usatoday--2020-10-09--Bang on this: Astros roll over Athletics to reach fourth consecutive ALCS

The most hated team in baseball is staging a revenge tour in reverse .
This was to be the year where the clubs harmed most by the Houston Astros ’ sign-stealing scandal got their piece of flesh – literally , figuratively , or at least in October , the month that matters most .
Instead , the Astros have taken nearly a year ’ s worth of scorn and turned it to fuel , even if most of their hubris stays behind closed doors , lest they appear anything less than contrite .
Sure , they may be publicly sorry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a century .
But in these 2020 playoffs , a pandemic sending them hundreds of miles away from their Minute Maid Park cheat lab , they will make no apologies should they run roughshod over what many would call victims , but perhaps they ’ d refer to as haters .
The latest to be dealt with and dismissed : The Oakland Athletics .
The Astros rolled over their American League West rivals , capturing the AL Division Series with a rousing 11-6 victory in Game 4 at Dodger Stadium to advance to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They won the series 3-1 , ending it so quickly that the Astros didn ’ t even get a look at Oakland pitcher Mike Fiers , their former teammate whose whistleblowing efforts revealed the depth and complexity of the Astros ’ scheme , which culminated in one player banging on a trash can to reveal to another which pitch was coming .
Those revelations surfaced Nov. 12 , 2019 , in a story by The Athletic .
The ensuing 11 months included literal and figurative walks of shame , from a clunky and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ salvos fired from Dodgers and Yankees clubhouses .
Meanwhile , the reputations of a gaggle of All-Stars were permanently sullied , the validity of their 2017 title called into question .
A 29-31 season , with a playoff berth coming thanks to the mercy of Major League Baseball expanding the playoffs in a 60-game season , was similarly humbling .
But they had a chance , and have made the most of it , rumbling through in two games to sweep the best-of-three wild-card series , and then making quick work of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ manager Dusty Baker says grew closer .
`` They closed the circle , and got into each other , '' says Baker , who has managed a fifth franchise to the postseason , and seeks his first trip to the World Series since 2002 .
`` It made them closer .
They ’ re already a close-knit group of guys . ''
And yes , the sullied stars of 2017 have been leading the way .
Carlos Correa ?
The young shortstop who went toe-to-toe verbally with the Dodgers and Yankees this spring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , driving in 11 runs in the series and crushing a go-ahead , three-run homer in the decisive fourth inning Thursday .
Jose Altuve ?
The three-time batting champ who began the year answering queries over whether an electronic buzzer under his jersey aided a pennant-winning home run used this NLDS to put the worst season of his career behind him .
In Game 4 , his two-run homer put a capper on a series in which he went 6 for 17 , homered twice and largely forgot an injury-marred , 48-game season @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bregman ?
He had a pair of hits in Game 4 , made a Gold Glove-caliber snag of a foul popup against a protective screen , and had six hits in the series .
George Springer ?
His two-homer game keyed a Game 2 victory and he has a .984 OPS in six playoff games .
Taken together , their postseason resumes only get lengthier with every passing year .
Yet , how much of it is phony ?
We may never know , though statistical and anecdotal evidence suggests a significant boost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s also nothing the Astros can do about it now , other than to keep banging away from Minute Maid Park .
They did just that at neutral-site Dodger Stadium , combining with the A ’ s to slam an ALDS record 24 home runs through the often scorching heat of Chavez Ravine .
Houston has now won 10 of its last 12 playoff games away from Minute Maid Park .
Up next : Either the Tampa Bay Rays , still salty over a narrow loss in the 2019 ALDS , or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an AL pennant was taken from them in 2017 .
Looming on the horizon is the ultimate rematch , with the Dodgers of Clayton Kershaw and Cody Bellinger and Justin Turner , who feel they lost the most three years ago and were most pointed about the Astros ’ cheating .
They may get their shot .
These Astros , though , are serving notice that forthcoming foes may be careful what they wish for .

Bang on this: Astros roll over Athletics to reach fourth consecutive ALCS
Show Caption Hide Caption Will this MLB postseason and World Series champ come with an asterisk? Sports Pulse: The MLB postseason has two losing teams in it. There was only a 60-game regular season. Does the 2020 World Series champion require an asterisk? Our MLB experts debate. SportsPulse, USA TODAY
The most hated team in baseball is staging a revenge tour in reverse.
This was to be the year where the clubs harmed most by the Houston Astros’ sign-stealing scandal got their piece of flesh – literally, figuratively, or at least in October, the month that matters most.
Instead, the Astros have taken nearly a year’s worth of scorn and turned it to fuel, even if most of their hubris stays behind closed doors, lest they appear anything less than contrite.
Sure, they may be publicly sorry for the worst cheating scandal in perhaps a century. But in these 2020 playoffs, a pandemic sending them hundreds of miles away from their Minute Maid Park cheat lab, they will make no apologies should they run roughshod over what many would call victims, but perhaps they’d refer to as haters.
The latest to be dealt with and dismissed: The Oakland Athletics.
The Astros rolled over their American League West rivals, capturing the AL Division Series with a rousing 11-6 victory in Game 4 at Dodger Stadium to advance to their fourth consecutive AL Championship Series.
MLB PLAYOFFS: Full postseason schedule
BRAVES: Atlanta's pitching dominates Marlins
They won the series 3-1, ending it so quickly that the Astros didn’t even get a look at Oakland pitcher Mike Fiers, their former teammate whose whistleblowing efforts revealed the depth and complexity of the Astros’ scheme, which culminated in one player banging on a trash can to reveal to another which pitch was coming.
Those revelations surfaced Nov. 12, 2019, in a story by The Athletic. The ensuing 11 months included literal and figurative walks of shame, from a clunky and ill-conceived attempt at a spring-training apology to salvos fired from Dodgers and Yankees clubhouses.
Meanwhile, the reputations of a gaggle of All-Stars were permanently sullied, the validity of their 2017 title called into question. A 29-31 season, with a playoff berth coming thanks to the mercy of Major League Baseball expanding the playoffs in a 60-game season, was similarly humbling.
But they had a chance, and have made the most of it, rumbling through in two games to sweep the best-of-three wild-card series, and then making quick work of the A’s with a club first-year manager Dusty Baker says grew closer.
"They closed the circle, and got into each other," says Baker, who has managed a fifth franchise to the postseason, and seeks his first trip to the World Series since 2002. "It made them closer. They’re already a close-knit group of guys."
And yes, the sullied stars of 2017 have been leading the way.
Carlos Correa? The young shortstop who went toe-to-toe verbally with the Dodgers and Yankees this spring put it on the A’s, driving in 11 runs in the series and crushing a go-ahead, three-run homer in the decisive fourth inning Thursday.
Jose Altuve? The three-time batting champ who began the year answering queries over whether an electronic buzzer under his jersey aided a pennant-winning home run used this NLDS to put the worst season of his career behind him. In Game 4, his two-run homer put a capper on a series in which he went 6 for 17, homered twice and largely forgot an injury-marred, 48-game season in which he batted .219.
Alex Bregman? He had a pair of hits in Game 4, made a Gold Glove-caliber snag of a foul popup against a protective screen, and had six hits in the series.
George Springer? His two-homer game keyed a Game 2 victory and he has a .984 OPS in six playoff games.
Taken together, their postseason resumes only get lengthier with every passing year.
Yet, how much of it is phony?
We may never know, though statistical and anecdotal evidence suggests a significant boost in that 2017 playoff run. There’s also nothing the Astros can do about it now, other than to keep banging away from Minute Maid Park.
They did just that at neutral-site Dodger Stadium, combining with the A’s to slam an ALDS record 24 home runs through the often scorching heat of Chavez Ravine.
Houston has now won 10 of its last 12 playoff games away from Minute Maid Park.
Up next: Either the Tampa Bay Rays, still salty over a narrow loss in the 2019 ALDS, or the New York Yankees, who feel an AL pennant was taken from them in 2017.
Looming on the horizon is the ultimate rematch, with the Dodgers of Clayton Kershaw and Cody Bellinger and Justin Turner, who feel they lost the most three years ago and were most pointed about the Astros’ cheating.
They may get their shot. These Astros, though, are serving notice that forthcoming foes may be careful what they wish for.


usatoday--2020-10-08--A frantic search: Father recalls tragic attempt to save wife, daughter trapped in wildfire

