usatoday--2020-09-29--Michael Flynn's lawyer says she asked Trump not to pardon him

WASHINGTON — A lawyer for President Donald Trump 's former national security adviser Michael Flynn told U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan on Tuesday that she recently updated Trump on the case and asked him not to pardon her client .
Attorney Sidney Powell appeared reluctant to discuss her conversations with the president or the White House , saying she believed they were protected by executive privilege .
But after persistent questioning from Sullivan , she acknowledged having spoken to the president within the last few weeks .
Flynn is one of half a dozen former Trump aides and advisers who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ special counsel investigation on Russian election interference .
Tuesday 's hearing comes weeks after a federal appeals court ruled that Sullivan did not have to immediately dismiss the prosecution just because the Justice Department wants him to , and returned the case to the judge for future consideration .
The 8-2 ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C .
Circuit , reversed a previous decision by a three-judge panel , in a long and politically fraught legal case of the former Army general .
At issue before the appeals court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he did not immediately grant dismissal of the case against Flynn after the Justice Department decided to drop the prosecution .
Instead , Sullivan appointed a third party , known as an amicus , to challenge the Justice Department 's motion and to determine if Flynn had committed perjury for claiming to be innocent of a crime to which he had earlier pleaded guilty .
Flynn 's attorneys also asked the appeals court to remove Sullivan from the case , arguing the judge 's actions showed his inability to be impartial .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Flynn in June , ruling that Sullivan 's actions were `` unprecedented intrusions of individual liberty '' and on the Justice Department 's prosecutorial powers .
The full appeals court , which granted Sullivan 's request to rehear the case , disagreed , saying judges have the authority to appoint third parties as they decide on rulings .
In Sullivan 's case , his attorney has argued what the judge was simply doing what judges do : seeking to hear both sides before ruling on the motion to dismiss .
The appeals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the case and that concerns over `` intrusive judicial proceedings '' were `` speculative . ''
The judges also said there 's no basis in removing Sullivan from the case , saying opinions or statements judges make while presiding on a case do n't indicate bias .
Powell has argued that because the Justice Department no longer wanted to prosecute Flynn , Sullivan 's only role is to promptly grant dismissal of the case .
Instead , Sullivan appointed an amicus to `` usurp '' the role of prosecutors and has `` so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prosecuting Flynn , Powell said during oral arguments in August .
Acting Solicitor General Jeff Wall said Sullivan can not probe the Justice Department 's motives for dropping the prosecution of Flynn and doing so entrenches on executive power .
Sullivan 's actions also have created an appearance that he ca n't be impartial , Wall said .
Flynn pleaded guilty in 2017 to making false statements to the FBI about his communications with a former Russian ambassador .
He later reversed course , claiming investigators entrapped him into making false statements .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ sought to dismiss the case , arguing that the interview during which Flynn made false statements was `` unjustified . ''

Michael Flynn's lawyer says she asked Trump not to pardon him
Show Caption Hide Caption Trump: Happy about Flynn, he was treated horribly President Donald Trump says he is "happy about General Flynn. He was treated horribly." This comes after an appeals court dismissed Flynn's prosecution. (June 24) AP
WASHINGTON — A lawyer for President Donald Trump's former national security adviser Michael Flynn told U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan on Tuesday that she recently updated Trump on the case and asked him not to pardon her client.
Attorney Sidney Powell appeared reluctant to discuss her conversations with the president or the White House, saying she believed they were protected by executive privilege. But after persistent questioning from Sullivan, she acknowledged having spoken to the president within the last few weeks.
Flynn is one of half a dozen former Trump aides and advisers who were indicted as a result of the special counsel investigation on Russian election interference.
Tuesday's hearing comes weeks after a federal appeals court ruled that Sullivan did not have to immediately dismiss the prosecution just because the Justice Department wants him to, and returned the case to the judge for future consideration.
The 8-2 ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, reversed a previous decision by a three-judge panel, in a long and politically fraught legal case of the former Army general.
At issue before the appeals court was whether Sullivan abused his powers when he did not immediately grant dismissal of the case against Flynn after the Justice Department decided to drop the prosecution. Instead, Sullivan appointed a third party, known as an amicus, to challenge the Justice Department's motion and to determine if Flynn had committed perjury for claiming to be innocent of a crime to which he had earlier pleaded guilty.
Flynn's attorneys also asked the appeals court to remove Sullivan from the case, arguing the judge's actions showed his inability to be impartial.
A three-judge panel from the appeals court sided with Flynn in June, ruling that Sullivan's actions were "unprecedented intrusions of individual liberty" and on the Justice Department's prosecutorial powers.
The full appeals court, which granted Sullivan's request to rehear the case, disagreed, saying judges have the authority to appoint third parties as they decide on rulings. In Sullivan's case, his attorney has argued what the judge was simply doing what judges do: seeking to hear both sides before ruling on the motion to dismiss.
The appeals court said that Sullivan may ultimately dismiss the case and that concerns over "intrusive judicial proceedings" were "speculative." The judges also said there's no basis in removing Sullivan from the case, saying opinions or statements judges make while presiding on a case don't indicate bias.
Powell has argued that because the Justice Department no longer wanted to prosecute Flynn, Sullivan's only role is to promptly grant dismissal of the case. Instead, Sullivan appointed an amicus to "usurp" the role of prosecutors and has "so invested himself" for the purpose of prosecuting Flynn, Powell said during oral arguments in August.
Acting Solicitor General Jeff Wall said Sullivan cannot probe the Justice Department's motives for dropping the prosecution of Flynn and doing so entrenches on executive power. Sullivan's actions also have created an appearance that he can't be impartial, Wall said.
Flynn pleaded guilty in 2017 to making false statements to the FBI about his communications with a former Russian ambassador. He later reversed course, claiming investigators entrapped him into making false statements. The Justice Department also reversed course and sought to dismiss the case, arguing that the interview during which Flynn made false statements was "unjustified."


usatoday--2020-09-29--3 dead, 1 hospitalized in Salem, Oregon hostage situation; deputy on leave after firing shots

SALEM , Ore. — Three people are dead , including an 11-year-old boy and a 24-year-old , following a hostage situation Monday in an east Salem home .
A Marion County Sheriff 's Office deputy was also placed on leave after firing a `` yet to be determined number of rounds , '' Oregon State Police officials said .
Authorities have declined to say if any of those dead were shot by the involved-deputy .
Sheriff 's Office deputies responded to a `` possible hostage situation '' at about 12:30 p.m. in the 200 block of Juneva Place SE , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Deputies arrived at the home and Sheriff 's Office negotiators called the suspect , identified as Jose Jesus Lopez-Tinoco , 34 , of Woodburn , in an attempt to resolve the situation peacefully .
Authorities heard gunshots inside and deputies `` forced entry '' into the home to try to rescue any victims .
Officials said a deputy who entered the home fired an as-of-yet undetermined number of rounds .
Lopez-Tinoco was found dead in the home of a self-inflicted gunshot wound .
Also in the home were Diari Bustos-Bustos , 24 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dead from gunshot wounds .
The incident has been turned over to the Oregon State Police for investigation .
Salem Police is also assisting with the investigation .

Virginia Barreda, Salem Statesman Journal

3 dead, 1 hospitalized in Salem, Oregon, hostage situation; deputy on leave after firing shots
Show Caption Hide Caption Multiple people dead after 'hostage situation' in Salem, Oregon A possible "hostage situation" led to multiple fatal shootings after police responded to a home in the Salem, Oregon. USA TODAY, Wochit
SALEM, Ore. — Three people are dead, including an 11-year-old boy, following a hostage situation Monday in an Oregon home.
A Marion County Sheriff's Office deputy was also placed on leave after firing a "yet to be determined number of rounds," Oregon State Police officials said. Authorities have declined to say if any of those dead were shot by the involved-deputy.
Deputies responded to a "possible hostage situation" at about 12:30 p.m., officials said, and negotiators called the suspect, identified as Jose Jesus Lopez-Tinoco, 34, of Woodburn, in an attempt to peacefully resolve the situation.
Authorities heard gunshots inside and deputies "forced entry" into the home to try to rescue any victims.
Officials said a deputy who entered the home fired an as-of-yet undetermined number of rounds.
Lopez-Tinoco was found dead in the home of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Also in the home were Diari Bustos-Bustos, 24, and an 11-year-old boy, both dead from gunshot wounds.
Laura Rocio-Bustos, 43, was found alive with a gunshot wound and taken to the hospital with serious injuries. A 13-year-old boy was found uninjured.
Rocio-Bustos is listed as the owner of the Salem home. According to property and public records, she is related to a woman who owns a home with Lopez-Tinoco in Woodburn.
Neighbor Paulina Maciel said her four children and nephew were playing in the backyard when they heard three gunshots.
Maciel ran to the backyard to bring the children inside. Then she thought she heard at least three more gunshots — and two minutes later, she said, several Salem police cars rushed past her house.
"I was so scared," Maciel said.
The incident has been turned over to the Oregon State Police for investigation. Salem Police is also assisting with the investigation.
Follow Virginia Barreda on Twitter at @vbarreda2.


usatoday--2020-09-30--Ohio Democrats dominating absentee ballot requests, possibly creating election night angst

