usatoday--2020-10-22--Coronavirus updates: FDA approves remdesivir as treatment for COVID-19; blood supply shortage looms;

Moderna announced a crucial step Thursday in its progress toward winning approval for a COVID-19 vaccine , saying it has secured all 30,000 participants for its Phase 3 study , more than a third of whom are of color .
Meanwhile , the FDA approved the antiviral medicine remdesivir as a treatment for COVID-19 .
“ Completing enrollment of the Phase 3 COVE study is an important milestone for the clinical development of our vaccine , '' CEO Stéphane Bancel said .
`` We are indebted to all of the participants . ''
A vaccine ca n't come fast enough @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is outstripping supply , and that things could get worse when flu season kicks into high gear later in the fall .
`` A month or two ago we were at probably a good place ... because so many heard that message to come out ( and donate ) , '' said Kate Fry , CEO of America 's Blood Centers .
`` But now it 's lost that momentum .
We see the blood supply steadily decrease . ''
In Massachusetts , Salem is known as `` Witch City '' and draws @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Officials have announced stricter guidelines for Halloween to prevent gatherings .
Businesses will shut down early , city officials will triple fines over the Halloween weekend , and streets will be closed .
• Spain is the first country in western Europe to reach 1 million cases of COVID-19 .
• Boston public schools are switching to all-remote learning starting Thursday in response to a rise in coronavirus cases .
• Former President Barack Obama , in his first campaign event for Joe Biden , slams President Trump 's response to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The U.S. has reported more than 8.3 million cases and 222,000 deaths , according to Johns Hopkins University data .
The global totals : 41 million cases and 1.1 million deaths .
🗺 Mapping coronavirus : Track the U.S. outbreak in your state .
Worked to death : Latino farmworkers have long been denied basic rights .
COVID-19 showed how deadly racism could be .
Read the latest installment in USA TODAY 's series , Deadly Discrimination .
When will there be a COVID vaccine ?
In general , scientists and public health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ approved at the earliest by December , but that does n't mean it will be widely available to most Americans .
The federal government is developing a distribution plan that would get vaccine to various populations first , such as essential workers , those most vulnerable to COVID-19 and the elderly .
See what USA TODAY 's expert panel has to say .
This file will be updated throughout the day .
For updates in your inbox , subscribe to The Daily Briefing newsletter .
The Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a treatment for patients with COVID-19 who require hospitalization .
As an antiviral drug , remdesivir works to stop replication of SARS-CoV-2 , the virus that causes COVID-19 , according to the drug 's manufacturer , Gilead .
Previously authorized by the FDA for emergency use to treat COVID-19 , the drug is now the first and only approved COVID-19 treatment in the United States , Gilead said in a release .
The drug is also known by its brand name Veklury .
A new study shows how quickly college students can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Wisconsin outbreak that resulted in a spike in nursing home deaths .
The study out of Kabara Cancer Research Institute in Wisconsin , which has not yet been formally peer-reviewed , found genetic links between an outbreak in La Crosse and infections among students at the university there .
The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse reopened campus with in-person instruction Sept. 8 , before suspending instruction after a spike in cases Sept. 13 .
On-campus courses resumed Oct. 5 .
Researchers said the outbreak in the town of La Crosse “ coincided with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ finding links between college-aged students and the “ rapid transmission of the virus into more vulnerable populations.
” The study said the majority of cases were associated with the largest institution , the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse , followed by Viterbo University , also in La Crosse .
Relatively few cases were associated with students enrolled at Western Technical College in La Crosse .
In recent weeks , La Crosse County has seen 19 deaths , most of them in long-term care facilities , according to county data .
Indiana reports daily high @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reported a new daily high of nearly 3,000 new coronavirus infections on Thursday as state health officials added 42 more COVID-19 deaths to the pandemic toll .
The 2,880 new infections reported by the Indiana State Department of Health topped the 2,521 new infections the agency reported Saturday that had been Indiana ’ s daily high .
Indiana ’ s 42 new deaths raised the state ’ s pandemic death toll to 4,065 .
Chicago businesses will have to close by 10 p.m. and residents are asked to limit gatherings to six people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases among residents continues to rise , the city ’ s mayor announced Thursday .
“ We are – no doubt whatsoever – in a second surge , ” Mayor Lori Lightfoot said .
“ This is what it looks like.
” Lightfoot also announced that bars without food licenses must stop serving customers indoors and liquor sales citywide must end at 9 p.m. Lightfoot warned earlier this week that rising numbers of new confirmed cases could lead to reinstated restrictions on the city ’ s economy .
As of Thursday , Lightfoot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of 645 new cases during the past seven days .
Most Americans could be vaccinated by June 2021 , adviser says Immunization against the coronavirus could be accomplished for most Americans before the midway point of next year , according to one of the leaders of the effort to find a vaccine .
`` It 's not a certainty , but the plan — and I feel pretty confident — should make it such that by June , everybody could have been immunized in the U.S. , '' Dr. Moncef Slaoui , chief @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Warp Speed , told ABC News Wednesday .
Slaoui said pharmaceutical companies Moderna and Pfizer could request emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration and start vaccinating health care workers before the end of the year .
Most health care services have returned to some sense of normal operation since struggling at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic , but blood centers are still reporting significant declines in blood collections .
The U.S. blood supply is at critically low levels , according to a joint statement issued late last week by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
COVID-19 , coupled with wildfires in the Western states , recent hurricanes and other storms have led to “ unprecedented fluctuations , ” the groups say .
The approaching flu season and continued rise in COVID-19 cases will further decrease the nation ’ s blood supply as more people become sick and are unable to donate , experts say .
`` We ’ re able to collect less , but demand is up and that ’ s what created this perfect storm , '' said Kate Fry , CEO of America 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vaccine trial ; 37 % of them non-white Biotech firm Moderna announced Thursday that it has enrolled all 30,000 participants in its COVID-19 vaccine trial – and that nearly 37 % of them were non-white .
The company had delayed the study for a few weeks in September to ensure adequate minority representation .
About 10 % of the volunteers are Black , 20 % Hispanic and 4 % Asian ; a quarter were over 65 and 17 % were at high risk for a serious case of COVID-19 for other reasons .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the trial will meet two key milestones in mid-November : About half the participants will be two months past their second dose of the vaccine , meaning the company will have enough safety data to present to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ; and at least 53 of the participants will have caught COVID-19 , so the company will have its first snapshot of effectiveness .
Then the company will decide whether to submit an application to the FDA , which could take weeks to months to approve it or issue an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ State Fair opened to huge , drive-thru crowds that gobbled funnel cake served through car windows and admired agriculture exhibits on the move .
Fair organizers decided that after more than 150 years of festivities , the show must go on , albeit with coronavirus-driven restrictions and shortened to just a couple of days .
Fair Manager Nancy Smith said more than 10,000 people came through in cars on Tuesday , opening day .
The bulk of the events wrapped up Wednesday , but food windows remain open through Saturday .
The only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arrived in .
“ Safety has always been our first priority , and we are so thrilled to see how our patrons have embraced the changes while still showing tremendous support for the fair , ” Smith said .
New Jersey woman whose husband died from virus blasts Trump A new Jersey woman whose husband , a police officer , died of complications related to COVID-19 says she received a compassionate call from Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden but no call from President Donald Trump .
Glen Ridge Police Officer Charles `` Rob @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this week Alice Roberts wrote an opinion piece criticizing the president for his response to the pandemic .
Roberts appeared on CNN 's `` New Day '' Wednesday , expressing her appreciation for Biden 's phone call and saying she received a similar call from Gov .
Phil Murphy .
She had no kind words for Trump .
By continuing to host what Roberts called `` superspreader '' rallies , the president is `` spitting on all these loved ones ' graves , '' she said .
`` I know a lot of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and he ’ s just one of them , but he ’ s not one of us , '' she said .
`` He was able to get top-notch medical care '' compared to her husband , whose tests were `` mixed up , '' and results took weeks to obtain .
U.S. health officials Wednesday redefined what counts as close contact with someone with COVID-19 to include briefer but repeated encounters .
For months , the CDC said close contact meant spending a solid 15 minutes within 6 feet of someone who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the CDC changed it to a total of 15 minutes or more – so shorter but repeated contacts that add up to 15 minutes over a 24-hour period now count .
The CDC advises anyone who has been in close contact with a COVID-19 patient to quarantine for two weeks .
The change may prompt health departments to do contact tracing in cases where an exposure might previously have been considered too brief , said Dr. William Schaffner , a Vanderbilt University infectious diseases expert .
It also serves notice that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people realize , he said .
Obama : Donald Trump could n't 'protect himself , ' US from COVID Former President Barack Obama gave a fiery speech Wednesday in Philadelphia that attacked President Donald Trump as incompetent and surrounded by `` hacks , '' while promoting Obama 's former vice president , Joe Biden , as someone who would better deal with the pandemic and heal the economy .
Obama , in his first in-person campaign event two weeks before the end of 2020 voting , noted 220,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He said the country ’ s reputation is in tatters around the world under Trump .
“ He hasn ’ t shown any interest in doing the work or helping anybody but himself and his friends , or treating the presidency like a reality show that he can use to get attention , ” Obama said .
“ This is not a reality show – this is reality .
The rest of us have had to live with the consequences of him proving himself incapable of taking the job seriously.
” US numbers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ record deaths A USA TODAY analysis of Johns Hopkins data through late Wednesday shows 14 states set records for new cases in a week while six states had a record number of deaths in a week .
New case records were set in Alaska , Colorado , Idaho , Illinois , Indiana , Kansas , Kentucky , Michigan , Montana , New Mexico , Ohio , Utah , Wisconsin and Wyoming , and also Guam and Northern Mariana Islands .
Record numbers of deaths were reported in Kentucky , Montana , Nebraska , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The United States has reported 8.3 million cases and more than 222,200 deaths .
Massachusetts Gov .
Charlie Baker and Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll announced stricter coronavirus restrictions for Halloween to prevent gatherings .
The new guidelines include early business shutdowns , road closures and travel and parking restrictions in Salem .
`` We normally welcome throngs of visitors from around the globe to our community , '' Driscoll said at a news conference .
`` This is just not the year and we want to send the message that , if you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in November , come next year . ''
• In your inbox : Stay up to date with the latest news on the coronavirus pandemic from the USA TODAY Network .
Sign up for the daily Coronavirus Watch newsletter .
• Tips for coping : Every Saturday and Tuesday we 'll be in your inbox , offering you a virtual hug and a little bit of solace in these difficult times .
Sign up for Staying Apart , Together .
• On Facebook : A lot is still unknown about the coronavirus .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 're sharing with you .
Join our Facebook group , Coronavirus Watch , to receive daily updates in your feed and chat with others in the community about COVID-19 .

