usatoday--2020-09-30--Official slams 'completely inaccurate' Trump claim about Philly voting as campaign threatens lawsuit

PHILADELPHIA – At a university sports arena in the heart of North Philadelphia , 67-year-old Sheila McCoy voted 34 days prior to Election Day .
And she didn ’ t vote for President Donald Trump .
This board of elections “ satellite office ” at the Temple University ’ s Liacouras Center is now the stuff of national intrigue .
At Tuesday ’ s debate , Trump said the city had denied access to the facility for his poll watchers .
A day later , Trump 's campaign threatened a lawsuit if it was n't granted access to the locations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out in Philadelphia should concern everyone who promotes election integrity , '' campaign attorney Linda Kern wrote in a letter to Philadelphia commissioners .
`` Philadelphians deserve better . ''
In the space of two hours Wednesday , about four people entered the satellite election office to apply for mail-in ballots .
No signs are posted outside the building to indicate that it is a satellite election office , and most who approached the Liacouras Center were unsure how to gain access to the building .
( Many of the doors were locked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ labyrinth , a dozen poll workers sat idle at folding tables behind Plexiglass with election materials in hand .
“ Everything was aboveboard , ” said McCoy .
“ No one told me who to vote for.
” In fact , McCoy said she was unaware of Trump ’ s comment that “ bad things happen in Philadelphia.
” McCoy said she fell asleep about 30 minutes into the debate .
In the final moments of Tuesday 's debate with former Vice President Joe Biden , Trump claimed that poll watchers were `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ offices in the city .
Trump is making `` completely inaccurate '' statements about these satellite election offices , said Pennsylvania Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar .
More : 'Bad things happen in Philadelphia ' : How Pa. landed in the presidential debate 6 times More : Anti-Defamation League alarmed by increase in 'extremist activity ' around election On Twitter , the president 's son also claimed that poll watchers were `` blocked and kicked out '' of polling locations .
Boockvar noted several inaccuracies in those statements .
Among them , poll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Philadelphia or any county board of elections in Pennsylvania to watch the polls on Election Day .
`` There are no poll watchers yet , '' said Boockvar .
`` They literally do not exist right now . ''
Appointed poll watchers are assigned to watch the polling stations — not county election offices , Boockvar said .
At Philadelphia satellite election centers , citizens can to register to vote , if needed , request a mail-in ballot in-person , receive it , vote , and return it , all at the same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also take their completed mail-in ballots to the satellite offices , and any voter can utilize any of the satellite offices throughout the city .
But Boockvar 's reassurances did little to slow down the Trump campaign , which threatened a lawsuit could be filed as early as Wednesday afternoon if it does not gain access soon .
`` No one questions that Philadelphians are voting at these locations , '' Kerns wrote .
`` Accordingly , the denial to the campaign of watchers lacks any rational basis and deprives the campaign of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' At the Liacouras Center Wednesday , voter Beverly Quintancy said she didn ’ t know about Trump 's remarks and “ didn ’ t care.
” “ I don ’ t listen to that man , ” Quintancy said .
She applied for a mail-in ballot that will be sent to her home , she said .
The process took about five minutes , she added .
Asked about Trump 's remarks , McCoy said the president was only interested in power .
“ Even if he gets reelected , I think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way to get elected again in four years , ” said McCoy .
“ All he cares about is power.
” Ten more satellite elections locations are planned in Philadelphia before the Nov. 3 election .

James McGinnis, Bucks County Courier Times

Official slams 'completely inaccurate' Trump claim about Philly voting as campaign threatens lawsuit
Show Caption Hide Caption PA Secretary of State Responds "Completely Inaccurate" Trump Claims PA Secretary of State Responds "Completely Inaccurate" Trump Claims Bucks County Courier Times
PHILADELPHIA – At a university sports arena in the heart of North Philadelphia, 67-year-old Sheila McCoy voted 34 days prior to Election Day. And she didn’t vote for President Donald Trump.
This board of elections “satellite office” at the Temple University’s Liacouras Center is now the stuff of national intrigue. At Tuesday’s debate, Trump said the city had denied access to the facility for his poll watchers.
A day later, Trump's campaign threatened a lawsuit if it wasn't granted access to the locations.
"The entire debacle that played out in Philadelphia should concern everyone who promotes election integrity," campaign attorney Linda Kern wrote in a letter to Philadelphia commissioners. "Philadelphians deserve better."
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
In the space of two hours Wednesday, about four people entered the satellite election office to apply for mail-in ballots. No signs are posted outside the building to indicate that it is a satellite election office, and most who approached the Liacouras Center were unsure how to gain access to the building. (Many of the doors were locked.)
For those who panned the labyrinth, a dozen poll workers sat idle at folding tables behind Plexiglass with election materials in hand.
“Everything was aboveboard,” said McCoy. “No one told me who to vote for.”
In fact, McCoy said she was unaware of Trump’s comment that “bad things happen in Philadelphia.” McCoy said she fell asleep about 30 minutes into the debate.
In the final moments of Tuesday's debate with former Vice President Joe Biden, Trump claimed that poll watchers were "thrown out" of the seven satellite offices in the city.
Trump is making "completely inaccurate" statements about these satellite election offices, said Pennsylvania Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar.
More: 'Bad things happen in Philadelphia': How Pa. landed in the presidential debate 6 times
More: Anti-Defamation League alarmed by increase in 'extremist activity' around election
On Twitter, the president's son also claimed that poll watchers were "blocked and kicked out" of polling locations.
Does it shock anyone that poll watchers are being blocked and kicked out of voting locations in Philly? We are in court right now! This corruption must end! https://t.co/94d90P7KTW — Eric Trump (@EricTrump) September 29, 2020
Boockvar noted several inaccuracies in those statements.
Among them, poll watchers have not yet been approved by Philadelphia or any county board of elections in Pennsylvania to watch the polls on Election Day.
"There are no poll watchers yet," said Boockvar. "They literally do not exist right now."
Appointed poll watchers are assigned to watch the polling stations — not county election offices, Boockvar said.
At Philadelphia satellite election centers, citizens can to register to vote, if needed, request a mail-in ballot in-person, receive it, vote, and return it, all at the same location, officials said.
Voters can also take their completed mail-in ballots to the satellite offices, and any voter can utilize any of the satellite offices throughout the city.
But Boockvar's reassurances did little to slow down the Trump campaign, which threatened a lawsuit could be filed as early as Wednesday afternoon if it does not gain access soon.
"No one questions that Philadelphians are voting at these locations," Kerns wrote. "Accordingly, the denial to the campaign of watchers lacks any rational basis and deprives the campaign of its right to monitor the process."
At the Liacouras Center Wednesday, voter Beverly Quintancy said she didn’t know about Trump's remarks and “didn’t care.”
“I don’t listen to that man,” Quintancy said. She applied for a mail-in ballot that will be sent to her home, she said. The process took about five minutes, she added.
Asked about Trump's remarks, McCoy said the president was only interested in power. “Even if he gets reelected, I think he’ll try to find a way to get elected again in four years,” said McCoy. “All he cares about is power.”
Ten more satellite elections locations are planned in Philadelphia before the Nov. 3 election.


usatoday--2020-09-30--7 people wounded in shooting outside Milwaukee funeral home as about 100 mourners gathered

MILWAUKEE – Seven people were wounded Wednesday when a car pulled up to a crowd of about 100 mourners gathering for a funeral on Milwaukee 's north side and someone inside the vehicle opened fire .
The victims were all in stable condition at a local hospital Wednesday afternoon , said acting Milwaukee Police Chief Michael Brunson .
He said all are expected to survive .
Brunson asked for the public 's help in identifying the shooter .
Victims ranged in age from 24 to 48 years old and were men and women , Brunson said .
Cedric Guy , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he was in another part of his business when he heard gunshots around 12:45 p.m. '' Once we heard the shots , we called 911 , '' Guy said in a phone interview .
`` We shut everything down .
It just went crazy from there on . ''
Chicago : Man charged with attempted murder in shooting that police say sparked looting Guy estimates the number of mourners at 100 for Braxton Taylor , 26 , the victim of a Sept. 17 homicide .
Taylor was shot to death .
His slaying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to begin at 1 p.m. but was postponed after the shooting outside the funeral home .
`` For the people that got hurt , I 'm just sorry it happened , '' said Guy .
Bri ’ Anna Sutch , Taylor ’ s cousin , arrived at the funeral home around noon for a viewing for the family ahead of the funeral service .
She said she was about to step outside around 12:45 p.m. when she heard four gunshots .
“ I ran downstairs with my daughter to the women ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after that , I heard two or three more shots , ” Sutch said in a phone interview .
“ It just came out of nowhere .
It was scary .
I was just in shock.
” A woman who walked downstairs to the bathroom with a young girl told Sutch she watched her aunt get shot .
The woman went back upstairs to help the aunt while Sutch stayed in the bathroom with her 2-year-old and the young girl .
“ The other little girl was screaming and crying .
I just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sutch said .
“ I went outside , and I saw blood everywhere .
It was blood from the front entrance and all down the sidewalk.
” Sutch said it was sad that family and friends couldn ’ t say goodbye to her cousin in peace .
“ It ’ s just shocking , ” Sutch said .
“ I ’ m home now .
I was so frightened I didn ’ t want to stay.
” Brunson said the Police Department 's prayers go out to the victims and their families `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also said police are trying to determine the motive for the shooting and whether it was linked to Taylor 's homicide .
`` It ’ s the insanity of people solving their problems with guns .
It 's just completely insane , and we 're seeing way too much of that in this community this year , '' Barrett said at the scene .
Barrett noted that shootings in the city had declined in the previous several years until skyrocketing this year .

