usatoday--2020-12-28--Black, Latina and immigrant mothers are losing jobs as COVID-19 child care crisis grows

Serena Wills starts her day by helping her son log on to his virtual classroom .
She spends the next eight hours making sure he keeps the video camera on at all times and stays focused when he attends small group teaching sessions for students with learning disabilities .
Since she lost her job managing invoices as an administrative assistant , Wills has devoted her days to making sure her child is safe and healthy .
She feeds him , helps him learn and , when the holiday season began , she asked friends and family to buy him Christmas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the things on his list this year .
“ I feel like I ’ m the lunch lady and the IT support and the guidance counselor , ” Wills , 45 , said .
Wills ’ transition from the workplace to her son ’ s side represents an alarming trend among Black and Latina moms since the pandemic started .
Since March , Black and Latina moms have stopped working , either voluntarily or due to layoffs , at higher rates than white moms .
Many are single moms who need childcare but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic .
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics , single moms had higher rates of unemployment than their childless counterparts in the second and third quarters of 2020 .
The COVID-19 recession has affected groups in different ways .
Black moms have been more likely than Latina moms and white moms to quit their jobs .
Higher rates of layoffs affected immigrant moms most severely in 2020 .
Meanwhile , Latina moms were more likely to be laid off than white and Black moms .
This is in part because Latinas were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , such as in restaurants and hotels .
Experts forecast that loss of skills , tenure and income among women of color will shape the U.S. economy for years to come by making it more difficult for moms of color to re-enter the workforce , earn the same amount as their white counterparts and reach supervisor and management positions .
Black mothers are more vulnerable to layoffs Wills sensed that her job security might be starting to crumble before COVID-19 hit , when her long-time supervisor resigned from the condo association where they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Since that supervisor had brought her on full time a month earlier , Wills guessed she ’ d be one of the first out the door when layoffs arrived .
As the pandemic spread across the nation , Wills asked in June if she could work from home because she had health conditions that made her vulnerable to COVID-19 .
Her supervisor told her she had been let go .
By then , Wills was already suffering from the lingering effects of Lyme disease .
Two months before she was laid off , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from fatigue , shortness of breath , joint pain and dizziness .
Stress — the stress of her demanding job , stress regarding her son ’ s school shutting down , and stress caused by the invisible and deadly presence of the novel coronavirus — had caused Wills ’ lingering symptoms from a previous bout of Lyme disease to flare up , worse than they had in years .
To further complicate matters , the laundry list of symptoms caused by her syndrome makes her high-risk for COVID-19 .
The condo association let @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She received only $ 300 from unused vacation time .
Without her paycheck coming in , Wills began receiving rent relief from a faith-based community organization .
She received child support from Jordan ’ s dad in New York , but her savings were depleted .
Now , her days revolve around her son ’ s needs .
Before the pandemic , Wills ’ son ate breakfast at school with his friends , attended aftercare and took swimming lessons .
Since his mom became one of hundreds of thousands of Black mothers impacted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just the two of them in their one-bedroom apartment .
“ I have to keep my health all the way up , because I ’ m it — I ’ m everything for my son , ” Wills said .
For moms like Wills , there isn ’ t a real option during the pandemic when it comes to choosing between work and kids .
Even if she weren ’ t laid off , Wills may have had to sacrifice her job for Jordan ’ s sake to watch over him and help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , some of the other moms in their apartment complex were concerned about Wills working in-person from March through June .
They worried her family would pass the coronavirus to their kids , because they would sometimes look after Jordan .
Marianne Cooper , a sociologist at Stanford University in California who wrote the book “ Cut Adrift : Families in Insecure Times , ” calls the current economic recession a “ she-session ” because it ’ s disproportionately affecting women .
“ It was difficult before and it ’ s a crisis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the increase in care work , ” she said .
During the pandemic , mothers were more likely than fathers to reduce hours and leave the workforce altogether to take care of kids who are home .
Experts attribute this to the fact that , even though women make up almost exactly half of the American workforce , they still only earn 82 % of what men do .
Among women , women of color earn less than white women , with Latinas being the lowest-paid group .
The wage gap can lead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mother , said Cooper .
“ This is a long-term emergency that families are living through and women are the shock absorbers for it , ” Cooper said .
For Jennifer Jimenez , 28 , who was laid off from her job as a security guard at the Houston Rodeo in March , going back to work hasn ’ t been an option .
She has four kids ranging in age from one to 11-years-old .
And she ’ s a single mom .
Jimenez has been receiving SNAP benefits since August and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ October .
“ I really can ’ t work because I have my kids , ” she said .
Starting in June , Jimenez started selling T-shirts and sweaters on a website she created .
It ’ s been the only source of income for her family , and was bringing in $ 200 per week from July to October .
That was n't enough to help Jimenez with her car payments , and this month , she had to borrow $ 1,000 from a friend to having her car be repossessed .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ savings and doesn ’ t have a back-up financial plan .
The only job she can see herself doing in the near future is working part-time as an Uber Eats deliverer or driving to make deliveries for Favor , another food app .
She needs the flexibility to be with her kids , she said .
Right after Thanksgiving , Jimenez tested positive for COVID-19 .
Her 10-year-old daughter Jasleen tested positive , too .
When their tests came back , Jimenez was astounded .
She hadn ’ t mentally prepared for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ catch the virus .
She said she felt paralyzed and powerless .
She waited days before telling her children their family was now directly touched by the virus and that the test results had returned positive .
Her kids had been going to school in-person , at a public school in Houston .
But that one sense of normalcy and routine came to a shuddering halt with their decision to quarantine in the family ’ s two-bedroom apartment .
Jimenez lost her sense of taste and smell .
Her daughter Jasleen didn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a world where one day you ’ re OK and one day you ’ re not , ” Jimenez said .
Latina moms have been particularly vulnerable during the COVID-19 recession in part because they are more likely to work as temps or in other seemingly flexible positions where they ’ re in and out of the workforce , said Felipe Dias , a sociology professor at Tufts University in Massachusetts who studies inequality .
His research shows that from the pre-pandemic period to the post-pandemic period in April , the number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 23 % .
Some have since recovered , Dias found .
Through October , Latina moms regained 60 % of those lost work opportunities .
Larhonda Stewart , 28 , had to turn down work after her child care provider reduced service hours because of the pandemic .
The in-home nurse assistant in Washington , D.C. has two daughters : a seven-year-old and a six-month-old .
Before the pandemic , the family and childcare center where Stewart takes her 6-month-old daughter Anissa was open longer .
Now , Stewart drops off Anissa at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ D.C. , at 8 a.m. She has to pick her up again by around 3:30 p.m. because the center has had to cut back hours during the pandemic to allow the moms who work there to take care of their kids .
Most of the staff are Black and brown women , according to the center ’ s executive director .
Stewart ’ s seven-year-old daughter Zorah , who attends a private school , is doing virtual learning at home and often needs help from her mom .
Sometimes the internet doesn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meant that Stewart soon found herself telling her supervisor she couldn ’ t work nights or weekends .
Soon , she was working 50 % fewer hours than she was before the pandemic .
In October , she couldn ’ t get any work shifts .
Stewart wishes she didn ’ t have to work at all .
She needs to help her daughter with school .
And she worries that her job is putting her and her family at risk of getting the coronavirus .
Stewart said that PPE shortages have meant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ left to piece together their own masks , gloves and other supplies .
“ I ’ m stuck in an environment that I really don ’ t want to be in but I have to take it because I have bills , ” she said .
To help make up for her lost wages , Stewart has been getting food and clothes from multiple food banks and organizations in D.C .
The federal stimulus check early on in the pandemic also helped .
She wants to apply for unemployment since she ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s been afraid to file since she got rejected when she applied for food stamps .
The people who reviewed her application told her she made slightly too much money to qualify .
These days , Stewart said her family must carefully portion out sizes of spaghetti and rice and ground beef during mealtimes .
The recession has inspired some mothers to leave the workplace in hopes of preparing for a more secure future career .
Jasmine Gaston was working part-time as an auto porter at a car auction site in Houston @ @ @ @ @ @ @ businesses to shut down .
She was laid off in April .
When the auction site called to offer her job back in June , she declined even though she needed the money .
She received $ 122 per week in unemployment until May , but she worried going back to work would put her health at risk .
“ I wasn ’ t anxious to get back into the workforce , ” said Gaston , 31 , who lives in public housing with her sons , Troy , who is 13 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dias ’ research found that Black moms were more likely than Latina moms and white moms to voluntarily leave the workforce during the pandemic .
Black moms had particularly high quit rates in August , September and October .
Gaston had always wanted a more secure financial foundation for her family .
Her job at the auto auction site was the latest in a string of part-time positions that didn ’ t really make her feel fulfilled .
And she said she hadn ’ t been able to work full-time in “ forever @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work so she could take care of her kids , especially after she had her second child .
After she got off the waitlist for public housing in 2018 , she came up with a “ life plan ” where she would save as much money as possible to invest in her future .
Since August , Gaston has been taking courses at the Texas Health School for Vocational Nursing while her son goes to daycare every day until 4 p.m. She wants to get a nursing job after graduating in 2021 and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said underlying gender inequality puts child care responsibilities primarily on women , often requiring them to work low paying , part-time jobs .
That in turn traps moms in less stable economic positions .
“ Moms having flexible jobs is a band-aid solution to family responsibilities that should be more equal , ” Dias said .
Among American women , immigrant mothers have had one of the most difficult financial outlooks since the pandemic broke out .
Immigrant moms had a 12.5 % unemployment rate in the third quarter of 2020 .
Meanwhile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of only 7.5 % in 2020 ’ s third quarter .
At the same time , there ’ s been a surge in the number of immigrant men workers .
As of October , only 50 % of immigrant women in the U.S. were currently working .
In the initial shock right after the pandemic forced shutdowns in April , non-citizen women were hit particularly hard by layoffs , with only 30 % of non-citizen immigrant women working .
Cooper , the sociologist at Stanford University , said this is due to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to work in the face-to-face service economy , like in restaurants and hotels , industries that have been the hardest hit by quarantine measures .
During the pandemic , the notion of relying on extended family for support , like grandparents pitching in with childcare , may not be panning out , especially for immigrant families , said Dias .
“ You could have an extended family network , but the resources that flow through those connections are probably depleted , ” Dias said .
For Divinelove Ogini , the pandemic delayed her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. She left Nigeria in 2015 and came to the U.S. in 2017 with a master ’ s degree in security studies .
But she didn ’ t receive her work permit until February , just before many states began to implement quarantine measures because of the pandemic .
To make matters worse , her husband , who is a citizen , quit his job as a correctional officer when the pandemic hit because he was afraid of getting the coronavirus .
In the early months of the pandemic , Ogini said that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from shopping at the grocery store because she couldn ’ t stand having to take a shower before embracing her 14-month-old daughter , Lily .
Ogini ’ s church helped out , providing clothes , food and baby supplies .
Ogini also received public assistance from Harris County in Houston to help her pay bills .
But it wasn ’ t enough .
For months , the family didn ’ t have enough food to eat .
Ogini ate one meal a day while pumping breast milk for Lily .
“ I was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
Soon , her weight dropped , turning her face and body into someone she didn ’ t recognize when she looked in the mirror .
One day in her neighborhood , Ogini crossed paths with a man she used to see regularly at church .
He didn ’ t recognize her at first .
She began to tell herself , “ you ’ ll never be the same — you ’ re a survivor.
” In October , after having applied to 120 jobs during the pandemic , Ogini finally got @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Texas Department of Criminal Justice .
The paycheck was paid out to her name .
“ The first time I bought my daughter a diaper with my own money was this December , ” Ogini said .