John Bacon, Jorge L. Ortiz and Doyle Rice, USA TODAY

Coronavirus updates: FDA approves remdesivir as treatment for COVID-19; blood supply shortage looms; most Americans immunized by June?
Show Caption Hide Caption Former Pres. Obama slams Trump's COVID-19 responses at Biden rally Former President Barack Obama took aim at President Donald Trump's COVID-19 response at a rally in Philadelphia for Joe Biden. USA TODAY, Associated Press
Moderna announced a crucial step Thursday in its progress toward winning approval for a COVID-19 vaccine, saying it has secured all 30,000 participants for its Phase 3 study, more than a third of whom are of color. Meanwhile, the FDA approved the antiviral medicine remdesivir as a treatment for COVID-19.
“Completing enrollment of the Phase 3 COVE study is an important milestone for the clinical development of our vaccine," CEO Stéphane Bancel said. "We are indebted to all of the participants."
A vaccine can't come fast enough. Blood supply agencies warn that demand is outstripping supply, and that things could get worse when flu season kicks into high gear later in the fall.
"A month or two ago we were at probably a good place ... because so many heard that message to come out (and donate)," said Kate Fry, CEO of America's Blood Centers. "But now it's lost that momentum. We see the blood supply steadily decrease."
In Massachusetts, Salem is known as "Witch City" and draws big Halloween crowds. Not this year. Officials have announced stricter guidelines for Halloween to prevent gatherings. Businesses will shut down early, city officials will triple fines over the Halloween weekend, and streets will be closed.
Some significant developments:
Spain is the first country in western Europe to reach 1 million cases of COVID-19.
Boston public schools are switching to all-remote learning starting Thursday in response to a rise in coronavirus cases.
Former President Barack Obama, in his first campaign event for Joe Biden, slams President Trump's response to the pandemic.
📈 Today's numbers: The U.S. has reported more than 8.3 million cases and 222,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data. The global totals: 41 million cases and 1.1 million deaths.
🗺 Mapping coronavirus: Track the U.S. outbreak in your state.
Worked to death: Latino farmworkers have long been denied basic rights. COVID-19 showed how deadly racism could be. Read the latest installment in USA TODAY's series, Deadly Discrimination.
When will there be a COVID vaccine? In general, scientists and public health experts say a COVID-19 vaccine could be approved at the earliest by December, but that doesn't mean it will be widely available to most Americans. The federal government is developing a distribution plan that would get vaccine to various populations first, such as essential workers, those most vulnerable to COVID-19 and the elderly. See what USA TODAY's expert panel has to say.
This file will be updated throughout the day. For updates in your inbox, subscribe to The Daily Briefing newsletter.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Thursday approved the antiviral drug remdesivir as a treatment for patients with COVID-19 who require hospitalization.
As an antiviral drug, remdesivir works to stop replication of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, according to the drug's manufacturer, Gilead. Previously authorized by the FDA for emergency use to treat COVID-19, the drug is now the first and only approved COVID-19 treatment in the United States, Gilead said in a release.
The drug is also known by its brand name Veklury.
A new study shows how quickly college students can spread the virus, linking them to a Wisconsin outbreak that resulted in a spike in nursing home deaths.
The study out of Kabara Cancer Research Institute in Wisconsin, which has not yet been formally peer-reviewed, found genetic links between an outbreak in La Crosse and infections among students at the university there.
The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse reopened campus with in-person instruction Sept. 8, before suspending instruction after a spike in cases Sept. 13. On-campus courses resumed Oct. 5.
Researchers said the outbreak in the town of La Crosse “coincided with the return to in-person instruction,” finding links between college-aged students and the “rapid transmission of the virus into more vulnerable populations.”
The study said the majority of cases were associated with the largest institution, the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, followed by Viterbo University, also in La Crosse. Relatively few cases were associated with students enrolled at Western Technical College in La Crosse.
In recent weeks, La Crosse County has seen 19 deaths, most of them in long-term care facilities, according to county data.
– Elinor Aspegren
Indiana reported a new daily high of nearly 3,000 new coronavirus infections on Thursday as state health officials added 42 more COVID-19 deaths to the pandemic toll.
The 2,880 new infections reported by the Indiana State Department of Health topped the 2,521 new infections the agency reported Saturday that had been Indiana’s daily high. Indiana’s 42 new deaths raised the state’s pandemic death toll to 4,065.
Chicago businesses will have to close by 10 p.m. and residents are asked to limit gatherings to six people as the number of newly confirmed coronavirus cases among residents continues to rise, the city’s mayor announced Thursday.
“We are – no doubt whatsoever – in a second surge,” Mayor Lori Lightfoot said. “This is what it looks like.” Lightfoot also announced that bars without food licenses must stop serving customers indoors and liquor sales citywide must end at 9 p.m.
Lightfoot warned earlier this week that rising numbers of new confirmed cases could lead to reinstated restrictions on the city’s economy. As of Thursday, Lightfoot said the city was reporting an average of 645 new cases during the past seven days.
Immunization against the coronavirus could be accomplished for most Americans before the midway point of next year, according to one of the leaders of the effort to find a vaccine.
"It's not a certainty, but the plan — and I feel pretty confident — should make it such that by June, everybody could have been immunized in the U.S.," Dr. Moncef Slaoui, chief adviser to the Trump administration's Operation Warp Speed, told ABC News Wednesday.
Slaoui said pharmaceutical companies Moderna and Pfizer could request emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration and start vaccinating health care workers before the end of the year.
Most health care services have returned to some sense of normal operation since struggling at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, but blood centers are still reporting significant declines in blood collections. The U.S. blood supply is at critically low levels, according to a joint statement issued late last week by the American Red Cross and other groups.
COVID-19, coupled with wildfires in the Western states, recent hurricanes and other storms have led to “unprecedented fluctuations,” the groups say. The approaching flu season and continued rise in COVID-19 cases will further decrease the nation’s blood supply as more people become sick and are unable to donate, experts say.
"We’re able to collect less, but demand is up and that’s what created this perfect storm," said Kate Fry, CEO of America's Blood Centers.
– Adrianna Rodriguez
Biotech firm Moderna announced Thursday that it has enrolled all 30,000 participants in its COVID-19 vaccine trial – and that nearly 37% of them were non-white. The company had delayed the study for a few weeks in September to ensure adequate minority representation. About 10% of the volunteers are Black, 20% Hispanic and 4% Asian; a quarter were over 65 and 17% were at high risk for a serious case of COVID-19 for other reasons.
Company President Stephen Hoge said he expects the trial will meet two key milestones in mid-November: About half the participants will be two months past their second dose of the vaccine, meaning the company will have enough safety data to present to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration; and at least 53 of the participants will have caught COVID-19, so the company will have its first snapshot of effectiveness. Then the company will decide whether to submit an application to the FDA, which could take weeks to months to approve it or issue an emergency use authorization.
– Karen Weintraub
The South Carolina State Fair opened to huge, drive-thru crowds that gobbled funnel cake served through car windows and admired agriculture exhibits on the move. Fair organizers decided that after more than 150 years of festivities, the show must go on, albeit with coronavirus-driven restrictions and shortened to just a couple of days.
Fair Manager Nancy Smith said more than 10,000 people came through in cars on Tuesday, opening day. The bulk of the events wrapped up Wednesday, but food windows remain open through Saturday. The only rides were provided by the cars people arrived in.
“Safety has always been our first priority, and we are so thrilled to see how our patrons have embraced the changes while still showing tremendous support for the fair,” Smith said.
A new Jersey woman whose husband, a police officer, died of complications related to COVID-19 says she received a compassionate call from Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden but no call from President Donald Trump. Glen Ridge Police Officer Charles "Rob" Roberts died in April, and this week Alice Roberts wrote an opinion piece criticizing the president for his response to the pandemic. Roberts appeared on CNN's "New Day" Wednesday, expressing her appreciation for Biden's phone call and saying she received a similar call from Gov. Phil Murphy. She had no kind words for Trump.
By continuing to host what Roberts called "superspreader" rallies, the president is "spitting on all these loved ones' graves," she said.
"I know a lot of people feel he speaks for them, and he’s just one of them, but he’s not one of us," she said. "He was able to get top-notch medical care" compared to her husband, whose tests were "mixed up," and results took weeks to obtain.
– Nicholas Katzban, NorthJersey.com
U.S. health officials Wednesday redefined what counts as close contact with someone with COVID-19 to include briefer but repeated encounters. For months, the CDC said close contact meant spending a solid 15 minutes within 6 feet of someone who tested positive for coronavirus. On Wednesday, the CDC changed it to a total of 15 minutes or more – so shorter but repeated contacts that add up to 15 minutes over a 24-hour period now count.
The CDC advises anyone who has been in close contact with a COVID-19 patient to quarantine for two weeks. The change may prompt health departments to do contact tracing in cases where an exposure might previously have been considered too brief, said Dr. William Schaffner, a Vanderbilt University infectious diseases expert. It also serves notice that the coronavirus can spread more easily than many people realize, he said.
Former President Barack Obama gave a fiery speech Wednesday in Philadelphia that attacked President Donald Trump as incompetent and surrounded by "hacks," while promoting Obama's former vice president, Joe Biden, as someone who would better deal with the pandemic and heal the economy.
Obama, in his first in-person campaign event two weeks before the end of 2020 voting, noted 220,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 and millions of jobs have been lost He said the country’s reputation is in tatters around the world under Trump.
“He hasn’t shown any interest in doing the work or helping anybody but himself and his friends, or treating the presidency like a reality show that he can use to get attention,” Obama said. “This is not a reality show – this is reality. The rest of us have had to live with the consequences of him proving himself incapable of taking the job seriously.”
– Bart Jansen
A USA TODAY analysis of Johns Hopkins data through late Wednesday shows 14 states set records for new cases in a week while six states had a record number of deaths in a week. New case records were set in Alaska, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Montana, New Mexico, Ohio, Utah, Wisconsin and Wyoming, and also Guam and Northern Mariana Islands. Record numbers of deaths were reported in Kentucky, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Wisconsin. The United States has reported 8.3 million cases and more than 222,200 deaths.
– Mike Stucka
Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker and Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll announced stricter coronavirus restrictions for Halloween to prevent gatherings. The new guidelines include early business shutdowns, road closures and travel and parking restrictions in Salem.
"We normally welcome throngs of visitors from around the globe to our community," Driscoll said at a news conference. "This is just not the year and we want to send the message that, if you want to come to Salem, come in November, come next year."
In your inbox: Stay up to date with the latest news on the coronavirus pandemic from the USA TODAY Network. Sign up for the daily Coronavirus Watch newsletter.
Stay up to date with the latest news on the coronavirus pandemic from the USA TODAY Network. Tips for coping: Every Saturday and Tuesday we'll be in your inbox, offering you a virtual hug and a little bit of solace in these difficult times. Sign up for Staying Apart, Together.
Every Saturday and Tuesday we'll be in your inbox, offering you a virtual hug and a little bit of solace in these difficult times. On Facebook: A lot is still unknown about the coronavirus. But what we do know, we're sharing with you. Join our Facebook group, Coronavirus Watch, to receive daily updates in your feed and chat with others in the community about COVID-19.
Contributing: The Associated Press


