usatoday--2020-08-31--Liberty University opens investigation into 'all facets' of Jerry Falwell Jr.'s tenure

WASHINGTON — Liberty University on Monday announced it has opened an independent investigation into `` all facets '' of the tenure of Jerry Falwell Jr. , the evangelical school 's disgraced former president who resigned last week amid an alleged sex scandal .
The school hired a leading outside forensics firm , according to a statement issued by the Liberty 's executive committee on behalf of the board of trustees , that will investigate all aspects of his 13-year run leading the school including `` financial , real estate and legal matters . ''
The school did not provide further @ @ @ @ @ @ @ based in Lynchburg , Virginia , is `` committed to learning the consequences that have flowed from a lack of spiritual stewardship by our former president , '' the statement said .
Falwell , an ardent an early supporter of President Donald Trump and the son of the university 's televangelist founder Jerry Fallwell , Sr. , resigned last week after a Reuters published an interview with a man who said he had a yearslong sexual relationship with the evangelical leader 's wife , Becki Falwell , with her husband 's consent and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Giancarlo Granda , said the relationship involved him having sex with Becki Falwell while Jerry Falwell watched .
Falwell , university president since 2007 , acknowledged his wife 's extramarital affair in a statement but said he was not involved and that he and Becki forgave each other .
Liberty 's board statement said the past week `` challenged all of us to the core '' and defended the university 's actions .
`` While we had been willing to extend grace and understanding to Jerry Falwell , Jr. before , '' the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decisively '' to ask for his immediate resignation after revelations about his personal life `` came more fully to light . ''
Michael Bowe , Falwell 's attorney , did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the new investigation .
Falwell had been on leave from Liberty University since Aug. 7 , after he posted ( and later deleted ) a controversial photo of himself with his arm around a pregnant woman , both of their stomachs exposed and their pants unzipped .
`` Some may say that all the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before last week , '' the university said .
`` It ’ s certainly fair to say that there were questionable comments made , worrying behavior , and inappropriate social media posts , but all the signs were not there until the start of last week .
While we still didn ’ t know the full scope of the matter , we have learned enough about the past to know that we had no choice but to take the leadership of Liberty University in a new direction . ''
Founded in 1971 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 15,000 on campus and more than 100,000 when counting its online courses .
Known for its conservative politics , Liberty 's honor code states , `` Sexual relations outside of a biblically-ordained marriage between a natural-born man and a natural-born woman are not permissible at Liberty University . ''
Falwell was among the earliest Christian conservatives to endorse Trump ’ s 2016 presidential campaign and has routinely been in the spotlight since then for a series of controversies in both his role at Liberty and his personal life .
As severance compensation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Washington Post he will receive $ 2.5 million over two years and then $ 8 million in retirement .
More : Jerry Falwell Jr. and Liberty University : What we know Liberty 's board of directors also committed to considering the installment of a new leadership position to serve as a `` spiritual coach , mentor and guide '' to help ensure that every member of he Liberty community fulfills his or her '' spiritual responsibility to live out the Christian walk expected of each and every one of us at Liberty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jerry Provo to use the `` full range of his presidential authority '' to implement any changes necessary to improve the ongoing operations of the university .
`` We ask for continued prayers as we all manage this transition and for a continued commitment by us all to fulfill our spiritual mission here at Liberty University today and always , '' the university statement said .

Liberty University opens investigation into 'all facets' of Jerry Falwell Jr.'s tenure
Show Caption Hide Caption Jerry Falwell Jr. resigns as head of Liberty University amid reports Jerry Falwell Jr., president of Liberty University, has resigned from the school amid reports of his wife's sexual relationship with a business partner. USA TODAY
WASHINGTON — Liberty University on Monday announced it has opened an independent investigation into "all facets" of the tenure of Jerry Falwell Jr., the evangelical school's disgraced former president who resigned last week amid an alleged sex scandal.
The school hired a leading outside forensics firm, according to a statement issued by the Liberty's executive committee on behalf of the board of trustees, that will investigate all aspects of Falwell's 13-year run leading the school including "financial, real estate and legal matters." The school did not provide further details of the scope.
Liberty, based in Lynchburg, Virginia, is "committed to learning the consequences that have flowed from a lack of spiritual stewardship by our former president," the statement said.
Falwell, an ardent an early supporter of President Donald Trump and the son of the university's televangelist founder Jerry Fallwell, Sr., resigned last week after Reuters published an interview with a man who said he had a yearslong sexual relationship with the evangelical leader's wife, Becki Falwell, with her husband's consent and encouragement. The man, business partner Giancarlo Granda, said the relationship involved him having sex with Becki Falwell while Jerry Falwell watched.
More: Jerry Falwell Jr. officially resigns as Liberty University president, university confirms
Falwell, university president since 2007, acknowledged his wife's extramarital affair but said he was not involved and that he and Becki forgave each other.
Liberty's board statement said the past week "challenged all of us to the core." School officials defended the university's actions. "While we had been willing to extend grace and understanding to Jerry Falwell, Jr. before," the university said it acted "swiftly and decisively" to ask for his immediate resignation after revelations about his personal life "came more fully to light."
Michael Bowe, Falwell's attorney, did not respond to a request for comment on the new investigation.
Falwell had been on leave from Liberty University since Aug. 7, after he posted (and later deleted) a controversial photo of himself with his arm around a pregnant woman, both of their stomachs exposed and their pants unzipped.
"Some may say that all the signs were there for a long time before last week," the university said. "It’s certainly fair to say that there were questionable comments made, worrying behavior, and inappropriate social media posts, but all the signs were not there until the start of last week. While we still didn’t know the full scope of the matter, we have learned enough about the past to know that we had no choice but to take the leadership of Liberty University in a new direction."
Founded in 1971, Liberty has a student body of more than 15,000 on campus and more than 100,000 when counting its online courses. Known for its conservative politics, Liberty's honor code states, "Sexual relations outside of a biblically-ordained marriage between a natural-born man and a natural-born woman are not permissible at Liberty University."
Falwell was among the earliest Christian conservatives to endorse Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign and has routinely been in the spotlight since then for a series of controversies in both his role at Liberty and his personal life.
As severance compensation dictated by his contract, Falwell told the Washington Post he will receive $2.5 million over two years and then $8 million in retirement.
More: Jerry Falwell Jr. and Liberty University: What we know
Liberty's board of directors also committed to considering the installment of a new leadership position to serve as a "spiritual coach, mentor and guide" to help ensure that every member of he Liberty community fulfills his or her" spiritual responsibility to live out the Christian walk expected of each and every one of us at Liberty."
The university tasked Acting President Jerry Provo to use the "full range of his presidential authority" to implement any changes necessary to improve the ongoing operations of the university.
"We ask for continued prayers as we all manage this transition and for a continued commitment by us all to fulfill our spiritual mission here at Liberty University today and always," the university statement said.
Reach Joey Garrison on Twitter @joeygarrison.


usatoday--2020-08-31--That didn't take long: Delta, American join United in ditching $200 change fee on US flights

Delta Air Lines and American Airlines have joined rival United Airlines in ditching onerous change fees for U.S. flights .
As with United , their policies eliminate the $ 200 change fee on domestic tickets except for the airlines ' basic economy tickets , no-frills fares with a pile of restrictions including no changes or cancellations .
However , change fees are waived on even those tickets on both airlines through the end of the year due to its more flexible COVID-19 travel policies .
“ We ’ ve said before that we need to approach flexibility differently than this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ today ’ s announcement builds on that promise to ensure we ’ re offering industry-leading flexibility , space and care to our customers , ” Delta CEO Ed Bastian said in a statement .
“ We want our customers to book and travel with peace of mind , knowing that we ’ ll continue evaluating our policies to maintain the high standard of flexibility they expect.
” Before the coronavirus pandemic , Bastian and other Delta executives were dropping hints that the airline was going to change its change policy .
Southwest has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chief Revenue Officer Vasu Raja said the elimination of change fees , along with the new option to standby for another flight on the day of your flight for free , is designed to help travelers in a changing travel environment .
`` American is offering more flexibility and ease than ever before , should travel plans change , '' he said in a statement .
Unlike United , American said travelers who change a flight will receive a credit for any fare difference if the new flight is less expensive than the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be leaving a lot of money on the table when travel rebounds .
Delta collected $ 830.2 million in change fees in 2019 , more than any U.S. carrier , followed by American at $ 818.7 million and United at $ 625 million , according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics .
The industry 's total take was $ 2.8 billion .
The beginning of the end of airline change fees ?
United is ditching them for good – with a major catch Airlines regularly match each others ' fares and fees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ raised change fees by $ 50 , to $ 200 , in 2013 , its major competitors matched within weeks .
Airline analyst Joseph DeNardi of investment firm Stifel said in a report Monday that he expected United 's rivals to match for competitive reasons .
`` On a scale of competitive actions with 1 being benign and 10 being nuclear , we view United 's announcement as somewhere north of a 5 given that it 's likely to result in escalation , '' he said .
DeNardi said he thinks one of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ airline to eliminate the $ 200 fee was to put pressure on financially weaker American .

