usatoday--2020-09-24--Supreme Court term limits do not require a constitutional amendment

Americans waking up this week to yet another fight over Supreme Court nominations are asking themselves , is there a better way ?
The answer , of course , is yes .
A plan to fix the appointment process already has the support of the vast majority ( 77 % of Americans favor restrictions on length of SCOTUS service vs. 23 % against ) of the American people : ending life tenure for future justices .
What 's more , this would not require amending the Constitution .
Article III states judges and justices “ hold their offices during good @ @ @ @ @ @ @ understood to mean that not until death do they and their robes part .
But there ’ s no particular reason the “ office ” referred to could not be interpreted as the office of federal judge .
In other words , after a justice serves a reasonable amount of time on the high court — not 30 or 35 years , as has become the norm — she could continue to serve for as long as she wanted elsewhere in the judiciary .
Since 1937 , when a tweak in federal law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do exactly this , 11 have chosen to continue their public service on lower courts , including the late Sandra Day O ’ Connor and David Souter , who retired in 2009 .
Life tenure is not a rule from on high Remember , judicial life tenure is not handed down by decree from on high .
It exists in the United States because a series of 18th century English monarchs , on this and the other side of the Atlantic , were axing jurists whose decisions they objected to .
That ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Constitution was written in the 20th century — not to mention 49 of the 50 U.S. states — requires its top jurists to step down after a certain number of years or upon reaching a certain age .
SCOTUS is an outlier .
During the founding generation , justices had few responsibilities from the bench and limited jurisdiction , but until 1911 , they were required to hear cases in far-flung locales across our burgeoning country — an exhausting and treacherous proposition before the advent of modern modes of transportation .
Some members @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enough .
Serving on the Supreme Court today is akin to being a rock star , maybe even a monarch .
You ’ re wined and dined and flown around the world .
An entire segment of the population hangs on your every word , and entire segments of the population are impacted by your every keystroke .
It ’ s a different job , and we ’ re a different country .
Power of SCOTUS : Ginsburg flap shows Supreme Court , justices are too important With Republicans in the Senate having @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s nominee , Democrats might not be able to stop a conservative jurist from becoming the next Notorious ACB ( Amy Coney Barrett ) .
But they can join with their conservative colleagues who have long embraced the concept of term limits and ensure that never again will a superannuated bench determine the direction of our country .
How tenure could be changed To start , Congress would pass a law whereby a new justice would be added to the court every other year .
That way , each presidential term gets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ predictable .
If the goal is a nine-justice court , that means future justices ( 9x2 ) would have terms of 18 years .
“ If there were a long term , I don ’ t know , 18 , 20 years , something like that , and it was fixed — I would say that was fine , ” to quote Justice Stephen Breyer .
To avoid constitutional concerns — they signed up for a limitless job — Breyer and his seven current colleagues would be exempt .
Changing SCOTUS : Packing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's a difference .
After their terms , a prospective justice would have the option to serve on a different federal appeals court , and — this is critical in light of recent events — they ’ d be able to return to the high court in the case of a sudden vacancy .
Full strength .
Less gamesmanship .
No partisan advantage .
Throughout American history , Congress has used its constitutional power to change the roles and responsibilities of our courts .
Lawmakers are well within their rights to again change @ @ @ @ @ @ @ top jurists , consistent with their understanding of the Constitution .
Gabe Roth is executive director of Fix the Court , a nonpartisan organization that advocates for greater transparency in the federal judiciary .
Follow him on Twitter : @ fixthecourt

Supreme Court term limits do not require a constitutional amendment Democrats can join with their conservative colleagues who have long embraced term limits and ensure that never again will a superannuated bench determine the direction of our country.
Americans waking up this week to yet another fight over Supreme Court nominations are asking themselves, is there a better way?
The answer, of course, is yes. A plan to fix the appointment process already has the support of the vast majority (77% of Americans favor restrictions on length of SCOTUS service vs. 23% against) of the American people: ending life tenure for future justices.
What's more, this would not require amending the Constitution.
Article III states judges and justices “hold their offices during good behavior,” which historically has been understood to mean that not until death do they and their robes part. But there’s no particular reason the “office” referred to could not be interpreted as the office of federal judge.
In other words, after a justice serves a reasonable amount of time on the high court — not 30 or 35 years, as has become the norm — she could continue to serve for as long as she wanted elsewhere in the judiciary. Since 1937, when a tweak in federal law smoothed a path for retired justices to do exactly this, 11 have chosen to continue their public service on lower courts, including Sandra Day O’Connor, who left the high court in 2006, and David Souter, who retired in 2009.
Life tenure is not a rule from on high
Remember, judicial life tenure is not handed down by decree from on high. It exists in the United States because a series of 18th century English monarchs, on this and the other side of the Atlantic, were axing jurists whose decisions they objected to. That’s it.
Nearly every country whose Constitution was written in the 20th century — not to mention 49 of the 50 U.S. states — requires its top jurists to step down after a certain number of years or upon reaching a certain age. SCOTUS is an outlier.
During the founding generation, justices had few responsibilities from the bench and limited jurisdiction, but until 1911, they were required to hear cases in far-flung locales across our burgeoning country — an exhausting and treacherous proposition before the advent of modern modes of transportation. Some members couldn’t leave the court fast enough.
Serving on the Supreme Court today is akin to being a rock star, maybe even a monarch. You’re wined and dined and flown around the world. An entire segment of the population hangs on your every word, and entire segments of the population are impacted by your every keystroke. It’s a different job, and we’re a different country.
Power of SCOTUS: Ginsburg flap shows Supreme Court, justices are too important
With Republicans in the Senate having the votes to confirm President Donald Trump’s nominee, Democrats might not be able to stop a conservative jurist from becoming the next Notorious ACB (Amy Coney Barrett). But they can join with their conservative colleagues who have long embraced the concept of term limits and ensure that never again will a superannuated bench determine the direction of our country.
How tenure could be changed
To start, Congress would pass a law whereby a new justice would be added to the court every other year. That way, each presidential term gets two, and vacancies would become more predictable. If the goal is a nine-justice court, that means future justices (9x2) would have terms of 18 years.
“If there were a long term, I don’t know, 18, 20 years, something like that, and it was fixed — I would say that was fine,” to quote Justice Stephen Breyer. To avoid constitutional concerns — they signed up for a limitless job — Breyer and his seven current colleagues would be exempt.
Changing SCOTUS: Packing Supreme Court or expanding it? There's a difference.
After their terms, a prospective justice would have the option to serve on a different federal appeals court, and — this is critical in light of recent events — they’d be able to return to the high court in the case of a sudden vacancy. Full strength. Less gamesmanship. No partisan advantage.
Throughout American history, Congress has used its constitutional power to change the roles and responsibilities of our courts. Lawmakers are well within their rights to again change the role of our nation’s top jurists, consistent with their understanding of the Constitution.
Gabe Roth is executive director of Fix the Court, a nonpartisan organization that advocates for greater transparency in the federal judiciary. Follow him on Twitter: @fixthecourt


usatoday--2020-09-24--Why conservatives should embrace labor unions to reduce economic inequality.