COLUMBUS , Ohio — A tsunami of Democrats seeking ballots through the mail in this pandemic-plagued presidential election year is upending the very dynamics of voting in Ohio .
The impact of the ground-shaking change shows up in two major ways : • The outcome of the presidential race in the bellwether Buckeye State appears even more unpredictable than usual .
• Ohio could be among the states where election fraud is alleged simply because the leader in the presidential vote could shift dramatically on election night and possibly shift back a week-and-a-half later .
Before COVID-19 hit , more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , generally speaking .
Democrats favored voting early in person at their county elections board , or going to the polls Election Day .
Speaker Pelosi : Urges Democrats to win more House seats in the event of Electoral College dispute in presidential election But in 2020 , Democrats are far outdistancing GOP voters in requesting absentee ballots .
For example , at this point in the 2016 election , Stark County Democrats had asked for 6,000 mail ballots , compared with nearly 10,000 for Republicans .
This year , the Democrats in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Republicans fewer than 12,000 .
Democratic ballot requests have more than tripled in Hamilton County as well , leaping from fewer than 17,000 four years ago to about 51,000 in 2020 .
Republicans have gone from about 16,000 to nearly 23,000 .
In other words , the Cincinnati-area Democrats went from about even with the GOP in ballot requests to more than twice as many in a single election cycle .
A Quinnipiac Poll of likely Ohio voters last week showed that 46 % plan on voting in person on Election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ absentee ballot through the mail and 16 % say they will use an early voting location .
2020 election live updates : Biden releases taxes ahead of debate with Trump ; lawyer asks that Michael Flynn not get pardon A Fox News Poll released the same day showed that 59 % of Ohio voters planning to cast their ballot in person favor Trump , while 67 % of those voting by mail support Biden .
Here 's what all these numbers likely mean for the Ohio vote , presuming the race between President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden remains reasonably competitive : • Since counties typically release the count from early voting first on election night , and since Democrats are poised to dominate that vote , Biden almost certainly will jump to a quick lead in Ohio .
• However , the rest of the night will consist of a running accumulation of Election Day votes , which Republicans are expected to dominate .
So by the end of the night , Trump could well have taken the lead .
• Now comes possibly the white-knuckle part .
Once @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the secretary of state 's office will announce how many outstanding mail ballots remain .
Under longstanding state law , ballots that are postmarked before Election Day are added to the total if they arrive within 10 days after the election .
No interim counts will be announced during that 10-day period , meaning the nation may not know who won Ohio until mid-November .
Even then , the result wo n't become official until elections boards certify the results .
Roll in the possibility of lawsuits and a recount and you see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eyes .
Of course , if the presidential election is already resolved in other states , few will remember the possible anguish over the Ohio count .
But the real fear is that many other states also may wind up with inconclusive results as mail ballots flow in several days after voters have made their decision .
The Wall Street Journal reported that as of Thursday , more than 65.3 million voters had requested absentee ballots across 31 states and the District of Columbia .
A survey by The Journal and NBC News @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden voters nationwide plan to vote by mail , compared with 11 % of Trump backers .
Around the US : Wisconsin likely wo n't have presidential results on election night Trump , who has made numerous unsupported allegations of widespread fraud with mail voting , has indicated he may not stand for a delay in declaring a winner .
“ I could be leading , and then they ’ ll just keep getting ballots and ballots and ballots and ballots , ” Trump complained Friday night in a Virginia campaign rally .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , six , seven states that have this problem .
So if we ’ re waiting for one state , does that mean the whole nation , the whole world is going to wait for one state ?
” Biden told NBC News , `` This is a typical Trump distraction — he 's trying to make everybody wonder whether or not the election will be legit . ''
Ohioans have already asked for more absentee ballots this year than in all of the 2016 general election .
Nearly 1.8 million requests were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fewer than 1.3 million for the entire early voting period four years ago .
An analysis by the Ohio USA TODAY Network of the state 's seven largest counties — which have a combined 62 percent of the early ballot requests — shows the demand essentially double what it was four years ago at this time .
And that demand is driven by Democrats .
In 2016 , 28 % of Franklin County 's absentee ballot requests at this point had come from Democrats , versus 23 % from Republicans .
In 2020 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to 35 % , while the GOP 's plummeted to 11 % .
Voters not affiliated with either party make the most requests .
Despite Trump ’ s frequent attacks on mail-in voting , his Ohio campaign is urging Republicans to vote early .
Democrats are pleased with their big lead , but they aren ’ t sure what it means yet for the outcome of the election .
Caleb Faux , a Hamilton County Democratic Party official and member of the Board of Elections , said it ’ s hard to tell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more energized about the election or simply more interested in voting early .
He and other Democrats also are worried about the risks of mail-in absentee ballots : A small percentage goes uncounted every election because of missed deadlines , post office errors and mistakes by voters when they filled out their ballots .
“ That is a little concerning , ” Faux said .
“ We ’ ve been trying to make sure people are aware of what they need to do .
”

Darrel Rowland, Rick Rouan and Dan Horn, Ohio USA TODAY Network

Ohio Democrats dominating absentee ballot requests, possibly creating election night angst
Show Caption Hide Caption Elections 2020: Mail-in voting could decide next president Many states are planning on drastically different elections this year and mail-in ballots could be a big game changer. Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
COLUMBUS, Ohio — A tsunami of Democrats seeking ballots through the mail in this pandemic-plagued presidential election year is upending the very dynamics of voting in Ohio.
The impact of the ground-shaking change shows up in two major ways:
The outcome of the presidential race in the bellwether Buckeye State appears even more unpredictable than usual.
Ohio could be among the states where election fraud is alleged simply because the leader in the presidential vote could shift dramatically on election night and possibly shift back a week-and-a-half later.
Before COVID-19 hit, more Ohio Republicans than Democrats voted by mail, generally speaking. Democrats favored voting early in person at their county elections board, or going to the polls Election Day.
Speaker Pelosi:Urges Democrats to win more House seats in the event of Electoral College dispute in presidential election
But in 2020, Democrats are far outdistancing GOP voters in requesting absentee ballots.
For example, at this point in the 2016 election, Stark County Democrats had asked for 6,000 mail ballots, compared with nearly 10,000 for Republicans.
This year, the Democrats in the area have sought more than 19,000, the Republicans fewer than 12,000.
Democratic ballot requests have more than tripled in Hamilton County as well, leaping from fewer than 17,000 four years ago to about 51,000 in 2020. Republicans have gone from about 16,000 to nearly 23,000.
In other words, the Cincinnati-area Democrats went from about even with the GOP in ballot requests to more than twice as many in a single election cycle.
A Quinnipiac Poll of likely Ohio voters last week showed that 46% plan on voting in person on Election Day, 35% foresee casting an absentee ballot through the mail and 16% say they will use an early voting location.
2020 election live updates: Biden releases taxes ahead of debate with Trump; lawyer asks that Michael Flynn not get pardon
A Fox News Poll released the same day showed that 59% of Ohio voters planning to cast their ballot in person favor Trump, while 67% of those voting by mail support Biden.
Here's what all these numbers likely mean for the Ohio vote, presuming the race between President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden remains reasonably competitive:
Since counties typically release the count from early voting first on election night, and since Democrats are poised to dominate that vote, Biden almost certainly will jump to a quick lead in Ohio. However, the rest of the night will consist of a running accumulation of Election Day votes, which Republicans are expected to dominate. So by the end of the night, Trump could well have taken the lead. Now comes possibly the white-knuckle part. Once the Election Day totals are finalized, the secretary of state's office will announce how many outstanding mail ballots remain. Under longstanding state law, ballots that are postmarked before Election Day are added to the total if they arrive within 10 days after the election.
No interim counts will be announced during that 10-day period, meaning the nation may not know who won Ohio until mid-November. Even then, the result won't become official until elections boards certify the results. Roll in the possibility of lawsuits and a recount and you see why elections officials are aging before our eyes.
Of course, if the presidential election is already resolved in other states, few will remember the possible anguish over the Ohio count. But the real fear is that many other states also may wind up with inconclusive results as mail ballots flow in several days after voters have made their decision.
The Wall Street Journal reported that as of Thursday, more than 65.3 million voters had requested absentee ballots across 31 states and the District of Columbia.
A survey by The Journal and NBC News last week showed that 47% of Biden voters nationwide plan to vote by mail, compared with 11% of Trump backers.
Around the US: Wisconsin likely won't have presidential results on election night
Trump, who has made numerous unsupported allegations of widespread fraud with mail voting, has indicated he may not stand for a delay in declaring a winner.
“I could be leading, and then they’ll just keep getting ballots and ballots and ballots and ballots,” Trump complained Friday night in a Virginia campaign rally.
“They’re talking about five, six, seven states that have this problem. So if we’re waiting for one state, does that mean the whole nation, the whole world is going to wait for one state?”
Biden told NBC News, "This is a typical Trump distraction — he's trying to make everybody wonder whether or not the election will be legit."
Ohioans have already asked for more absentee ballots this year than in all of the 2016 general election. Nearly 1.8 million requests were submitted by Sept. 18, compared with fewer than 1.3 million for the entire early voting period four years ago.
An analysis by the Ohio USA TODAY Network of the state's seven largest counties — which have a combined 62 percent of the early ballot requests — shows the demand essentially double what it was four years ago at this time.
And that demand is driven by Democrats. In 2016, 28% of Franklin County's absentee ballot requests at this point had come from Democrats, versus 23% from Republicans. In 2020, the Democrats' share has climbed to 35%, while the GOP's plummeted to 11%.
Voters not affiliated with either party make the most requests.
Despite Trump’s frequent attacks on mail-in voting, his Ohio campaign is urging Republicans to vote early.
Democrats are pleased with their big lead, but they aren’t sure what it means yet for the outcome of the election. Caleb Faux, a Hamilton County Democratic Party official and member of the Board of Elections, said it’s hard to tell whether the higher numbers show Democrats are more energized about the election or simply more interested in voting early.
He and other Democrats also are worried about the risks of mail-in absentee ballots: A small percentage goes uncounted every election because of missed deadlines, post office errors and mistakes by voters when they filled out their ballots.
“That is a little concerning,” Faux said. “We’ve been trying to make sure people are aware of what they need to do.”