Black, Latina and immigrant mothers are losing jobs as COVID-19 child care crisis grows
Show Caption Hide Caption 2 Michigan women struggle to get unemployment aid Two Michigan women are among the millions who lost their jobs due to the coronavirus pandemic. But it took one of them a long time to receive unemployment benefits. The other is still waiting. (May 8) AP
Serena Wills starts her day by helping her son log on to his virtual classroom. She spends the next eight hours making sure he keeps the video camera on at all times and stays focused when he attends small group teaching sessions for students with learning disabilities.
Since she lost her job managing invoices as an administrative assistant, Wills has devoted her days to making sure her child is safe and healthy. She feeds him, helps him learn and, when the holiday season began, she asked friends and family to buy him Christmas gifts because she couldn't afford all the things on his list this year.
“I feel like I’m the lunch lady and the IT support and the guidance counselor,” Wills, 45, said.
Wills’ transition from the workplace to her son’s side represents an alarming trend among Black and Latina moms since the pandemic started.
Since March, Black and Latina moms have stopped working, either voluntarily or due to layoffs, at higher rates than white moms. Many are single moms who need childcare but can’t access it during the pandemic. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, single moms had higher rates of unemployment than their childless counterparts in the second and third quarters of 2020.
The COVID-19 recession has affected groups in different ways. Black moms have been more likely than Latina moms and white moms to quit their jobs. Higher rates of layoffs affected immigrant moms most severely in 2020. Meanwhile, Latina moms were more likely to be laid off than white and Black moms. This is in part because Latinas were more likely to work face-to-face service positions, such as in restaurants and hotels.
Experts forecast that loss of skills, tenure and income among women of color will shape the U.S. economy for years to come by making it more difficult for moms of color to re-enter the workforce, earn the same amount as their white counterparts and reach supervisor and management positions.
Black mothers are more vulnerable to layoffs
Wills sensed that her job security might be starting to crumble before COVID-19 hit, when her long-time supervisor resigned from the condo association where they worked in Alexandria, Virginia. Since that supervisor had brought her on full-time a month earlier, Wills guessed she’d be one of the first out the door when layoffs arrived.
As the pandemic spread across the nation, Wills asked in June if she could work from home because she had health conditions that made her vulnerable to COVID-19. Her supervisor told her she had been let go.
By then, Wills was already suffering from the lingering effects of Lyme disease. Two months before she was laid off, she went to the emergency room suffering from fatigue, shortness of breath, joint pain and dizziness.
She knew it wasn’t COVID-19.
Stress – the stress of her demanding job, stress regarding her son’s school shutting down, and stress caused by the invisible and deadly presence of the novel coronavirus – had caused Wills’ lingering symptoms from a previous bout of Lyme disease to flare up, worse than they had in years. To further complicate matters, the laundry list of symptoms caused by her syndrome makes her high-risk for COVID-19.
The condo association let her go without a severance package. She received only $300 from unused vacation time.
Without her paycheck coming in, Wills began receiving rent relief from a faith-based community organization. She received child support from Jordan’s dad in New York, but her savings were depleted.
Now, her days revolve around her son’s needs.
Before the pandemic, her son ate breakfast at school with his friends, attended aftercare and took swimming lessons. Since his mom became one of hundreds of thousands of Black mothers impacted by layoffs, it’s been just the two of them in their one-bedroom apartment.
“I have to keep my health all the way up, because I’m it – I’m everything for my son,” Wills said.
For moms like Wills, there isn’t a real option during the pandemic when it comes to choosing between work and kids. Even if she weren’t laid off, Wills may have had to sacrifice her job for Jordan’s sake to watch over him and help him with school.
As it was, some of the other moms in their apartment complex were concerned about Wills working in-person from March through June. They worried her family would pass the coronavirus to their kids, because they would sometimes look after Jordan.
Marianne Cooper, a sociologist at Stanford University in California who wrote the book “Cut Adrift: Families in Insecure Times,” calls the economic recession a “she-session” because it’s disproportionately affecting women.
“It was difficult before, and it’s a crisis now. Moms are doing more of the increase in care work,” she said.
During the pandemic, mothers were more likely than fathers to reduce hours and leave the workforce altogether to take care of kids who are home. Experts attribute this to the fact that, even though women make up almost exactly half of the American workforce, they still only earn 82% of what men do. Among women, women of color earn less than white women, with Latinas being the lowest-paid group.
The wage gap can lead families to de-prioritize the career of the mother, said Cooper.
“This is a long-term emergency that families are living through and women are the shock absorbers for it,” Cooper said.
Latinas hit hard by COVID-19 recession
For Jennifer Jimenez, 28, who was laid off from her job as a security guard at the Houston Rodeo in March, going back to work hasn’t been an option. She has four kids ranging in age from 1 to 11 years old. And she’s a single mom.
Jimenez has been receiving SNAP benefits since August and was able to get unemployment relief until October.
“I really can’t work because I have my kids,” she said.
Starting in June, Jimenez started selling T-shirts and sweaters on a website she created. It’s been the only source of income for her family, and was bringing in $200 per week from July to October.
That wasn't enough to help Jimenez with her car payments. This month, she had to borrow $1,000 from a friend to keep from having her car repossessed.
She said she doesn’t have savings and doesn’t have a back-up financial plan. The only job she can see herself doing in the near future is working part-time as an Uber Eats deliverer or driving to make deliveries for Favor, another food app. She needs the flexibility to be with her kids, she said.
Right after Thanksgiving, Jimenez tested positive for COVID-19. Her 10-year-old daughter Jasleen tested positive, too.
When their tests came back, Jimenez was astounded. She hadn’t mentally prepared for the possibility that someone in her family would catch the virus.
She said she felt paralyzed and powerless. She waited days before telling her children their family was now directly touched by the virus and that the test results had returned positive.
Her kids had been going to school in-person, at a public school in Houston. But that one sense of normalcy and routine came to a shuddering halt with their decision to quarantine in the family’s two-bedroom apartment.
Jimenez lost her sense of taste and smell. Her daughter Jasleen didn’t show symptoms.
“We live in a world where one day you’re OK and one day you’re not,” Jimenez said.
