usatoday--2020-10-18--For family caregivers, COVID-19 is a mental health crisis in the making

This story was published in partnership with The 19th , a nonprofit , nonpartisan newsroom reporting on gender , politics and policy .
When COVID-19 emerged , Jyl Choate ’ s family entered into strict lockdown .
They had no choice : Choate , 51 , doesn ’ t have just herself to think of .
Beyond caring for her husband and two children , she is responsible for her 87-year-old mother .
“ Nobody wants to kill grandma , ” said Choate , who lives just outside of Atlanta in Marietta , Georgia .
“ If any of us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get it.
” Choate ’ s whole life revolves around her mother : 14 hours a day , seven days a week , she makes sure her mom eats , exercises , takes her medications and goes to doctors ’ appointments .
Even before COVID-19 , she stopped working to stay on top of her mother ’ s needs .
Now , the pandemic has strained her family ’ s finances .
Choate is more stressed than ever , sleeping maybe four or five hours a night .
If not for the health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to help care , even just for a few hours every now and then , to alleviate some of the burden .
Now the risk of exposure is too great to allow anyone else into the home .
Already , her mother has a host of medical conditions , including heart disease , COPD , osteoarthritis and macular degeneration .
COVID-19 could be a death sentence .
If her mother falls — which happens often — Choate has tried to take care of her at home , doing all she can to keep @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She recently had to break that rule , taking her mother in for emergency care .
But because of the pandemic , she isn ’ t allowed in to visit her mom and provide the assistance she normally would have .
Those worries have political ramifications for Choate , who wrote in a vote for Jeb Bush in 2016 .
She is a lifelong Republican in a state looking increasingly competitive for 2020 .
But she can ’ t vote for Donald Trump , she said — especially after the president , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ don ’ t be afraid ” of COVID-19 .
“ We ’ ve got friends who died , but ‘ It ’ s OK , don ’ t be scared.
’ I ’ m supposed to tell my 87-year-old mother don ’ t be scared ?
” she said .
“ Don ’ t turn around and tell me I have nothing to be scared of when I have been locked down with my entire family since March.
” She watched the vice presidential debate between Kamala Harris and Mike Pence with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , she said , was the decision whether to break with her party and vote for Joe Biden , or to just stay home .
Almost 42 million Americans , or 16 percent of all adults , serve as caregivers for relatives 50 or over .
The majority of the people doing this unpaid , labor-intensive work are women , and , on average , they are just shy of 50 themselves , according to data compiled by the AARP .
Many have jobs outside the home , or are also primary parents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gotten little attention on the campaign trail .
But it ’ s at the forefront for those who are preparing to vote while they navigate a pandemic that has taken caregiving — already a grueling task — and rendered it all-consuming , with no promise of relief coming anytime soon .
And though there isn ’ t good data yet to show how many people have taken on caregiving burdens because of the pandemic , experts agree it ’ s likely a growing segment of the workforce , as resources like adult day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Caregiving is hard to start with .
But given isolation , [ and the ] inability to access services [ because of quarantine ] , it ’ s made it even more difficult , ” said Scott Beach , who directs survey research at the University of Pittsburgh ’ s Center for Social and Urban Research , and is currently studying the pandemic ’ s impact on caregivers .
“ It ’ s gone from a tough situation to even worse.
” Already , people who are caring for others appear less @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And now , emerging research shows psychological consequences , too .
An August report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that two-thirds of unpaid caregivers for adults had at least one mental health condition , including anxiety , depression and suicidal ideation .
A survey conducted by the University of Pittsburgh found that from April through May family caregivers were more likely to experience anxiety , depression , isolation , fatigue , trouble sleeping and food insecurity — with worse outcomes for women caregivers .
Those conditions have likely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of the researchers on the survey .
“ They are being stretched thin .
This is at the same time that those who are working may be seeing cuts in their salaries or compensation , ” said Jamila Bookwala , a psychologist and dean of the faculty at Lafayette College .
“ We ’ re talking about the brewing of — I don ’ t want to call it perfect — it ’ s the imperfect storm .
This is going to take a toll for a long , long time.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on caregivers are spotlighting shortcomings in the nation ’ s family caregiver infrastructure .
They ’ re flaws that already existed , but have taken on outsize importance in the face of a pandemic .
Already , there isn ’ t a uniform policy for paid family leave , which means people who suddenly must assume caregiving responsibilities often lose income as a result .
The Families First Act , which mandated that during the pandemic , companies with fewer than 500 employees provide paid family leave , targeted that benefit for parents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ offers no such protection for people taking care of older relatives , or ones who are ill .
Even nuances in the government ’ s unpaid family leave mandate , which in theory covers all midsize employers , mean that almost half of all workers don ’ t qualify , a group that largely includes women and especially non-White women .
Paid leave is only part of the equation , though .
If someone takes time off to care for a relative , that can result in an eventual demotion at work .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ older doesn ’ t have any definite end-date .
Once the paid leave period ends , caregivers still have to find a way to navigate work and their family responsibilities .
Family caregiver groups have also argued that Medicaid — the largest individual insurance payer for long-term care — could be leveraged to better support unpaid caregivers , who may take pay-cuts to support relatives , and often pay for caregiving supplies out of pocket .
Others say Social Security or other tax credits could play a role , too , even in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ A vulnerability in our system and society has been exposed , ” said Lisa Winstel , who heads the Caregiving Action Network , which lobbies on behalf of caregivers .
The burden is acute for 21-year-old Robbie Goldberg , who lives in Framingham , Massachusetts .
She ’ s a part-time student at the local university — all of her classes are online right now — and the sole caregiver for her two elderly parents .
When COVID-19 hit , she had to quit her job at a child care facility @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus .
Her mom has , among other conditions , chronic bronchitis , asthma , depression and opiate dependence , which all heighten the risk of viral exposure .
Her dad is in better health , but at age 80 , he ’ s also vulnerable to coronavirus complications .
Goldberg ’ s responsibilities include preparing all the meals , making sure her parents take their medications and sitting in on all their virtual doctors ’ visits .
In theory , she said , she would love to hire someone to help just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it feels like the cost and exposure outweigh the benefit.
” It ’ s taken a toll on her mental health .
Already , Goldberg had both ADHD and chronic anxiety .
Since leaving her job , she has lost her health insurance and , in turn , access to therapy .
The pandemic has heightened her own anxiety , and she ’ s had to change her medications , too .
“ It ’ s stressful to realize the outside world is no longer safe for your family , ” she said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ either Biden or Trump , though in 2016 , she was an avid Hillary Clinton supporter .
But she imagines that a Biden administration might be more attentive to caregivers like herself — less because of Biden , she said , and more because his running mate , Sen. Kamala Harris , is also a woman .
“ Kamala Harris seems like the kind of person who might understand that there are people who do work at home , ” she said .
“ They ’ d probably be willing to listen to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ among caregivers doesn ’ t account for race .
But systemic factors in terms of whom COVID-19 most affects means Black and Latino people in many ways face a heavier burden .
Proportionally , they are already more likely to be caregivers , said Stipica Mudrazija , a senior research associate at the Urban Institute , who studies aging and long-term care .
At the same time , Black women and Latinas in particular are more likely to have lost jobs in the pandemic , and — if they ’ ve held onto @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guaranteed paid leave .
“ There are these structural factors making it all that much harder , ” Mudrazija said .
Under normal circumstances , Black caregivers in particular are more likely to place cultural value on taking care of family , and therefore less likely to show emotional strain from the work , said Peggye Dilworth-Anderson , a professor of health policy and management at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill .
But the pandemic has taken a disproportionate toll on Black people , which means caregivers are facing heightened @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Black caregivers are experiencing heightened anxiety , difficulties accessing medical care , difficulties having people come in to support them , and they are becoming exhausted , ” she said .
Ira Britt , who lives in Greensboro , North Carolina , has spent the past few months caring both for her mother and her husband — her mother has dementia , and her husband just finished chemotherapy .
Both are on insulin .
Britt , 69 , organizes her whole life around making sure both have meals they can eat and are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tries to read or exercise regularly , but there simply isn ’ t time right now .
She does all the grocery shopping — Britt is at Walmart every Wednesday morning at 7 a.m. sharp , when the store is emptier and there ’ s less risk of exposure — because while her age elevates her own COVID-19 risk , it ’ s nothing compared to what her family members would face .
Britt has seen multiple friends younger than her die of the virus .
She is doing her best to manage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the past few months .
She prays , and does all she can to clean any potential source of germs and limit her and her family ’ s exposure to the outside world .
Still , there ’ s only so much she can do .
Before the pandemic , Britt had never suffered anxiety attacks .
She had her first one recently , waking up at 3 a.m. , terrified of an impending dentist appointment .
What if the dentist ’ s office wasn ’ t properly sanitized ?
And what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and passed it onto her family ?
“ I wasn ’ t concerned about myself — it was , ‘ Who is going to take care of them , who is going to make sure they are taken care of ?
’ ” she said .
“ I have never experienced anything like that .
”