Meg Jones, Alison Dirr, Ricardo Torres and Jordyn Noennig, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

7 people wounded in shooting outside Milwaukee funeral home as about 100 mourners gathered
MILWAUKEE – Seven people were wounded Wednesday when a car pulled up to a crowd of about 100 mourners gathering for a funeral on Milwaukee's north side and someone inside the vehicle opened fire.
The victims were all in stable condition at a local hospital Wednesday afternoon, said acting Milwaukee Police Chief Michael Brunson. He said all are expected to survive.
Brunson asked for the public's help in identifying the shooter.
Victims ranged in age from 24 to 48 years old and were men and women, Brunson said.
Cedric Guy, owner of Serenity Funeral Home, said he was in another part of his business when he heard gunshots around 12:45 p.m.
"Once we heard the shots, we called 911," Guy said in a phone interview. "We shut everything down. It just went crazy from there on."
Gun sales: After months of pandemic, protests, gun sales surge in Minnesota
Chicago: Man charged with attempted murder in shooting that police say sparked looting
Guy estimates the number of mourners at 100 for Braxton Taylor, 26, the victim of a Sept. 17 homicide. Taylor was shot to death. His slaying is unsolved.
The funeral was scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. but was postponed after the shooting outside the funeral home.
"For the people that got hurt, I'm just sorry it happened," said Guy.
Bri’Anna Sutch, Taylor’s cousin, arrived at the funeral home around noon for a viewing for the family ahead of the funeral service. She said she was about to step outside around 12:45 p.m. when she heard four gunshots.
“I ran downstairs with my daughter to the women’s restroom and then, a few seconds after that, I heard two or three more shots,” Sutch said in a phone interview. “It just came out of nowhere. It was scary. I was just in shock.”
A woman who walked downstairs to the bathroom with a young girl told Sutch she watched her aunt get shot. The woman went back upstairs to help the aunt while Sutch stayed in the bathroom with her 2-year-old and the young girl.
“The other little girl was screaming and crying. I just stayed there until police came,” Sutch said. “I went outside, and I saw blood everywhere. It was blood from the front entrance and all down the sidewalk.”
Sutch said it was sad that family and friends couldn’t say goodbye to her cousin in peace.
“It’s just shocking,” Sutch said. “I’m home now. I was so frightened I didn’t want to stay.”
Brunson said the Police Department's prayers go out to the victims and their families "at this terrible time." He also said police are trying to determine the motive for the shooting and whether it was linked to Taylor's homicide.
Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett called the incident "insanity."
"It’s the insanity of people solving their problems with guns. It's just completely insane, and we're seeing way too much of that in this community this year," Barrett said at the scene.
Barrett noted that shootings in the city had declined in the previous several years until skyrocketing this year.
Contributing: Ashley Luthern


usatoday--2020-09-30--You can get 2 Echo Dots for the sale price of 1 right now

— Recommendations are independently chosen by Reviewed ’ s editors .
Purchases you make through our links may earn us a commission .
By now , Amazon lovers the world over know that life with a trusty , voice-controlled , Alexa-enabled smart speaker is just easier : These handy little devices help to keep households organized , informed and entertained .
If you ’ ve been on the fence about snagging one for your own home or waiting for a price drop to add another to your collection , get thee to your virtual Amazon cart for a two-for-one special @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's sure to knock your socks off .
Need help finding products ?
Sign up for our weekly newsletter .
It ’ s free and you can unsubscribe at any time .
As part of the retailer 's early Prime Day 2020 deals ( shop our favorites here ) , Prime members ( sign up for a free 30-day trial now , then pay $ 12.99 per month ) can add two Amazon Echo Dot speakers , normally $ 49.99 and on sale for $ 39.99 , to their cart and enter coupon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speakers for just $ 39.98 .
Note that you must have two in your cart for the code to work .
That 's $ 60 in savings from what you would normally pay for them at their original price !
Initially , we found the Echo Dot to be lacking in sound quality .
This best-selling third generation model , however , got some pretty sweet upgrades over its predecessors , including an improved speaker .
While it 's still lower audio quality than you 'll receive from a pricier model , like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Thursday , October 22 ) , one reviewer noted that the Dot offered the best sound quality they 've experienced on a smaller speaker of this size .
Aside from being slightly more rotund in size than the Echo Dot 2 , this new-and-improved speaker , which features a light ring , syncs up to your other smart devices , including laptops , tablets , smartphones and more , as well as your smart home devices , including smart light bulbs , plugs , thermostats and more .
All in all , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ offers up easy connectivity and Alexa-enabled features a budget-friendly price point , making it a great starter speaker for those who are newbies to the smart home speaker game .
This deal runs through Monday , October 5 , or while supples last , so snag your two-pack with free Prime one-day shipping whle you can !
Get 2Echo Dot ( Third Generation ) Speakers for $ 39.98 ( Save $ 60 ) The product experts at Reviewed have all your shopping needs covered .
Follow Reviewed on Facebook , Twitter , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and more .
Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time .

You can get 2 Echo Dots for the sale price of 1 right now
— Recommendations are independently chosen by Reviewed’s editors. Purchases you make through our links may earn us a commission.
By now, Amazon lovers the world over know that life with a trusty, voice-controlled, Alexa-enabled smart speaker is just easier: These handy little devices help to keep households organized, informed and entertained. If you’ve been on the fence about snagging one for your own home or waiting for a price drop to add another to your collection, get thee to your virtual Amazon cart for a two-for-one special on the Echo Dot 3rd generation that's sure to knock your socks off.
Need help finding products? Sign up for our weekly newsletter. It’s free and you can unsubscribe at any time.
As part of the retailer's early Prime Day 2020 deals (shop our favorites here), Prime members (sign up for a free 30-day trial now, then pay $12.99 per month) can add two Amazon Echo Dot speakers, normally $49.99 and on sale for $39.99, to their cart and enter coupon code DOTPRIME2PK at checkout to get both speakers for just $39.98. Note that you must have two in your cart for the code to work. That's $60 in savings from what you would normally pay for them at their original price!
Initially, we found the Echo Dot to be lacking in sound quality. This best-selling third generation model, however, got some pretty sweet upgrades over its predecessors, including an improved speaker. While it's still lower audio quality than you'll receive from a pricier model, like the Echo ($99.99, pre-order for Thursday, October 22), one reviewer noted that the Dot offered the best sound quality they've experienced on a smaller speaker of this size.
Aside from being slightly more rotund in size than the Echo Dot 2, this new-and-improved speaker, which features a light ring, syncs up to your other smart devices, including laptops, tablets, smartphones and more, as well as your smart home devices, including smart light bulbs, plugs, thermostats and more.
All in all, it's a small-but-mighty smart choice that offers up easy connectivity and Alexa-enabled features a budget-friendly price point, making it a great starter speaker for those who are newbies to the smart home speaker game.
This deal runs through Monday, October 5, or while supples last, so snag your two-pack with free Prime one-day shipping whle you can!
Get 2Echo Dot (Third Generation) Speakers for $39.98 (Save $60)
The product experts at Reviewed have all your shopping needs covered. Follow Reviewed on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the latest deals, reviews, and more.
Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.


usatoday--2020-09-30--Judge delays release of Breonna Taylor grand jury recordings to protect witnesses, lawyers say

LOUISVILLE , Ky. – A judge agreed to state Attorney General Daniel Cameron 's request for a delay in releasing grand jury recordings in the controversial Breonna Taylor case , initially due by noon Wednesday .
Cameron asked for a one-week extension in a motion filed Tuesday , saying the delay was necessary to protect witnesses ' personal information .
The high-profile case has prompted threats against officials and police officers .
Judge Ann Bailey Smith gave his office a new deadline of noon Friday to submit the recordings .
Stew Mathews , who represents former detective Brett Hankison , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Journal , part of the USA TODAY Network .
Elizabeth Kuhn , a spokeswoman for Cameron , confirmed that Smith `` granted an extension ... to give us proper time to redact specific personal information of witnesses . ''
Cameron 's office wants to `` redact personal identifiers of any named person , and to redact both names and personal identifiers of any private citizen . ''
Kuhn said Wednesday morning that the audio recording is 20 hours long and that the office filed a motion to request additional time `` to redact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ addresses and phone numbers . ''
More : Kentucky AG 's decision in the Breonna Taylor case is being picked apart .
Here 's why .
In response to myriad threats , the Louisville Metro Police Department is `` providing extraordinary protection , '' including up to 400 hours of security each week to protect officers , public officials and their families , according to a motion filed by F. Scott Lewis , attorney for the grand jury witnesses .
Smith ordered Cameron on Monday to include the grand jury recording as evidence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wednesday , 13 witnesses interviewed by the LMPD Public Integrity Unit and the Attorney General 's Office filed a separate motion seeking a limited protective order that would prevent anything included in the public case file from including their names or other identifying information .
The motion cited the `` thousands , if not millions '' of people interested in the case and potential for `` threats to and reprisals against witnesses . ''
Previously : 'Aggrieved ' juror in Breonna Taylor case wants grand jury recordings released , attorney says Attorney for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ everything' Cameron said Monday that he would comply with Smith 's order , but he was concerned it could compromise a federal investigation and have unintended consequences of tainting the jury pool .
Sam Aguiar , a Louisville attorney who has represented Taylor 's family , said Wednesday the move was `` par for the course for Daniel Cameron to blatantly mislead the public . ''
`` He literally told the world two days ago that he 'd comply with the order , '' Aguiar said .
`` Maybe it 's just now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they hear the truth about what happened in the proceedings , will have serious concerns about the integrity of the process .
`` Let 's all hope this stall tactic is n't an effort to buy time and seek a writ . ''
Monday , a grand juror in the case filed a court motion – in a very unusual move – calling for the release of the recording and transcript , along with permission to speak freely about what charges and defendants were not considered .
`` The public deserves to know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an attorney for the grand juror in a news conference Tuesday .
One week ago , the grand jury indicted Hankison on three counts of wanton endangerment but did not bring charges against any of the officers for Taylor 's death .
Hankison 's charges stemmed from shots he fired into a neighboring apartment with three residents .
Cameron 's investigation has sprung leaks and faced intense scrutiny from the public and attorneys for Taylor 's family .
Louisville-based attorney Lonita Baker called for a new special prosecutor to be appointed to present @ @ @ @ @ @ @ groups have called for evidence and grand jury materials to be released to the public in the week since the indictments against Hankison were announced .
More : Experts say Breonna Taylor grand juror 's extraordinary bid to end secrecy is the right move