Latina moms have been particularly vulnerable during the COVID-19 recession in part because they are more likely to work as temps or in other seemingly flexible positions where they’re in and out of the workforce, said Felipe Dias, a sociology professor at Tufts University in Massachusetts who studies inequality.
His research shows that from the pre-pandemic period to the post-pandemic period in April, the number of working Latina moms fell by 23%. Some have since recovered, Dias found. Through October, Latina moms regained 60% of those lost work opportunities.
Child care providers limit hours, forcing moms to give up work
Larhonda Stewart, 28, had to turn down work after her child care provider reduced service hours because of the pandemic. The in-home nurse assistant in Washington, D.C., has two daughters: a 7-year-old and a 6-month-old.
Now, Stewart drops off the youngest, Anissa, at the Bright Beginnings center at 8 a.m. She has to pick her up again by around 3:30 p.m. because the center cut back hours to allow the moms who work there to take care of their kids. Most of the staff are Black and brown women, according to the center’s executive director.
Stewart’s 7-year-old daughter, Zorah, attends a private school and is doing virtual learning at home and often needs help from her mom. Sometimes the internet doesn’t work.
The demands of childcare meant that Stewart soon found herself telling her supervisor she couldn’t work nights or weekends. Soon, she was working 50% fewer hours than she was before the pandemic. In October, she couldn’t get any work shifts.
Stewart wishes she didn’t have to work at all. She needs to help her daughter with school. And she worries that her job is putting her and her family at risk of getting the coronavirus. Stewart said that PPE shortages have meant she and other nursing assistants have been left to piece together their own masks, gloves and other supplies.
“I’m stuck in an environment that I really don’t want to be in but I have to take it because I have bills,” she said.
To help make up for her lost wages, Stewart has been getting food and clothes from multiple food banks and organizations in D.C. The federal stimulus check early on in the pandemic also helped.
She wants to apply for unemployment since she’s experienced a reduction in hours but she’s been afraid to file since she got rejected when she applied for food stamps. The people who reviewed her application told her she made slightly too much money to qualify.
These days, Stewart said her family must carefully portion out sizes of spaghetti and rice and ground beef during mealtimes.
Mothers need more stable work
The recession has inspired some mothers to leave the workplace in hopes of preparing for a more secure future career.
Jasmine Gaston was working part-time as an auto porter at a car auction site in Houston, Texas, when the pandemic forced businesses to shut down. She was laid off in April.
When the auction site called to offer her job back in June, she declined even though she needed the money. She received $122 per week in unemployment until May, but she worried going back to work would put her health at risk.
“I wasn’t anxious to get back into the workforce,” said Gaston, 31, who lives in public housing with her sons, Troy, who is 13, and Major, who is five.
Dias’ research found that Black moms were more likely than Latina moms and white moms to voluntarily leave the workforce during the pandemic. Black moms had particularly high quit rates in August, September and October.
Gaston had always wanted a more secure financial foundation for her family. Her job at the auto auction site was the latest in a string of part-time positions that didn’t really make her feel fulfilled. And she said she hadn’t been able to work full-time in “forever” in part because she needed flexible work so she could take care of her kids, especially after she had her second child.
After she got off the waitlist for public housing in 2018, she came up with a “life plan” where she would save as much money as possible to invest in her future.
Since August, Gaston has been taking courses at the Texas Health School for Vocational Nursing while her son goes to daycare every day until 4 p.m. She wants to get a nursing job after graduating in 2021 and work in a hospital setting.
Dias said underlying gender inequality puts child care responsibilities primarily on women, often requiring them to work low paying, part-time jobs. That in turn traps moms in less stable economic positions.
“Moms having flexible jobs is a band-aid solution to family responsibilities that should be more equal,” Dias said.
Immigrant women forced from the workforce
Among Americans, immigrant mothers have had one of the most difficult financial outlooks since the pandemic broke out.
Immigrant moms had a 12.5% unemployment rate in the third quarter of 2020, data from the Bureau of Labor statistics shows. Meanwhile, non-immigrant moms saw an unemployment rate of only 7.5%. At the same time, there’s been a surge in the number of immigrant men workers.
As of October, only 50% of immigrant women in the U.S. were working. In the initial shock right after the pandemic forced shutdowns in April, non-citizen women were hit particularly hard by layoffs, with only 30% of non-citizen immigrant women working.
Cooper, the sociologist at Stanford University, said this is due to the fact that immigrant women are more likely to work in the face-to-face service economy, like in restaurants and hotels, which has been hit hardest by quarantine measures.
During the pandemic, the notion of relying on extended family for support, like grandparents pitching in with childcare, may not be panning out, especially for immigrant families, said Dias.
“You could have an extended family network, but the resources that flow through those connections are probably depleted,” Dias said.
For Divinelove Ogini, the pandemic delayed her hopes of getting a job in the U.S.
She left Nigeria in 2015 and came to the U.S. in 2017 with a master’s degree in security studies. But she didn’t receive her work permit until February, just before many states began to implement quarantines because of the pandemic.
To make matters worse, her husband, who is a citizen, quit his job as a correctional officer when the pandemic hit because he was afraid of getting the coronavirus.
In the early months of the pandemic, Ogini said that she would cry when she got home from shopping at the grocery store because she couldn’t stand having to take a shower before embracing her 14-month-old daughter, Lily.
Ogini’s church helped out, providing clothes, food and baby supplies. Ogini also received public assistance from Harris County in Houston to help pay bills. But it wasn’t enough. For months, the family didn’t have enough food to eat. Ogini ate one meal a day while pumping breast milk for Lily.
“I was like a walking zombie,” she said.
Her weight dropped, turning her face and body into someone she didn’t recognize when she looked in the mirror.
One day in her neighborhood, Ogini crossed paths with a man she used to see regularly at church. He didn’t recognize her at first.
She began to tell herself, “You’ll never be the same – you’re a survivor.”
In October, after having applied for 120 jobs during the pandemic, Ogini finally got a position as a correctional officer with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
The paycheck was paid out to her name.
“The first time I bought my daughter a diaper with my own money was this December,” Ogini said.