usatoday--2020-09-29--Biden blasts Facebook over Trump posts, voting misinformation before presidential debate

Joe Biden is putting pressure on Facebook to take down President Trump ’ s posts containing voting misinformation as the two prepare to face each other in the first presidential debate .
In a letter to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Monday , the Biden campaign accused the social media giant of regressing in its mission to aggressively fight misinformation about the 2020 election by not barring posts from the president that misrepresent the voting process .
At issue are statements by the president that cast doubt on the legitimacy of mail-in ballots .
“ Facebook ’ s continued promise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than an excuse for inaction , ” according to the letter obtained by news service Axios .
“ Your platform is the nation ’ s foremost propagator of disinformation about the voting process.
” Facebook , which has taken fire from both sides of the aisle , responded with a written statement .
Poll worker shortage : Facebook says its campaign helped recruit 100,000 poll workers '' While many Republicans think we should take one course , many Democrats think we should do the exact opposite .
We ’ ve faced criticism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Democrats for not taking more steps to restrict the exact same content , ” the statement reads .
“ We have rules in place to protect the integrity of the election and free expression , and we will continue to apply them impartially . ''
This isn ’ t the first time the Biden campaign has gone after Facebook .
In June , it circulated a petition and a letter to Zuckerberg demanding that Facebook strengthen its misinformation policies to hold politicians , including Trump , accountable for spreading falsehoods .
Tech @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deeply partisan debate ahead of the presidential election , with Democratic lawmakers and civil rights leaders calling on them to stem the flow of misinformation and hate speech , while conservatives – including Trump – accuse them of suppressing GOP speech .
Biden demands Trump crackdown : Facebook must crack down on Trump , disinformation ahead of presidential election Save the Children ?
QAnon fabricates pedophile claims against Joe Biden as 2020 election looms Facebook is pulling out all the stops to encourage more Americans to cast their ballots , part of an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ increase turnout during a highly contentious election cycle in which a record number of Americans are expected to vote by mail due to the coronavirus pandemic .
This latest get-out-the-vote drive from a major social media company is a nod to the vast influence these platforms have on American political life and an acknowledgment of the harm from foreign interference and rampant misinformation in previous election cycles .
A major recruitment drive by Facebook to address the coronavirus-caused shortage of poll workers on Election Day has spurred 100,000 people to volunteer to work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ giant told USA TODAY exclusively on Tuesday .
More than 1.7 million clicked on a notification at the top of the Facebook app to sign up with election officials in their state .
Facebook says it estimates that 100,000 people enlisted as poll workers as a result of the campaign which was shown to users in the U.S. over the age of 18 .

Biden blasts Facebook over Trump posts, voting misinformation before presidential debate
Show Caption Hide Caption Trump, Biden line up attacks for heated 1st debate In an election year like no other, the first debate between President Donald Trump and his Democratic challenger, Joe Biden, could be a pivotal moment in a race that has remained stubbornly unchanged in the face of historic tumult. (Sept. 29) AP
Joe Biden is putting pressure on Facebook to take down President Trump’s posts containing voting misinformation as the two prepare to face each other in the first presidential debate.
In a letter to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Monday, the Biden campaign accused the social media giant of regressing in its mission to aggressively fight misinformation about the 2020 election by not barring posts from the president that misrepresent the voting process. At issue are statements by the president that cast doubt on the legitimacy of mail-in ballots.
“Facebook’s continued promise of future action is serving as nothing more than an excuse for inaction,” according to the letter obtained by news service Axios. “Your platform is the nation’s foremost propagator of disinformation about the voting process.”
Facebook, which has taken fire from both sides of the aisle, responded with a written statement.
Poll worker shortage: Facebook says its campaign helped recruit 100,000 poll workers
Trump, QAnon, Russia: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube brace for a turbulent election and post-election cycle
"While many Republicans think we should take one course, many Democrats think we should do the exact opposite. We’ve faced criticism from Republicans for being biased against conservatives and Democrats for not taking more steps to restrict the exact same content,” the statement reads. “We have rules in place to protect the integrity of the election and free expression, and we will continue to apply them impartially."
This isn’t the first time the Biden campaign has gone after Facebook.
In June, it circulated a petition and a letter to Zuckerberg demanding that Facebook strengthen its misinformation policies to hold politicians, including Trump, accountable for spreading falsehoods.
Tech platforms are at the center of a deeply partisan debate ahead of the presidential election, with Democratic lawmakers and civil rights leaders calling on them to stem the flow of misinformation and hate speech, while conservatives – including Trump – accuse them of suppressing GOP speech.
Biden demands Trump crackdown: Facebook must crack down on Trump, disinformation ahead of presidential election
Save the Children? QAnon fabricates pedophile claims against Joe Biden as 2020 election looms
Facebook is pulling out all the stops to encourage more Americans to cast their ballots, part of an unprecedented effort by social media companies to increase turnout during a highly contentious election cycle in which a record number of Americans are expected to vote by mail due to the coronavirus pandemic.
This latest get-out-the-vote drive from a major social media company is a nod to the vast influence these platforms have on American political life and an acknowledgment of the harm from foreign interference and rampant misinformation in previous election cycles.
A major recruitment drive by Facebook to address the coronavirus-caused shortage of poll workers on Election Day has spurred 100,000 people to volunteer to work at polling stations, the social media giant told USA TODAY exclusively on Tuesday.
More than 1.7 million clicked on a notification at the top of the Facebook app to sign up with election officials in their state. Facebook says it estimates that 100,000 people enlisted as poll workers as a result of the campaign which was shown to users in the U.S. over the age of 18.


usatoday--2020-09-30--Coronavirus updates: Illinois Gov. Pritzker enters isolation; Disney parks to lay off 28,000 workers