This story contains content that readers may find distressing .
Zach McLeod wants his wife and daughter who died in the Zogg Fire to be remembered for their courage .
`` I want everyone to know how bravely they kept it together to keep each other safe to get out of there , '' McLeod said while describing a tragic chain of events that began on the afternoon of Sept. 27 .
The Zogg Fire destroyed more than 200 structures and killed a total of four people when it raced through the oak-covered hillsides of Igo-Ono in Northern California .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ couple 's 8-year-old daughter , Feyla , lost their lives on a day when high winds blew the fire sideways and smoke could 've blinded Alaina when she tried to steer her way out of the inferno .
A windy day that would culminate in tragedy Zach , Alaina and Feyla woke up to 40 mph winds that morning and he was surprised that Pacific Gas and Electric still had the power on — his area was n't included in a public safety power shutoff like elsewhere .
Zach , 31 , waited @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tell what are really two stories : What led up to finally learning of Alaina 's and Feyla 's deaths , and how his frantic search lasted a full agonizing day before he learned their fate .
The family 's three dogs also perished — a spoiled Chihuahua named Maya , an Australian shepherd puppy named Alaska and a Queensland heeler named Kaya .
They were in the pickup that was found burned on their road .
`` They did n't make it out either , '' Zach said of the dogs .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ very fast .
It took me a while to try and get the whole story from everything I could piece together . ''
Here 's Zach 's account spanning a two-day period beginning when the Zogg Fire erupted just before 3 p.m. last Sunday .
The McLeod 's home was in the path of the furious wind , about 1½ miles southwest of where Cal Fire says the fire started near the intersection of Zogg Mine Road and a dirt turnoff , Jenny Bird Lane .
Seeing the smoke : ' I knew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ working a half-day at his parents ' ladybug business in Igo , about five miles away from his home , to make some extra money .
The unique home-based operation collects and distributes the insects to gardeners for natural pest control .
Zach was preparing and labeling packages while parents Suzie Bewley and Rob Hunt were in the mountains outside of town foraging for more bugs .
Zach and his parents would later meet up under smoky skies near the old Igo Inn as they tried to discover Alaina 's and Feyla 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called Alaina to see if she needed anything from the grocery store while he ran an errand to the nearby town of Redding , about a 20-minute drive away .
`` She wanted to make breakfast for dinner that night .
We were going to do pancakes and waffles , eggs , bacon and sausage , '' Zach said .
`` She wanted to get half-and-half for coffee too . ''
After dinner , the family planned to hold a game night .
They had made a deal with Feyla that they would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no matter what was going on . ''
They had just brought home the Beat the Parents family trivia challenge and Clue , games they knew Feyla would enjoy .
`` She was just so smart and loved showing how smart she was by answering questions we did n't know but she knew the answers to , '' he said .
On his way to south Redding , Zach saw a large smoke plume developing to the west .
`` As I 'm driving to the grocery store , I noticed the smoke @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ... and realize where the smoke is actually coming from .
So I knew something was very wrong .
I could never imagine what exactly was going on , '' he said .
He repeatedly called his house and all he got was a busy signal .
He heard the same busy signal when he called his landlords , Joann and Dale Parrott , who had let Zach and Alaina stay at a second house on their 1,000-acre property in exchange for his caretaking services .
Zach figures it was 45 minutes from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Igo to when he reached the store .
`` From the time I talked to my wife , everything was fine , everything was good .
They were happy .
They were playing outside with the chickens and looking for lizards , '' Zach said .
With nobody picking up the calls , Zach thinks the fire had already damaged phone lines .
The McLeods lived up a steep driveway on a little hill at the very end of Archer Road that dead-ends on the property .
Some of Zach 's account @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` Alaina must 've seen the smoke or she may even have seen the flames .
She grabbed Feyla and collected the dogs .
They all ran down to my neighbor 's house because we have one vehicle and I was in town , '' Zach said .
The neighbors were collecting some belongings and medications , but Zach said Alaina was worried and wanted to get out of there .
`` My wife knew the danger of the situation and she was doing everything right , '' Zach said .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Her and Feyla are so brave .
They 're heroes to me just for what they went through and how bravely they fought through it .
They just did n't curl up and fall and just hide .
They did everything right . ''
The neighbors gave Alaina the keys to their big Ford diesel truck and the dogs jumped in .
`` It 's not the easiest truck in the world to drive but my wife did n't want to wait any longer .
She wanted to get her and my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said he does n't know what conditions Alaina was facing but imagines the air was thick with black smoke and it was hard to see .
The escape route would have taken Alaina down a bumpy dirt road .
`` It 's a hard road to drive on clear days in good conditions , '' he said .
Once , Zach said he ended up on the side of that road when one of his tires barely went off the edge .
Alaina , Feyla and the dogs made it about a mile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ turns and the truck wound up going off the road .
The other side of the story Meanwhile , with the blaze bearing down on the ranching community , Zach headed for home , passing drivers who had stopped on Clear Creek Road to take pictures of the massive smoke plume in front of them .
`` I was frantically driving out to Igo from Westwood Village and I must 've gotten there in eight minutes — not driving that safe . ''
He passed sheriff 's deputies and fire engines before finally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in rural areas are one-way in and one-way out .
He looked several hundred feet down Archer Road and saw a wall of fire several feet tall with a mix of brush and pine cones ablaze .
`` I knew at that moment the fire was there and there were tons of people coming out .
They were meeting up at the Igo Store and school , '' he said .
Zach had a decision to make — drive through the flames or go back into town and look for his wife and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Do I go up ( the road ) and get them ?
Are they up there still or are they safe ? ''
he asked himself .
He approached a nearby group of first responders , who `` had a lot going on , '' and asked if all those on the road had gotten out safely .
`` I pointed , I said 'That road , Archer Road .
We live at the very end of the road .
Did everyone get off the road ? '
They told me yes three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to find them and hug them and hold them , and make sure they were OK , '' Zach said .
He figured the fire already had burned their home down .
`` I knew ( Alaina and Feyla ) were going to be broken up about that . ''
He thought , `` they must be so scared , they must be so worried . ''
About a half-hour passed when Zach saw his neighbors the Parrotts drive up .
`` I was so excited I got all the relief in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ door to their car and it was empty .
They were n't in the car and my heart just sunk .
It just shattered and I asked them , 'Where is Alaina and Feyla , ' '' he said .
The couple did n't know .
Alaina wanted to leave ahead of them , they told him .
But they said they saw the truck though on their way out .
It had been in flames .
`` I just had the terrible feeling at that point and then I asked if they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They said they looked for them on the way out and did n't see them , '' he said .
Zach and his parents checked ambulances and fire engines without any sign of the two .
They held out hope that someone brought the mother and daughter out because a firefighter said people still were being rescued .
`` I went from being crushed to having some hope .
I 'm running around and trying to find out where they might 've been taken to , '' he said .
Zach rushed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Red Cross station was being set up .
Next he went to Holiday Market on Placer Street in Redding at another evacuation point .
`` I waited and nobody showed up . ''
Zach and his parents , who had evacuated from their Platina Road home themselves , went back to the Cottonwood parking lot for a long night of waiting .
`` All night it just was up and down , trying to find out where they were .
We just had every hope in the world they were up there safe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
Zach said firefighters barely saved his parents ' house after his stepfather , Hunt , told them a fire was under a propane tank there and a burning telephone pole was in danger of falling onto the house .
They paid an emotional visit to the home after evacuation orders were temporarily lifted Sunday .
The fire burned two small bridges .
The one on South Fork Road near Archer Road had partially collapsed as its wooden beams smoldered .
Another bridge on Archer Road also burned .
Zach held onto @ @ @ @ @ @ @ daughter were stuck and could n't make it past the disabled bridges .
Day 2 of the ordeal : Waiting for the news On Monday morning someone called and said they heard from the coroner that people were being found on Archer Road who did n't make it out .
After making a flurry of phone calls , Zach and his parents were told to go to the Shasta District Fair grounds in Anderson where Cal Fire had set up a command post .
Fire officials there gave them some water and brought @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a coroner 's deputy came over to talk .
It was about 2 p.m. Monday , nearly 24 hours after the Zogg Fire started .
`` They did n't have a positive identification at that point , but from what I know happened , they found a truck on the side of Archer Road and there were two people in it that did n't make it , '' Zach said .
`` At that point , you know , we knew what had happened . ''
Feyla 's schoolteacher at Igo-Ono Elementary , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ helped Zach and his parents get a hotel room for the night before the Red Cross stepped in to help .
Zach said Saturday he felt so awful he did n't eat for three days .
`` People are giving us food all over the place .
We 've tried to take a couple of bites but you just do n't want to eat , '' Zach said .
`` There 's so many emotions swirling around right now .
I feel every bad and negative emotion you would ever name and then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ love at first sight , to indescribable loss The Zogg Fire was n't the first time Zach , Alaina and Feyla went through a fire disaster .
The family was living in Hamilton City in March 2015 , as Feyla was 3 , when an apparent electrical malfunction in their rented house caused a fire that left them homeless .
They were away at the time but returned to a house on fire .
Several years earlier , Zach and Alaina met by chance when they both were waiting in a doctor 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of those love-at-first-sight situations .
We saw each other and just stared in each other 's eyes for about 30 seconds .
She started blushing and I started getting nervous , and it was a whirlwind romance from there , '' Zach said .
`` We wanted to marry each other a week after we met . ''
Zach , who once attended Shasta High School , and Alaina moved to Igo five years ago to get a new start after the fire and got married Aug. 7 , 2016 , at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thing Zach will remember about Alaina is the jewelry she made and gave away to friends .
He recalls how his wife enjoyed showing Feyla how to cook and bake .
`` Every night when she would cook dinner , Feyla was in there helping her and watching her , '' he said .
About a week before the fire , Feyla went to the home of grandparents Suzie Bewley and Rob Hunt , and baked chocolate chip cookies from start to finish .
`` She was so proud of those cookies , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with her grandparents several days a week where they had fun swimming and one day making 22 containers of slime .
Suzie would tell Feyla ladybug stories while Ron would have dance competitions with her .
`` Fey always won because I was the judge , '' Bewley said .
Zach knows his house is completely gone and the jewelry Alaina made is lost in the ashes .
Feyla 's art that she would draw for her dad also are gone , including a Happy Father 's Day card that was on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the property and told Zach everything is leveled there .
`` He called for the dogs but I know they were in the truck , '' Zach said .
Other pets that died in the fire at home included a racer snake the grandparents had caught for her and lizards , like the blue-bellies Feyla would catch and raise .
Feyla adored animals so much she told Zach she wanted to be a veterinarian when she grew up , and have her own restaurant .
Pictures that Alaina posted on Facebook showed Feyla @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` We had tons of free-range chickens out there .
Alaina and Feyla loved their chickens so much they named every single one .
They were more pets than livestock . ''
Zach said Feyla , a second-grader with her dark blond hair and blue eyes , was so smart , she was doing math , reading and spelling at the third and fourth grade levels .
`` She was very proud of that . ''
As the family grieves , Zach is getting financial help from two GoFundMe accounts that friends @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` All the money in the world is n't going to buy them back , '' Zach said , but he 's thankful for the donations and will use them toward services and a memorial to the wife and daughter he lost .
`` I couldn ’ t have wished for a more perfect wife and daughter , '' Zach said .
`` They were and always will be my entire universe .
I was truly blessed to have them .
They will be cherished , loved and missed every day .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Coroner 's Office released Alaina 's name as the one of the fire 's victims , saying she her body was found on Archer Road around noon on Sept. 28 .
The office also announced that a minor 's body was discovered around the same time and place , but officials did not name her due to age .
The other two residents who died in the 56,305-acre fire are : Karin King , 79 , of Igo , who was found and reported dead about 7 a.m. Sept. 28 on Zogg Mine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 52 , died Sept. 29 at UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento , where he had been taken for treatment of significant burns .
As of today , Cal Fire officials still had the fire 's cause under investigation .
Mike Chapman is a reporter and photographer for the Record Searchlight in Redding , Calif. His newspaper career spans Yreka and Eureka in Northern California and Bellingham , Wash .
Follow him on Twitter @ mikechapman_RS .
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Mike Chapman, Redding Record Searchlight