usatoday--2020-12-28--Politics updates: Trump advocates for $2,000 stimulus checks after signing relief package

This week , USA TODAY Politics focuses on the run-up to President-elect Joe Biden 's inauguration , his remaining Cabinet picks and the final week of the current Congress .
• Jan. 6 : Congress will count and certify the electoral results in a joint session .
• Jan. 20 : Inauguration of Biden , who will take the oath of office .
Be sure to refresh this page often to get the latest information on the transition .
President Donald Trump tweeted Sunday that he would be traveling to Georgia in January to campaign for Republican Sens .
Kelly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ engaged in intensely completive reelection bids .
“ On behalf of two GREAT Senators , @ sendavidperdue & @ KLoeffler , I will be going to Georgia on Monday night , January 4th.
, to have a big and wonderful RALLY.
” Trump tweeted .
“ So important for our Country that they win !
” The Republican National Convention confirmed it will be hosting a “ Victory Rally ” in Dalton , Georgia , on Jan. 4 .
Loeffler and Perdue will join the president for the rally , which will take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at 7 p.m .
ET .
The fates of both senators will be determined on Jan. 5 , when Georgians will cast their ballots in a runoff that will not only determine the state ’ s representation in Congress but also the balance of power in the Senate .
Election watchers expect the bitterly contested race to be extremely close .
Democratic challengers Jon Ossoff and Rev .
Raphael Warnock are in statistical ties with the Republican incumbents , according to a FiveThirtyEight average .
Ossoff and Warnock have both raised over $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Perdue raised $ 64 million and $ 68.1 million , respectively .
The cash influx has enabled a barrage of political advertising just as the state sees early voting levels in the runoffs just shy of turnout in the general election , a near unprecedented rate .
Trump , who lost Georgia to President-elect Joe Biden , has continued to make unfounded claims of widespread voter fraud in the election .
The president has recently come under increased criticism from conservatives for attacking the legitimacy of the state ’ s electoral system ahead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Perdue both joined the president ’ s condemnations of state election officials and the integrity of the vote itself , going so far as to call for the ouster of the Republican Secretary of State , Brad Raffesperger , and suing the state in federal court , arguing that more mail ballots should have been scrapped in November .
President Donald Trump continued to argue for direct payments of $ 2,000 to Americans after signing a coronavirus relief package that includes a provision for a lower amount .
“ As President , I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ less wasteful spending and more money going to the American people in the form of $ 2,000 checks per adult and $ 600 per child , ” Trump said in a statement .
The president signed the relief package Sunday just after expanded unemployment benefits for workers impacted by the coronavirus pandemic expired Saturday .
The White House had originally agreed to much of the aid package until Trump unexpectedly threatened to veto the deal that congressional leadership had reached with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin .
The House of Representatives is set to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ direct payments to the $ 2,000 amount .
A voice vote to increase the direct payment amount failed last week after some Republican opposition .

Politics updates: Biden calls for 'continuing vigilance' against domestic attacks following Nashville bombing
Show Caption Hide Caption Joe Biden calls out 'irresponsibility,' 'roadblocks' in transition President-elect Joe Biden called the lack of cooperation from the Trump administration irresponsible. Staff video, USA TODAY
This week, USA TODAY Politics focuses on the run-up to President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration, his remaining Cabinet picks and the final week of the current Congress.
Dates to watch:
Jan. 6: Congress will count and certify the electoral results in a joint session.
Jan. 20: Inauguration of Biden, who will take the oath of office.
Be sure to refresh this page often to get the latest information on the transition.
President-elect Joe Biden went public Monday with protests of a lack of transition help from the Donald Trump administration, saying it could undermine national security.
“Right now, we just aren’t getting all the information that we need from the outgoing administration in key national security areas," Biden told reporters in Wilmington, Del. "It’s nothing short, in my view, of irresponsibility."
Speaking after a video conference with his national security and foreign policy teams, Biden was particularly critical of the Office of Management and Budget and the Department of Defense.
"My team needs a clear picture of our force posture around the world and our operations to deter our enemies,” Biden said. “We need full visibility into the budget planning underway at the Defense Department and other agencies in order to avoid any window of confusion or catch-up that our adversaries may try to exploit.”
Trump administration officials have pledged cooperation with the Democratic team, even though Trump himself has yet to concede the election to Biden.
After the president-elect's criticism, Acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller said his department has worked well with the Biden transition team.
"We continue to schedule additional meetings for the remainder of the transition and answer any and all requests for information in our purview," Miller said in a statement.
That hasn't happened yet, Biden said: “We have encountered roadblocks."
— David Jackson
President-elect Joe Biden said Monday an array of national security challenges includes protection against domestic attacks, and the nation needs to be alert in the wake of the Christmas Day bombing in Nashville, Tenn.
Investigators in Nashville "are working around the clock to gain more information on motive and intent," Biden said after a national security briefing with advisers, and there needs to be "continuing vigilance across the board."
Speaking with reporters about his foreign policy and national security agendas, Biden again said he wants to rebuild alliances with other countries that have frayed during the Donald Trump presidency.
International cooperation is essential to meet challenges such the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, Chinese "trade abuses," Russian cyberattacks, and border security, Biden said during a short speech.
Biden also knocked a lack of cooperation on the transition from the Trump administration, citing irresponsible "obstruction" by the Pentagon in particular. He cited a lack of information about budgeting and military planning.
“We have encountered roadblocks,” Biden said.
Biden did not take formal questions from journalists. As he left, one reporter shouted out if he supports $2,000 in direct payments as part of a COVID relief package; Biden responded "yes."
During his presidency, Trump and aides have clashed with leaders of other countries on issues ranging from free trade to immigration to joint military defense. Trump has said too many countries have "ripped off" the United States by making bad trade deals, failing to spend enough for mutual defense, and refusing to help block illegal border crossings into the U.S.
In his remarks, Biden said Trump has forfeited American global leadership
"We will reclaim our credibility to lead the free world," Biden said. "And we will, once again, lead not just by the example of our power, but by the power of our example."
— David Jackson
President-elect Joe Biden said Monday one of his top foreign policy priorities is rebuilding alliances with other countries that became strained during the Donald Trump administration.
"The truth is the challenges we face today can't be solved by any one country acting alone," Biden said before a virtual meeting with his national security and foreign policy review teams, citing the COVID-19 pandemic as a classic example.
Biden is scheduled to deliver a brief speech on national security and foreign policy after the meeting.
During his presidency, Trump and aides have clashed with leaders of other countries on issues ranging from free trade to joint military defense. Trump said too many countries have "ripped off" the United States with bad trade deals and low spending on their own national defenses.
In remarks before meeting with advisers, Biden said Trump's aggressive approach has done more harm than good, and U.S. security has been "jeopardized by the go-it-alone approach of this administration."
— David Jackson
President Donald Trump tweeted Sunday that he would be traveling to Georgia in January to campaign for Republican Sens. Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue, who are engaged in intensely completive reelection bids.
“On behalf of two GREAT Senators, @sendavidperdue & @KLoeffler, I will be going to Georgia on Monday night, January 4th., to have a big and wonderful RALLY.” Trump tweeted. “So important for our Country that they win!”
The Republican National Convention confirmed it will be hosting a “Victory Rally” in Dalton, Georgia, on Jan. 4. Loeffler and Perdue will join the president for the rally, which will take place at Dalton Regional Airport and begin at 7 p.m. ET.
The fates of both senators will be determined on Jan. 5, when Georgians will cast their ballots in a runoff that will not only determine the state’s representation in Congress but also the balance of power in the Senate.
Election watchers expect the bitterly contested race to be extremely close. Democratic challengers Jon Ossoff and Rev. Raphael Warnock are in statistical ties with the Republican incumbents, according to a FiveThirtyEight average.
Ossoff and Warnock have both raised over $100 million each, while Loeffler and Perdue raised $64 million and $68.1 million, respectively. The cash influx has enabled a barrage of political advertising just as the state sees early voting levels in the runoffs just shy of turnout in the general election, a near unprecedented rate.
Trump, who lost Georgia to President-elect Joe Biden, has continued to make unfounded claims of widespread voter fraud in the election. The president has recently come under increased criticism from conservatives for attacking the legitimacy of the state’s electoral system ahead of a crucial election.
Loeffler and Perdue both joined the president’s condemnations of state election officials and the integrity of the vote itself, going so far as to call for the ouster of the Republican Secretary of State, Brad Raffesperger, and suing the state in federal court, arguing that more mail ballots should have been scrapped in November.
— Matthew Brown
Trump advocates for $2,000 stimulus checks after signing relief package
President Donald Trump continued to argue for direct payments of $2,000 to Americans after signing a coronavirus relief package that includes a provision for a lower amount.
“As President, I have told Congress that I want far less wasteful spending and more money going to the American people in the form of $2,000 checks per adult and $600 per child,” Trump said in a statement.
The president signed the relief package Sunday just after expanded unemployment benefits for workers impacted by the coronavirus pandemic expired Saturday.
The White House had originally agreed to much of the aid package until Trump unexpectedly threatened to veto the deal that congressional leadership had reached with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.
The House of Representatives is set to vote on a bill that would expand direct payments to the $2,000 amount. A voice vote to increase the direct payment amount failed last week after some Republican opposition.
— Matthew Brown