New York City public schools opened their doors to 300,000 K-8 students Tuesday despite an uptick in positive testing the mayor acknowledged was a `` real concern . ''
`` It should cause us all to be on alert , '' Mayor Bill de Blasio said of a one-day positive test rate of 3.25 % .
`` We are going to fight this outbreak back and are going to move New York City forward . ''
Florida is also loosening restrictions , and students at Florida State University .
celebrated .
Tallahassee police said they had to break up more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weekend after Gov .
Ron DeSantis dropped the state 's COVID-19 restrictions and even encouraged college kids to party .
No further urging needed .
The politics of pandemic continued an unrelenting churn in the nation 's capital , where House Democrats have unveiled a seemingly doomed , $ 2.2 trillion coronavirus relief aid package .
Republicans , who control the Senate , are holding out for a slimmed-down – and cheaper – bill .
And nine months after a 61-year-old man died of a mysterious disease in sprawling Wuhan , China , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1 million .
The New York Times , in reporting the death back in January , noted that the virus had `` put the region on alert , but there is no evidence that it can spread among humans . ''
• The Navajo Nation reported 22 new coronavirus cases on Monday and no additional deaths .
• With Thanksgiving less than two months away , the CDC recommends having small holiday dinner gatherings .
For people who usually travel to visit family , the agency suggests celebrating the holiday virtually .
• @ @ @ @ @ @ @ report 6 million confirmed cases .
📈 Today 's numbers : The U.S. has reported more than 7.1 million cases and 205,000 deaths , according to Johns Hopkins University data .
New case records were set in Kentucky , Montana , Nebraska , South Dakota , Utah , Wisconsin and Wyoming , according to a USA TODAY analysis of Johns Hopkins data .
Record numbers of deaths were reported in Alaska and North Dakota .
Globally , there have been more than 33 million cases and more than 1million fatalities .
📰 What @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in August when Florida made the controversial decision to reopen most schools with in-person instruction .
Many teachers and families braced for a spike in COVID-19 cases .
That has n't happened , according to a USA TODAY analysis .
🗺 Mapping coronavirus : Track the U.S. outbreak , state by state .
This file will be updated throughout the day .
For updates in your inbox , subscribe to The Daily Briefing newsletter .
Some Los An elementary schools to resume in-person learning Some Los Angeles elementary schools will be able to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ second grade under a vote Tuesday by the county Board of Supervisors .
“ As October approaches it ’ s critical that we begin the process of reopening our schools at limited capacity , ” said board Chairwoman Kathryn Barger , according to local reports .
She cited inequities in distance learning that affect the education of low-income , Black and Latino students .
Previously , Los Angeles County officials had said no school campus would be able to fully reopen until November , citing high local case numbers .
Although the county @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it is currently in the state ’ s most-restrictive purple tier .
On the other coast , New York City school ’ s reopening is in jeopardy .
In a news conference Tuesday , Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the most recent rate of positive tests was 3.25 % , the highest since June .
De Blasio has said he will shut down classrooms , which are all supposed to be open by Thursday , if the test positivity rate exceeds 3 % over a seven-day average .
Disney parks to lay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Disney 's park division is laying off 28,000 employees in California and Florida in the wake of the pandemic .
Two-thirds of the planned layoffs involve part-time workers but they ranged from salaried employees to nonunion hourly workers , Disney officials said .
In a letter to employees , Josh D'Amaro , chairman of Disney Parks , Experience and Product , said his management team had worked hard to try to avoid layoffs .
They had cut expenses , suspended projects and modified operations but it wasn ’ t enough given limits on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ park because of social distancing restrictions and other pandemic-related measures , he said .
A sophomore at Appalachian State University in North Carolina died Monday night of COVID-19 complications , a rare fatality in a healthy , athletic teen .
Appalachian State University student Chad Dorrill , 19 , was a high school basketball player and a member of a local track and field club .
His mother posted on Facebook that doctors described Chad as `` the rarest , 1-10,000,000 case.
” “ Chad was just incredibly tired for two weeks and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attacking his body in a way they have never seen before , ” she wrote .
“ If it can happen to a super healthy 19-year-old boy who doesn ’ t smoke , vape or do drugs , it can happen to anyone . ''
As of Monday , at least 3,445 people have died from COVID-19 in North Carolina .
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson promised new training programs to help workers recover from the epidemic 's crushing impact on his nation 's economy .
He said the coronavirus has `` massively @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.K. economy , ” such as increased reliance on online shopping .
The country still needs construction workers , mechanics , engineers , IT experts and lab technicians , he said .
He adds while some jobs would inevitably be lost because of the coronavirus , the government would “ give people the skills to find and create new and better jobs.
” Public elementary schools reopened across New York City on Tuesday for 300,000 students for the first time since March as the city struggled with a bump in positive COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ announced a one-day rate of 3.25 % , although the more-relevant rolling average over seven days stood at 1.38 % .
De Blasio said the uptick was driven by Orthodox communities in Brooklyn and Queens .
He also said the movement to get students back in classrooms would continue , and middle and high schools are scheduled to welcome students Thursday .
Remote instruction has been taking place for about three weeks in city schools .
Tuesday 's reopening comes on the third try – de Blasio twice had to delay opening classrooms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
By week 's end all 1.1 million students are scheduled to have the option of in-classroom learning .
Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza says so far parents of only about half of students are opting in .
The governor of Illinois will be isolating for two weeks after a staffer tested positive for COVID-19 , his office announced Tuesday .
Gov .
JB Pritzker ’ s staff member tested negative on Wednesday during weekly testing for the governor ’ s office , but , after experiencing symptoms , the staff member was tested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pritzker 's office said in a statement .
The staffer had attended events with the governor several days last week .
It was not immediately clear whether the governor had tested negative or if he was experiencing symptoms .
The governor 's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment .
Coronavirus cases in Illinois are trending slightly upward , according to Johns Hopkins University data .
Virginia Gov .
Ralph Northam and his wife , Missouri Gov .
Mike Parson and his wife and Oklahoma Gov .
Kevin Stitt have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gov .
Mike DeWine tested positive , then negative for COVID-19 last month .
The Tennessee Titans announced Tuesday that they would not be holding in-person activities after the team had eight positive COVID-19 tests – three from players , five from staff – following Sunday 's game against the Minnesota Vikings .
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement the positive tests came back Tuesday morning .
The Vikings also are suspending team activities as both clubs follow the league 's protocols on COVID-19 .
The Titans are scheduled to play @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sunday ; the Vikings are to play the Texans in Houston .
`` Out of the abundance of caution , the organization has decided to work remotely today as we follow NFL protocols related to the COVID-19 virus , '' the Titans said in a statement .
`` Several tests have come back positive and ( we ) are working through the process of confirming them .
We will have more information tomorrow . ''
SeaWorld San Diego is moving full-speed ahead with its annual `` Spooktacular '' festivities on weekend evenings through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in late August , is one of the few California theme parks celebrating this year after its neighbors , including Disneyland and Universal Studios , canceled their Halloween events because of COVID-19 .
Halloween events at their Florida parks are canceled as well .
California 's health secretary reported Friday that the state has recently seen an uptick in the number of newly confirmed cases as well as COVID-19-related ER visits and hospitalizations .
SeaWorld is undeterred .
`` Have no fear .
Halloween ’ s still here ! ''
SeaWorld advertises on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all waiting for your family , with new safety procedures to put your mind at ease . ''
Purdue University gave 14 students , including 13 student-athletes , until Wednesday to clear out of their residence hall rooms after being suspended , accused of having a party that violated the university ’ s coronavirus-era Protect Purdue Pledge .
Dean of Students Katie Sermersheim did not name the students , where they lived or which sports the student-athletes play .
Purdue athletics issued a statement saying the 13 are `` out-of-season student-athletes . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the students were among the 801 who had tested positive for COVID-19 on campus since Aug. 1 .
`` We will deal with any such violation with firmness , '' Purdue President Mitch Daniels said .
`` The fact that this episode involved student-athletes can make no difference .
At Purdue , we have one set of rules for everyone.
” A lot of Florida State University students apparently are all-in on Gov .
Ron DeSantis ' decision Friday to drop virtually all coronavirus restrictions across the state .
Tallahassee police say they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than a dozen calls concerning large crowds , some at or near campus .
`` The crowds ranged in size , including one with approximately 700 vehicles and more than 1,000 people '' at an off-campus apartment complex , police said in a statement .
`` Most of the travel lanes were blocked throughout the complex .
Thanks to efforts from TPD ’ s Patrol Bureau and the Leon County Sheriff ’ s Office helicopter , officers were able to safely disperse the crowd . ''
The school issued a warning last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ large gathering on or off campus faced suspension .
DeSantis responded , saying students should be allowed to socialize unimpeded by `` draconian '' threats of suspension or expulsion from Florida 's state universities .
The Russian Direct Investment Fund , a privately held equity firm , has teamed with a leading pharmaceutical distributor in Nepal , Trinity Pharmaceuticals , to supply the mountain nation with 25 million doses of Russia 's Sputnik V vaccine .
The agreement will enable 90 % of population of Nepal to get access to the vaccine , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drawn controversy around the world because it was put in use without Phase 3 trials used to test vaccines on thousands of people .
Details on when the vaccine would become available across Nepal were vague .
Kishor Adhikari , director of Trinity Pharmaceuticals , said his company was `` waiting for results of the final trial of Sputnik V. As soon as the vaccine is approved by Government of Nepal we will make it available for the population of Nepal . ''
House Democrats unveiled a $ 2.2 trillion COVID-19 relief bill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impasse on relief negotiations before the election , though the bill is likely to face opposition in the Republican-controlled Senate if it passes the House .
The bill trims $ 1 trillion from the Democrat 's previous plan , decried as too costly by the GOP .
Many of the benefits previously approved by Congress ran out earlier this year , leaving millions of Americans waiting for urgently needed aid .
The $ 600 federal benefit to unemployment benefits ran out , a loan forgiveness program for small businesses expired , and airlines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the industry expired .
The House could act on the bill as soon as this week .
The Senate is unlikely to act on the legislation , it represents a negotiating point over $ 1 trillion lower than Democrats ' previous proposal .
1 million people worldwide have died in less than a year from COVID-19 In nine months since the first cases were reported in central China , more than 1 million people have died worldwide from COVID-19 .
The news comes as countries around the globe are at very different stages @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nations are tightening some restrictions over fears of a second wave .
Cases in the U.S. are ticking back up after a summer spike that was followed by renewed restrictions and then a decline .
India 's cases have skyrocketed in recent weeks and it may soon become the country with the most infections .
New Zealand appears to have weathered a second cluster of cases .
And South Korea is seeing its lowest case tally since it reinstituted some lockdown measures during a virus resurgence .
Meanwhile , researchers around the globe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for vaccine candidates , but mass vaccinations may not come until at least mid-2021 , a World Health Organization official said Sunday .
• In your inbox : Stay up to date with the latest news on the coronavirus pandemic from the USA TODAY Network .
Sign up for the daily Coronavirus Watch newsletter .
• On Facebook : A lot is still unknown about the coronavirus .
But what we do know , we 're sharing with you .
Join our Facebook group , Coronavirus Watch , to receive daily updates in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the community about COVID-19 .
• Tips for coping : Every Saturday and Tuesday we 'll be in your inbox , offering you a virtual hug and a little bit of solace in these difficult times .
Sign up for Staying Apart , Together .