This story contains content that readers may find distressing.
Zach McLeod wants his wife and daughter who died in the Zogg Fire to be remembered for their courage.
"I want everyone to know how bravely they kept it together to keep each other safe to get out of there," McLeod said while describing a tragic chain of events that began on the afternoon of Sept. 27.
The Zogg Fire destroyed more than 200 structures and killed a total of four people when it raced through the oak-covered hillsides of Igo-Ono in Northern California.
Alaina McLeod, 45, and the couple's 8-year-old daughter, Feyla, lost their lives on a day when high winds blew the fire sideways and smoke could've blinded Alaina when she tried to steer her way out of the inferno.
A windy day that would culminate in tragedy
Zach, Alaina and Feyla woke up to 40 mph winds that morning and he was surprised that Pacific Gas and Electric still had the power on — his area wasn't included in a public safety power shutoff like elsewhere.
Zach, 31, waited six days before he was ready to tell what are really two stories: What led up to finally learning of Alaina's and Feyla's deaths, and how his frantic search lasted a full agonizing day before he learned their fate.
The family's three dogs also perished — a spoiled Chihuahua named Maya, an Australian shepherd puppy named Alaska and a Queensland heeler named Kaya. They were in the pickup that was found burned on their road.
The Zogg Fire started Sunday afternoon, Sept. 27, 2020, southwest of Redding. Mike Chapman/Record Searchlight
"They didn't make it out either," Zach said of the dogs. "The fire happened so very, very fast. It took me a while to try and get the whole story from everything I could piece together."
Here's Zach's account spanning a two-day period beginning when the Zogg Fire erupted just before 3 p.m. last Sunday. The McLeod's home was in the path of the furious wind, about 1½ miles southwest of where Cal Fire says the fire started near the intersection of Zogg Mine Road and a dirt turnoff, Jenny Bird Lane.
Seeing the smoke: 'I knew something was very wrong'
The Zogg Fire sent up a huge plume Sunday afternoon, Sept. 27, 2020, after starting in Igo. Jeremy Chapman
Zach started Sunday working a half-day at his parents' ladybug business in Igo, about five miles away from his home, to make some extra money. The unique home-based operation collects and distributes the insects to gardeners for natural pest control.
Zach was preparing and labeling packages while parents Suzie Bewley and Rob Hunt were in the mountains outside of town foraging for more bugs. Zach and his parents would later meet up under smoky skies near the old Igo Inn as they tried to discover Alaina's and Feyla's whereabouts.
Zach got off work and called Alaina to see if she needed anything from the grocery store while he ran an errand to the nearby town of Redding, about a 20-minute drive away.
"She wanted to make breakfast for dinner that night. We were going to do pancakes and waffles, eggs, bacon and sausage," Zach said. "She wanted to get half-and-half for coffee too."
Zach McLeod As I'm driving to the grocery store, I noticed the smoke and I pull into the parking lot ... and realize where the smoke is actually coming from. So I knew something was very wrong. I could never imagine what exactly was going on. Quote icon
After dinner, the family planned to hold a game night. They had made a deal with Feyla that they would start playing board games every weekend "no matter what was going on."
They had just brought home the Beat the Parents family trivia challenge and Clue, games they knew Feyla would enjoy.
"She was just so smart and loved showing how smart she was by answering questions we didn't know but she knew the answers to," he said.
On his way to south Redding, Zach saw a large smoke plume developing to the west.
"As I'm driving to the grocery store, I noticed the smoke and I pull into the parking lot ... and realize where the smoke is actually coming from. So I knew something was very wrong. I could never imagine what exactly was going on," he said.
He repeatedly called his house and all he got was a busy signal. He heard the same busy signal when he called his landlords, Joann and Dale Parrott, who had let Zach and Alaina stay at a second house on their 1,000-acre property in exchange for his caretaking services.
Zach figures it was 45 minutes from the time he last talked to Alaina in Igo to when he reached the store.
"From the time I talked to my wife, everything was fine, everything was good. They were happy. They were playing outside with the chickens and looking for lizards," Zach said.
With nobody picking up the calls, Zach thinks the fire had already damaged phone lines.
Time to leave
The fire scene in Ono on Sunday evening, Sept. 27, 2020. Hung T. Vu/Special to the Record Searchlight
The McLeods lived up a steep driveway on a little hill at the very end of Archer Road that dead-ends on the property. Some of Zach's account comes from what his neighbors told him.
"Alaina must've seen the smoke or she may even have seen the flames. She grabbed Feyla and collected the dogs. They all ran down to my neighbor's house because we have one vehicle and I was in town," Zach said.
The neighbors were collecting some belongings and medications, but Zach said Alaina was worried and wanted to get out of there.
Zach McLeod My wife knew the danger of the situation and she was doing everything right. ... They're heroes to me just for what they went through and how bravely they fought through it. They just didn't curl up and fall and just hide. Quote icon
"My wife knew the danger of the situation and she was doing everything right," Zach said. "I'm so extremely proud of her. Her and Feyla are so brave. They're heroes to me just for what they went through and how bravely they fought through it. They just didn't curl up and fall and just hide. They did everything right."
The neighbors gave Alaina the keys to their big Ford diesel truck and the dogs jumped in.
"It's not the easiest truck in the world to drive but my wife didn't want to wait any longer. She wanted to get her and my daughter out of there."
Zach said he doesn't know what conditions Alaina was facing but imagines the air was thick with black smoke and it was hard to see.
The escape route would have taken Alaina down a bumpy dirt road.
"It's a hard road to drive on clear days in good conditions," he said.
Once, Zach said he ended up on the side of that road when one of his tires barely went off the edge.
Alaina, Feyla and the dogs made it about a mile to a point where there are sharp turns and the truck wound up going off the road.
The other side of the story
Meanwhile, with the blaze bearing down on the ranching community, Zach headed for home, passing drivers who had stopped on Clear Creek Road to take pictures of the massive smoke plume in front of them.
"I was frantically driving out to Igo from Westwood Village and I must've gotten there in eight minutes — not driving that safe."
He passed sheriff's deputies and fire engines before finally reaching his road, which like many in rural areas are one-way in and one-way out.
He looked several hundred feet down Archer Road and saw a wall of fire several feet tall with a mix of brush and pine cones ablaze.
"I knew at that moment the fire was there and there were tons of people coming out. They were meeting up at the Igo Store and school," he said.
Zach had a decision to make — drive through the flames or go back into town and look for his wife and daughter where others had fled.
"Do I go up (the road) and get them? Are they up there still or are they safe?" he asked himself.
He approached a nearby group of first responders, who "had a lot going on," and asked if all those on the road had gotten out safely.
'It was a really scary night' Kim Acker, ditch tender for the Igo-Ono Community Services District, said ditch water saved homes but many were lost because the fire moved so fast. Mike Chapman, Record Searchlight
"I pointed, I said 'That road, Archer Road. We live at the very end of the road. Did everyone get off the road?' They told me yes three times."
"I just wanted to find them and hug them and hold them, and make sure they were OK," Zach said.
He figured the fire already had burned their home down. "I knew (Alaina and Feyla) were going to be broken up about that." He thought, "they must be so scared, they must be so worried."