usatoday--2020-12-28--Army Special Forces Sgt. Duke Webb charged in Illinois bowling alley rampage that killed 3

ROCKFORD , Ill. – An Army sergeant based in Florida was charged with murder after a shooting rampage at a bowling alley complex that left three people dead and three wounded , authorities said Sunday .
Duke Webb , 37 , was held in the Winnebago County Jail without bond on three counts each of first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder in Saturday 's attack .
His first court appearance was set for Monday .
`` We believe this was a completely random act , '' Police Chief Dan O'Shea said Sunday .
`` There is no prior meeting or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and any of the victims in this case . ''
The tragedy adds to the deadliest year on record for this city of 150,000 people , 90 miles west of Chicago .
Saturday 's killings marked 35 homicides this year , the most of any year on records dating back to 1965 .
The next highest total was 31 , recorded in 1996 .
Rockford 's issues are a recurring theme across the nation .
More than 41,500 people died by gun violence this year nationwide , which is a record , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ group Gun Violence Archive .
Cities – including Milwaukee ; Indianapolis ; Cincinnati and Columbus , Ohio ; Greensboro , North Carolina ; Kansas City , Missouri ; Louisville , Kentucky ; and Trenton , New Jersey – surpassed their all-time records for homicides .
Others , such as Philadelphia and Fort Worth , Texas , are seeing their highest numbers in decades .
'They 're not forgotten ' : America 's other epidemic killed 41,000 people this year Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara said the eyes of the nation are on his city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they `` respond to an incident such as this , as one Rockford , supporting one another and coming together . ''
`` This type of violence in the city of Rockford needs to stop , '' McNamara said .
`` This type of violence throughout our country needs to stop . ''
Webb , a resident of Florida , was taken into custody within minutes of officers arriving on the scene .
He attempted to conceal his identity and hide two weapons that were recovered from the scene , O'Shea said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Webb into custody , O'Shea said .
The Army said Webb is a Special Forces assistant operations and intelligence sergeant based at Camp Bull Simons , Eglin Air Force Base , Florida .
He joined the Army in 2008 and was on leave Saturday .
“ We are shocked and saddened to learn about this tragic event , ” said Col. John W. Sannes , commander of 7th Special Forces Group .
“ Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of those killed and wounded.
” The site of the attack , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alley , a bar and an off-track betting site .
The bowling alley and lower level of the complex was closed because of COVID-19 regulations , but there were 20 to 25 people in an upstairs bar operating within compliance , O'Shea said .
`` The two teenage victims were picking up food .
It 's a carryout establishment as well , '' O'Shea said .
`` They were not in the bar area . ''
O'Shea said shots were fired inside and outside the complex .
Most of the incident was captured @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said .
Webb is charged with fatally shooting three men , ages 73 , 65 and 69 .
He is accused of wounding a 14-year-old boy , who was shot in the face and airlifted to a hospital in Madison , a 16-year-old girl and a 62-year-old man , who is in critical condition after undergoing surgery from the shooting .

Kevin Haas, Chris Green and John Bacon, Rockford Register Star

Army Special Forces Sgt. Duke Webb charged in Illinois bowling alley rampage that killed 3
Show Caption Hide Caption Suspect goes on shooting rampage at Illinois bowling alley Police say they believe the rampage was a random attack. USA TODAY
ROCKFORD, Ill. – An Army sergeant based in Florida was charged with murder after a shooting rampage at a bowling alley complex that left three people dead and three wounded, authorities said Sunday.
Duke Webb, 37, was held in the Winnebago County Jail without bond on three counts each of first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder in Saturday's attack. His first court appearance was set for Monday.
"We believe this was a completely random act," Police Chief Dan O'Shea said Sunday. "There is no prior meeting or any kind of relationship between the suspect and any of the victims in this case."
The tragedy adds to the deadliest year on record for this city of 150,000 people, 90 miles west of Chicago. Saturday's killings marked 35 homicides this year, the most of any year on records dating back to 1965. The next highest total was 31, recorded in 1996.
Rockford's issues are a recurring theme across the nation. More than 41,500 people died by gun violence this year nationwide, which is a record, according to the independent data collection and research group Gun Violence Archive.
Cities – including Milwaukee; Indianapolis; Cincinnati and Columbus, Ohio; Greensboro, North Carolina; Kansas City, Missouri; Louisville, Kentucky; and Trenton, New Jersey – surpassed their all-time records for homicides. Others, such as Philadelphia and Fort Worth, Texas, are seeing their highest numbers in decades.
'They're not forgotten': America's other epidemic killed 41,000 people this year
Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara said the eyes of the nation are on his city, and its residents must show how they "respond to an incident such as this, as one Rockford, supporting one another and coming together."
"This type of violence in the city of Rockford needs to stop," McNamara said. "This type of violence throughout our country needs to stop."
Webb, a resident of Florida, was taken into custody within minutes of officers arriving on the scene. He attempted to conceal his identity and hide two weapons that were recovered from the scene, O'Shea said. No officers fired their weapons while taking Webb into custody, O'Shea said.
The Army said Webb is a Special Forces assistant operations and intelligence sergeant based at Camp Bull Simons, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. He joined the Army in 2008 and was on leave Saturday.
“We are shocked and saddened to learn about this tragic event,” said Col. John W. Sannes, commander of 7th Special Forces Group. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of those killed and wounded.”
The site of the attack, Don Carter Lanes, includes the bowling alley, a bar and an off-track betting site. The bowling alley and lower level of the complex was closed because of COVID-19 regulations, but there were 20 to 25 people in an upstairs bar operating within compliance, O'Shea said.
"The two teenage victims were picking up food. It's a carryout establishment as well," O'Shea said. "They were not in the bar area."
O'Shea said shots were fired inside and outside the complex. Most of the incident was captured on surveillance video inside the business, he said.
Webb is charged with fatally shooting three men, ages 73, 65 and 69. He is accused of wounding a 14-year-old boy, who was shot in the face and airlifted to a hospital in Madison, a 16-year-old girl and a 62-year-old man, who is in critical condition after undergoing surgery from the shooting.
Contributing: Grace Hauck, USA TODAY; The Associated Press


usatoday--2020-12-28--Lessons, changes college football programs are going to take from dealing with COVID-19