usatoday--2020-10-23--Voting 2020: Russia launching cyberattacks, FBI warns; judge tosses Trump lawsuit against NJ; early

U.S. authorities are blaming Iranian hackers for threatening emails claiming to be linked to the far-right , authoritarian group Proud Boys that were sent to voters in Florida , Pennsylvania and other states .
The emails threatened to `` come after '' voters who didn ’ t vote for President Donald Trump .
Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe said late Wednesday that voter registration information had been obtained by Iran and Russia in an attempt to undermine confidence in the 2020 election .
Also Wednesday , the Supreme Court blocked a trial judge ’ s ruling that would have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in which a voter completes a ballot and gives it to a poll worker who inserts it into a tabulation machine .
The system , allowed in some states , accommodates voters with disabilities and those at high-risk from COVID-19 .
( For the latest news on the coronavirus pandemic , you can follow our Thursday updates . )
Some context : Many court battles over state voting rules continue across the nation .
The pandemic has prompted a record number of Americans to vote by mail and created concerns thousands of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of technical reasons .
An anxious country may have to wait weeks for election results .
More news to keep in mind : We 're less than two weeks until Election Day .
USA TODAY is keeping track of what 's happening as voters around the country cast ballots .
Keep refreshing this page for updates .
• An era of polarized politics and a losing party ’ s refusal to acquiesce , although legally meaningless , could lead to civil unrest .
• Voter turnout for this election could reach the highest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ early voting smashes records .
• A global election monitoring group , the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe , will be deployed across the U.S. for this election .
If you want to go in-depth : Over the summer , Americans gathered in momentous numbers to protest racial injustice amid a pandemic that disproportionately affected Black and Latino people .
Some protesters say the movement shows the importance of voting .
Others say voting access has been a cudgel of their oppression .
Read more .
Voters have already been casting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Elections Project website show more than 46 million have voted .
In other numbers , the Guardian reports that more than 17 % of registered voters in swing states have had their mail-in ballots accepted .
USA TODAY 's politics team has the latest updates from the campaign trail here .
A day after U.S. officials warned of attempts at election interference from Iran and Russia , the FBI posted an advisory saying state-sponsored Russian hackers have `` conducted a campaign against a wide variety of U.S. targets '' at least since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at various levels as well as aviation networks .
The FBI said hackers compromised some of the networks and extracted files from at least two servers , but had not disrupted elections or government operations .
`` There may be some risk to elections information housed on ... government networks , '' the advisory said , adding that there was `` no evidence to date that integrity of elections data has been compromised . ''
The new election rules instituted by New Jersey in response to the pandemic were upheld Thursday by a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s campaign had no standing to sue and that its purported fears of voter fraud are speculative .
The campaign said New Jersey ’ s new rules , which allow local election officials to begin counting ballots 10 days before Election Day and permit them to count non-postmarked ballots received up to 48 hours after polls close , would lead to voter fraud .
U.S. District Judge Michael Schipp dismissed the lawsuit and refused to bar New Jersey from implementing the rules put in place by Gov .
Phil Murphy and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trailer park received notices telling them their rent would likely double if Democratic candidate Joe Biden wins the presidential election , but would remain the same for two years if President Donald Trump got reelected , according to a New York Times report .
Juana Hernandez , whose parents live at Pagel ’ s Trailer Park in Fort Morgan , about 80 miles from Denver , told the newspaper the notice with the landlord 's name was left in the fence of their $ 280-a-month lot .
She called it an attempt at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trailer park 's residents are Hispanic .
State senator Julie Gonzales , an advocate for immigrants ’ rights , said she alerted the state attorney general .
“ Two weeks before such a terribly consequential election , that type of intimidation has no place in Colorado , ” Gonzales said .
Sporting venues emerge as options for voters to avoid crowds Amid reports of long lines at early-voting stations throughout the country , professional sports venues -- with their wide spaces and rows of voting machines -- have emerged as a welcome option @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extended waits while having plenty of room for social distancing .
“ This was an amazing , fantastic experience , ” Jen Cox said after voting at State Farm Arena , home of the Atlanta Hawks .
More than 20 NBA teams signed on to host voting or other election-related activities , such as voter registration , following a summer of social unrest over racial injustice and protests that included player participation .
The NFL , MLB and NHL have also gotten involved in similar efforts to facilitate safe voting amid the pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have thousands every day between now and Election Day voting in NBA arenas , ” said Kathy Behrens , president of the league ’ s social responsibility and player programs .
“ It feels good to be able to play such a vital role during this pandemic so people can vote safely and easily.
” SPORTS TEAM OWNERS : They support players , but often donate to Republicans , USA TODAY Sports investigation finds The Iowa Supreme Court has upheld a new law making it harder for county auditors to process absentee ballot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days before Iowa 's deadline to request a ballot for the 2020 election .
The court issued a decision Wednesday evening upholding a Republican-supported law that prevents auditors from using the state 's voter registration database to fill in any missing information or correct errors when a voter requests an absentee ballot .
The law instead requires the auditor 's office to contact the voter by telephone , email or physical mail .
`` The overwhelming majority of Iowans have repeatedly said they support voter ID , '' Iowa Secretary of State Paul @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legal , constitutional and fair . ''
Advocacy group : Trumpers intimidated New Mexico voters in some areas New Mexico Common Cause says caravans of flag-waving supporters of President Donald Trump appeared to obstruct and intimidate voters at two polling sites in predominantly Latino neighborhoods in the Albuquerque area last weekend .
Executive Director Heather Ferguson said the incidents took place on the first day of balloting at voter convenience centers in the South Valley and western reaches of Albuquerque on Central Avenue .
Ferguson estimated that dozens of potential voters in each @ @ @ @ @ @ @ result of the incidents before authorities interceded .
“ Voters felt like they had to run the gauntlet trying to get to the polling station , ” Ferguson said .
`` Many of them saw what was going on and just turned their vehicles around and left . ''
Election problems : What to keep in mind This cheat sheet from Columbia Journalism Review offers tips for media organizations reporting on election 2020 .
There 's a lot of good stuff to keep in mind : • Voting problems are n't failures .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ CJR notes , hiccups such as voting machines not working or polling places opening late do n't mean anything is `` rigged . ''
• Some problems , however , are significant .
CJR recommends the media scrutinize areas that have a history of voter suppression or obstructing minority voters , calling out Georgia as a place to monitor .
• Do n't expect a winner on Election Night .
This year is different because mail-in ballots could be as high as 30 % .
Previously , that number was 3 % -5 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to tally .
• Seriously , expect to wait .
State vote certification deadlines differ and do n't have to be reported to the federal level until Dec. 8 .
Additionally , the Electoral College doesn ’ t meet until Dec. 14 .
Iran and Russia obtained U.S. voter registration information in an attempt to undermine confidence in the 2020 election , Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe said .
Ratcliffe said Iran sought to sow unrest in the U.S. in an attempt to damage the candidacy of President Donald Trump .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ information just as the Kremlin had done in when it interfered in the 2016 election .
`` These actions are desperate attempts by desperate adversaries , '' Ratcliffe said .
`` We will not tolerate foreign interference in our election . ''
For the first time in election history , more people are expected to vote early than on Election Day .
With less than two weeks until the election , voter turnout nationally is already nearing 30 % of the overall 138.8 million people who voted four years ago .
If voters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the U.S. could have the highest percentage of eligible voters actually vote since 1908 , according to Michael McDonald , associate professor of political science at the University of Florida , who manages the United States Elections Project .
Several states changed laws from four years ago to either offer or expand early voting , and more people are taking advantage of it , particularly voting by mail , amid the coronavirus pandemic .
States have also gotten better at reporting their daily vote tallies .
Thousands of ballots could be rejected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days or weeks before a winner is determined , throwing the 2020 election into disarray .
Stoking the anxiety and deep political divisions is the incumbent candidate himself .
Lagging behind Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden in the polls , President Donald Trump has relentlessly claimed that massive voter fraud involving mail-in ballots is underway and has hinted he expects a conservative-leaning Supreme Court , with three of his appointed justices , to intervene in a disputed election .
`` If the election is not very close , then I do n't think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lot of litigation , '' said Rick Hansen , an election law expert from the University of California Irvine .
But if it 's close , Hansen said , expect a kind of `` trench warfare '' in several states .
Headlines from elsewhere and resources on voting • From ProPublica : Their Electionland project goes deep on issues that can affect eligible voters ' ability to cast a ballot .
• From Pew/Stateline : The Barriers to the Ballot Box project takes on how changes to polling places impact communities .
• @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just the election , but also voting .
• Associated Press : More voting headlines that should be on your radar .
☑How to make sure your a mail-in ballot is counted and not discarded .
🗳 USA TODAY 's Voter Guide has everything you need on registering to vote , when your state begins voting and what the candidates think about the issues .
📧For updates to your inbox , subscribe to our daily On Politics newsletter .
A global election monitoring group will be deployed across the U.S. for the presidential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Security and Cooperation in Europe , or OSCE , an intergovernmental organization , has been monitoring elections among its 57 members in North America , Europe and Asia for two decades .
Its mission is to assess how well a democratic vote is functioning and to make recommendations for improvements in areas that touch on transparency , accountability and voter pluralism .
OSCE has observed eight previous U.S. elections , beginning in 2002 with the mid-term congressional elections that followed 2000 's presidential election of George W. Bush .
OSCE called the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and litigious . ''
Based on that assessment , 2020 could be eye-popping for the agency .