Darcy Costello, Tessa Duvall and Matt Mencarini, Louisville Courier Journal

Judge delays release of Breonna Taylor grand jury recordings to protect witnesses, lawyers say
Show Caption Hide Caption Breonna Taylor attorney urges grand jury transcript release Civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump urges Kentucky's attorney general to release the grand jury investigation transcript on behalf of Breonna Taylor's family. USA TODAY
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – A judge agreed to state Attorney General Daniel Cameron's request for a delay in releasing grand jury recordings in the controversial Breonna Taylor case, initially due by noon Wednesday.
Cameron asked for a one-week extension in a motion filed Tuesday, saying the delay was necessary to protect witnesses' personal information. The high-profile case has prompted threats against officials and police officers.
Judge Ann Bailey Smith gave his office a new deadline of noon Friday to submit the recordings.
Stew Mathews, who represents former detective Brett Hankison, confirmed the deadline to The Louisville Courier Journal, part of the USA TODAY Network.
Elizabeth Kuhn, a spokeswoman for Cameron, confirmed that Smith "granted an extension ... to give us proper time to redact specific personal information of witnesses."
Cameron's office wants to "redact personal identifiers of any named person, and to redact both names and personal identifiers of any private citizen."
Kuhn said Wednesday morning that the audio recording is 20 hours long and that the office filed a motion to request additional time "to redact personally identifiable information of witnesses, including addresses and phone numbers."
More: Kentucky AG's decision in the Breonna Taylor case is being picked apart. Here's why.
In response to myriad threats, the Louisville Metro Police Department is "providing extraordinary protection," including up to 400 hours of security each week to protect officers, public officials and their families, according to a motion filed by F. Scott Lewis, attorney for the grand jury witnesses.
Smith ordered Cameron on Monday to include the grand jury recording as evidence in the criminal case against Hankison.
Wednesday, 13 witnesses interviewed by the LMPD Public Integrity Unit and the Attorney General's Office filed a separate motion seeking a limited protective order that would prevent anything included in the public case file from including their names or other identifying information.
The motion cited the "thousands, if not millions" of people interested in the case and potential for "threats to and reprisals against witnesses."
Previously: 'Aggrieved' juror in Breonna Taylor case wants grand jury recordings released, attorney says
Attorney for juror: 'The public deserves to know everything'
Cameron said Monday that he would comply with Smith's order, but he was concerned it could compromise a federal investigation and have unintended consequences of tainting the jury pool.
Sam Aguiar, a Louisville attorney who has represented Taylor's family, said Wednesday the move was "par for the course for Daniel Cameron to blatantly mislead the public."
"He literally told the world two days ago that he'd comply with the order," Aguiar said. "Maybe it's just now hitting him that the public, when they hear the truth about what happened in the proceedings, will have serious concerns about the integrity of the process.
"Let's all hope this stall tactic isn't an effort to buy time and seek a writ."
Monday, a grand juror in the case filed a court motion – in a very unusual move – calling for the release of the recording and transcript, along with permission to speak freely about what charges and defendants were not considered.
"The public deserves to know everything," said Kevin Glogower, an attorney for the grand juror in a news conference Tuesday.
One week ago, the grand jury indicted Hankison on three counts of wanton endangerment but did not bring charges against any of the officers for Taylor's death.
Hankison's charges stemmed from shots he fired into a neighboring apartment with three residents.
Cameron's investigation has sprung leaks and faced intense scrutiny from the public and attorneys for Taylor's family. Louisville-based attorney Lonita Baker called for a new special prosecutor to be appointed to present charges in Taylor's death.
Several groups have called for evidence and grand jury materials to be released to the public in the week since the indictments against Hankison were announced.
More: Experts say Breonna Taylor grand juror's extraordinary bid to end secrecy is the right move


usatoday--2020-09-30--After brain-eating amoeba killed 6-year-old boy, it could take months to clean Texas city's water

It may take months for the water in a Texas city to return to normal after a brain-eating amoeba responsible for the death of a 6-year-old boy was found in its supply in September .
Authorities in Lake Jackson said Tuesday that the boil advisory the city is under could last up to three more weeks .
After that , increased levels of chlorine will be pumped through the system to scour through and kill any traces of the deadly microbe , which could take an additional 60 days .
`` The path forward for the citizens of Lake Jackson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's short , '' Texas Commission on Environmental Quality executive director Toby Baker told reporters Tuesday .
Naegleria fowleri is a deadly amoeba that can cause primary amebic meningoencephalitis , according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , an infection that destroys brain tissue and can kill within five days .
More on the amoeba : Texas governor declares disaster after brain-eating amoeba that killed 6-year-old found in city 's water Baker said it was the first time to his knowledge that the amoeba has appeared in public drinking water in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Quality was first alerted Friday evening to the presence of N. fowleri in the Brazosport Water Authority supply .
Environmental officials initially warned all of the system 's users not to use the water , but later said the problem had been narrowed to Lake Jackson 's supply .
Texas Gov .
Greg Abbott issued a disaster declaration for the area on Sunday .
In his statement , Abbott said three of 11 water tests found N. fowleri .
One of the positive tests was at the home of Josiah McIntyre , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contracted the amoeba .
A splash-pad in the city that Josiah visited also had a positive test , and Abbott said the splash-pad has since been closed .
According to the Houston Chronicle , Josiah 's relatives said he was tested for strep , COVID-19 and other diseases when he got sick with a fever , headaches and vomiting , but by the time doctors realized it was N. fowleri , it was too late .
`` We just want people to be aware that it ’ s out there , '' his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during a fundraiser , the Chronicle reported .
Baker said the samples the state has on record from the city 's water supply in the months before Josiah 's death show nothing of concern .
`` So we will definitely be investigating that further , '' he said .
Abbott added that authorities `` want to get to the bottom '' of what happened .
`` It just rips your heart to know the loss of this life , '' Abbott said .
`` This is a total tragedy for Josiah as well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as leaders in the state of Texas , must seize upon the strategy to make sure this never happens again . ''
Authorities were working to provide free drinking water for residents of the city , and Abbott said in a statement that the Texas Division of Emergency Management had set up a pickup location where residents could get one free case of drinking water a day .
Some private businesses were also providing free water , Abbott added .
N. fowleri and warm weather : Diseases like West Nile , EEE and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ change Dr. John Hellerstedt , commissioner of the state 's health services department , assuaged any fears that the amoeba could persist in the city 's water system .
`` The risk is vanishingly small , '' Hellerstedt said .
`` There 's just not going to be a chance that the water is going to contain this amoeba in the public water system after they finish the kinds of remediation efforts that they put forward . ''
The CDC says N. fowleri is commonly found in lakes in the South , especially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from it is rare , with only 34 documented cases in the U.S. from 2009 to 2018 .
Those who do get sick are generally infected through their nose after swimming or diving in warm freshwater .
The CDC says N. fowleri also can spread via inadequately chlorinated swimming pool water or contaminated tap water .
An infection can not occur from swallowing infected water , the CDC says .
The microbe can cause symptoms similar to bacterial meningitis , including headaches , fever , nausea and vomiting , making an initial diagnosis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infection progresses rapidly , eventually causing neck stiffness , seizures , hallucinations and coma .