Most of the changes made in college football to meet the demands of the coronavirus pandemic won ’ t outlast the vaccine .
The Bowl Subdivision will eventually embrace a return to the sport 's traditional routine .
Team activities will resume without restrictions .
Players will be able to prepare without the uncertainty that has come with attempting to conduct this season , when dozens of games have been postponed or canceled due to COVID-19 .
Fans will have the option of crowding back into packed stadiums .
`` There ’ s a lot of things we ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do .
We ’ ll see how all of that plays out , '' said Indiana coach Tom Allen .
`` You adapt , you figure it out and you make the best of it .
That ’ s what our guys have done . ''
More : Clemson coach Dabo Swinney on ranking Ohio State outside top 10 : ' I did n't think they were qualified' Challenging , frustrating and often emotionally taxing on coaches and players , the regular season and postseason have forced the FBS to riff on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Many of these modifications will be tossed aside , relics of a season all of college football would like to forget .
`` I don ’ t know if I ’ d really want to carry any of the stuff we did when we weren ’ t here on with us the next couple years , '' said Clemson freshman defensive lineman Bryan Bresee .
`` I just think , personally , that it ’ s better to be here and to do things all together . ''
In some cases , however @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remote learning will very likely last into 2021 and beyond , providing the earliest indications of the lasting impact of COVID-19 on the sport .
`` There ’ s a whole bunch of things within our office that we changed , '' Houston coach Dana Holgorsen said .
`` Once it goes back to normal , we ’ re still going to be able to use some of these things that we came up with .
I ’ ve always been open-minded , but I ’ m really open-minded right now . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in how teams evaluate and assess talent , build contacts with prospects and close on signing classes .
All recruiting has been conducted virtually since the spring .
In lieu of in-person evaluations and visits , programs have relied on drone tours , FaceTime and Zoom to show off facilities and build relationships without leaving campus .
One question has emerged as teams stepped back to evaluate December 's early signing period : Is this the future of college football recruiting ?
`` Maybe the NCAA looks and says , 'You don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anymore , ' '' said Florida coach Dan Mullen .
The ability to complete a cycle almost entirely by phone could influence dramatic changes to the recruiting calendar , which under normal conditions sends entire coaching staffs on the road during an extended evaluation period in April and May .
`` This probably won ’ t be very popular with a lot of college coaches , '' Liberty coach Hugh Freeze said .
`` I enjoy recruiting from here and not going away from home .
I think it ’ s real possible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ calendar to where you might not have to go out as much . ''
A reimagined calendar could favor shorter off-campus assessment periods and more virtual connectivity while still allowing prospects to conduct unofficial or official visits , especially closer to the early signing period in December .
That schedule would fit into how the recruiting landscape should unfold in 2021 .
While in-person contact may expand by September , teams are preparing to hold virtual recruiting events this spring .
And at a time when athletics departments are cutting sports , eliminating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ employees , there is an obvious financial benefit for an online-heavy recruiting approach .
Fifty programs in the Power Five spent at least $ 500,000 and 19 more than $ 1 million on recruiting during the 2018 fiscal year .
`` You can have a one-on-one session or you can put together an entire junior day now , '' said Tyler Olker , director of recruiting operations at SMU .
`` I would still think that FaceTime and Zoom , all the digital stuff , virtual stuff , will continue to be used @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spent on campus could deepen the relationships between coaches and current players .
During the spring and into the early summer , the widespread acceptance of Zoom as a communication tool allowed coaches to keep tabs on players when teams were separated due to the coronavirus .
`` I would definitely do that more , '' said Wisconsin offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Joe Rudolph .
`` I feel closer with the kids because of it . ''
That has continued during the season .
Created out of social-distancing guidelines , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's also become standard in the FBS to use Zoom as a way to promote remote learning among individuals or small groups , often delineated by position .
`` You can become such a slave to the building , just always being here , all day long , all night , '' Allen said .
`` It ’ s all about the communication piece .
It ’ s an efficient way for us to have meetings . ''
With schedules often set years in advance , the games established quickly this season — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scheduled only two days in advance , for example — seemed to indicate another path forward in creating non-conference matchups capable of influencing the College Football Playoff debate .
Leaving open dates to fill on the fly would be financially and logistically unfeasible in a non-pandemic year , however .
But day-to-day schedules across individual FBS programs may be permanently altered by how teams have managed COVID-19 .
Rather than spending every moment inside football facilities , teams can connect remotely .
Instead of gathering as an entire roster , coaches can split @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just for strength training and film study , which is traditionally conducted by position , but as a way to provide hands-on and specialized instruction in a practice setting .
`` I don ’ t think we spend enough time with our current teams , '' Freeze said .
`` We ’ re always running around trying to get the next guys when we could be really investing in the lives of our kids a little bit more . ''
Even the most optimistic outlook accepts that spring drills will be conducted under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But with the possibility of widespread vaccination in the coming year , the hope within the sport is that normal , pre-pandemic conditions return by late summer , in time for the start of an unabridged regular season .
When college football does fall back into the normal routine , the most enduring takeaway from this pandemic season may be seen in the willingness to be flexible .
`` I ’ m not scared to change anything , I ’ m not scared to try anything , '' said Holgorsen .
`` That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''

