted Thursday evening, adding it is hoped championships can be moved to the 2021 calendar year.
Emmert noted that the Board of Governors requirement of 50% of schools playing to hold the postseason would not be achievable.
"Sadly, tragically, that's going to be the case this fall," Emmert said. "That doesn't mean we shouldn't and can't turn toward winter and spring and say 'OK, how can we create a legitimate championship for all those students.' ... I'm completely confident that we can figure this out."
"We cannot, at this point, have fall NCAA championships."
NCAA President Mark Emmert discusses the latest developments in fall sports and looks ahead to winter and spring championships.
Hear more on the NCAA Social Series TONIGHT at 7 p.m. ET from @NCAA. pic.twitter.com/DpuIdqQrhj — Inside the NCAA (@InsidetheNCAA) August 13, 2020
Fall championships in Divisions II and III had already been put on hold. This now means there will be no FCS football playoff this fall. Other sports affected are men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s cross country, women’s field hockey and women’s volleyball.
Emmert said the possibility of playing next year will have to come with a few contingencies, though. He says first that priority must be given to the fall and winter sports that lost their championships this past year.
He also suggested that it may have to be done in a bubble or a "semi-bubble" which restricts travel for these sports. However, he sees a path to what could be a chaotic spring in collegiate athletics.
"Will it be normal? Of course not. It'll be playing fall sports in the spring. Will it create other conflicts and challenges? Of course," Emmert said.
"But is it doable? Yeah. And we want to do that. We want to make it work for these students."
It should be noted, however, that this decision does not apply to the College Football Playoff, which is not an NCAA event but is run by the conferences.
As of now six of the 10 FBS leagues, including the SEC, ACC and Big 12, are still hoping to play football starting in September.
Contributing: Curt Weiler, Tallahassee Democrat


usatoday--2020-08-13--Meet Donald Trump, the incredibly shrinking president

It seem eons ago now — though only a few years — that Donald Trump capitalized on the soaring stature of the Oval Office to shatter equilibriums with his brand of edicts and outrage .
He would roil public discourse for weeks with his claims — that he won the popular vote in 2016 because millions voted illegally , enjoyed the largest inaugural crowd in history , was wiretapped by President Barack Obama , saw moral equivalency between white supremacists and those who oppose them , and threatened `` fire and fury '' against North Korea .
It was all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But the point was his towering ability back then to shock people .
And today ?
Not so much .
Does anyone really believe Trump ?
When a massive explosion vaporized the center of Beirut last week , Trump that same day declared it an `` attack ... a bomb of some kind '' with a level of certainty that should have sent ripples of concern through foreign governments .
As it was , few paid any attention .
His comment barely registered as news , and evidence quickly surfaced that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And there have been other pronouncements recently that , all things being equal , should have generated quite a stir .
Except they did n't .
The president promised July 19 that within two weeks , he 'd produce a long-awaited plan for overhauling the nation 's health care system .
Days later , he committed to unveiling a strategy for defeating coronavirus `` that 's going to be very , very powerful . ''
And recently , Trump said that if reelected , he 'd strike a deal with Iran in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a collective shrug , probably because Americans sensed they would come to nothing .
There has been no health care plan and no grand COVID-19 strategy , even as U.S. deaths due to the coronavirus surpass 165,000 .
And does anyone really believe Trump will reach an agreement with an Iranian regime that refuses even to speak with him ?
So what has happened ?
Trump 's ability to shock and awe has gotten smaller .
He 's the incredibly shrinking president .
Even his dramatic declaration last weekend that he would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the American workers '' with a series of executive actions has n't moved the dial on his low approval ratings .
And that 's because it 's all smoke and mirrors .
The promise to provide enhanced unemployment benefits with money pulled out of an emergency relief fund ( during a major hurricane season ) may not be legal .
Sen. Ben Sasse , R-Neb.
, called it `` unconstitutional slop . ''
The $ 400 in additional weekly payments would work only if cash-strapped states kick in 25 % and would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ addition , a payroll tax holiday Trump is promising is really a deferral of taxes that will have to be paid back .
And his commitment to block evictions amounts to little more than a recommendation to landlords .
The reality is that the public has grown weary of a president whose words mean very little .
It probably began with all of the unkept campaign promises — 4 % annual economic growth , repeal and replace Obamacare , invest in infrastructure and build a wall paid for by Mexico .
Certainly a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't helped .
The Washington Post estimates now more than 20,000 .
But what might have finally tipped Trump toward triviality is the grotesque way he dismissed ( and continues to dismiss ) a deadly pandemic as something that will simply disappear , even as it ravages America .
— Our View was written by editorial writer Gregg Zoroya on behalf of the USA TODAY Editorial Board .