About a half-hour passed when Zach saw his neighbors the Parrotts drive up.
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"I was so excited I got all the relief in the world and I opened up the back door to their car and it was empty. They weren't in the car and my heart just sunk. It just shattered and I asked them, 'Where is Alaina and Feyla,'" he said.
The couple didn't know. Alaina wanted to leave ahead of them, they told him.
But they said they saw the truck though on their way out. It had been in flames.
"I just had the terrible feeling at that point and then I asked if they saw them on the road running. They said they looked for them on the way out and didn't see them," he said.
A frantic search
Zach and his parents checked ambulances and fire engines without any sign of the two. They held out hope that someone brought the mother and daughter out because a firefighter said people still were being rescued.
"I went from being crushed to having some hope. I'm running around and trying to find out where they might've been taken to," he said.
Zach McLeod I waited and nobody showed up." Quote icon
Zach rushed to Holiday Market in Cottonwood, where a Red Cross station was being set up. Next he went to Holiday Market on Placer Street in Redding at another evacuation point.
"I waited and nobody showed up."
Zach and his parents, who had evacuated from their Platina Road home themselves, went back to the Cottonwood parking lot for a long night of waiting.
"All night it just was up and down, trying to find out where they were. We just had every hope in the world they were up there safe and they were just stuck back there."
Zach said firefighters barely saved his parents' house after his stepfather, Hunt, told them a fire was under a propane tank there and a burning telephone pole was in danger of falling onto the house. They paid an emotional visit to the home after evacuation orders were temporarily lifted Sunday.
The fire burned two small bridges. The one on South Fork Road near Archer Road had partially collapsed as its wooden beams smoldered. Another bridge on Archer Road also burned. Zach held onto the thought that his missing wife and daughter were stuck and couldn't make it past the disabled bridges.
This bridge on South Fork Road in Igo was put out of service after the Zogg Fire burned it. Mike Chapman/Record Searchlight
Day 2 of the ordeal: Waiting for the news
On Monday morning someone called and said they heard from the coroner that people were being found on Archer Road who didn't make it out.
After making a flurry of phone calls, Zach and his parents were told to go to the Shasta District Fair grounds in Anderson where Cal Fire had set up a command post.
Fire officials there gave them some water and brought them into the shade where Zach said a coroner's deputy came over to talk. It was about 2 p.m. Monday, nearly 24 hours after the Zogg Fire started.
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"They didn't have a positive identification at that point, but from what I know happened, they found a truck on the side of Archer Road and there were two people in it that didn't make it," Zach said. "At that point, you know, we knew what had happened."
Feyla's schoolteacher at Igo-Ono Elementary, who her students called Ms. Cindy, helped Zach and his parents get a hotel room for the night before the Red Cross stepped in to help.
Zach said Saturday he felt so awful he didn't eat for three days.
"People are giving us food all over the place. We've tried to take a couple of bites but you just don't want to eat," Zach said.
"There's so many emotions swirling around right now. I feel every bad and negative emotion you would ever name and then some," he said.
From love at first sight, to indescribable loss
The Zogg Fire wasn't the first time Zach, Alaina and Feyla went through a fire disaster. The family was living in Hamilton City in March 2015, as Feyla was 3, when an apparent electrical malfunction in their rented house caused a fire that left them homeless. They were away at the time but returned to a house on fire.
Zach and Alaina McLeod were married in August 2016 at the community church in Igo. Contributed
Several years earlier, Zach and Alaina met by chance when they both were waiting in a doctor's office in Chico.
"It was one of those love-at-first-sight situations. We saw each other and just stared in each other's eyes for about 30 seconds. She started blushing and I started getting nervous, and it was a whirlwind romance from there," Zach said. "We wanted to marry each other a week after we met."
Zach, who once attended Shasta High School, and Alaina moved to Igo five years ago to get a new start after the fire and got married Aug. 7, 2016, at the community church in Igo.
One thing Zach will remember about Alaina is the jewelry she made and gave away to friends. He recalls how his wife enjoyed showing Feyla how to cook and bake.
"Every night when she would cook dinner, Feyla was in there helping her and watching her," he said.
About a week before the fire, Feyla went to the home of grandparents Suzie Bewley and Rob Hunt, and baked chocolate chip cookies from start to finish.
"She was so proud of those cookies," Zach said.
Feyla would stay with her grandparents several days a week where they had fun swimming and one day making 22 containers of slime. Suzie would tell Feyla ladybug stories while Ron would have dance competitions with her.
"Fey always won because I was the judge," Bewley said.
Zach knows his house is completely gone and the jewelry Alaina made is lost in the ashes. Feyla's art that she would draw for her dad also are gone, including a Happy Father's Day card that was on the fridge.
An acquaintance made it to the property and told Zach everything is leveled there.
"He called for the dogs but I know they were in the truck," Zach said.
Pets, memories, art and photographs: Gone
Other pets that died in the fire at home included a racer snake the grandparents had caught for her and lizards, like the blue-bellies Feyla would catch and raise.
Feyla adored animals so much she told Zach she wanted to be a veterinarian when she grew up, and have her own restaurant.
Zach McLeod, left, daughter Feyla and wife Alaina pose for a family photo. Zach said Alaina and Feyla died in the Zogg Fire while trying to escape. Contributed
Pictures that Alaina posted on Facebook showed Feyla happily hugging a duck and a chicken.
"We had tons of free-range chickens out there. Alaina and Feyla loved their chickens so much they named every single one. They were more pets than livestock."
Zach said Feyla, a second-grader with her dark blond hair and blue eyes, was so smart, she was doing math, reading and spelling at the third and fourth grade levels. "She was very proud of that."
As the family grieves, Zach is getting financial help from two GoFundMe accounts that friends and family created to help pay expenses.
"All the money in the world isn't going to buy them back," Zach said, but he's thankful for the donations and will use them toward services and a memorial to the wife and daughter he lost.
"I couldn’t have wished for a more perfect wife and daughter," Zach said. "They were and always will be my entire universe. I was truly blessed to have them. They will be cherished, loved and missed every day."
On Thursday, the Shasta County Coroner's Office released Alaina's name as one of the fire's victims, saying her body was found on Archer Road around noon on Sept. 28. The office also announced that a minor's body was discovered around the same time and place, but officials did not name her due to age.
The other two residents who died in the 56,338-acre fire are: Karin King, 79, of Igo, who was found and reported dead about 7 a.m. Sept. 28 on Zogg Mine Road in Igo. Kenneth Vossen, 52, died Sept. 29 at UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento, where he had been taken for treatment of significant burns.
Zach McLeod I couldn’t have wished for a more perfect wife and daughter. ... They were and always will be my entire universe." Quote icon
As of Saturday, Cal Fire officials still had the fire's cause under investigation.
Mike Chapman is a reporter and photographer for the Record Searchlight in Redding, Calif. His newspaper career spans Yreka and Eureka in Northern California and Bellingham, Wash. Follow him on Twitter @mikechapman_RS. Subscribe today!