John Bacon and Jorge L. Ortiz, USA TODAY

Voting 2020: Russia launching cyberattacks, FBI warns; judge tosses Trump lawsuit against NJ; early votes could outpace Election Day ballots
Show Caption Hide Caption US officials: Russia, Iran have obtained voter info U.S. officials say Iran is responsible for emails meant to intimidate American voters and sow unrest in multiple states, and Tehran and Moscow have also obtained voter registration with the goal of interfering in the election. (Oct. 21) AP
U.S. authorities are blaming Iranian hackers for threatening emails claiming to be linked to the far-right, authoritarian group Proud Boys that were sent to voters in Florida, Pennsylvania and other states.
The emails threatened to "come after" voters who didn’t vote for President Donald Trump. Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe said late Wednesday that voter registration information had been obtained by Iran and Russia in an attempt to undermine confidence in the 2020 election.
Also Wednesday, the Supreme Court blocked a trial judge’s ruling that would have allowed Alabama counties to offer curbside voting, in which a voter completes a ballot and gives it to a poll worker who inserts it into a tabulation machine. The system, allowed in some states, accommodates voters with disabilities and those at high-risk from COVID-19. (For the latest news on the coronavirus pandemic, you can follow our Thursday updates.)
Some context: Many court battles over state voting rules continue across the nation. The pandemic has prompted a record number of Americans to vote by mail and created concerns thousands of ballots could be rejected for a variety of technical reasons. An anxious country may have to wait weeks for election results.
More news to keep in mind: We're less than two weeks until Election Day. USA TODAY is keeping track of what's happening as voters around the country cast ballots. Keep refreshing this page for updates.
An era of polarized politics and a losing party’s refusal to acquiesce, although legally meaningless, could lead to civil unrest.
Voter turnout for this election could reach the highest rate in more than a century as early voting smashes records.
A global election monitoring group, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, will be deployed across the U.S. for this election.
If you want to go in-depth: Over the summer, Americans gathered in momentous numbers to protest racial injustice amid a pandemic that disproportionately affected Black and Latino people. Some protesters say the movement shows the importance of voting. Others say voting access has been a cudgel of their oppression. Read more.
Voters have already been casting ballots: Numbers compiled by the U.S. Elections Project website show more than 46 million have voted. In other numbers, the Guardian reports that more than 17% of registered voters in swing states have had their mail-in ballots accepted. USA TODAY's politics team has the latest updates from the campaign trail here.
A day after U.S. officials warned of attempts at election interference from Iran and Russia, the FBI posted an advisory saying state-sponsored Russian hackers have "conducted a campaign against a wide variety of U.S. targets'' at least since September. The targets include government networks at various levels as well as aviation networks.
The FBI said hackers compromised some of the networks and extracted files from at least two servers, but had not disrupted elections or government operations.
"There may be some risk to elections information housed on ... government networks,'' the advisory said, adding that there was "no evidence to date that integrity of elections data has been compromised.''
The new election rules instituted by New Jersey in response to the pandemic were upheld Thursday by a federal judge, who said President Trump’s campaign had no standing to sue and that its purported fears of voter fraud are speculative.
The campaign said New Jersey’s new rules, which allow local election officials to begin counting ballots 10 days before Election Day and permit them to count non-postmarked ballots received up to 48 hours after polls close, would lead to voter fraud.
U.S. District Judge Michael Schipp dismissed the lawsuit and refused to bar New Jersey from implementing the rules put in place by Gov. Phil Murphy and the state Legislature.
-- Terrence T. McDonald, The Bergen Record
Residents of a Colorado trailer park received notices telling them their rent would likely double if Democratic candidate Joe Biden wins the presidential election, but would remain the same for two years if President Donald Trump got reelected, according to a New York Times report.
Juana Hernandez, whose parents live at Pagel’s Trailer Park in Fort Morgan, about 80 miles from Denver, told the newspaper the notice with the landlord's name was left in the fence of their $280-a-month lot. She called it an attempt at intimidation and noted that most of the trailer park's residents are Hispanic.
State senator Julie Gonzales, an advocate for immigrants’ rights, said she alerted the state attorney general. “Two weeks before such a terribly consequential election, that type of intimidation has no place in Colorado,” Gonzales said.
Amid reports of long lines at early-voting stations throughout the country, professional sports venues -- with their wide spaces and rows of voting machines -- have emerged as a welcome option for voters who want to avoid the extended waits while having plenty of room for social distancing.
“This was an amazing, fantastic experience,” Jen Cox said after voting at State Farm Arena, home of the Atlanta Hawks.
More than 20 NBA teams signed on to host voting or other election-related activities, such as voter registration, following a summer of social unrest over racial injustice and protests that included player participation. The NFL, MLB and NHL have also gotten involved in similar efforts to facilitate safe voting amid the pandemic.
“We’re going to have thousands every day between now and Election Day voting in NBA arenas,” said Kathy Behrens, president of the league’s social responsibility and player programs. “It feels good to be able to play such a vital role during this pandemic so people can vote safely and easily.”
-- The Associated Press
SPORTS TEAM OWNERS: They support players, but often donate to Republicans, USA TODAY Sports investigation finds
The Iowa Supreme Court has upheld a new law making it harder for county auditors to process absentee ballot requests with missing or incomplete information, days before Iowa's deadline to request a ballot for the 2020 election. The court issued a decision Wednesday evening upholding a Republican-supported law that prevents auditors from using the state's voter registration database to fill in any missing information or correct errors when a voter requests an absentee ballot. The law instead requires the auditor's office to contact the voter by telephone, email or physical mail.
"The overwhelming majority of Iowans have repeatedly said they support voter ID," Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate said. "It’s legal, constitutional and fair."
– Stephen Gruber-Miller, Des Moines Register
New Mexico Common Cause says caravans of flag-waving supporters of President Donald Trump appeared to obstruct and intimidate voters at two polling sites in predominantly Latino neighborhoods in the Albuquerque area last weekend.
Executive Director Heather Ferguson said the incidents took place on the first day of balloting at voter convenience centers in the South Valley and western reaches of Albuquerque on Central Avenue. Ferguson estimated that dozens of potential voters in each location left without voting immediately as a result of the incidents before authorities interceded.
“Voters felt like they had to run the gauntlet trying to get to the polling station,” Ferguson said. "Many of them saw what was going on and just turned their vehicles around and left."
This cheat sheet from Columbia Journalism Review offers tips for media organizations reporting on election 2020. There's a lot of good stuff to keep in mind:
Voting problems aren't failures. They happen every year and, as CJR notes, hiccups such as voting machines not working or polling places opening late don't mean anything is "rigged."
They happen every year and, as CJR notes, hiccups such as voting machines not working or polling places opening late don't mean anything is "rigged." Some problems, however, are significant. CJR recommends the media scrutinize areas that have a history of voter suppression or obstructing minority voters, calling out Georgia as a place to monitor.
CJR recommends the media scrutinize areas that have a history of voter suppression or obstructing minority voters, calling out Georgia as a place to monitor. Don't expect a winner on Election Night . This year is different because mail-in ballots could be as high as 30%. Previously, that number was 3%-5%. It will take a while to tally.
. This year is different because mail-in ballots could be as high as 30%. Previously, that number was 3%-5%. It will take a while to tally. Seriously, expect to wait. State vote certification deadlines differ and don't have to be reported to the federal level until Dec. 8. Additionally, the Electoral College doesn’t meet until Dec. 14.
Iran and Russia obtained U.S. voter registration information in an attempt to undermine confidence in the 2020 election, Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe said. Ratcliffe said Iran sought to sow unrest in the U.S. in an attempt to damage the candidacy of President Donald Trump. He also said that Russia has obtained voter information just as the Kremlin had done in when it interfered in the 2016 election.
"These actions are desperate attempts by desperate adversaries," Ratcliffe said. "We will not tolerate foreign interference in our election."
– Kevin Johnson and Kristine Phillips
Early ballots will outnumber Election Day votes
For the first time in election history, more people are expected to vote early than on Election Day. With less than two weeks until the election, voter turnout nationally is already nearing 30% of the overall 138.8 million people who voted four years ago.
If voters on Election Day turn out as expected, the U.S. could have the highest percentage of eligible voters actually vote since 1908, according to Michael McDonald, associate professor of political science at the University of Florida, who manages the United States Elections Project.
Several states changed laws from four years ago to either offer or expand early voting, and more people are taking advantage of it, particularly voting by mail, amid the coronavirus pandemic. States have also gotten better at reporting their daily vote tallies.
– Joey Garrison
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
Thousands of ballots could be rejected and voters might be forced to wait days or weeks before a winner is determined, throwing the 2020 election into disarray. Stoking the anxiety and deep political divisions is the incumbent candidate himself. Lagging behind Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden in the polls, President Donald Trump has relentlessly claimed that massive voter fraud involving mail-in ballots is underway and has hinted he expects a conservative-leaning Supreme Court, with three of his appointed justices, to intervene in a disputed election.
"If the election is not very close, then I don't think the election is going to get a lot of litigation," said Rick Hansen, an election law expert from the University of California Irvine. But if it's close, Hansen said, expect a kind of "trench warfare" in several states.
– Kristine Phillips
From ProPublica: Their Electionland project goes deep on issues that can affect eligible voters' ability to cast a ballot.
Their Electionland project goes deep on issues that can affect eligible voters' ability to cast a ballot. From Pew/Stateline: The Barriers to the Ballot Box project takes on how changes to polling places impact communities.
The Barriers to the Ballot Box project takes on how changes to polling places impact communities. Ballotopedia: Resources and guides to not just the election, but also voting.
Resources and guides to not just the election, but also voting. Associated Press: More voting headlines that should be on your radar.
☑How to make sure your a mail-in ballot is counted and not discarded.
🗳 USA TODAY's Voter Guide has everything you need on registering to vote, when your state begins voting and what the candidates think about the issues.
📧For updates to your inbox, subscribe to our daily On Politics newsletter.
A global election monitoring group will be deployed across the U.S. for the presidential election on Nov. 3. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, or OSCE, an intergovernmental organization, has been monitoring elections among its 57 members in North America, Europe and Asia for two decades. Its mission is to assess how well a democratic vote is functioning and to make recommendations for improvements in areas that touch on transparency, accountability and voter pluralism.
OSCE has observed eight previous U.S. elections, beginning in 2002 with the mid-term congressional elections that followed 2000's presidential election of George W. Bush. OSCE called the 2000 vote "highly controversial, divisive and litigious." Based on that assessment, 2020 could be eye-popping for the agency.
– Kim Hjelmgaard
Contributing: The Associated Press