John Bacon and Jessica Flores, USA TODAY

Coronavirus updates: Illinois Gov. Pritzker enters isolation; Disney parks to lay off 28,000 workers
Show Caption Hide Caption 4 tips to convince kids to wear masks during COVID-19 Here are 4 tips on how to get your kids to wear masks during the coronavirus pandemic. ProblemSolved, USA TODAY
New York City public schools opened their doors to 300,000 K-8 students Tuesday despite an uptick in positive testing the mayor acknowledged was a "real concern."
"It should cause us all to be on alert," Mayor Bill de Blasio said of a one-day positive test rate of 3.25%. "We are going to fight this outbreak back and are going to move New York City forward."
Florida is also loosening restrictions, and students at Florida State University. celebrated. Tallahassee police said they had to break up more than a dozen unruly gatherings over the weekend after Gov. Ron DeSantis dropped the state's COVID-19 restrictions and even encouraged college kids to party. No further urging needed.
The politics of pandemic continued an unrelenting churn in the nation's capital, where House Democrats have unveiled a seemingly doomed, $2.2 trillion coronavirus relief aid package. Republicans, who control the Senate, are holding out for a slimmed-down – and cheaper – bill.
And nine months after a 61-year-old man died of a mysterious disease in sprawling Wuhan, China, the global coronavirus death toll has surpassed 1 million. The New York Times, in reporting the death back in January, noted that the virus had "put the region on alert, but there is no evidence that it can spread among humans."
Some significant developments:
The Navajo Nation reported 22 new coronavirus cases on Monday and no additional deaths.
With Thanksgiving less than two months away, the CDC recommends having small holiday dinner gatherings. For people who usually travel to visit family, the agency suggests celebrating the holiday virtually.
India has become the second country to report 6 million confirmed cases.
📈 Today's numbers: The U.S. has reported more than 7.1 million cases and 205,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data. New case records were set in Kentucky, Montana, Nebraska, South Dakota, Utah, Wisconsin and Wyoming, according to a USA TODAY analysis of Johns Hopkins data. Record numbers of deaths were reported in Alaska and North Dakota. Globally, there have been more than 33 million cases and more than 1 million fatalities.
📰 What we're reading: There was fear in August when Florida made the controversial decision to reopen most schools with in-person instruction. Many teachers and families braced for a spike in COVID-19 cases. That hasn't happened, according to a USA TODAY analysis.
🗺 Mapping coronavirus: Track the U.S. outbreak, state by state.
This file will be updated throughout the day. For updates in your inbox, subscribe to The Daily Briefing newsletter.
Some Los An elementary schools to resume in-person learning
Some Los Angeles elementary schools will be able to apply to resume in-person instruction up to second grade under a vote Tuesday by the county Board of Supervisors.
“As October approaches it’s critical that we begin the process of reopening our schools at limited capacity,” said board Chairwoman Kathryn Barger, according to local reports. She cited inequities in distance learning that affect the education of low-income, Black and Latino students.
Previously, Los Angeles County officials had said no school campus would be able to fully reopen until November, citing high local case numbers. Although the county has seen a turn toward fewer infections, it is currently in the state’s most-restrictive purple tier.
On the other coast, New York City school’s reopening is in jeopardy.
In a news conference Tuesday, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the most recent rate of positive tests was 3.25%, the highest since June. De Blasio has said he will shut down classrooms, which are all supposed to be open by Thursday, if the test positivity rate exceeds 3% over a seven-day average.
— Elinor Aspegren
Global toll: Deaths from coronavirus hit 1 million The worldwide death toll from the coronavirus pandemic has eclipsed 1 million. The milestone recorded by Johns Hopkins University comes more than nine months into a crisis that has forced multitudes to change the way they live, learn and work. (Sept. 28) AP
Disney parks to lay off 28,000 workers in Florida, California
Disney's park division is laying off 28,000 employees in California and Florida in the wake of the pandemic.
Two-thirds of the planned layoffs involve part-time workers but they ranged from salaried employees to nonunion hourly workers, Disney officials said.
In a letter to employees, Josh D'Amaro, chairman of Disney Parks, Experience and Product, said his management team had worked hard to try to avoid layoffs. They had cut expenses, suspended projects and modified operations but it wasn’t enough given limits on the number of people allowed into the park because of social distancing restrictions and other pandemic-related measures, he said.
— Josh Rivera
Appalachian State student dies of COVID-19 complications
A sophomore at Appalachian State University in North Carolina died Monday night of COVID-19 complications, a rare fatality in a healthy, athletic teen. Appalachian State University student Chad Dorrill, 19, was a high school basketball player and a member of a local track and field club. His mother posted on Facebook that doctors described Chad as "the rarest, 1-10,000,000 case.”
“Chad was just incredibly tired for two weeks and little did we know it was secretly attacking his body in a way they have never seen before,” she wrote. “If it can happen to a super healthy 19-year-old boy who doesn’t smoke, vape or do drugs, it can happen to anyone."
As of Monday, at least 3,445 people have died from COVID-19 in North Carolina.
– Elinor Aspegren
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson promised new training programs to help workers recover from the epidemic's crushing impact on his nation's economy. He said the coronavirus has "massively accelerated changes that were already happening in the U.K. economy,” such as increased reliance on online shopping. The country still needs construction workers, mechanics, engineers, IT experts and lab technicians, he said. He adds while some jobs would inevitably be lost because of the coronavirus, the government would “give people the skills to find and create new and better jobs.”
Public elementary schools reopened across New York City on Tuesday for 300,000 students for the first time since March as the city struggled with a bump in positive COVID-19 test results. Mayor Bill de Blasio announced a one-day rate of 3.25%, although the more-relevant rolling average over seven days stood at 1.38%. De Blasio said the uptick was driven by Orthodox communities in Brooklyn and Queens. He also said the movement to get students back in classrooms would continue, and middle and high schools are scheduled to welcome students Thursday.
Remote instruction has been taking place for about three weeks in city schools. Tuesday's reopening comes on the third try – de Blasio twice had to delay opening classrooms because of staffing shortages and other issues. By week's end all 1.1 million students are scheduled to have the option of in-classroom learning. Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza says so far parents of only about half of students are opting in.
The governor of Illinois will be isolating for two weeks after a staffer tested positive for COVID-19, his office announced Tuesday. Gov. JB Pritzker’s staff member tested negative on Wednesday during weekly testing for the governor’s office, but, after experiencing symptoms, the staff member was tested again Monday and confirmed as positive, Pritzker's office said in a statement. The staffer had attended events with the governor several days last week.
It was not immediately clear whether the governor had tested negative or if he was experiencing symptoms. The governor's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Coronavirus cases in Illinois are trending slightly upward, according to Johns Hopkins University data.
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam and his wife, Missouri Gov. Mike Parson and his wife and Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt have all tested positive for COVID-19. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine tested positive, then negative for COVID-19 last month.
– Grace Hauck
COVID-19: How Herd Immunity works, why you still need to wear a mask Without masks and a vaccine, we could reach Herd Immunity from COVID-19, but deaths would skyrocket. We break down the science of it. Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
The Tennessee Titans announced Tuesday that they would not be holding in-person activities after the team had eight positive COVID-19 tests – three from players, five from staff – following Sunday's game against the Minnesota Vikings. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement the positive tests came back Tuesday morning. The Vikings also are suspending team activities as both clubs follow the league's protocols on COVID-19.
The Titans are scheduled to play at home against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday; the Vikings are to play the Texans in Houston.
"Out of the abundance of caution, the organization has decided to work remotely today as we follow NFL protocols related to the COVID-19 virus," the Titans said in a statement. "Several tests have come back positive and (we) are working through the process of confirming them. We will have more information tomorrow."
– Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz and Erik Bacharach
SeaWorld San Diego is moving full-speed ahead with its annual "Spooktacular" festivities on weekend evenings through October. The park, which reopened in late August, is one of the few California theme parks celebrating this year after its neighbors, including Disneyland and Universal Studios, canceled their Halloween events because of COVID-19. Halloween events at their Florida parks are canceled as well. California's health secretary reported Friday that the state has recently seen an uptick in the number of newly confirmed cases as well as COVID-19-related ER visits and hospitalizations. SeaWorld is undeterred.
"Have no fear. Halloween’s still here!" SeaWorld advertises on its website. "It’s all waiting for your family, with new safety procedures to put your mind at ease."
– Morgan Hines
Purdue University gave 14 students, including 13 student-athletes, until Wednesday to clear out of their residence hall rooms after being suspended, accused of having a party that violated the university’s coronavirus-era Protect Purdue Pledge. Dean of Students Katie Sermersheim did not name the students, where they lived or which sports the student-athletes play. Purdue athletics issued a statement saying the 13 are "out-of-season student-athletes." The university also did not say whether the students were among the 801 who had tested positive for COVID-19 on campus since Aug. 1.
"We will deal with any such violation with firmness," Purdue President Mitch Daniels said. "The fact that this episode involved student-athletes can make no difference. At Purdue, we have one set of rules for everyone.”
– Dave Bangert, Lafayette Journal & Courier
A lot of Florida State University students apparently are all-in on Gov. Ron DeSantis' decision Friday to drop virtually all coronavirus restrictions across the state. Tallahassee police say they spent much of the weekend responding to more than a dozen calls concerning large crowds, some at or near campus.
"The crowds ranged in size, including one with approximately 700 vehicles and more than 1,000 people" at an off-campus apartment complex, police said in a statement. "Most of the travel lanes were blocked throughout the complex. Thanks to efforts from TPD’s Patrol Bureau and the Leon County Sheriff’s Office helicopter, officers were able to safely disperse the crowd."
The school issued a warning last week that students hosting or attending a large gathering on or off campus faced suspension. DeSantis responded, saying students should be allowed to socialize unimpeded by "draconian" threats of suspension or expulsion from Florida's state universities.
– Tori Lynn Schneider, Tallahassee Democrat
The Russian Direct Investment Fund, a privately held equity firm, has teamed with a leading pharmaceutical distributor in Nepal, Trinity Pharmaceuticals, to supply the mountain nation with 25 million doses of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine. The agreement will enable 90% of population of Nepal to get access to the vaccine, the companies said. The vaccine has drawn controversy around the world because it was put in use without Phase 3 trials used to test vaccines on thousands of people. Details on when the vaccine would become available across Nepal were vague. Kishor Adhikari, director of Trinity Pharmaceuticals, said his company was "waiting for results of the final trial of Sputnik V. As soon as the vaccine is approved by Government of Nepal we will make it available for the population of Nepal."
House Democrats unveiled a $2.2 trillion COVID-19 relief bill in a longshot push to break the impasse on relief negotiations before the election, though the bill is likely to face opposition in the Republican-controlled Senate if it passes the House. The bill trims $1 trillion from the Democrat's previous plan, decried as too costly by the GOP. Many of the benefits previously approved by Congress ran out earlier this year, leaving millions of Americans waiting for urgently needed aid. The $600 federal benefit to unemployment benefits ran out, a loan forgiveness program for small businesses expired, and airlines warned of mass layoffs as support for the industry expired.
The House could act on the bill as soon as this week. The Senate is unlikely to act on the legislation, it represents a negotiating point over $1 trillion lower than Democrats' previous proposal.
– Nicholas Wu
In nine months since the first cases were reported in central China, more than 1 million people have died worldwide from COVID-19.
The news comes as countries around the globe are at very different stages in managing the outbreaks: Some European nations are tightening some restrictions over fears of a second wave. Cases in the U.S. are ticking back up after a summer spike that was followed by renewed restrictions and then a decline. India's cases have skyrocketed in recent weeks and it may soon become the country with the most infections. New Zealand appears to have weathered a second cluster of cases. And South Korea is seeing its lowest case tally since it reinstituted some lockdown measures during a virus resurgence.
Meanwhile, researchers around the globe continue to make progress on clinical trials for vaccine candidates, but mass vaccinations may not come until at least mid-2021, a World Health Organization official said Sunday.
COVID-19 resources from USA TODAY
In your inbox: Stay up to date with the latest news on the coronavirus pandemic from the USA TODAY Network. Sign up for the daily Coronavirus Watch newsletter.
Stay up to date with the latest news on the coronavirus pandemic from the USA TODAY Network. On Facebook: A lot is still unknown about the coronavirus. But what we do know, we're sharing with you. Join our Facebook group, Coronavirus Watch , to receive daily updates in your feed and chat with others in the community about COVID-19.
A lot is still unknown about the coronavirus. But what we do know, we're sharing with you. , to receive daily updates in your feed and chat with others in the community about COVID-19. Tips for coping: Every Saturday and Tuesday we'll be in your inbox, offering you a virtual hug and a little bit of solace in these difficult times. Sign up for Staying Apart, Together.
Contributing: The Associated Press