Hawaiian joins Delta, American, United and Alaska in ditching change fees on US flights
Show Caption Hide Caption Multiple major US airlines drop change fees on domestic tickets Delta Air Lines, American Airlines and Alaska Airlines have all joined United Airlines in ditching change fees for flights within the U.S. USA TODAY
Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, Alaska Airlines and now Hawaiian Airlines have all joined rival United Airlines in ditching onerous change fees for U.S. flights.
As with United, Delta and American's policies eliminate the $200 change fee on domestic tickets, except for the airlines' basic economy tickets, no-frills fares with a pile of restrictions including no changes or cancellations. But change fees are waived on even those tickets on both airlines through the end of the year due to its more flexible COVID-19 travel policies.
“We’ve said before that we need to approach flexibility differently than this industry has in the past, and today’s announcement builds on that promise to ensure we’re offering industry-leading flexibility, space and care to our customers,” Delta CEO Ed Bastian said in a statement. “We want our customers to book and travel with peace of mind, knowing that we’ll continue evaluating our policies to maintain the high standard of flexibility they expect.”
Before the coronavirus pandemic, Bastian and other Delta executives were dropping hints that the airline was going to change its change policy.
Southwest has never charged a change fee.
American Chief Revenue Officer Vasu Raja said the elimination of change fees, along with the new option to stand by for free for another flight on the day of your flight, is designed to help travelers in a changing travel environment.
"American is offering more flexibility and ease than ever before, should travel plans change,'' he said in a statement.
Unlike United, American is eliminating change fees on some international flights, including flights to Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean.
American also said travelers who change a flight will receive a credit for any fare difference if the new flight is less expensive than the original. Under United's policy, travelers forfeit any fare difference if the new flight is cheaper.
On Tuesday, Alaska Airlines followed suit, and, like American, also dropped its change fees on international flights as well. (The Seattle-based carrier flies to Canada, Mexico and Costa Rica.) The new policy applies to all tickets except Saver fares, Alaska's version of basic economy.
Until Tuesday, Alaska charged $125 to change a reservation, except for guests traveling on refundable tickets and Mileage Plan top elite status members.
"COVID has taught us that flexibility in travel is key," said Andrew Harrison, executive vice president and chief commercial officer for Alaska Airlines. "As we evolve our approach to travel to include more than 100 safety actions, it's important to give our guests flexibility when they book by eliminating change fees."
At the same time, Alaska announced it's extending its flexible travel policy on all new ticket purchases – including Saver fares – through Dec. 31.
On Thursday, Hawaiian Airlines said aloha to all change fees on domestic and international flights, including Main Cabin Basic reservations, the airline's lowest fares.
“We know our guests’ plans change for a variety of reasons, and we want them to book a flight with confidence and the flexibility to travel when they are ready to take that special Hawai‘i vacation, visit friends and relatives or do business on our neighbor islands,” said Hawaiian Airlines President and CEO Peter Ingram in a statement.
Until Thursday, Hawaiian charged $150 to change reservations for international destinations and for flights between Hawaii and North America. For reservations within Hawaii, there was previously a $30 change fee.
The airlines will be leaving a lot of money on the table when travel rebounds. Delta collected $830.2 million in change fees in 2019, more than any U.S. carrier, followed by American at $818.7 million and United at $625 million, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. The industry's total take was $2.8 billion.
The beginning of the end of airline change fees? United is ditching them for good – with a major catch
Airlines regularly match each others' fares and fees in the ultracompetitive industry. When United raised change fees by $50, to $200, in 2013, its major competitors matched within weeks.
Airline analyst Joseph DeNardi of investment firm Stifel said in a report Monday that he expected United's rivals to match for competitive reasons.
"On a scale of competitive actions with 1 being benign and 10 being nuclear, we view United's announcement as somewhere north of a 5 given that it's likely to result in escalation,'' he said.
DeNardi said he thinks one of United's motives in being the first airline to eliminate the $200 fee was to put pressure on financially weaker American.
Contributing: Cydney Henderson, Jayme Deerwester


usatoday--2020-08-31--Sentenced under now invalid drug laws and less than a year from freedom, inmate gets COVID-19