Lessons, changes college football programs are going to take from dealing with COVID-19
Most of the changes made in college football to meet the demands of the coronavirus pandemic won’t outlast the vaccine.
The Bowl Subdivision will eventually embrace a return to the sport's traditional routine. Team activities will resume without restrictions. Players will be able to prepare without the uncertainty that has come with attempting to conduct this season, when dozens of games have been postponed or canceled due to COVID-19. Fans will have the option of crowding back into packed stadiums.
"There’s a lot of things we’re glad we won’t have to do. We’ll see how all of that plays out," said Indiana coach Tom Allen. "You adapt, you figure it out and you make the best of it. That’s what our guys have done."
More: Clemson coach Dabo Swinney on ranking Ohio State outside top 10: 'I didn't think they were qualified'
More: USA TODAY Sports staff picks for the college football bowl season
Challenging, frustrating and often emotionally taxing on coaches and players, the regular season and postseason have forced the FBS to riff on the conventional rhythm of a given year. Many of these modifications will be tossed aside, relics of a season all of college football would like to forget.
"I don’t know if I’d really want to carry any of the stuff we did when we weren’t here on with us the next couple years," said Clemson freshman defensive lineman Bryan Bresee. "I just think, personally, that it’s better to be here and to do things all together."
In some cases, however, adaptions to recruiting, scheduling and remote learning will very likely last into 2021 and beyond, providing the earliest indications of the lasting impact of COVID-19 on the sport.
"There’s a whole bunch of things within our office that we changed," Houston coach Dana Holgorsen said. "Once it goes back to normal, we’re still going to be able to use some of these things that we came up with. I’ve always been open-minded, but I’m really open-minded right now."
The most obvious area of impact is in how teams evaluate and assess talent, build contacts with prospects and close on signing classes.
All recruiting has been conducted virtually since the spring. In lieu of in-person evaluations and visits, programs have relied on drone tours, FaceTime and Zoom to show off facilities and build relationships without leaving campus.
One question has emerged as teams stepped back to evaluate December's early signing period: Is this the future of college football recruiting?
"Maybe the NCAA looks and says, 'You don’t need to go on the road anymore,'" said Florida coach Dan Mullen.
The ability to complete a cycle almost entirely by phone could influence dramatic changes to the recruiting calendar, which under normal conditions sends entire coaching staffs on the road during an extended evaluation period in April and May.
"This probably won’t be very popular with a lot of college coaches," Liberty coach Hugh Freeze said. "I enjoy recruiting from here and not going away from home. I think it’s real possible that we could really change the recruiting calendar to where you might not have to go out as much."
A reimagined calendar could favor shorter off-campus assessment periods and more virtual connectivity while still allowing prospects to conduct unofficial or official visits, especially closer to the early signing period in December.
That schedule would fit into how the recruiting landscape should unfold in 2021. While in-person contact may expand by September, teams are preparing to hold virtual recruiting events this spring.
And at a time when athletics departments are cutting sports, eliminating positions and reducing compensation for the highest-paid employees, there is an obvious financial benefit for an online-heavy recruiting approach. Fifty programs in the Power Five spent at least $500,000 and 19 more than $1 million on recruiting during the 2018 fiscal year.
"You can have a one-on-one session or you can put together an entire junior day now," said Tyler Olker, director of recruiting operations at SMU. "I would still think that FaceTime and Zoom, all the digital stuff, virtual stuff, will continue to be used."
Increasing the amount of time spent on campus could deepen the relationships between coaches and current players. During the spring and into the early summer, the widespread acceptance of Zoom as a communication tool allowed coaches to keep tabs on players when teams were separated due to the coronavirus.
"I would definitely do that more," said Wisconsin offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Joe Rudolph. "I feel closer with the kids because of it."
That has continued during the season. Created out of social-distancing guidelines, which largely prohibited in-person team gatherings, it's also become standard in the FBS to use Zoom as a way to promote remote learning among individuals or small groups, often delineated by position.
"You can become such a slave to the building, just always being here, all day long, all night," Allen said. "It’s all about the communication piece. It’s an efficient way for us to have meetings."
With schedules often set years in advance, the games established quickly this season — Brigham Young and Coastal Carolina was officially scheduled only two days in advance, for example — seemed to indicate another path forward in creating non-conference matchups capable of influencing the College Football Playoff debate. Leaving open dates to fill on the fly would be financially and logistically unfeasible in a non-pandemic year, however.
But day-to-day schedules across individual FBS programs may be permanently altered by how teams have managed COVID-19.
Rather than spending every moment inside football facilities, teams can connect remotely. Instead of gathering as an entire roster, coaches can split players into smaller groups — and not just for strength training and film study, which is traditionally conducted by position, but as a way to provide hands-on and specialized instruction in a practice setting.
"I don’t think we spend enough time with our current teams," Freeze said. "We’re always running around trying to get the next guys when we could be really investing in the lives of our kids a little bit more."
Even the most optimistic outlook accepts that spring drills will be conducted under the current safety guidelines and protocols. But with the possibility of widespread vaccination in the coming year, the hope within the sport is that normal, pre-pandemic conditions return by late summer, in time for the start of an unabridged regular season.
When college football does fall back into the normal routine, the most enduring takeaway from this pandemic season may be seen in the willingness to be flexible.
"I’m not scared to change anything, I’m not scared to try anything," said Holgorsen. "That’s what 2020 is all about."


usatoday--2020-12-28--All the things to leave behind in 2020

All the things to leave behind in 2020

Unlimited access to all content on usatoday.com The Daily Briefing , delivered to your inbox daily

All the things to leave behind in 2020 Karens, conspiracies and 'turning the corner' should be relegated to 2020 and never return.
I finally have found a use for Al Gore’s lockbox. Remember that special container where your Social Security was supposed to have been put away for safekeeping 20 years ago? Gore’s lockbox never got used, so rather than let it gather more dust, it is time to retrofit it for a new use.
I propose filling it with things to leave behind with 2020. Literal 2020 hindsight. Here are 10 things to start:
►Karens. When you’ve seen one out-of-control woman going off in the canned tomato aisle, you’ve seen them all. It became boring by May, and it long ago became unfair to Good Karens. Enough.
►Presidential tweets spouting falsehoods or conspiracy theories, or attacking a person’s appearance, height, perspiration, ethnicity, and any other personal slight that erupted from Oval Office temper tantrums. The stuff Mama told you was rude and wrong and beneath you when you were 5.
Bans, conspiracy theories, lies
►Claims that evil doers are trying to “ban” Christmas, or Thanksgiving, or the 4th of July, or any other holiday, including Festivus. These claims were stupid when they first appeared years ago, and they got even stupider in 2020.
►Conspiracy theories of any dimension, subject or ideology. Make facts and reality great again.
►The mask debate. Masks help. Science has proved it. Are they a panacea? Of course not. If you don’t wear one, it’s on you.
►The term “fake news.” There never was such a thing. News, by definition, is truth-based accounts of events and reality. As opposed to propaganda, opinion, PR, fantasy, conspiracy, lies.
The 2020 COVID effect: What matters to people of all ages has changed dramatically
►The position “political strategist” as a TV talking head. Strategizing for what? The next appearance on Fox News, MSNBC or CNN? A good many of folks who appear above this chyron emigrated from losing campaigns or failed candidacies themselves, and for two straight presidential elections, they’ve been as wrong as they have been right, so what exactly are they enlightening us about? Bring back the reporters. At least they will have something new to say when the lights go on.
'Turning the corner' on 2020
►The phrase “turning the corner.” We were told that was happening so many times, and it didn’t, that no wonder it feels like we walked in circles throughout 2020.
►The call for “normalcy” and “new normal.” What does normal even mean anymore?
GOP and Biden: Republicans are ramping up hypocrisy and obstruction. We can't let them cripple Biden.
►Finally, ascribing all the strange things that have happened to “it’s 2020.” The calendar is about to turn. Pack that phrase in the lockbox and never speak it again.
Chuck Raasch is a former national correspondent for USA TODAY and GNS, a former Washington correspondent for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and the author of "Imperfect Union: A Father's Search for his Son in the Aftermath of the Battle of Gettysburg." Follow him on Twitter: @craasch


usatoday--2020-12-28--Eerie video shows moments bomb explodes on Christmas Day in Nashville

The Metro Nashville Police Department released footage of the moment the Christmas Day bombing shook the city .

Nashville bombing captured on police camera
The Metro Nashville Police Department released footage of the moment the Christmas Day bombing shook the city.
Associated Press, USA TODAY


usatoday--2020-12-28--Golf legend returns to hospital for COVID-19 treatment

One day after going home following a visit to the Emergency Room due to COVID-19 symptoms , World Golf Hall of Famer Greg Norman posted he is back in the hospital Sunday afternoon .
Norman said he expected to be released later Sunday after receiving an antibody treatment .
“ Now back in hospital after getting a positive result on my PCR CoVid test , ” Norman posted on his Instagram .
“ Getting an infusion of Bamlanivimab antibody .
The path to full recovery .
Hoping to be out later today .
“ Want to thank the excellent Doctors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Beach Gardens Medical Center for their incredible dedication and professionalism looking after and caring for patients in need in the face of having CoVid in getting this infusion .
They have my utmost of respect.
” Norman also went into further detail of what he had been going through .
“ Also to all out there , please take this very very serious , ” he wrote .
“ If you get it , the variations and intensity of symptoms varies from person to person .
I am fit and strong and have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus kicked the crap out of me like nothing I have ever experienced before .
Muscle and joint pain on another level .
Headaches that feel like a chisel going through your head scrapping little bits off each time , fever , muscles that just did not want to work like ( Saturday ) walking my dog Apollo my quads and hip flexors just did not want to work due to fatigue .
“ Then my taste failed where beer tastes bad and wine the same .
And finally at times struggling with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there is irritation .
So please take care .
”