usatoday--2020-09-29--Disney parks to lay off 28,000 workers in California, Florida

The coronavirus pandemic 's economic effects have reached the workers of the most magical place in the world .
Disney 's park division is laying off 28,000 employees in California and Florida in the wake of the pandemic .
Two-thirds of the planned layoffs involve part-time workers but they ranged from salaried employees to nonunion hourly workers , Disney officials said .
In a letter to employees , Josh D'Amaro , chairman of Disney Parks , Experience and Product , said his management team had worked hard to try to avoid layoffs .
They had cut expenses , suspended projects @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t enough given limits on the number of people allowed into the park because of social distancing restrictions and other pandemic-related measures , he said .
When will Disneyland reopen ?
: COVID-19 surge keeps California theme parks in limbo “ As heartbreaking as it is to take this action , this is the only feasible option we have in light of the prolonged impact of COVID-19 on our business , including limited capacity due to physical distancing requirements and the continued uncertainty regarding the duration of the pandemic , ” he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for comment .
The California Attractions and Parks Association , which represents popular theme parks , including Disneyland and Universal Studios , called on California Gov .
Gavin Newsom two weeks ago to implement COVID-19 regulations to allow the parks to get back to business .
Disneyland was supposed to reopen on July 17 , but that was postponed as coronavirus cases surged in California during the first half of the summer .
Disney ’ s other theme parks in Florida , Paris , Shanghai , Japan and Hong Kong have been able @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Disney World even adding extra open hours recently .
Contributing : Rasha Ali , USA TODAY and The Associated Press

Disney parks to lay off 28,000 workers in California, Florida
Show Caption Hide Caption Disney World reopens with new safety measures amid COVID concerns As Walt Disney World reopens, here are some new health and safety measures you may see. USA TODAY
The coronavirus pandemic's economic effects have reached the workers of the most magical place in the world.
Disney's park division is laying off 28,000 employees in California and Florida in the wake of the pandemic.
Two-thirds of the planned layoffs involve part-time workers but they ranged from salaried employees to nonunion hourly workers, Disney officials said.
In a letter to employees, Josh D'Amaro, chairman of Disney Parks, Experience and Product, said his management team had worked hard to try to avoid layoffs. They had cut expenses, suspended projects and modified operations but it wasn’t enough given limits on the number of people allowed into the park because of social distancing restrictions and other pandemic-related measures, he said.
When will Disneyland reopen?: COVID-19 surge keeps California theme parks in limbo
Disney World employees: Workers gain access to COVID-19 testing site actors' union requested
“As heartbreaking as it is to take this action, this is the only feasible option we have in light of the prolonged impact of COVID-19 on our business, including limited capacity due to physical distancing requirements and the continued uncertainty regarding the duration of the pandemic,” he said.
USA TODAY reached out to Disney for comment.
The California Attractions and Parks Association, which represents popular theme parks, including Disneyland and Universal Studios, called on California Gov. Gavin Newsom two weeks ago to implement COVID-19 regulations to allow the parks to get back to business.
Disneyland was supposed to reopen on July 17, but that was postponed as coronavirus cases surged in California during the first half of the summer.
Disney’s other theme parks in Florida, Paris, Shanghai, Japan and Hong Kong have been able to reopen to limited capacity, with Disney World even adding extra open hours recently.
Contributing: Rasha Ali, USA TODAY and The Associated Press


usatoday--2020-09-29--Patrick Mahomes and his fiancee announce they're going to be parents

After winning an NFL MVP award two years ago , a Super Bowl last season and signing a historic 10-year @ @ @ @ @ $ 500 million this offseason , can things get any better for Kansas City Chiefs @ @ @ @ @ , the answer is : Yes , it can get better .
Mahomes , who @ @ @ @ @ this summer , is going to be a father .
His fiancee , Brittany Matthews @ @ @ @ @ social media Tuesday , posting a photo of the happy couple holding an ultrasound image @ @ @ @ @ , taking a small detour to the wedding , '' she wrote in the caption @ @ @ @ @ just keeps winning , on and off the field .
He passed for 385 yards @ @ @ @ @ also ran for a score , in a 34-20 victory against the Baltimore Ravens on @ @ @ @ @ Chiefs ' record to 3-0 .

Patrick Mahomes and his fiancee announce they're going to be parents
Show Caption Hide Caption Mahomes is only getting better What I’m Hearing: Mahomes has worked hard during the off season and it shows WhatI'mHearing, USA TODAY
After winning an NFL MVP award two years ago, a Super Bowl last season and signing a historic 10-year contract extension worth more than $500 million this offseason, can things get any better for Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes?
Apparently, the answer is: Yes, it can get better.
Mahomes, who proposed to his longtime girlfriend this summer, is going to be a father.
His fiancee, Brittany Matthews, made the announcement on social media Tuesday, posting a photo of the happy couple holding an ultrasound image.
"Mom & Dad, taking a small detour to the wedding," she wrote in the caption.
Mahomes, 25, just keeps winning, on and off the field.
He passed for 385 yards and four touchdowns, and also ran for a score, in a 34-20 victory against the Baltimore Ravens on Monday night that improved the Chiefs' record to 3-0.


usatoday--2020-09-29--This poodle is ready for Halloween as his owners groom him to look like a skeleton

This poodle is ready for Halloween as his owners groom him to look like a skeleton Zeus the poodle was @ @ @ @ @ look like a skeleton for Halloween .

Owners groom poodle to look like spooky skeleton for Halloween
Zeus the poodle was groomed by his owners to look like a skeleton for Halloween.
USA TODAY, Associated Press


usatoday--2020-09-29--Baby Yoda battles wildfires alongside firefighters

A 5-year-old donated a Baby Yoda doll to firefighters battling multiple wildfires in the Pacific Northwest to thank them for @ @ @ @

Baby Yoda battles wildfires alongside firefighters
A 5-year-old donated a Baby Yoda doll to firefighters battling multiple wildfires in the Pacific Northwest to thank them for keeping everyone safe.
Humankind, USA TODAY


usatoday--2020-09-30--Donald Trump's tax returns have many wondering what they're doing wrong