It is no coincidence that America has grown more unequal as its labor movement has lost power .
Economists since Adam Smith have recognized that , without organizing , workers can not negotiate on equal terms with an employer — much less a large corporation .
In theory , workers individually negotiate their wages and benefits .
In practice , they are presented a take-it-or-leave-it offer .
Organized labor affords workers representation in the workplace and a more equal footing in negotiation , securing higher wages ( up to 25 percent higher ) and greater access to basic benefits like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well as paid leave .
In the American labor movement ’ s postwar heyday , one in three private-sector workers belonged to a union .
Collective bargaining was a key driver of equality , winning better wages and terms of employment —particularly for less-skilled workers .
But today barely one in 20 private-sector workers has a union card .
As they lost their power to bargain collectively , workers ’ wages stagnated , even as corporate profits skyrocketed .
Low- and middle-income households saw their share of the nation ’ s income fall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nation ’ s richest and poorest families more than doubled .
The steady erosion of unions over the past 50 years has been responsible for as much as one-third of the rise in inequality among men and one-fifth among women .
Inequality is not only about incomes .
Representation is vital to securing respect in the workplace and opportunities for training and advancement .
Union involvement in worker training produces superior training and better outcomes in the workplace .
Union members also report greater input in and earlier notice of their work schedules @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more stable hours and are less likely to quit their jobs .
The wages , benefits and stability of union jobs strengthen workers ’ families and communities .
They ensure that men in union jobs are more likely to get and stay married , that union workers report greater life satisfaction , and that children in communities with a greater union presence are more upwardly mobile .
For all these reasons , workers must have a seat at the table .
But America ’ s dysfunctional labor laws , and the unions they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The American system puts unionized companies at a steep disadvantage : higher labor costs reduce hiring and lower profitability , dampening investment .
They also face strikes .
In the manufacturing sector , for instance , work stoppages drove the decline of employment in the Rust Belt , even as non-union manufacturing employment grew .
Overall , manufacturing employment was higher in 2019 than 40 years earlier for non-union workers , but more than 80 percent lower for union workers .
Our political parties show little interest in addressing the challenge .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contributions , so its labor agenda is to push more workers into a broken system .
Meanwhile , the Republican Party views labor as a partisan opponent and is content to watch unions decline .
The American people see things differently .
Nearly two-thirds of Americans approve of labor unions and nearly half of America ’ s non-union workers would vote for a union if given the opportunity — but they also want major reforms .
Workers say they would prefer representation in a cooperative relationship with an employer , even if that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over representation with real power that management opposed .
They place a premium on collaboration with management and input on corporate decision-making and prefer these alternative means of worker voice to traditional but confrontational ones like strikes .
Such options exist .
Americans take for granted that our labor system is normal , but in fact it is an outlier .
In many European countries , for instance , workers choose to join unions because they provide benefits like unemployment insurance , and they belong to worksite organizations that collaborate with management on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Europe for union contracts to cover entire industries rather than individual employers .
So instead of fighting a messy campaign to negotiate a contract that makes an employer less competitive , a union representing all workers in an industry could bargain with a trade association representing all employers in that industry and the agreement they reach would apply to everyone — from the Fortune 500 to the family business .
The contracts could cover many more workers and be more generous without putting any particular employer at a disadvantage .
Of course @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can not be imported wholesale to ours .
But their examples should inspire us to think more broadly about what we might attempt , and to recognize a revitalized labor movement as an opportunity that should excite both liberals and conservatives .
Rather than allow inequality to fester , or try to solve it with government regulation and redistribution , organized labor affords workers a means to achieve for themselves a full share of the nation ’ s prosperity .

Why conservatives should embrace labor unions to reduce economic inequality. The erosion of unions has been responsible for as much as one-third of the rise in inequality among men and one-fifth among women.
Show Caption Hide Caption Analysis: could take years for US GDP to rebound The coronavirus pandemic sent the U.S. economy plunging by a record-shattering 32.9% annual rate last quarter. It is still inflicting damage across the country, squeezing already struggling businesses and forcing a wave of layoffs. (July 30) AP
It is no coincidence that America has grown more unequal as its labor movement has lost power.
Economists since Adam Smith have recognized that, without organizing, workers cannot negotiate on equal terms with an employer — much less a large corporation.
In theory, workers individually negotiate their wages and benefits. In practice, they are presented a take-it-or-leave-it offer. Organized labor affords workers representation in the workplace and a more equal footing in negotiation, securing higher wages (up to 25 percent higher) and greater access to basic benefits like retirement, health and life insurance as well as paid leave.
In the American labor movement’s postwar heyday, one in three private-sector workers belonged to a union. Collective bargaining was a key driver of equality, winning better wages and terms of employment —particularly for less-skilled workers.
But today barely one in 20 private-sector workers has a union card. As they lost their power to bargain collectively, workers’ wages stagnated, even as corporate profits skyrocketed. Low- and middle-income households saw their share of the nation’s income fall, and the wealth gap between the nation’s richest and poorest families more than doubled.
The steady erosion of unions over the past 50 years has been responsible for as much as one-third of the rise in inequality among men and one-fifth among women.
Inequality is not only about incomes. Representation is vital to securing respect in the workplace and opportunities for training and advancement. Union involvement in worker training produces superior training and better outcomes in the workplace. Union members also report greater input in and earlier notice of their work schedules than their non-union counterparts. They have more stable hours and are less likely to quit their jobs.
The wages, benefits and stability of union jobs strengthen workers’ families and communities. They ensure that men in union jobs are more likely to get and stay married, that union workers report greater life satisfaction, and that children in communities with a greater union presence are more upwardly mobile.
Laws create disadvantages
For all these reasons, workers must have a seat at the table. But America’s dysfunctional labor laws, and the unions they support, prevent that from happening.
The American system puts unionized companies at a steep disadvantage: higher labor costs reduce hiring and lower profitability, dampening investment. They also face strikes. In the manufacturing sector, for instance, work stoppages drove the decline of employment in the Rust Belt, even as non-union manufacturing employment grew. Overall, manufacturing employment was higher in 2019 than 40 years earlier for non-union workers, but more than 80 percent lower for union workers.
Our political parties show little interest in addressing the challenge. The Democratic Party relies on unions for campaign contributions, so its labor agenda is to push more workers into a broken system. Meanwhile, the Republican Party views labor as a partisan opponent and is content to watch unions decline.
Americans support unions
The American people see things differently. Nearly two-thirds of Americans approve of labor unions and nearly half of America’s non-union workers would vote for a union if given the opportunity — but they also want major reforms.
Workers say they would prefer representation in a cooperative relationship with an employer, even if that meant no power to make decisions, over representation with real power that management opposed. They place a premium on collaboration with management and input on corporate decision-making and prefer these alternative means of worker voice to traditional but confrontational ones like strikes.
Such options exist. Americans take for granted that our labor system is normal, but in fact it is an outlier. In many European countries, for instance, workers choose to join unions because they provide benefits like unemployment insurance, and they belong to worksite organizations that collaborate with management on work-related issues.
It is also common in Europe for union contracts to cover entire industries rather than individual employers. So instead of fighting a messy campaign to negotiate a contract that makes an employer less competitive, a union representing all workers in an industry could bargain with a trade association representing all employers in that industry and the agreement they reach would apply to everyone — from the Fortune 500 to the family business. The contracts could cover many more workers and be more generous without putting any particular employer at a disadvantage.
Of course, approaches that work in other countries cannot be imported wholesale to ours. But their examples should inspire us to think more broadly about what we might attempt, and to recognize a revitalized labor movement as an opportunity that should excite both liberals and conservatives.
Rather than allow inequality to fester, or try to solve it with government regulation and redistribution, organized labor affords workers a means to achieve for themselves a full share of the nation’s prosperity.
Wells King is research director of American Compass.


usatoday--2020-09-24--'It's getting worse': Frontline female firefighter on this year's historic season