Meet Donald Trump, the incredibly shrinking president Our View: Fatal response to coronavirus, unkept campaign promises, and mountain of lies and falsehoods show what a small man he really is.
You’re reading Our View, one of two perspectives in Today’s Debate. For the Opposing View, read “President Trump is helping middle-class Americans.”
It seem eons ago now — though only a few years — that Donald Trump capitalized on the soaring stature of the Oval Office to shatter equilibriums with his brand of edicts and outrage. He would roil public discourse for weeks with his claims — that he won the popular vote in 2016 because millions voted illegally, enjoyed the largest inaugural crowd in history, was wiretapped by President Barack Obama, saw moral equivalency between white supremacists and those who oppose them, and threatened "fire and fury" against North Korea.
It was all false, phony or came to nothing. But the point was his towering ability back then to shock people.
And today? Not so much.
Does anyone really believe Trump?
When a massive explosion vaporized the center of Beirut last week, Trump that same day declared it an "attack ... a bomb of some kind" with a level of certainty that should have sent ripples of concern through foreign governments. As it was, few paid any attention. His comment barely registered as news, and evidence quickly surfaced that the blast was almost certainly a terrible accident.
And there have been other pronouncements recently that, all things being equal, should have generated quite a stir. Except they didn't.
The president promised July 19 that within two weeks, he'd produce a long-awaited plan for overhauling the nation's health care system. Days later, he committed to unveiling a strategy for defeating coronavirus "that's going to be very, very powerful." And recently, Trump said that if reelected, he'd strike a deal with Iran in four weeks.
All have been met with a collective shrug, probably because Americans sensed they would come to nothing. There has been no health care plan and no grand COVID-19 strategy, even as U.S. deaths due to the coronavirus surpass 165,000. And does anyone really believe Trump will reach an agreement with an Iranian regime that refuses even to speak with him?
Smoke and mirrors
So what has happened? Trump's ability to shock and awe has gotten smaller. He's the incredibly shrinking president.
Even his dramatic declaration last weekend that he would "save American jobs and provide relief to the American workers" with a series of executive actions hasn't moved the dial on his low approval ratings.
And that's because it's all smoke and mirrors.
The promise to provide enhanced unemployment benefits with money pulled out of an emergency relief fund (during a major hurricane season) may not be legal. Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., called it "unconstitutional slop."
The $400 in additional weekly payments would work only if cash-strapped states kick in 25% and would only last about six weeks. In addition, a payroll tax holiday Trump is promising is really a deferral of taxes that will have to be paid back. And his commitment to block evictions amounts to little more than a recommendation to landlords.
The reality is that the public has grown weary of a president whose words mean very little. It probably began with all of the unkept campaign promises — 4% annual economic growth, repeal and replace Obamacare, invest in infrastructure and build a wall paid for by Mexico.
Certainly a growing mountain of lies and falsehoods haven't helped. The Washington Post estimates now more than 20,000.
But what might have finally tipped Trump toward triviality is the grotesque way he dismissed (and continues to dismiss) a deadly pandemic as something that will simply disappear, even as it ravages America.
— Our View was written by editorial writer Gregg Zoroya on behalf of the USA TODAY Editorial Board.


usatoday--2020-08-13--Chrissy Teigen and John Legend reveal they are expecting baby No. 3 in 'Wild' music video

Chrissy Teigen is sure to have some new cravings .
The star is pregnant , a person familiar with the situation but not authorized to speak publicly confirmed to USA TODAY .
The supermodel , 34 , hinted that she 's expecting baby No .
3 with husband John Legend , 41 , in the Grammy winner 's new music video for `` Wild '' Thursday .
Vevo , which debuted the video , promised fans a `` beautiful surprise '' and they did n't disappoint .
During the music video , the couple embrace on the picturesque shoreline in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bump .
Big siblings Luna , 4 , and Miles , 2 , also make an appearance in `` Wild , '' frolicking in the ocean alongside their loving parents ahead of the big reveal .
New 'Cravings':5 ways Chrissy Teigen tickles our ribs in 'Cravings : Hungry for More' Chrissy Teigen 's kids write hilarious get well soon card after she had implants removed Teigen and Legend first met on set of the singer 's 2006 music video for `` Stereo , '' so it 's only fitting that the couple announced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one .
`` We did the music video , we were together for like 12 hours , '' Teigen told Wendy Williams in 2014 .
`` We spent the entire day together , me in my underwear and him in a full suit , and I went to go say goodbye to him , to his hotel and we didn ’ t ever say goodbye that night . ''
`` Wild '' is directed by Nabil Elderkin , `` the man who introduced us 14 years ago , '' Teigen teased on Instagram @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Elderkin also directed the music video for Legend 's 2013 love song to Teigen , `` All of Me . ''
More : Chrissy Teigen 's all-time best mom-shaming clapbacks and most hilarious cracks ever Teigen and Legend tied the knot in Como , Italy on September 14 , 2013 .
The couple welcomed daughter Luna in April 2016 and son Miles in May 2018 after undergoing In Vitro Fertilization ( IVF ) treatments .
Although Teigen did n't disclose a due date or gender of their newest bundle of joy , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ already have a name in mind if she does have a baby girl .
In February 2019 , Teigen tweeted : `` 'Bea ' is such an adorable name .
someone name their kid bea please .
I am not ready for another daughter and John says no more dogs .
I will be their god parent . ''
'It was a sad existence ' : Chrissy Teigen opens up about anxiety , postpartum depression struggles