By the time prison officials told William Forrester he had COVID-19 , he 'd already lost his sense of taste and smell .
The persistent headaches , body tremors and diarrhea had already begun .
On his worst days , his stomach cramps were so bad he couldn ’ t stand , his back pain so severe he couldn ’ t sit up to eat .
He said he had to ask a fellow inmate to scoop coffee for him because his hands trembled so badly .
One day , he found himself lying on the shower floor as he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ head felt like it was filled with air .
This is particularly troubling for Forrester , a 63-year-old who lost one lung nearly two decades ago to cancer .
Forrester has spent more than a decade in a Florida state prison for faking opioid prescriptions for himself during a years-long addiction to painkillers following a lung operation .
His 15-year sentence was a product of mandatory minimum laws crafted years ago to fight the state 's drug epidemic .
Nationwide , mandatory minimums require judges to hand down predetermined and often lengthy sentences @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are non-violent drug offenses .
But advocates and legal experts say the harsh sentences treated those addicted to drugs , like Forrester , as if they were violent drug kingpins .
Less than a year away from freedom , imprisoned under laws that have since been invalidated , Forrester fears he 'll die before he is free .
`` I hope I ’ m not doing a death sentence , '' he said .
In the federal system , more than 7,500 prisoners have been moved out of prison after Attorney General William @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vulnerable inmates to home confinement .
Among those who have been allowed to serve the rest of their sentences under house arrest amid coronavirus fears were high-profile criminals such as President Donald Trump 's former campaign manager Paul Manafort .
But critics say the federal Bureau of Prisons has been slow to implement Barr 's directives and still has left other nonviolent but less connected prisoners behind bars .
In the case of Forrester , a state prisoner , he applied for a furlough or a temporary release , but his request was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Coronavirus was Paul Manafort 's ticket home .
Many other old , ill , nonviolent inmates are still in prison Forrester is not alone There are many like Forrester in Florida ’ s criminal justice system .
A 2019 report from the state Department of Corrections showed that nearly 14,000 prisoners – 14 % of the prison population – are serving time for drug offenses .
The report does not distinguish violent prisoners from the nonviolent ones , or inmates serving time for opioid-related crimes from those who trafficked cocaine or heroin .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of opioid-related offenses led to a dramatic uptick in prison population from 2006 to 2011 .
In fiscal year 2010-2011 alone , 1,200 prisoners were serving time for opioid-related crimes ; 81 % had no previous drug offenses and 65 % needed substance abuse treatments , according to the report by Florida ’ s Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability .
In the federal system , mandatory minimum sentences have dropped significantly since the 1990s , although they continue to result in long punishments for thousands of federal inmates .
According @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nearly 20,000 federal cases in 2019 involved mandatory minimum punishments .
A large majority of which – more than 70 % – involved drug trafficking offenses .
Forrester tested positive for COVID-19 on July 13 .
He 's doing better now and assumes he 's negative , though he has n't been retested .
Still , in the close quarters of a prison , he fears getting the virus again is inevitable .
The possibility of reinfection , experts have said , is real .
Forrester has heard of other prisoners who died @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many times can I catch the virus and survive ?
So far , 340 prisoners at Bay Correctional and Rehabilitation Facility in Panama City , Florida , where Forrester is incarcerated , have tested positive .
Of the more than 95,000 prisoners in Florida , 15,500 or about 16 % have COVID-19 – an infection rate far exceeding the federal prison system 's .
The Florida Department of Corrections said it has suspended visitation , limited transfers between facilities , and staggered meal times to allow for social distancing at dining areas to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Symptomatic prisoners are placed in medical isolation , and officials conduct contact tracing for every positive case , the department said .
GEO Group , a private corporation that operates Bay Correctional and Rehabilitation Facility and a few other prisons in Florida , said it has started mass COVID-19 testing , distributed face masks to inmates and asked staffers to self-quarantine if they had contact with other employees with coronavirus .
Isolated and scared : The plight of juveniles locked up during the coronavirus pandemic Forrester was convicted in 2009 for trafficking 14 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drugs by fraud .
Although there was no evidence that Forrester sold drugs , the weight of the pills triggered a drug trafficking charge – punishable by a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years .
Under Florida law , had Forrester sold 200 grams of cocaine or methamphetamine , he would ’ ve been sentenced to just seven years .
Such was the result of laws passed to crack down on drug traffickers that have since ensnared those addicted to drugs .
`` The quintessential drug trafficker that the legislature had in mind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and shooting people in the neighborhood , '' said Janet Ferris , a retired Florida judge .
`` The reality in most communities is it ’ s not . ''
Acknowledging that sentencing laws had gone too far , the Florida legislature in 2014 raised the threshold weights that would trigger mandatory sentences .
Advocates heralded the change as a `` common sense '' law that would cut the number of nonviolent offenders sent to prison for lengthy sentences .
But the law isn ’ t retroactive and bills to make it retroactive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been convicted after the law was passed , he would ’ ve been sentenced to seven years .
He would 've been out by now .
'It gets more frightening ' : As coronavirus surges in prisons , families of elderly inmates wait in fear Harsh sentencing laws are not unique to Florida , although the state has increasingly become an outlier for having stringent mandatory minimum sentences , said Nancy Daniels , of the Florida Public Defender Association .
Judges , faced with defendants like Forrester , have no choice but to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were fair .
The judge who sentenced Forrester to 15 years acknowledged as much .
`` We get the addicted , and we get the organized crime , all threated the same under the wording of the Legislature , '' Judge Roger McDonald said during Forrester ’ s sentencing hearing in December 2009 , according to court transcripts .
`` But since the Legislature is the Legislature and the Court is the Court , we have to enforce the laws , and we ’ re stuck with them , and we can ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t exist . ''
Ferris said she often felt helpless when she had to face defendants in her courtroom , many of whom were young , first-time offenders .
`` I did not have the opportunity in many instances to do what I thought was in the interest of justice .
And that is a really , really troubling feeling , '' she said .
`` When people come into the courtroom and say , 'Judge , I ’ m asking for justice ' and you know what they ’ re saying is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ' I ’ m sorry I can ’ t do justice in this case because the legislature has enacted a mandatory sentencing law , I have to follow that . '
'' In 2002 , as he was visiting his grandmother in Bradenton , Fla. , Forrester received sobering news .
There were cancerous tumors in his left lung and he would likely die , he remembered his doctor telling him on the phone .
Multiple surgeries to remove his lung seemed to have stretched his life , but he spent the next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hospital .
Several visits were because of pneumonia .
That 's on top of a litany of other health problems : chronic headaches , chest and lower back pain , sleep apnea , strokes and panic attacks .
He had more surgeries to fix chronic spine issues .
All the while , he said , he was prescribed huge doses of pain killers .
He 'd spent much of his working years in telecommunications , first as a repairman in Florida , then as a pipeline controller in Oklahoma , then back to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ addiction got worse , he said he relied on disability benefits to help make ends meet .
As his health problems worsened , so did his addiction .
He was often at doctors ' offices and pain clinics , receiving prescriptions for dozens , if not hundreds of milligrams of various opioid medications , including MS Contin , methadone pills , oxycodone , morphine , hydromorphine , muscle relaxants and Marinol for his loss of appetite .
`` I was given hydrocodones by the hundreds , '' he said , referring to refillable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ soon realized that out of all the other life-threatening problems I had gone through , I was now in the middle of the most deadly , a big dependence on and addiction to opioids . ''
A pain management doctor testified at Forrester 's sentencing hearing that some of the doses Forrester had been prescribed were too much .
The morphine dose Forrester had been getting from another doctor `` was a little bit high , '' Dr. Gwinn Murray testified , according to court transcripts .
The last time Murray saw Forrester @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his oxycodone prescription because his pain had not gone away .
Murray , who believed patients should rely less on medication and more on other means to deal with their pain , denied the request , according to transcripts .
After his medications were cut back , Forrester said he began faking prescriptions .
The less drugs he got , the more he felt he needed them , and the more he resorted to illegal means to get them .
The more drugs he got , the worse his life became .
Twice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after an accidental overdose .
Other times , he said he woke up on his couch as medics were administering a shot of Narcan to reverse the effect of the drugs he ’ d taken .
`` My whole personality changed , '' he said .
`` I no longer knew myself , and all that mattered was feeding this addiction that had control over me . ''
Law enforcement officials , including prosecutors and sheriffs , have opposed changes to mandatory minimum sentences , concerned that easing punishments could lead to rising @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in communities .
Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said mandatory minimums provide consistency in punishments and avoid instances in which sentences for the same crimes vary from judge to judge or county to county .
`` Mandatory minimums are designed to provide the appropriate consequences for people that are selling drugs and trafficking drugs , '' said Gualtieri , immediate past president of the Florida Sheriff 's Association .
Still , Gualtieri said drug laws `` were never intended and should not have encompassed people who were addicts and users . ''
'Complete @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is upending the criminal justice system In Broward County , prosecutors have started easing sentences for several defendants convicted of opioid trafficking .
Citing the changes the legislature made in 2014 , prosecutors have recommended reduced prison sentences for two dozen defendants .
Nineteen people have been released , and four are scheduled to be set free in the next four years , said Broward Chief Assistant State Attorney Jeff Marcus .
Another defendant died before his release papers were processed .
`` We believe it was an issue of fundamental fairness to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reduce the sentences when appropriate , '' Marcus said in a statement .
One problem in Florida is the lack of a cohesive vision for what the criminal justice system should look like , said state Sen. Jeff Brandes , a Republican from St. Petersburg .
`` The real question is whether you ’ re going to use data and research to make decisions , or whether you ’ re going to trust that the legislature of the past always got it right , '' said Brandes , who 's been leading the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been calling for giving judges more discretion .
`` Fundamentally , should we treat addiction as a health issue or a criminal justice issue ? ''
Long prison sentences for such offenders does more harm than good , a belief that Brandes said Republicans and Democrats should share .
`` Criminal justice reform is a bipartisan issue , '' he said .
`` Democrats come to it from a social justice side .
Republicans come to it from a public safety and fiscal conservatism side . ''
‘ I dream about the day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ Forrester remembers clearly the day he was convicted by a jury .
He thought he was about to cry as officers escorted him out of the courtroom , but the tears didn ’ t come .
When he was finally alone , sitting on a floor in a holding cell , they did .
`` I felt like my heart had totally been crushed , '' he said .
`` I prayed to Jesus to please help me what to know , what to do next . ''
Years later , McDonald @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asked the state ’ s Executive Clemency Board to release him early .
`` At the time of the sentencing and even today I believe that the sentence was excessive given the crime , his criminal history and the involvement of addiction in his life , '' McDonald wrote in a 2018 letter to the board .
Had it not been for mandatory sentencing laws , McDonald said he would 've imposed a far more lenient sentence : three years in prison , two years on probation and drug treatment .
The Florida @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Forrester 's clemency application , saying the information is confidential .
The commission publishes a database of people who have been granted clemency ; Forrester 's name is not in the database .
It seemed to Forrester , `` no one is listening . ''
`` If they are listening , '' he said , `` then they just don ’ t care . ''
Forrester says he spends his days reading the Bible , playing games he bought for his tablet provided by the prison , and exchanging emails with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after he 's released .
In the mornings , he meditates and prays .
Over the years , he 's gathered about a dozen certificates , including several from dog training programs that allowed prisoners to become trained handlers and another after completing a substance abuse program .
His symptoms have abated , but the fear of dying before seeing the outside of a prison wall , has n't .
He looks forward to going back home to Orlando , to his pets that are still alive and to a friend who has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
`` I dream about the day I walk up to my front door , '' he said , `` and go inside where I can feel safe again . ''
'It would cripple us completely ' : Coronavirus takes toll on rural police agencies

