usatoday--2020-09-18--Coronavirus updates: USPS scrapped plan to send 650M masks to Americans; public still split on COVID

Coronavirus updates: USPS scrapped plan to send 650M masks to Americans; public still split on COVID-19 vaccine; Las Vegas bars to reopen

With the U.S. approaching 200,000 confirmed COVID-19 deaths and worldwide infections topping 30 million , Texas and Nevada are set to ease restrictions for some businesses beginning this weekend .
In Texas , which is close to becoming the second state with 700,000 cases , Gov .
Greg Abbott is authorizing some businesses — including restaurants , retail stores , gyms and museums — to open up to 75 % capacity starting Monday .
Bars , however , must remain closed .
In Nevada , public health officials are allowing bars in and around Las Vegas to reopen on Sunday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Meanwhile , the U.S. public is still divided over whether to get COVID-19 vaccine one it becomes available , with nearly half saying they would n't get vaccinated in a Pew Research Center survey .
• A drafted announcement that was never sent illustrates how the United States Postal Service had planned to send 650 million masks to Americans during the early parts of the pandemic , the Washington Post reports .
• India is on track to pass the U.S. as the most infected country in the world .
Health officials on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ past 24 hours , pushing India 's total to 5.2 million .
• Wynn Las Vegas reported almost 500 positive COVID-19 cases among employees since the resort reopened in June .
• New York City pushed back its start date for most students to return to elementary , middle and high school classrooms – again .
• Attorney General William Barr drew criticism Thursday after calling lockdown measures aimed at controlling the spread of COVID-19 the worst infringement on civil liberties other than slavery .
• More than 790,000 Americans filed for unemployment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Labor Department said Thursday .
📈 Today 's numbers : The U.S. has reported more than 6.6 million cases and 197,000 deaths , according to Johns Hopkins University data .
Globally , there have been more than 30 million cases and 946,000 fatalities .
New case records were set in six states : Arkansas , Montana , North Dakota , West Virginia , Wisconsin and Wyoming , according to a USA TODAY analysis of Johns Hopkins data .
Record numbers of deaths were reported in Kansas , North Dakota and Puerto @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Where are we on a COVID-19 vaccine ?
Experts say we 're over halfway there , but we need more data to make sure it will be safe .
🗺 Mapping coronavirus : Track the U.S. outbreak , state by state This file will be updated throughout the day .
For updates in your inbox , subscribe to The Daily Briefing newsletter .
Nearly half of school employees in high risk group for COVID-19 , study says While students may be in the group that poses the least risk for COVID-19 infection @ @ @ @ @ @ @ school employees potentially have the highest risk .
According to a pre-print study to be published in Health Affairs , between 42 % to about 51 % of all school employees meet the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ’ s definition for being at increased risk for COVID-19 .
The CDC says that underlying health conditions , such as obesity , diabetes and heart disease , and older age put people into the highest risk groups .
The results align closely with a recent survey by the Education Week Research Center that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ having a physical condition that makes them vulnerable to COVID-19 .
A plan by the United States Postal Service to send 650 million masks to Americans at the start of the pandemic was scrapped , according to a document obtained by the watchdog group American Oversight through the Freedom of Information Act .
The announcement , which was first reported by the Washington Post on Friday , was drafted but never sent .
USPS said in the plan that first shipments of masks were expected to reach U.S. households at an unspecified date @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Postal Service ’ s role in the pandemic response may have been more involved than initially reported this spring .
Nearly half of US public say they wouldn ’ t get a COVID-19 vaccine : Pew study Even after government agencies and pharmaceutical companies pledged their independence in the race to find a vaccine for the coronavirus , Americans are still divided over whether they would get vaccinated .
According to a Pew Research Center survey , nearly half of U.S. adults ( 49 % ) say they definitely or probably would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Intent to get a COVID-19 vaccine has fallen by 21 % since May .
While intent to get a vaccinated has declined across all major political and demographic groups , some differences remain .
Just 32 % of Black adults say they would definitely get a vaccine compared with 52 % of white adults , 56 % of Hispanics and 72 % of Asian Americans .
The national survey was conducted Sept. 8-13 among more than 10,000 U.S. adults .
Las Vegas bars , taprooms , breweries will be allowed to reopen on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 , Nevada officials announced bars , taprooms and breweries can reopen Sunday night in Clark County , where Las Vegas is located .
Nevada 's COVID-19 Mitigation and Management Task Force on Thursday unanimously approved the county 's plan to reopen drinking businesses throughout the Las Vegas Valley .
Clark County Commission Chairwoman Marilyn Kirkpatrick told the task force that bar owners are committed to following health and safety protocols .
State biostatistician Kyra Morgan revealed the COVID-19 positivity rate dropped from 8.6 % to 7.8 % between Monday and Thursday .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ rate should be no higher than 5 % .
Utah Gov .
Gary Herbert said Thursday he is considering a statewide mask mandate and planning expanded coronavirus testing in response to what he called an alarming spike of infections in the state .
The state counted 911 new confirmed cases on Thursday , a new record for any single day .
The rolling average of daily new cases has increased by about 54 % over the past two weeks , according to state data , and has jumped to 661 per day this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week .
“ We are taking this spike and the magnitude of it very seriously , ” Herbert told reporters .
Herbert , a Republican , has urged residents to wear masks for months but has stopped short of implementing a statewide mandate .
He has instead allowed counties to decide if they needed bans .
India ’ s coronavirus cases jumped by another 96,424 infections in the past 24 hours , showing little sign of leveling .
The Health Ministry on Friday raised the nation ’ s total past 5.21 million , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1.4 billion people .
It said 1,174 more people died in the past 24 hours , for a total of 84,372 fatalities , but experts say India 's death toll may be a significant undercount .
India ’ s Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his birthday on Thursday made a fresh appeal to people to wear masks and maintain social distance as his government chalked out plans to handle big congregations expected during a major Hindu festival season beginning next month .
Texas Gov .
Greg Abbott said Thursday that he would allow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in most of the state , citing a decline in coronavirus hospitalizations .
The order allows businesses operating at 50 % capacity to move to 75 % starting Monday .
That includes restaurants , retail , office buildings , manufacturing , gyms , libraries and museums .
Bars remain closed under the order , although some have been able to reopen by selling more food than alcohol .
“ Without vaccines available , containing COVID is a challenge , but Texans have already shown that they are up to that challenge , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ As we go about the process to continue to contain COVID , we will also continue to work to open up Texas.
” And Abbott is allowing hospitals in much of the state to resume elective surgeries , effective immediately .
Nursing homes and other long-term care facilities may resume visitations next Thursday , as long as there are no outbreaks at those facilities .
Survey : 751 Arizona teachers have resigned or retired since school began There are fewer teachers than ever in Arizona classrooms , according to a new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Association .
Just a few weeks into the school year , about 28 % of teacher positions in the state remained vacant compared with 21 % vacant last year , the data shows , which means about 3 in 10 classrooms are not led by a qualified teacher .
Schools have had to fill those open positions with long-term substitute teachers or others without teaching qualifications .
Teachers across the state have said COVID-19 adds to the pressure to quit , especially when faced with the threat of returning to the classroom amid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are particularly worried about contracting the virus while around students .
Arizona school districts had about 6,145 open positions this year — 1,728 remain vacant , compared with 1,443 in 2019 .
Moderna says vaccine trial results could come in November Moderna , one of the companies leading the effort to develop a COVID-19 vaccine , announced Thursday it could have enough clinical trial results as soon as November to confirm the effectiveness of its candidate vaccine .
Results of the vaccine ’ s effectiveness will be presented to an independent review committee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 , and again after 106 and 151 infections .
Half the participants are getting a placebo and half the active vaccine , called mRNA-1273 .
Statistically , if the vaccine is effective 75 % of the time , it should take only 106 infections in both groups to prove its effectiveness , Dr. Jacqueline Miller , Moderna ’ s senior vice president of infectious disease development , told company investors on Thursday .
At that point , which will likely come in November , Moderna could apply for an emergency use authorization @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to begin distributing the vaccine .
The FDA has said a vaccine must be at least 50 % effective to win federal approval , but the companies developing vaccines have said they are aiming for at least 60 % and hopefully even higher effectiveness .
Moderna had originally predicted that it might take until May 2021 to prove its vaccine ’ s effectiveness , but pushed up that timeline because participants joined quickly , the COVID-19 infection rate remained high around trial sites and the company was able to start the trial earlier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : 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 .
• 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and a little bit of solace in these difficult times .
Sign up for Staying Apart , Together .