After brain-eating amoeba killed 6-year-old boy, it could take months to clean Texas city's water
Show Caption Hide Caption Months before Texas water system rid of parasite Texas officials say it could be months before a city water supply is purged of a deadly parasite. A boil water notice in Lake Jackson could be in place for three more weeks, and using chlorine to scour the entire system could take 60 more days. (Sept. 29) AP
It may take months for the water in a Texas city to return to normal after a brain-eating amoeba responsible for the death of a 6-year-old boy was found in its supply in September.
Authorities in Lake Jackson said Tuesday that the boil advisory the city is under could last up to three more weeks. After that, increased levels of chlorine will be pumped through the system to scour through and kill any traces of the deadly microbe, which could take an additional 60 days.
"The path forward for the citizens of Lake Jackson is not going to be one that's short," Texas Commission on Environmental Quality executive director Toby Baker told reporters Tuesday.
Naegleria fowleri is a deadly amoeba that can cause primary amebic meningoencephalitis, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an infection that destroys brain tissue and can kill within five days.
More on the amoeba: Texas governor declares disaster after brain-eating amoeba that killed 6-year-old found in city's water
Baker said it was the first time to his knowledge that the amoeba has appeared in public drinking water in Texas.
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality was first alerted Friday evening to the presence of N. fowleri in the Brazosport Water Authority supply. Environmental officials initially warned all of the system's users not to use the water, but later said the problem had been narrowed to Lake Jackson's supply.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued a disaster declaration for the area on Sunday. In his statement, Abbott said three of 11 water tests found N. fowleri.
One of the positive tests was at the home of Josiah McIntyre, the 6-year-old who died Sept. 8 after he contracted the amoeba. A splash-pad in the city that Josiah visited also had a positive test, and Abbott said the splash-pad has since been closed.
According to the Houston Chronicle, Josiah's relatives said he was tested for strep, COVID-19 and other diseases when he got sick with a fever, headaches and vomiting, but by the time doctors realized it was N. fowleri, it was too late.
"We just want people to be aware that it’s out there," his grandmother, Natalie McIntyre, said Saturday during a fundraiser, the Chronicle reported.
Baker said the samples the state has on record from the city's water supply in the months before Josiah's death show nothing of concern. "So we will definitely be investigating that further," he said.
Abbott added that authorities "want to get to the bottom" of what happened.
"It just rips your heart to know the loss of this life," Abbott said. "This is a total tragedy for Josiah as well as his family. But we, as leaders in the state of Texas, must seize upon the strategy to make sure this never happens again."
Authorities were working to provide free drinking water for residents of the city, and Abbott said in a statement that the Texas Division of Emergency Management had set up a pickup location where residents could get one free case of drinking water a day. Some private businesses were also providing free water, Abbott added.
N. fowleri and warm weather: Diseases like West Nile, EEE and flesh-eating bacteria are flourishing due to climate change
Dr. John Hellerstedt, commissioner of the state's health services department, assuaged any fears that the amoeba could persist in the city's water system.
"The risk is vanishingly small," Hellerstedt said. "There's just not going to be a chance that the water is going to contain this amoeba in the public water system after they finish the kinds of remediation efforts that they put forward."
The CDC says N. fowleri is commonly found in lakes in the South, especially in the summer, but getting sick from it is rare, with only 34 documented cases in the U.S. from 2009 to 2018. Those who do get sick are generally infected through their nose after swimming or diving in warm freshwater. The CDC says N. fowleri also can spread via inadequately chlorinated swimming pool water or contaminated tap water.
An infection cannot occur from swallowing infected water, the CDC says.
The microbe can cause symptoms similar to bacterial meningitis, including headaches, fever, nausea and vomiting, making an initial diagnosis challenging, the CDC says. The infection progresses rapidly, eventually causing neck stiffness, seizures, hallucinations and coma.
Contributing: The Associated Press
Follow USA TODAY's Ryan Miller on Twitter @RyanW_Miller


usatoday--2020-09-30--This new 'Iron Man' style jet suit could help paramedics save lives

This new 'Iron Man ' style jet suit could help paramedics save lives A mountain ambulance service in England is @ @ @ @ @ would allow paramedics to fly to patients in remote locations in just minutes .

'Iron Man' jet suit could help paramedics save lives in minutes
A mountain ambulance service in England is testing a jet suit that would allow paramedics to fly to patients in remote locations in just minutes.
USA TODAY


usatoday--2020-09-30--Debate fact check: Where Biden, Trump land on COVID-19, campaigning, law and order, more

The first 2020 presidential debate between President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden brought a lot of shouting , tense exchanges and insults .
Amid that , their answers to moderator Chris Wallace 's questions included some truths , misleading statements and flat-out falsehoods .
Here 's a look at some of the flashpoints : When the coronavirus came up , Biden accused Trump of not having a plan .
Trump noted that even Dr. Anthony Fauci , the nation 's leading infectious disease specialist , had said his approach had saved thousands of lives .
That is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told a House panel that Trump 's actions early in the pandemic , like travel restrictions , did save lives .
But many other experts have faulted Trump for his administration 's failure to develop a national testing strategy and for the president 's mixed messages on the virus ' severity .
Trump also pointed out that Democratic governors had praised his response , saying he 'd done a `` phenomenal job . ''
While they may not have used those exact words , it is true that governors , including New York @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Gavin Newsom , thanked the White House early in the pandemic for being responsive .
The president then criticized the Obama administration 's handling of the swine flu .
`` Well , you didn ’ t do very well in swine flu .
H1N1 , you were a disaster , '' Trump said .
But that is not a fair comparison .
The 2009 swine flu pandemic infected an estimated 60.8 million people in its first year , according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , versus about 7.2 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the H1N1 pandemic in 2009 caused a stir , even shutting down some schools .
However , the comparison lacks important context about the severity of each virus .
While the swine flu spread easily , the virus had only a fraction of the fatality rate of COVID-19 .
Biden pointed out the president encouraged people to ingest bleach .
Trump said he made that remark as a joke .
Amid the COVID-19 portion of the debate , the use of masks came up .
Trump pointed out that Fauci at first said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his mind .
That is partially true .
Early in the pandemic , Fauci and other public health officials discouraged the use of masks , saying they should be reserved for health workers .
By April , the CDC had changed its guidance , recommending that Americans wear at least cloth masks when in public .
Fauci has said his initial recommendation was based on the scientific understanding of the virus at that time and concerns about a shortage of personal protective equipment for those on the front lines .
`` We were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we have a serious problem with the lack of PPEs and masks for the health providers who are putting themselves in harm ’ s way every day to take care of sick people , '' Fauci said in an interview in July .
“ When it became clear that the infection could be spread by asymptomatic carriers who don ’ t know they ’ re infected , that made it very clear that we had to strongly recommend masks . ''
Biden and Trump argued over campaign rallies , with Biden hitting the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic .
Trump said his rallies have had no adverse effects .
“ We ’ ve had no negative effect , and we ’ ve had 35 , 40,000 people at these rallies.
” That is not true .
His first campaign rally after the pandemic started was in June in Tulsa , Oklahoma .
Tulsa 's top health official said that event was `` likely '' a contributing factor in an ensuing surge of cases in the city .
Former GOP candidate Herman Cain attended that rally and later died of COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's events , the president 's assertion is n't even close .
The Tulsa event had just over 6,000 people .
Events since then have had an average attendance of 7,000 to 9,000 people .
Trump said the former vice president couldn ’ t get a crowd at his rallies .
In fact , Biden ’ s campaign has kept events intentionally small to prevent coronavirus infections .
More : Trump rallies 2.0 : Behind the curtain at the president 's campaign events in the COVID-19 era Did Biden describe the military as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ misleading .
In a 2016 visit to an air base near Abu Dhabi , United Arab Emirates , Lt. Karen Johnson – a native of Wilmington , Delaware – introduced Biden to the rest of the troops , per a video from The Washington Examiner .
`` Notwithstanding what you may hear about me , I have incredibly good judgment , '' Biden remarks in the video .
`` One , I married Jill .
And two , I appointed Johnson to the academy , I just want you to know that .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Biden encouraged the troops to clap for Johnson in part by calling them `` stupid bastards . ''
Once they began to applaud , he continued , `` Man , you are a dull bunch .
Must be slow here , man . ''
Andrew Bates , a spokesman for his campaign , said it was a joke .
“ Vice President Biden was jokingly encouraging the audience to clap for an airwoman on the stage , and a number of service members can be seen laughing and smiling at the comment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for 'the incredible sacrifices ( they ) make for our country , ’ ” Bates told The Daily Beast .
Where did Biden go to college ?
Trump said Biden has misstated where he went to college , claiming Biden said he went to Delaware State University , the state 's only historically Black college .
This past week , conservative media outlets reported that Biden falsely said he attended Delaware State .
Those reports are incorrect .
The statement made by Biden was taken out of context .
More : No , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Delaware State University Biden said he got his “ start ” at DSU during a town hall in Florence , South Carolina , ahead of the 2019 primaries .
The video clip has been circulating the internet after a reporter from The Washington Times asked DSU officials if Biden ever attended the school .
In the video , the former vice president was not implying that he attended the university but rather referring to the support he received from the school when he announced his bid for the U.S. Senate on the DSU @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Holmes said .
Law and order was a contentious subject at the debate as the candidates sparred over who can best keep Americans safe at a time of national reckoning over police violence against African Americans .
`` Law and order with justice where people get treated fairly , '' Biden said .
`` And the fact of the matter is violent crime went down 17 % , 15 % in our administration .
It ’ s gone up on his watch . ''
More : Donald Trump sidesteps call to condemn white @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 'extremely excited ' about it The Detroit Free-Press found the statistic to be accurate , though only relating to the rate of change in violent crime ; the total number of crimes was about 10 % lower than when Obama took office .
Meanwhile , when Trump was pressed by Wallace on why homicides spiked this summer , Trump claimed `` 53 people were shot and eight died '' and claimed that crime in New York City was up by as much as 200 % .
The president was accurately referencing a Sept. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people .
Statistics from the New York Police Department also show that shooting incidents increased in the city by 177 % in July compared with last year , though other forms of crime were down .
Trump 's claim that violent crime is rising only in Democratic cities , however , is a stretch .
Violent crime has risen in both Republican and Democrat-led cities , according to FBI data and other independent research .
More : Who won the presidential debate ?
Not voters with arguments , attacks , and little substance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the topic of the final segment of the debate .
Trump declared ballots to be “ a disaster , ” saying “ solicited ” ballots – presumably those requested by a voter , often called absentee ballots – are OK. “ You ’ re soliciting .
You ’ re asking .
They send it back .
You send it back .
I did that.
” He followed up with the assertion that other types of mail-in ballots are fraudulent .
He said that in some areas , “ everybody got two ballots.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ true and what 's false about voting by mail in 2020 Though it is common for multiple ballot request applications to be sent out ahead of the election , requesting more than one vote-by-mail ballot and submitting more than one ballot is illegal .
All mailed ballots must be verified to be counted – whether or not they are absentee or mail-in ballots .
The only difference between the terms is the process .
Voters have to request absentee ballots , while voters states with universal mail-in systems do not require registered voters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them automatically .
Several states have voted entirely by mail for as many as 20 years with fraud cases being an extreme rarity , and states have protections in place to ward against election fraud .