For family caregivers, COVID-19 is a mental health crisis in the making
Show Caption Hide Caption Tips on how to deal with money stress and ways to seek help Marriage and family therapist Adriana Alejandre shares tips to handle anxiety over money and how to look for help during quarantine. Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
When COVID-19 emerged, Jyl Choate’s family entered into a strict lockdown. They had no choice: Choate, 51, doesn’t have just herself to think of. Beyond caring for her husband and two children, she is responsible for her 87-year-old mother.
“Nobody wants to kill grandma,” said Choate, who lives just outside of Atlanta in Marietta, Georgia. “If any of us get the virus, she will probably get it.”
Choate’s whole life revolves around her mother: 14 hours a day, seven days a week, she makes sure her mom eats, exercises, takes her medications and goes to doctors’ appointments. Even before COVID-19, she stopped working to stay on top of her mother’s needs. Now, the pandemic has strained her family’s finances. Choate is more stressed than ever, sleeping maybe four or five hours a night.
If not for the health crisis, Choate might have hired someone to help care, even just for a few hours every now and then, to alleviate some of the burden. Now the risk of exposure is too great to allow anyone else into the home. Already, her mother has a host of medical conditions, including heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, osteoarthritis and macular degeneration.
COVID-19 could be a death sentence. If her mother falls – which happens often – Choate has tried to take care of her at home, doing all she can to keep her from going to the hospital. She recently had to break that rule, taking her mother in for emergency care. But because of the pandemic, she isn’t allowed in to visit her mom and provide the assistance she normally would have.
Those worries have political ramifications for Choate, who wrote in a vote for Jeb Bush in 2016. She is a lifelong Republican in a state looking increasingly competitive for 2020. But she can’t vote for Donald Trump, she said – especially after the president, who recently contracted the coronavirus, told voters “don’t be afraid” of COVID-19.
“We’ve got friends who died, but ‘It’s OK, don’t be scared.’ I’m supposed to tell my 87-year-old mother don’t be scared?” she said. “Don’t turn around and tell me I have nothing to be scared of when I have been locked down with my entire family since March.”
She watched the vice presidential debate between Kamala Harris and Mike Pence with rapt attention. Hanging in the balance, she said, was the decision whether to break with her party and vote for Joe Biden or to just stay home.
Almost 42 million Americans, or 16% of all adults, serve as caregivers for relatives 50 or over. The majority of the people doing this unpaid, labor-intensive work are women, and, on average, they are just shy of 50 themselves, according to data compiled by the AARP. Many have jobs outside the home or are also primary parents for young children.
The issue has gotten little attention on the campaign trail. But it’s at the forefront for those who are preparing to vote while they navigate a pandemic that has taken caregiving – already a grueling task – and rendered it all-consuming, with no promise of relief coming anytime soon.
And though there isn’t good data yet to show how many people have taken on caregiving burdens because of the pandemic, experts agree it’s likely a growing segment of the workforce, as resources like adult day care and assisted-living facilities prove perilous.
“Caregiving is hard to start with. But given isolation, (and the) inability to access services (because of the quarantine), it’s made it even more difficult,” said Scott Beach, who directs survey research at the University of Pittsburgh’s Center for Social and Urban Research, and is currently studying the pandemic’s impact on caregivers. “It’s gone from a tough situation to even worse.”
Already, people who are caring for others appear less likely to attend to their own health. And now, emerging research shows psychological consequences, too. An August report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that two-thirds of unpaid caregivers for adults had at least one mental health condition, including anxiety, depression and suicidal ideation.
A survey conducted by the University of Pittsburgh found that from April through May family caregivers were more likely to experience anxiety, depression, isolation, fatigue, trouble sleeping and food insecurity – with worse outcomes for women caregivers. Those conditions have likely persisted since May, said Beach, one of the researchers on the survey.
“They are being stretched thin. This is at the same time that those who are working may be seeing cuts in their salaries or compensation,” said Jamila Bookwala, a psychologist and dean of the faculty at Lafayette College. “We’re talking about the brewing of – I don’t want to call it perfect – it’s the imperfect storm. This is going to take a toll for a long, long time.”
Experts say the psychological and financial burdens on caregivers are spotlighting shortcomings in the nation’s family caregiver infrastructure. They’re flaws that already existed, but have taken on outsize importance in the face of a pandemic.
Already, there isn’t a uniform policy for paid family leave, which means people who suddenly must assume caregiving responsibilities often lose income as a result. The Families First Act, which mandated that during the pandemic, companies with fewer than 500 employees provide paid family leave, targeted that benefit for parents who need time for children. It offers no such protection for people taking care of older relatives, or ones who are ill.
Even nuances in the government’s unpaid family leave mandate, which in theory covers all midsize employers, mean that almost half of all workers don’t qualify, a group that largely includes women and especially non-White women.
Paid leave is only part of the equation, though. If someone takes time off to care for a relative, that can result in an eventual demotion at work. Plus, caregiving for someone who is older doesn’t have any definite end-date. Once the paid leave period ends, caregivers still have to find a way to navigate work and their family responsibilities.
Family caregiver groups have also argued that Medicaid – the largest individual insurance payer for long-term care – could be leveraged to better support unpaid caregivers, who may take pay cuts to support relatives and often pay for caregiving supplies out of pocket. Others say Social Security or other tax credits could play a role, too, even in just alleviating the financial burden caregivers face.
“A vulnerability in our system and society has been exposed,” said Lisa Winstel, who heads the Caregiving Action Network, which lobbies on behalf of caregivers.
The burden is acute for 21-year-old Robbie Goldberg, who lives in Framingham, Massachusetts. She’s a part-time student at the local university – all of her classes are online right now – and the sole caregiver for her two elderly parents.
When COVID-19 hit, she had to quit her job at a child care facility to avoid exposing her parents to the virus. Her mom has, among other conditions, chronic bronchitis, asthma, depression and opiate dependence, which all heighten the risk of viral exposure. Her dad is in better health, but at 80, he’s also vulnerable to coronavirus complications.
Goldberg’s responsibilities include preparing all the meals, making sure her parents take their medications and sitting in on all their virtual doctors’ visits. In theory, she said, she would love to hire someone to help just with cooking. In practice, “it feels like the cost and exposure outweigh the benefit.”
It’s taken a toll on her mental health. Already, Goldberg had both attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and chronic anxiety. Since leaving her job, she has lost her health insurance and, in turn, access to therapy. The pandemic has heightened her own anxiety, and she’s had to change her medications, too.
“It’s stressful to realize the outside world is no longer safe for your family,” she said.
Goldberg isn’t excited about either Biden or Trump, though in 2016, she was an avid Hillary Clinton supporter. But she imagines that a Biden administration might be more attentive to caregivers like herself – less because of Biden, she said, and more because his running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris, is also a woman.
“Kamala Harris seems like the kind of person who might understand that there are people who do work at home,” she said. “They’d probably be willing to listen to people.”
'I'm speaking': Kamala Harris reclaims floor from Mike Pence at debate Sen. Kamala Harris swiftly reclaimed her time when Vice President Mike Pence interrupted her at the vice presidential debate. USA TODAY
Current data tracking mental health among caregivers doesn’t account for race. But systemic factors in terms of whom COVID-19 most affects means Black and Latino people in many ways face a heavier burden.
Proportionally, they are already more likely to be caregivers, said Stipica Mudrazija, a senior research associate at the Urban Institute, who studies aging and long-term care. At the same time, Black women and Latinas, in particular, are more likely to have lost jobs in the pandemic, and – if they’ve held onto work – are less likely to be guaranteed paid leave.
“There are these structural factors making it all that much harder,” Mudrazija said.
Under normal circumstances, Black caregivers, in particular, are more likely to place cultural value on taking care of family, and therefore less likely to show emotional strain from the work, said Peggye Dilworth-Anderson, a professor of health policy and management at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. But the pandemic has taken a disproportionate toll on Black people, which means caregivers are facing heightened worry about their loved ones.
“Black caregivers are experiencing heightened anxiety, difficulties accessing medical care, difficulties having people come in to support them, and they are becoming exhausted,” she said.
Ira Britt, who lives in Greensboro, North Carolina, has spent the past few months caring both for her mother and her husband – her mother has dementia, and her husband just finished chemotherapy. Both are on insulin.
Britt, 69, organizes her whole life around making sure both have meals they can eat and are taking their medicines. Normally, she tries to read or exercise regularly, but there simply isn’t time right now.
She does all the grocery shopping – Britt is at Walmart every Wednesday morning at 7 a.m. sharp when the store is emptier and there’s less risk of exposure – because while her age elevates her own COVID-19 risk, it’s nothing compared to what her family members would face. Britt has seen multiple friends younger than her die of the virus.
She is doing her best to manage her mental health, which has worsened in the past few months. She prays and does all she can to clean any potential source of germs and limit her and her family’s exposure to the outside world.
Still, there’s only so much she can do. Before the pandemic, Britt had never suffered anxiety attacks. She had her first one recently, waking up at 3 a.m., terrified of an impending dentist appointment. What if the dentist’s office wasn’t properly sanitized? And what if she were exposed to the virus and passed it onto her family?
“I wasn’t concerned about myself – it was, ‘Who is going to take care of them, who is going to make sure they are taken care of?’” she said. “I have never experienced anything like that.”
This story was published in partnership with The 19th, a nonprofit, nonpartisan newsroom reporting on gender, politics and policy.