Jessica Flores and Adrianna Rodriguez, USA TODAY

Coronavirus updates: CDC reverses controversial testing guidance; public still split on COVID-19 vaccine; Las Vegas bars to reopen
Show Caption Hide Caption COVID-19: How Herd Immunity works, why you still need to wear a mask Without masks and a vaccine, we could reach Herd Immunity from COVID-19, but deaths would skyrocket. We break down the science of it. Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
With the U.S. approaching 200,000 confirmed COVID-19 deaths and worldwide infections topping 30 million, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is now recommending that all people who have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 should get tested, even if they aren't showing symptoms.
The recommendation Friday reverses controversial guidance the agency issued at the end of August, which said that someone who was in close contact (within 6 feet) of an infected person for at least 15 minutes but doesn’t have symptoms does not "necessarily need a test."
Asked about the timeline for a coronavirus vaccine, President Donald Trump on Friday said the U.S. will have manufactured more than 100,000,000 doses of vaccine before the end of the year, with "enough vaccines for every American by April." But CDC Director Robert Redfield told a Senate panel this week that a vaccine may not be available to the American public until summer or fall 2021.
Meanwhile, Texas and Nevada are set to ease restrictions for some businesses beginning this weekend, and four more states began-in person voting Friday.
Some significant developments:
As in-person voting began in Virginia on Friday, lines at voting locations in Fairfax County were already out the door. A photo shared by the county on Twitter showed a long line of people wearing masks, standing 6 feet apart on sidewalks or camped out on benches and curbs.
The U.S. public is still divided over whether to get COVID-19 vaccine one it becomes available, with nearly half saying they wouldn't get vaccinated in a Pew Research Center survey.
A drafted announcement that was never sent illustrates how the United States Postal Service had planned to send 650 million masks to Americans during the early parts of the pandemic, according to a document obtained by the watchdog group American Oversight through the Freedom of Information Act.
Moderna, one of the companies leading the effort to develop a COVID-19 vaccine, announced it could have enough clinical trial results as soon as November to confirm the effectiveness of its candidate vaccine.
📈 Today's numbers: The U.S. has reported more than 6.6 million cases and 198,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data. Globally, there have been more than 30 million cases and 947,000 fatalities. New case records were set in six states: Arkansas, Montana, North Dakota, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming, according to a USA TODAY analysis of Johns Hopkins data. Record numbers of deaths were reported in Kansas, North Dakota and Puerto Rico.
📰 What we're reading: Didn't hear from contact tracers about that guy coughing on your flight? You might not – even if he had COVID-19.
🗺 Mapping coronavirus: Track the U.S. outbreak, state by state
This file will be updated throughout the day. For updates in your inbox, subscribe to The Daily Briefing newsletter.
Twenty-nine high school students in Massachusetts were told to quarantine after parents sent their child to in-person class despite having tested positive for the coronavirus days earlier, reports say.
According to NBC News, the student tested Sept. 9 and got positive results back on Sept. 11. They went for their first day of class at Attleboro High School, located about 39 miles southwest of Boston, on Sept. 14.
Parents learned the next day that a student who attended the public school had tested positive for COVID-19, according to a letter sent to parents obtained by USA TODAY.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reversed controversial guidance on coronavirus testing Friday, now recommending that people who have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 should get tested, even if they're not symptomatic.
The recommendation departs from guidance the agency issued at the end of August, which said that someone who was in close contact (within 6 feet) of an infected person for at least 15 minutes but doesn’t have symptoms does not "necessarily need a test."
Infectious disease experts were confused and troubled by the change, as people who are not showing symptoms can still have and spread COVID-19.
The CDC estimates that 40% of infections are asymptomatic and 50% of transmissions occur before symptoms appear. Experts worry that failing to test asymptomatic carriers could not only result in more infections but also hinder contact tracing efforts.
A USA TODAY investigation found that Dr. Robert Redfield, the director of the CDC, called Nevada’s chief medical officer in early March to request a COVID-19 test for a Nevada GOP leader who could not get one.
Adam Laxalt, the former attorney general of Nevada until 2019 and booster for President Donald Trump, believed he was exposed to the coronavirus while attending the Conservative Political Action Conference in Maryland. But Laxalt was not showing symptoms and could not get approved for a test through a local hospital back home.
On the phone call, Redfield asked the medical officer, Dr. Ihsan Azzam, to get it done, according to interviews and internal communications USA TODAY received through records requests.
The special treatment is a stark example of how political influence has penetrated the CDC during the COVID-19 pandemic, creating challenges for local health authorities. It came at a time when his agency knew thousands of Americans needed testing but could not get it due to supply shortages.
– Brett Murphy and Letitia Stein
Amid a rising number of COVID-19 cases in Europe, several nations are implementing new restrictions.
England : A ban on social gatherings of more than six people, including children, went into effect this week, and fresh nationwide lockdown restrictions appear to be in the cards soon.
: A ban on social gatherings of more than six people, including children, went into effect this week, and fresh nationwide lockdown restrictions appear to be in the cards soon. Denmark : Officials announced a nationwide order lowering the size of approved gatherings from 100 to 50 and telling cafes, bars and restaurants to close at 10 p.m. instead of midnight.
: Officials announced a nationwide order lowering the size of approved gatherings from 100 to 50 and telling cafes, bars and restaurants to close at 10 p.m. instead of midnight. Spain : A line of tents has been installed at the gates of a Madrid military hospital four months after similar structures for triaging patients were taken down. Spain’s Defense Ministry said the tents are empty, installed protectively ahead of the second wave taking hold on the Spanish capital.
: A line of tents has been installed at the gates of a Madrid military hospital four months after similar structures for triaging patients were taken down. Spain’s Defense Ministry said the tents are empty, installed protectively ahead of the second wave taking hold on the Spanish capital. Italy: The Sicilian town of Corleone, made famous by the fictional Mafia clan in "The Godfather," has ordered schools closed and a limited lockdown because of a coronavirus spike.
Meanwhile, Israel has returned to a full lockdown to contain a worsening coronavirus outbreak.
– The Associated Press
U.N. World Food Program chief David Beasley is warning that 270 million people are "marching toward the brink of starvation" because of the toxic combination of conflict, climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Beasley on Thursday urged donor nations and billionaires to contribute $4.9 billion to feed the 30 million he said will die without U.N. assistance. He reminded the U.N. Security Council of his warning five months ago that "the world stood on the brink of a hunger pandemic," and welcomed the response then, which averted famine and led countries to fight back against the coronavirus.
– The Associated Press
Wealthy nations representing 13% of the world’s population have already purchased approximately 51% of the promised doses of leading COVID-19 vaccine candidates, nonprofit group Oxfam warned Thursday.
Oxfam analyzed the deals that pharmaceutical corporations and vaccine producers made with nations around the world for the five leading vaccine candidates in phase 3 clinical trials. Even in the event that all five vaccines succeed, nearly two-thirds of the world’s population will not have a vaccine until at least 2022, Oxfam estimates.
Earlier this week, researchers at Northeastern University warned that more people will die if wealthy nations hoard vaccines. The models found 61% of deaths could be averted if the vaccine was distributed to all countries proportional to population, while only 33% of deaths would be averted if high-income countries got the vaccines first.
While students may be in the group that poses the least risk for COVID-19 infection, a study says nearly half of school employees potentially have the highest risk.
According to a pre-print study to be published in Health Affairs, between 42% to about 51% of all school employees meet the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s definition for being at increased risk for COVID-19.
The CDC says that underlying health conditions, such as obesity, diabetes and heart disease, and older age put people into the highest risk groups.
The results align closely with a recent survey by the Education Week Research Center that said 43% of teachers have reported having a physical condition that makes them vulnerable to COVID-19.
A plan by the United States Postal Service to send 650 million masks to Americans at the start of the pandemic was scrapped, according to a document obtained by the watchdog group American Oversight through the Freedom of Information Act.
The announcement, which was first reported by the Washington Post on Friday, was drafted but never sent. USPS said in the plan that first shipments of masks were expected to reach U.S. households at an unspecified date in April.
The document demonstrates how the Postal Service’s role in the pandemic response may have been more involved than initially reported this spring.
Even after government agencies and pharmaceutical companies pledged their independence in the race to find a vaccine for the coronavirus, Americans are still divided over whether they would get vaccinated.
According to a Pew Research Center survey, nearly half of U.S. adults (49%) say they definitely or probably would not get vaccinated at this time. Intent to get a COVID-19 vaccine has fallen by 21% since May.
While intent to get a vaccinated has declined across all major political and demographic groups, some differences remain. Just 32% of Black adults say they would definitely get a vaccine compared with 52% of white adults, 56% of Hispanics and 72% of Asian Americans.
The national survey was conducted Sept. 8-13 among more than 10,000 U.S. adults.
After a six-month shutdown due to COVID-19, Nevada officials announced bars, taprooms and breweries can reopen Sunday night in Clark County, where Las Vegas is located. Nevada's COVID-19 Mitigation and Management Task Force on Thursday unanimously approved the county's plan to reopen drinking businesses throughout the Las Vegas Valley.
Clark County Commission Chairwoman Marilyn Kirkpatrick told the task force that bar owners are committed to following health and safety protocols. State biostatistician Kyra Morgan revealed the COVID-19 positivity rate dropped from 8.6% to 7.8% between Monday and Thursday. The World Health Organization's recommends that rate should be no higher than 5%.
Meanwhile, one resort, Wynn Las Vegas has logged almost 500 positive COVID-19 cases among employees since it reopened in June.
– Ed Komenda, Reno Gazette Journal
Utah Gov. Gary Herbert said Thursday he is considering a statewide mask mandate and planning expanded coronavirus testing in response to what he called an alarming spike of infections in the state.
The state counted 911 new confirmed cases on Thursday, a new record for any single day. The rolling average of daily new cases has increased by about 54% over the past two weeks, according to state data, and has jumped to 661 per day this week compared to 381 per day last week.
"We are taking this spike and the magnitude of it very seriously," Herbert told reporters.
Herbert, a Republican, has urged residents to wear masks for months but has stopped short of implementing a statewide mandate. He has instead allowed counties to decide if they needed bans.
– Kaitlyn Bancroft, The Spectrum & Daily News (St. George, Utah)
India's coronavirus cases jumped by another 96,424 infections in the past 24 hours, showing little sign of leveling.
The Health Ministry on Friday raised the nation’s total past 5.21 million, or about 0.37% of its nearly 1.4 billion people. It said 1,174 more people died in the past 24 hours, for a total of 84,372 fatalities, but experts say India's death toll may be a significant undercount.
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his birthday on Thursday made a fresh appeal to people to wear masks and maintain social distance as his government chalked out plans to handle big congregations expected during a major Hindu festival season beginning next month.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said Thursday that he would allow businesses to expand pandemic limits on capacity in most of the state, citing a decline in coronavirus hospitalizations.
The order allows businesses operating at 50% capacity to move to 75% starting Monday. That includes restaurants, retail, office buildings, manufacturing, gyms, libraries and museums. Bars remain closed under the order, although some have been able to reopen by selling more food than alcohol.
"Without vaccines available, containing COVID is a challenge, but Texans have already shown that they are up to that challenge," Abbott said at a Capitol news conference. "As we go about the process to continue to contain COVID, we will also continue to work to open up Texas."
And Abbott is allowing hospitals in much of the state to resume elective surgeries, effective immediately. Nursing homes and other long-term care facilities may resume visitations next Thursday, as long as there are no outbreaks at those facilities.
– Nicole Cobler, Austin-American Statesman
There are fewer teachers than ever in Arizona classrooms, according to a new survey from the Arizona School Personnel Administrators Association.
Just a few weeks into the school year, about 28% of teacher positions in the state remained vacant compared with 21% vacant last year, the data shows, which means about 3 in 10 classrooms are not led by a qualified teacher. Schools have had to fill those open positions with long-term substitute teachers or others without teaching qualifications.
Teachers across the state have said COVID-19 adds to the pressure to quit, especially when faced with the threat of returning to the classroom amid the pandemic. Some medically vulnerable teachers are particularly worried about contracting the virus while around students. Arizona school districts had about 6,145 open positions this year — 1,728 remain vacant, compared with 1,443 in 2019.
– Lily Altavena, Arizona Republic
Moderna, one of the companies leading the effort to develop a COVID-19 vaccine, announced Thursday it could have enough clinical trial results as soon as November to confirm the effectiveness of its candidate vaccine.
Results of the vaccine’s effectiveness will be presented to an independent review committee after 53 people in the trial contract COVID-19, and again after 106 and 151 infections. Half the participants are getting a placebo and half the active vaccine, called mRNA-1273.
Statistically, if the vaccine is effective 75% of the time, it should take only 106 infections in both groups to prove its effectiveness, Dr. Jacqueline Miller, Moderna’s senior vice president of infectious disease development, told company investors on Thursday. At that point, which will likely come in November, Moderna could apply for an emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to begin distributing the vaccine.
The FDA has said a vaccine must be at least 50% effective to win federal approval, but the companies developing vaccines have said they are aiming for at least 60% and hopefully even higher effectiveness. Moderna had originally predicted that it might take until May 2021 to prove its vaccine’s effectiveness, but pushed up that timeline because participants joined quickly, the COVID-19 infection rate remained high around trial sites and the company was able to start the trial earlier than originally expected.
– Karen Weintraub
On Facebook: A lot is still unknown about the coronavirus. But what we do know, we're sharing with you. Join our Facebook group, Coronavirus Watch , to receive daily updates in your feed and chat with others in the community about COVID-19.
A lot is still unknown about the coronavirus. But what we do know, we're sharing with you. , to receive daily updates in your feed and chat with others in the community about COVID-19. 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.
Contributing: The Associated Press