usatoday--2020-10-08--Breonna Taylor recordings revelatory, but justice in case remains elusive

After the shooting death of Breonna Taylor in March , the Commonwealth of Kentucky became one of many launching pads for the racial justice movement .
And last month 's grand jury decision not to charge the officers in her killing brought Americans to the streets in protest and despair .
As tensions boiled over , two officers were shot .
Now , the public is poring through hours of grand jury recordings in an attempt to reconcile the decision in this case with their concept of justice .
The recordings include testimony from Taylor ’ s boyfriend , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
They also include the voices of law enforcement , neighbors and the jurors themselves .
About 15 hours of audio later , there 's still no justice for Taylor , and we 're no closer , as a society , to stopping another tragedy like this from happening .
Where do we go from here ?
Peaceful protesters must continue to make their voices heard .
But it ’ s time to move the protests from the streets to state houses , and channel all this passionate activism into passing reform @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , through their grief , led this call .
Addressing the public after the announcement not to charge , they sought to honor Taylor 's memory by urging lawmakers to enact comprehensive policing reforms .
They refused to settle their civil case with the city of Louisville until certain reforms , including ones that change the search warrant process and expand transparency , were written into the agreement .
Taylor ’ s mother , Tamika Palmer , made it clear the included reforms were just the beginning .
Transformational change will only be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ across the country .
Let ’ s start in Kentucky , Taylor ’ s home and my own .
After the Taylor shooting , Kentucky state Senate President Robert Stivers took the unusual step of announcing that he will personally sponsor a no-knock warrant ban bill .
Declaring his intentions in July , Stivers , who represents a conservative rural district in Eastern Kentucky , stated affirmatively , “ There is not a place in law enforcement for a no-knock search warrant.
” Stivers ’ announcement drew support from both sides of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will signal to the country that we can learn from tragedies and prohibit the practices that too often lead to them .
Across the country , state lawmakers have been inspired to file similarly courageous ( and commonsense ) legislation tackling other aspects of police reform .
The killings of Taylor , George Floyd and Eric Garner each raised questions about the disciplinary records of the officers involved — critical information that has been shielded by bureaucracy , local police unions , or both .
For its part , New York state repealed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opening police disciplinary records to public scrutiny for the first time in decades .
Recently , in the electoral battleground of Pennsylvania , the legislature passed House bill 1841 , requiring all law enforcement agencies to conduct background checks on applicants and to divulge information about former employees .
It also tasks a police commission with maintaining a database detailing disciplinary actions , performance evaluations and attendance records for officers .
Pennsylvania lawmakers also passed House bill 1910 , which requires , among other things , training of local officers on how to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in use-of-force and de-escalation techniques .
In Wisconsin , another hotly contested presidential swing state , lawmakers are taking a collaborative , bipartisan approach following the shooting of Jacob Blake and civil unrest in Kenosha .
Assembly Majority Leader Jim Steineke , a Republican , recently joined Rep. Shelia Stubbs , a Democrat , as co-chairs of a task force that will tackle racial disparities and police reforms .
This bipartisan progress in the states often drives action at the federal level .
Today , Congress is paralyzed by unprecedented toxic partisanship .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Floyd Justice in Policing Act , the Justice Act and the Justice for Breonna Taylor Act are trapped in seemingly hopeless gridlock .
More than ever before , we need the states , our laboratories of democracy , to take the lead and set the example for bipartisan cooperation that puts people over partisanship .
We urge state leaders to share their reform successes with their federal delegations , connect them to what ’ s happening in their own backyards and urge action on Capitol Hill as soon as possible .
Transformational change @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , places already buzzing with progress and promising bipartisan legislative proposals that could use the incredible energy of social justice campaigns spearheaded by impacted families , young people , civil rights activists , faith leaders , small business owners and local law enforcement .
We only truly honor the memory of Taylor and the hundreds of other Black men and women gravely injured or taken too soon by uprooting the archaic legislative schemes that permitted the practices leading to their tragic deaths .
What is legal is not always what is just .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Justice Action Network .

Breonna Taylor recordings revelatory, but justice in case remains elusive Protesting needs to move from the streets to legislative action
Show Caption Hide Caption 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
After the shooting death of Breonna Taylor in March, the Commonwealth of Kentucky became one of many launching pads for the racial justice movement. And last month's grand jury decision not to charge the officers in her killing brought Americans to the streets in protest and despair. As tensions boiled over, two officers were shot.
Now, the public is poring through hours of grand jury recordings in an attempt to reconcile the decision in this case with their concept of justice.
The recordings include testimony from Taylor’s boyfriend, who said he was "scared to death." They also include the voices of law enforcement, neighbors and the jurors themselves. About 15 hours of audio later, there's still no justice for Taylor, and we're no closer, as a society, to stopping another tragedy like this from happening.
Where do we go from here?
Peaceful protesters must continue to make their voices heard. But it’s time to move the protests from the streets to state houses, and channel all this passionate activism into passing reform legislation.
Taylor’s own family, through their grief, led this call.
Addressing the public after the announcement not to charge, they sought to honor Taylor's memory by urging lawmakers to enact comprehensive policing reforms. They refused to settle their civil case with the city of Louisville until certain reforms, including ones that change the search warrant process and expand transparency, were written into the agreement.
Taylor’s mother, Tamika Palmer, made it clear the included reforms were just the beginning. Transformational change will only be achieved through the legislative process in states across the country.
Let’s start in Kentucky, Taylor’s home and my own.
After the Taylor shooting, Kentucky state Senate President Robert Stivers took the unusual step of announcing that he will personally sponsor a no-knock warrant ban bill. Declaring his intentions in July, Stivers, who represents a conservative rural district in Eastern Kentucky, stated affirmatively, “There is not a place in law enforcement for a no-knock search warrant.”
Stivers’ announcement drew support from both sides of the aisle, and passing this reform immediately will signal to the country that we can learn from tragedies and prohibit the practices that too often lead to them.
Across the country, state lawmakers have been inspired to file similarly courageous (and commonsense) legislation tackling other aspects of police reform.
The killings of Taylor, George Floyd and Eric Garner each raised questions about the disciplinary records of the officers involved — critical information that has been shielded by bureaucracy, local police unions, or both. For its part, New York state repealed measure 50-a in its legal code, opening police disciplinary records to public scrutiny for the first time in decades.
Recently, in the electoral battleground of Pennsylvania, the legislature passed House bill 1841, requiring all law enforcement agencies to conduct background checks on applicants and to divulge information about former employees. It also tasks a police commission with maintaining a database detailing disciplinary actions, performance evaluations and attendance records for officers.
Pennsylvania lawmakers also passed House bill 1910, which requires, among other things, training of local officers on how to treat people of diverse backgrounds, and in use-of-force and de-escalation techniques.
In Wisconsin, another hotly contested presidential swing state, lawmakers are taking a collaborative, bipartisan approach following the shooting of Jacob Blake and civil unrest in Kenosha. Assembly Majority Leader Jim Steineke, a Republican, recently joined Rep. Shelia Stubbs, a Democrat, as co-chairs of a task force that will tackle racial disparities and police reforms.
This bipartisan progress in the states often drives action at the federal level.
Today, Congress is paralyzed by unprecedented toxic partisanship. Police reform bills, including the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, the Justice Act and the Justice for Breonna Taylor Act are trapped in seemingly hopeless gridlock. More than ever before, we need the states, our laboratories of democracy, to take the lead and set the example for bipartisan cooperation that puts people over partisanship. We urge state leaders to share their reform successes with their federal delegations, connect them to what’s happening in their own backyards and urge action on Capitol Hill as soon as possible.
Transformational change begins with grassroots activism at state houses, places already buzzing with progress and promising bipartisan legislative proposals that could use the incredible energy of social justice campaigns spearheaded by impacted families, young people, civil rights activists, faith leaders, small business owners and local law enforcement.
We only truly honor the memory of Taylor and the hundreds of other Black men and women gravely injured or taken too soon by uprooting the archaic legislative schemes that permitted the practices leading to their tragic deaths. What is legal is not always what is just.
Holly Harris is the executive director of the Justice Action Network.


usatoday--2020-10-09--Retired WNBA star Cappie Pondexter, feared to have gone missing, was in jail in LA

Cappie Pondexter , a retired WNBA star who was feared to have gone missing in the past several days , had been in a Los Angeles jail since Tuesday .
Pondexter on Thursday was released from custody after being arrested Tuesday on a battery charge , according to officer Jeff Lee of the Los Angeles Police Department ( LAPD ) .
After the `` private person 's arrest , '' Lee said Pondexter refused to provide any “ good identification '' to the arresting officers .
“ Eventually she was properly identified , and she was released today , ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was released from custody between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m .
ET .
He said the investigation into the alleged battery had been turned over to LAPD detectives .
At about 2 p.m .
ET , the WNBA Players Association ( WNBPA ) tweeted out a call for help in the search for Pondexter , a two-time WNBA champion .
“ We are sharing this out of concern for our fellow WNBPA sister , Cappie Pondexter , ’ ’ the WNBPA tweeted on its official Twitter account .
“ If you have any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ help us spread the word and ensure that she is safe.
’ ’ Pondexter ’ s agent , Chuck Brown , said he was concerned for Pondexter ’ s safety after she walked off soon after being released from jail .
“ She was very angry , ’ ’ Brown told USA TODAY Sports .
“ She was saying a lot of stuff that really didn ’ t make sense .
…We ’ re legit scared for her life right now.
’ ’ But later in the day , Brown tweeted that Pondexter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ We want to thank everyone who helped us get the word out and who sent love and prayers , ’ ’ he tweeted .
Reached by phone before news of her daughter ’ s arrest , Pondexter ’ s mother , Vanessa , told USA TODAY Sports she “ is not interested in saying anything right now.
’ ’ Pondexter , 37 , played in the WNBA between 2006 and 2018 and was a seven-time All-Star who won league titles in 2006 and 2007 as a member of the Phoenix Mercury .