Chrissy Teigen didn't know she was pregnant during surgery, says she was 'terrified' to find out
Show Caption Hide Caption Hear new music releases from Drake, Miley Cyrus and yes, Nickelback Drake, Miley Cyrus and Nickelback's first release in three years highlight new music out. John Legend also broke some news with his video for "Wild." Entertain This!, USA TODAY
Chrissy Teigen is sure to have some new cravings.
After debuting her growing baby bump in husband John Legend's new music video early Thursday, Teigen confirmed news of her third pregnancy herself by nightfall.
The supermodel showed off her protruding bump in a Twitter video Thursday night: "Look at this third baby (expletive)," she said. "What the…oh God."
Teigen, 34, first hinted that she's expecting baby No. 3 with Legend, 41, in the Grammy winner's new music video for "Wild."
Vevo, which debuted the video, promised fans a "beautiful surprise," and it didn't disappoint. During the music video, the couple embrace on the picturesque shoreline in Mexico as Teigen cradles her growing baby bump.
Big siblings Luna, 4, and Miles, 2, also make an appearance in "Wild," frolicking in the ocean alongside their loving parents ahead of the big reveal.
New 'Cravings': 5 ways Chrissy Teigen tickles our ribs in 'Cravings: Hungry for More'
Chrissy Teigen's kids write hilarious get well soon card after she had implants removed
Two months ago, Teigen shared that she underwent surgery to have her breast implants removed. Some fans had questions as to how the model had a procedure while she was pregnant.
Teigen noted that she had the "routine pregnancy test you do before surgery," and it came up negative.
"A few weeks after surgery, I took a test. And for many years now, I've taken pregnancy tests almost every month, praying to see a positive one day. Just wishful thinking. I never had a positive before," she wrote to Twitter on Friday.
Teigen added that she told Legend the morning he was preparing to appear on "Good Morning America" to talk about his new album release.
"The morning of John's album release, he wakes up at 3am to do good morning america. I woke up with him and was like man, should take my monthly test to be disappointed," she wrote. "I was not disappointed. But I was scared (expletive). Was pretty positive you shouldn't get your boobs out while pregnant? Pretty sure."
She said she prayed that everything would be OK and was "terrified" going to doctor's appointments because even without her surgery, she thought she wasn't going to be able to get pregnant naturally.
"The odds just felt...bad," she wrote. "But what they say so often can be true. When you give up on trying, life has a way of surprising you. In summary, my boobs hurt."
Teigen's two kids were both conceived via in vitro fertilization.
Teigen and Legend first met on set of the singer's 2006 music video for "Stereo," so it's only fitting that the couple announced their growing family by way of another one.
"We did the music video, we were together for like 12 hours," Teigen told Wendy Williams in 2014. "We spent the entire day together, me in my underwear and him in a full suit, and I went to go say goodbye to him, to his hotel and we didn’t ever say goodbye that night."
"Wild" is directed by Nabil Elderkin, "the man who introduced us 14 years ago," Teigen teased on Instagram Wednesday ahead of the music video release. Elderkin also directed the music video for Legend's 2013 love song to Teigen, "All of Me."
More: Chrissy Teigen's all-time best mom-shaming clapbacks and most hilarious cracks ever
Teigen and Legend tied the knot in Como, Italy on September 14, 2013. The couple welcomed daughter Luna in April 2016 and son Miles in May 2018 after undergoing In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) treatments.
Although Teigen didn't disclose a due date or gender of their newest bundle of joy, the "Cravings" cookbook author may already have a name in mind if she does have a baby girl.
In February 2019, Teigen tweeted: "'Bea' is such an adorable name. someone name their kid bea please. I am not ready for another daughter and John says no more dogs. I will be their god parent."
'It was a sad existence': Chrissy Teigen opens up about anxiety, postpartum depression struggles


usatoday--2020-08-13--Florida man charged for having more than 2 dozen pipe bombs after one went off

BOYNTON BEACH , Fla. — On Wednesday night , 34-year-old Gregory Samuel Haasze 's affinity for explosives led to one of them going off , rattling a Boynton Beach neighborhood , police say .
That led police to some two dozen more deadly devices , which ultimately landed Haasze in jail .
No one is believed to have been hurt , police said .
Haasze remained at the Palm Beach County Jail late Thursday with his bail set at $ 130,000 .
That morning , Circuit Judge Laura Johnson had set his bail : $ 5,000 for each of 26 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , projecting , placing or discharging a destructive device .
Johnson also ordered Haazse not to possess any more such devices or materials .
Boynton Beach police said Thursday the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol , Tobacco , Firearms and Explosives had taken over the investigation of the incident .
It was unclear Thursday whether Haasze would face federal charges as well .
August 12 : Florida sheriff forbids employees , visitors to wear masks : If they do , 'they will be asked to leave' August 13 : Florida sheriff funds $ 35,000-a-month @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the bad guys' Reports of a loud noise at about 8 p.m. Wednesday called police to a field behind a shopping plaza off Boynton Beach Boulevard , a city police report said .
They found in the roadway a detonated bomb made of PVC pipe .
They then found , and disabled , six devices along Hoadley Road , a dead-end street behind the Oakwood Square Shopping Center at Old Boynton Road and Congress Avenue , just east of the Boynton Beach Mall .
Each device had a fuse and contained explosive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , housing metal screws , nails and metal pellets .
“ Officers backed out of the area , ” the report said .
The officers — along with the Palm Beach County Sheriff ’ s Office bomb squad and fire-rescue crews from Boynton Beach and Palm Beach County — got everyone out of the shops at Oakwood Square , as well as apartments at the Poinciana West complex and homes along Hoadley Road .
They also shut down Old Boynton Road from Congress to Renaissance Commons Boulevard , as well as the south @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Center , near its Target and Best Buy stores .
While officers had been waiting on the PBSO bomb squad , the report said , a man came up to speak with them .
He said a man named Greg lived in a 12-apartment complex just 1,000 feet behind the Oakwood center .
The man said “ Greg ” made his own explosives .
And sometimes set them off .
At the complex , the report said , officers came to a trash bin .
Atop it , they found a brown cardboard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contained black plastic bottles and vials used for prescription drugs .
The box was addressed to an apartment in the complex .
The name : Gregory Haasze .
Police went to the unit , and Haasze stepped out .
He said he knew he was the reason police were there , and said the box in the dumpster was his .
Later , at police headquarters , he told officers he has built explosives for years with material he buys off the eBay online auction site .
He said he ’ d recently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The report said he admitted to setting off the pipe bomb that night , as well as three others earlier in the week , but said he wasn ’ t trying to hurt anyone .
He said he loaded some devices with pellets to remove tree stumps from around his apartment .
Haasze told the officers that , when he saw police and others swarming the area around his complex , “ he realized he was in trouble ” and decided to empty his apartment of the explosive materials .
In all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ separate devices in the dumpster and near the apartment .
Police said they reopened most of the neighborhood at about midnight .
Boynton Beach police said Thursday they ’ d had no other dealings with Haasze in the past five years , except one incident in which he was a witness to an argument .
PBSO reported no dealings with the man .
A call to a telephone number listed for Haasze in the police report was not immediately returned .
Court records show Haasze is represented by the Palm Beach County Public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not comment on active cases .