usatoday--2020-09-18--Amy Dorris' friend: Politics not behind latest sex-assault accusation against Trump

Former model Amy Dorris , the latest woman to accuse President Donald Trump of sexually assaulting her years ago , did not go public with her story because the presidential election is just 46 days away , according to a close friend .
Dorris is not political and has no agenda , said Caron Bernstein , a former top model who became friends with Dorris in 2008 .
`` It had nothing to do with anything political , '' said Bernstein , a rape survivor who accompanied Dorris through the decision and interviews with Lucy Osborne , the reporter who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Guardian on Thursday .
`` The ball dropped , and it just happened to drop now . ''
Dorris , a Boca Raton mother of 13-year-old twin daughters , knew she would face enormous blowback from Trump supporters , Bernstein said .
Dorris knew reporters would be relentless in pursuing her .
She knew her motives would be questioned , along with every detail of her recollection of how Trump allegedly accosted her outside the bathroom in his VIP box at the U.S. Open in New York on Sept. 5 , 1997 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ old at the time , said the alleged assault occurred when she went to the bathroom , which was hidden behind a partition wall near Trump ’ s other guests , who were watching the tennis matches , according to the Guardian report .
'Liberal indoctrination ' : Donald Trump rails against modern teaching of U.S. history Dorris alleges that Trump was waiting outside and forced himself on her after a brief exchange in which she recalls nervously laughing and telling him : “ No , get away.
” She said Trump forced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her all over her body and held her in a grip from which she could not escape .
Trump ignored her pleas to stop , Dorris told The Guardian .
“ His hands were very gropey and all over my butt , my breasts , my back , everything , ” Dorris said , recalling how she used her teeth to try to force his tongue out of her mouth .
“ I felt trapped.
” Dorris told her boyfriend what had happened , Bernstein said .
When he approached Trump to confront @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She 's way out of your league , '' Bernstein recalled Dorris telling her .
Via his lawyers , Trump strongly denied that he ever harassed , abused or behaved improperly toward Dorris , according to The Guardian .
Trump was 51 at the time and married to his second wife , Marla Maples .
Dorris kept the ticket stub to the event and has six photos with Trump from the four days she spent around Trump while accompanying her boyfriend , who was a friend of Trump , according to the Guardian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Trump are both headed to Minnesota to battle for the middle class Bernstein , who lives in New York , said her husband , a good friend of Dorris in 1997 , was the first person Dorris told about Trump 's alleged assault .
In 2008 , Bernstein 's husband introduced the two women .
It was a year after Bernstein said she was raped by a photographer .
The women exchanged their stories and have been friends since .
Bernstein became a spokeswoman for the Humans of Fashion Foundation , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Bernstein said it was the # MeToo movement and the unfolding of Jeffrey Epstein 's sexual-predator story that encouraged Dorris to come forward .
Before the story was published , Dorris had no contact with other women – some of them models – who have made similar accusations against Trump , Bernstein said .
She also heard nothing from the Trump Organization .
Days before the story broke , Dorris became ill with a high fever and strep throat , Bernstein said , adding that the stress of the imminent publication of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ story broke at 6 a.m. Thursday .
Bernstein said she tried to get in touch with Dorris and became concerned as the hours passed .
Dorris had simply decided to sleep in , and woke up at 10 a.m. Bernstein said .
By then , dozens of journalists had already called .
Bernstein said she warned Dorris not to go on Twitter to see reaction to the story .
`` She did peek at Twitter and saw some horrible stuff , '' Bernstein said .
For now , Dorris is in seclusion , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ media , Bernstein said .
`` She hopes this will empower herself , '' Bernstein said .
`` Even if there is not any rectitude , it 's rectitude enough to come out and say , 'You did this to me . '
``

Amy Dorris' friend: Politics not behind latest sex-assault accusation against Trump Amy Dorris of Boca Raton, the latest woman to accuse President Trump of sexually assaulting her, did not go public because of the election, a close friend says. It was just time.
Former model Amy Dorris, the latest woman to accuse President Donald Trump of sexually assaulting her years ago, did not go public with her story because the presidential election is just 46 days away, according to a close friend.
Dorris is not political and has no agenda, said Caron Bernstein, a former top model who became friends with Dorris in 2008.
Dorris was simply ready.
"It had nothing to do with anything political," said Bernstein, a rape survivor who accompanied Dorris through the decision and interviews with Lucy Osborne, the reporter who broke the story in the British newspaper The Guardian on Thursday. "The ball dropped, and it just happened to drop now."
Dorris, a Boca Raton mother of 13-year-old twin daughters, knew she would face enormous blowback from Trump supporters, Bernstein said. Dorris knew reporters would be relentless in pursuing her. She knew her motives would be questioned, along with every detail of her recollection of how Trump allegedly accosted her outside the bathroom in his VIP box at the U.S. Open in New York on Sept. 5, 1997.
Dorris, who was 24 years old at the time, said the alleged assault occurred when she went to the bathroom, which was hidden behind a partition wall near Trump’s other guests, who were watching the tennis matches, according to the Guardian report.
'Liberal indoctrination': Donald Trump rails against modern teaching of U.S. history
Dorris alleges that Trump was waiting outside and forced himself on her after a brief exchange in which she recalls nervously laughing and telling him: “No, get away.”
She said Trump forced his tongue down her throat, touched her all over her body and held her in a grip from which she could not escape. Trump ignored her pleas to stop, Dorris told The Guardian.
“His hands were very gropey and all over my butt, my breasts, my back, everything,” Dorris said, recalling how she used her teeth to try to force his tongue out of her mouth. “I felt trapped.”
Dorris told her boyfriend what had happened, Bernstein said. When he approached Trump to confront him, Trump told him, "She's way out of your league," Bernstein recalled Dorris telling her.
Via his lawyers, Trump strongly denied that he ever harassed, abused or behaved improperly toward Dorris, according to The Guardian. Trump was 51 at the time and married to his second wife, Marla Maples.
Dorris kept the ticket stub to the event and has six photos with Trump from the four days she spent around Trump while accompanying her boyfriend, who was a friend of Trump, according to the Guardian report.
2020 election: Why Biden and Trump are both headed to Minnesota to battle for the middle class
Bernstein, who lives in New York, said her husband, a good friend of Dorris in 1997, was the first person Dorris told about Trump's alleged assault. In 2008, Bernstein's husband introduced the two women. It was a year after Bernstein said she was raped by a photographer. The women exchanged their stories and have been friends since.
Bernstein became a spokeswoman for the Humans of Fashion Foundation, which aims to protect style-industry workers from abuse. Bernstein said it was the #MeToo movement and the unfolding of Jeffrey Epstein's sexual-predator story that encouraged Dorris to come forward.
Before the story was published, Dorris had no contact with other women – some of them models – who have made similar accusations against Trump, Bernstein said. She also heard nothing from the Trump Organization.
Days before the story broke, Dorris became ill with a high fever and strep throat, Bernstein said, adding that the stress of the imminent publication of her story weighed upon her.
The story broke at 6 a.m. Thursday. Bernstein said she tried to get in touch with Dorris and became concerned as the hours passed. Dorris had simply decided to sleep in, and woke up at 10 a.m. Bernstein said.
By then, dozens of journalists had already called. Bernstein said she warned Dorris not to go on Twitter to see reaction to the story.
"She did peek at Twitter and saw some horrible stuff," Bernstein said.
For now, Dorris is in seclusion, trying to get healthy and avoid the media, Bernstein said.
"She hopes this will empower herself," Bernstein said. "Even if there is not any rectitude, it's rectitude enough to come out and say, 'You did this to me.' "
Contact Christine Stapleton at cstapleton@pbpost.com or @StapletonPBPost


usatoday--2020-09-18--Why Celtics downplayed 'emotional' locker room blowup following Game 2 loss to Heat