Katie Wadington and Matthew Brown, USA TODAY

Debate fact check: Where Biden, Trump land on COVID-19, campaigning, law and order, more
Show Caption Hide Caption Biden, Trump fact checked on COVID-19, violence, campaigning President Donald Trump and Joe Biden clashed over COVID-19, crime and election integrity during the first presidential debate. USA TODAY
The first 2020 presidential debate between President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden brought a lot of shouting, tense exchanges and insults. Amid that, their answers to moderator Chris Wallace's questions included some truths, misleading statements and flat-out falsehoods.
Here's a look at some of the flashpoints:
On the coronavirus pandemic
When the coronavirus came up, Biden accused Trump of not having a plan. Trump noted that even Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's leading infectious disease specialist, had said his approach had saved thousands of lives.
That is true. On July 31, Fauci told a House panel that Trump's actions early in the pandemic, like travel restrictions, did save lives. But many other experts have faulted Trump for his administration's failure to develop a national testing strategy and for the president's mixed messages on the virus' severity.
Trump also pointed out that Democratic governors had praised his response, saying he'd done a "phenomenal job." While they may not have used those exact words, it is true that governors, including New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and California Gov. Gavin Newsom, thanked the White House early in the pandemic for being responsive.
The president then criticized the Obama administration's handling of the swine flu.
"Well, you didn’t do very well in swine flu. H1N1, you were a disaster," Trump said.
But that is not a fair comparison.
The 2009 swine flu pandemic infected an estimated 60.8 million people in its first year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, versus about 7.2 million COVID-19 cases confirmed in the U.S. And the H1N1 pandemic in 2009 caused a stir, even shutting down some schools. However, the comparison lacks important context about the severity of each virus. While the swine flu spread easily, the virus had only a fraction of the fatality rate of COVID-19.
Biden pointed out the president encouraged people to ingest bleach. Trump said he made that remark as a joke.
Amid the COVID-19 portion of the debate, the use of masks came up. Trump pointed out that Fauci at first said masks were no good, then changed his mind.
That is partially true. Early in the pandemic, Fauci and other public health officials discouraged the use of masks, saying they should be reserved for health workers.
By April, the CDC had changed its guidance, recommending that Americans wear at least cloth masks when in public.
Fauci has said his initial recommendation was based on the scientific understanding of the virus at that time and concerns about a shortage of personal protective equipment for those on the front lines.
"We were told in our task force meetings that we have a serious problem with the lack of PPEs and masks for the health providers who are putting themselves in harm’s way every day to take care of sick people," Fauci said in an interview in July. “When it became clear that the infection could be spread by asymptomatic carriers who don’t know they’re infected, that made it very clear that we had to strongly recommend masks."
Presidential Debate: Trump and Biden argue their stances on COVID-19 President Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden argue what to do about COVID-19 and the pandemic at the first 2020 presidential debate. USA TODAY
More: How the CDC failed public health officials fighting the coronavirus
On campaign rallies
Biden and Trump argued over campaign rallies, with Biden hitting the president over holding large events amid the pandemic. Trump said his rallies have had no adverse effects.
“We’ve had no negative effect, and we’ve had 35, 40,000 people at these rallies.”
That is not true.
His first campaign rally after the pandemic started was in June in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Tulsa's top health official said that event was "likely" a contributing factor in an ensuing surge of cases in the city. Former GOP candidate Herman Cain attended that rally and later died of COVID-19.
As for crowd size at Trump's events, the president's assertion isn't even close. The Tulsa event had just over 6,000 people. Events since then have had an average attendance of 7,000 to 9,000 people.
Trump said the former vice president couldn’t get a crowd at his rallies. In fact, Biden’s campaign has kept events intentionally small to prevent coronavirus infections.
More: Trump rallies 2.0: Behind the curtain at the president's campaign events in the COVID-19 era
Did Biden describe the military as ‘stupid bastards’?
That is misleading. In a 2016 visit to an air base near Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Lt. Karen Johnson – a native of Wilmington, Delaware – introduced Biden to the rest of the troops, per a video from The Washington Examiner.
"Notwithstanding what you may hear about me, I have incredibly good judgment," Biden remarks in the video. "One, I married Jill. And two, I appointed Johnson to the academy, I just want you to know that."
After that remark, expecting applause, Biden encouraged the troops to clap for Johnson in part by calling them "stupid bastards." Once they began to applaud, he continued, "Man, you are a dull bunch. Must be slow here, man."
More: Fact check: Joe Biden called troops 'stupid bastards,' but only 'jokingly'
Andrew Bates, a spokesman for his campaign, said it was a joke.
“Vice President Biden was jokingly encouraging the audience to clap for an airwoman on the stage, and a number of service members can be seen laughing and smiling at the comment. Seconds before, he praised them for 'the incredible sacrifices (they) make for our country,’” Bates told The Daily Beast.
Where did Biden go to college?
Trump said Biden has misstated where he went to college, claiming Biden said he went to Delaware State University, the state's only historically Black college.
This past week, conservative media outlets reported that Biden falsely said he attended Delaware State. Those reports are incorrect. The statement made by Biden was taken out of context.
More: No, Joe Biden did not say he attended Delaware State University
Biden said he got his “start” at DSU during a town hall in Florence, South Carolina, ahead of the 2019 primaries. The video clip has been circulating the internet after a reporter from The Washington Times asked DSU officials if Biden ever attended the school.
In the video, the former vice president was not implying that he attended the university but rather referring to the support he received from the school when he announced his bid for the U.S. Senate on the DSU campus in 1972, university spokesman Carlos Holmes said.
On crime
Law and order was a contentious subject at the debate as the candidates sparred over who can best keep Americans safe at a time of national reckoning over police violence against African Americans.
"Law and order with justice where people get treated fairly," Biden said. "And the fact of the matter is violent crime went down 17%, 15% in our administration. It’s gone up on his watch."
More: Donald Trump sidesteps call to condemn white supremacists — and the Proud Boys were 'extremely excited' about it
The Detroit Free-Press found the statistic to be accurate, though only relating to the rate of change in violent crime; the total number of crimes was about 10% lower than when Obama took office.
Meanwhile, when Trump was pressed by Wallace on why homicides spiked this summer, Trump claimed "53 people were shot and eight died" and claimed that crime in New York City was up by as much as 200%.
The president was accurately referencing a Sept. 8 shooting in Chicago that killed eight people. Statistics from the New York Police Department also show that shooting incidents increased in the city by 177% in July compared with last year, though other forms of crime were down.
Trump's claim that violent crime is rising only in Democratic cities, however, is a stretch. Violent crime has risen in both Republican and Democrat-led cities, according to FBI data and other independent research.
More: Who won the presidential debate? Not voters with arguments, attacks, and little substance
On election integrity
The safety of voting by mail was the topic of the final segment of the debate. Trump declared ballots to be “a disaster,” saying “solicited” ballots – presumably those requested by a voter, often called absentee ballots – are OK. “You’re soliciting. You’re asking. They send it back. You send it back. I did that.” He followed up with the assertion that other types of mail-in ballots are fraudulent. He said that in some areas, “everybody got two ballots.”
That is false.
More: Fact check: What's true and what's false about voting by mail in 2020
Though it is common for multiple ballot request applications to be sent out ahead of the election, requesting more than one vote-by-mail ballot and submitting more than one ballot is illegal.
All mailed ballots must be verified to be counted – whether or not they are absentee or mail-in ballots. The only difference between the terms is the process. Voters have to request absentee ballots, while voters states with universal mail-in systems do not require registered voters to request ballots. Officials just send them automatically.
More: 2020 presidential voter’s guide to absentee voting
Several states have voted entirely by mail for as many as 20 years with fraud cases being an extreme rarity, and states have protections in place to ward against election fraud.


usatoday--2020-10-01--Trump says economic recovery is V-shaped, Biden says it's a K. Who's right and what does it mean?