This story was published in partnership with The 19th , a nonprofit , nonpartisan newsroom reporting on gender , politics and policy .
Eleonore Jordan Anderson , 32 , was working for the Pacific Crest Trail Association when COVID-19 hit and canceled the seasonal work .
It was too late to be hired by the United States Forest Service , but she was hired on as a qualified sawyer on her engine crew , she told The 19th in an interview on her “ rest and recovery day ” between fire assignments .
Chainsaw in hand , sawyers are tasked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get through , and taking down hazardous , and dead trees .
Five years ago , Anderson fought her first fire , and has been on the ground for 25 since then , four battles taking place this year alone .
She spoke to The 19th on the heels of battling the Lionshead Fire , which stemmed from a lightning strike and has burned more than 203,000 acres in Oregon , destroyed more than 200 homes and was 15 percent contained as of Wednesday .
She then headed farther south in Oregon to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks .
So far , the blaze has spread across more than 9,900 acres and was 26 percent contained .
Anderson doesn ’ t do much research about fires before she heads out — things can change so much within a day , anyway .
But the lack of gender diversity in this work remains the same .
Anderson says there were less than two dozen women battling the Lionshead Fire .
Sometimes there ’ s one or two , oftentimes there ’ s none .
“ It ’ s tough , you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just part of the job , ” she said .
“ I ’ ve always been in male dominated industries , whether it ’ s trail crew or fire .
There ’ s a lot of things that aren ’ t accounted for , like the fact that your pants don ’ t really fit — they ’ re meant for guys .
There ’ s just a lot of things like that , but it ’ s generally OK. ” Anderson buys her own Nomex , or fire retardant pants , that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about $ 200 , she said .
It ’ s that , or take the waistless pants provided .
Sitting outside in Rhododendron , Oregon , where some friends provided her with lunch on her day off , Anderson frequently coughed and cleared her throat during the conversation with The 19th — all the smoke was making her feel tired .
This record-setting fire season is like none other , she said .
A million acres have burned in Oregon alone , and wildfires in California have razed the near equivalent of Connecticut @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been displaced from their homes , others asked to remain strictly shut inside — all while the COVID-19 pandemic wages on .
'Disaster fatigue ' : COVID , hurricanes , wildfires , politics : 2020 is an American nightmare that 's wearing us out While Anderson loves her work , the nation ’ s reluctance to react to climate change has become “ excruciating ” for her to bear , especially taking into account the divestment the Forest Service continues to experience .
The Trump administration ’ s most recent budget zeroed out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chagrin of forest leadership : Two-thirds of the nation ’ s forestland is on state and private land .
“ Every year , proposed and enacted changes to our budgets affect some of us , both professionally and personally , and they affect all of us in terms of our collective ability to care for the land and serve people , ” U.S. Forest Service Chief Vicki Christiansen wrote in February .
This was the subject of a recent exchange between California Gov .
Gavin Newsom and President Donald Trump .
The president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the fires because they failed to clear the forest of dead trees and leaves .
Newsom , however , pointed to climate change as the cause of the worst fire season in his state ’ s history .
Two of every three burned acres across California , Oregon and Washington was federal land managed by Trump ’ s administration , the Redding Record Searchlight reported .
In conversation with The 19th , Anderson , one of the nation ’ s few frontline female firefighters ( only 12 percent of wild land firefighters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how COVID-19 has impacted her job and why the environment is on the ballot this November .
This conversation has been edited for length and clarity .
The 19th : I ’ ve heard you clear your throat a few times .
How ’ s the smoke affecting you ?
Anderson : I remember when I started fire , I didn ’ t really know what to expect , and all they really give you is a shroud .
I think they ’ ve tried respirators , they ’ ve tried those things @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and you ’ re actually sweating you can ’ t breathe through those things .
And so they ’ ve just kind of figured out , “ Alright , when you feel sick , you just get out of there and trade with somebody else , ” you know ?
Or like you kind of like duck your head in the truck if you can or something like that .
So usually that ’ s not usually the case ?
Fire season , there ’ s always smoke in the air .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The fires are getting more violent and aggressive — and a little out of control , clearly .
We have a million acres that have burned in Oregon just in the last two weeks or something .
But how it ’ s affecting me , I ’ m just getting headaches .
I feel a little loopy .
But , it comes with the job , you know .
You just kind of deal with it .
On top of the worsening fires , how has the job changed because of COVID-19 ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ talking about also sound like how COVID presents .
What are you doing to navigate this other emergency ?
We have a fire camp , right ?
Which looks half like a music festival and half like a refugee camp , usually .
It ’ s just tents on tents on tents and maybe a shower caddy or something .
And now they ’ re separating us into divisions , because when we ’ re out on the fireline you can ’ t really separate from your crew .
During the briefing in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need to do for COVID , like wear a mask when you ’ re at the briefing , wear a mask when you go to the bathroom , wear a mask at a fire camp or when you ’ re getting food or when you ’ re having any interaction with other people .
And then at the very bottom , it just says “ fireline excluded.
” So which is just kind of how you have to do it .
However , I guess we ’ re finding out that COVID doesn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ especially in the smoke nearly as much .
I ’ m from Portland — the protests in Portland have not been spreading [ the virus ] like people thought that it would .
So , I ’ m not really scared .
I think a lot of people are feeling pretty good about it .
And maybe the smoke in our lungs makes it bad enough where COVID is like , “ I don ’ t want anything to do with this.
” We ’ re doing the best we can .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Who do you call before you head out to a fire ?
I call my mom and my best friend , and I call my dad .
I just say I ’ m going to a fire , and I let my parents know which fire it is , where I ’ ll be , how big it is and , naturally , tell them not to worry — it ’ ll be fine .
My best friend is really possessive .
So I have to explain to her why I can ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks — she ’ s like my boyfriend .
Is there actually nothing scary about it to you ?
Just like any job , there ’ s a lot of room for error .
There ’ s an excitement that comes with fire that doesn ’ t come with other jobs .
I feel like I ’ ve always been under people that really know what ’ s going on , they know their stuff , they have a lot of experience .
I ’ ve never felt unsafe .
But it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just kind of have to accept that there ’ s a lot of room for error , and you can have incidents within an incident .
Do you have a sense that this is a worse season than normal ?
Is this as bad as everyone is painting it out to be ?
Yes , it is .
The fires have been getting more violent , more aggressive .
This year has been particularly strange because of COVID .
I might be speculating here , but I do think that we ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that have been around for a really long time , our crew bosses , they ’ re afraid of getting COVID so they dipped out .
There ’ s still a lot of experience there , but it has been a strange year trying to navigate that as well as forest fires .
But climate change is real , climate change is definitely real .
The seasons are also getting longer .
It used to be conducive for people to go to college in the winter and fight fires in the summer .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ going through November , sometimes later .
So all the evidence is definitely there , and it is getting worse .
It ’ s a shame .
Climate change certainly is real , but it doesn ’ t change the fact that people treat it as a debate .
How does that make you feel as someone who is literally fighting to protect the planet ?
It ’ s excruciating , like witnessing people with science slapping them in the face .
And not just science , patterns and literal smoke filling your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s definitely because of climate change .
I don ’ t want to say it ’ s bad forest management , because all of the forest managers want to do everything that needs to be done in the forest .
But funding gets cut every year without fail .
It almost doesn ’ t matter who ’ s in office , it ’ s just constantly doing more with less .
Yeah , it ’ s excruciating to witness that .
What made you want to fight fires in the first place ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ I was 20 or 21 .
I was working in the National Park Service .
I ’ m from Illinois .
So I didn ’ t climb a hill until I was 21 years old , I ’ m pretty sure .
And I came out here and I was learning about fire while I was doing backcountry trails because I was working in Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks .
Sometimes a fire would break out , and it was scary .
And so I was definitely interested in it , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about it from an employment standpoint .
I just knew fire behavior is fascinating , fire science is fascinating , basic meteorology is fascinating .
I got into it because I met my best friend when he was making the Pacific Crest Trail .
And I was working on the Pacific Crest Trail and he was a rappeller out of eastern Oregon .
He would rappel out of helicopters to fight fires .
I thought that was so cool .
And I moved back to Portland with him and he got me into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It wasn ’ t too different , they ’ re both male-dominated industries , you know ?
There ’ s an excitement that comes with fires that doesn ’ t come with trails or anything else , and I just fell in love with it .
What made you want to have a career outdoors ?
Naturally , I ’ m a conservationist .
Fires very obviously are protecting resources , you ’ re also doing prescribed burns and doing things that Native communities did for hundreds of years .
You ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have the ability to access the wilderness and appreciate it because without that appreciation respect doesn ’ t come .
Without respect , protection doesn ’ t come .
I ’ m a hippie at heart .
I spend all my time outdoors .
I can ’ t imagine another life .
I think it ’ s really important .
We don ’ t have a lot of wilderness areas left ; you don ’ t have a lot of resources as far as our forests left .
Suburban sprawl is taking over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I will do this until the day I die .
Is there anything else you would want our readers to know , either about your line of work or about this crisis , or a combination of all that ?
Help us help you , you know ?
Vote for the party that is going to focus on climate change , Vote for the party that is going to help us help the forest .
I ’ m getting tired of this Republican nonsense .
Do less with more ?
I ’ m @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forest management , we need more funding , and we need more focus on mitigating the risks that comes with fire .
We really need to get the right people in office to like make these calls .
It ’ s a bigger deal and it affects all of us like without our planet , without our environment like we don ’ t exist — we ’ re just hurting ourselves .
Also , if they tell you to evacuate your house , you ’ re not going to save your house with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not gon na work .
Just take care of each other .
Right now we have 500,000 evacuees in Oregon .
If there ’ s something you can do , do it .
People are getting displaced .
Look out for each other .
If there ’ s something you can do , do it .
I ’ m doing all I can , but the second I get a chance like I ’ m gon na be donating money , and anything I can to the communities I ’ m involved with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if we can .