usatoday--2020-10-22--Poll: Biden leads Trump by 10 nationally, with majority saying COVID-19 is 'out of control'

WASHINGTON — With just more than a week until Election Day , former vice president Joe Biden holds a 51-41 lead among likely voters against President Donald Trump in a new Quinnipiac University national poll released Thursday .
National polling since early October has consistent found Biden creeping into a double-digit lead over Trump .
Thursday 's poll is also consistent with a broader average of polls which show Biden with a solid polling lead over the president .
The poll also found a large partisan gap between voters using early voting methods and those who intend to cast their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a long ball : Can Trump use the Nashville debate to shake up a race he 's losing to Biden ?
Among likely voters who are voting by mail or absentee ballot , 69 % say they are supporting Biden while only 21 % said they are supporting Trump .
Similarly , likely voters who plan to cast an early ballot in-person back Biden 57 % to Trump ’ s 35 % .
Conversely , 65 % of likely voters who plan to vote in-person on Election Day will be voting for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ More than two-thirds ( 68 % ) of likely voters say they are more motivated to vote than in past presidential elections , a trend that will underscore what analysts predict will be record-breaking turnout in a presidential election .
Likely voters also expressed deep concerns about the coronavirus pandemic with about six in ten ( 59 % ) saying the coronavirus pandemic is out of control , compared to 35 % who say it is under control .
Biden is more trusted than Trump to handle the pandemic , with 55 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ compared with 37 % who trust Trump more .
And 55 % prefer Biden ’ s approach to health care compared to 39 % who prefer Trump 's .
Trump has a 1-point advantage over Biden ( 48 % -47 % ) with voters on who they think would do a better job handling the economy .
Election 2020 live updates : Trump , Biden to meet in final debate ; Obama to campaign in Miami Saturday Opinions of the Supreme Court diverge among likely voters .
It was a 46 % -46 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confirm Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the high court .
And 49 % -43 % trusted Biden over Trump to handle Supreme Court nominations .
The majority ( 56 % 0 of likely voters preferred that the Affordable Care Act be upheld in court , while two-thirds said they agreed with the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision that established a woman 's right to an abortion .
Voting 2020 : Iran may be behind 'Proud Boy ' emails ; early voters could outpace Election Day ballots Overall , 68 % of likely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dissatisfied with the way things are going in the country today .
At the same time , 75 % said they are very or somewhat satisfied with the way things are going for themselves as individuals .
The Quinnipiac poll surveyed 1,426 likely voters nationwide Oct. 16-19 with a margin of error of +/- 2.6 percentage points .

Poll: Biden leads Trump by 10 nationally, with majority saying COVID-19 is 'out of control'
Show Caption Hide Caption Important voting rules you need to know before heading to the polls Voting is important, so there are rules to protect it. Here's what you need to know before you go to vote. USA TODAY
WASHINGTON — With just more than a week until Election Day, former vice president Joe Biden holds a 51-41 lead among likely voters against President Donald Trump in a new Quinnipiac University national poll released Thursday.
National polling since early October has consistent found Biden creeping into a double-digit lead over Trump. Thursday's poll is also consistent with a broader average of polls which show Biden with a solid polling lead over the president.
The poll also found a large partisan gap between voters using early voting methods and those who intend to cast their ballots on Election Day.
Last chance for a long ball: Can Trump use the Nashville debate to shake up a race he's losing to Biden?
Among likely voters who are voting by mail or absentee ballot, 69% say they are supporting Biden while only 21% said they are supporting Trump. Similarly, likely voters who plan to cast an early ballot in-person back Biden 57% to Trump’s 35%.
Conversely, 65% of likely voters who plan to vote in-person on Election Day will be voting for Trump, according to the poll.
More than two-thirds (68%) of likely voters say they are more motivated to vote than in past presidential elections, a trend that will underscore what analysts predict will be record-breaking turnout in a presidential election.
Fact check: What's true and what's false about face masks?
Likely voters also expressed deep concerns about the coronavirus pandemic with about six in ten (59%) saying the coronavirus pandemic is out of control, compared to 35% who say it is under control.
Biden is more trusted than Trump to handle the pandemic, with 55% of voters preferring the former vice president compared with 37% who trust Trump more. And 55% prefer Biden’s approach to health care compared to 39% who prefer Trump's.
Trump has a 1-point advantage over Biden (48%-47%) with voters on who they think would do a better job handling the economy.
Election 2020 live updates: Trump, Biden to meet in final debate; Obama to campaign in Miami Saturday
Opinions of the Supreme Court diverge among likely voters. It was a 46%-46% tie on whether the Senate should confirm Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the high court. And 49%-43% trusted Biden over Trump to handle Supreme Court nominations.
The majority (56%0 of likely voters preferred that the Affordable Care Act be upheld in court, while two-thirds said they agreed with the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision that established a woman's right to an abortion.
Voting 2020: Iran may be behind 'Proud Boy' emails; early voters could outpace Election Day ballots
Overall, 68% of likely voters said they were somewhat or very dissatisfied with the way things are going in the country today. At the same time, 75% said they are very or somewhat satisfied with the way things are going for themselves as individuals.
The Quinnipiac poll surveyed 1,426 likely voters nationwide Oct. 16-19 with a margin of error of +/- 2.6 percentage points.