With frustrations running high , the voices in the Boston Celtics ’ locker room became increasingly loud .
So loud that reporters on site could hear Celtics guard Marcus Smart and other players having heated conversations following their 106-101 loss to the Miami Heat in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals , which puts Boston in an 0-2 series deficit .
`` It was nothing .
It was nothing , '' Celtics guard Kemba Walker said .
`` Ai n't nothing happening in the locker room .
I do n't know what you 're talking about , to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' The Celtics hardly looked fine in Game 2 .
They squandered a 17-point lead as Miami outscored Boston 37-17 in the third quarter .
The Heat scored 26 points off the Celtics ’ 19 turnovers .
And after holding a 94-89 lead with 4:25 left following a 15-2 run , the Heat responded with a 17-7 run while the Celtics missed four of their last six shots and committed three turnovers .
This all happened two days after Boston blew a 14-point lead in Game 1 .
GAME 2 COLLAPSE : Heat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lead BUBBLE BALL : Have playoff games been better in the bubble ?
NO BATTLE OF LA : Lakers insist they did n't care about Clippers No wonder the Celtics expressed displeasure in the locker room afterwards .
As Celtics coach Brad Stevens said , `` guys were emotional after a hard game , hard loss . ''
`` We ’ re down 0-2 .
We ’ re frustrated .
But that ’ s team sports , '' Celtics forward Jayson Tatum said .
`` No one should be happy to be down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ordinary .
Just talking about the game . ''
Celtics players did not necessarily talk about the game in the locker room .
They screamed about the game with expletives .
But when they went to the interview room , they sounded stoic and polite .
`` What happens in the locker room got to stay in the locker room , '' Tatum said .
`` We ’ re not supposed to come out here and talk about what we talk about as a team .
Win or lose .
That ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when we talk to each other , whether we win or we lose . ''
The reason for the Celtics ’ loss points to many areas .
The Heat ’ s entire starting lineup cracked double figures , including Goran Dragic ( 25 points ) , Bam Adebayo ( 21 ) , Duncan Robinson ( 18 ) , Jimmy Butler ( 14 ) and Jae Crowder ( 12 ) .
Miami dominated Boston on the offensive glass ( 11-6 ) .
The Celtics struggled against the Heat ’ s zone defense in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the field .
Although the Celtics had Walker ( 23 points ) Tatum ( 21 ) , Jaylen Brown ( 21 ) and Smart ( 14 ) reach double figures , they could not prevail in crunch time .
Walker missed a 3-pointer as Miami held a 97-95 lead with 2:06 left .
Smart clanked a 3-pointer on the next possession before committing a turnover .
Then it was Brown ’ s turn to miss from deep as the Heat had a 104-101 lead with only 15.1 seconds left .
`` We did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we did to get us up and get us that lead , '' Walker said .
`` I think we got kind of comfortable .
Those guys , they took advantage of it .
They played hard .
They played really hard .
They played a lot harder than us .
They wanted it . ''
All of which led to some frustrations afterwards .
So much that the Celtics don ’ t plan to have a formal practice Friday .
Either way , they will have plenty to address before Game 3 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ won ’ t be raised .
`` Got to fix some things up , '' Tatum said .
`` Two times now we 've had a couple double-digit leads and we let go of the ropes .
We got to figure out why that keeps happening .
Just have to be prepared to win the next one . ''

Why Celtics downplayed ‘emotional’ locker room blowup following Game 2 loss to Heat
With frustrations running high, the voices in the Boston Celtics’ locker room became increasingly loud.
So loud that reporters on site could hear Celtics guard Marcus Smart and other players having heated conversations following their 106-101 loss to the Miami Heat in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals, which puts Boston in an 0-2 series deficit.
"It was nothing. It was nothing," Celtics guard Kemba Walker said. "Ain't nothing happening in the locker room. I don't know what you're talking about, to be honest. We'll be fine."
The Celtics hardly looked fine in Game 2.
They squandered a 17-point lead as Miami outscored Boston 37-17 in the third quarter. The Heat scored 26 points off the Celtics’ 19 turnovers. And after holding a 94-89 lead with 4:25 left following a 15-2 run, the Heat responded with a 17-7 run while the Celtics missed four of their last six shots and committed three turnovers. This all happened two days after Boston blew a 14-point lead in Game 1.
GAME 2 COLLAPSE: Heat rally again to stun Celtics for 2-0 lead
OFF THE BALL: Butler takes over without scoring to beat Celtics
BUBBLE BALL: Have the playoffs been better inside the bubble?
No wonder the Celtics expressed displeasure in the locker room afterwards. As Celtics coach Brad Stevens said, "guys were emotional after a hard game, hard loss."
"We’re down 0-2. We’re frustrated. But that’s team sports," Celtics forward Jayson Tatum said. "No one should be happy to be down 0-2. But nothing out of the ordinary. Just talking about the game."
“He plays with passion, he’s full of fire and that’s what I love about him most.”
Jaylen Brown on Marcus Smart and reported heated Celtics locker room after Game 2 loss pic.twitter.com/rNa9etgTDZ — Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 18, 2020
Celtics players did not necessarily talk about the game in the locker room. They screamed about the game with expletives. But when they went to the interview room, they sounded stoic and polite.
"What happens in the locker room got to stay in the locker room," Tatum said. "We’re not supposed to come out here and talk about what we talk about as a team. Win or lose. That’s why we go to the locker room when we talk to each other, whether we win or we lose."
The reason for the Celtics’ loss points to many areas.
The Heat’s entire starting lineup cracked double figures, including Goran Dragic (25 points), Bam Adebayo (21), Duncan Robinson (18), Jimmy Butler (14) and Jae Crowder (12). Miami dominated Boston on the offensive glass (11-6). The Celtics struggled against the Heat’s zone defense in the third quarter, while shooting 4-of-12 from the field.
Although the Celtics had Walker (23 points) Tatum (21), Jaylen Brown (21) and Smart (14) reach double figures, they could not prevail in crunch time. Walker missed a 3-pointer as Miami held a 97-95 lead with 2:06 left. Smart clanked a 3-pointer on the next possession before committing a turnover. Then it was Brown’s turn to miss from deep as the Heat had a 104-101 lead with only 15.1 seconds left.
"We didn't continue to do the things that we did to get us up and get us that lead," Walker said. "I think we got kind of comfortable. Those guys, they took advantage of it. They played hard. They played really hard. They played a lot harder than us. They wanted it."
All of which led to some frustrations afterwards. So much that the Celtics don’t plan to have a formal practice Friday. Either way, they will have plenty to address before Game 3 on Saturday. Perhaps then, voices won’t be raised.
"Got to fix some things up," Tatum said. "Two times now we've had a couple double-digit leads and we let go of the ropes. We got to figure out why that keeps happening. Just have to be prepared to win the next one."
Follow USA TODAY NBA writer Mark Medina on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.


usatoday--2020-09-18--Trump, QAnon, Russia: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube brace for a turbulent election and post-election cy

From Facebook to Twitter to YouTube , social media companies whose platforms were used to amplify falsehoods , conspiracy theories and inflammatory rhetoric in 2016 have been preparing for November ’ s presidential election for years .
On Thursday , FBI Director Christopher Wray told House Homeland Security committee hearing that Russia remains `` very active '' in its effort to sow discord and disrupt the vote , primarily by denigrating Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden .
There ’ s been an alarming rise in domestic meddling from groups such as conspiracy cult QAnon , which are pumping out falsehoods @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social media as his reelection campaign ’ s bullhorn , has made remarks that threaten to undermine confidence in the election , from questioning the legitimacy of mail-in voting to suggesting that people vote twice .
Trump vs. Twitter : New policy would crack down on president claiming premature victory in election Social media misinformation : Facebook , Twitter react to President Trump 's urging of voting twice '' I think it 's clear that they 're trying way more than they did in 2016 or even in 2018 .
But I do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for what might happen if we have an extremely close election this year , '' said Patrick Warren , associate professor at Clemson University who researches social media disinformation .
`` A foreign information operation of the size and scope of the 2016 ( Internet Research Agency ) campaign would be caught this year .
But we 're already seeing domestic operations adopt their tactics , which is a much harder problem for the platforms . ''
Amid growing concerns about the integrity of the election , Twitter said Thursday that it would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ high-profile users including administration officials , members of Congress , political parties and campaigns , major news outlets and political journalists .
Earlier this week , Twitter announced a voting information hub within the app that will include facts on mail-in ballots and how to register for the Nov. 3 election in English and Spanish .
It also has tightened its policies on election-related misinformation .
Facebook has rolled out changes to curb misinformation and interference before the election , including barring any new political ads in the week before Election Day and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from voting .
The initiatives are part of a Facebook campaign to register 4 million voters and to supply poll workers on Election Day .
The moves acknowledge the vast influence of social media on American political life and this year 's highly contentious election cycle in which an unprecedented number of Americans are expected to vote by mail due to the coronavirus pandemic .
What tech companies are desperately seeking to avoid : A repeat of the 2016 election in which Russian operatives peppered the American electorate with divisive messages .
Facebook @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Kremlin-backed Internet Research Agency which interfered in the 2016 election to sway voters away from Biden through a network of fake accounts and a website camouflaged to look like a left-wing news site .
Last month , YouTube pledged to increase the visibility of authoritative voices and reduce the spread of election-related misinformation .
It expanded efforts to provide third-party fact-checked articles above search results for claims about the election .
And when YouTube users search for presidential or federal candidates on YouTube , an information panel pops up above search results @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s not just the run-up to Nov. 3 .
Tech companies are bracing for what could be a turbulent period following the election if it ’ s not certified right away or if the election is contested .
Facebook election disinformation : What you can do to stop its spread Twitter has pledged to label or remove posts that include misleading election results .
Facebook has strengthened its policies to crack down on misinformation and steer users to authoritative information about the election , including slapping a label on content that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outcome of the election .
“ Since the pandemic means that many of us will be voting by mail , and since some states may still be counting valid ballots after election day , many experts are predicting that we may not have a final result on election night .
It 's important that we prepare for this possibility in advance and understand that there could be a period of intense claims and counter-claims as the final results are counted .
This could be a very heated period , ” CEO Mark Zuckerberg @ @ @ @ @ @