Florida man charged for having more than 2 dozen pipe bombs after one went off
BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. — On Wednesday night, 34-year-old Gregory Samuel Haasze's affinity for explosives led to one of them going off, rattling a Boynton Beach neighborhood, police say.
That led police to some two dozen more deadly devices, which ultimately landed Haasze in jail.
No one is believed to have been hurt, police said.
Haasze remained at the Palm Beach County Jail late Thursday with his bail set at $130,000. That morning, Circuit Judge Laura Johnson had set his bail: $5,000 for each of 26 counts of making, possessing, throwing, projecting, placing or discharging a destructive device.
Johnson also ordered Haazse not to possess any more such devices or materials.
Boynton Beach police said Thursday the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives had taken over the investigation of the incident. It was unclear Thursday whether Haasze would face federal charges as well.
August 12: Florida sheriff forbids employees, visitors to wear masks: If they do, 'they will be asked to leave'
August 13: Florida sheriff funds $35,000-a-month luxury office with 'the money we take from the bad guys'
Reports of a loud noise at about 8 p.m. Wednesday called police to a field behind a shopping plaza off Boynton Beach Boulevard, a city police report said.
They found in the roadway a detonated bomb made of PVC pipe. They then found, and disabled, six devices along Hoadley Road, a dead-end street behind the Oakwood Square Shopping Center at Old Boynton Road and Congress Avenue, just east of the Boynton Beach Mall.
Each device had a fuse and contained explosive powder. Some were even more dangerous, housing metal screws, nails and metal pellets.
“Officers backed out of the area,” the report said.
The officers — along with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office bomb squad and fire-rescue crews from Boynton Beach and Palm Beach County — got everyone out of the shops at Oakwood Square, as well as apartments at the Poinciana West complex and homes along Hoadley Road.
They also shut down Old Boynton Road from Congress to Renaissance Commons Boulevard, as well as the south end of the nearby Town Center Shopping Center, near its Target and Best Buy stores.
While officers had been waiting on the PBSO bomb squad, the report said, a man came up to speak with them. He said a man named Greg lived in a 12-apartment complex just 1,000 feet behind the Oakwood center.
The man said “Greg” made his own explosives. And sometimes set them off.
At the complex, the report said, officers came to a trash bin. Atop it, they found a brown cardboard box. It was partly open and contained black plastic bottles and vials used for prescription drugs.
The box was addressed to an apartment in the complex. The name: Gregory Haasze.
Police went to the unit, and Haasze stepped out.
He said he knew he was the reason police were there, and said the box in the dumpster was his.
Later, at police headquarters, he told officers he has built explosives for years with material he buys off the eBay online auction site. He said he’d recently bought several for the Fourth of July.
The report said he admitted to setting off the pipe bomb that night, as well as three others earlier in the week, but said he wasn’t trying to hurt anyone. He said he loaded some devices with pellets to remove tree stumps from around his apartment.
Haasze told the officers that, when he saw police and others swarming the area around his complex, “he realized he was in trouble” and decided to empty his apartment of the explosive materials.
In all, police said, they found 26 separate devices in the dumpster and near the apartment.
Police said they reopened most of the neighborhood at about midnight.
Boynton Beach police said Thursday they’d had no other dealings with Haasze in the past five years, except one incident in which he was a witness to an argument. PBSO reported no dealings with the man.
A call to a telephone number listed for Haasze in the police report was not immediately returned.
Court records show Haasze is represented by the Palm Beach County Public Defender, which as a rule does not comment on active cases.
Contributing: Olivia Hitchcock, Julius Whigham II and Melanie Mena. Follow Eliot Kleinberg on Twitter: @eliotkpbp


usatoday--2020-08-14--Fans boo, chant 'USA' when Nashville SC, FC Dallas players kneel during national anthem

FC Dallas became the first Major League Soccer club to allow fans during the coronavirus pandemic , and they were heard from before Wednesday 's game with Nashville SC .
Some fans booed during the playing of the national anthem as players from both teams knelt in solidarity , protesting against police brutality of Black people in the United States .
According to the Dallas Morning News , one fan threw a water bottle onto the field and was escorted out of Toyota Stadium .
A total of 2,912 fans attended the game , which Nashville won 1-0 for its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chanted `` USA , USA ! ''
as the players knelt during the anthem .
Dallas right back Reggie Cannon lifted his right fist in the air as he knelt .
Cannon called the fans ' booing `` disgusting '' and `` disgraceful . ''
`` For a lack of a better word , it ( ticked ) me off , '' Cannon said .
`` We discussed it prior with what we were doing .
We discussed it with Nashville .
Everyone from Nashville was on board .
Everyone across the league @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to do . ''
Cannon continued : `` ( The booing fans ) do n't understand why we are kneeling .
They ca n't see the reason , they just think we 're the ignorant ones .
It 's incredibly frustrating . ''
Cannon is one of many Black players in MLS who represent the Black Players For Change , which was founded on Juneteenth and works to improve inclusion and experiences of Black players , coaches and staff in MLS .
`` During the playing of the national anthem at last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nashville SC , the players from both clubs and match referees chose to kneel .
As we have stated consistently over many years , Major League Soccer supports players and staff who protest peacefully on behalf of equality and social justice .
`` Some of the comments made on social media following the match were appalling .
We want to be very clear that MLS will not tolerate any abuse or threats to any individual player or team who decides to exercise their right to peaceful protest during the playing of the national @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' FC Dallas also released a statement Thursday , saying : `` FC Dallas supports our players and fans in their right to express themselves in a peaceful manner .
The National Anthem was played before last night ’ s match while the players were on the field which Major League Soccer requires when fans are in attendance .
While we understand the decision to stand or kneel for the National Anthem is a polarizing issue , we hope that FC Dallas can be a leader in helping our community accept diverse viewpoints @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work together in the ongoing fight for racial equality . ''
Wednesday 's match was a continuation of protests before matches .
Previous protests were all performed in the Orlando bubble of the MLS Is Back Tournament , although the national anthem was not played .
On the opening night of the tournament July 8 , the Black Players for Change , including Nashville center back Jalil Anibaba , among other Nashville players , knelt for 8 minutes and 46 seconds before Orlando City SC and Inter Miami CF played .
MLS IS @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surprises , LA Galaxy and Atlanta United are duds SPORTS NEWSLETTER : Sign up now to get top sports headlines delivered daily Cannon said the conversation with MLS did not begin with the demonstration .
Initially , players requested for the anthem to not be played before Wednesday 's match .
Their request was declined .
`` We asked for there to be no anthem because we did n't feel playing the anthem would be right at this moment , '' Cannon said .
`` They ignored our wishes , so we were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was going to be played , or not . ''
Nashville is scheduled to return to Dallas on Sunday for a second meeting in an effort to make up the matches missed by both clubs after being withdrawn from the tournament in Orlando because of positive COVID-19 tests .
Cannon said there 's no stopping players ' will to demand change .
`` I want to see the support the league has given us from our fans , '' Cannon said .
`` I love the people that came out tonight , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ' I knew I just had to play on and knew what to expect .
We will take it one day at a time . ''
For stories about Nashville SC or Soccer in Tennessee , contact Drake Hills at DHills @ gannett.com .
Follow Drake on Twitter at @ LiveLifeDrake .