usatoday--2020-10-22--Trump, Biden will be tested for COVID-19 ahead of debate and mask rules will be enforced

President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden will both be tested for coronavirus before their final debate at Belmont University in Nashville on Thursday , and all audience members will be required to wear masks throughout the event , according to an official from the Commission on Presidential Debates .
These assurances , provided Tuesday in an interview with The Tennessean , part of the USA TODAY Network , stand in stark contrast to the prior actions of Trump and the first family , who ignored a mask requirement at the first debate in September and inflamed confusion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Peter Eyre , senior advisor for the Commission , said the focus of the upcoming debates was “ the tens millions of people who will be watching from around the world , ” but the event will still have a small audience of about 200 people consisting of journalists , officials from the Commission and Belmont University , health safety workers and guests invited by each candidate , including family members .
Investigation : We analyzed a conservative foundation 's catalog of absentee ballot fraud : It 's not a 2020 election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ letters , packages in battleground states to check on mail delays .
Here ’ s what we found These guests will be tested before the debate and must adhere to a “ variety of other COVID countermeasures , ” including mandated social distancing and masks , Eyre said .
“ Masks will be required and there will be enforcement of the mask rule , ” Eyre said .
“ That was done at the vice-presidential debate as well.
” But it was not done at the first presidential debate .
At the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 29 , members of the Trump family entered the debate hall wearing masks but removed them once the event began .
CNN reported that a doctor offered them masks but they did not appear to accept .
Eyre declined to discuss how the commission planned to handle a similar scenario at the Belmont debate , but reiterated that the mask requirement “ will be enforced.
” Eyre also insisted the candidates themselves will be tested before the debate .
There has been a great deal of confusion about if this occurred before the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ positive for the virus two days later , and Fox News journalist Chris Wallace , the moderator of the first debate , said the president did not arrive in Cleveland in time to be tested before the debate .
Trump has evaded the question , claiming last week that he did not remember if he was tested .
“ Possibly I did , possibly I didn ’ t , ” Trump said during a town hall televised on NBC .
Eyre said both candidates were tested before the first debate and there “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” for the debate at Belmont .
As of Tuesday , some testing protocols were still being finalized , he said .
More information about precautions – like the distance between candidates and whether there will be a protective barrier on stage – is expected on Wednesday afternoon or Thursday .
Debate organizers have partnered with HCA Healthcare , the largest hospital company in the nation , to prevent the spread of the virus at the event .
Dr. Jonathan Perlin , chief medical officer of HCA Healthcare , said during a news @ @ @ @ @ @ @ volunteered hundreds of hours “ in support of the health needs of well over 1,000 individuals associated with staging this historic event.
” Brett Kelman is the health care reporter for The Tennessean .
He can be reached at 615-259-8287 or at brett.kelman @ tennessean.com .
Follow him on Twitter at @ brettkelman .

Trump, Biden will be tested for COVID-19 ahead of debate and mask rules will be enforced
Show Caption Hide Caption Election 2020: Why is this election so important to you? Voters in Tennessee share their thoughts on the importance of the 2020 election. Mike Fant, Nashville Tennessean
President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden will both be tested for coronavirus before their final debate at Belmont University in Nashville on Thursday, and all audience members will be required to wear masks throughout the event, according to an official from the Commission on Presidential Debates.
These assurances, provided Tuesday in an interview with The Tennessean, part of the USA TODAY Network, stand in stark contrast to the prior actions of Trump and the first family, who ignored a mask requirement at the first debate in September and inflamed confusion about if the president was tested beforehand.
Peter Eyre, senior advisor for the Commission, said the focus of the upcoming debates was “the tens millions of people who will be watching from around the world,” but the event will still have a small audience of about 200 people consisting of journalists, officials from the Commission and Belmont University, health safety workers and guests invited by each candidate, including family members.
Investigation: We analyzed a conservative foundation's catalog of absentee ballot fraud: It's not a 2020 election threat
Mail voting: We mailed 64 letters, packages in battleground states to check on mail delays. Here’s what we found
These guests will be tested before the debate and must adhere to a “variety of other COVID countermeasures,” including mandated social distancing and masks, Eyre said.
“Masks will be required and there will be enforcement of the mask rule,” Eyre said. “That was done at the vice-presidential debate as well.”
But it was not done at the first presidential debate. At the first debate, held in Cleveland on Sept. 29, members of the Trump family entered the debate hall wearing masks but removed them once the event began. CNN reported that a doctor offered them masks but they did not appear to accept.
Eyre declined to discuss how the commission planned to handle a similar scenario at the Belmont debate, but reiterated that the mask requirement “will be enforced.”
Investigation: Coronavirus response delayed despite health officials’ private alarm
Eyre also insisted the candidates themselves will be tested before the debate. There has been a great deal of confusion about if this occurred before the first debate.
President Donald Trump tested positive for the virus two days later, and Fox News journalist Chris Wallace, the moderator of the first debate, said the president did not arrive in Cleveland in time to be tested before the debate. Trump has evaded the question, claiming last week that he did not remember if he was tested.
“Possibly I did, possibly I didn’t,” Trump said during a town hall televised on NBC.
Eyre said both candidates were tested before the first debate and there “will be a similar regime in place” for the debate at Belmont. As of Tuesday, some testing protocols were still being finalized, he said.
More information about precautions – like the distance between candidates and whether there will be a protective barrier on stage – is expected on Wednesday afternoon or Thursday. Debate organizers have partnered with HCA Healthcare, the largest hospital company in the nation, to prevent the spread of the virus at the event.
Dr. Jonathan Perlin, chief medical officer of HCA Healthcare, said during a news conference last week that HCA medical professionals volunteered hundreds of hours “in support of the health needs of well over 1,000 individuals associated with staging this historic event.”
Brett Kelman is the health care reporter for The Tennessean. He can be reached at 615-259-8287 or at brett.kelman@tennessean.com. Follow him on Twitter at @brettkelman.


usatoday--2020-10-22--Early voting or looking for voting locations? Not sure if you're registered? We can help

Early voting or looking for voting locations ?
Not sure if you 're registered ?
We can help Interested in @ @ @ @ @ ?
Find out if you 're registered to vote and happenings in your state at @

For early voting, voting locations or registration lookup, we can help
Interested in early voting? Voting locations? Find out if you're registered to vote and happenings in your state at vote.usatoday.com
USA TODAY


usatoday--2020-10-22--Debate sets stage for anti-conservative bias charges against Facebook and Twitter over Hunter Biden

When President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden take the debate stage Thursday night , Facebook and Twitter may be the ones in the hot seat over charges of anti-conservative bias .
“ I am not just running against Biden , I am running against the Corrupt Media , the Big Tech Giants , and the Washington Swamp , ” Trump tweeted late Wednesday .
Trump and other top Republican officials have for years alleged that Facebook , Google and Twitter target the political speech of right-leaning users to limit their online reach .
Tech companies deny any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ balance between users ' rights to freely express themselves and keeping hate , abuse and misinformation off their platforms , though they concede they 've made missteps in moderating content .
There is no clear evidence to support claims of systemic censorship or suppression , but controversy over social media 's handling of a disputed New York Post article have again thrust GOP grievances into the national spotlight .
Trump vs. Big Tech : Everything you need to know about Section 230 and why everyone hates it Dorsey , Zuckerberg compelled to testify @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Facebook , Twitter CEOs over Hunter Biden Tensions came to a head last week when the New York Post published an article alleging ties between Biden and his son Hunter ’ s business dealings with Ukraine .
The article cited unverified emails that were reportedly discovered by Trump ’ s allies .
USA TODAY has not been able to confirm the authenticity of the emails .
With the presidential election just weeks away , social media companies are on high alert for misinformation that could sway voters or tip the election in one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials warned Americans on Wednesday that Iran and Russia are attempting to spread misinformation ahead of the election .
Facebook said it limited the spread of the New York Post article while waiting for it to be fact-checked .
Twitter blocked users from tweeting out the link to the article and from sending it in private messages .
Dorsey later said Twitter was wrong to block the article .
Jack Dorsey mea culpa : Twitter CEO says his company was wrong to block link to New York Post Hunter Biden article Foreign election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ registration info to sow confusion in presidential election , US officials say Trump has promised to try to knock Biden off his stride , including with questions about the business dealings of his son Hunter , during the 90-minute debate which is likely to draw an audience of more than 70 million viewers .
Outrage from Republicans led to a Senate Judiciary Committee vote Thursday to compel Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to testify about allegations of anti-conservative bias .
All 12 Republican senators on the Senate Judiciary Committee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Dorsey .
The 10 Democrats on the panel boycotted Thursday 's meeting over its consideration of Judge Amy Coney Barrett 's Supreme Court nomination , which the panel approved .
The committee has not scheduled a hearing date yet .
Another congressional hearing scheduled for next week promises to raise tensions between Republicans and Silicon Valley to new heights .
Dorsey , Zuckerberg and Google CEO Sundar Pichai are scheduled to testify Wednesday at a Senate Commerce Committee hearing on Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the content their users post on their platforms , and grants companies legal immunity for good faith efforts to remove content .
“ ( Biden ) and his family are crooked , and they got caught .
And now they are being protected by Big Tech , ” Trump tweeted last week .
“ We must immediately strip them of their Section 230 protection . ''
At issue is the opaque process with which Silicon Valley tech giants make decisions on what 's allowed and not allowed on their platforms .
What @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to know about Section 230 and why everyone hates it Section 230 has critics on both sides of the aisle .
Democrats and Republicans generally agree that social media platforms should be held more accountable for how they police content , and the parties have introduced a number of bills , none of which has gained traction on Capitol Hill .
Democrats including presidential nominee Joe Biden have urged Congress to revise Section 230 to make tech companies more accountable for hate speech and extremism , election interference , misinformation and disinformation .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ been the loudest critics of Section 230 .
Trump has repeatedly called on Congress to repeal it .
The Justice Department has asked Congress to adopt a new law that would hold Facebook , Google and Twitter legally accountable for how they moderate content .
New York Post article on Hunter Biden : Why tech giants limited spread of Biden article and why Twitter backtracked Trump ’ s attacks on Section 230 have intensified in the final weeks of his re-election campaign as social media companies label or remove posts they deem false @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or incite violence .
The Senate Commerce Committee posted a video on social media promoting next week ’ s hearing that lists examples of alleged censorship .
Senate Commerce Chair Roger Wicker ( R-Miss . )
told Fox News he 's outraged by Twitter ’ s handling of the New York Post article but will also demand that Dorsey explain `` example after example after example of anti-conservative , anti-Republican bias.
” '' These are among the most powerful people in the country , '' he said .
`` Under the current law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to censor anything `` they find objectionable , '' Wicker said .
`` In my view we should not leave it up to big tech what is objectionable and what is n't . ''