Sentenced under now-invalid drug laws and less than a year from freedom, inmate gets COVID-19
Show Caption Hide Caption Why people of color are dying at higher rates from COVID-19 Communities of color are dying at higher rates from the novel coronavirus than white Americans. Here's how structural inequities play a role. Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
By the time prison officials told William Forrester he had COVID-19, he'd already lost his sense of taste and smell. The persistent headaches, body tremors and diarrhea had already begun.
On his worst days, his stomach cramps were so bad he couldn’t stand, his back pain so severe he couldn’t sit up to eat. He said he had to ask a fellow inmate to scoop coffee for him because his hands trembled so badly.
One day, he found himself lying on the shower floor as he struggled to catch his breath. His head felt like it was filled with air. This is particularly troubling for Forrester, a 63-year-old who lost one lung nearly two decades ago to cancer.
Forrester has spent more than a decade in a Florida state prison for faking opioid prescriptions for himself during a yearslong addiction to painkillers following a lung operation.
His 15-year sentence was a product of mandatory minimum laws crafted years ago to fight the state's drug epidemic. Nationwide, mandatory minimums require judges to hand down predetermined and often lengthy sentences for certain crimes, many of which are nonviolent drug offenses. But advocates and legal experts say the harsh sentences treated those addicted to drugs, like Forrester, as if they were violent drug kingpins.
Less than a year away from freedom, imprisoned under laws that have since been changed, Forrester fears he'll die before he is free.
"I hope I’m not doing a death sentence," he said.
William Barr speeds release of vulnerable inmates as coronavirus surges Attorney General William Barr has ordered the release of vulnerable inmates from three federal prisons. Buzz60
In the federal system, more than 7,500 prisoners have been moved out of prison after Attorney General William Barr ordered officials to transfer elderly and vulnerable inmates to home confinement. Among those who have been allowed to serve the rest of their sentences under house arrest amid coronavirus fears were high-profile criminals such as President Donald Trump's former campaign manager Paul Manafort.
But critics say the federal Bureau of Prisons has been slow to implement Barr's directives and still has left other nonviolent but less connected prisoners behind bars.
In the case of Forrester, a state prisoner, he applied for a furlough or a temporary release, but his request was denied.
Elderly in coronavirus-ridden prisons: Coronavirus was Paul Manafort's ticket home. Many other old, ill, nonviolent inmates are still in prison
Forrester is not alone
There are many like Forrester in Florida’s criminal justice system.
A 2019 report from the state Department of Corrections showed that nearly 14,000 prisoners – 14% of the prison population – are serving time for drug offenses. The report does not distinguish violent prisoners from the nonviolent ones, or inmates serving time for opioid-related crimes from those who trafficked cocaine or heroin.
But a government report found that prosecution of opioid-related offenses led to a dramatic uptick in the prison population from 2006 to 2011. In fiscal 2010-11 alone, 1,200 prisoners were serving time for opioid-related crimes; 81% had no previous drug offenses and 65% needed substance abuse treatments, according to the report by Florida’s Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability.
In the federal system, mandatory minimum sentences have dropped significantly since the 1990s, although they continue to result in long punishments for thousands of federal inmates. According to the U.S. Sentencing Commission, nearly 20,000 federal cases in 2019 involved mandatory minimum punishments. A large majority of which – more than 70% – involved drug trafficking offenses.
Incarcerated with COVID-19
Forrester tested positive for COVID-19 on July 13. He's doing better now and assumes he's negative, though he hasn't been retested.
Still, in the close quarters of a prison, he fears getting the virus again is inevitable. The possibility of reinfection, experts have said, is real. Forrester has heard of other prisoners who died of COVID-19 and asks himself: How many times can I catch the virus and survive?
So far, 340 prisoners at Bay Correctional and Rehabilitation Facility in Panama City, Florida, where Forrester is incarcerated, have tested positive.
Of the more than 95,000 prisoners in Florida, 15,500 or about 16% have COVID-19 – an infection rate far exceeding the federal prison system's.
The Florida Department of Corrections said it has suspended visitation, limited transfers between facilities, and staggered meal times to allow for social distancing at dining areas to stem the spread of the virus. Symptomatic prisoners are placed in medical isolation, and officials conduct contact tracing for every positive case, the department said.
GEO Group, a private corporation that operates Bay Correctional and Rehabilitation Facility and a few other prisons in Florida, said it has started mass COVID-19 testing, distributed face masks to inmates and asked staffers to self-quarantine if they had contact with other employees with coronavirus.
Isolated and scared: The plight of juveniles locked up during the coronavirus pandemic
Not the ‘quintessential drug trafficker’
Forrester was convicted in 2009 for trafficking 14 grams or more of oxycodone and obtaining drugs by fraud. Although there was no evidence that Forrester sold drugs, the weight of the pills triggered a drug trafficking charge – punishable by a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years.
Under Florida law, had Forrester sold 200 grams of cocaine or methamphetamine, he would’ve been sentenced to just seven years. Such was the result of laws passed to crack down on drug traffickers that have since ensnared those addicted to drugs.
OPIOIDS & COVID: Clinton Foundation works to put naloxone in recovery homes
"The quintessential drug trafficker that the legislature had in mind is a 'thug,' running around and shooting people in the neighborhood," said Janet Ferris, a retired Florida judge. "The reality in most communities is it’s not."
Acknowledging that sentencing laws had gone too far, the Florida Legislature in 2014 raised the threshold weights that would trigger mandatory sentences. Advocates heralded the change as a "common sense" law that would cut the number of nonviolent offenders sent to prison for lengthy sentences.
But the law isn’t retroactive, and bills to make it retroactive have so far failed. Had Forrester been convicted after the law was passed, he would’ve been sentenced to seven years. He would've been out by now.
'It gets more frightening': As coronavirus surges in prisons, families of elderly inmates wait in fear
Harsh sentencing laws are not unique to Florida, although the state has increasingly become an outlier for having stringent mandatory minimum sentences, said Nancy Daniels, of the Florida Public Defender Association.
Judges, faced with defendants like Forrester, have no choice but to impose lengthy sentences that they didn't believe were fair. The judge who sentenced Forrester to 15 years acknowledged as much.
"We get the addicted, and we get the organized crime, all treated the same under the wording of the Legislature," Judge Roger McDonald said during Forrester’s sentencing hearing in December 2009, according to court transcripts. "But since the Legislature is the Legislature and the Court is the Court, we have to enforce the laws, and we’re stuck with them, and we can’t carve out exceptions that don’t exist."
Ferris said she often felt helpless when she had to face defendants in her courtroom, many of whom were young, first-time offenders.
"I did not have the opportunity in many instances to do what I thought was in the interest of justice. And that is a really, really troubling feeling," she said. "When people come into the courtroom and say, 'Judge, I’m asking for justice' and you know what they’re saying is correct … To say to someone, 'I’m sorry I can’t do justice in this case because the legislature has enacted a mandatory sentencing law, I have to follow that.'"
A life of pain and addiction
In 2002, as he was visiting his grandmother in Bradenton, Florida, Forrester received sobering news. There were cancerous tumors in his left lung and he would likely die, he remembered his doctor telling him on the phone.
Multiple surgeries to remove his lung seemed to have stretched his life, but he spent the next few years in and out of the hospital. Several visits were because of pneumonia. That's on top of a litany of other health problems: chronic headaches, chest and lower back pain, sleep apnea, strokes and panic attacks. He had more surgeries to fix chronic spine issues.
All the while, he said, he was prescribed huge doses of pain killers.
He'd spent much of his working years in telecommunications, first as a repairman in Florida, then as a pipeline controller in Oklahoma, then back to Florida as a dispatcher. When his addiction got worse, he said he relied on disability benefits to help make ends meet.
As his health problems worsened, so did his addiction. He was often at doctors' offices and pain clinics, receiving prescriptions for dozens, if not hundreds of milligrams of various opioid medications, including MS Contin, methadone pills, oxycodone, morphine, hydromorphine, muscle relaxants and Marinol for his loss of appetite.
"I was given hydrocodones by the hundreds," he said, referring to refillable prescriptions for 100 pills. "I soon realized that out of all the other life-threatening problems I had gone through, I was now in the middle of the most deadly, a big dependence on and addiction to opioids."
A pain management doctor testified at Forrester's sentencing hearing that some of the doses Forrester had been prescribed were too much. The morphine dose Forrester had been getting from another doctor "was a little bit high," Dr. Gwinn Murray testified, according to court transcripts.
The last time Murray saw Forrester, Forrester asked for an increase in his oxycodone prescription because his pain had not gone away. Murray, who believed patients should rely less on medication and more on other means to deal with their pain, denied the request, according to transcripts.
After his medications were cut back, Forrester said he began faking prescriptions. The less drugs he got, the more he felt he needed them, and the more he resorted to illegal means to get them. The more drugs he got, the worse his life became.
Twice, Forrester woke up on life support after an accidental overdose. Other times, he said he woke up on his couch as medics were administering a shot of Narcan to reverse the effect of the drugs he’d taken.
"My whole personality changed," he said. "I no longer knew myself, and all that mattered was feeding this addiction that had control over me."
A health issue or a criminal justice issue?
Law enforcement officials, including prosecutors and sheriffs, have opposed changes to mandatory minimum sentences, concerned that easing punishments could lead to rising crime rates and the spread of drugs in communities.
Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said mandatory minimums provide consistency in punishments and avoid instances in which sentences for the same crimes vary from judge to judge or county to county.
"Mandatory minimums are designed to provide the appropriate consequences for people that are selling drugs and trafficking drugs," said Gualtieri, immediate past president of the Florida Sheriff's Association.
Still, Gualtieri said drug laws "were never intended and should not have encompassed people who were addicts and users."
'Complete chaos': How the coronavirus pandemic is upending the criminal justice system
In Broward County, prosecutors have started easing sentences for several defendants convicted of opioid trafficking. Citing the changes the legislature made in 2014, prosecutors have recommended reduced prison sentences for two dozen defendants. Nineteen people have been released, and four are scheduled to be set free in the next four years, said Broward Chief Assistant State Attorney Jeff Marcus. Another defendant died before his release papers were processed.
"We believe it was an issue of fundamental fairness to initiate a review of these cases and reduce the sentences when appropriate," Marcus said in a statement.
One problem in Florida is the lack of a cohesive vision for what the criminal justice system should look like, said state Sen. Jeff Brandes, a Republican from St. Petersburg.
"The real question is whether you’re going to use data and research to make decisions, or whether you’re going to trust that the legislature of the past always got it right," said Brandes, who's been leading the effort to change sentencing laws and has been calling for giving judges more discretion. "Fundamentally, should we treat addiction as a health issue or a criminal justice issue?"
Long prison sentences for such offenders does more harm than good, a belief that Brandes said Republicans and Democrats should share.
"Criminal justice reform is a bipartisan issue," he said. "Democrats come to it from a social justice side. Republicans come to it from a public safety and fiscal conservatism side."
‘I dream about the day I walk up to my front door’
Forrester remembers clearly the day he was convicted by a jury. He thought he was about to cry as officers escorted him out of the courtroom, but the tears didn’t come. When he was finally alone, sitting on a floor in a holding cell, they did.
"I felt like my heart had totally been crushed," he said. "I prayed to Jesus to please help me what to know, what to do next."
Years later, McDonald, the judge who sentenced Forrester, asked the state’s Executive Clemency Board to release him early.
"At the time of the sentencing and even today I believe that the sentence was excessive given the crime, his criminal history and the involvement of addiction in his life," McDonald wrote in a 2018 letter to the board.
Had it not been for mandatory sentencing laws, McDonald said he would've imposed a far more lenient sentence: three years in prison, two years on probation and drug treatment.
The Florida Commission on Offender Review declined to comment on Forrester's clemency application, saying the information is confidential. The commission publishes a database of people who have been granted clemency; Forrester's name is not in the database.
It seemed to Forrester, "no one is listening."
"If they are listening," he said, "then they just don’t care."
Forrester says he spends his days reading the Bible, playing games he bought for his tablet provided by the prison, and exchanging emails with a longtime friend with whom he will live after he's released. In the mornings, he meditates and prays. Over the years, he's gathered about a dozen certificates, including several from dog training programs that allowed prisoners to become trained handlers and another after completing a substance abuse program.
His symptoms have abated, but the fear of dying before seeing the outside of a prison wall, hasn't.
He looks forward to going back home to Orlando, to his pets that are still alive and to a friend who has "stuck with me all these years."
"I dream about the day I walk up to my front door," he said, "and go inside where I can feel safe again."
Follow USA TODAY's Justice and legal affairs reporter Kristine Phillips on Twitter @bykristinep.
'It would cripple us completely': Coronavirus takes toll on rural police agencies


usatoday--2020-08-31--Memphis mom touches the lives of 75 foster kids

Dr. JoeAnn Ballard 's life was changed by her foster parents .
So she decided to pay it forward by @ @ @ @ @ in her community .