If a billionaire who has his name on a bunch of golf courses and buildings can get away with paying just $ 750 in federal income taxes in 2016 and just $ 750 again in 2017 , well , anyone cranking out a 1040 on TurboTax has got to be wondering what they 're doing wrong .
It 's a natural question after reading the New York Times ’ extensive report based on President Donald Trump 's tax return data that spanned more than two decades .
The Times obtained the years of records from sources .
Times Executive Editor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ readers that the Times would not make the records themselves public in order to not jeopardize sources who took on personal risk to help inform the public .
The Trump Organization 's attorney was quoted in the Times saying `` most , if not all , of the facts appear to be inaccurate '' based on a summary of the findings by the Times .
Up front , it 's important to note that the president has a decade-long audit battle , one that the Times reported could cost Trump more than $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him .
All is not rosy when it comes to Trump and taxes .
Election 2020 : Can the stock market predict who becomes president ?
The fact that Trump has not released his own tax information , as other presidents have in the past , only adds to the mystery and suspicion that something just does n't smell right .
No doubt , the tax saga will pop up Tuesday during the first presidential debate in Cleveland between Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden .
Even so , you 've got @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rich claiming that the rest of us are n't ?
One of the big roadblock for many everyday people : where we make our money .
If you 're working a job and getting a W-2 form to report wages and taxes that are already withheld , you 're typically paying a higher tax rate on that income than the tax rate you 'd pay if you made a profit by selling a bunch of Apple or Google stock that you held for years .
Investors who buy and sell stocks outside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get an edge when it comes to taxes .
`` A taxpayer whose income is primarily from salary will pay a larger amount in taxes than another taxpayer with similar amount of income that is earned from qualified dividends and long-term capital gains , '' said Sanjay Gupta , dean of the Eli Broad College of Business at Michigan State University .
`` Sources of income matter under our current federal income tax laws . ''
Profits on the sale of stock held more than a year , for example , are taxed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taxes — the rate could be 0 % , 15 % or 20 % depending on your income .
The capital gains tax rates on stock that was sold after being held for less than a year do n't get that favorable treatment ; they mirror the ordinary income tax brackets of 10 % , 12 % , 22 % , 24 % , 32 % , 35 % or 37 % , again depending on your income .
And withdrawals made from a traditional 401 ( k ) plan are taxed at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and losses can add up Trump 's tax returns reflect the income or losses generated from his complex network of businesses .
Some favorable tax rules relating to real estate holdings also play a key part of the picture .
`` It 's a tax on income , not on wealth , '' said James Hines Jr. , a University of Michigan professor of law and economics , as well as the research director of the Office of Tax Policy Research in the U-M 's Stephen M. Ross School of Business .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have income , you do n't owe income tax . ''
The New York Times report , he said , seems to go back and forth between saying the president 's businesses racked up chronic losses but then implying that Trump 's operations had income but manipulated the system to avoid paying taxes .
Hines said both scenarios can not be true .
The businesses either made money or they did n't .
If Trump 's tax situation was triggered by huge business losses , accounting experts agree that the tax system rightly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Hines gives an easily digestible example : Take a supermarket that loses money on bunches of bananas that go bad , but makes money on cereal .
`` You earn $ 1,000 on the cereal and you lose $ 300 on the bananas .
You really only earned $ 700 , '' Hines said .
Of course , it becomes a question if you 're measuring income and the losses correctly .
`` Are we accurately measuring the loss ? ''
Hines said .
The New York Times report indicated the audit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 72.9 million tax refund '' that Trump once claimed , and received , after declaring huge losses .
Lisa De Simone , associate professor of accounting at the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin , said many tax breaks available for business owners are put in place to stimulate risk-taking and innovation .
And Trump 's business dealings would be similar tax-wise .
`` Economically , '' she said , `` he did poorly .
He generated a ton of business losses . ''
“ There ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of tips and tricks that only the wealthy can take advantage of , ” De Simone said .
“ The provisions weren ’ t written to try to help the wealthy get away with things.
” Instead , she said , new businesses can benefit when they ’ re able to deduct early losses from income .
“ You don ’ t have to be super rich in order to claim a business loss , ” De Simone said .
But then again , some delicious tax breaks could , really , only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , say the cost of haircuts .
More than $ 70,000 in business expenses reportedly were claimed as business costs for Trump 's hairstyling during `` The Apprentice . ''
Pro Tip : Do n't try that one when you hop onto TurboTax .
ContactSusan Tompor : stompor @ freepress.com .
Follow her on Twitter @ tompor .
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Read more on business and sign up for our business newsletter .

Donald Trump's tax returns have many wondering what they're doing wrong
Show Caption Hide Caption President Trump's tax return details revealed in New York Times series President Trump paid little to no federal income taxes in recent years, according to the first series of New York Times stories on his tax returns. USA TODAY
If a billionaire who has his name on a bunch of golf courses and buildings can get away with paying just $750 in federal income taxes in 2016 and just $750 again in 2017, well, anyone cranking out a 1040 on TurboTax has got to be wondering what they're doing wrong.
It's a natural question after reading the New York Times’ extensive report based on President Donald Trump's tax return data that spanned more than two decades. The Times obtained the years of records from sources. Times Executive Editor Dean Baquet said in a note to readers that the Times would not make the records themselves public in order to not jeopardize sources who took on personal risk to help inform the public.
The Trump Organization's attorney was quoted in the Times saying "most, if not all, of the facts appear to be inaccurate" based on a summary of the findings by the Times.
Up front, it's important to note that the president has a decade-long audit battle, one that the Times reported could cost Trump more than $100 million if the ruling goes against him. All is not rosy when it comes to Trump and taxes.
Trump's returns: How rich Americans avoid taxes
Election 2020: Can the stock market predict who becomes president?
The fact that Trump has not released his own tax information, as other presidents have in the past, only adds to the mystery and suspicion that something just doesn't smell right.
No doubt, the tax saga will pop up Tuesday during the first presidential debate in Cleveland between Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.
Even so, you've got to wonder: What tax breaks are the rich claiming that the rest of us aren't?
Portfolios or paychecks?
One of the big roadblock for many everyday people: where we make our money.
If you're working a job and getting a W-2 form to report wages and taxes that are already withheld, you're typically paying a higher tax rate on that income than the tax rate you'd pay if you made a profit by selling a bunch of Apple or Google stock that you held for years. Investors who buy and sell stocks outside of a 401(k) plan get an edge when it comes to taxes.
"A taxpayer whose income is primarily from salary will pay a larger amount in taxes than another taxpayer with similar amount of income that is earned from qualified dividends and long-term capital gains," said Sanjay Gupta, dean of the Eli Broad College of Business at Michigan State University.
"Sources of income matter under our current federal income tax laws."
Profits on the sale of stock held more than a year, for example, are taxed at a lower rate than ordinary income taxes — the rate could be 0%, 15% or 20% depending on your income.
The capital gains tax rates on stock that was sold after being held for less than a year don't get that favorable treatment; they mirror the ordinary income tax brackets of 10%, 12%, 22%, 24%, 32%, 35% or 37%, again depending on your income.
And withdrawals made from a traditional 401(k) plan are taxed at ordinary income tax rates.
Business expenses and losses can add up
Trump's tax returns reflect the income or losses generated from his complex network of businesses. Some favorable tax rules relating to real estate holdings also play a key part of the picture.
"It's a tax on income, not on wealth," said James Hines Jr., a University of Michigan professor of law and economics, as well as the research director of the Office of Tax Policy Research in the U-M's Stephen M. Ross School of Business.
"In America, if you don't have income, you don't owe income tax."
The New York Times report, he said, seems to go back and forth between saying the president's businesses racked up chronic losses but then implying that Trump's operations had income but manipulated the system to avoid paying taxes.
Hines said both scenarios cannot be true. The businesses either made money or they didn't.
If Trump's tax situation was triggered by huge business losses, accounting experts agree that the tax system rightly enables a business to deduct appropriate losses.
Hines gives an easily digestible example: Take a supermarket that loses money on bunches of bananas that go bad, but makes money on cereal.
"You earn $1,000 on the cereal and you lose $300 on the bananas. You really only earned $700," Hines said.
Of course, it becomes a question if you're measuring income and the losses correctly.
"Are we accurately measuring the loss?" Hines said.
The New York Times report indicated the audit is over the "legitimacy of a $72.9 million tax refund" that Trump once claimed, and received, after declaring huge losses.
Lisa De Simone, associate professor of accounting at the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin, said many tax breaks available for business owners are put in place to stimulate risk-taking and innovation.
And Trump's business dealings would be similar tax-wise.
"Economically," she said, "he did poorly. He generated a ton of business losses."
“There’s a notion that there are lots of tips and tricks that only the wealthy can take advantage of,” De Simone said. “The provisions weren’t written to try to help the wealthy get away with things.”
Instead, she said, new businesses can benefit when they’re able to deduct early losses from income.
“You don’t have to be super rich in order to claim a business loss,” De Simone said.
But then again, some delicious tax breaks could, really, only be claimed by the Donald. Like, say the cost of haircuts. More than $70,000 in business expenses reportedly were claimed as business costs for Trump's hairstyling during "The Apprentice."
Pro Tip: Don't try that one when you hop onto TurboTax.
Contact Susan Tompor: stompor@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @tompor. To subscribe, please go to freep.com/specialoffer. Read more on business and sign up for our business newsletter.


usatoday--2020-09-30--'Shut up, man': Some of the most memorable debate put downs and quips over the years

WASHINGTON – Candidates often spend days on debate preparations trying to rehearse their talking points , master key topics and anticipate any scenario that might arise .
But often it 's the impromptu zingers that become the defining moments of the debate –and could even make or break a campaign .
Here are a few memorable quips and the context in which they were said : Republican challenger Ronald Reagan 's brusque quip to Democratic President Jimmy Carter after Carter accused the former California governor of starting his political career by campaigning against Medicare .
More : Mock debates ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ are preparing for their first debate in Cleveland 1980 : `` Ask yourself , 'Are you better off now than you were four years ago ? '
`` Reagan asked this question to voters about Carter 's administration during his debate with the 39th president .
Variations of that quote have been used by other presidential candidates since , with a recording of Reagan 's comments even being used against President Donald Trump by Democratic groups this year .
1984 : “ I will not make age an issue in this campaign .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ political purpose my opponent ’ s youth and inexperience.
” Reagan , then running for re-election , humorously turned the concerns that he was getting too old or senile for the job back on Democratic challenger Walter Mondale .
1988 : `` I served with Jack Kennedy .
I knew Jack Kennedy .
Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine .
Senator , you 're no Jack Kennedy . ''
Democratic vice-presidential nominee Lloyd Bentsen dismissed GOP opponent Dan Quayle 's assertion that his political experience in Congress was comparable to John F. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know who voted for it ?
You might never know .
That one !
” Sen. John McCain pointing to then-Sen. Barack Obama while referring to him as `` that one '' became a viral moment online .
McCain was talking about an energy bill that he said was `` loaded down with goodies , billions for the oil companies . ''
McCain noted that Obama voted for the bill while he voted against it .
2012 : “ The 1980s are calling to ask for their foreign policy back.
” Democratic President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after the GOP challenger said Russia was the biggest geopolitical threat facing the U.S. , not Al Qaeda , as Obama had said .
2012 : `` We took a concerted effort to go out and find women who had backgrounds that could be qualified to become members of our Cabinet .
I went to a number of women 's groups and said , 'Can you help us find folks , ' and they brought us whole binders full of women . ''
Romney 's remarks were made at the second presidential debate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` binders full of women , '' went viral online and became a meme .
Then-Republican nominee Trump described Hillary Clinton , the Democratic nominee , as such during the third presidential debate in 2016 .
The phrase , `` nasty woman , '' ended up becoming a viral meme and launched a movement of Democratic women to vote across the nation .