Trump, QAnon, Russia: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube brace for a turbulent election and post-election cycle
Show Caption Hide Caption How Russian interference could affect the 2020 election, too Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election and helped Donald Trump win. We look back at history and ask: Will they do it again? Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
From Facebook to Twitter to YouTube, social media companies whose platforms were used to amplify falsehoods, conspiracy theories and inflammatory rhetoric in 2016 have been preparing for November’s presidential election for years.
Now it’s crunch time.
On Thursday, FBI Director Christopher Wray told House Homeland Security committee hearing that Russia remains "very active" in its effort to sow discord and disrupt the vote, primarily by denigrating Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.
There’s been an alarming rise in domestic meddling from groups such as conspiracy cult QAnon, which are pumping out falsehoods. And President Trump, who uses social media as his reelection campaign’s bullhorn, has made remarks that threaten to undermine confidence in the election, from questioning the legitimacy of mail-in voting to suggesting that people vote twice.
Trump vs. Twitter: New policy would crack down on president claiming premature victory in election
Social media misinformation: Facebook, Twitter react to President Trump's urging of voting twice
"I think it's clear that they're trying way more than they did in 2016 or even in 2018. But I don't think anybody can be completely ready for what might happen if we have an extremely close election this year," said Patrick Warren, associate professor at Clemson University who researches social media disinformation. "A foreign information operation of the size and scope of the 2016 (Internet Research Agency) campaign would be caught this year. But we're already seeing domestic operations adopt their tactics, which is a much harder problem for the platforms."
Amid growing concerns about the integrity of the election, Twitter said Thursday that it would take steps to secure the accounts of high-profile users including administration officials, members of Congress, political parties and campaigns, major news outlets and political journalists.
Facebook won't allow new political ads the week before election Facebook's update suggests the rules don't take effect until late October. USA TODAY
Earlier this week, Twitter announced a voting information hub within the app that will include facts on mail-in ballots and how to register for the Nov. 3 election in English and Spanish. It also has tightened its policies on election-related misinformation.
Facebook has rolled out changes to curb misinformation and interference before the election, including barring any new political ads in the week before Election Day and cracking down on posts that deter people from voting.
The initiatives are part of a Facebook campaign to register 4 million voters and to supply poll workers on Election Day.
The moves acknowledge the vast influence of social media on American political life and this year's highly contentious election cycle in which an unprecedented number of Americans are expected to vote by mail due to the coronavirus pandemic.
What tech companies are desperately seeking to avoid: A repeat of the 2016 election in which Russian operatives peppered the American electorate with divisive messages.
Facebook and Twitter recently busted an effort by the Kremlin-backed Internet Research Agency which interfered in the 2016 election to sway voters away from Biden through a network of fake accounts and a website camouflaged to look like a left-wing news site.
Last month, YouTube pledged to increase the visibility of authoritative voices and reduce the spread of election-related misinformation. It expanded efforts to provide third-party fact-checked articles above search results for claims about the election. And when YouTube users search for presidential or federal candidates on YouTube, an information panel pops up above search results with information about the candidate.
But it’s not just the run-up to Nov. 3. Tech companies are bracing for what could be a turbulent period following the election if it’s not certified right away or if the election is contested.
Voter registration drive: Mark Zuckerberg launches massive get-out-the-vote effort ahead of presidential election
Facebook election disinformation: What you can do to stop its spread
Twitter has pledged to label or remove posts that include misleading election results.
Facebook has strengthened its policies to crack down on misinformation and steer users to authoritative information about the election, including slapping a label on content that seeks to delegitimize voting methods or the outcome of the election.
“Since the pandemic means that many of us will be voting by mail, and since some states may still be counting valid ballots after election day, many experts are predicting that we may not have a final result on election night. It's important that we prepare for this possibility in advance and understand that there could be a period of intense claims and counter-claims as the final results are counted. This could be a very heated period,” CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a Facebook post.


usatoday--2020-09-18--Election 2020: When early voting and mail voting for president begins in every state

WASHINGTON — Voting is underway in the presidential election between President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden .
Twenty-nine states begin mailing absentee ballots to voters in September and an additional nine states open up in-person voting this month .
Voters in some states who requested mail ballots for the November general election have already received and returned them .
The early voting activity comes as an unprecedented number of voters are expected to vote by mail because of health concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic .
In 45 states , all voters can vote by mail for the November @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plan to mail ballots to all registered voters .
More : Where you can vote by mail , absentee ballot in the 2020 election By federal law , all states must send absentee ballots requested by military or overseas voters by Sept. 19 .
Only six states do n't offer some form of in-person early voting – either traditional voting at polling sites or in-person absentee voting .
More : Voting starts earlier than you might realize .
It has Trump battling the clock in some battleground states By the end of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will have started sending mail ballots to voters and 17 states will have launched in-person early voting .
Here 's a schedule of early voting and mail-voting in each state as well as the deadlines for voters to return their mail ballots .

WASHINGTON — Voting is underway in the presidential election between President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden.
Twenty-nine states begin mailing absentee ballots to voters in September and an additional nine states open up in-person voting this month. Voters in some states who requested mail ballots for the November general election have already received and returned them.
The early voting activity comes as an unprecedented number of voters are expected to vote by mail because of health concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 45 states, all voters can vote by mail for the November election, and nine of those states plan to mail ballots to all registered voters.
More: Where you can vote by mail, absentee ballot in the 2020 election
By federal law, all states must send absentee ballots requested by military or overseas voters by Sept. 19.
Only six states don't offer some form of in-person early voting – either traditional voting at polling sites or in-person absentee voting.
More: Voting starts earlier than you might realize. It has Trump battling the clock in some battleground states
By the end of the first week of October, 42 states will have started sending mail ballots to voters and 17 states will have launched in-person early voting.
Here's a schedule of early voting and mail-voting in each state as well as the deadlines for voters to return their mail ballots.
Reach Joey Garrison on Twitter @joeygarrison.


usatoday--2020-09-18--Hero postal worker saves a boy from the side of a highway

Hero postal worker saves a boy from the side of a highway U.S .
Postal Worker Keith Rollins saved a @ @ @ @ @ the highway .
Now , the child , his grandmother , and the hero are @ @ @ @ @ not a dry eye in the precinct .

Hero postal worker saves a boy from the side of a highway
U.S. Postal Worker Keith Rollins saved a two-year-old from the side of the highway. Now, the child, his grandmother, and the hero are reuniting, and there's not a dry eye in the precinct.
Humankind, USA TODAY


usatoday--2020-09-18--Biden: 'I've benefited' from being white, offers stark contrast to Trump on race

WASHINGTON – Democratic nominee Joe Biden said Thursday that he has benefited from the privileges of being white , a sentiment that differs from President Donald Trump , who has consistently denied the existence of systemic racism .
“ Sure , I ’ ve benefited just because I don ’ t have to go through what my Black brothers and sisters have had to go through , ” the former vice president told CNN ’ s Anderson Cooper during a televised town hall event in Pennsylvania .
More : How Pennsylvania could swing the presidential election to Trump again Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ released several recorded interviews with Trump , including one where the president dismissed questions about benefiting from white privilege , saying Woodward had “ drank the Kool-Aid.
” '' Just listen to you .
Wow , '' Trump scoffed at Woodward .
`` No , I don ’ t feel that at all . ''
Biden CNN town hall in Pa. : 3 takeaways from a battle between Scranton and Park Avenue Biden also pointed to his working-class roots while trying to distance himself from the type privilege Trump has been accused of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump who inherited everything and squandered what they inherited are the people that I ’ ve always had a problem with , not the people who are busting their neck.
” Are you registered to vote ?
: Check your status or register online now The contrasting commentsbetween the two candidatescomes as the country has been facing a reckoning this summer over racial injustice in policing , resulting in protests and calls for reform .
Trump has followed pattern of dismissing systemic racism within various institutions of the U.S .
In July , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ George Floyd , a Black man who died pleading for breath earlier this year as a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck , asking `` Why are African Americans still dying at the hands of law enforcement in this country ? ''
`` So are white people .
So are white people , '' Trump replied .
`` What a terrible question to ask .
So are white people .
More white people , by the way .
More white people . ''
'Liberal indoctrination ' : Donald Trump rails against modern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it `` divisive , anti-American propaganda , '' Trump also moved to halt employee training at federal agencies on topics that include `` white privilege '' and `` critical race theory . ''
Thursday , Trump attacked education projects devoted to the nation 's history of slavery and racial discrimination as Democrats attempting a `` liberal indoctrination of America ’ s youth '' through alternative views of the nation 's history .
National Guard major : Military police asked about using 'heat ray ' against DC protesters