usatoday--2020-10-18--'Incredibly disturbing': Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer says Trump incites domestic terrorism

`` It 's incredibly disturbing that the president of the United States , 10 days after a plot to kidnap , put me on trial and execute me … is at it again … inciting this kind of domestic terrorism , '' Whitmer said on NBC 's `` Meet the Press '' after a Trump campaign appearance in Michigan on Saturday .
`` It is dangerous , not just for me and my family but for public servants everywhere , '' Whitmer said , calling on opinion leaders to `` call this out '' and demand Trump tamp down his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not immediately respond to an email seeking comment .
Saturday night , Trump held a campaign rally at an airport near Muskegon , where he repeated criticism of Whitmer over measures she has taken to address the coronavirus pandemic , prompting crowd chants of `` Lock her Up . ''
His summary of the alleged plot against Whitmer : `` I guess they say she was threatened . ''
Trump has said Whitmer should appreciate that federal officials uncovered and foiled the plot .
In response to the chant from the crowd , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them all up . ''
The campaign of Trump 's Democratic rival Joe Biden slammed the episode .
`` His conduct reflects his own insecurity and envy of Gov .
Whitmer ’ s respected record of leadership in a time of crisis , '' spokesman Andrew Bates said .
`` It also serves as a reminder that our nation is at a crossroads . ''
Federal and state officials charged 14 men in connection with alleged domestic terror plots that included a plan to kidnap Whitmer from her family 's vacation home in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conducted surveillance of the home on two occasions and discussed abducting her by boat and taking her to Wisconsin to `` stand trial '' for treason , according to documents in the case .
More : Wisconsin man is 14th to face charges in alleged Whitmer kidnap plot More : Trump downplays plot against Whitmer at Michigan rally , crowd chants , 'Lock her up' Whitmer said Trump is `` complicit '' in the plot by using highly charged words to criticize her , refusing to condemn right-wing groups and encouraging such groups @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Michigan . ''
He urged Whitmer to meet and negotiate with demonstrators who protested her coronavirus shutdown at the state Capitol in the spring .
Whitmer , a national co-chair of former Vice President Biden 's campaign for president , said the progress Michigan has made against the pandemic is `` at risk '' because of a `` partisan '' 4-3 state Supreme Court decision Oct. 2 that struck down as unconstitutional the Emergency Powers of Governor Act of 1945 .
That statute was the major legal underpinning for Michigan 's state of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the pandemic after courts ruled she could not extend a state of emergency beyond 28 days without approval of the Legislature , which the GOP-controlled House and Senate refused to provide .
Whitmer said the Supreme Court decision `` has created a lot of confusion and has worked to undermine the work we have done here . ''
She said she uses the Michigan Public Health code and other powers to continue a statewide mask mandate , restrict the size of indoor and outdoor gatherings and set requirements to ensure workplace safety @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rally Saturday they need to get Whitmer to end Michigan 's lockdown .
She lifted a stay-at-home order June 1 , though some restrictions on business and other activities remain .
`` We have n't had a stay-home order since late spring , '' Whitmer said Sunday , but Trump `` never lets facts get in the way of comments he is making . ''
She said Trump 's response to the pandemic is `` the worst in the globe '' because he has politicized the crisis , rather than addressing it from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We should have acted as if we are in a war , '' Whitmer said .
`` But not a war with one another . ''
It was Whitmer 's third appearance on `` Meet the Press , '' the longest-running program in TV history .
She appeared on the program in March and April during the height of the coronavirus pandemic .

'Incredibly disturbing': Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer says Trump incites domestic terrorism
Show Caption Hide Caption Prosecutors release videos from alleged kidnapping plot against Gov. Gretchen Whitmer Some of the photos and videos were taken by a confidential FBI informant who was accepted as a member of the anti-government group and show weapons and rapid-fire training. U.S. Attorney's Office
LANSING, Mich. – Gov. Gretchen Whitmer accused President Donald Trump of inciting domestic terrorism during a national TV appearance Sunday.
"It's incredibly disturbing that the president of the United States, 10 days after a plot to kidnap, put me on trial and execute me … is at it again … inciting this kind of domestic terrorism," Whitmer said on NBC's "Meet the Press" after a Trump campaign appearance in Michigan on Saturday.
"It is dangerous, not just for me and my family but for public servants everywhere," Whitmer said, calling on opinion leaders to "call this out" and demand Trump tamp down his remarks.
A Trump campaign spokesman did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.
Saturday night, Trump held a campaign rally at an airport near Muskegon, where he repeated criticism of Whitmer over measures she has taken to address the coronavirus pandemic, prompting crowd chants of "Lock her Up." His summary of the alleged plot against Whitmer: "I guess they say she was threatened."
Trump has said Whitmer should appreciate that federal officials uncovered and foiled the plot. In response to the chant from the crowd, he laughed and said, "Lock them all up."
The campaign of Trump's Democratic rival Joe Biden slammed the episode.
"His conduct reflects his own insecurity and envy of Gov. Whitmer’s respected record of leadership in a time of crisis," spokesman Andrew Bates said. "It also serves as a reminder that our nation is at a crossroads."
Federal and state officials charged 14 men in connection with alleged domestic terror plots that included a plan to kidnap Whitmer from her family's vacation home in northern Michigan. Defendants in the case conducted surveillance of the home on two occasions and discussed abducting her by boat and taking her to Wisconsin to "stand trial" for treason, according to documents in the case.
More: Wisconsin man is 14th to face charges in alleged Whitmer kidnap plot
More: Trump downplays plot against Whitmer at Michigan rally, crowd chants, 'Lock her up'
Whitmer said Trump is "complicit" in the plot by using highly charged words to criticize her, refusing to condemn right-wing groups and encouraging such groups by tweeting comments such as "Liberate Michigan." He urged Whitmer to meet and negotiate with demonstrators who protested her coronavirus shutdown at the state Capitol in the spring.
Whitmer, a national co-chair of former Vice President Biden's campaign for president, said the progress Michigan has made against the pandemic is "at risk" because of a "partisan" 4-3 state Supreme Court decision Oct. 2 that struck down as unconstitutional the Emergency Powers of Governor Act of 1945.
That statute was the major legal underpinning for Michigan's state of emergency and Whitmer's emergency orders related to the pandemic after courts ruled she could not extend a state of emergency beyond 28 days without approval of the Legislature, which the GOP-controlled House and Senate refused to provide.
Whitmer said the Supreme Court decision "has created a lot of confusion and has worked to undermine the work we have done here." She said she uses the Michigan Public Health code and other powers to continue a statewide mask mandate, restrict the size of indoor and outdoor gatherings and set requirements to ensure workplace safety.
Trump told thousands gathered at his rally Saturday they need to get Whitmer to end Michigan's lockdown. She lifted a stay-at-home order June 1, though some restrictions on business and other activities remain.
"We haven't had a stay-home order since late spring," Whitmer said Sunday, but Trump "never lets facts get in the way of comments he is making."
She said Trump's response to the pandemic is "the worst in the globe" because he has politicized the crisis, rather than addressing it from a science and health perspective.
"We should have acted as if we are in a war," Whitmer said. "But not a war with one another."
It was Whitmer's third appearance on "Meet the Press," the longest-running program in TV history. She appeared on the program in March and April during the height of the coronavirus pandemic.


usatoday--2020-10-19--Fox Sports' Joe Buck to call major sports event every day this week

Fox Sports announcer Joe Buck is covering a full slate of major sporting events this week .
Buck , an @ @ @ @ @ sportscaster of the year recipient , started his week off calling the Buccaneers ' win @ @ @ @ @ .
On Monday he 'll be calling the Monday Night Football game of Bills vs. @ @ @ @ @ he 'll call Game 1 of the World Series , Wednesday he 'll call Game @ @ @ @ @ , and Thursday he 'll return to the NFL for the Giants vs. the Eagles @ @ @ @ @ Buck will then return to baseball to call Games 3 and 4 of the World @ @ @ @ @ , respectively .
And if Game 5 is needed between the Tampa Rays and Los @ @ @ @ @ also call that one .
Buck has been the play-by-play voice of the World Series @ @ @ @ @ announced in September that Buck will be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame @

Fox Sports' Joe Buck to call major sports event every day this week
Show Caption Hide Caption NFL Week 6 overreactions: Tom Brady, Tampa look like Super Bowl contenders SportsPulse: In a battle of the Bays it was Tampa that looked like the superior team. Mackenzie Salmon overreacts to all the biggest storylines from Week 6 in the NFL. USA TODAY
Fox Sports announcer Joe Buck is covering a full slate of major sporting events this week.
Buck, an Emmy winner and three-time national sportscaster of the year recipient, started his week off calling the Buccaneers' win over the Packers on Sunday.
On Monday he'll be calling the Monday Night Football game of Bills vs. Chiefs. Then on Tuesday he'll call Game 1 of the World Series, Wednesday he'll call Game 2 of the World Series, and Thursday he'll return to the NFL for the Giants vs. the Eagles in Thursday Night Football.
Buck will then return to baseball to call Games 3 and 4 of the World Series, Friday and Saturday, respectively. And if Game 5 is needed between the Tampa Rays and Los Angeles Dodgers, he'll also call that one.
Buck has been the play-by-play voice of the World Series since 1996.
It was announced in September that Buck will be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.


usatoday--2020-10-19--Brian Wilson, Al Jardine speak out against the Beach Boys playing Donald Trump fundraiser

Brian Wilson and Al Jardine have spoken out against Mike Love 's decision to have his touring version of The Beach Boys play a fundraiser for Donald Trump Sunday in Newport Beach , California .
Wilson and Jardine reached out to Variety through a spokesperson to say , `` We have absolutely nothing to do with the Trump benefit today in Newport Beach .
Zero .
We didn ’ t even know about it and were very surprised to read about it in the Los Angeles Times.
” Tickets for the Trump campaign event ranged from $ 2,800 per donor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ status .
Love owns the license on the Beach Boys name for touring purpose , which led to Wilson and Jardine supporting a Change.org petition calling for a boycott of the touring Beach Boys after Love booked a headlining gig at the Safari Club International Convention in Reno , Nevada , with Donald Trump Jr. as the keynote speaker .
RELATED : 'Pet Sounds ' : The Beach Boys reflect on 50 years of masterpiece that almost did them in Love 's support of Trump has never been a secret .
His version @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump 's inaugural balls in 2017 , Love telling Uncut magazine `` that was a moving experience . ''
In that same interview , Love said , “ I don ’ t have anything negative to say about the President of the USA , ” This latest friction between the former bandmates , who last set aside their differences for a 50th-anniversary tour in 2012 , arrives just days before Love 's Beach Boys make their way to Phoenix for a `` Concerts in Your Car '' performance at the Arizona State Fairgrounds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fans to protest the Beach Boys upcoming show Love made no mention of the Trump gig in a recent interview with The Arizona Republic about the Beach Boys drive-in , although he did discuss his strained relationship with Wilson , who 's also his cousin .
Asked if he could see himself working with Wilson again , Love did n't hesitate to make it clear that he is always open to that prospect before quickly adding something guaranteed to make it hard to actually facilitate that next reunion .
`` I could work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` That 's not a problem .
It 's a question of whether he 's permitted to come out and play . ''
Reach the reporter at ed.masley @ arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-4495 .
Follow him on Twitter @ EdMasley .

Brian Wilson, Al Jardine speak out against the Beach Boys playing Donald Trump fundraiser
Brian Wilson and Al Jardine have spoken out against Mike Love's decision to have his touring version of The Beach Boys play a fundraiser for Donald Trump Sunday in Newport Beach, California.
Wilson and Jardine reached out to Variety through a spokesperson to say, "We have absolutely nothing to do with the Trump benefit today in Newport Beach. Zero. We didn’t even know about it and were very surprised to read about it in the Los Angeles Times.”
Tickets for the Trump campaign event ranged from $2,800 per donor to $150,000 a couple for co-chair status.
Love owns the license on the Beach Boys name for touring purpose, which led to Wilson and Jardine supporting a Change.org petition calling for a boycott of the touring Beach Boys after Love booked a headlining gig at the Safari Club International Convention in Reno, Nevada, with Donald Trump Jr. as the keynote speaker.
RELATED: 'Pet Sounds': The Beach Boys reflect on 50 years of masterpiece that almost did them in
Love's support of Trump has never been a secret. His version of the Beach Boys headlined one of Trump's inaugural balls in 2017, Love telling Uncut magazine "that was a moving experience."
In that same interview, Love said, “I don’t have anything negative to say about the President of the USA,”
This latest friction between the former bandmates, who last set aside their differences for a 50th-anniversary tour in 2012, arrives just days before Love's Beach Boys make their way to Phoenix for a "Concerts in Your Car" performance at the Arizona State Fairgrounds.
More: Brian Wilson calls on fans to protest the Beach Boys upcoming show
Love made no mention of the Trump gig in a recent interview with The Arizona Republic about the Beach Boys drive-in, although he did discuss his strained relationship with Wilson, who's also his cousin.
Asked if he could see himself working with Wilson again, Love didn't hesitate to make it clear that he is always open to that prospect before quickly adding something guaranteed to make it hard to actually facilitate that next reunion.
"I could work with Brian anytime," he says. "That's not a problem. It's a question of whether he's permitted to come out and play."
Reach the reporter at ed.masley@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-4495. Follow him on Twitter @EdMasley.
Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today.


usatoday--2020-10-19--2020 election live updates: Pelosi says 48-hour deadline to get stimulus done by Nov. 3; Trump gives