Debate sets stage for anti-conservative bias charges against Facebook and Twitter over Hunter Biden article
Show Caption Hide Caption Biden: desperate Trump campaign wants to smear him Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden says the allegations involving Ukraine and his son Hunter Biden are actually a desperate attempt by President Trump's campaign to smear Biden and his family. (Oct. 21) AP
When President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden take the debate stage Thursday night, Facebook and Twitter may be the ones in the hot seat over charges of anti-conservative bias.
“I am not just running against Biden, I am running against the Corrupt Media, the Big Tech Giants, and the Washington Swamp,” Trump tweeted late Wednesday.
Trump and other top Republican officials have for years alleged that Facebook, Google and Twitter target the political speech of right-leaning users to limit their online reach.
Tech companies deny any partisanship, saying their policies strike a balance between users' rights to freely express themselves and keeping hate, abuse and misinformation off their platforms, though they concede they've made missteps in moderating content.
There is no clear evidence to support claims of systemic censorship or suppression, but controversy over social media's handling of a disputed New York Post article have again thrust GOP grievances into the national spotlight.
Trump vs. Big Tech: Everything you need to know about Section 230 and why everyone hates it
Dorsey, Zuckerberg compelled to testify: Senate Judiciary Committee issues subpoenas to Facebook, Twitter CEOs over Hunter Biden
Tensions came to a head last week when the New York Post published an article alleging ties between Biden and his son Hunter’s business dealings with Ukraine. The article cited unverified emails that were reportedly discovered by Trump’s allies. USA TODAY has not been able to confirm the authenticity of the emails.
With the presidential election just weeks away, social media companies are on high alert for misinformation that could sway voters or tip the election in one candidate’s favor. National intelligence officials warned Americans on Wednesday that Iran and Russia are attempting to spread misinformation ahead of the election.
Facebook said it limited the spread of the New York Post article while waiting for it to be fact-checked. Twitter blocked users from tweeting out the link to the article and from sending it in private messages. Dorsey later said Twitter was wrong to block the article.
Jack Dorsey mea culpa: Twitter CEO says his company was wrong to block link to New York Post Hunter Biden article
Foreign election interference: Iran, Russia obtained voter registration info to sow confusion in presidential election, US officials say
Trump has promised to try to knock Biden off his stride, including with questions about the business dealings of his son Hunter, during the 90-minute debate which is likely to draw an audience of more than 70 million viewers.
Outrage from Republicans led to a Senate Judiciary Committee vote Thursday to compel Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to testify about allegations of anti-conservative bias.
All 12 Republican senators on the Senate Judiciary Committee voted to authorize the subpoenas for Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Dorsey. The 10 Democrats on the panel boycotted Thursday's meeting over its consideration of Judge Amy Coney Barrett's Supreme Court nomination, which the panel approved. The committee has not scheduled a hearing date yet.
Another congressional hearing scheduled for next week promises to raise tensions between Republicans and Silicon Valley to new heights.
Dorsey, Zuckerberg and Google CEO Sundar Pichai are scheduled to testify Wednesday at a Senate Commerce Committee hearing on Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which shields internet companies from liability for much of the content their users post on their platforms, and grants companies legal immunity for good faith efforts to remove content.
“(Biden) and his family are crooked, and they got caught. And now they are being protected by Big Tech,” Trump tweeted last week. “We must immediately strip them of their Section 230 protection."
At issue is the opaque process with which Silicon Valley tech giants make decisions on what's allowed and not allowed on their platforms.
What is Section 230: Everything you need to know about Section 230 and why everyone hates it
Section 230 has critics on both sides of the aisle. Democrats and Republicans generally agree that social media platforms should be held more accountable for how they police content, and the parties have introduced a number of bills, none of which has gained traction on Capitol Hill.
Democrats including presidential nominee Joe Biden have urged Congress to revise Section 230 to make tech companies more accountable for hate speech and extremism, election interference, misinformation and disinformation.
President Donald Trump and his surrogates have been the loudest critics of Section 230. Trump has repeatedly called on Congress to repeal it. The Justice Department has asked Congress to adopt a new law that would hold Facebook, Google and Twitter legally accountable for how they moderate content.
New York Post article on Hunter Biden: Why tech giants limited spread of Biden article and why Twitter backtracked
Trump’s attacks on Section 230 have intensified in the final weeks of his re-election campaign as social media companies label or remove posts they deem false or misleading or that could cause harm or incite violence.
The Senate Commerce Committee posted a video on social media promoting next week’s hearing that lists examples of alleged censorship.
Senate Commerce Chair Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) told Fox News he's outraged by Twitter’s handling of the New York Post article but will also demand that Dorsey explain "example after example after example of anti-conservative, anti-Republican bias.”
"These are among the most powerful people in the country," he said. "Under the current law, they get a free pass" to censor anything "they find objectionable," Wicker said.
"In my view we should not leave it up to big tech what is objectionable and what isn't."
Contributing: Nicholas Wu and Susan Page


usatoday--2020-10-22--100-year-old voter shares advice ahead of election, names favorite president in her lifetime