Ledyard King and Rebecca Morin, USA TODAY

'Shut up, man': Some of the most memorable debate put-downs and quips over the years
WASHINGTON – Candidates often spend days on debate preparations trying to rehearse their talking points, master key topics and anticipate any scenario that might arise.
But often it's the impromptu zingers that become the defining moments of the debate –and could even make or break a campaign.
Here are a few memorable quips and the context in which they said it:
2020: 'Will you shut up, man? This is so unpresidential.'
Democratic candidate Joe Biden was exasperated by multiple interruptions by President Donald Trump early in the first debate. As they discussed the open seat on the Supreme Court, Trump continually spoke over Biden, leading to Biden's comment.
2020: 'Don’t ever use the word smart with me. Don’t ever use that word. Because you know what? There’s nothing smart about you.'
Biden said Trump's handling of the COVID-19 crisis meant "a lot more (people) are going to die unless he gets a lot smarter and a lot quicker." Trump reacted to Biden's use of "smarter" by disparaging his opponent's intelligence.
1980: 'There you go again.'
Republican challenger Ronald Reagan's brusque quip to Democratic President Jimmy Carter after Carter accused the former California governor of starting his political career by campaigning against Medicare.
More: Mock debates? Briefing books? How Trump and Biden are preparing for their first debate in Cleveland
1980: 'Ask yourself, "Are you better off now than you were four years ago?"'
Reagan asked this question to voters about Carter's administration during his debate with the 39th president. Variations of that quote have been used by other presidential candidates since, and a recording of Reagan's comments even has been used against President Donald Trump by Democratic groups this year.
1984: 'I will not make age an issue in this campaign. I am not going to exploit for political purpose my opponent’s youth and inexperience.'
Reagan, then running for reelection, humorously turned the concerns that he was getting too old or senile for the job back on Democratic challenger Walter Mondale.
1988: 'I served with Jack Kennedy. I knew Jack Kennedy. Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine. Senator, you're no Jack Kennedy.'
Democratic vice presidential nominee Lloyd Bentsen dismissed GOP opponent Dan Quayle's assertion that his political experience in Congress was comparable to John F. Kennedy's.
2008: 'You know who voted for it? You might never know. That one!'
Sen. John McCain, pointing to then-Sen. Barack Obama while referring to him as "that one," became a viral moment online. McCain was talking about an energy bill he said was "loaded down with goodies, billions for the oil companies." McCain noted that Obama voted for the bill while he voted against it.
2012: 'The 1980s are calling to ask for their foreign policy back.'
Democratic President Barack Obama's poked at Mitt Romney after the GOP challenger said Russia was the biggest geopolitical threat facing the U.S., not al-Qaida, as Obama had said.
2012: 'We took a concerted effort to go out and find women who had backgrounds that could be qualified to become members of our Cabinet. I went to a number of women's groups and said, "Can you help us find folks," and they brought us whole binders full of women.'
Romney's remarks were made at the second presidential debate against Obama. Romney's line "binders full of women" went viral and became a meme.
2016: 'Such a nasty woman.'
Then-Republican nominee Trump described Hillary Clinton, the Democratic nominee, as such during the third presidential debate in 2016. The phrase "nasty woman" ended up becoming a meme and launched a movement of Democratic women to vote across the nation.
Contributing: Bryan Alexander


usatoday--2020-09-30--Biden on Pres. Trump: 'You're the worst president America has ever had'

Biden on Pres .
Trump : 'You 're the worst president America has ever had' Joe Biden and President Trump @ @ @ @ @ the president 's tax returns .

Presidential debate: Biden calls out Trump's tax code
Joe Biden and President Trump joust about tax codes and the president's tax returns.
USA TODAY


usatoday--2020-09-30--Pres. Trump and Biden clash on filling Justice Ginsburg's Supreme Court seat

President Trump and Joe Biden clash on the debate stage over the appointment of a new Supreme Court justice .

Presidential Debate: Pres. Trump and Biden clash on SCOTUS appointee
President Trump and Joe Biden clash on the debate stage over the appointment of a new Supreme Court justice.
USA TODAY


usatoday--2020-09-29--Facebook says its campaign helped recruit 100,000 poll workers for Trump-Biden presidential election

A major recruitment drive by Facebook to address the coronavirus-caused shortage of poll workers on Election Day has spurred 100,000 people to volunteer to work at polling stations , the social media giant told USA TODAY exclusively .
More than 1.7 million clicked on a notification at the top of the Facebook app to sign up with election officials in their state .
Facebook says it estimates that 100,000 people enlisted as poll workers as a result of the campaign which was shown to users in the U.S. over the age of 18 .
Facebook based the estimate on conversion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it has partnered with .
Election officials all over the country have warned of an acute shortage of workers to staff in-person voting sites .
Many poll workers are over 60 and at a higher risk of contracting COVID-19 .
A reduction in the number of poll workers could result in longer lines or fewer polling locations in November , both of which could affect voter turnout .
• North Carolina election officials told Facebook that over 11,000 people signed up from Saturday to Monday morning , with 60,000 people clicking the link @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they need at least 25,000 poll workers this year .
• South Carolina officials told Facebook that 20 % of signups to date over the weekend came from its recruitment drive .
• Iowa told Facebook it saw a 15 times surge in poll worker sign-ups over the weekend .
• Michigan says it had a 12-16 times surge in poll worker sign ups , recruiting 5,000 people on the Saturday that Facebook ran the poll worker notification .
Facebook election turnout : Company says it has already registered 2.5 million Americans to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pedophile claims against Biden as election looms “ Poll worker shortages can mean long wait times at the polls or fewer polling places , which makes it harder for people to participate in the democratic process , so Facebook is doing its part to fill this gap , ” Facebook ’ s vice president of product and social impact Naomi Gleit said in a statement .
The social media giant is pulling out all the stops to encourage more Americans to cast their ballots , part of an unprecedented effort by social media @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contentious election cycle in which a record number of Americans are expected to vote by mail due to the coronavirus pandemic .
Facebook has pledged to register 4 million voters ahead of the November election .
Last week , it said it was more than halfway to its goal , logging 2.5 million registrations from Facebook , Instagram and Messenger users .
This get-out-the-vote drive is a nod to the vast influence these platforms have on American political life and an acknowledgment of the harm from foreign interference and rampant misinformation in previous @ @ @

Facebook says its campaign helped recruit 100,000 poll workers for Trump-Biden presidential election
Show Caption Hide Caption Voter registration day: Here's why your vote matters more than ever Thinking of sitting out the election? Here's why your vote counts. Register, verify your status or request an absentee ballot at vote.usatoday.com. USA TODAY
A major recruitment drive by Facebook to address the coronavirus-caused shortage of poll workers on Election Day has spurred 100,000 people to volunteer to work at polling stations, the social media giant told USA TODAY exclusively.
More than 1.7 million clicked on a notification at the top of the Facebook app to sign up with election officials in their state. Facebook says it estimates that 100,000 people enlisted as poll workers as a result of the campaign which was shown to users in the U.S. over the age of 18.
Facebook based the estimate on conversion rates it calculated from a few states it has partnered with.
Election officials all over the country have warned of an acute shortage of workers to staff in-person voting sites. Many poll workers are over 60 and at a higher risk of contracting COVID-19. A reduction in the number of poll workers could result in longer lines or fewer polling locations in November, both of which could affect voter turnout.
North Carolina election officials told Facebook that over 11,000 people signed up from Saturday to Monday morning, with 60,000 people clicking the link on Facebook. State officials have said they need at least 25,000 poll workers this year.
South Carolina officials told Facebook that 20% of signups to date over the weekend came from its recruitment drive.
Iowa told Facebook it saw a 15 times surge in poll worker sign-ups over the weekend.
Michigan says it had a 12-16 times surge in poll worker sign ups, recruiting 5,000 people on the Saturday that Facebook ran the poll worker notification.
Facebook election turnout: Company says it has already registered 2.5 million Americans to vote
Save the Children? QAnon fabricates pedophile claims against Biden as election looms
“Poll worker shortages can mean long wait times at the polls or fewer polling places, which makes it harder for people to participate in the democratic process, so Facebook is doing its part to fill this gap,” Facebook’s vice president of product and social impact Naomi Gleit said in a statement.
The social media giant is pulling out all the stops to encourage more Americans to cast their ballots, part of an unprecedented effort by social media companies to increase turnout during a highly contentious election cycle in which a record number of Americans are expected to vote by mail due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Facebook has pledged to register 4 million voters ahead of the November election. Last week, it said it was more than halfway to its goal, logging 2.5 million registrations from Facebook, Instagram and Messenger users.
This get-out-the-vote drive is a nod to the vast influence these platforms have on American political life and an acknowledgment of the harm from foreign interference and rampant misinformation in previous election cycles.