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Sunday the White House has 48 hours to reach a deal on COVID-19 relief before the Nov. 3 election .
`` I ’ m optimistic , '' Pelosi told ABC News `` This Week '' host George Stephanopoulos .
`` Because again , we ’ ve been back and forth on all of this . ''
When pressed on whether Americans would see a COVID relief package passed before the Nov. 3 election , Pelosi said “ that depends on the administration .
“ With all due respect to some of the people in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not legislators , ” Pelosi said .
The speaker then said that “ we now have agreement in the language , ” though talks remained ongoing .
“ When you say ‘ may ’ you give the president a slush fund .
When you say ‘ shall , ’ you are going with what the science tells us must happen , ” Pelosi said to explain the legislative semantics .
Pelosi also admonished President Donald Trump ’ s leading a crowd to chant “ Lock her up !
” about Gov .
Gretchen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Michigan on Saturday evening as “ irresponsible.
” The president ’ s calls come a little over a week after federal agents said they thwarted a plot to kidnap the governor .
“ The president has to realize that the words of the president of the United States weigh a ton .
And in our political dialogue , to inject fear tactics into it , especially a woman governor and her family , is so irresponsible , ” the speaker said .
`` The biggest antidote to his poison is the vote , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Director John Brennan is worried about the social and political havoc Trump may unleash if he loses on Election Day .
• Both Trump and Biden are working hard to win over crucial older voters in their campaign ads .
• Thursday 's competing town halls between Trump and Biden provided the perfect inspiration for the opening skit on `` Saturday Night Live . ''
• Sen. Ben Sasse , R-Neb.
, has ramped up his criticism of Trump 's election strategy drawing the ire of the president who called Sasse `` stupid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ until Election Day , four days until the final presidential debate , 94 days until Inauguration Day , 76 days left in 2020 .
🗳 Voting : See USA TODAY 's Voter Guide for information on registering to vote , when your state begins voting and what the candidates think about the issues .
We will update this article throughout the day .
You can follow all of USA TODAY 's politics reporters on Twitter or subscribe to our daily On Politics newsletter .
As Las Vegas churchgoers prayed for good political fortune @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when the collection bucket came around .
Trump placed what witnesses called a handful of $ 20 bills into the bucket during a friendly service at the International Church of Las Vegas .
`` The Lord said , ‘ he is ready for the next four years and he will have a second wind , ’ ” preached church leader Denise Goulet .
At one point , she asked Trump , seated in the front row , “ do you love your job ? ''
The service also featured music performances with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flags .
The event began a busy for Trump .
After church , he headed to Newport Beach , Calif. , for fundraisers .
Later Sunday , it 's back to Nevada for an airport rally in Carson City .
Biden pushes Democrats in NC to get out and vote Former Vice President Joe Biden appeared at a voter mobilization event in Durham , North Carolina on Sunday .
The visit comes as Democrats invest deeply in the battleground state , seeing strong pickup opportunities down the entire ballot .
`` Don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Harris , '' Biden told a socially distant crowd .
“ You ’ ve got a governor ’ s race , a senate race , a record number of black women on the ballot.
” Biden emphasized his policy plans for health care and jobs , linking them with his criticisms of the Trump administration ’ s response to the COVID-19 pandemic .
`` Folks are worried about making their next mortgage payment , whether their healthcare will be ripped away during a pandemic , worried about sending their kids to school … @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s presidency , ” Biden declared .
Biden also addressed the protests and civil unrest still apparent in the country , asserting that “ We have no need for militias to be patrolling our streets.
” The former vice president also referenced some of Durham ’ s history while speaking about the need for greater economic opportunity .
“ It was right here in Durham , on Parrish Street , that an oasis of Black-owned businesses thrived , even during Jim Crow , '' Biden said .
`` Place that offered the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ become if we chose to live up to our founding values . ''
The COVID-19 pandemic has upended the race in North Carolina , causing a record number of absentee ballots to be requested in the state .
Republican incumbent Sen. Thom Tillis contracted COVID-19 in early October , just as it was revealed his Democratic rival , Cal Cunningham , was had exchanged apparently romantic texts with a woman who was not his wife .
Michigan Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer , the target of a recent alleged kidnapping plot , accused President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on NBC News ' `` Meet the Press , '' in her strongest criticism of Trump to date .
`` It 's incredibly disturbing that the president of the United States , 10 days after a plot to kidnap , put me on trial , and execute me … is at it again and inspiring and incentivizing and inciting this kind of domestic terrorism , '' Whitmer said .
During a Trump campaign appearance in Michigan Saturday , the crowd chanted `` lock her up '' when Trump criticized the Democratic governor .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump said .
On Sunday Trump campaign adviser told CNN her father-in-law did n't do anything `` to provoke people to threaten this woman at all . ''
`` He was having fun at a Trump rally , '' she said on `` State of the Union . ''
WASHINGTON – More and more people are attending President Donald Trump 's airport rallies , many of the supporters packed together without masks despite a resurgence of COVID-19 .
Do n't expect that to change during the last two weeks of the campaign .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ living in fear , '' Trump campaign senior adviser Jason Miller said when asked about the rallies during an appearance on Fox News Sunday .
Trump survived a bout with COVID-19 earlier this month .
There is evidence some of his supporters contracted the coronavirus after attending his campaign events .
The Minnesota Department of Public Health reported it has traced 16 COVID cases to a Sept. 18 Trump rally in Bemidji ( plus four more to an anti-Trump rally just outside that event ) .
Three more cases have been traced to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 30 , less than two days before Trump tested positive for the virus .
In the Fox interview , Miller said `` we do pass out masks at the rallies . ''
He also said the campaign conducts temperature checks on attendees and give out hand sanitizer – and will continue to do so right up to the election .
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi admonished President Donald Trump ’ s leading a crowd to chant “ Lock her up !
” about Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer during a rally in Muskegon , Michigan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The president ’ s calls come a little over a week after federal agents said they thwarted a plot to kidnap the governor .
“ The president has to realize that the words of the president of the United States weigh a ton .
And in our political dialogue , to inject fear tactics into it , especially a woman governor and her family , is so irresponsible , ” the speaker said Sunday on ABC News ' `` This Week . ''
`` The biggest antidote to his poison is the vote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Whitmer said Trump 's incendiary tone needs to stop .
`` This is exactly the rhetoric that has put me , my family , and other government officials ’ lives in danger while we try to save the lives of our fellow Americans , '' the governor tweeted after Trump 's rally .
With only sixteen days before the Nov. 3 presidential election , there is no shortage of drama in the final stretch as President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden make their final pitches to voters as campaigns up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ key races .
Both candidates will continue to stump around the country today .
Trump , once again on the campaign trail after being hospitalized for COVID-19 , will attend a church service in Las Vegas at 9:00 a.m. PDT , then a campaign fundraiser in Santa Ana , California at mid-day .
He will finish his Sunday at a campaign rally in Carson City , Nevada at 7:00 p.m. PDT .
Biden will travel to North Carolina Sunday , where he will attend an event in Durham encouraging North Carolinians to plan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state ’ s early voting period , which began Thursday and ends Oct. 31 .
Trump goes after NBC reporter Welker , moderator for final debate WASHINGTON – The next ( and final debate ) is n't until Thursday , but President Donald Trump is already trying to pressure and intimidate the moderator , NBC News White House Correspondent Kristen Welker .
`` She ’ s always been terrible & unfair , just like most of the Fake News reporters , but I ’ ll still play the game , '' Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ! ''
Welker has n't commented , but plenty of colleagues and competitors testified to her fairness and professionalism .
They said she will do great when moderating Thursday 's showdown between Trump and Democrat Joe Biden in Nashville , Tenn. '' Kristen is one of the toughest , fairest reporters you ’ ll ever meet , '' tweeted Kathryn Watson , a White House reporter for CBS News .
Trump , who criticized moderator Chris Wallace of Fox News ahead of the Sept. 29 debate with Biden , also went after Welker @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Wisconsin .
Yet many people have praised Welker 's reporting during the Trump administration – including Trump himself .
Calling on Welker during a news conference in Switzerland in January , Trump complimented her for landing a weekend anchor gig on NBC 's Today show .
GOP senators try to save majority by distancing themselves from Trump Senate Majority Leaders Mitch McConnell and other Senate Republicans have taken deliberate steps to distance themselves from Trump as recent polls and independent analyses show Democrats with a better than 50-50 chance of flipping the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden wins , four if Trump does ) to retake the upper chamber .
It 's a balancing act for Republican Senate candidates running for re-election in battleground states who need the GOP base to win as well as a significant share of independents who may be turned off by Trump 's rhetoric , behavior and policies .
`` These senators are pulled in two different directions , '' said Jessica Taylor of the nonpartisan Cook Political Report .
`` They can ’ t irritate the very conservative Trump base but they also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It ’ s a no-win situation for them in many regards .
”