The raucous debate between President Trump and former vice president Joe Biden turned into a game of alphabet Tuesday when moderator Chris Wallace asked the two candidates whether the U.S. economy is in a V-shaped or K-shaped recovery from the coronavirus recession ?
Trump said it was a V while Biden said looked like a K. The exchange raised a more basic question : What is a V- or K-shaped recovery anyway ?
A V-shaped rebound is when the economy contracts sharply but bounces back just as dramatically .
Many economists believed this downturn might well be V-shaped because it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the shutdown of restaurants , shops , movie theaters and other businesses , and decimated the airline and hotel industries by chilling travel .
Yet as soon as the outbreak eases and businesses reopen , the economy theoretically can return to its previous output level .
Initially , the recovery did resemble a V. After the U.S. shed 22.1 million jobs in April and May , it recouped 7.5 million in May and June as restaurants and other businesses began reopening in phases .
But job growth slowed to 3.1 million in July @ @ @ @ @ @ @ projected to show 850,000 payroll gains in September .
The totals are expected to dip further in coming months as many restaurants and other outlets operate at limited capacity and many consumers shy away from public gathering spots amid the continuing spread of the virus .
The travel industry remains in dire shape .
And Congress is deadlocked over a new stimulus package to prop up struggling businesses and unemployed workers .
There ’ s also long-lasting damage : Failed businesses , and workers who have been permanently laid off .
Gus Faucher @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Group , doesn ’ t expect the country to recover all the jobs lost in the pandemic until 2023 .
“ It ’ s a solid recovery but it ’ s going to take time to get back to where we were , ” Faucher says .
Another way to assess the rebound is by looking at the nation ’ s gross domestic product – the sum of all goods and services the economy churns out .
After plunging at a record 31.4 % annual rate in the second quarter , the economy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % in the third quarter ( July-September ) .
More layoffs : Disney parks to lay off 28,000 workers in California , Florida But that gain doesn ’ t offset the similar-sized loss because the economy was smaller after the big decline .
Returning to the nation ’ s late 2019 GDP level would require a 54 % surge in output , says Ian Shepherdson , chief economist of Pantheon Macroeconomics .
Faucher estimates the economy will reach that benchmark late next year .
As a result , what started as a V-shaped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a U – a gradual climb back .
Some economists disagree .
Morgan Stanley suggests the U.S. is in a relative V-shaped recovery , estimating it will take 18 months to reclaim its pre-pandemic GDP compared with 30 months in the Great Recession of 2007-09 .
A rebound that resembles a K occurs when some parts of the economy bounce back sharply while others stumble .
That is happening now and in more than one way .
Some industries – like restaurants , hotels , movie theaters and music venues – may continue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – like grocery stores and technology providers such as Amazon and Zoom -- are thriving .
Home sales also have come back to pre-crisis levels on historically low mortgage rates and Americans ’ desire to move to rural and suburban areas less affected by the pandemic .
Another way to look at the economy ’ s split personality is by income level .
Low-income workers in service industries such as restaurants and retail continue to struggle while professionals who can work from home remain largely unscathed .
Wealthy Americans , meanwhile , are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rally from its pandemic-induced crash earlier this year , as Biden pointed out .
So which is it -- V or K ?
It ’ s possible for the recovery to be V- and K-shaped at the same time , Faucher notes , if the strides made by some sectors or workers offset others ’ struggles enough to swiftly lift the economy overall .
But that would be a tough balancing act , and many top economists reckon that ’ s likely not the current scenario as the U.S. continues to claw back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while the recovery is almost certainly K-shaped , it probably wo n't be a V .

Trump says economic recovery is V-shaped, Biden says it's a K. Who's right and what does it mean?
Show Caption Hide Caption Who won the presidential debate is in the eye of the beholder Who won the presidential debate is in the eye of the beholder as Trump and Biden argue, giving little of substance to voters and both claiming victory. USA TODAY
The raucous debate between President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden turned into a game of alphabet Tuesday when moderator Chris Wallace asked the two candidates whether the U.S. economy is in a V-shaped or K-shaped recovery from the coronavirus recession?
Trump said it was a V while Biden said looked like a K.
The exchange raised a more basic question: What is a V- or K-shaped recovery anyway?
A V-shaped rebound is when the economy contracts sharply but bounces back just as dramatically. Many economists believed this downturn might well be V-shaped because it was triggered by a pandemic that forced the shutdown of restaurants, shops, movie theaters and other businesses, and decimated the airline and hotel industries by chilling travel.
Yet as soon as the outbreak eases and businesses reopen, the economy theoretically can return to its previous output level.
V-shaped recovery
Initially, the recovery did resemble a V. After the U.S. shed 22.1 million jobs in April and May, it recouped 7.5 million in May and June as restaurants and other businesses began reopening in phases.
But job growth slowed to 3.1 million in July and August and a report Friday is projected to show 850,000 payroll gains in September. The totals are expected to dip further in coming months as many restaurants and other outlets operate at limited capacity and many consumers shy away from public gathering spots amid the continuing spread of the virus. The travel industry remains in dire shape. And Congress is deadlocked over a new stimulus package to prop up struggling businesses and unemployed workers.
There’s also long-lasting damage: Failed businesses, and workers who have been permanently laid off.
Gus Faucher, chief economist of PNC Financial Services Group, doesn’t expect the country to recover all the jobs lost in the pandemic until 2023.
“It’s a solid recovery but it’s going to take time to get back to where we were,” Faucher says.
Another way to assess the rebound is by looking at the nation’s gross domestic product – the sum of all goods and services the economy churns out. After plunging at a record 31.4% annual rate in the second quarter, the economy is estimated to have grown about 32% in the third quarter (July-September).
More layoffs: Disney parks to lay off 28,000 workers in California, Florida
But that gain doesn’t offset the similar-sized loss because the economy was smaller after the big decline. Returning to the nation’s late 2019 GDP level would require a 54% surge in output, says Ian Shepherdson, chief economist of Pantheon Macroeconomics.
How about a 'U'?
Faucher estimates the economy will reach that benchmark late next year. As a result, what started as a V-shaped recovery is starting to look more like a U – a gradual climb back.
Some economists disagree. Morgan Stanley suggests the U.S. is in a relative V-shaped recovery, estimating it will take 18 months to reclaim its pre-pandemic GDP compared with 30 months in the Great Recession of 2007-09.
K-shaped recovery
A rebound that resembles a K occurs when some parts of the economy bounce back sharply while others stumble. That is happening now and in more than one way.
Some industries – like restaurants, hotels, movie theaters and music venues – may continue to struggle for some time. Others – like grocery stores and technology providers such as Amazon and Zoom – are thriving. Home sales also have come back to pre-crisis levels on historically low mortgage rates and Americans’ desire to move to rural and suburban areas less affected by the pandemic.
Another way to look at the economy’s split personality is by income level. Low-income workers in service industries such as restaurants and retail continue to struggle while professionals who can work from home remain largely unscathed. Wealthy Americans, meanwhile, are benefiting from the stock market’s rally from its pandemic-induced crash earlier this year, as Biden pointed out.
So which is it – V or K?
It’s possible for the recovery to be V- and K-shaped at the same time, Faucher notes, if the strides made by some sectors or workers offset others’ struggles enough to swiftly lift the economy overall.
Smart accounting or fraud?: Trump's tax returns: 5 key takeaways from experts
But that would be a tough balancing act, and many top economists reckon that’s likely not the current scenario as the U.S. continues to claw back from the wreckage of COVID-19.
So while the recovery is almost certainly K-shaped, it probably won't be a V.


usatoday--2020-10-01--Facebook bans ads that seek to delegitimize the election or make false claims about voting

Facebook will ban any ads that seek to delegitimize the outcome of the election , the company said Wednesday .
Rob Leathern , Facebook director of product management , said the policy applies to any ads that make false claims about voting by mail or other methods of voting .
It also bans the use of isolated incidents of voter fraud to discredit the result of an election , Leathern said .
“ These changes apply to ads across Facebook and Instagram , and are effective immediately , ” he tweeted .
The social media giant announced last week that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ declarations of victory .
Organic posts that make false claims are labeled .
The policy change appears aimed at President Trump ’ s use of social media as a megaphone to spread falsehoods about mail-in voting election and claims of voter fraud .
Facebook and other social media companies have made sweeping changes in the critical lead up to this year 's highly contentious election in which an unprecedented number of Americans are expected to vote by mail due to the coronavirus pandemic .
Earlier this week , Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take down Trump ’ s posts containing voting misinformation as the two prepared to face each other in the first presidential debate .
In a letter to CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Monday , the Biden campaign accused Facebook 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 .

Facebook bans ads that seek to delegitimize the election or make false claims about voting
Show Caption Hide Caption How the US votes and why advocates say it needs to change US elections are mainly conducted by 'First Past the Post' voting. Here's why some say this system needs an overhaul. Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
Facebook will ban any ads that seek to delegitimize the outcome of the election, the company said Wednesday.
Rob Leathern, Facebook director of product management, said the policy applies to any ads that make false claims about voting by mail or other methods of voting. It also bans the use of isolated incidents of voter fraud to discredit the result of an election, Leathern said.
“These changes apply to ads across Facebook and Instagram, and are effective immediately,” he tweeted.
Biden blasts Facebook: Demands removal of Trump posts, voting misinformation before presidential debate
Trump, QAnon, Russia: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube brace for a turbulent election and post-election cycle
The social media giant announced last week that it would prohibit ads that make premature declarations of victory. Organic posts that make false claims are labeled.
The policy change appears aimed at President Donald Trump’s use of social media as a megaphone to spread falsehoods about mail-in voting election and claims of voter fraud.
On Wednesday Facebook said it removed ads from the Trump campaign that made misleading claims about immigrants and the coronavirus pandemic.
Facebook and other social media companies have made sweeping changes in the crucial lead-up to this year's highly contentious election in which an unprecedented number of Americans are expected to vote by mail amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Earlier this week, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden turned up the pressure on Facebook to take down Trump’s posts containing voting misinformation as the two prepared to face each other in the first presidential debate.
In a letter to CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Monday, the Biden campaign accused Facebook 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.


usatoday--2020-09-30--Men for Trump vs. women for Biden: Which voting group could swing Pennsylvania?