Biden: 'I’ve benefited' from being white, offers stark contrast to Trump on race
Show Caption Hide Caption Joe Biden talks systemic racism and COVID-19 at town hall Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden spoke about systematic racism at a town hall in Pennsylvania hosted by CNN's Anderson Cooper. USA TODAY
WASHINGTON – Democratic nominee Joe Biden said Thursday that he has benefited from the privileges of being white, a sentiment that differs from President Donald Trump, who has consistently denied the existence of systemic racism.
“Sure, I’ve benefited just because I don’t have to go through what my Black brothers and sisters have had to go through,” the former vice president told CNN’s Anderson Cooper during a televised town hall event in Pennsylvania.
More: How Pennsylvania could swing the presidential election to Trump again
Biden's response came after journalist Bob Woodward released several recorded interviews with Trump, including one where the president dismissed questions about benefiting from white privilege, saying Woodward had “drank the Kool-Aid.”
"Just listen to you. Wow," Trump scoffed at Woodward. "No, I don’t feel that at all."
Biden CNN town hall in Pa.: 3 takeaways from a battle between Scranton and Park Avenue
Joe Biden discusses the ways in which he's benefited from White privilege.
"I've benefited just because I don't have to go through what my Black brothers and sisters have had to go through." #BidenTownHall https://t.co/OAyAC2Vg7v pic.twitter.com/H776Opsgts — CNN (@CNN) September 18, 2020
Biden also pointed to his working-class roots while trying to distance himself from the type privilege Trump has been accused of having, saying that “Guys like Trump who inherited everything and squandered what they inherited are the people that I’ve always had a problem with, not the people who are busting their neck.”
Are you registered to vote?: Check your status or register online now
The contrasting comments between the two candidates comes as the country has been facing a reckoning this summer over racial injustice in policing, resulting in protests and calls for reform.
Trump has followed pattern of dismissing systemic racism within various institutions of the U.S.
In July, CBS News' Catherine Herridge brought up George Floyd, a Black man who died pleading for breath earlier this year as a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck, asking "Why are African Americans still dying at the hands of law enforcement in this country?"
"So are white people. So are white people," Trump replied. "What a terrible question to ask. So are white people. More white people, by the way. More white people."
'Liberal indoctrination': Donald Trump rails against modern teaching of U.S. history
Recently, labeling it "divisive, anti-American propaganda," Trump also moved to halt employee training at federal agencies on topics that include "white privilege" and "critical race theory."
Thursday, Trump attacked education projects devoted to the nation's history of slavery and racial discrimination as Democrats attempting a "liberal indoctrination of America’s youth" through alternative views of the nation's history.
National Guard major: Military police asked about using 'heat ray' against DC protesters
Contributing: Candy Woodall USA TODAY Network Pennsylvania Capitol Bureau; The Associated Press


usatoday--2020-09-18--Trump will not attend United Nations General Assembly meeting in person during pandemic

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump will not attend the United Nations General Assembly in person next week , a White House official said Thursday – the latest display of how the coronavirus pandemic is upending U.S. diplomacy .
The annual meeting usually draws world leaders to New York for several days and Trump has often used his address to frame his foreign policy in domestic terms .
Last year , for instance , Trump asserted that the `` future does not belong to globalists . ''
But this year , because of COVID-19 , many world leaders are sending recorded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ staff Mark Meadows told reporters flying aboard Air Force One to Trump 's campaign rally in Wisconsin that he would not attend .
More : From Greta Thunberg to health care : Is the UN moving on from Donald Trump ?
It was not immediately clear whether Trump would take part virtually .
The president has repeatedly floated the idea of hosting the G-7 meeting of the world 's largest industrialized countries this year but the idea has met with a tepid response from other world leaders and he has later backed down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meeting would be postponed until after the November election .

Trump will not attend United Nations General Assembly meeting in person during pandemic
Show Caption Hide Caption US demands UN sanctions against Iran be restored The Trump administration on Thursday formally notified the United Nations of its demand for all U.N. sanctions on Iran to be restored, setting off an immediate confrontation with Russia and other Security Council members. (Aug. 20) AP
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump will not attend the United Nations General Assembly in person next week, a White House official said Thursday – the latest display of how the coronavirus pandemic is upending U.S. diplomacy.
The annual meeting usually draws world leaders to New York for several days and Trump has often used his address to frame his foreign policy in domestic terms. Last year, for instance, Trump asserted that the "future does not belong to globalists."
But this year, because of COVID-19, many world leaders are sending recorded messages instead. White House chief of staff Mark Meadows told reporters flying aboard Air Force One to Trump's campaign rally in Wisconsin that he would not attend.
More: From Greta Thunberg to health care: Is the UN moving on from Donald Trump?
It was not immediately clear whether Trump would take part virtually.
The president has repeatedly floated the idea of hosting the G-7 meeting of the world's largest industrialized countries this year but the idea has met with a tepid response from other world leaders and he has later backed down. Trump announced last month that the meeting would be postponed until after the November election.


usatoday--2020-09-18--Trump seeks to energize rural voters key to 2016 success in Wisconsin campaign rally

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump sought to energize rural voters who were key to his success four years ago with a rally in central Wisconsin on Thursday , announcing an additional $ 13 billion package of relief for farmers hit by the coronavirus pandemic .
Kicking off three days of campaigning , Trump spoke to supporters in an airport hangar in Mosinee , Wisconsin , as Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden took part in a CNN town hall – setting up a split screen moment with both candidates on stage .
`` Many farmers in this group ?
Because you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the president asserted .
`` You know the farmers have had a very good year . ''
Trump did not discuss details of the funding but indicated it was part of a broader package approved by Congress earlier this year to address the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic .
The president also continued to defend his response to the virus .
But on the flight to Wisconsin , White House chief of staff Mark Meadows told reporters the president would not attend the United Nations General Assembly in New York next week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that most world leaders are expected to record messages for the meeting instead of attending in person during the pandemic .
Trump won Wisconsin by less than 1 percentage point in 2016 .
Polls show Biden with a single-digit advantage .
Trump was campaigning in a GOP stronghold .
More : Donald Trump returns to Wisconsin tonight with rally in Mosinee More : Funding promised by Trump for Kenosha ca n't be used for recovery , Dems say '' He 's beholden to no one , '' said Bob Koenecke , who drove @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to see Trump for the first time .
`` He 's not part of the deep state .
I do n't know , I just trust him .
He 's one of us . ''
Most of the president 's remarks held closely to his usual rally script : He attacked Biden as `` grossly incompetent '' and said Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris was trying to come `` through the back door '' into the presidency .
But Trump also returned to agriculture-heavy themes , revisiting a provision of the 2017 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exemption that makes it easier for farmers to pass on farms to survivors .
Trump touted tariffs he said benefited the state 's dairy farmers and timber industry .
He also criticized Biden for calling for limits on fracking .
Trump is set to hold rallies in Minnesota on Friday and North Carolina on Saturday – all at airports .
Trump has significantly ramped up his campaign schedule in recent weeks , but the pandemic has forced many of those events outdoors or in airport hangars .
Most of his supporters have declined @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Not sure if you ’ re registered to vote ?
: Check your status

Trump seeks to energize rural voters key to 2016 success in Wisconsin campaign rally
Show Caption Hide Caption How a contentious election affects a peaceful transition of power What history has shown us about contested elections and peaceful transitions of power. Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump sought to energize rural voters who were key to his success four years ago with a rally in central Wisconsin on Thursday, announcing an additional $13 billion package of relief for farmers hit by the coronavirus pandemic.
Kicking off three days of campaigning, Trump spoke to supporters in an airport hangar in Mosinee, Wisconsin, as Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden took part in a CNN town hall – setting up a split screen moment with both candidates on stage.
"Many farmers in this group? Because you've got to love Trump," the president asserted. "You know the farmers have had a very good year."
Trump did not discuss details of the funding but indicated it was part of a broader package approved by Congress earlier this year to address the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic. The president also continued to defend his response to the virus.
But on the flight to Wisconsin, White House chief of staff Mark Meadows told reporters the president would not attend the United Nations General Assembly in New York next week – a shift caused by the fact that most world leaders are expected to record messages for the meeting instead of attending in person during the pandemic.
Trump won Wisconsin by less than 1 percentage point in 2016. Polls show Biden with a single-digit advantage. Trump was campaigning in a GOP stronghold.
More: Donald Trump returns to Wisconsin tonight with rally in Mosinee
More: Funding promised by Trump for Kenosha can't be used for recovery, Dems say
"He's beholden to no one," said Bob Koenecke, who drove 200 miles from his home in Burlington to see Trump for the first time. "He's not part of the deep state. I don't know, I just trust him. He's one of us."
Most of the president's remarks held closely to his usual rally script: He attacked Biden as "grossly incompetent" and said Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris was trying to come "through the back door" into the presidency.
But Trump also returned to agriculture-heavy themes, revisiting a provision of the 2017 tax bill that expanded the estate tax exemption that makes it easier for farmers to pass on farms to survivors. Trump touted tariffs he said benefited the state's dairy farmers and timber industry. He also criticized Biden for calling for limits on fracking.
Trump is set to hold rallies in Minnesota on Friday and North Carolina on Saturday – all at airports. Trump has significantly ramped up his campaign schedule in recent weeks, but the pandemic has forced many of those events outdoors or in airport hangars. Most of his supporters have declined to wear masks or practice social distancing.
Not sure if you’re registered to vote?: Check your status
Contributing: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel


usatoday--2020-09-18--How Pennsylvania could swing the presidential election to Trump again