Fans boo, chant 'USA' when Nashville SC, FC Dallas players kneel during national anthem
FC Dallas became the first Major League Soccer club to allow fans during the coronavirus pandemic, and they were heard from before Wednesday's game with Nashville SC.
Some fans booed during the playing of the national anthem as players from both teams knelt in solidarity, protesting against police brutality of Black people in the United States.
According to the Dallas Morning News, one fan threw a water bottle onto the field and was escorted out of Toyota Stadium.
A total of 2,912 fans attended the game, which Nashville won 1-0 for its first MLS victory. Some of them chanted "USA, USA!" as the players knelt during the anthem.
Dallas right back Reggie Cannon lifted his right fist in the air as he knelt. Cannon called the fans' booing "disgusting" and "disgraceful."
“We asked for no anthem, because we don’t feel it’s right to be played at this moment. They ignored our wishes. “ @ReggieCannon15 pic.twitter.com/DeUP7eTmXW — Black Players For Change (@BPCMLS) August 13, 2020
"For a lack of a better word, it (ticked) me off," Cannon said. "We discussed it prior with what we were doing. We discussed it with Nashville. Everyone from Nashville was on board. Everyone across the league was on board with what we were going to do."
Cannon continued: "(The booing fans) don't understand why we are kneeling. They can't see the reason, they just think we're the ignorant ones. It's incredibly frustrating."
Cannon is one of many Black players in MLS who represent the Black Players For Change, which was founded on Juneteenth and works to improve inclusion and experiences of Black players, coaches and staff in MLS.
On Thursday night, MLS Commissioner Don Garber released a statement condemning the fan behavior.
"During the playing of the national anthem at last night's match between FC Dallas and Nashville SC, the players from both clubs and match referees chose to kneel. As we have stated consistently over many years, Major League Soccer supports players and staff who protest peacefully on behalf of equality and social justice.
"Some of the comments made on social media following the match were appalling. We want to be very clear that MLS will not tolerate any abuse or threats to any individual player or team who decides to exercise their right to peaceful protest during the playing of the national anthem or any other pre-game ceremony."
FC Dallas also released a statement Thursday, saying: "FC Dallas supports our players and fans in their right to express themselves in a peaceful manner. The National Anthem was played before last night’s match while the players were on the field which Major League Soccer requires when fans are in attendance. While we understand the decision to stand or kneel for the National Anthem is a polarizing issue, we hope that FC Dallas can be a leader in helping our community accept diverse viewpoints in a respectful way as we all work together in the ongoing fight for racial equality."
Wednesday's match was a continuation of protests before matches. Previous protests were all performed in the Orlando bubble of the MLS Is Back Tournament, although the national anthem was not played.
On the opening night of the tournament July 8, the Black Players for Change, including Nashville center back Jalil Anibaba, among other Nashville players, knelt for 8 minutes and 46 seconds before Orlando City SC and Inter Miami CF played.
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Cannon said the conversation with MLS did not begin with the demonstration. Initially, players requested for the anthem to not be played before Wednesday's match. Their request was declined.
"We asked for there to be no anthem because we didn't feel playing the anthem would be right at this moment," Cannon said. "They ignored our wishes, so we were gonna kneel regardless if the anthem was going to be played, or not."
Nashville is scheduled to return to Dallas on Sunday for a second meeting in an effort to make up the matches missed by both clubs after being withdrawn from the tournament in Orlando because of positive COVID-19 tests.
Cannon said there's no stopping players' will to demand change.
"I want to see the support the league has given us from our fans," Cannon said. "I love the people that came out tonight, but as soon as I heard that 'boo,' I knew I just had to play on and knew what to expect. We will take it one day at a time."
For stories about Nashville SC or Soccer in Tennessee, contact Drake Hills at DHills@gannett.com. Follow Drake on Twitter at @LiveLifeDrake.


usatoday--2020-08-13--Herman Cain died two weeks ago, but his social media accounts are still bashing Democrats

Herman Cain , the 2012 Republican presidential candidate who died after contracting COVID-19 , is continuing to denounce to Democratic politicians on social media two weeks after his death .
`` Just in case you thought Biden 's candidacy was going to be anything other than completely nuts , team Trump has released a new video , '' read the first post on Cain 's Twitter account since an Aug. 7 one that shared the time of his funeral .
`` How well prepared is Kamala Harris for the presidency ?
We take a look .
We 're not impressed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' read a post added to his Facebook account on Wednesday .
`` Harris has a ton of baggage and a political glass jaw .
She 's awful , '' read a post added Thursday .
The flurry of political posts on his social media accounts is the work of Cain 's daughter Dr. Melanie Cain Gallo .
On her father 's website , she explained `` he wouldn ’ t have wanted that work to stop with his passing . ''
`` So we will continue .
We ’ ve decided here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on using this platform to share the information and ideas he believed in .
He often talked about the site going on once he was ready to step away from it .
We had hoped he could enjoy reading it in his retirement , but he made it clear he wanted it to go on . ''
She wrote that Cain 's voice is `` needed now more than ever . ''
`` We are his team , and he ’ ll always be our leader .
He would have wanted us to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exactly what we ’ re going to do , '' she said .
The name of Cain 's Twitter account was changed to `` The Cain Gang '' Thursday morning , though the handle remains as @ THEHermanCain .
`` Dad came up with this name himself , '' Cain Gallo wrote .
`` As usual , he had the best branding ideas and we see no reason to try to improve on it . ''
Before becoming infected , Cain had been critical of the `` panic '' over the outbreak and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ second wave of infection .
The former Godfather 's Pizza CEO died four weeks after being hospitalized with COVID-19 .
A Black Voices for Trump co-chair.
, Cain attended President Donald Trump 's June 20 rally in Tulsa , Oklahoma , where he was seen without a mask in close proximity to others .
It is unknown if he contracted the virus at the event .
Many Twitter users were confused by the continued use of Cain 's accounts , while others found it to be in bad taste .
`` Is it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dead person 's account at the very least creepy , '' tweeted Fox affiliate WNYW 's Steve Chenevey .
`` The whole Herman Cain thing just reveals how ghoulish , bizarre , and inhuman the modern Right has become .
The man died unnecessarily going to an underwhelming rally , was completely forgotten by his own party , and then his name and social media cultivated for profit , '' wrote political analyst Jared Sexton .
Others said Twitter should no longer mark the account as verified because Cain was dead .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in response to the posts on Cain 's accounts .
`` The same left that ghoulishly celebrated Hermain Cain 's death now want to act like the people still running his account are doing so in bad taste , '' Loesch tweeted , admonishing liberals for not being consistent .