‘It’s getting worse’: Frontline female firefighter on this year’s historic season
Show Caption Hide Caption Wildfires: Centuries of forest mismanagement, climate change Here's how Native Americans used controlled burns to maintain forests and why it's needed now more than ever. Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
This story was published in partnership with The 19th, a nonprofit, nonpartisan newsroom reporting on gender, politics and policy.
Eleonore Jordan Anderson, 32, was working for the Pacific Crest Trail Association when COVID-19 hit and canceled the seasonal work. It was too late to be hired by the United States Forest Service, but she was hired on as a qualified sawyer on her engine crew, she told The 19th in an interview on her “rest and recovery day” between fire assignments. Chainsaw in hand, sawyers are tasked with clearing paths for other firefighters to get through, and taking down hazardous, and dead trees.
Five years ago, Anderson fought her first fire, and has been on the ground for 25 since then, four battles taking place this year alone. She spoke to The 19th on the heels of battling the Lionshead Fire, which stemmed from a lightning strike and has burned more than 203,000 acres in Oregon, destroyed more than 200 homes and was 15 percent contained as of Wednesday. She then headed farther south in Oregon to the Thielsen Fire for the next two weeks. So far, the blaze has spread across more than 9,900 acres and was 26 percent contained. Anderson doesn’t do much research about fires before she heads out — things can change so much within a day, anyway.
But the lack of gender diversity in this work remains the same. Anderson says there were less than two dozen women battling the Lionshead Fire. Sometimes there’s one or two, oftentimes there’s none.
“It’s tough, you know, but it’s also just part of the job,” she said. “I’ve always been in male dominated industries, whether it’s trail crew or fire. There’s a lot of things that aren’t accounted for, like the fact that your pants don’t really fit — they’re meant for guys. There’s just a lot of things like that, but it’s generally OK.”
Anderson buys her own Nomex, or fire retardant pants, that are fitted for women, running her about $200, she said. It’s that, or take the waistless pants provided.
Sitting outside in Rhododendron, Oregon, where some friends provided her with lunch on her day off, Anderson frequently coughed and cleared her throat during the conversation with The 19th — all the smoke was making her feel tired. This record-setting fire season is like none other, she said. A million acres have burned in Oregon alone, and wildfires in California have razed the near equivalent of Connecticut. More than a half-million people have been displaced from their homes, others asked to remain strictly shut inside — all while the COVID-19 pandemic wages on.
'Disaster fatigue': COVID, hurricanes, wildfires, politics: 2020 is an American nightmare that's wearing us out
While Anderson loves her work, the nation’s reluctance to react to climate change has become “excruciating” for her to bear, especially taking into account the divestment the Forest Service continues to experience. The Trump administration’s most recent budget zeroed out some private forest management programs to the chagrin of forest leadership: Two-thirds of the nation’s forestland is on state and private land.
“Every year, proposed and enacted changes to our budgets affect some of us, both professionally and personally, and they affect all of us in terms of our collective ability to care for the land and serve people,” U.S. Forest Service Chief Vicki Christiansen wrote in February.
This was the subject of a recent exchange between California Gov. Gavin Newsom and President Donald Trump. The president maintained that Western states are to blame for the fires because they failed to clear the forest of dead trees and leaves. Newsom, however, pointed to climate change as the cause of the worst fire season in his state’s history.
Two of every three burned acres across California, Oregon and Washington was federal land managed by Trump’s administration, the Redding Record Searchlight reported.
In conversation with The 19th, Anderson, one of the nation’s few frontline female firefighters (only 12 percent of wild land firefighters are women), discussed logistics, how COVID-19 has impacted her job and why the environment is on the ballot this November.
This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
The 19th: I’ve heard you clear your throat a few times. How’s the smoke affecting you?
Anderson: I remember when I started fire, I didn’t really know what to expect, and all they really give you is a shroud. I think they’ve tried respirators, they’ve tried those things, but when you’re working and you’re actually sweating you can’t breathe through those things. And so they’ve just kind of figured out, “Alright, when you feel sick, you just get out of there and trade with somebody else,” you know? Or like you kind of like duck your head in the truck if you can or something like that.
So usually that’s not usually the case?
Fire season, there’s always smoke in the air. But this year has been particularly bad. The fires are getting more violent and aggressive — and a little out of control, clearly. We have a million acres that have burned in Oregon just in the last two weeks or something. But how it’s affecting me, I’m just getting headaches. I feel a little loopy. But, it comes with the job, you know. You just kind of deal with it.
On top of the worsening fires, how has the job changed because of COVID-19? Some of the symptoms you’re talking about also sound like how COVID presents. What are you doing to navigate this other emergency?
We have a fire camp, right? Which looks half like a music festival and half like a refugee camp, usually. It’s just tents on tents on tents and maybe a shower caddy or something. And now they’re separating us into divisions, because when we’re out on the fireline you can’t really separate from your crew.
During the briefing in the morning they have the things you need to do for COVID, like wear a mask when you’re at the briefing, wear a mask when you go to the bathroom, wear a mask at a fire camp or when you’re getting food or when you’re having any interaction with other people. And then at the very bottom, it just says “fireline excluded.” So which is just kind of how you have to do it. However, I guess we’re finding out that COVID doesn’t really spread outside, and especially in the smoke nearly as much. I’m from Portland — the protests in Portland have not been spreading [the virus] like people thought that it would. So, I’m not really scared. I think a lot of people are feeling pretty good about it. And maybe the smoke in our lungs makes it bad enough where COVID is like, “I don’t want anything to do with this.”
We’re doing the best we can. It’s still definitely a risk.
Who do you call before you head out to a fire?
I call my mom and my best friend, and I call my dad. I just say I’m going to a fire, and I let my parents know which fire it is, where I’ll be, how big it is and, naturally, tell them not to worry — it’ll be fine. My best friend is really possessive. So I have to explain to her why I can’t hang out with her for two weeks — she’s like my boyfriend.
Is there actually nothing scary about it to you?
Just like any job, there’s a lot of room for error. There’s an excitement that comes with fire that doesn’t come with other jobs. I feel like I’ve always been under people that really know what’s going on, they know their stuff, they have a lot of experience. I’ve never felt unsafe. But it’s one of those jobs that you just kind of have to accept that there’s a lot of room for error, and you can have incidents within an incident.
Do you have a sense that this is a worse season than normal? Is this as bad as everyone is painting it out to be?
Yes, it is. The fires have been getting more violent, more aggressive. This year has been particularly strange because of COVID. I might be speculating here, but I do think that we’re losing some experience levels. Some people that have been around for a really long time, our crew bosses, they’re afraid of getting COVID so they dipped out. There’s still a lot of experience there, but it has been a strange year trying to navigate that as well as forest fires.
But climate change is real, climate change is definitely real. The seasons are also getting longer. It used to be conducive for people to go to college in the winter and fight fires in the summer. But now, fires in California are going through November, sometimes later. So all the evidence is definitely there, and it is getting worse. It’s a shame.
Climate change certainly is real, but it doesn’t change the fact that people treat it as a debate. How does that make you feel as someone who is literally fighting to protect the planet?
It’s excruciating, like witnessing people with science slapping them in the face. And not just science, patterns and literal smoke filling your house right now, and it’s definitely because of climate change. I don’t want to say it’s bad forest management, because all of the forest managers want to do everything that needs to be done in the forest. But funding gets cut every year without fail. It almost doesn’t matter who’s in office, it’s just constantly doing more with less. Yeah, it’s excruciating to witness that.
What made you want to fight fires in the first place?
I started doing backcountry trail work when I was 20 or 21. I was working in the National Park Service. I’m from Illinois. So I didn’t climb a hill until I was 21 years old, I’m pretty sure. And I came out here and I was learning about fire while I was doing backcountry trails because I was working in Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks. Sometimes a fire would break out, and it was scary. And so I was definitely interested in it, but I didn’t know that much about it from an employment standpoint. I just knew fire behavior is fascinating, fire science is fascinating, basic meteorology is fascinating.
I got into it because I met my best friend when he was making the Pacific Crest Trail. And I was working on the Pacific Crest Trail and he was a rappeller out of eastern Oregon. He would rappel out of helicopters to fight fires. I thought that was so cool. And I moved back to Portland with him and he got me into it and helped me get a job. It wasn’t too different, they’re both male-dominated industries, you know? There’s an excitement that comes with fires that doesn’t come with trails or anything else, and I just fell in love with it.
What made you want to have a career outdoors?
Naturally, I’m a conservationist. Fires very obviously are protecting resources, you’re also doing prescribed burns and doing things that Native communities did for hundreds of years. You’re clearing a trail so that people have the ability to access the wilderness and appreciate it because without that appreciation respect doesn’t come. Without respect, protection doesn’t come. I’m a hippie at heart. I spend all my time outdoors. I can’t imagine another life. I think it’s really important. We don’t have a lot of wilderness areas left; you don’t have a lot of resources as far as our forests left. Suburban sprawl is taking over. For whatever we have left, I will do this until the day I die.
Is there anything else you would want our readers to know, either about your line of work or about this crisis, or a combination of all that?
Help us help you, you know? Vote for the party that is going to focus on climate change, Vote for the party that is going to help us help the forest. I’m getting tired of this Republican nonsense. Do less with more? I’m so over it. We need better forest management, we need more funding, and we need more focus on mitigating the risks that comes with fire. We really need to get the right people in office to like make these calls. It’s a bigger deal and it affects all of us like without our planet, without our environment like we don’t exist — we’re just hurting ourselves.
Also, if they tell you to evacuate your house, you’re not going to save your house with a garden hose. It’s not gonna work.
Just take care of each other. Right now we have 500,000 evacuees in Oregon. If there’s something you can do, do it. People are getting displaced. Look out for each other. If there’s something you can do, do it. I’m doing all I can, but the second I get a chance like I’m gonna be donating money, and anything I can to the communities I’m involved with. We should all be doing that if we can.