Pennsylvania was among the key states that unexpectedly went for President Donald Trump in 2016 .
Once again , it has emerged as a top battleground in the 2020 presidential race that could determine the outcome of the presidential election .
Top pollsters contend that the Keystone State , which most polls have former vice president Joe Biden leading at the moment , carries a potential winning margin for either candidate due to its pockets of support for both .
Polling finds that Trump continues to draw strong support from blue collar and rural areas , while Biden 's backing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who backed Trump last time — and more urban locations .
Each camp has visited the state several times in recent weeks , with plans for more to come .
Fewer sorting machines , more mail delays : How is NJ combating post office woes ?
They have also spent a combined $ 77 million in Pennsylvania ( $ 44 million by Biden and $ 33.1 million by Trump ) , according to CNN 's review of federal election spending , the most in any battleground state .
Victory will pivot more on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than convincing people in the middle who to vote for since the percentage of undecided voters is miniscule , according to experts .
“ Pennsylvania continues to be the tipping point state , ” said Patrick Murray , executive director of the Monmouth University Poll in West Long Branch , New Jersey .
“ It is probably the one that could be it to determine the outcome.
” Both campaigns know the impact Pennsylvania will have and they have put their valuable time in different sections of the state in recent weeks , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Experts said the mail-in voting will favor Biden , while Trump garners more from traditional Republicans who prefer in-person ballots .
Turnout is expected to be strong and likely greater than 2016 given that many Clinton voters stayed home last time and Biden 's backers are expected to turnout more .
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: Check your status or register online now “ It ’ s one of the three states that gave Trump the presidency , along with Wisconsin and Michigan , '' said Lee Miringoff , director @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Marist Institute for Public Opinion in Poughkeepsie , N.Y. `` The strategy for ( both camps ) has to center around Pennsylvania because of the ( 20 ) electoral votes and it is a certainty if the president were to hold Pennsylvania , it would be a big deal in forcing Biden to win somewhere else .
If Biden were to win it , the expectation is that Michigan is easier for him .
If he holds what Hillary Clinton carried , he only needs to win one other state.
” The winner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ College 's 538 votes to be elected .
Nathaniel Rakich , an elections analyst at FiveThirtyEight.com — which tallies and analyzes polling based on the averages of many polls — stated on Monday that Pennsylvania appears to be “ the single most important state of the 2020 election.
” “ Pennsylvania is by far the likeliest state to provide either President Trump or Joe Biden with the decisive vote in the Electoral College : It has a 31 percent chance of being the tipping-point state .
( That ’ s what happens when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ divided states in the union and give it 20 electoral votes . )
” he wrote on the website .
“ In fact , Pennsylvania is so important that our model gives Trump an 84 percent chance of winning the presidency if he carries the state — and it gives Biden a 96 percent chance of winning if Pennsylvania goes blue.
” NJPBA : NJ police union endorses Trump for president , all Republican candidates for Congress Trump ’ s Pennsylvania victory was among the closest of the 2016 election , with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Hillary Clinton ’ s 47.85 % .
That was a difference of 44,000 votes out of nearly 6 million cast .
Murray said Pennsylvania ’ s diverse electorate , with a strong rural and blue collar Republican field and Democrats in urban areas such as Pittsburgh and Philadelphia , has always made it a battleground , but this year ’ s race has highlighted the situation .
“ It is close and for a number of reasons that were similar in 2016 , we have different types of voters there who represent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Murray explained .
“ Some of the same concerns in blue-collar working-class areas .
We see a number of polls that says it is close or Biden has a bigger lead .
The fact that the candidates are spending so much time there was another sign.
” The most recent Monmouth Poll on Sept. 4 reported Biden leading Trump 49 % to 45 % in Pennsylvania .
The poll had a margin of error of +/- 4.9 % .
Asbury Park : New Jersey Democrats gather to celebrate Biden on last night of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decide the race for Pennsylvania ’ s 20 electoral votes : Democratic votes in Philadelphia and Allegheny County , including Pittsburgh ; Trump voter turnout in central and eastern Pennsylvania ; and swing votes in the Northeast area from Reading to Scranton-Wilkes Barre .
“ They have some concern , turning out those voters , ” he said of the Trump strongholds of 2016 .
“ These are the old mill towns , blue collar historically Democratic voters who went for Trump .
It looks like they are up for grabs .
If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it will be in that area.
” Terry Madonna , director of the Center for Politics and Public Affairs at Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster , Pa. , said it was no accident that Trump appeared in Pennsylvania during the Democratic Convention and recently visited Westmoreland County in the western end , which he won nearly 2-to-1 in 2016 .
Biden also made a stop recently in Allegheny County .
“ I think Pennsylvania is still competitive , it is complicated because of the nature of the contest in this state , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2016 because he was able to win the rural and small towns in the central part of the state .
The second one is the rust belt strategy that he developed .
He went to southwest Pennsylvania and southeast Pennsylvania and said that the Democrats had walked away from the blue-collar worker.
” Opinion : With the upcoming election , we will organize labor once again But Madonna said the 2018 mid-term elections showed that those Trump voters are not a given for him in 2020 .
“ Democrats won the suburbs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ millennials , ” he said .
“ The Trump campaign is employing a strategy of going after the Democrats on the violence ... in the cities and arguing that it can go into the suburbs.
” The most recent Franklin and Marshall poll in mid-August had Biden leading Trump in Pennsylvania , 49 % to 42 % .
The poll has a margin of error of +/- 5.2 % .
Experts contend that the Philadelphia suburban voter may hold the biggest lift for Biden , with suburban women changing their allegiance , at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ After the 2016 election , we saw a significant shift in the Philadelphia suburbs toward Democrats and staying there , ” Murray said .
“ The blue wave of 2018 changed a lot , moderate Republicans did not like the direction their party took under Trump.
” Report : NJ man ran one of the largest websites promoting QAnon conspiracy Miringoff at the Marist Poll echoed that view .
“ It is the suburbs around Philadelphia that have attracted a lot of attention in recent elections because it is a moving area @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to that it makes a strong base for him , ” Miringoff said .
“ The movement has been in the suburbs .
If you look where the differences are it is around Philadelphia , suburban women are a group that dislikes Trump for a variety of reasons and Biden is doing better with them.
” He also said Biden is hoping to get a bigger turn out of the Black vote than Clinton and is doing a little better in the rural parts than Clinton did .
The latest Marist Poll , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at 53 % to Trump ’ s 44 % .
Among the most significant factors in Pennsylvania may be the low number of undecided voters , pollsters said .
Most surveys find the majority of the electorate has made up their minds , with those still deciding at less than 4 % in most cases .
“ There are significantly less undecided voters than four years ago , ” Murray said .
“ It is not about issues at this point , it is about gut issues , it is a feeling about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tens of thousands of voters that candidates are trying to swing out of 5 or 6 million , ” he added .
“ There were significantly more up for grabs four years ago , a lot of Clinton voters simply did not show up , we don ’ t see that this time around .
Many ( Clinton voters ) did not think their vote was necessary.
” Added Miringoff : “ This is all about the base , turning out the base .
There is very little persuasion .
Turn out the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been doing for three years , his base is a shrinking part of the electorate.
” Joe Strupp is an award-winning journalist with 30 years ’ experience who covers education and Monmouth County for APP.com and the Asbury Park Press .
He is also the author of two books , including Killing Journalism on the state of the news media , and an adjunct media professor at Rutgers University and Fairleigh Dickinson University .
Reach him at jstrupp @ gannettnj.com and at 732-413-3840 .
Follow him on Twitter at @ joestrupp