Retired WNBA star Cappie Pondexter, feared to have gone missing, was in jail in LA
Cappie Pondexter, a retired WNBA star who was feared to have gone missing in the past several days, had been in a Los Angeles jail since Tuesday.
Pondexter on Thursday was released from custody after being arrested Tuesday on a battery charge, according to officer Jeff Lee of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD).
After the "private person's arrest,'' Lee said Pondexter refused to provide any “good identification'' to the arresting officers.
“Eventually she was properly identified, and she was released today,’’ Lee said, estimating that Pondexter was released from custody between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. ET. He said the investigation into the alleged battery had been turned over to LAPD detectives.
At about 2 p.m. ET, the WNBA Players Association (WNBPA) tweeted out a call for help in the search for Pondexter, a two-time WNBA champion.
“We are sharing this out of concern for our fellow WNBPA sister, Cappie Pondexter,’’ the
WNBPA tweeted on its official Twitter account. “If you have any information, please contact authorities. Please help us spread the word and ensure that she is safe.’’
Pondexter’s agent, Chuck Brown, said he was concerned for Pondexter’s safety after she walked off soon after being released from jail.
“She was very angry,’’ Brown told USA TODAY Sports. “She was saying a lot of stuff that really didn’t make sense. …We’re legit scared for her life right now.’’
But later in the day, Brown tweeted that Pondexter had been located and was safe.
“We want to thank everyone who helped us get the word out and who sent love and prayers,’’ he tweeted.
Reached by phone before news of her daughter’s arrest, Pondexter’s mother, Vanessa, told USA TODAY Sports she “is not interested in saying anything right now.’’
Pondexter, 37, played in the WNBA between 2006 and 2018 and was a seven-time All-Star who won league titles in 2006 and 2007 as a member of the Phoenix Mercury.


usatoday--2020-10-09--'Oversized, standardless, intentional:' US sues Yale, alleging bias against Asian and white applican

The U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Yale University on Thursday for alleged discrimination against Asian and white applicants , the latest in a series of federal investigations and lawsuits against Ivy League colleges .
`` For the last few decades , Yale ’ s oversized , standardless , intentional use of race has subjected domestic , non-transfer applicants to Yale College to discrimination on the ground of race , '' the complaint , filed in Connecticut district court , reads .
Yale 's discrimination , according to the lawsuit , `` includes imposing undue and unlawful penalties @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Justice Department said , show the college violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 , which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race and national origin .
Yale 's affirmative action policies rely `` upon and reinforces damaging race-based stereotypes , '' the Justice Department said in the lawsuit , adding that these considerations were `` apart from the applicants ’ personal and individual challenges pursuing educational opportunities . ''
In a statement , Yale president Peter Salovey denied the lawsuit 's allegations , calling it `` baseless '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ policies will not change because of the filing .
`` We look forward to defending these policies in court , '' he wrote .
The complaint comes after a two-year investigation concluded in August that Yale “ rejects scores of Asian American and white applicants each year based on their race , whom it otherwise would admit , ” the Justice Department said .
The investigation stemmed from a 2016 complaint against Yale , Brown and Dartmouth .
The U.S. said it was prepared to sue if the school did not take “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Department of Education announced it was investigating Princeton University for lapses in its nondiscriminatory practices .
Last year , a Boston federal judge cleared Harvard University of discriminating against Asian American applicants , legal efforts that the Justice Department supported .
It also follows President Donald Trump 's accusations of `` the liberal indoctrination of America 's youth '' at nation 's colleges , and the passage of an executive order that says that many people are advocating for an “ ideology is rooted in the pernicious and false belief that America is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ''

'Oversized, standardless, intentional:' US sues Yale, alleging bias against Asian and white applicants
Show Caption Hide Caption On This Day: 8 October 1985 Multiple Grammy-winning star Bruno Mars was born Peter Gene Hernandez, in Honolulu. (Oct. 8) AP
The U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Yale University on Thursday for alleged discrimination against Asian and white applicants, the latest in a series of federal investigations and lawsuits against Ivy League colleges.
"For the last few decades, Yale’s oversized, standardless, intentional use of race has subjected domestic, non-transfer applicants to Yale College to discrimination on the ground of race," the complaint, filed in Connecticut district court, reads.
Yale's discrimination, according to the lawsuit, "includes imposing undue and unlawful penalties on racially-disfavored applicants.
Those policies, the Justice Department said, show the college violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race and national origin.
Yale's affirmative action policies rely "upon and reinforces damaging race-based stereotypes," the Justice Department said in the lawsuit, adding that these considerations were "apart from the applicants’ personal and individual challenges pursuing educational opportunities."
In a statement, Yale president Peter Salovey denied the lawsuit's allegations, calling it "baseless" and writing that Yale’s admissions policies will not change because of the filing.
"We look forward to defending these policies in court," he wrote.
The complaint comes after a two-year investigation concluded in August that Yale “rejects scores of Asian American and white applicants each year based on their race, whom it otherwise would admit,” the Justice Department said. The investigation stemmed from a 2016 complaint against Yale, Brown and Dartmouth.
The U.S. said it was prepared to sue if the school did not take “remedial measures.”
Last month, the Department of Education announced it was investigating Princeton University for lapses in its nondiscriminatory practices. Last year, a Boston federal judge cleared Harvard University of discriminating against Asian American applicants, legal efforts that the Justice Department supported.
It also follows President Donald Trump's accusations of "the liberal indoctrination of America's youth" at nation's colleges, and the passage of an executive order that says that many people are advocating for an “ideology is rooted in the pernicious and false belief that America is an irredeemably racist and sexist country."
Contributing: The Associated Press.


usatoday--2020-10-08--Biden slams President Trump for not condemning militias after speaking with Gov. Whitmer

Biden slams President Trump for not condemning militias after speaking with Gov .
Whitmer Joe Biden says President Donald Trump @ @ @ @ @ words he utters matter ” following the kidnapping plot against Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer .

Joe Biden slams President Trump for not condemning militias
Joe Biden says President Donald Trump has to realize the "words he utters matter” following the kidnapping plot against Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
USA TODAY


usatoday--2020-10-08--Federal judge weighs arguments in lawsuit over Florida voter registration system crash