Memphis mom touches the lives of 75 foster kids
Dr. JoeAnn Ballard's life was changed by her foster parents. So she decided to pay it forward by being a mom to many in her community.
Womankind, USA TODAY


usatoday--2020-08-31--7 ways to repel backyard bugs

7 ways to repel backyard bugs

Do n't let mosquitoes ruin your nights .
Keep bugs away with these tips .

How to repel backyard bugs
Don't let mosquitoes ruin your nights. Keep bugs away with these tips.
ProblemSolved, USA TODAY


usatoday--2020-08-31--Buttigieg: Cher gives Biden backers a reason to 'believe in life after Trump'

For Cher , it was “ love at first speech ” with Joe Biden .
And President Donald Trump , she told a gathering of Biden supporters Monday , is “ really an idiot.
” “ Joe is smart enough , he ’ s kind enough , he ’ s strong enough , ” Cher said , before repeating the phrase Trump used to show his skills on a cognitive test .
“ I also know that the ` person , woman , man , camera , TV , ' in the White House is an idiot .
I mean @ @ @ @ @ @ @ really an idiot.
” The singer and actress was the special guest for an LGBTQ-themed virtual fundraiser for the Biden campaign that raised nearly $ 2 million .
Cher was introduced by former Biden rival Pete Buttigieg , the first openly-gay presidential candidate to win a state party 's caucus or primary .
Buttigieg did n't draw out his remarks , noting that `` I am the only thing between hundreds of prominent LGBTQ+ activists and Cher . ''
Praising Cher for having inspired `` millions with her music and with her advocacy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Believe '' that has become a gay anthem .
“ So ask yourself , '' Buttigieg said , `` do you believe in life after Trump ?
” Chasten Buttigieg new memoir : ' I wanted to write my real story' “ Hi , it ’ s me , ” Cher told the virtual gathering , appearing on screen in a black leather biker jacket .
“ Your poster girl since I was 9 years-old .
I walked into our living room and met two of the most adorable gay hairdressers ever.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2006 , when she invited herself to his office after hearing him talk .
`` I saw a speech Joe had given and it was love at first speech , '' she said .
`` So I went to his office to grill him and I asked him really pointed questions and unlike most politicians , Joe actually listened to me and cared ( about ) what I had to say . ''
Biden thanked Cher for supporting the campaign `` way back last winter when it took some guts to do so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , `` guts are something Cher has in abundance.
” When Biden was struggling in the primary in February , Cher – who has 3.8 million followers – had tweeted her encouragement .
“ I said , sink or swim , I ’ m with him , I ’ m ridin ’ with Biden , '' Cher explained Monday .
`` It sounds corny , but that ’ s what I said.
” She criticized Trump 's record , and praised Biden 's , on LGBTQ issues .
Richard Grenell , Trump 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been defending Trump 's record .
In a video released by the Log Cabin Republicans this month , Grenell calls Trump `` the most pro-gay president in American history . ''
In his remarks , Biden criticized Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , R-Ky. , for not bringing up a House-passed bill to prohibit discrimination of lesbian , gay , bisexual and transgender people in both the public and private sectors .
He said signing the Equality Act into law would be one of the priorities for his first 100 days as president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attacks : 'Do I look like a radical socialist with a soft spot for rioters ? '

Buttigieg: Cher gives Biden backers a reason to 'believe in life after Trump'
Show Caption Hide Caption Biden hits back at Trump, calls on him to stop 'fomenting' violence Joe Biden accused President Trump of playing a role in the unrest by refusing to acknowledge racial injustice during a speech delivered in Pittsburgh. USA TODAY, Associated Press
For Cher, it was “love at first speech” with Joe Biden.
And President Donald Trump, she told a gathering of Biden supporters Monday, is “really an idiot.”
“Joe is smart enough, he’s kind enough, he’s strong enough,” Cher said, before repeating the phrase Trump used to show his skills on a cognitive test. “I also know that the `person, woman, man, camera, TV,' in the White House is an idiot. I mean it. No, the guy is really an idiot.”
The singer and actress was the special guest for an LGBTQ-themed virtual fundraiser for the Biden campaign that raised nearly $2 million.
Cher was introduced by former Biden rival Pete Buttigieg, the first openly-gay presidential candidate to win a state party's caucus or primary.
Buttigieg didn't draw out his remarks, noting that "I am the only thing between hundreds of prominent LGBTQ+ activists and Cher."
Praising Cher for having inspired "millions with her music and with her advocacy” Buttigieg referred to her hit song "Believe" that has become a gay anthem.
“So ask yourself," Buttigieg said, "do you believe in life after Trump?”
Chasten Buttigieg new memoir: 'I wanted to write my real story'
“Hi, it’s me,” Cher told the virtual gathering, appearing on screen in a black leather biker jacket. “Your poster girl since I was 9 years-old. I walked into our living room and met two of the most adorable gay hairdressers ever.”
Cher also described meeting Biden in 2006, when she invited herself to his office after hearing him talk.
"I saw a speech Joe had given and it was love at first speech," she said. "So I went to his office to grill him and I asked him really pointed questions and unlike most politicians, Joe actually listened to me and cared (about) what I had to say."
Biden thanked Cher for supporting the campaign "way back last winter when it took some guts to do so"
"Fortunately," Biden said, "guts are something Cher has in abundance.”
When Biden was struggling in the primary in February, Cher – who has 3.8 million followers – had tweeted her encouragement.
"Dont give up Joe," she tweeted.
“I said, sink or swim, I’m with him, I’m ridin’ with Biden," Cher explained Monday. "It sounds corny, but that’s what I said.”
She criticized Trump's record, and praised Biden's, on LGBTQ issues.
Richard Grenell, Trump's former acting director of intelligence, has been defending Trump's record. In a video released by the Log Cabin Republicans this month, Grenell calls Trump "the most pro-gay president in American history."
In his remarks, Biden criticized Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., for not bringing up a House-passed bill to prohibit discrimination of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in both the public and private sectors. He said signing the Equality Act into law would be one of the priorities for his first 100 days as president.
Biden hits back on Trump's attacks: 'Do I look like a radical socialist with a soft spot for rioters?'


usatoday--2020-09-01--Trump has no plans to meet with Jacob Blake's family on Kenosha visit, White House says

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump is not planning to meet with the family of Jacob Blake , a Black man who was shot multiple times in the back by a police officer in Kenosha , Wisconsin , when he travels there Tuesday , the White House said .
Trump will travel to Kenosha , amid heightened protests over racial injustice and police brutality , to meet with `` local enforcement , some business owners and he 'll survey the damage , '' White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany told reporters Monday .
She added that a detailed scheduled would be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president told reporters at a press conference Monday evening that he was not planning to meet with the family because they wanted to involve lawyers .
`` I thought it would be better not to do anything where there are lawyers involved , '' Mr Trump said .
`` They wanted me to speak but they wanted to have lawyers involved and I thought that was inappropriate so I did n't do that . ''
Following the press briefing , Jacob Blake Sr. told CNN : `` I 'm not going to play @ @ @ @ @ @ @ life we 're talking about . ''
Blake 's father and family 's attorney , Benjamin Crump , confirmed to CNN that the family wanted their legal team involved in the call with the president .
Crump also said he sat in on the call when the Blake family spoke to Joe Biden and Kamala Harris .
`` Because while they 're concentrating on their son 's life they want us to concentrate on the fight for justice , '' Crump said .
`` Clients want to have assurances that their lawyers are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ process . ''
Trump said that he spoke to the family 's pastor and they had a `` great talk . ''
He added that `` I may at some point do that , but they did have a lawyer that wanted to be on the phone and I said no .
That 's inappropriate , but I did just give my best regards . ''
The family 's legal team - Crump , Patrick Salvi II and B ’ Ivory LaMarr - confirmed in a statement that Trump reached out to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Julia Jackson , to arrange a phone call .
The pastor referred the White House to the legal team and the president declined to participate in a call with lawyers sitting in on the call , according to the statement said .
`` The family ’ s primary objectives are to support Jacob ’ s recovery and to ensure justice for him , '' the statement said .
`` If the call had occurred , Ms. Jackson was prepared to ask President Trump to watch the video of Mr. Blake ’ s shooting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all of America to do - examine your heart.
” McEnany said earlier during an appearance on `` Fox & Friends '' that the White House had yet to connect with the Blake family but hold them `` close to our hearts . ''
“ We are efforting outreach , have not been able to connect yet .
So tomorrow the plan is so far to go and to meet with law enforcement and to look at the damage from the riots , but we are holding his family close to our hearts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last week after video footage showed police shooting Blake seven or eight times , with less than three minutes elapsing between the time the first officer arrived on the scene and shots being fired .
Blake , 29 , is in critical condition in the hospital and is paralyzed from the waist down .
His children witnessed the shooting .
`` He is devastated knowing that he ca n't move his legs and that his three young boys witnessed him being shot in that car , '' Crump told MSNBC .
More : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after police shooting of Jacob Blake The Justice Department has launched a civil rights probe into the shooting while local and state authorities have also opened investigations .
When asked about the shooting during a trip to New Hampshire Friday , Trump told local news outlet WMUR : “ Well I ’ m looking into it very strongly .
I ’ ll be getting reports and I ’ ll certainly let you know pretty soon , ” he said .
“ It was not a good sight .
I didn ’ t like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and I think most people would agree with that.
” Demonstrations have also turned deadly in the days following Blake 's shooting .
Police arrested 17-year-old Illinois resident Kyle Rittenhouse in the shooting deaths of two protesters .
In a video recorded before the incident , a person who appears to be Rittenhouse described himself as a member of a `` militia '' dedicated to protecting Kenosha .
Wisconsin Gov .
Tony Evers has asked Trump to cancel his trip to Wisconsin amid ongoing tensions .
The Democratic governor said he was concerned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more violence .
More : Jacob Blake 's family reacts to him being shot by police amid reports he is paralyzed More : Fact check : Jacob Blake did not 'brandish ' knife , get gun before Kenosha police shooting '' I am concerned your presence will only hinder our healing , '' Evers wrote Trump in a letter on Sunday .
`` I am concerned your presence will only delay our work to overcome division and move forward together . ''
When asked whether his presence in Kenosha could increase ongoing tensions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It could also increase enthusiasm .
And it could increase love and respect for our country .
And that is why I 'm going , '' he said .
Trump has made police protests and urban violence major issues in his reelection campaign , arguing that a victory by Joe Biden and the Democrats would usher in an era of lawlessness .
Biden has responded by pointing out that the violence has erupted on Trump 's watch .
He has accused Trump of stoking divisions that have laid the groundwork for clashes in @ @ @ @ @ @