Herman Cain died two weeks ago, but his social media accounts are still bashing Democrats
Show Caption Hide Caption Biden, Harris ticket faces attack from Herman Cain’s Twitter account, despite death Despite Herman Cain’s recent death from coronavirus, the Republican’s twitter account shared a new attack on Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. Buzz60
Herman Cain, the 2012 Republican presidential candidate who died after contracting COVID-19, is continuing to denounce to Democratic politicians on social media two weeks after his death.
"Just in case you thought Biden's candidacy was going to be anything other than completely nuts, team Trump has released a new video," read the first post on Cain's Twitter account since an Aug. 7 one that shared the time of his funeral.
"How well prepared is Kamala Harris for the presidency? We take a look. We're not impressed and you won't be either," read a post added to his Facebook account on Wednesday.
"Harris has a ton of baggage and a political glass jaw. She's awful," read a post added Thursday.
The flurry of political posts on his social media accounts is the work of Cain's daughter Dr. Melanie Cain Gallo.
On her father's website, she explained "he wouldn’t have wanted that work to stop with his passing."
"So we will continue. We’ve decided here at Cain HQ that we will go on using this platform to share the information and ideas he believed in. He often talked about the site going on once he was ready to step away from it. We had hoped he could enjoy reading it in his retirement, but he made it clear he wanted it to go on."
She wrote that Cain's voice is "needed now more than ever."
"We are his team, and he’ll always be our leader. He would have wanted us to do this. And that’s exactly what we’re going to do," she said.
The name of Cain's Twitter account was changed to "The Cain Gang" Thursday morning, though the handle remains as @THEHermanCain.
"Dad came up with this name himself," Cain Gallo wrote. "As usual, he had the best branding ideas and we see no reason to try to improve on it."
Before becoming infected, Cain had been critical of the "panic" over the outbreak and the "scare stories" about a second wave of infection.
The former Godfather's Pizza CEO died four weeks after being hospitalized with COVID-19. A Black Voices for Trump co-chair., Cain attended President Donald Trump's June 20 rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he was seen without a mask in close proximity to others. It is unknown if he contracted the virus at the event.
Many Twitter users were confused by the continued use of Cain's accounts, while others found it to be in bad taste.
Herman Cain died from COVID-19 two weeks ago. Why is he still tweeting? pic.twitter.com/12C41Ztw2i — Jon Cooper 🇺🇸 (@joncoopertweets) August 13, 2020
"Is it just me or is tweeting from a dead person's account at the very least creepy," tweeted Fox affiliate WNYW's Steve Chenevey.
"The whole Herman Cain thing just reveals how ghoulish, bizarre, and inhuman the modern Right has become. The man died unnecessarily going to an underwhelming rally, was completely forgotten by his own party, and then his name and social media cultivated for profit," wrote political analyst Jared Sexton.
Others said Twitter should no longer mark the account as verified because Cain was dead.
A number of macabre jokes were also posted in response to the posts on Cain's accounts.
Herman Cain left behind a box of demo tweets that are being remixed and released by his label. — Dave Weigel (@daveweigel) August 13, 2020
Former National Rifle Association spokeswoman Dana Loesch decried the criticism.
"The same left that ghoulishly celebrated Hermain Cain's death now want to act like the people still running his account are doing so in bad taste," Loesch tweeted, admonishing liberals for not being consistent.


usatoday--2020-08-13--A beloved lesbian baker in Detroit got a homophobic cake order. Here's why she made it anyway.