But on June 28 , 2016 , Republican presidential nominee Donald J. Trump arrived in the old steel mill town and promised he would bring back steel , coal and the working-class jobs of a bygone era .
It was what some voters had waited decades to hear , especially blue-collar voters in Monessen who still talked about how the Wheeling-Pittsburgh steel mill helped to build the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco .
Like many old Rust Belt towns in southwestern Pennsylvania , there 's more nostalgia in Monessen than jobs .
Closed businesses still line many streets , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ community Monessen used to be .
Wheeling-Pittsburgh once employed more than 2,000 workers , and Monessen was once home to more than 20,000 people .
Now , the population is about a third of that .
The median household income is about $ 27,000 .
On that June day four years ago , Trump traded in his usual campaign slogan of `` Make America Great Again '' for an amended one .
`` We 're going to make America wealthy again , '' Trump said at Alumisource , a recycling plant that used @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 35 people .
“ It will be American steel that sends our skyscrapers soaring , soaring into the sky.
” A crowd of about 200 watched at Alumisource and thousands more watched at home , as all of Trump 's stops were covered by cable news networks then .
`` It sounded pretty good to me , '' said Carl Domito , a 78-year-old Trump supporter and retired laborer in Westmoreland County who watched from home .
`` I think he said what a lot of people had been waiting to hear .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Monessen is still a Democratic city in Westmoreland County , but the rest of the county has turned red since Trump was elected .
In 2016 , Democrats had a 10,000 voter advantage .
Four years later , Republicans have a 10,000 voter advantage , including thousands of men who have switched parties to support the president .
A big part of Trump 's appeal among men is his promise to bring back jobs , according to Peter Navarro , the White House director of trade and manufacturing policy .
Four years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hillary Clinton supported NAFTA and China entering the World Trade Organization — two policies he said killed the middle class and moved American jobs overseas .
`` The legacy of Pennsylvania steelworkers lives in the bridges , railways and skyscrapers that make up our great American landscape , '' Trump said .
`` But our workers ' loyalty was repaid with betrayal . ''
Trump is repeating that message this year when he visits old mill towns in Pennsylvania , but now he 's assigning blame to his 2020 Democratic challenger Joe Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ focusing less on coal and steel industries , which continue to lose jobs .
Instead , he is making the Pennsylvania energy fight about fracking , which he claims Biden wants to ban .
Biden during a Pittsburgh campaign stop this month said he does not want to ban fracking .
Biden in Pa. : 'Do I look like a radical socialist with a soft spot for rioters ? '
Navarro , in an interview with the USA TODAY Network 's Pennsylvania Capitol Bureau , said Trump kept his promises that he made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jobs plan in Monessen .
`` Biden voted for NAFTA .
He voted for including China in the World Trade Organization , '' Navarro said .
`` Those two decisions led to hemorrhaging of thousands of factories and millions of manufacturing jobs . ''
The Trump economy was creating jobs before the pandemic hit .
But since then , 4.7 million jobs have been lost , according to the U.S. Department of Labor .
Trump now owns the biggest employment decline of any president in modern history , but Navarro is pointing to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's remembering the tax cuts , deregulation , bigger defense budget and trade deals that he said led to a time of prosperity .
`` There were historic low rates of unemployment , including for Blacks , Hispanics , veterans , women , '' Navarro said .
`` That was our plan . ''
The spread of COVID-19 thwarted that plan .
`` We had to lock down the economy , but we are fighting our way back , '' he said .
That includes manufacturing personal protective equipment , vaccines and testing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is clear in the election , Navarro said .
`` Biden likes 'made in China , ' '' he said .
`` Trump wants 'made in America . '
'' More : ' I do n't really remember the Obama presidency ' : Why Trump and Biden debate matters in Pa. More : Ginsburg 's death is raising the stakes in the Pa. presidential election : 'It 's enormous' More : Biden said he will win Scranton .
Trump said he will only lose if it 's rigged .
Who 's right ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ poll , but he 's still getting his highest marks on the economy , and his most reliable support is among white , working-class men 50 and older in southwest and northeast Pennsylvania .
Bill Woodward , an 82-year-old retired telephone worker in Bucks County , is one of those voters .
He voted for Democrats in his younger years but has voted for Republicans for decades .
Woodward said he will be voting for Trump `` without a doubt . ''
`` Just look at what he 's done for the stock @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrats just want more government and more taxes .
That would be a disaster for the country . ''
Another disaster has been the Democratic viewpoint on the pandemic , he said .
`` Shutting down America is totally wrong , '' Woodward said .
`` Trump has not wanted to shut America down , and I commend him for that .
The president has done a good job during the pandemic against all the bickering . ''
If Trump wins Pennsylvania again , it will be because of strong support among older @ @ @ @ @ @ @ men who used to vote for Democrats , but in the last 10 years started to vote for Republicans .
“ They felt left behind by the Democratic Party , economically and culturally , ” said Terry Madonna , pollster and political scientist at Franklin & Marshall College .
The largest demographic of these voters helped Trump win the Steeler Country corner of the state , including Beaver , Fayette , Washington , Westmoreland and Greene counties .
Allegheny County , where Pittsburgh is , reliably voted for a Democrat , as did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which had voted for Obama four years earlier , and he lost Scranton only by a few thousand votes .
“ Trump ’ s probably going to live or die politically on the economy , '' Madonna said .
`` He will have to make the argument to blue collar workers that he ’ s made things better.
” Biden supporters are n't as concerned about which promises Trump might have kept before the coronavirus created a new normal .
They are focused on the biggest promise he did n't keep .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' said Cheryl Gregorio , a 63-year-old retiree in Luzerne County .
`` Not even close . ''
She points to the biggest public health crisis in 100 years that shut down Pennsylvania for months .
The racial injustice and protests that filled city streets .
The steady flow of news that yields more questions than answers about the president 's character and judgment , including recently revealed information about his tax records .
Gregorio will be voting for Biden this year because she 's looking for a candidate who is civil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country . ''
Sarah Eagan , a 23-year-old Montgomery County resident and Pennsylvania press secretary for NextGen America , said Biden is a better choice for her and other young voters .
The issues that matter most to them include affordable health care , affordable college , and racial equity and justice .
Biden CNN town hall in Pa.:3 takeaways from a battle between Scranton and Park Avenue '' The more we learn about Biden , the more we like and we think he 's at least willing to listen to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Eagan said .
`` Trump does n't seem willing to listen . ''
Biden is also the best choice for seniors , according to Addie Hickson , a Philadelphia resident and Black voter in her 80s .
`` Trump has been a mess , '' she said .
`` Hopefully , Biden can get us out of that mess . ''
Hickson voted by mail in the Pennsylvania primary , but she plans to go to her polling place in Philadelphia and cast a ballot in person on Election Day .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she said .
`` I want to know my vote counts immediately . ''
Hickson is telling everyone she sees that they `` better vote this time , '' she said .
`` With the coronavirus and racism , our lives really depend on it . ''
The Pennsylvania Women for Biden/Harris Facebook group has 116,000 members who say similar things daily .
`` If Biden wins the election , it will be on the backs of Pennsylvania women , '' said Jesse White , a Democratic strategist at Perpetual Fortitude , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ released Tuesday show Biden with a 9-point lead in Pennsylvania , thanks in large part to suburban women in the counties that surround Philadelphia .
Biden is appealing to these voters in large margins because of Trump 's handling of the coronavirus and swiftly nominating federal Judge Amy Coney Barrett to fill the Supreme Court vacancy left by the recent death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg .
Clinton had a smaller lead at this point in the race four years ago and she easily won the Philadelphia suburbs in 2016 , including support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't enough to offset Trump 's gains in the Rust Belt counties .
That trend of women voters continued in 2018 during a so-called pink wave that sent 110 women to the U.S. House and Senate , including four congresswomen from Pennsylvania .
More : Pennsylvania woman elected to Congress in Pink Wave of 2018 poised to shape Trump 's fate More:126 women are on the ballot in Pa. , and you might be surprised why they 're running “ College-educated women voted in strong numbers in 2016 and 2018 , and in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were able to flip seats , ” Madonna said .
These women make up one of the biggest voting blocs in Pennsylvania , and they ’ re electing women and Democrats , he said .
Madonna expects this trend to continue in November .
Chris Borick , a political science professor and director of the Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion , agrees that college-educated women are an important voting bloc to watch .
In Pennsylvania , where 44,000 votes separated the candidates in 2016 , every vote matters , he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ most consequential voting group in Pennsylvania , which FiveThirtyEight predicts will be the tipping point in the 2020 election and won by Biden .
`` Pennsylvania women will definitely have a big role in deciding which of these men will win the presidency , '' Borick said .
Candy Woodall is a reporter for the USA Today Network .
She can be reached at 717-480-1783 or on Twitter at @ candynotcandace .
This coverage is only possible with support from our readers .
Sign up today for a digital subscription .