Courtney Subramanian and David Jackson, USA TODAY

Trump has no plans to meet with Jacob Blake's family on Kenosha visit, White House says
Show Caption Hide Caption 'We'll see what happens:' Trump discusses Kenosha and plan to visit President Trump talked about Kenosha and how well it's doing before his planned visit, but Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers is urging him to 'reconsider' after a week of unrest. USA TODAY, Associated Press
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump is not planning to meet with the family of Jacob Blake, a Black man who was shot multiple times in the back by a police officer in Kenosha, Wisconsin, when he travels there Tuesday, the White House said.
Trump will travel to Kenosha, amid heightened protests over racial injustice and police brutality, to meet with "local enforcement, some business owners and he'll survey the damage," White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany told reporters Monday. She added that a detailed scheduled would be released later in the day.
The president told reporters at a press conference Monday evening that he was not planning to meet with the family because they wanted to involve lawyers.
"I thought it would be better not to do anything where there are lawyers involved," Mr Trump said. "They wanted me to speak but they wanted to have lawyers involved and I thought that was inappropriate so I didn't do that."
Following the press briefing, Jacob Blake Sr. told CNN: "I'm not going to play politics. This is my son's life we're talking about."
Blake's father and family's attorney, Benjamin Crump, confirmed to CNN that the family wanted their legal team involved in the call with the president. Crump also said he sat in on the call when the Blake family spoke to Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.
"Because while they're concentrating on their son's life they want us to concentrate on the fight for justice," Crump said. "Clients want to have assurances that their lawyers are helping guide them through this very difficult process."
Trump said that he spoke to the family's pastor and they had a "great talk." He added that "I may at some point do that, but they did have a lawyer that wanted to be on the phone and I said no. That's inappropriate, but I did just give my best regards."
The family's legal team - Crump, Patrick Salvi II and B’Ivory LaMarr - confirmed in a statement that Trump reached out to the pastor of Jacob Blake's mother, Julia Jackson, to arrange a phone call.
The pastor referred the White House to the legal team and the president declined to participate in a call with lawyers sitting in on the call, according to the statement said.
"The family’s primary objectives are to support Jacob’s recovery and to ensure justice for him," the statement said. "If the call had occurred, Ms. Jackson was prepared to ask President Trump to watch the video of Mr. Blake’s shooting and to do what she has asked all of America to do - examine your heart.”
McEnany said earlier during an appearance on "Fox & Friends" that the White House had yet to connect with the Blake family but hold them "close to our hearts."
“We are efforting outreach, have not been able to connect yet. So tomorrow the plan is so far to go and to meet with law enforcement and to look at the damage from the riots, but we are holding his family close to our hearts,” she said.
Protests erupted last week after video footage showed police shooting Blake seven or eight times, with less than three minutes elapsing between the time the first officer arrived on the scene and shots being fired. Blake, 29, is in critical condition in the hospital and is paralyzed from the waist down. His children witnessed the shooting.
"He is devastated knowing that he can't move his legs and that his three young boys witnessed him being shot in that car," Crump told MSNBC.
More: A visual timeline of violence in Kenosha after police shooting of Jacob Blake
Jacob Blake shooting timeline: What events led to the shooting Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old Black man, was shot by Kenosha, Wisconsin, police on August 19. Here's a detailed timeline of events. USA TODAY
The Justice Department has launched a civil rights probe into the shooting while local and state authorities have also opened investigations.
When asked about the shooting during a trip to New Hampshire Friday, Trump told local news outlet WMUR: “Well I’m looking into it very strongly. I’ll be getting reports and I’ll certainly let you know pretty soon,” he said.
“It was not a good sight. I didn’t like the sight of it, certainly, and I think most people would agree with that.”
Demonstrations have also turned deadly in the days following Blake's shooting. Police arrested 17-year-old Illinois resident Kyle Rittenhouse in the shooting deaths of two protesters. In a video recorded before the incident, a person who appears to be Rittenhouse described himself as a member of a "militia" dedicated to protecting Kenosha.
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers has asked Trump to cancel his trip to Wisconsin amid ongoing tensions. The Democratic governor said he was concerned the president's trip would only incite more violence.
More: Jacob Blake's family reacts to him being shot by police amid reports he is paralyzed
More: Fact check: Jacob Blake did not 'brandish' knife, get gun before Kenosha police shooting
"I am concerned your presence will only hinder our healing," Evers wrote Trump in a letter on Sunday. "I am concerned your presence will only delay our work to overcome division and move forward together."
When asked whether his presence in Kenosha could increase ongoing tensions, Trump defended his decision.
"It could also increase enthusiasm. And it could increase love and respect for our country. And that is why I'm going," he said.
Trump has made police protests and urban violence major issues in his reelection campaign, arguing that a victory by Joe Biden and the Democrats would usher in an era of lawlessness.
Biden has responded by pointing out that the violence has erupted on Trump's watch. He has accused Trump of stoking divisions that have laid the groundwork for clashes in cities like Portland and Kenosha.
Contributing: Rebecca Morin


usatoday--2020-08-31--Indiana Congressman introduces bill to ban protest 'thugs' from receiving unemployment aid

INDIANAPOLIS – U.S. Rep. Jim Banks , an Indiana Republican , introduced a two-page bill Friday that would ban people from receiving federal unemployment aid if they are convicted of a federal offense related to protests such as those rocking much of the country .
Those convicted of such a crime also would have to pay restitution for the cost of policing the protests , the amount of which would be determined by a court .
With Democrats in control of the House of Representatives , the bill likely has little chance of moving .
“ Antifa thugs are descending @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wayne Republican said in a news release , `` disrupting peaceful protests and leaving violence , looting and vandalism in their wake .
They turned Milwaukee , Seattle and Portland into warzones , and now they ’ re moving the chaos to Kenosha , Wisconsin.
” A $ 600 federal boost to unemployment insurance expired in July .
Some states , including Indiana , can give those who file for unemployment an additional $ 300 in federal money under a short-term grant the president authorized in an executive order .
Banks told Fox @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of his who walked out of the White House were confronted by protesters .
No one was arrested in that incident .
In the interview and in his news release , Banks specifically targeted left-wing `` thugs '' involved in protests .
He made no mention of right-wing activists who have been arrested at recent protests , such as Kyle Rittenhouse , the 17-year-old who has been charged with fatally shooting two protesters and wounding a third in Kenosha .
'That 's the shooter ' : Witnesses describe the night Kyle Rittenhouse opened @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police return to Portland after protest shooting ; Trump plans to visit Kenosha

Indiana Congressman introduces bill to ban protest 'thugs' from receiving unemployment aid
INDIANAPOLIS – U.S. Rep. Jim Banks, an Indiana Republican, introduced a two-page bill Friday that would ban people from receiving federal unemployment aid if they are convicted of a federal offense related to protests such as those rocking much of the country.
Those convicted of such a crime also would have to pay restitution for the cost of policing the protests, the amount of which would be determined by a court.
With Democrats in control of the House of Representatives, the bill likely has little chance of moving.
“Antifa thugs are descending on suffering communities," the Fort Wayne Republican said in a news release, "disrupting peaceful protests and leaving violence, looting and vandalism in their wake. They turned Milwaukee, Seattle and Portland into warzones, and now they’re moving the chaos to Kenosha, Wisconsin.”
A $600 federal boost to unemployment insurance expired in July. Some states, including Indiana, can give those who file for unemployment an additional $300 in federal money under a short-term grant the president authorized in an executive order.
Banks told Fox News he filed the bill after friends of his who walked out of the White House were confronted by protesters. No one was arrested in that incident.
In the interview and in his news release, Banks specifically targeted left-wing "thugs" involved in protests. He made no mention of right-wing activists who have been arrested at recent protests, such as Kyle Rittenhouse, the 17-year-old who has been charged with fatally shooting two protesters and wounding a third in Kenosha.
Follow IndyStar reporter Chris Sikich on Twitter: @ChrisSikich.
'That's the shooter': Witnesses describe the night Kyle Rittenhouse opened fire in Kenosha
Protest updates: State police return to Portland after protest shooting; Trump plans to visit Kenosha


usatoday--2020-08-31--Post-RNC poll shows Biden still ahead, but Trump gaining ground