CHESTERFIELD – Mabel Cook is older than the right to vote , and in advance of her 101st birthday on Oct. 28 , she exercised that right .
Last week , the still-spry centenarian cast the 15th presidential vote of a lifetime that has spanned 18 chief executives .
That string began with a ballot for Franklin D. Roosevelt and has continued ever since .
The only reason she did not vote for the other four — Woodrow Wilson , Warren G. Harding , Calvin Coolidge or Herbert Hoover — was because she was just too young .
Now , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ living up to her maiden name — Duty — by doing her civic duty and voting .
“ I feel it is very important for people to vote , ” said Cook .
“ And , those that don ’ t vote have no right to complain , because they should have helped a little bit by voting.
” Even though it was not officially added to the Constitution until 1920 , the proposal to give women voting power was born in Congress in 1919 five months before Mabel Dorothy Duty was born @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Va. “ Mabel was the third out of 11 siblings , ” said her daughter Joyce Boyd of Chesterfield .
Of the 11 , Cook and two `` baby '' sisters are still living — a 94-year-old out in Abingdon and another in her 80s down in Atlanta . ''
About three months shy of when Cook turned one , the 19th Amendment was adopted on Aug. 18th , 1920 .
Less than two weeks before turning 101 , Cook happily cast her ballot in the presence of a portion of her four @ @ @ @ @ @ @ great-grandchildren .
“ There have been 18 presidents during her lifetime starting with Woodrow Wilson , and she ’ s voted for 14 of them , ” said Boyd .
According to Cook , she has voted for the following presidents : Franklin D. Roosevelt [ D ] , Harry S. Truman [ D ] , Dwight D. Eisenhower [ R ] , John F. Kennedy [ D ] , Lyndon B. Johnson [ D ] , Richard Nixon [ R ] , Gerald Ford [ R ] , Jimmy Carter [ D @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , George H. W. Bush [ R ] , Bill Clinton [ D ] , George W. Bush [ R ] , Barack Obama [ D ] , Donald Trump [ R ] .
“ Her dad admired him and had a picture of him on the wall , ” said Boyd .
Does she favor one party over another ?
“ I vote for who I think is going to do a good job , ” said Cook .
“ Sometimes I feel as if my dad would shoot me for voting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Are there memorable elections she can recall ?
“ After the Depression , of course , America was having debt and Hoover didn ’ t owe anything…I understand… as we do now , ” said Cook .
“ It ’ s hard living in a Depression .
We lived on a farm and had plenty to eat .
God gave us all a good life.
” She tells her grandchildren and children to make informed decisions at the polls .
“ You know…nowadays children are smarter than when we were little , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; they know more than I do .
“ I would tell them to listen to the debates and decide who they think will do the best job , ” said Cook .
“ She ’ s excited to be alive and be able to go out and vote , ” commented Boyd .
“ I may not be around for four more years , ” said Cook .
“ So , I ’ ll take advantage of today.
” The chairwoman of the Chesterfield County Electoral Board explained curbside voting .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and older or who has a disability , ” said Susan Beals .
“ Voters pull up to the orange cones at the Registrar ’ s Office , we ’ ll take your I.D.
, we ’ ll ask you to state your name and address , we ’ ll go inside and check you into the poll book , we ’ ll bring you out a ballot , you mark it , we take it inside and feed it into the scanner , and we ’ ll bring you an “ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of 1918-1919 known as the most devastating epidemic in recorded world history happened in Cook ’ s lifetime .
She said she worries about the current coronavirus pandemic .
“ Oh , yes .
I ’ m concerned because I understand it ’ s very dangerous , ” said Cook .
“ I have been taking a flu shot for some time now .
I ’ m not afraid of taking on the regular flu , but they say this one is so much worse .
We don ’ t know until we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t have to try .
“ My mother believed in making all kinds of teas for colds and the flu , ” said Cook .
“ Some of it tasted terrible .
We always had to drink it whether it was good or bad , but they helped 90 % of the time .
“ If my mother was living today , she ’ d be making us all kinds of hot tea , ” added Cook .
“ She ’ d make this one called boneset tea that was really @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Cook said she knows what she is looking for in a president these days .
“ I don ’ t want him to raise taxes .
Lower the taxes , and see that the price of medicine goes down , '' she said .
`` There are too many sick people that can ’ t afford the medicine .
Cook did not have her reading glasses so her grandson Curtis Litton of Kingsport , Tennessee visiting on vacation signed an ‘ assistance form ’ which allowed him to help her vote .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” said Litton to his Grandma .
“ It ’ s your time to vote.
” Cook ’ s grandson read the list of candidates to her and filled in her choices .
Curtis Litton had difficulty pronouncing Spanberger and Freitas who are running for Congress , but his grandmother was familiar with the candidates .
Litton made his grandmother laugh when he said , “ We can always write in Mickey Mouse if you choose.
” When finished , Curtis Litton handed the ballot to his grandmother without Beals touching it so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And her wish came true .
“ Hey Granny , do you wan na walk in and carry it in for yourself , or do you want that lady to carry it in for you , ” asked Curtis Litton .
“ I can get you in there if you want to go in there and put it in.
” “ We ’ ll make it happen , ” said Beals .
“ We can do it.
” The volunteers welcomed Cook into the poll room with a round of applause .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be 101 , ” shared Curtis Litton .
“ She said she wanted to make sure she ’ s counted.
” “ I ’ m proud of her , ” said Registrar Office volunteer Rosa Johnson of Chesterfield .
“ She has a lot of wisdom and knowledge she could share with all of us.
” Each family member present had their phones ready to record the monumental moment .
Another round of applause broke out once Cook pushed the ballot in the machine .
You can reach reporter Kristi K. Higgins at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ KHiggins_PI .
Want to read more stories by The Progress-Index but keep hitting your article limit ?
Go to progress-index.com and click on Subscribe to get a digital subscription .

100-year-old voter shares advice ahead of election, names favorite president in her lifetime
CHESTERFIELD – Mabel Cook is older than the right to vote, and in advance of her 101st birthday on Oct. 28, she exercised that right.
Last week, the still-spry centenarian cast the 15th presidential vote of a lifetime that has spanned 18 chief executives. That string began with a ballot for Franklin D. Roosevelt and has continued ever since. The only reason she did not vote for the other four — Woodrow Wilson, Warren G. Harding, Calvin Coolidge or Herbert Hoover — was because she was just too young.
Now, at her advanced age, Cook is living up to her maiden name — Duty — by doing her civic duty and voting.
“I feel it is very important for people to vote,” said Cook. “And, those that don’t vote have no right to complain, because they should have helped a little bit by voting.”
Proud to be an American, Mabel Cook just days shy of turning 101 casts her ballot Voting since she was eighteen, Mabel Cook votes in her fifteenth Presidential Election. Great-grandkids witness the monumental event Kristi K. Higgins, The Progress-Index
Even though it was not officially added to the Constitution until 1920, the proposal to give women voting power was born in Congress in 1919 five months before Mabel Dorothy Duty was born on a farm in Russell County, Va.
“Mabel was the third out of 11 siblings,” said her daughter Joyce Boyd of Chesterfield.
Of the 11, Cook and two "baby" sisters are still living — a 94-year-old out in Abingdon and another in her 80s down in Atlanta."
About three months shy of when Cook turned one, the 19th Amendment was adopted on Aug. 18th, 1920.
Less than two weeks before turning 101, Cook happily cast her ballot in the presence of a portion of her four children, six grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren.
“There have been 18 presidents during her lifetime starting with Woodrow Wilson, and she’s voted for 14 of them,” said Boyd.
According to Cook, she has voted for the following presidents: Franklin D. Roosevelt [D], Harry S. Truman [D], Dwight D. Eisenhower [R], John F. Kennedy [D], Lyndon B. Johnson [D], Richard Nixon [R], Gerald Ford [R], Jimmy Carter [D], Ronald Reagan [R], George H. W. Bush [R], Bill Clinton [D], George W. Bush [R], Barack Obama [D], Donald Trump [R].
“I thought Eisenhower was a great president,” said Cook.
“Her dad admired him and had a picture of him on the wall,” said Boyd.
Does she favor one party over another? “I vote for who I think is going to do a good job,” said Cook.
“Sometimes I feel as if my dad would shoot me for voting Democrat,” added Cook wittingly.
Are there memorable elections she can recall? “After the Depression, of course, America was having debt and Hoover didn’t owe anything…I understand… as we do now,” said Cook. “It’s hard living in a Depression. We lived on a farm and had plenty to eat. God gave us all a good life.”
She tells her grandchildren and children to make informed decisions at the polls.
“You know…nowadays children are smarter than when we were little,” said Cook. “They know everything; they know more than I do.
“I would tell them to listen to the debates and decide who they think will do the best job,” said Cook.
“She’s excited to be alive and be able to go out and vote,” commented Boyd.
“I may not be around for four more years,” said Cook. “So, I’ll take advantage of today.”
The chairwoman of the Chesterfield County Electoral Board explained curbside voting.
“Curbside voting is available to anyone 65-years and older or who has a disability,” said Susan Beals. “Voters pull up to the orange cones at the Registrar’s Office, we’ll take your I.D., we’ll ask you to state your name and address, we’ll go inside and check you into the poll book, we’ll bring you out a ballot, you mark it, we take it inside and feed it into the scanner, and we’ll bring you an “I voted” sticker.”
The Influenza Pandemic of 1918-1919 known as the most devastating epidemic in recorded world history happened in Cook’s lifetime. She said she worries about the current coronavirus pandemic.
“Oh, yes. I’m concerned because I understand it’s very dangerous,” said Cook. “I have been taking a flu shot for some time now. I’m not afraid of taking on the regular flu, but they say this one is so much worse. We don’t know until we try it, and I hope I don’t have to try.
“My mother believed in making all kinds of teas for colds and the flu,” said Cook. “Some of it tasted terrible. We always had to drink it whether it was good or bad, but they helped 90% of the time.
“If my mother was living today, she’d be making us all kinds of hot tea,” added Cook. “She’d make this one called boneset tea that was really bitter. I called it a weed.”
Cook said she knows what she is looking for in a president these days. “I don’t want him to raise taxes. Lower the taxes, and see that the price of medicine goes down," she said. "There are too many sick people that can’t afford the medicine.
The big moment arrived.
Cook did not have her reading glasses so her grandson Curtis Litton of Kingsport, Tennessee visiting on vacation signed an ‘assistance form’ which allowed him to help her vote.
“Are you ready young lady,” said Litton to his Grandma. “It’s your time to vote.”
Cook’s grandson read the list of candidates to her and filled in her choices.
Curtis Litton had difficulty pronouncing Spanberger and Freitas who are running for Congress, but his grandmother was familiar with the candidates.
Litton made his grandmother laugh when he said, “We can always write in Mickey Mouse if you choose.”
When finished, Curtis Litton handed the ballot to his grandmother without Beals touching it so there would not be any improprieties.
And her wish came true.
“Hey Granny, do you wanna walk in and carry it in for yourself, or do you want that lady to carry it in for you,” asked Curtis Litton. “I can get you in there if you want to go in there and put it in.”
“We’ll make it happen,” said Beals. “We can do it.”
The volunteers welcomed Cook into the poll room with a round of applause.
“In two weeks, she’ll be 101,” shared Curtis Litton. “She said she wanted to make sure she’s counted.”
“I’m proud of her,” said Registrar Office volunteer Rosa Johnson of Chesterfield. “She has a lot of wisdom and knowledge she could share with all of us.”
Each family member present had their phones ready to record the monumental moment.
Another round of applause broke out once Cook pushed the ballot in the machine.
Visit progress-index.com to watch Mabel Cook cast her ballot.
You can reach reporter Kristi K. Higgins at khiggins@progress-index.com. Follow her @KHiggins_PI.
Want to read more stories by The Progress-Index but keep hitting your article limit? Go to progress-index.com and click on Subscribe to get a digital subscription.