Candy Woodall, USA TODAY Network Pennsylvania Capitol Bureau

Men for Trump vs. women for Biden: Which voting group could swing Pennsylvania?
Show Caption Hide Caption How a contentious election affects a peaceful transition of power What history has shown us about contested elections and peaceful transitions of power. Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
Monessen, Pennsylvania, doesn't get a lot of presidential visits.
But on June 28, 2016, Republican presidential nominee Donald J. Trump arrived in the old steel mill town and promised he would bring back steel, coal and the working-class jobs of a bygone era.
It was what some voters had waited decades to hear, especially blue-collar voters in Monessen who still talked about how the Wheeling-Pittsburgh steel mill helped to build the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.
Like many old Rust Belt towns in southwestern Pennsylvania, there's more nostalgia in Monessen than jobs. Closed businesses still line many streets, serving as a reminder of the bustling community Monessen used to be.
Wheeling-Pittsburgh once employed more than 2,000 workers, and Monessen was once home to more than 20,000 people. Now, the population is about a third of that. The median household income is about $27,000.
On that June day four years ago, Trump traded in his usual campaign slogan of "Make America Great Again" for an amended one.
"We're going to make America wealthy again," Trump said at Alumisource, a recycling plant that used to be Wheeling-Pittsburgh steel and employs about 35 people. “It will be American steel that sends our skyscrapers soaring, soaring into the sky.”
A crowd of about 200 watched at Alumisource and thousands more watched at home, as all of Trump's stops were covered by cable news networks then.
"It sounded pretty good to me," said Carl Domito, a 78-year-old Trump supporter and retired laborer in Westmoreland County who watched from home. "I think he said what a lot of people had been waiting to hear. He won my vote that day."
Monessen is still a Democratic city in Westmoreland County, but the rest of the county has turned red since Trump was elected.
In 2016, Democrats had a 10,000 voter advantage. Four years later, Republicans have a 10,000 voter advantage, including thousands of men who have switched parties to support the president.
A big part of Trump's appeal among men is his promise to bring back jobs, according to Peter Navarro, the White House director of trade and manufacturing policy.
Four years ago in Monessen, Trump said Democrat Hillary Clinton supported NAFTA and China entering the World Trade Organization — two policies he said killed the middle class and moved American jobs overseas.
"The legacy of Pennsylvania steelworkers lives in the bridges, railways and skyscrapers that make up our great American landscape," Trump said. "But our workers' loyalty was repaid with betrayal."
Trump is repeating that message this year when he visits old mill towns in Pennsylvania, but now he's assigning blame to his 2020 Democratic challenger Joe Biden.
This time around, Trump is focusing less on coal and steel industries, which continue to lose jobs. Instead, he is making the Pennsylvania energy fight about fracking, which he claims Biden wants to ban. Biden during a Pittsburgh campaign stop this month said he does not want to ban fracking.
Biden in Pa.: 'Do I look like a radical socialist with a soft spot for rioters?'
Navarro, in an interview with the USA TODAY Network's Pennsylvania Capitol Bureau, said Trump kept his promises that he made four years ago when he revealed his jobs plan in Monessen.
"Biden voted for NAFTA. He voted for including China in the World Trade Organization," Navarro said. "Those two decisions led to hemorrhaging of thousands of factories and millions of manufacturing jobs."
The Trump economy was creating jobs before the pandemic hit. But since then, 4.7 million jobs have been lost, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
Trump now owns the biggest employment decline of any president in modern history, but Navarro is pointing to the economy before the coronavirus.
He's remembering the tax cuts, deregulation, bigger defense budget and trade deals that he said led to a time of prosperity.
"There were historic low rates of unemployment, including for Blacks, Hispanics, veterans, women," Navarro said. "That was our plan."
The spread of COVID-19 thwarted that plan.
"We had to lock down the economy, but we are fighting our way back," he said.
That includes manufacturing personal protective equipment, vaccines and testing swabs in the U.S.
And the choice is clear in the election, Navarro said.
"Biden likes 'made in China,'" he said. "Trump wants 'made in America.'"
More: 'I don't really remember the Obama presidency': Why Trump and Biden debate matters in Pa.
More: Ginsburg's death is raising the stakes in the Pa. presidential election: 'It's enormous'
More: Biden said he will win Scranton. Trump said he will only lose if it's rigged. Who's right?
All the president's Pennsylvania men
Trump is losing ground in every Pennsylvania poll, but he's still getting his highest marks on the economy, and his most reliable support is among white, working-class men 50 and older in southwest and northeast Pennsylvania.
Bill Woodward, an 82-year-old retired telephone worker in Bucks County, is one of those voters.
He voted for Democrats in his younger years but has voted for Republicans for decades.
Woodward said he will be voting for Trump "without a doubt."
"Just look at what he's done for the stock market," Woodward said. "Democrats just want more government and more taxes. That would be a disaster for the country."
Another disaster has been the Democratic viewpoint on the pandemic, he said.
"Shutting down America is totally wrong," Woodward said. "Trump has not wanted to shut America down, and I commend him for that. The president has done a good job during the pandemic against all the bickering."
If Trump wins Pennsylvania again, it will be because of strong support among older men, analysts say.
That includes men who used to vote for Democrats, but in the last 10 years started to vote for Republicans.
“They felt left behind by the Democratic Party, economically and culturally,” said Terry Madonna, pollster and political scientist at Franklin & Marshall College.
The largest demographic of these voters helped Trump win the Steeler Country corner of the state, including Beaver, Fayette, Washington, Westmoreland and Greene counties.
Allegheny County, where Pittsburgh is, reliably voted for a Democrat, as did Philadelphia.
But Trump won Erie, which had voted for Obama four years earlier, and he lost Scranton only by a few thousand votes.
“Trump’s probably going to live or die politically on the economy," Madonna said. "He will have to make the argument to blue collar workers that he’s made things better.”
Biden gets big boost from women
Biden supporters aren't as concerned about which promises Trump might have kept before the coronavirus created a new normal.
They are focused on the biggest promise he didn't keep.
"He did not make America great again," said Cheryl Gregorio, a 63-year-old retiree in Luzerne County. "Not even close."
She points to the biggest public health crisis in 100 years that shut down Pennsylvania for months. The racial injustice and protests that filled city streets. The steady flow of news that yields more questions than answers about the president's character and judgment, including recently revealed information about his tax records.
Gregorio will be voting for Biden this year because she's looking for a candidate who is civil and decent to "bring peace to the country."
Sarah Eagan, a 23-year-old Montgomery County resident and Pennsylvania press secretary for NextGen America, said Biden is a better choice for her and other young voters.
The issues that matter most to them include affordable health care, affordable college, and racial equity and justice.
Biden CNN town hall in Pa.: 3 takeaways from a battle between Scranton and Park Avenue
"The more we learn about Biden, the more we like and we think he's at least willing to listen to the things that are important to us," Eagan said. "Trump doesn't seem willing to listen."
Biden is also the best choice for seniors, according to Addie Hickson, a Philadelphia resident and Black voter in her 80s.
"Trump has been a mess," she said. "Hopefully, Biden can get us out of that mess."
Hickson voted by mail in the Pennsylvania primary, but she plans to go to her polling place in Philadelphia and cast a ballot in person on Election Day.
"Too much is at stake," she said. "I want to know my vote counts immediately."
Hickson is telling everyone she sees that they "better vote this time," she said. "With the coronavirus and racism, our lives really depend on it."
Kamala Harris polls higher than Joe Biden among women, Republicans Joe Biden’s newly-announced running mate, Kamala Harris, has the approval of 87 percent of Democrats as the potential VP. Buzz60
The Pennsylvania Women for Biden/Harris Facebook group has 116,000 members who say similar things daily.
"If Biden wins the election, it will be on the backs of Pennsylvania women," said Jesse White, a Democratic strategist at Perpetual Fortitude, a Harrisburg consulting firm.
Two new polls released Tuesday show Biden with a 9-point lead in Pennsylvania, thanks in large part to suburban women in the counties that surround Philadelphia.
Biden is appealing to these voters in large margins because of Trump's handling of the coronavirus and swiftly nominating federal Judge Amy Coney Barrett to fill the Supreme Court vacancy left by the recent death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Clinton had a smaller lead at this point in the race four years ago and she easily won the Philadelphia suburbs in 2016, including support from Republican women. But it wasn't enough to offset Trump's gains in the Rust Belt counties.
That trend of women voters continued in 2018 during a so-called pink wave that sent 110 women to the U.S. House and Senate, including four congresswomen from Pennsylvania.
More: Pennsylvania woman elected to Congress in Pink Wave of 2018 poised to shape Trump's fate
More: 126 women are on the ballot in Pa., and you might be surprised why they're running
“College-educated women voted in strong numbers in 2016 and 2018, and in 2018 they were a big reason Democrats were able to flip seats,” Madonna said.
These women make up one of the biggest voting blocs in Pennsylvania, and they’re electing women and Democrats, he said.
Madonna expects this trend to continue in November.
Chris Borick, a political science professor and director of the Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion, agrees that college-educated women are an important voting bloc to watch.
In Pennsylvania, where 44,000 votes separated the candidates in 2016, every vote matters, he said.
But analysts agree women might be the most consequential voting group in Pennsylvania, which FiveThirtyEight predicts will be the tipping point in the 2020 election and won by Biden.
"Pennsylvania women will definitely have a big role in deciding which of these men will win the presidency," Borick said.
Candy Woodall is a reporter for the USA Today Network. She can be reached at 717-480-1783 or on Twitter at @candynotcandace.
This coverage is only possible with support from our readers. Sign up today for a digital subscription.