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden maintains his polling lead over President Donald Trump , though the commander in chief gained ground on the former vice president after the party conventions , according to a Morning Consult poll released Saturday .
According to the poll , Biden leads Trump by six points , polling 50 % to Trump 's 44 % among likely voters , compared to 52 % to 42 % before the Republican National Convention , but after the Democratic National Convention .
The poll was conducted Friday , the day after the RNC concluded .
The poll showing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ August 23 , after the DNC .
More : Trump 's RNC speech lacked some coronavirus safeguards .
That might have been the point A Morning Consult survey taken on the first day of the DNCfound Biden leading Trump by eight points , compared to nine points immediately after the DNC , in a poll conducted August 22 .
Biden 's standing was virtually unchanged before and after his convention , while Trump 's improved .
This parallels Morning Consult 's polling from 2016 , when Trump gained five percentage points of voter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ noted , however , that the major difference between this year and 2016 is the smaller number of undecided voters left on the table .
`` Due to a smaller share of undecided voters , Biden , who continues to have about half of the electorate ’ s support , remains in a significantly stronger position than Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton was four years ago , '' Morning Consult reported .
Only about 7 % of respondents said they were undecided after this year 's conventions , compared to 16 % at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 'Have it both ways ' : Trump makes appeal to suburban voters and base in RNC balancing act The poll also noted a slightly stronger divide along racial lines : Trump improved his lead among white voters , and emerged with a slightly worse standing with voters of color .
Among white voters , Trump led Biden 51 % to 43 % after the RNC , compared with a 2-point edge earlier in the week .
In contrast , he trailed Biden by 28 points among Hispanic voters ( 33 % to 61 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voters ( 9 % to 83 % ) .
The poll also noted that Trump hurt Biden 's margin among suburban voters .
Before the convention , Biden led by 14 points ( 54 % to 40 % ) , compared to 8 points after the convention ( 50 % to 42 % ) .
`` The president and his allies also sought to claim the mantle of the party of law and order and a last line of defense against a creeping radical socialism from the Democratic Party , messaging largely aimed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be key for the president in order to win in November , '' the poll noted .
Trump tweeted Saturday `` Biden 's Polls are dropping fast , '' and knocked the former vice president 's campaign .
`` Now that Biden ’ s Polls are dropping fast , he has agreed to get out of his basement and start campaignin , 'in ten days . '
Sadly , that is a very slow reaction time for a President .
Our beloved USA needs a much faster , smarter , and tougher @ @ @ @ @ @ @ today , Joe ! ''
Trump wrote .
Trump was referring to Biden ’ s campaign announcing Thursday that he would resume physically campaigning after Labor Day .
In response to the coronavirus pandemic , the campaign has held virtual events instead of in-person ones .
Friday 's poll was conducted among 4,035 likely voters with a 2-point margin of error , and the August 23 poll was conducted among 4,810 likely voters with a 1-point margin of error .

Post-RNC poll shows Biden still ahead, but Trump gaining ground
Show Caption Hide Caption DNC: Kentucky Democratic delegate nominates Joe Biden for president Kentucky Democratic delegates announced their state party's votes for the party's nomination for president during the DNC on August 18, 2020. Courtesy of Democratic National Convention, Henderson Gleaner
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden maintains his polling lead over President Donald Trump, though the commander in chief gained ground on the former vice president after the party conventions, according to a Morning Consult poll released Saturday.
According to the poll, Biden leads Trump by six points, polling 50% to Trump's 44% among likely voters, compared to 52% to 42% before the Republican National Convention, but after the Democratic National Convention.
The poll was conducted Friday, the day after the RNC concluded. The poll showing Biden with a 10-point lead was conducted August 23, after the DNC.
More: Trump's RNC speech lacked some coronavirus safeguards. That might have been the point
A Morning Consult survey taken on the first day of the DNCfound Biden leading Trump by eight points, compared to nine points immediately after the DNC, in a poll conducted August 22.
Biden's standing was virtually unchanged before and after his convention, while Trump's improved. This parallels Morning Consult's polling from 2016, when Trump gained five percentage points of voter support after the RNC.
How polls work: The science behind gathering voter opinions The news cycle is jampacked with polls. But have you ever wondered how polls actually work and what they mean? Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
Morning Consult noted, however, that the major difference between this year and 2016 is the smaller number of undecided voters left on the table.
"Due to a smaller share of undecided voters, Biden, who continues to have about half of the electorate’s support, remains in a significantly stronger position than Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton was four years ago," Morning Consult reported.
Only about 7% of respondents said they were undecided after this year's conventions, compared to 16% at the same point in 2016.
More: 'Have it both ways': Trump makes appeal to suburban voters and base in RNC balancing act
The poll also noted a slightly stronger divide along racial lines: Trump improved his lead among white voters, and emerged with a slightly worse standing with voters of color.
Among white voters, Trump led Biden 51% to 43% after the RNC, compared with a 2-point edge earlier in the week.
In contrast, he trailed Biden by 28 points among Hispanic voters (33% to 61%) and 74 points among Black voters (9% to 83%).
The poll also noted that Trump hurt Biden's margin among suburban voters. Before the convention, Biden led by 14 points (54% to 40%), compared to 8 points after the convention (50% to 42%).
"The president and his allies also sought to claim the mantle of the party of law and order and a last line of defense against a creeping radical socialism from the Democratic Party, messaging largely aimed at white people and suburbanites, who will be key for the president in order to win in November," the poll noted.
Trump tweeted Saturday "Biden's Polls are dropping fast," and knocked the former vice president's campaign.
"Now that Biden’s Polls are dropping fast, he has agreed to get out of his basement and start campaignin,'in ten days.' Sadly, that is a very slow reaction time for a President. Our beloved USA needs a much faster, smarter, and tougher response than that. Get out there today, Joe!" Trump wrote.
Now that Biden’s Polls are dropping fast, he has agreed to get out of his basement and start campaignin,“in ten days.” Sadly, that is a very slow reaction time for a President. Our beloved USA needs a much faster, smarter, and tougher response than that. Get out there today, Joe! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 29, 2020
Trump was referring to Biden’s campaign announcing Thursday that he would resume physically campaigning after Labor Day.
In response to the coronavirus pandemic, the campaign has held virtual events instead of in-person ones.
Friday's poll was conducted among 4,035 likely voters with a 2-point margin of error, and the August 23 poll was conducted among 4,810 likely voters with a 1-point margin of error.


usatoday--2020-09-01--Portland protests: Governor's plan faces criticism; Trump defends caravan of supporters