The fate of thousands of potential voters blocked from registering when the state ’ s online system went down for several hours before Monday ’ s 11:59 p.m. deadline is now in the hands of a federal judge .
After a sometimes heated two-hour hearing Thursday , Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker said he would make a decision at some point later in the day whether the state had to extend the deadline .
“ I will try to get an order out quickly as I can today , ” Walker said , noting that he had kept a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hold for 90 minutes .
Walker also acknowledged the time constraints , with the election mere weeks away .
He anticipated that whatever his order says , it will be appealed by one of the sides .
A coalition of voter registration groups , as well as the Dream Defenders , New Florida Majority , Florida Immigrant Coalition , Organize Florida and two would-be voters who said they were prevented from registering before Monday 's deadline , sued the state .
They claim thousands of voters were disenfranchised when the online system crashed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gov .
Ron DeSantis and Secretary of State Laurel Lee , the state 's chief elections officer , the plaintiffs also said a decision announced around noon Tuesday to extend the deadline to 7 p.m. Tuesday was not enough time to capture all the people who tried to register but could n't .
They ’ ve asked for an additional extension of the voter registration deadline .
Toward the beginning of the hearing , Walker dismissed DeSantis as a defendant , after a short discussion with his attorney to determine that DeSantis did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deadline in this context .
Lee said she had consulted with DeSantis before declaring Tuesday ’ s extension .
“ Secretary Lee could have consulted tarot cards , but that doesn ’ t mean you can sue the tarot cards , ” said Walker , an appointee of former President Barack Obama , in the hearing .
According to numbers provided by Deputy Chief information Officer Scott Maynor , only 19 % more people registered on the day of the deadline than had registered the day before – far short of the 140 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the registration period to 7 p.m. added an additional 50,000 voters , Maynor said .
“ It 's fair to say there was an impact because of system failure , ” said attorney Mohammed Jazil , representing Lee .
“ But we showed we addressed that.
” That total still falls short of the expected increase , Walker said : “ I realize we abandoned science , but have we also shown that math is disfavored ?
” he asked .
“ Over 20,000 people lost out on their chance to register online @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , representing the plaintiffs , said the number of new voters don ’ t reflect all the people who tried and failed to register Monday .
He also questioned whether the people who were blocked from registering online were notified of the extension .
Walker responded , “ The fact that far fewer registered than could have would suggest that ‘ Houston we have a problem , ’ notwithstanding corrective action.
” The state argued that extending the deadline further would place a burden on local supervisors of elections , submitting affidavits from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who is currently vice president of the state supervisors association , and Okaloosa County Supervisor of Elections Paul Lux .
In his experience , Earley said , another extension of the voter registration deadline would only add more confusion and reinforce the mistrust voters already have surrounding this election .
“ Florida hasn ’ t managed to count votes properly when there wasn ’ t a pandemic , '' Walker said .
`` The fact is , there is a pandemic .
The fact is , huge percentages of people are voting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there will be huge lines .
Don ’ t I have to consider the integrity of the entire voting process of Florida ?
” Supervisors have 13 days to process applications after they are submitted .
Even though the deadline was 11:59 p.m. , they are still required to take applications postmarked Oct. 5 .
They also continue to get applications after the deadline from the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles and public assistance agencies .
Walker questioned Jazil several times about what authority the secretary had to extend the deadline @ @ @ @ @ @ @ order county supervisors of elections to ignore the law .
After several minutes going back and forth without getting a satisfactory answer , Walker said , “ Somebody has to have the legal authority to change it .
You are joining in a circular firing squad to say we 're all meeting and talking about it .
“ The fact remains we have a mandate set by Florida law and somebody changed it .
Did it happen organically or did it happen pursuant to her directive ?
Jazil also challenged the legal standing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state , especially after two voters named in the original complaint voluntarily dismissed themselves after it turned out they made false statements about their voter registration status .
“ He hasn ’ t identified a single member of a single organization affected by the extension of the deadline , ” Jazil said .
“ You need an actual member for standing , and none is listed… That is fatal.
” Also , Jazil said , the organizations failed to provide specific details about projects that were placed on hold because of the system @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of what is being done differently , ” he said .
“ I do not possibly understand how they have standing in light of this.
” Naifeh said their mission is to register voters , which was effectively stopped when the system went down .
“ They were frustrated by the failure of the system and they continue to have that mission frustrated and injured , ” he said .
For example , one organization had tried to help an ex-felon register after he finally paid off his fines on the day of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people who only found out on Monday that their registration had lapsed couldn ’ t do anything about it until they got off work .
The hearing also focused on the balancing test between the burdens a state imposes with voting restrictions and the state 's asserted benefits .
On the one hand , there are disenfranchised voters who will be barred from voting in the Nov. 3 general election , Walker said .
On the other , there is a potential burden on the state and county elections officials if the deadline @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s “ thoughtful affidavit describing potential confusion and problems….
” Jazil said the registration system ’ s failure was a minor burden given that the state responded by extending the registration period .
Walker disagreed .
“ If the system is down for six hours , and 50-60,000 people do n't get to register , I do n't understand for the life of me how that is minor , ” the judge said .
“ You knew based on past years that thousands were going to use this device and it failed for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than an “ oopsie , ” Walker said .
On the other hand , looking at the requested cure could add thousands of provisional ballots onto an already overwhelmed election system and a chaotic election , Walker said .
“ If reopened this for several hours , not hundreds but tens of thousands of people could apply .
If I allow it to reopen for several hours , we ’ re still looking at a couple days from now , ” he said .
“ Is n't that a significant burden or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public interest ?
” Naifeh said his clients weren ’ t asking for the state to change its election rules , but to honor the ones they created : “ These were not people who missed the deadline .
These are people that tried to submit their applications within the deadline.
” This is a developing story .
Check back for updates .
Contact Jeff Schweers at jschweers @ gannett.com and follow him on Twitter @ jeffschweers .

Federal judge weighs arguments in lawsuit over Florida voter registration system crash
Show Caption Hide Caption Why voter suppression in the US has increased since 2013 Civil rights experts point to long wait times to vote as a sign of growing voter suppression in the U.S. Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
The fate of thousands of potential voters blocked from registering when the state’s online system went down for several hours before Monday’s 11:59 p.m. deadline is now in the hands of a federal judge.
After a sometimes heated two-hour hearing Thursday, Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker said he would make a decision at some point later in the day whether the state had to extend the deadline.
“I will try to get an order out quickly as I can today,” Walker said, noting that he had kept a jury in another trial in Gainesville on hold for 90 minutes.
Walker also acknowledged the time constraints, with the election mere weeks away. He anticipated that whatever his order says, it will be appealed by one of the sides.
A coalition of voter registration groups, as well as the Dream Defenders, New Florida Majority, Florida Immigrant Coalition, Organize Florida and two would-be voters who said they were prevented from registering before Monday's deadline, sued the state. They claim thousands of voters were disenfranchised when the online system crashed.
In their lawsuit filed Tuesday against Gov. Ron DeSantis and Secretary of State Laurel Lee, the state's chief elections officer, the plaintiffs also said a decision announced around noon Tuesday to extend the deadline to 7 p.m. Tuesday was not enough time to capture all the people who tried to register but couldn't.
They’ve asked for an additional extension of the voter registration deadline.
Toward the beginning of the hearing, Walker dismissed DeSantis as a defendant, after a short discussion with his attorney to determine that DeSantis did not have the authority to extend the deadline in this context. Lee said she had consulted with DeSantis before declaring Tuesday’s extension.
“Secretary Lee could have consulted tarot cards, but that doesn’t mean you can sue the tarot cards,” said Walker, an appointee of former President Barack Obama, in the hearing.
According to numbers provided by Deputy Chief information Officer Scott Maynor, only 19% more people registered on the day of the deadline than had registered the day before – far short of the 140% uptick seen in 2018. Extending the registration period to 7 p.m. added an additional 50,000 voters, Maynor said.
“It's fair to say there was an impact because of system failure,” said attorney Mohammed Jazil, representing Lee. “But we showed we addressed that.”
That total still falls short of the expected increase, Walker said: “I realize we abandoned science, but have we also shown that math is disfavored?” he asked. “Over 20,000 people lost out on their chance to register online because of this snafu.”
Stuart Naifeh, representing the plaintiffs, said the number of new voters don’t reflect all the people who tried and failed to register Monday. He also questioned whether the people who were blocked from registering online were notified of the extension.
Walker responded, “The fact that far fewer registered than could have would suggest that ‘Houston we have a problem,’ notwithstanding corrective action.”
The state argued that extending the deadline further would place a burden on local supervisors of elections, submitting affidavits from Leon County Supervisor of Elections Mark Earley, who is currently vice president of the state supervisors association, and Okaloosa County Supervisor of Elections Paul Lux.
In his experience, Earley said, another extension of the voter registration deadline would only add more confusion and reinforce the mistrust voters already have surrounding this election.
More: Leon Elections Supervisor Mark Earley: Extending voter registration would create 'confusion'
“Florida hasn’t managed to count votes properly when there wasn’t a pandemic," Walker said. "The fact is, there is a pandemic. The fact is, huge percentages of people are voting by mail. The fact is, there will be huge lines. Don’t I have to consider the integrity of the entire voting process of Florida?”
Supervisors have 13 days to process applications after they are submitted. Even though the deadline was 11:59 p.m., they are still required to take applications postmarked Oct. 5. They also continue to get applications after the deadline from the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles and public assistance agencies.
Walker questioned Jazil several times about what authority the secretary had to extend the deadline beyond what state law says, and order county supervisors of elections to ignore the law. After several minutes going back and forth without getting a satisfactory answer, Walker said, “Somebody has to have the legal authority to change it. You are joining in a circular firing squad to say we're all meeting and talking about it.
“The fact remains we have a mandate set by Florida law and somebody changed it. Did it happen organically or did it happen pursuant to her directive?
Jazil also challenged the legal standing of the voter organizations to sue the state, especially after two voters named in the original complaint voluntarily dismissed themselves after it turned out they made false statements about their voter registration status.
“He hasn’t identified a single member of a single organization affected by the extension of the deadline,” Jazil said. “You need an actual member for standing, and none is listed… That is fatal.”
Also, Jazil said, the organizations failed to provide specific details about projects that were placed on hold because of the system problems. “We have no specifics of what is being done differently,” he said. “I do not possibly understand how they have standing in light of this.”
Naifeh said their mission is to register voters, which was effectively stopped when the system went down.
“They were frustrated by the failure of the system and they continue to have that mission frustrated and injured,” he said.
For example, one organization had tried to help an ex-felon register after he finally paid off his fines on the day of the deadline. In other cases, people who only found out on Monday that their registration had lapsed couldn’t do anything about it until they got off work.
The hearing also focused on the balancing test between the burdens a state imposes with voting restrictions and the state's asserted benefits. On the one hand, there are disenfranchised voters who will be barred from voting in the Nov. 3 general election, Walker said.
On the other, there is a potential burden on the state and county elections officials if the deadline is extended as described by Earley’s “thoughtful affidavit describing potential confusion and problems….”
Jazil said the registration system’s failure was a minor burden given that the state responded by extending the registration period. Walker disagreed.
“If the system is down for six hours, and 50-60,000 people don't get to register, I don't understand for the life of me how that is minor,” the judge said. “You knew based on past years that thousands were going to use this device and it failed for hours.”
That suggests the problem was more than an “oopsie,” Walker said.
On the other hand, looking at the requested cure could add thousands of provisional ballots onto an already overwhelmed election system and a chaotic election, Walker said.
“If reopened this for several hours, not hundreds but tens of thousands of people could apply. If I allow it to reopen for several hours, we’re still looking at a couple days from now,” he said. “Isn't that a significant burden or harm when talking about balancing equity of public interest?”
Naifeh said his clients weren’t asking for the state to change its election rules, but to honor the ones they created: “These were not people who missed the deadline. These are people that tried to submit their applications within the deadline.”
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Contact Jeff Schweers at jschweers@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter @jeffschweers.
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usatoday--2020-10-08--How Susan Page felt moderating the vice presidential debate with Mike Pence, Kamala Harris