Matthew Brown, David Jackson and William Cummings, USA TODAY

2020 election live updates: Pelosi says 48-hour deadline to get stimulus done by Nov. 3; Trump gives wad of $20s at church
Show Caption Hide Caption How the Federal Reserve's interest rates affect the economy and you The Federal Reserve has lowered interest rates over the past few months. Here's how their actions affect you. Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Sunday the White House has 48 hours to reach a deal on COVID-19 relief before the Nov. 3 election.
"I’m optimistic," Pelosi told ABC News "This Week" host George Stephanopoulos. "Because again, we’ve been back and forth on all of this."
When pressed on whether Americans would see a COVID relief package passed before the Nov. 3 election, Pelosi said “that depends on the administration.
“With all due respect to some of the people in the president’s administration, they are not legislators,” Pelosi said. The speaker then said that “we now have agreement in the language,” though talks remained ongoing.
“When you say ‘may’ you give the president a slush fund. When you say ‘shall,’ you are going with what the science tells us must happen,” Pelosi said to explain the legislative semantics.
Pelosi also admonished President Donald Trump’s leading a crowd to chant “Lock her up!” about Gov. Gretchen Whitmer during a rally in Muskegon, Michigan on Saturday evening as “irresponsible.” The president’s calls come a little over a week after federal agents said they thwarted a plot to kidnap the governor.
“The president has to realize that the words of the president of the United States weigh a ton. And in our political dialogue, to inject fear tactics into it, especially a woman governor and her family, is so irresponsible,” the speaker said.
"The biggest antidote to his poison is the vote,” Pelosi said.
– Matthew Brown
☕ The latest:
📆 16 days until Election Day, four days until the final presidential debate, 94 days until Inauguration Day, 76 days left in 2020.
🗳 Voting: See USA TODAY's Voter Guide for information on registering to vote, when your state begins voting and what the candidates think about the issues.
We will update this article throughout the day. You can follow all of USA TODAY's politics reporters on Twitter or subscribe to our daily On Politics newsletter.
Trump drops a fistful of $20s into Las Vegas church collection bucket
Mike Pence headlines rally in keystone state With barely two weeks left before Election Day, the battleground state of Pennsylvania is being flooded with visits by the presidential candidates and their campaign surrogates. Vice President Mike Pence headlines a rally in Reading on Saturday. (Oct. 17) AP
As Las Vegas churchgoers prayed for good political fortune, President Donald Trump was not shy when the collection bucket came around.
Trump placed what witnesses called a handful of $20 bills into the bucket during a friendly service at the International Church of Las Vegas.
"The Lord said, ‘he is ready for the next four years and he will have a second wind,’” preached church leader Denise Goulet.
At one point, she asked Trump, seated in the front row, “do you love your job?"
"Yes," Trump replied, "I love my job."
The service also featured music performances with a band on stage and members twirling U.S. flags.
The event began a busy for Trump. After church, he headed to Newport Beach, Calif., for fundraisers. Later Sunday, it's back to Nevada for an airport rally in Carson City.
– David Jackson
Biden pushes Democrats in NC to get out and vote
Former Vice President Joe Biden appeared at a voter mobilization event in Durham, North Carolina on Sunday. The visit comes as Democrats invest deeply in the battleground state, seeing strong pickup opportunities down the entire ballot.
"Don’t just vote for me and Senator Harris," Biden told a socially distant crowd. “You’ve got a governor’s race, a senate race, a record number of black women on the ballot.”
Biden emphasized his policy plans for health care and jobs, linking them with his criticisms of the Trump administration’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Folks are worried about making their next mortgage payment, whether their healthcare will be ripped away during a pandemic, worried about sending their kids to school … well, that’s Donald Trump’s presidency,” Biden declared.
Biden also addressed the protests and civil unrest still apparent in the country, asserting that “We have no need for militias to be patrolling our streets.” The former vice president also referenced some of Durham’s history while speaking about the need for greater economic opportunity.
“It was right here in Durham, on Parrish Street, that an oasis of Black-owned businesses thrived, even during Jim Crow," Biden said. "Place that offered the country a glimpse of what we could become if we chose to live up to our founding values."
The COVID-19 pandemic has upended the race in North Carolina, causing a record number of absentee ballots to be requested in the state. Republican incumbent Sen. Thom Tillis contracted COVID-19 in early October, just as it was revealed his Democratic rival, Cal Cunningham, was had exchanged apparently romantic texts with a woman who was not his wife.
– Matthew Brown
Whitmer: Trump rhetoric is inciting 'domestic terrorism'
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, the target of a recent alleged kidnapping plot, accused President Donald Trump of inciting domestic terrorism Sunday on NBC News' "Meet the Press," in her strongest criticism of Trump to date.
"It's incredibly disturbing that the president of the United States, 10 days after a plot to kidnap, put me on trial, and execute me … is at it again and inspiring and incentivizing and inciting this kind of domestic terrorism," Whitmer said.
During a Trump campaign appearance in Michigan Saturday, the crowd chanted "lock her up" when Trump criticized the Democratic governor.
"Lock 'em all up," Trump said.
On Sunday Trump campaign adviser told CNN her father-in-law didn't do anything "to provoke people to threaten this woman at all."
"He was having fun at a Trump rally," she said on "State of the Union."
– William Cummings
Campaign adviser: Packed Trump rallies won't stop, despite COVID-19 resurgence
WASHINGTON – More and more people are attending President Donald Trump's airport rallies, many of the supporters packed together without masks despite a resurgence of COVID-19.
Don't expect that to change during the last two weeks of the campaign.
"People don't want to be living in fear," Trump campaign senior adviser Jason Miller said when asked about the rallies during an appearance on Fox News Sunday.
Trump survived a bout with COVID-19 earlier this month. There is evidence some of his supporters contracted the coronavirus after attending his campaign events.
The Minnesota Department of Public Health reported it has traced 16 COVID cases to a Sept. 18 Trump rally in Bemidji (plus four more to an anti-Trump rally just outside that event). Three more cases have been traced to a Trump event in Duluth on Sept. 30, less than two days before Trump tested positive for the virus.
In the Fox interview, Miller said "we do pass out masks at the rallies." He also said the campaign conducts temperature checks on attendees and give out hand sanitizer – and will continue to do so right up to the election.
– David Jackson
Pelosi slams Trump 'irresponsible rhetoric on Whitmer
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi admonished President Donald Trump’s leading a crowd to chant “Lock her up!” about Gov. Gretchen Whitmer during a rally in Muskegon, Michigan on Saturday evening as “irresponsible.” The president’s calls come a little over a week after federal agents said they thwarted a plot to kidnap the governor.
“The president has to realize that the words of the president of the United States weigh a ton. And in our political dialogue, to inject fear tactics into it, especially a woman governor and her family, is so irresponsible,” the speaker said Sunday on ABC News' "This Week."
"The biggest antidote to his poison is the vote,” Pelosi emphasized.
On Saturday Whitmer said Trump's incendiary tone needs to stop.
"This is exactly the rhetoric that has put me, my family, and other government officials’ lives in danger while we try to save the lives of our fellow Americans," the governor tweeted after Trump's rally.
– Matthew Brown
Trump heads to Nevada, Biden to North Carolina
With only sixteen days before the Nov. 3 presidential election, there is no shortage of drama in the final stretch as President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden make their final pitches to voters as campaigns up and down the ballot pour resources into key races.
Both candidates will continue to stump around the country today. Trump, once again on the campaign trail after being hospitalized for COVID-19, will attend a church service in Las Vegas at 9:00 a.m. PDT, then a campaign fundraiser in Santa Ana, California at mid-day. He will finish his Sunday at a campaign rally in Carson City, Nevada at 7:00 p.m. PDT.
Biden will travel to North Carolina Sunday, where he will attend an event in Durham encouraging North Carolinians to plan to vote by mail and in-person during the state’s early voting period, which began Thursday and ends Oct. 31.
– Matthew Brown
Trump goes after NBC reporter Welker, moderator for final debate
WASHINGTON – The next (and final debate) isn't until Thursday, but President Donald Trump is already trying to pressure and intimidate the moderator, NBC News White House Correspondent Kristen Welker.
"She’s always been terrible & unfair, just like most of the Fake News reporters, but I’ll still play the game," Trump tweeted Saturday. "The people know!"
Welker hasn't commented, but plenty of colleagues and competitors testified to her fairness and professionalism. They said she will do great when moderating Thursday's showdown between Trump and Democrat Joe Biden in Nashville, Tenn.
"Kristen is one of the toughest, fairest reporters you’ll ever meet," tweeted Kathryn Watson, a White House reporter for CBS News.
Trump, who criticized moderator Chris Wallace of Fox News ahead of the Sept. 29 debate with Biden, also went after Welker during a Saturday night rally in Janesville, Wisconsin.
Yet many people have praised Welker's reporting during the Trump administration – including Trump himself.
Calling on Welker during a news conference in Switzerland in January, Trump complimented her for landing a weekend anchor gig on NBC's Today show.
"They made a very wise decision," Trump told Welker.
– David Jackson
GOP senators try to save majority by distancing themselves from Trump
Senate Majority Leaders Mitch McConnell and other Senate Republicans have taken deliberate steps to distance themselves from Trump as recent polls and independent analyses show Democrats with a better than 50-50 chance of flipping the necessary number of seats (three if Biden wins, four if Trump does) to retake the upper chamber.
It's a balancing act for Republican Senate candidates running for re-election in battleground states who need the GOP base to win as well as a significant share of independents who may be turned off by Trump's rhetoric, behavior and policies.
"These senators are pulled in two different directions," said Jessica Taylor of the nonpartisan Cook Political Report. "They can’t irritate the very conservative Trump base but they also need independents to win the general election. It’s a no-win situation for them in many regards.”
– Phillip M. Bailey and Ledyard King
Contributing: Bart Jansen and Sean Rossman, USA TODAY; Paul Egan. Detroit Free Press


usatoday--2020-10-19--'The job's not done': Dodgers beat Braves in Game 7 thriller to complete comeback, reach World Serie

ARLINGTON , Texas – For six consecutive years now , the Los Angeles Dodgers have stared into baseball ’ s abyss , the winner-take-all playoff game , a contest that brought them heroes and heartbreak in almost equal measure , but never ended with the club recording the final out of the season , inciting a merry dogpile .
Sunday night , on a balmy and wind-swept evening at Globe Life Field , the Dodgers confronted so many of their past demons in Game 7 of the National League Championship Series , and above all an Atlanta Braves team that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by winning three of the first four games .
Yet this is widely regarded as the greatest of the Dodgers ’ eight consecutive division champions , buttressed by the acquisition of Mookie Betts , galvanized by an infusion of young pitching , but always wondering if something was missing from the franchise still searching for its first World Series title since 1988 .
Well , in a taut and wildly entertaining Game 7 , the Dodgers showed a fortitude they either developed or perhaps always possessed , only to get swallowed in October @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pair of Braves leads and bedeviled them again with two-out magic , ultimately prevailing on Cody Bellinger ’ s seventh-inning home run to give them a 4-3 victory and their third NL pennant in four seasons .
They will advance to play the upstart Tampa Bay Rays in the World Series , Game 1 Tuesday night back here at this socially-distanced , pandemic-improvised neutral site .
The Dodgers remain in the playoff bubble because good things happened to a great team in a decisive game .
That has n't always been the case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 'd lost three of five elimination games dating to 2015 .
`` It ’ s just the mentality we have : Show up that day , win that day , '' said NLCS MVP Corey Seager , a rookie in 2015 who in this series slugged five home runs and drove in 11 runs , both NLCS records .
`` This team does a very good job being in the moment .
You got ta stay in that moment , be in the moment and let the chips fall where they may .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ our way . ''
It was heroes old and new who made it happen .
Start with Bellinger , the 2019 NL MVP whose playoff woes have dogged him since his record-breaking 2017 rookie season .
He was just 4-for-22 in this NLCS when he stepped to the plate against Braves reliever Chris Martin , the score tied and two out in the seventh .
Bellinger battled through seven pitches of the at-bat , before finally slamming the eighth into the seats in right field , pausing by his dugout to exhort his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ acquired from the Boston Red Sox for pennies on the dollar and granted a $ 365 million contract .
For the third consecutive game , Betts made a stunning defensive play in right field , this time robbing Freddie Freeman of a fifth-inning homer that would have pushed the Braves ’ lead to 4-3 .
And let ’ s not forget the others who date back to the first of these do-or-die games , the fifth game of the 2015 NLDS , who could have been playing their last games as a Dodger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pinch hitter , led off the sixth with a game-tying home run off Braves reliever A.J .
Minter , like Bellinger battling back and winning an eight-pitch battle .
His old infield running mate , Justin Turner , kick-started perhaps the biggest game-turning play , the Braves with two runners in scoring position and already leading 3-2 when Nick Markakis hit a grounder to third .
Turner fielded it and with impeccable timing threw home to get Dansby Swanson in a rundown .
This stroke of good fortune eventually resulted in a 5-2-5-6 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ manager Dave Roberts , panned for so many October misfires with his pitching moves .
On this night , he masterfully guided five pitchers through the daunting Braves lineup , finished by Julio Urías , who held down the Braves with three perfect innings of relief .
The Braves ?
They are young and wildly talented and will be back .
They just ran into a Dodgers team that crawled out of a 3-1 hole to retain the chance to prove they are , in fact , a notch better than their predecessors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aren ’ t different : Dodger success is predicated on pitching , power and patience , and their holy trinity merged on this evening .
Hernandez ’ s tying home run and Bellinger ’ s go-ahead shot gave the Dodgers 16 home runs , tying the 2008 Rays for an LCS record .
The pitching ?
That was a little sketchier .
Roberts hoped to protect ostensible Game 7 starter Tony Gonsolin by having fellow rookie Dustin May “ open ” the game , but the strategy backfired when both men gave up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It seemed all the more dubious when Blake Treinen inherited Gonsolin ’ s mess , as he was pitching for the third day in a row and covered two innings a day before .
But Treinen induced the most important ground ball of the night , off Markakis ’ bat , that kick-started the wild Braves misadventure on the bases .
Treinen gutted through two more innings and after rookie Brusdar Graterol pitched a scoreless sixth , it was Urias time .
Spoon-fed innings and responsibility since he debuted as a 19-year-old in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most important pitcher this postseason .
He pitched five innings of one-run ball to key the Game 3 win and on this night , was both the winner and the closer .
`` Julio is very talented , he ’ s very smart , he ’ s very tough , '' says Roberts .
`` We ’ ve handled him with kid gloves over the years , put him in roles he may not have wanted and he expressed that , and we understand .
`` It was his moment .
I trust @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well and I wanted him to finish that game . ''
Urias ' biggest out was retiring the dangerous Ozzie Albies to lead off the ninth .
One out later , Riley skied a ball to center and Bellinger , appropriately , camped under it , setting off an exuberant celebration , kids running the bases and grown men crying .
Now , to see if they can gin up one more just like it .
`` It took the first guy on the roster to the 28th guy on the roster , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three-homer game in the Dodgers ' Game 5 clincher at Chicago in the 2017 NLCS .
`` The job ’ s not done .
The goal wasn ’ t to get to the World Series , it was to win the World Series .
We ’ re gon na have fun tonight .
We ’ re going to enjoy what we accomplished .
`` At the same time , the job ’ s not done . ''