usatoday--2020-09-24--Biden pleads for 'no violence' as protests continue after Breonna Taylor decision

Biden pleads for 'no violence ' as protests continue after Breonna Taylor decision Two Louisville police officers were shot after @ @ @ @ @ on the Breonna Taylor decision .

Breonna Taylor case: Biden's plea for 'no violence' during protests
Two Louisville police officers were shot after Joe Biden delivered his message on the Breonna Taylor decision.
Associated Press, USA TODAY


usatoday--2020-09-25--Trump campaigns in Jacksonville, calls for Biden to release list of Supreme Court choices

JACKSONVILLE , Fla. — President Donald Trump said during a campaign rally in Jacksonville on Thursday that he will announce a woman as his Supreme Court pick on Saturday and he challenged Democratic nominee Joe Biden to release his own list of potential Supreme Court candidates .
Trump said Biden does n't want to release a list because he is beholden to `` the left . ''
Biden has said the winner of the November election should fill the seat left vacant by the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg .
`` If he puts an extremist into that position @ @ @ @ @ @ @ normal , '' Trump said .
`` If he goes the other way , he loses the left .
I 'd love to have him put out the list .
I 'd like to see what happens .
I can already tell you , the people on that list , it would not be good .
It would not be pretty .
That would be the end . ''
'Honor her wish ' : Trump is jeered as he pays his respects to Ruth Bader Ginsburg at Supreme Court Trump did not drop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Saturday beyond saying the selection will be a woman .
It would be Trump 's third appointment to the Supreme Court .
Trump spoke for about an hour at the outdoor rally at Cecil Airport .
As Trump tries to repeat his 2016 win in Florida , the Jacksonville area will once again be key , said Michael Binder , director of the University of North Florida Public Opinion Research .
Binder said that , like 2016 , Trump needs to run up big victory margins in the counties surrounding Jacksonville .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ he just needs to keep the margin close , Binder said .
In terms of Northeast Florida , a tie in Duval `` essentially would be a win for Trump , '' Binder said .
Looking forward to the debate Tuesday with Biden , the first face-to-face showdown between them , Trump simultaneously said Biden is `` the lowest-energy individual I 've ever seen '' and also an experienced debater `` who has been doing it for 47 years . ''
`` Maybe he 'll be like Superman for 15 minutes , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Judiciary Democrat Feinstein says she does n't 'have the power ' to block Trump 's Supreme Court nominee With Florida a pivotal state , Trump said Hispanics are supporting his re-election .
He said he has released hurricane relief aid to Puerto Rico , which still is recovering from Hurricane Maria in 2017 , and he said he is moving to revive the pharmaceutical manufacturing on the island .
He criticized Biden for the deal the United States made with Cuba to move toward normalizing relationships when Biden was vice president in Barack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stands with socialists and communists , '' Trump said .
`` I stand with the proud people of Cuba , Nicaragua , Venezuela . ''
A confirmed crowd size was not immediately available , however , First Coast News reported the venue holds `` close to 15,000 people . ''
Bleachers and folding chairs were packed tightly together , limiting the ability for people to socially distance .
Masks were rarely spotted , nor were they required .
But the Trump campaign did give masks to each attendee that walked in .
Temperatures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Jacksonville officials said they 'd `` prefer social distancing , '' but since the event was outdoors , no city ordinances about COVID-19 safety were violated .