As Oregon Gov .
Kate Brown 's plan to increase law enforcement in Portland faced criticism , President Donald Trump on Monday defended his supporters ' actions during a caravan through the city that preceded the fatal shooting of a supporter of a right-wing group .
Aaron `` Jay '' Danielson , 39 , was fatally shot on Saturday after clashes between Trump supporters and counter protesters erupted in Portland , which has seen nightly protests since the killing of George Floyd in May .
Police have released few details about the shooting and have not named a suspect , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with an insignia for a right-wing group that has been active in Portland .
Video and photos from the caravan Saturday showed both sides shouting and lobbing projectiles at each other , but some images showed those inside the pro-Trump vehicles firing paintballs and tear gas at the counter protesters .
Other videos appeared to show cars nearly running over counter protesters .
“ Paint is a defensive mechanism .
Paint is not bullets , ” Trump said during his White House briefing Monday , adding that someone connected with violent protests “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Not with paint but with a bullet.
” Meanwhile , nearby sheriffs offices that Brown called on to come to Portland to aid the city 's police officers in patrolling protests dismissed her plan on Monday .
More on Patriot Prayer : What is the right-wing group linked to Portland confrontations and who is Joey Gibson ?
Here 's what we know Tuesday : Brown released details of her peace plan for Portland on Sunday , which includes deploying Oregon State Police , asking for help from local law enforcement and calling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Office to prosecute arson and other violent offenses .
Clackamas County Sheriff Craig Roberts , however , said adding more law enforcement to the mix wo n't work unless Portland ’ s newly elected district attorney is harder on protesters .
Roberts said too often demonstrators arrested on low-level crimes are released .
“ The same offenders are arrested night after night , only to be released by the court and not charged with a crime by the DA ’ s Office .
The next night they are back at it , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the community all over again , ” Roberts said .
“ The criminal justice system will need do its part and hold offenders accountable.
” Washington County Sheriff Pat Garrett was also critical of Brown 's plan .
Brown 's plan also includes creating a forum among the city 's Black leaders and Mayor Ted Wheeler .
Trump has often lashed out at Wheeler for the unrest in Portland , calling him a `` joke of a mayor '' and a `` fool '' in the wake of the shooting .
Black leaders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the new plan , which would increase law enforcement on the streets .
“ If you ’ re just there , the odds of getting arrested at this point are almost so high as to the point of being guaranteed , ” Shanice Clarke , a founders of the Black Millennial Movement , told the Associated Press .
Wheeler needs to do more than `` just showing up to a press conference and saying it ’ s Trump ’ s fault '' for Black people to feel they are being listened to in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Kenosha : Violence after police shooting of Jacob Blake The unrest in Portland continued for another night Monday as protesters went to the building where Wheeler lives and demanded his resignation .
The Oregonian reported that the demonstration became destructive as people lit a fire with newspapers and tossed a picnic table in it .
Windows on the ground floor were broken , and some took items from a dental office .
Video shared by New York Times reporter Mike Baker showed police swarm in and make arrests .
Police declared the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arrested nineteen people , according to a release .
Demonstrators have rallied in Portland every night since Floyd , a Black man , was killed as a white Minneapolis police officer dug his knee into Floyd 's neck for nearly nine minutes .
His death sparked massive protests around the country .
The unrest in Portland has ebbed and flowed but tensions were reignited when Trump ordered federal agents to the city to protect a federal courthouse and quell violence .
Those agents withdrew July 31 , but smaller nightly protests have continued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 600 people have been arrested since late May .
What happened during the caravan , shooting ?
Danielson was shot about 15 minutes after the caravan left downtown Portland on Saturday .
The group of vehicles rolled into the city after a rally in nearby Clackamas .
Fights and skirmishes broke out between Trump supporters and counter protesters .
Video showed both sides hurling objects into the crowds .
Counter protesters lit Trump flags on fire and lobbed water bottles .
Trump supporters fired paintball guns and pepper spray as they drove @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he was fatally shot , Danielson and a friend were seen heading downtown to protect the caravan .
They wore hats with the insignia of the right-wing group Patriot Prayer , and appeared armed with knives and paintball guns .
In a video of the shooting , three shots are heard before Danielson falls to the ground .
Based in Washington state , Patriot Prayer is a right-wing group `` about fighting corruption , big government , and tyranny using God for strength and the power of love , '' founder Joey Gibson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
However , the group has often clashed with protesters in Portland in recent years , and the Southern Poverty Law Center , which advocates for civil rights , said Patriot Prayer members often engage in violence against their political opponents .
`` Our concern now is that ( far-right groups in Portland ) will use this tragic death as an excuse to act with even more impunity against anti-fascists , leftists , Black Lives Matter activists and journalists , ” said Cassie Miller , senior research analyst for the SPLC .
Gibson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Facebook , `` We love Jay and he had such a huge heart .
God bless him and the life he lived . ''
Chandler Pappas , who was seen next to Danielson Saturday , told a rally on Sunday that the man was `` Christian '' and `` conservative . ''
“ He was a good man and he was just killed senselessly for no reason other than he believed something different than they do , ” Pappas said .

Portland protests: Donald Trump threatens to send federal forces back into the city; Mayor Ted Wheeler seeks new home
Show Caption Hide Caption Man fatally shot amid clashes in Portland; Mayor and Trump have war of words A fatal shooting in Portland has led to a war of words between Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler and President Donald Trump. Wochit, USA TODAY
As Oregon Gov. Kate Brown's plan to increase law enforcement in Portland faced criticism, President Donald Trump threatened on Tuesday to send federal forces back into the city, a day after he defended his supporters' actions during a caravan that preceded the fatal shooting of a supporter of a right-wing group.
"We're ready, willing and able to send in, you know, a massive group of people that are really highly trained," Trump said in a meeting with law enforcement officers and Attorney General William Barr in Kenosha, Wisconsin. "We could solve that problem in less than an hour in Portland … and at some point, Bill, we’ll just have to do it ourselves."
Aaron "Jay" Danielson, 39, was fatally shot in Portland on Saturday after clashes between Trump supporters and protesters erupted in the city, which has seen nightly protests since the killing of George Floyd, a Black man in police custody, in May.
Police released few details about the shooting and have not named a suspect. Danielson wore a hat with an insignia for a right-wing group active in Portland.
Video and photos Saturday showed both sides shouting and lobbing projectiles at each other. Some images showed people in vehicles in a pro-Trump caravan firing paintballs at protesters. Other videos showed cars nearly running over protesters.
"Paint is a defensive mechanism. Paint is not bullets," Trump said during a White House briefing Monday. Someone connected with violent protests "shot a young gentleman and killed him," he said. "Not with paint but with a bullet."
Nearby sheriff's offices that Brown called on to come to Portland to aid police officers in patrolling protests dismissed her plan Monday.
More on Patriot Prayer: What is the right-wing group linked to Portland confrontations and who is Joey Gibson?
Here's what we know Tuesday:
Sheriffs: Brown's plan won't end 'cycle of violence' in Portland
Brown released details of her peace plan Sunday, which includes deploying Oregon State Police, asking for help from law enforcement and calling on the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office to prosecute arson and other violent offenses.
Clackamas County Sheriff Craig Roberts said adding more law enforcement to the mix wouldn't work unless Portland’s newly elected district attorney is harder on protesters. Roberts said that too often, demonstrators arrested on low-level crimes are released.
The law that allows DHS to send federal agents to cities like Portland The Trump administration sends federal agents in cities like Portland by citing the Department of Homeland Security. Here is breakdown on the law. Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
"The same offenders are arrested night after night, only to be released by the court and not charged with a crime by the DA’s office. The next night, they are back at it, endangering the lives of law enforcement and the community all over again," Roberts said. "The criminal justice system will need to do its part and hold offenders accountable."
Washington County Sheriff Pat Garrett was also critical of Brown's plan. On Tuesday, Gresham police also declined to play a role.
Brown's plan includes creating a forum among the city's Black leaders and Mayor Ted Wheeler. Trump has often lashed out at Wheeler for the unrest, calling him a "joke of a mayor" and a "fool" in the wake of the shooting.
Black leaders expressed concern over the plan, which would increase law enforcement on the streets.
"If you’re just there, the odds of getting arrested at this point are almost so high as to the point of being guaranteed," Shanice Clarke, a founder of the Black Millennial Movement, told The Associated Press.
Wheeler needs to do more than "just showing up to a press conference and saying it’s Trump’s fault" for Black people to feel they are being listened to, she said.
Visual timeline from Kenosha: Violence after police shooting of Jacob Blake
Mayor Ted Wheeler plans to find new place to live after protests at his building
The Oregonian reported Tuesday night that Mayor Ted Wheeler is looking for a new place to live following repeated demonstrations at his Pearl District condo building.
Monday night's demonstration included demands for his resignation, the newspaper reported.
In an email on Tuesday to other residents of the 144-unit high-rise building, Wheeler said it would be “best for me and for everyone else’s safety and peace” for him to find a new home.
The Oregonian reported on Monday night that people lit a fire with newspapers and tossed a picnic table in it. Windows on the ground floor were broken, and some protesters took items from a dental office.
Video shared by New York Times reporter Mike Baker showed police swarm in and make arrests. Police declared the mass gathering a riot late Monday and arrested 19 people, according to a news release.
Demonstrators have rallied in Portland every night since Floyd, a Black man, died as a white Minneapolis police officer dug his knee into Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes. His death led to massive protests around the country.
The unrest in Portland has ebbed and flowed, but tensions were reignited when Trump ordered federal agents to the city to protect a federal courthouse and quell violence.
Those agents withdrew July 31, but smaller nightly protests have continued in pockets of the city. More than 600 people have been arrested since late May.
'People's worst fears' came alive: In Kenosha, guns, militia inject chilling dimension into protests
What happened during the caravan, shooting?
Danielson was shot about 15 minutes after the caravan left downtown Portland on Saturday.
The group of vehicles rolled into the city after a rally in nearby Clackamas. Fights and skirmishes broke out between Trump supporters and protesters. Video showed both sides hurling objects. Protesters lit Trump flags on fire and lobbed water bottles. Trump supporters fired paintball guns and pepper spray as they drove into some protesters.
Hours before he was fatally shot, Danielson and a friend headed downtown to the caravan. They wore hats with the insignia of the right-wing group Patriot Prayer and appeared armed with knives and paintball guns.
In a video of the shooting, three shots are heard before Danielson falls to the ground.
Sheriff: 2 Los Angeles deputies killed Black man who dropped a handgun
What is Patriot Prayer?
Based in Washington state, Patriot Prayer is a right-wing group "about fighting corruption, big government, and tyranny using God for strength and the power of love," founder Joey Gibson wrote on the group's Facebook page.
The group has often clashed with protesters in Portland, and the Southern Poverty Law Center, which advocates for civil rights, said Patriot Prayer members often engage in violence against their political opponents.
"Our concern now is that (far-right groups in Portland) will use this tragic death as an excuse to act with even more impunity against anti-fascists, leftists, Black Lives Matter activists and journalists," said Cassie Miller, senior research analyst for the SPLC.
Gibson called Danielson a friend and wrote on Facebook, "We love Jay and he had such a huge heart. God bless him and the life he lived."
Chandler Pappas, who was seen next to Danielson on Saturday, told a rally Sunday that the man was "Christian" and "conservative."
"He was a good man, and he was just killed senselessly for no reason other than he believed something different than they do," Pappas said.
Contributing: John Bacon, Jordan Culver, Jorge Ortiz, USA TODAY; The Associated Press