'The job's not done': Dodgers beat Braves in Game 7 thriller to complete comeback, reach World Series
Show Caption Hide Caption Dodgers advance to the World Series for third time in four years SportsPulse: The Dodgers are headed back to the World Series for the third time in four years. Bob Nightengale explains why this may finally be the team that reaches the mountain top. SportsPulse, USA TODAY
ARLINGTON, Texas – For six consecutive years now, the Los Angeles Dodgers have stared into baseball’s abyss, the winner-take-all playoff game, a contest that brought them heroes and heartbreak in almost equal measure, but never ended with the club recording the final out of the season, inciting a merry dogpile.
Sunday night, on a balmy and wind-swept evening at Globe Life Field, the Dodgers confronted so many of their past demons in Game 7 of the National League Championship Series, and above all an Atlanta Braves team that pushed them to the brink of elimination by winning three of the first four games.
Yet this is widely regarded as the greatest of the Dodgers’ eight consecutive division champions, buttressed by the acquisition of Mookie Betts, galvanized by an infusion of young pitching, but always wondering if something was missing from the franchise still searching for its first World Series title since 1988.
DODGERS WIN NLCS: Corey Seager named MVP
WORLD SERIES: Rays fight off Astros comeback to reach Fall Classic
Well, in a taut and wildly entertaining Game 7, the Dodgers showed a fortitude they either developed or perhaps always possessed, only to get swallowed in October’s whims. They erased a pair of Braves leads and bedeviled them again with two-out magic, ultimately prevailing on Cody Bellinger’s seventh-inning home run to give them a 4-3 victory and their third NL pennant in four seasons.
They will advance to play the upstart Tampa Bay Rays in the World Series, Game 1 Tuesday night back here at this socially-distanced, pandemic-improvised neutral site.
The Dodgers remain in the playoff bubble because good things happened to a great team in a decisive game. That hasn't always been the case as, entering Game 7, they'd lost three of five elimination games dating to 2015.
"It’s just the mentality we have: Show up that day, win that day," said NLCS MVP Corey Seager, a rookie in 2015 who in this series slugged five home runs and drove in 11 runs, both NLCS records. "This team does a very good job being in the moment. You gotta stay in that moment, be in the moment and let the chips fall where they may.
"Right now, they're falling our way."
It was heroes old and new who made it happen.
Start with Bellinger, the 2019 NL MVP whose playoff woes have dogged him since his record-breaking 2017 rookie season. He was just 4-for-22 in this NLCS when he stepped to the plate against Braves reliever Chris Martin, the score tied and two out in the seventh. Bellinger battled through seven pitches of the at-bat, before finally slamming the eighth into the seats in right field, pausing by his dugout to exhort his Series-bound teammates.
Continue with Betts, acquired from the Boston Red Sox for pennies on the dollar and granted a $365 million contract. For the third consecutive game, Betts made a stunning defensive play in right field, this time robbing Freddie Freeman of a fifth-inning homer that would have pushed the Braves’ lead to 4-3.
And let’s not forget the others who date back to the first of these do-or-die games, the fifth game of the 2015 NLDS, who could have been playing their last games as a Dodger. Kiké Hernandez, inserted as a pinch hitter, led off the sixth with a game-tying home run off Braves reliever A.J. Minter, like Bellinger battling back and winning an eight-pitch battle.
His old infield running mate, Justin Turner, kick-started perhaps the biggest game-turning play, the Braves with two runners in scoring position and already leading 3-2 when Nick Markakis hit a grounder to third.
Turner fielded it and with impeccable timing threw home to get Dansby Swanson in a rundown. This stroke of good fortune eventually resulted in a 5-2-5-6 double play.
And of course, manager Dave Roberts, panned for so many October misfires with his pitching moves. On this night, he masterfully guided five pitchers through the daunting Braves lineup, finished by Julio Urías, who held down the Braves with three perfect innings of relief.
The Braves? They are young and wildly talented and will be back. They just ran into a Dodgers team that crawled out of a 3-1 hole to retain the chance to prove they are, in fact, a notch better than their predecessors who came up short.
Some things aren’t different: Dodger success is predicated on pitching, power and patience, and their holy trinity merged on this evening. Hernandez’s tying home run and Bellinger’s go-ahead shot gave the Dodgers 16 home runs, tying the 2008 Rays for an LCS record.
The pitching? That was a little sketchier. Roberts hoped to protect ostensible Game 7 starter Tony Gonsolin by having fellow rookie Dustin May “open” the game, but the strategy backfired when both men gave up runs in the first and second.
It seemed all the more dubious when Blake Treinen inherited Gonsolin’s mess, as he was pitching for the third day in a row and covered two innings a day before.
But Treinen induced the most important ground ball of the night, off Markakis’ bat, that kick-started the wild Braves misadventure on the bases. Treinen gutted through two more innings and after rookie Brusdar Graterol pitched a scoreless sixth, it was Urias time.
Spoon-fed innings and responsibility since he debuted as a 19-year-old in 2016, Urias has been perhaps their most important pitcher this postseason. He pitched five innings of one-run ball to key the Game 3 win and on this night, was both the winner and the closer.
"Julio is very talented, he’s very smart, he’s very tough," says Roberts. "We’ve handled him with kid gloves over the years, put him in roles he may not have wanted and he expressed that, and we understand.
"It was his moment. I trust him, he was throwing the baseball well and I wanted him to finish that game."
Urias' biggest out was retiring the dangerous Ozzie Albies to lead off the ninth. One out later, Riley skied a ball to center and Bellinger, appropriately, camped under it, setting off an exuberant celebration, kids running the bases and grown men crying.
Now, to see if they can gin up one more just like it.
"It took the first guy on the roster to the 28th guy on the roster," says Hernandez, who had a three-homer game in the Dodgers' Game 5 clincher at Chicago in the 2017 NLCS. "The job’s not done. The goal wasn’t to get to the World Series, it was to win the World Series. We’re gonna have fun tonight. We’re going to enjoy what we accomplished.
"At the same time, the job’s not done."


usatoday--2020-10-19--Indiana police fire new officer after social media posts reveal link to neo-Nazi forum