DETROIT – As a Black , openly gay woman , April Anderson said she is no stranger to discrimination .
But Anderson , a pastry chef with a national reputation , was taken aback by a recent cake order that came into her Good Cakes and Bakes bakery on Livernois in Detroit 's Avenue of Fashion commercial corridor .
And , at least at first , she was unsure how to handle it , worried she could wind up facing a lawsuit .
The customer — who turned out to be an employee of a Ferndale-based , conservative Catholic organization @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decidedly anti-gay message .
It was a disturbing slap in the face to Anderson and her wife and business partner , Michelle .
“ We are so used to being Black lesbian women , ” Anderson said .
“ You are used to people discriminating against you and saying mean things to you.
” On July 19 , an online order came in for one of the bakery 's red velvet dessert cakes — an Anderson specialty .
The $ 40 order was paid for by credit card and included a $ 10 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ struck Anderson first was the word `` PRIDE '' was in all caps thinking it was for the rainbow-themed Pride Month cake the bakery offered in June .
`` That was the cake for June , a six-layer cake for Pride month , ” Anderson said .
“ That was done and over with .
I thought , ' I have to make another one of those cakes ? '
'' Then Anderson read the message the customer wanted written on the cake and was stunned .
“ I am ordering this cake @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Christian marriage , '' the customer said in the order .
`` I ’ d like you to write on the cake , in icing , 'Homosexual acts are gravely evil .
( Catholic Catechism 2357 ) ' '' '' This ca n't be real was my first thought , '' Anderson recalled .
Then she showed the order to Michelle .
`` Why would somebody order this from us ? ''
Anderson said .
`` They know our bakery .
It 's not like it 's a secret .
It says it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pages and very clear that this bakery is owned by two lesbian women . ''
Anderson phoned her friend Eli Majid , who owns Eli 's Tea Bar in Birmingham .
`` Do you believe someone just ordered that from the bakery ? ''
she asked Majid .
Within an hour , Majid , using social channels and reverse phone lookup , identified the customer , his church and what college he went to .
He was identified as David Gordon , in a followup Pridesource.com article .
The church affiliation led them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fringe group .
On his Twitter account , Gordon is listed as `` a copyeditor @ Church Militant , Lawyer , theology MA , author , sportsman , family man . ''
He has more than 4,000 followers .
Responding late Tuesday to a Twitter message from a Free Press reporter , Gordon said the bakery `` admits that it never had any intention of serving me and making me the custom red velvet cake that I duly requested and paid for . ''
He also said he was acting on his own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ employer , Church Militant .
`` I was denied the services I requested at a place of public accommodation on the basis of the content of my beliefs — this is gleefully acknowledged by the owners of the bakery in the relevant Pridesource article , '' Gordon said in his message .
`` Imagine the umbrage if a homosexual couple arrived at their 'wedding ' reception to find a Christian baker had made them a 'straight ' cake .
This is about fairness , not ideology . ''
Michael Voris , the founder @ @ @ @ @ @ @ / Church Militant , said in a statement emailed to the Free Press : `` The incident was an action taken independently of the apostolate by an individual employee ; Church Militant had no prior knowledge of it .
`` The employee has been spoken to and has apologized for unnecessarily involving his fellow workers in a private endeavor.
” Church Militant is not an actual church , but a group that broadcasts pro-life , anti-gay , anti-feminist , Islam-fearing , human-caused-climate-change-denying orthodox Catholic news on its website churchmiltant.com and through social media @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the organization in the past as lacking `` the authorization required under Church law to identify or promote itself as Catholic.
” Majid believes it was strategic message that was targeted at metro Detroit 's most well-known lesbian baker .
`` That hatefulness is not a coincidence , '' Majid said .
`` They were trying to get her not to make the cake and she caught them on her bluff . ''
Anderson admits she was n't sure she was going to make the cake .
But she did not want Gordon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was reverse discrimination .
So Anderson baked the cake , but without the requested message .
In doing so , she was following the bakery 's long-standing policy .
Written messages are not permitted on specialty dessert cakes ordered online , as stated on the bakery 's website .
Anderson and her wife also wrote a letter to Gordon and attached it to the cake , saying they stand against hate .
`` We feel the only 'grave evil ' is the judgement that good christians , like yourself , impose on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of what God wants them to be , '' the letter said .
When Gordon called the bakery on a Friday asking about the cake , he was told it would be ready at 3:30 p.m. Saturday .
`` I think he was shocked , '' Anderson said .
`` He was probably anticipating us saying no . ''
Meanwhile , Majid created a Facebook post about the cake request that asked people to show up and support the bakery on Saturday .
About 40-45 people did , Anderson said .
`` I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and saw that and kept going , '' Anderson said , referring to Gordon .
The cake was never picked up and was put in the refrigerator .
Anderson called Gordon about the cake .
Days went by and the cake was eventually tossed on a Thursday .
To her surprise , Gordon called that day asking about the cake .
He was told it was discarded .
Gordon called again on Friday , Anderson said , asking about the cake .
She told him it was discarded and that if he wanted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an order online .
If he wanted a written message on the cake , she told him , he would have to call or come in and order it .
Jay Kaplan , staff attorney for the LGBTQ Project , ACLU of Michigan , said Anderson was within the law .
`` When you are asked to do a particular message , you might be crossing the line of what could be compelled speech , especially if it 's offensive , '' Kaplan said .
Under the compelled speech doctrine , the government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to support a certain expression or idea .
Kaplan said what Anderson did was follow the business 's established procedure and was content neutral .
`` She was n't turning the customer away , '' Kaplan said .
`` We provide cakes , but we are not going to put that kind of message on the cake .
Especially if it 's offensive . ''
Baking the cake was not the same issue in the well-known Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission case .
In that case , the baker refused to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ couple citing compelled speech and violation of religious beliefs and was found in violation of state law .
The baker appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court , which did n't side with the commission , and found that hostile remarks were made against the baker ’ s religious beliefs .
The justices did not rule on the broader issues of anti-discrimination laws versus religious freedoms .
This is the first time the bakery had a customer request such a hateful message , Anderson said , but they have turned down requests for vulgar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We would have refused to write that message , '' Anderson said .
`` It 's not about ... being homophobic .
We do n't write mean , hateful messages on cakes .
That 's not what we are about . ''
Anderson is well-known in culinary circles .
She 's baked for Oprah Winfrey and appeared on NBC 's `` Today '' show .
The bakery , which specializes in fresh , made-from-scratch cakes , cupcakes and cookies , opened in 2013 .