David Bauerlein, Andrew Pantazi and Emily Bloch, Florida Times-Union

Trump campaigns in Jacksonville, calls for Biden to release list of Supreme Court choices
Show Caption Hide Caption The Republican race to replace Ruth Bader Ginsburg The GOP held up hearings for President Obama's Supreme Court nominee in 2016. But it's a different story for President Trump's nominee in 2020. States of America, Wochit
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — President Donald Trump said during a campaign rally in Jacksonville on Thursday that he will announce a woman as his Supreme Court pick on Saturday and he challenged Democratic nominee Joe Biden to release his own list of potential Supreme Court candidates.
Trump said Biden doesn't want to release a list because he is beholden to "the left."
Biden has said the winner of the November election should fill the seat left vacant by the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
"If he puts an extremist into that position, he loses everything that's like normal," Trump said. "If he goes the other way, he loses the left. I'd love to have him put out the list. I'd like to see what happens. I can already tell you, the people on that list, it would not be good. It would not be pretty. That would be the end."
'Honor her wish': Trump is jeered as he pays his respects to Ruth Bader Ginsburg at Supreme Court
Trump did not drop any hints about who he will announce on Saturday beyond saying the selection will be a woman. It would be Trump's third appointment to the Supreme Court.
Trump spoke for about an hour at the outdoor rally at Cecil Airport.
As Trump tries to repeat his 2016 win in Florida, the Jacksonville area will once again be key, said Michael Binder, director of the University of North Florida Public Opinion Research.
Binder said that, like 2016, Trump needs to run up big victory margins in the counties surrounding Jacksonville. Even if Trump loses Duval County, he just needs to keep the margin close, Binder said. In terms of Northeast Florida, a tie in Duval "essentially would be a win for Trump," Binder said.
Looking forward to the debate Tuesday with Biden, the first face-to-face showdown between them, Trump simultaneously said Biden is "the lowest-energy individual I've ever seen" and also an experienced debater "who has been doing it for 47 years."
"Maybe he'll be like Superman for 15 minutes," Trump said.
More: Top Senate Judiciary Democrat Feinstein says she doesn't 'have the power' to block Trump's Supreme Court nominee
With Florida a pivotal state, Trump said Hispanics are supporting his re-election. He said he has released hurricane relief aid to Puerto Rico, which still is recovering from Hurricane Maria in 2017, and he said he is moving to revive the pharmaceutical manufacturing on the island.
He criticized Biden for the deal the United States made with Cuba to move toward normalizing relationships when Biden was vice president in Barack Obama's administration.
"My opponent stands with socialists and communists," Trump said. "I stand with the proud people of Cuba, Nicaragua, Venezuela."
A confirmed crowd size was not immediately available, however, First Coast News reported the venue holds "close to 15,000 people." Bleachers and folding chairs were packed tightly together, limiting the ability for people to socially distance.
Masks were rarely spotted, nor were they required. But the Trump campaign did give masks to each attendee that walked in. Temperatures were also checked upon entrance.
City of Jacksonville officials said they'd "prefer social distancing," but since the event was outdoors, no city ordinances about COVID-19 safety were violated.


usatoday--2020-09-24--Top Senate Judiciary Democrat Feinstein says she doesn't 'have the power' to block Trump's Supreme C

WASHINGTON — Sen. Dianne Feinstein , D-Calif. , the top Democrat on the Senate panel that examines potential Supreme Court judges , acknowledged Thursday she did not have the power to block President Donald Trump 's nominee from passing through the Republican-controlled Senate .
`` Neither this committee nor the Senate should consider a nomination at this time , '' she said Thursday during a meeting of the Senate Judiciary Committee .
`` I recognize I don ’ t have the power to carry that through , but I feel it very deeply . ''
Feinstein said the next president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to fill the seat vacated by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg 's death , but `` If things move forward , and a nominee is confirmed before a new president is inaugurated , it is deeply concerning . ''
Democrats want the GOP-majority Senate to hold off on Supreme Court nomination proceedings until after Election Day in the hopes Democratic challenger Joe Biden defeats Trump and Democrats take over control of the Senate .
However , Republicans are pushing forward quickly and Trump is expected to announce his nominee Saturday .
Democrats in Congress @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can do to halt the process .
Republicans appear to have the numbers to pass Trump 's nominee out of the Senate Judiciary Committee , where Republicans hold 12-10 seat advantage , to the Senate , where Republicans hold a 53-47 majority .
A nominee needs only a majority in the 100-member Senate to be confirmed .
More : Trump says he wants to fill Supreme Court seat quickly in case justices need to settle election dispute More : Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg to lie in state at US Capitol Friday after two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , D-Ill. , the second-ranking Senate Democrat and a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee , told reporters on Tuesday , `` You can slow things down , but you can ’ t stop them . ''
`` I ’ ve been around here a few years , '' he said .
`` You can slow things down but you can ’ t stop them .
And there comes a point , we use whatever tools we have available , but ultimately there will be a vote , '' he said .
When @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actually do , Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse , D-R.I. , also a Judiciary Committee member , said on Monday , `` You mean some triple secret trick procedure that we managed to hold back through Gorsuch and Kavanaugh ?
No , '' he said with a sarcastic smile .

Nicholas Wu and Christal Hayes, USA TODAY

Top Senate Judiciary Democrat Feinstein says she doesn't 'have the power' to block Trump's Supreme Court nominee
Show Caption Hide Caption Trump: 'very, very close' to a Supreme Court pick President Donald Trump says he'll announce his decision on a Supreme Court nominee to replace the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg this Saturday at 5pm. He says he has "a constitutional obligation" to make sure nine justices are seated. (Sept. 22) AP
WASHINGTON — Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., the top Democrat on the Senate panel that examines potential Supreme Court judges, acknowledged Thursday she did not have the power to block President Donald Trump's nominee from passing through the Republican-controlled Senate.
"Neither this committee nor the Senate should consider a nomination at this time," she said Thursday during a meeting of the Senate Judiciary Committee. "I recognize I don’t have the power to carry that through, but I feel it very deeply."
Feinstein said the next president should make the decision on the nomination to fill the seat vacated by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's death, but "If things move forward, and a nominee is confirmed before a new president is inaugurated, it is deeply concerning."
Democrats want the GOP-majority Senate to hold off on Supreme Court nomination proceedings until after Election Day in the hopes Democratic challenger Joe Biden defeats Trump and Democrats take over control of the Senate. However, Republicans are pushing forward quickly and Trump is expected to announce his nominee Saturday.
President Trump's Supreme Court 'short list' - States of America President Trump released his short list to fill any future Supreme Court vacancies and he’s doubling down on conservatives. Will it work to entice conservative voters? States of America, USA TODAY
Democrats in Congress have mostly acknowledged there is little they can do to halt the process. Republicans appear to have the numbers to pass Trump's nominee out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, where Republicans hold 12-10 seat advantage, to the Senate, where Republicans hold a 53-47 majority. A nominee needs only a majority in the 100-member Senate to be confirmed.
More: Trump says he wants to fill Supreme Court seat quickly in case justices need to settle election dispute
More: Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg to lie in state at US Capitol Friday after two days at Supreme Court
Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., the second-ranking Senate Democrat and a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, told reporters on Tuesday, "You can slow things down, but you can’t stop them."
"I’ve been around here a few years," he said. "You can slow things down but you can’t stop them. And there comes a point, we use whatever tools we have available, but ultimately there will be a vote," he said.
When asked if there was anything Democrats could actually do, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., also a Judiciary Committee member, said on Monday, "You mean some triple secret trick procedure that we managed to hold back through Gorsuch and Kavanaugh? No," he said with a sarcastic smile.