LAFAYETTE , Ind .
– Lafayette police fired a recently hired officer less than 24 hours after he was accused to having ties to racist posts made on a fascist web forum , LPD Chief Pat Flannelly confirmed Saturday afternoon .
Flannelly said Officer Joseph Zacharek , hired by LPD in June , was called into the police station Friday night after claims started showing up on social media that he was linked to Iron March , a neo-Nazi forum disbanded in 2017 but that had its entire database exposed on the internet in late 2019 .
Flannelly said that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social media tip “ plausible and credible , ” they confronted Zacharek about the claims and asking whether it was hoax .
Flannelly said Zacharek admitted that the comments were his .
Flannelly said Zacharek was fired , as of noon Saturday .
The chief also said the fact that Zacharek ’ s posts never showed up on LPD ’ s background checks would force the agency to review its processes .
“ I know the question everyone will have is , how does something like this get missed in a background investigation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is it possible and how do we prevent this from ever happening again ?
I ’ m not going to sugar-coat this .
Ultimately , it ’ s my responsibility .
We missed it.
” Attempts to reach Zacharek were not immediately successful Saturday .
Friday night , Lafayette police acknowledged on social media that they were aware of accusations that Zacharek was among Iron Watch members revealed by the data dump and that he ’ d made racist posts dating to 2016 , including questioning “ the vile ‘ culture ’ of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had been taught on race had been a flimsy fabrication which was not supported by real world evidence.
” The bio at Iron Watch , shown by the site ironwatch.exposed and attributed to him , also claims an interest “ in ( National Socialist ) economics as a way of throwing off the chains of usury and Jewish owned banking.
” “ We saw the information come over our Twitter feed last night and launched an immediate investigation , ” Flannelly said Saturday .
The night before , as social media posts tagged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feed posted : “ We appreciate this information being brought to our attention .
An investigation into these allegations will commence immediately .
There is no room for hate at LPD .
We will get to the truth.
” Zacharek was one of three new LPD officers announced by the department in June .
An LPD release from that time said Zacharek was originally from Edwards , New York , who attended Penn State University and served three years as a tank crewman in the U.S. Army .
“ He visited Lafayette and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” LPD wrote at the time .
In data posted by the site IronWatch.Exposed , a user going by Panzerleiter on Iron Watch was created by someone with a Google mail account under Zacharek ’ s name .
The bio for the user named Panzerleiter at Iron Watch also claimed to be a tank crewman in the U.S. Army who registered in upstate New York .
Panzer is a German tank .
Leiter , in German , means leader or chief or conductor .
Lt. Matt Gard , public information officer with LPD @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going through training and had not been assigned , yet , to patrol Lafayette streets .
Flannelly said Saturday that Zacharek had not had contact in uniform with the Lafayette public .
The Southern Poverty Law Center , which tracks white nationalist and other hate groups , called Iron March “ an influential gathering place for young neo-Nazis and neo-fascists who eyed the Western world with intentions of triggering race war on a global scale ” According to the Southern Poverty Law Center , Iron Watch had 1,653 users who “ came to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be universal truths about fascism , according to a 2016 podcast that featured one of the site ’ s founders and another contributing member.
” Black man sues Texas city : Police on horseback led a Black man by rope ; now , he 's suing the city for $ 1 million You know George Floyd and Breonna Taylor:10 years after his death , you should also know DJ Henry 's .
Attempts to reach the person behind the social media account @ Ghosts_of_Past were not immediately successful , either .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Exposed posts and Zacharek that LPD was investigating .
The man behind another site , @ antifashgordon , that initially tagged LPD declined to comment for the record .
Flannelly said he didn ’ t necessarily agree with how LPD found out about Zacharek ’ s ties to the white supremacist ground , but he said he appreciated that they ’ d let his agency know .
The chief said LPD ’ s background checks include discussions with friends and family , past employers , social media history and psychological profiles that include @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out ties to hate groups and other questionable affiliations .
“ I ’ m not sure we ’ re into the dark web or whatever this was , ” Flannelly said .
“ So , we ’ re appreciative of whoever did that research , however they came across it .
We ’ re appreciative that they shared it with us .
... We would have never hired him in the first place if we ’ d uncovered that in the background investigation .
He would have been effectively eliminated.
” Through a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an officer is not a merit office and can be let go at will , Flannelly said .
Did Flannelly think the hire was a deliberate attempt by a neo-Nazi group to infiltrate the LPD ranks ?
“ I don ’ t think that ’ s the case , ” Flannelly said .
“ But in the last six months , I ’ ve heard people saying those things and post things like that publicly , and I ’ ve always very confident that our process would catch that .
And it didn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to have to go back to the drawing board and deal directly with our screening process .
This is unacceptable .
”

Dave Bangert, Lafayette Journal & Courier

Indiana police fire new officer after social media posts reveal link to neo-Nazi forum
LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Lafayette police fired a recently hired officer less than 24 hours after he was accused to having ties to racist posts made on a fascist web forum, LPD Chief Pat Flannelly confirmed Saturday afternoon.
Flannelly said Officer Joseph Zacharek, hired by LPD in June, was called into the police station Friday night after claims started showing up on social media that he was linked to Iron March, a neo-Nazi forum disbanded in 2017 but that had its entire database exposed on the internet in late 2019.
Flannelly said that after LPD internal affairs detectives found the social media tip “plausible and credible,” they confronted Zacharek about the claims and asking whether it was hoax. Flannelly said Zacharek admitted that the comments were his.
Flannelly said Zacharek was fired, as of noon Saturday.
The chief also said the fact that Zacharek’s posts never showed up on LPD’s background checks would force the agency to review its processes.
“I know the question everyone will have is, how does something like this get missed in a background investigation,” Flannelly said. “How is it possible and how do we prevent this from ever happening again? I’m not going to sugar-coat this. Ultimately, it’s my responsibility. We missed it.”
Attempts to reach Zacharek were not immediately successful Saturday.
Friday night, Lafayette police acknowledged on social media that they were aware of accusations that Zacharek was among Iron Watch members revealed by the data dump and that he’d made racist posts dating to 2016, including questioning “the vile ‘culture’ of the African and learned that everything I had been taught on race had been a flimsy fabrication which was not supported by real world evidence.”
The bio at Iron Watch, shown by the site ironwatch.exposed and attributed to him, also claims an interest “in (National Socialist) economics as a way of throwing off the chains of usury and Jewish owned banking.”
“We saw the information come over our Twitter feed last night and launched an immediate investigation,” Flannelly said Saturday.
The night before, as social media posts tagged LPD, the Lafayette police official Twitter feed posted: “We appreciate this information being brought to our attention. An investigation into these allegations will commence immediately. There is no room for hate at LPD. We will get to the truth.”
Zacharek was one of three new LPD officers announced by the department in June. An LPD release from that time said Zacharek was originally from Edwards, New York, who attended Penn State University and served three years as a tank crewman in the U.S. Army. “He visited Lafayette and fell in love with the community,” LPD wrote at the time.
In data posted by the site IronWatch.Exposed, a user going by Panzerleiter on Iron Watch was created by someone with a Google mail account under Zacharek’s name. The bio for the user named Panzerleiter at Iron Watch also claimed to be a tank crewman in the U.S. Army who registered in upstate New York. Panzer is a German tank. Leiter, in German, means leader or chief or conductor.
Lt. Matt Gard, public information officer with LPD, said Saturday that Zacharek was still going through training and had not been assigned, yet, to patrol Lafayette streets. Flannelly said Saturday that Zacharek had not had contact in uniform with the Lafayette public.
Friday evening we received information through a post on social media, an investigation was initiated into a complaint regarding Recruit Officer Joseph Zacharek. As a result of the investigation his employment has been terminated. https://t.co/a2RtLrPYmb — LafayetteINPolice (@LafayetteINPD) October 17, 2020
The Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks white nationalist and other hate groups, called Iron March “an influential gathering place for young neo-Nazis and neo-fascists who eyed the Western world with intentions of triggering race war on a global scale” According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, Iron Watch had 1,653 users who “came to Iron March to debate what they believed to be universal truths about fascism, according to a 2016 podcast that featured one of the site’s founders and another contributing member.”
Black man sues Texas city: Police on horseback led a Black man by rope; now, he's suing the city for $1 million
You know George Floyd and Breonna Taylor: 10 years after his death, you should also know DJ Henry's.
Attempts to reach the person behind the social media account @Ghosts_of_Past were not immediately successful, either. That account claimed the connection between IronMarch. Exposed posts and Zacharek that LPD was investigating.
The man behind another site, @antifashgordon, that initially tagged LPD declined to comment for the record.
Flannelly said he didn’t necessarily agree with how LPD found out about Zacharek’s ties to the white supremacist ground, but he said he appreciated that they’d let his agency know.
The chief said LPD’s background checks include discussions with friends and family, past employers, social media history and psychological profiles that include questions Flannelly said were designed to root out ties to hate groups and other questionable affiliations.
“I’m not sure we’re into the dark web or whatever this was,” Flannelly said. “So, we’re appreciative of whoever did that research, however they came across it. We’re appreciative that they shared it with us. ... We would have never hired him in the first place if we’d uncovered that in the background investigation. He would have been effectively eliminated.”
Through a new hire’s first year, an officer is not a merit office and can be let go at will, Flannelly said.
Did Flannelly think the hire was a deliberate attempt by a neo-Nazi group to infiltrate the LPD ranks?
“I don’t think that’s the case,” Flannelly said. “But in the last six months, I’ve heard people saying those things and post things like that publicly, and I’ve always very confident that our process would catch that. And it didn’t. ... We’re going to have to go back to the drawing board and deal directly with our screening process. This is unacceptable.”
Follow Dave Bangert on Twitter: @davebangert.