How Pennsylvania could swing the presidential election to Trump again
Show Caption Hide Caption How a contentious election affects a peaceful transition of power What history has shown us about contested elections and peaceful transitions of power. Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
Pennsylvania was among the key states that unexpectedly went for President Donald Trump in 2016. Once again, it has emerged as a top battleground in the 2020 presidential race that could determine the outcome of the presidential election.
Top pollsters contend that the Keystone State, which most polls have former vice president Joe Biden leading at the moment, carries a potential winning margin for either candidate due to its pockets of support for both.
Polling finds that Trump continues to draw strong support from blue collar and rural areas, while Biden's backing is growing among suburban women — many who backed Trump last time — and more urban locations. Each camp has visited the state several times in recent weeks, with plans for more to come.
Fewer sorting machines, more mail delays: How is NJ combating post office woes?
They have also spent a combined $77 million in Pennsylvania ($44 million by Biden and $33.1 million by Trump), according to CNN's review of federal election spending, the most in any battleground state.
Victory will pivot more on each side turning out their bases rather than convincing people in the middle who to vote for since the percentage of undecided voters is miniscule, according to experts.
“Pennsylvania continues to be the tipping point state,” said Patrick Murray, executive director of the Monmouth University Poll in West Long Branch, New Jersey. “It is probably the one that could be it to determine the outcome.”
Opinion: Biden's choice of a running mate key to keeping poll leads
Both campaigns know the impact Pennsylvania will have and they have put their valuable time in different sections of the state in recent weeks, with more planned visits through Election Day.
Experts said the mail-in voting will favor Biden, while Trump garners more from traditional Republicans who prefer in-person ballots. Turnout is expected to be strong and likely greater than 2016 given that many Clinton voters stayed home last time and Biden's backers are expected to turnout more.
Are you registered to vote?: Check your status or register online now
“It’s one of the three states that gave Trump the presidency, along with Wisconsin and Michigan," said Lee Miringoff, director of the Marist College Poll at the Marist Institute for Public Opinion in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. "The strategy for (both camps) has to center around Pennsylvania because of the (20) electoral votes and it is a certainty if the president were to hold Pennsylvania, it would be a big deal in forcing Biden to win somewhere else. If Biden were to win it, the expectation is that Michigan is easier for him. If he holds what Hillary Clinton carried, he only needs to win one other state.”
The winner needs to garner 270 of the Electoral College's 538 votes to be elected.
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Nathaniel Rakich, an elections analyst at FiveThirtyEight.com — which tallies and analyzes polling based on the averages of many polls — stated on Monday that Pennsylvania appears to be “the single most important state of the 2020 election.”
“Pennsylvania is by far the likeliest state to provide either President Trump or Joe Biden with the decisive vote in the Electoral College: It has a 31 percent chance of being the tipping-point state. (That’s what happens when you take one of the most evenly divided states in the union and give it 20 electoral votes.)” he wrote on the website. “In fact, Pennsylvania is so important that our model gives Trump an 84 percent chance of winning the presidency if he carries the state — and it gives Biden a 96 percent chance of winning if Pennsylvania goes blue.”
NJPBA: NJ police union endorses Trump for president, all Republican candidates for Congress
Trump’s Pennsylvania victory was among the closest of the 2016 election, with the president taking 48.58% of the vote to Hillary Clinton’s 47.85%. That was a difference of 44,000 votes out of nearly 6 million cast.
Murray said Pennsylvania’s diverse electorate, with a strong rural and blue collar Republican field and Democrats in urban areas such as Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, has always made it a battleground, but this year’s race has highlighted the situation.
“It is close and for a number of reasons that were similar in 2016, we have different types of voters there who represent different segments of the election,” Murray explained. “Some of the same concerns in blue-collar working-class areas. We see a number of polls that says it is close or Biden has a bigger lead. The fact that the candidates are spending so much time there was another sign.”
The most recent Monmouth Poll on Sept. 4 reported Biden leading Trump 49% to 45% in Pennsylvania. The poll had a margin of error of +/- 4.9%.
Asbury Park: New Jersey Democrats gather to celebrate Biden on last night of Convention
Murray cites three things that will decide the race for Pennsylvania’s 20 electoral votes: Democratic votes in Philadelphia and Allegheny County, including Pittsburgh; Trump voter turnout in central and eastern Pennsylvania; and swing votes in the Northeast area from Reading to Scranton-Wilkes Barre.
“They have some concern, turning out those voters,” he said of the Trump strongholds of 2016. “These are the old mill towns, blue collar historically Democratic voters who went for Trump. It looks like they are up for grabs. If there is a movement for preferences, it will be in that area.”
Terry Madonna, director of the Center for Politics and Public Affairs at Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pa., said it was no accident that Trump appeared in Pennsylvania during the Democratic Convention and recently visited Westmoreland County in the western end, which he won nearly 2-to-1 in 2016. Biden also made a stop recently in Allegheny County.
“I think Pennsylvania is still competitive, it is complicated because of the nature of the contest in this state,” Madonna said. “Trump won in 2016 because he was able to win the rural and small towns in the central part of the state. The second one is the rust belt strategy that he developed. He went to southwest Pennsylvania and southeast Pennsylvania and said that the Democrats had walked away from the blue-collar worker.”
Opinion: With the upcoming election, we will organize labor once again
But Madonna said the 2018 mid-term elections showed that those Trump voters are not a given for him in 2020.
“Democrats won the suburbs in 2018 because of college-educated women and millennials,” he said. “The Trump campaign is employing a strategy of going after the Democrats on the violence ... in the cities and arguing that it can go into the suburbs.”
The most recent Franklin and Marshall poll in mid-August had Biden leading Trump in Pennsylvania, 49% to 42%. The poll has a margin of error of +/- 5.2%.
Experts contend that the Philadelphia suburban voter may hold the biggest lift for Biden, with suburban women changing their allegiance, at least according to the 2018 results.
“After the 2016 election, we saw a significant shift in the Philadelphia suburbs toward Democrats and staying there,” Murray said. “The blue wave of 2018 changed a lot, moderate Republicans did not like the direction their party took under Trump.”
Report: NJ man ran one of the largest websites promoting QAnon conspiracy
Miringoff at the Marist Poll echoed that view.
“It is the suburbs around Philadelphia that have attracted a lot of attention in recent elections because it is a moving area, if (Biden) holds on to that it makes a strong base for him,” Miringoff said. “The movement has been in the suburbs. If you look where the differences are it is around Philadelphia, suburban women are a group that dislikes Trump for a variety of reasons and Biden is doing better with them.”
He also said Biden is hoping to get a bigger turn out of the Black vote than Clinton and is doing a little better in the rural parts than Clinton did.
The latest Marist Poll, released on September 9, had Biden at 53% to Trump’s 44%.
Among the most significant factors in Pennsylvania may be the low number of undecided voters, pollsters said. Most surveys find the majority of the electorate has made up their minds, with those still deciding at less than 4% in most cases.
“There are significantly less undecided voters than four years ago,” Murray said. “It is not about issues at this point, it is about gut issues, it is a feeling about the candidate.
“We are talking tens of thousands of voters that candidates are trying to swing out of 5 or 6 million,” he added. “There were significantly more up for grabs four years ago, a lot of Clinton voters simply did not show up, we don’t see that this time around. Many (Clinton voters) did not think their vote was necessary.”
Added Miringoff: “This is all about the base, turning out the base. There is very little persuasion. Turn out the supporters and that is what Trump has been doing for three years, his base is a shrinking part of the electorate.”
Joe Strupp is an award-winning journalist with 30 years’ experience who covers education and Monmouth County for APP.com and the Asbury Park Press. He is also the author of two books, including Killing Journalism on the state of the news media, and an adjunct media professor at Rutgers University and Fairleigh Dickinson University. Reach him at jstrupp@gannettnj.com and at 732-413-3840. Follow him on Twitter at @joestrupp


usatoday--2020-09-19--'She was living history': A somber crowd of citizens cries and remembers Ginsburg outside the Suprem

'She was living history': A somber crowd of citizens cries and remembers Ginsburg outside the Supreme Court

WASHINGTON — Lawyer Stephanie Schlatter looked up at the Supreme Court building and wiped away tears , some of them trickling down on her pink face mask .
That mask had a distinct picture emblazoned across it : That of Ruth Bader Ginsburg .
“ The way she approached everything , very professionally , very methodically , '' Schlatter , 51 , a pro bono manager at a law firm , tearfully said Friday evening , just hours after Ginsburg 's death .
As the news spread across the nation and its capital , dozens gathered outside the courthouse where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the loss of Ginsburg leaves a lot of issues , such as civil protections , gay marriage and women ’ s rights , at stake .
`` She was always at the top of her game as far as legal arguments .
I think on a personal level , she was holding on to save this country , '' Schlatter said .
`` Just her persistence and knowing and keeping her focus on what she wanted to do and making sure she did it well so there was never a question .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Not just for women but for everybody.
” The crowd at the Supreme Court late Friday night was steadily growing by 9:30 p.m .
ET .
But despite the growing number of people , the scene was very quiet - a sign of respect .
Some brought flowers , some brought candles .
Some brought their children , some brought their pets .
Kent Campbell , 34 , had his arm draped around Mekita Rivas , 30 , as the pair looked on the court reverently .
They were out to dinner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I gasped , ” Rivas recalled .
At the time , the couple was two blocks away from the courthouse .
Rivas says she turned to Campbell and said , `` We have to go to the court.
” “ She was a trailblazer , '' Rivas said .
`` I think she is reason for so many of the civil rights that we take for granted today , especially as it comes to women and not being discriminated against in the workplace .
She just was a titan of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her being gone now , it really hits you .
Everything she contributed .
It feels so surreal .
.
.
The thing that hits me the most is the fragility of all these rights that she championed.
” Rivas added , “ She was living history .
Just to be alive at the same time as her .
How incredible is that . ''
Campbell said he felt it unsettling that there is discussion about filling Ginsburg 's shoes .
`` It ’ s crazy to me .
It ’ s disrespectful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t even let us have the night and you ’ re already talking about filling her seat ” Moriah Graham , 28 , said she had just moved to city and felt lucky to experience the moment with everyone .
“ Justice Ginsburg was such a huge presence , '' Graham said .
`` The way she spent her whole life dedicated to fighting for women ’ s rights.
” “ Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a big believer in the power of people when they speak out for themselves , '' she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It ’ s great to be able to be out here , to just kind of experience this moment collectively , remember her life and her legacy and what she fought for .
I hope where ever she is now she is getting the rest she deserves .
”

'She was living history': A somber crowd cries for Ruth Bader Ginsburg outside the Supreme Court
WASHINGTON – Lawyer Stephanie Schlatter looked up at the Supreme Court building and wiped away tears, some of them trickling down on her pink face mask.
That mask had a distinct picture emblazoned across it: That of Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
“The way she approached everything, very professionally, very methodically," Schlatter, 51, a pro bono manager at a law firm, tearfully said Friday evening, just hours after Ginsburg's death. As the news spread across the nation and its capital, dozens gathered outside the courthouse where Ginsburg made her legacy.
Schlatter said the loss of Ginsburg leaves a lot of issues, such as civil protection, gay marriage and women’s rights, at stake.
"She was always at the top of her game as far as legal arguments. I think on a personal level, she was holding on to save this country," Schlatter said. "Just her persistence and knowing and keeping her focus on what she wanted to do and making sure she did it well so there was never a question. I think she’s a role model. Not just for women but for everybody.”
The crowd at the Supreme Court late Friday night was steadily growing by 9:30 p.m. EDT. But despite the growing number of people, the scene was very quiet – a sign of respect. Some brought flowers, some came with candles. Others gathered with their children and their pets.
Kent Campbell, 34, had his arm draped around Mekita Rivas, 30, as the pair looked on the court reverently. They were out to dinner earlier and saw the news about Ginsburg.
“I gasped,” Rivas recalled. At the time, the couple was two blocks away from the courthouse. Rivas says she turned to Campbell and said, "We have to go to the court.”
“She was a trailblazer," Rivas said. "I think she is reason for so many of the civil rights that we take for granted today, especially as it comes to women and not being discriminated against in the workplace. She just was a titan of the legal system, and I feel like her being gone now, it really hits you. Everything she contributed. It feels so surreal ... The thing that hits me the most is the fragility of all these rights that she championed.”
Rivas added, “She was living history. Just to be alive at the same time as her. How incredible is that."
Campbell said he felt it unsettling that there is discussion about filling Ginsburg's shoes.
"It’s crazy to me. It’s disrespectful," Campbell said. “Can’t even let us have the night and you’re already talking about filling her seat."
Moriah Graham, 28, said she had just moved to the city and felt lucky to experience the moment with everyone.
“Justice Ginsburg was such a huge presence," Graham said. "The way she spent her whole life dedicated to fighting for women’s rights.”
“Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a big believer in the power of people when they speak out for themselves," she said. "The power of advocacy. It’s great to be able to be out here, to just kind of experience this moment collectively, remember her life and her legacy and what she fought for. I hope where ever she is now she is getting the rest she deserves.”