usatoday--2020-09-24--Breonna Taylor protesters urged nonviolence, then 2 Louisville police officers were shot

LOUISVILLE , Ky. – Speaking before a crowd at the Breonna Taylor memorial in Jefferson Square Park , Until Freedom co-founder Tamika Mallory stressed nonviolence .
It was just before 1 p.m. Wednesday , and hundreds had gathered at the public square – a home base through 119 days of protests downtown – to hear whether criminal charges would be brought against the Louisville Metro Police Department officers who 'd shot and killed the unarmed Black woman while serving a search warrant at her south Louisville home .
“ We have to understand that we have a responsibility to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to come that we conduct ourselves , again , not peacefully but nonviolently , ” Mallory said , “ so that the story that comes out of here is that we are not the murderers , we are not the looters , we are not the burners , we are not the ones , they did it to us , and we are only responding.
” By Thursday morning , the story that reached people around the country and globe was , in fact , one of violence .
Windows had been smashed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two police officers were shot during hours of protest that traversed downtown and several surrounding neighborhoods , after an announcement that no officers would be indicted for Taylor 's death .
What to know Thursday : Tamika Palmer speaks out ; Kentucky officials decline Trump 's offer of federal help ; BLM doubles down on demands Interim LMPD Chief Robert Schroeder said the shooting took place around 8:30 p.m. near the intersection of Brook Street and Broadway downtown .
In a news conference Thursday , he said Maj. Aubrey Gregory was hit in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hospital , and officer Robinson Desroches was struck in the abdomen and is recovering from surgery .
Larynzo Johnson is accused in the shooting .
`` Last night 's situation could have been so much worse for our officers and for the people who were protesting when the gunfire rang out .
... We are extremely fortunate these two officers will recover , '' Schroeder said .
Activist Adrian Baker , student body president of Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary , said Wednesday 's gunfire does `` distract '' from the message of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any violence .
But we have the knowledge that this could have been avoided , this type of response could have been avoided , '' he said .
He called the shooting a `` response to injustice . ''
“ We are protesting the injustice of a life being lost already , '' he said .
`` And so , just as those police officers lives matter that were shot , we are feeling as if Breonna Taylor ’ s life does not matter because it ’ s evident . ''
The decision @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's death came from a Jefferson County grand jury after an investigation by Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron .
Though the grand jury charged former detective Brett Hankison on three counts of first-degree wanton endangerment for shooting into a neighboring apartment , it did not charge him or two other Louisville officers who fired their weapons at Taylor 's apartment – Sgt .
Jonathan Mattingly and Detective Myles Cosgrove – with killing the 26-year-old ER technician .
The officers returned fire after Mattingly was shot .
Taylor 's boyfriend , Kenneth Walker , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ realizing they were police .
Tamika Palmer , Breonna Taylor 's mother , has not spoken publicly since the grand jury indictment but shared an illustration of her daughter Thursday afternoon on Instagram with the hashtag that said , `` The system failed Breonna . ''
Other members of Taylor 's family were dismayed by the decision .
Some said they were not surprised but `` mad as hell . ''
Taylor family attorneys issued a statement calling the grand jury decision `` outrageous and offensive to Breonna Taylor 's memory . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ while departing for Charlotte , North Carolina .
Asked what he had to say to Taylor 's family , Trump said , “ I think it 's a sad thing , and I give my regards to the family .
I also think it ’ s so sad what ’ s happening with everything about that case , including law enforcement .
So many people suffering.
” More : What 's next for the 2 officers who were n't indicted in the Breonna Taylor shooting ?
Tensions and emotions were high after the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ marched through neighborhoods east of downtown and back .
On multiple occasions , demonstrators extinguished fires in trash cans that others had lit .
Police met marchers with force at the intersection of Bardstown Road and Midland Avenue in the Highlands , arresting more than a dozen people .
Just after 7:30 p.m. , someone set fire to wooden boards affixed to the exterior of the Hall of Justice .
Police emerged from the building to put it out as protesters lobbed water bottles at them .
Police arrested 127 people through the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said 16 `` instances of looting '' occurred outside the downtown area along Broadway , Preston Highway , Outer Loop and Poplar Level Road .
Protest regular Aaron Jordan said the grand jury 's decision and Louisville 's response has `` already changed things , '' as people protest `` all over the world . ''
`` People are infuriated .
...
It 's big for us because we have our disagreements and stuff at the square , but people around the world do n't know about that stuff that we deal with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` They just see dedicated protesters , and they want to do their part standing in solidarity . ''
More on the Breonna Taylor case Louisville decision on police charges is n't the end .
We need reforms .
Fact checking 8 myths in Breonna Taylor case : Was she asleep when police shot her ?
Is there bodycam footage ?
'Vigorous ' self-defense laws probably prevented homicide charges in Breonna Taylor 's death , experts say