A beloved lesbian baker in Detroit got a homophobic cake order. Here's why she made it anyway.
DETROIT – As a Black, openly gay woman, April Anderson said she is no stranger to discrimination.
But Anderson, a pastry chef with a national reputation, was taken aback by a recent cake order that came into her Good Cakes and Bakes bakery on Livernois in Detroit's Avenue of Fashion commercial corridor.
And, at least at first, she was unsure how to handle it, worried she could wind up facing a lawsuit.
The customer — who turned out to be an employee of a Ferndale-based, conservative Catholic organization — wanted the cake decorated with a decidedly anti-gay message. It was a disturbing slap in the face to Anderson and her wife and business partner, Michelle.
Church Militant: How a right-wing fringe group is building a multimedia empire
“We are so used to being Black lesbian women,” Anderson said. “You are used to people discriminating against you and saying mean things to you.”
On July 19, an online order came in for one of the bakery's red velvet dessert cakes — an Anderson specialty.
The $40 order was paid for by credit card and included a $10 tip — which is common.
What struck Anderson first was the word "PRIDE" was in all caps thinking it was for the rainbow-themed Pride Month cake the bakery offered in June.
"That was the cake for June, a six-layer cake for Pride month,” Anderson said. “That was done and over with. I thought, 'I have to make another one of those cakes?'"
Then Anderson read the message the customer wanted written on the cake and was stunned.
“I am ordering this cake to celebrate and have PRIDE in true Christian marriage," the customer said in the order. "I’d like you to write on the cake, in icing, 'Homosexual acts are gravely evil. (Catholic Catechism 2357)'"
"This can't be real was my first thought," Anderson recalled.
Then she showed the order to Michelle.
"Why would somebody order this from us?" Anderson said. "They know our bakery. It's not like it's a secret. It says it on our about page and social media pages and very clear that this bakery is owned by two lesbian women."
Anderson phoned her friend Eli Majid, who owns Eli's Tea Bar in Birmingham.
"Do you believe someone just ordered that from the bakery?" she asked Majid.
Within an hour, Majid, using social channels and reverse phone lookup, identified the customer, his church and what college he went to. He was identified as David Gordon, in a followup Pridesource.com article.
The church affiliation led them to Church Militant, a Ferndale-based Catholic fringe group. On his Twitter account, Gordon is listed as "a copyeditor @Church Militant, Lawyer, theology MA, author, sportsman, family man." He has more than 4,000 followers.
Responding late Tuesday to a Twitter message from a Free Press reporter, Gordon said the bakery "admits that it never had any intention of serving me and making me the custom red velvet cake that I duly requested and paid for." He also said he was acting on his own behalf, without the knowledge of his employer, Church Militant.
"I was denied the services I requested at a place of public accommodation on the basis of the content of my beliefs — this is gleefully acknowledged by the owners of the bakery in the relevant Pridesource article," Gordon said in his message.
"Imagine the umbrage if a homosexual couple arrived at their 'wedding' reception to find a Christian baker had made them a 'straight' cake. This is about fairness, not ideology."
Michael Voris, the founder and president of St. Michael's Media / Church Militant, said in a statement emailed to the Free Press: "The incident was an action taken independently of the apostolate by an individual employee; Church Militant had no prior knowledge of it.
"The employee has been spoken to and has apologized for unnecessarily involving his fellow workers in a private endeavor.”
Church Militant is not an actual church, but a group that broadcasts pro-life, anti-gay, anti-feminist, Islam-fearing, human-caused-climate-change-denying orthodox Catholic news on its website churchmiltant.com and through social media. The Archdiocese of Detroit has disavowed the organization in the past as lacking "the authorization required under Church law to identify or promote itself as Catholic.”
Majid believes it was strategic message that was targeted at metro Detroit's most well-known lesbian baker.
"That hatefulness is not a coincidence," Majid said. "They were trying to get her not to make the cake and she caught them on her bluff."
Anderson admits she wasn't sure she was going to make the cake.
But she did not want Gordon to come back at her, saying it was reverse discrimination.
So Anderson baked the cake, but without the requested message. In doing so, she was following the bakery's long-standing policy. Written messages are not permitted on specialty dessert cakes ordered online, as stated on the bakery's website.
Anderson and her wife also wrote a letter to Gordon and attached it to the cake, saying they stand against hate.
"We feel the only 'grave evil' is the judgement that good christians, like yourself, impose on folks that don't meet their vision of what God wants them to be," the letter said.
When Gordon called the bakery on a Friday asking about the cake, he was told it would be ready at 3:30 p.m. Saturday.
"I think he was shocked," Anderson said. "He was probably anticipating us saying no."
Meanwhile, Majid created a Facebook post about the cake request that asked people to show up and support the bakery on Saturday. About 40-45 people did, Anderson said.
"I don't know if he came by and saw that and kept going," Anderson said, referring to Gordon.
The cake was never picked up and was put in the refrigerator. Anderson called Gordon about the cake. Days went by and the cake was eventually tossed on a Thursday.
To her surprise, Gordon called that day asking about the cake. He was told it was discarded. Gordon called again on Friday, Anderson said, asking about the cake. She told him it was discarded and that if he wanted another, he would have to place an order online. If he wanted a written message on the cake, she told him, he would have to call or come in and order it.
Jay Kaplan, staff attorney for the LGBTQ Project, ACLU of Michigan, said Anderson was within the law.
"When you are asked to do a particular message, you might be crossing the line of what could be compelled speech, especially if it's offensive," Kaplan said.
Under the compelled speech doctrine, the government cannot force an individual or group to support a certain expression or idea.
Kaplan said what Anderson did was follow the business's established procedure and was content neutral.
"She wasn't turning the customer away," Kaplan said. "We provide cakes, but we are not going to put that kind of message on the cake. Especially if it's offensive."
Baking the cake was not the same issue in the well-known Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission case. In that case, the baker refused to make a wedding cake for a same-sex couple citing compelled speech and violation of religious beliefs and was found in violation of state law.
The baker appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, which didn't side with the commission, and found that hostile remarks were made against the baker’s religious beliefs. The justices did not rule on the broader issues of anti-discrimination laws versus religious freedoms.
This is the first time the bakery had a customer request such a hateful message, Anderson said, but they have turned down requests for vulgar or rude decorations or messages.
"We would have refused to write that message," Anderson said. "It's not about ... being homophobic. We don't write mean, hateful messages on cakes. That's not what we are about."
Anderson is well-known in culinary circles. She's baked for Oprah Winfrey and appeared on NBC's "Today" show. The bakery, which specializes in fresh, made-from-scratch cakes, cupcakes and cookies, opened in 2013.
Follow Susan Selasky on Twitter: @SusanMariecooks.