How Susan Page felt moderating the vice presidential debate with Mike Pence , Kamala Harris Vice presidential debate moderator and @ @ @ @ @ Susan Page explains her `` Thank you , Vice President Pence '' approach , takeaways @

What Susan Page thought of the Pence-Harris vice presidential debate
Vice presidential debate moderator and USA TODAY Washington Bureau chief Susan Page explains her "Thank you, Vice President Pence" approach, takeaways.
USA TODAY


usatoday--2020-10-08--'She never answered the question': Pence presses Harris over expanding the Supreme Court

WASHINGTON — Vice President Mike Pence tried to get Democratic vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris to answer a question that she and Biden have been dodging : Do they support expanding the Supreme Court as many liberals are advocating ?
Pence said during Wednesday 's vice presidential debate the public deserves to know , calling it a classic case of `` trying to change the rules '' if `` you can ’ t win by the rules . ''
Harris preferred to talk about Republicans ’ decision to move forward with filling the current Supreme Court vacancy so close to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so glad we went through a little history lesson .
Let ’ s do that a little more , ” she said .
Harris went back to 1864 , when she said Abraham Lincoln didn ’ t think it right to fill a vacancy 27 days before an election .
“ The American people are voting right now and it should be their decision about who will serve on this most important body for a lifetime , ” she said .
Pence noted that Harris hadn ’ t said whether she wants to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ haven ’ t figured it out yet , the straight answer is , they are going to pack the Supreme Court , ” he said .
More : Moderator Susan Page hopes Mike Pence-Kamala Harris vice presidential debate was helpful for voters : 'That was the point' More : VP debate takeaways : 5 things from Mike Pence and Kamala Harris more important than that fly Harris said Trump has been stacking the bench with people “ who are purely ideological.
” Of the 50 people Trump appointed to the court of appeals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Black , she charged .
If Pence wants to talk about packing the court , she said , “ let ’ s have that discussion.
” Number of justices is not in Constitution The expansion of the Supreme Court emerged as a flashpoint among progressives as Democrats debated how to respond to Republicans ' efforts to fill the Supreme Court seat vacated by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg 's death .
Some liberals argued Democrats should move to expand the Supreme Court beyond its current nine seats if they win the presidency and Senate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ change the size of the court , it could , with a president willing to approve it or enough support to override a veto .
`` There 's nothing in the Constitution that limits the size of the Supreme Court , '' Josh Blackman , a professor at the South Texas College of Law , told USA TODAY .
`` It 's fluctuated over time . ''
The Supreme Court 's website says , `` The Constitution places the power to determine the number of Justices in the hands of Congress .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , set the number of Justices at six , one Chief Justice and five Associates . ''
The number of justices through the Civil War went from a low of five to a high of 10 .
Congress has not changed the size of the court since the Judiciary Act of 1869 , when it was set at nine .
Conservatives have hammered Democrats over the debate on expanding the Court .
Sen. Josh Hawley , R-Mo.
, said on `` Fox and Friends '' Thursday morning Harris declined to answer the question @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Court , '' saying Democrats would try to `` rig American democracy . ''
Democratic strategist David Axelrod , a chief strategist to former President Barack Obama 's presidential campaigns , acknowledged on CNN Wednesday evening , Harris `` should 've had a better answer than the non-answer she gave '' about the Court .
More : ' I 'm speaking ' : Harris , Pence clash evident at vice presidential debate even with body language

Maureen Groppe and Nicholas Wu, USA TODAY

'She never answered the question': Pence presses Harris over expanding the Supreme Court
Show Caption Hide Caption VP debate: Kamala Harris, Mike Pence joust over SCOTUS Senator Kamala Harris and Vice President Mike Pence debate the appointment of Supreme Court justices. USA TODAY
WASHINGTON — Vice President Mike Pence tried to get Democratic vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris to answer a question that she and Biden have been dodging: Do they support expanding the Supreme Court as many liberals are advocating?
Pence said during Wednesday's vice presidential debate the public deserves to know, calling it a classic case of "trying to change the rules" if "you can’t win by the rules."
Harris preferred to talk about Republicans’ decision to move forward with filling the current Supreme Court vacancy so close to an election.
“I’m so glad we went through a little history lesson. Let’s do that a little more,” she said. Harris went back to 1864, when she said Abraham Lincoln didn’t think it right to fill a vacancy 27 days before an election.
“The American people are voting right now and it should be their decision about who will serve on this most important body for a lifetime,” she said.
Pence noted that Harris hadn’t said whether she wants to expand the court.
“If you haven’t figured it out yet, the straight answer is, they are going to pack the Supreme Court,” he said.
How a Supreme Court justice is nominated, confirmed, and opposed The Supreme Court is a vital component of our democracy. Here's how the process works to nominate, confirm, and oppose a potential justice. Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
More: Moderator Susan Page hopes Mike Pence-Kamala Harris vice presidential debate was helpful for voters: 'That was the point'
More: VP debate takeaways: 5 things from Mike Pence and Kamala Harris more important than that fly
Harris said Trump has been stacking the bench with people “who are purely ideological.” Of the 50 people Trump appointed to the court of appeals for a lifetime appointment, none are Black, she charged.
If Pence wants to talk about packing the court, she said, “let’s have that discussion.”
Number of justices is not in Constitution
The expansion of the Supreme Court emerged as a flashpoint among progressives as Democrats debated how to respond to Republicans' efforts to fill the Supreme Court seat vacated by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's death. Some liberals argued Democrats should move to expand the Supreme Court beyond its current nine seats if they win the presidency and Senate in November.
If Congress wanted to change the size of the court, it could, with a president willing to approve it or enough support to override a veto.
"There's nothing in the Constitution that limits the size of the Supreme Court," Josh Blackman, a professor at the South Texas College of Law, told USA TODAY. "It's fluctuated over time."
The Supreme Court's website says, "The Constitution places the power to determine the number of Justices in the hands of Congress. The first Judiciary Act, passed in 1789, set the number of Justices at six, one Chief Justice and five Associates."
The number of justices through the Civil War went from a low of five to a high of 10. Congress has not changed the size of the court since the Judiciary Act of 1869, when it was set at nine.
Conservatives have hammered Democrats over the debate on expanding the Court. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., said on "Fox and Friends" Thursday morning Harris declined to answer the question because "they are going absolutely pack the Court," saying Democrats would try to "rig American democracy."
Democratic strategist David Axelrod, a chief strategist to former President Barack Obama's presidential campaigns, acknowledged on CNN Wednesday evening, Harris "should've had a better answer than the non-answer she gave" about the Court.
More: 'I'm speaking': Harris, Pence clash evident at vice presidential debate even with body language


usatoday--2020-10-08--Trump tells Fox Business he won't participate in virtual presidential debate

President Donald Trump told Fox Business that he wo n't `` waste my time '' on a virtual presidential debate @

Trump says he won't 'waste my time' on virtual debate
President Donald Trump told Fox Business that he won't "waste my time" on a virtual presidential debate.
USA TODAY