Hayes Gardner and Bailey Loosemore, Louisville Courier Journal

Breonna Taylor protesters urged nonviolence, then 2 Louisville police officers were shot
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Speaking before a crowd at the Breonna Taylor memorial in Jefferson Square Park, Until Freedom co-founder Tamika Mallory stressed nonviolence.
It was just before 1 p.m. Wednesday, and hundreds had gathered at the public square – a home base through 119 days of protests downtown – to hear whether criminal charges would be brought against the Louisville Metro Police Department officers who'd shot and killed the unarmed Black woman while serving a search warrant at her south Louisville home.
“We have to understand that we have a responsibility to the rest of this nation and to generations to come that we conduct ourselves, again, not peacefully but nonviolently,” Mallory said, “so that the story that comes out of here is that we are not the murderers, we are not the looters, we are not the burners, we are not the ones, they did it to us, and we are only responding.”
By Thursday morning, the story that reached people around the country and globe was, in fact, one of violence.
Windows had been smashed, small fires had been set and two police officers were shot during hours of protest that traversed downtown and several surrounding neighborhoods, after an announcement that no officers would be indicted for Taylor's death.
How a grand jury works, why some are contentious A previous version of this video generalized what occurs if a grand jury decides not to indict; jurisdictions have different protocols. USA TODAY
What to know Thursday: Tamika Palmer speaks out; Kentucky officials decline Trump's offer of federal help; BLM doubles down on demands
Interim LMPD Chief Robert Schroeder said the shooting took place around 8:30 p.m. near the intersection of Brook Street and Broadway downtown.
In a news conference Thursday, he said Maj. Aubrey Gregory was hit in the thigh and was released from a hospital, and officer Robinson Desroches was struck in the abdomen and is recovering from surgery.
Larynzo Johnson is accused in the shooting.
"Last night's situation could have been so much worse for our officers and for the people who were protesting when the gunfire rang out. ... We are extremely fortunate these two officers will recover," Schroeder said.
Activist Adrian Baker, student body president of Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, said Wednesday's gunfire does "distract" from the message of the protesters' movement.
"I denounce any violence. But we have the knowledge that this could have been avoided, this type of response could have been avoided," he said.
He called the shooting a "response to injustice."
“We are protesting the injustice of a life being lost already," he said. "And so, just as those police officers lives matter that were shot, we are feeling as if Breonna Taylor’s life does not matter because it’s evident."
The decision not to indict the officers for Taylor's death came from a Jefferson County grand jury after an investigation by Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron.
Though the grand jury charged former detective Brett Hankison on three counts of first-degree wanton endangerment for shooting into a neighboring apartment, it did not charge him or two other Louisville officers who fired their weapons at Taylor's apartment – Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly and Detective Myles Cosgrove – with killing the 26-year-old ER technician. The officers returned fire after Mattingly was shot. Taylor's boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, said he fired one shot, not realizing they were police.
Tamika Palmer, Breonna Taylor's mother, has not spoken publicly since the grand jury indictment but shared an illustration of her daughter Thursday afternoon on Instagram with the hashtag that said, "The system failed Breonna."
Other members of Taylor's family were dismayed by the decision. Some said they were not surprised but "mad as hell." Taylor family attorneys issued a statement calling the grand jury decision "outrageous and offensive to Breonna Taylor's memory."
President Donald Trump spoke briefly about Taylor while departing for Charlotte, North Carolina. Asked what he had to say to Taylor's family, Trump said, “I think it's a sad thing, and I give my regards to the family. I also think it’s so sad what’s happening with everything about that case, including law enforcement. So many people suffering.”
More: What's next for the 2 officers who weren't indicted in the Breonna Taylor shooting?
Tensions and emotions were high after the grand jury announcement, and angry protesters marched through neighborhoods east of downtown and back.
On multiple occasions, demonstrators extinguished fires in trash cans that others had lit. Police met marchers with force at the intersection of Bardstown Road and Midland Avenue in the Highlands, arresting more than a dozen people.
Just after 7:30 p.m., someone set fire to wooden boards affixed to the exterior of the Hall of Justice. Police emerged from the building to put it out as protesters lobbed water bottles at them.
Police arrested 127 people through the course of the protests, and Schroeder said 16 "instances of looting" occurred outside the downtown area along Broadway, Preston Highway, Outer Loop and Poplar Level Road.
A 9 p.m. curfew remains in effect through Friday.
Protest regular Aaron Jordan said the grand jury's decision and Louisville's response has "already changed things," as people protest "all over the world."
"People are infuriated. ... It's big for us because we have our disagreements and stuff at the square, but people around the world don't know about that stuff that we deal with day to day," he said. "They just see dedicated protesters, and they want to do their part standing in solidarity."
Bailey Loosemore, @bloosemore. Hayes Gardner, @HayesGardner.
More on the Breonna Taylor case
Louisville decision on police charges isn't the end. We need reforms.
Fact checking 8 myths in Breonna Taylor case: Was she asleep when police shot her? Is there bodycam footage?
'Vigorous' self-defense laws probably prevented homicide charges in Breonna Taylor's death, experts say


usatoday--2020-09-24--HHS spokesperson Michael Caputo diagnosed with cancer after taking medical leave

WASHINGTON – Michael Caputo , the federal Health and Human Services official who recently took a 60-day leave of absence , has been diagnosed with cancer , according to a spokesman .
Republican New York Assemblyman David DiPietro , who is acting as the Caputo family spokesman , said the Trump administration health official has been diagnosed with `` squamous cell carcinoma , a metastatic head and neck cancer which originated in his throat '' after undergoing undergoing surgery last week at the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda , Maryland .
Caputo , who served as the assistant secretary of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now home in Western New York , resting in the loving arms of his family , under the watchful eye of Jesus Christ , '' DiPietro said in a statement first shared with the Buffalo News .
More : National Institutes of Health staffer to 'retire ' after being outed as author of online attacks against Dr. Anthony Fauci HHS officials announced last week that Caputo , who had been in charge of the administration 's coronavirus communications strategy , would be taking time off `` to focus on his health and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said last Wednesday that he planned to undergo `` necessary screenings for a lymphatic issue discovered last week . ''
He said he initially attributed his weight loss to a new exercise and diet regiment , before realizing something was wrong .
Coronavirus updates : Cuomo says New York will review vaccines approved by feds ; Missouri city bans dancing a la 'Footloose' Caputo has faced scrutiny in recent weeks after being accused of trying to manipulate COVID-19 data for political purposes .
His medical leave was announced shortly after he apologized to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which he reportedly said scientists battling the coronavirus are conspiring against President Donald Trump .
Reports : HHS official , Trump ally Michael Caputo apologizes after accusing CDC scientists of traitorous acts Without offering evidence , Caputo accused scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) of `` sedition '' and falsely claimed they had formed a `` resistance unit '' against Trump .
Several news outlets also reported that Caputo and scientific adviser Paul Alexander pressured the CDC to change its weekly reports , at times retroactively , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public statements about the coronavirus .
Trump has repeatedly downplayed the severity of the outbreak .
Trump appointed Caputo – a longtime friend and Republican political operative who had no health care experience but worked on his 2016 campaign – to HHS in April as daily deaths in the U.S. from the coronavirus spiked .

HHS spokesperson Michael Caputo diagnosed with cancer after taking medical leave
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WASHINGTON – Michael Caputo, the federal Health and Human Services official who recently took a 60-day leave of absence, has been diagnosed with cancer, according to a spokesman.
Republican New York Assemblyman David DiPietro, who is acting as the Caputo family spokesman, said the Trump administration health official has been diagnosed with "squamous cell carcinoma, a metastatic head and neck cancer which originated in his throat" after undergoing surgery last week at the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland.
Caputo, who served as the assistant secretary of public affairs at HHS, "is now home in Western New York, resting in the loving arms of his family, under the watchful eye of Jesus Christ," DiPietro said in a statement first shared with the Buffalo News.
More: National Institutes of Health staffer to 'retire' after being outed as author of online attacks against Dr. Anthony Fauci
HHS officials announced last week that Caputo, who had been in charge of the administration's coronavirus communications strategy, would be taking time off "to focus on his health and the well-being of his family."
Caputo said last Wednesday that he planned to undergo "necessary screenings for a lymphatic issue discovered last week." He said he initially attributed his weight loss to a new exercise and diet regiment, before realizing something was wrong.
Coronavirus updates: Cuomo says New York will review vaccines approved by feds; Missouri city bans dancing a la 'Footloose'
Caputo has faced scrutiny in recent weeks after being accused of trying to manipulate COVID-19 data for political purposes.
His medical leave was announced shortly after he apologized to his staff for a Facebook video in which he reportedly said scientists battling the coronavirus are conspiring against President Donald Trump.
Reports: HHS official, Trump ally Michael Caputo apologizes after accusing CDC scientists of traitorous acts
Without offering evidence, Caputo accused scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of "sedition" and falsely claimed they had formed a "resistance unit" against Trump.
Several news outlets also reported that Caputo and scientific adviser Paul Alexander pressured the CDC to change its weekly reports, at times retroactively, to better align with Trump’s public statements about the coronavirus. Trump has repeatedly downplayed the severity of the outbreak.
Trump appointed Caputo – a longtime friend and Republican political operative who had no health care experience but worked on his 2016 campaign – to HHS in April as daily deaths in the U.S. from the coronavirus spiked.
Contributing: William Cummings, USA TODAY; The Associated Press