One day after going home following a visit to the Emergency Room due to COVID-19 symptoms, World Golf Hall of Famer Greg Norman posted he is back in the hospital Sunday afternoon.
Norman said he expected to be released later Sunday after receiving an antibody treatment.
“Now back in hospital after getting a positive result on my PCR CoVid test,” Norman posted on his Instagram. “Getting an infusion of Bamlanivimab antibody. The path to full recovery. Hoping to be out later today.
“Want to thank the excellent Doctors RN’s and staff at Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center for their incredible dedication and professionalism looking after and caring for patients in need in the face of having CoVid in getting this infusion. They have my utmost of respect.”
Norman also went into further detail of what he had been going through.
“Also to all out there, please take this very very serious,” he wrote. “If you get it, the variations and intensity of symptoms varies from person to person. I am fit and strong and have a high tolerance for pain but this virus kicked the crap out of me like nothing I have ever experienced before. Muscle and joint pain on another level. Headaches that feel like a chisel going through your head scrapping little bits off each time, fever, muscles that just did not want to work like (Saturday) walking my dog Apollo my quads and hip flexors just did not want to work due to fatigue.
“Then my taste failed where beer tastes bad and wine the same. And finally at times struggling with memory of names and things. Then there is irritation. So please take care.”
Read more here.
[jwplayer 7NBaZ2A0-vgFm21H3]


usatoday--2020-12-28--San Diego Padres to acquire 2018 Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell from Tampa Bay Rays

Blake Snell 's controversial early removal from Game 6 of the World Series will apparently be the ace 's final appearance with the Tampa Bay Rays .
The Rays agreed to trade Snell to the San Diego Padres on Sunday night for a haul of prospects , a person with knowledge of the situation told USA TODAY Sports ' Bob Nightengale .
The source spoke on the condition of anonymity because the deal was not yet official .
Among the players heading to St. Petersburg are pitchers Luis Patiño and Cole Wilcox and catchers Blake Hunt and Francisco Mejia .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cy Young Award with a brilliant 21-5 season that saw him post a 1.80 ERA .
He is coming off a season where he posted a 3.24 ERA and struck out 63 in 50 innings .
His 2020 , however , will be overshadowed by what happened in the World Series .
Snell was pulled in the sixth inning despite giving up just two hits over 73 pitches , with his team up 1-0 .
The decision immediately backfired , as the Rays ' season ended that night in a 3-1 loss .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ believe in my stuff .
I didn ’ t walk nobody .
For most of that game , I was dominating every outcome , '' Snell said that night .
“ I ’ m proud of everything I did .
And I wanted to keep going .
I wanted to go the whole game – that ’ s all I wanted to do , was empty the tank.
” Snell will now be hoping to empty the tank for the Padres , who had a breakthrough 2020 in reaching the postseason for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Snell , the up-and-coming team that includes offensive stars like Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado is clearly going all-in as it attempts to win its first pennant since 1998 and the first World Series in franchise history .

San Diego Padres to acquire 2018 Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell from Tampa Bay Rays
Blake Snell's controversial early removal from Game 6 of the World Series will apparently be the ace's final appearance with the Tampa Bay Rays.
The Rays agreed to trade Snell to the San Diego Padres on Sunday night for a haul of prospects, a person with knowledge of the situation told USA TODAY Sports' Bob Nightengale. The source spoke on the condition of anonymity because the deal was not yet official.
Among the players heading to St. Petersburg are pitchers Luis Patiño and Cole Wilcox and catchers Blake Hunt and Francisco Mejia.
Snell, 28, won the 2018 Cy Young Award with a brilliant 21-5 season that saw him post a 1.80 ERA. He is coming off a season where he posted a 3.24 ERA and struck out 63 in 50 innings.
His 2020, however, will be overshadowed by what happened in the World Series. Snell was pulled in the sixth inning despite giving up just two hits over 73 pitches, with his team up 1-0. The decision immediately backfired, as the Rays' season ended that night in a 3-1 loss.
"I believe in me and I believe in my stuff. I didn’t walk nobody. For most of that game, I was dominating every outcome," Snell said that night.
“I’m proud of everything I did. And I wanted to keep going. I wanted to go the whole game – that’s all I wanted to do, was empty the tank.”
Snell will now be hoping to empty the tank for the Padres, who had a breakthrough 2020 in reaching the postseason for the first time since 2006. In acquiring Snell, the up-and-coming team that includes offensive stars like Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado is clearly going all-in as it attempts to win its first pennant since 1998 and the first World Series in franchise history.


usatoday--2020-12-23--Looking back at a wild year

Looking back at a wild year

This is how crazy 2020 has been at the movies : The best film of the year doesn ’ t even really come out for most audiences until 2021 .
And somehow , it seems fitting after COVID-19 sent actors , filmmakers and pretty much all of Hollywood into chaos .
Movie theaters shut down after the coronavirus hit America in March , and ready-made blockbusters like “ Black Widow ” and “ Fast & Furious 9 ” were sent packing to next year .
In 2020 , Zoom interviews with stars became the norm , film festivals went virtual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during a pandemic ( no , really ) , and streaming services , video-on-demand platforms and drive-in theaters became the go-to for movie lovers needing a socially distanced fix .
10 best songs of 2020 : Hits from Billie Eilish , The Weeknd and Cardi B The best books of 2020 : What USA TODAY 's critics loved reading Even with all that going on , plenty of great stuff still came out in 2020 .
From an inclusive musical about gay teens to modern # MeToo takes on classic thriller tropes to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stories and diverse storytellers were there for audiences to find .
So here are the best films of 2020 , ranked ( and where to watch them ) : An unseen home invader follows Cecilia Kass ( Elisabeth Moss ) in `` The Invisible Man . ''
This isn ’ t your grandparents ’ Invisible Man , but thank goodness : Director Leigh Whannell creates a thoroughly modern monster in this thriller starring Elisabeth Moss as a young woman controlled by her wealthy sociopath boyfriend ( Oliver Jackson-Cohen ) .
After he dies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claims of him haunting her from beyond the grave .
“ Invisible Man ” is effective with scares as well as exploring abuse and gaslighting .
• None Copy this url to your clipboard Where to watch : In theaters ( Dec. 25 ) Cassie ( Carey Mulligan ) is a woman on a quest of vengeance in the darkly comic thriller `` Promising Young Woman . ''
In a year with none of Marvel ’ s Avengers , at least we have a real avenger in Carey Mulligan .
In debut writer/director @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dark comedy , Mulligan plays an enigmatic med-school dropout who plagues creepy men taking advantage of women and exacts vengeance to right some past wrongs .
The film is cutting , often funny but also deeply moving and thought-provoking .
• None Copy this url to your clipboard Wunmi Mosaku and Ṣọpẹ Dìrísù are Sudanese refugees who find horrors after they arrive in England in `` His House . ''
Timely with its immigration themes and ready to scare your pants off , the masterful chiller stars Ṣọpẹ Dìrísù and Wunmi Mosaku as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and seek asylum in England .
After they move into decent digs , a wicked evil makes itself known as they face hard decisions made in the past .
Writer/director Remi Weekes crafts a signature spin on the haunted-house film with frightening moments that stick with you .
• None Copy this url to your clipboard

This is how crazy 2020 has been at the movies: The best film of the year doesn’t even really come out for most audiences until 2021.
And somehow, it seems fitting after COVID-19 sent actors, filmmakers and pretty much all of Hollywood into chaos. Movie theaters shut down after the coronavirus hit America in March, and ready-made blockbusters like “Black Widow” and “Fast & Furious 9” were sent packing to next year. In 2020, Zoom interviews with stars became the norm, film festivals went virtual, Michael Bay made a pandemic movie during a pandemic (no, really), and streaming services, video-on-demand platforms and drive-in theaters became the go-to for movie lovers needing a socially distanced fix.
10 best songs of 2020: Hits from Billie Eilish, The Weeknd and Cardi B
The best books of 2020: What USA TODAY's critics loved reading
Even with all that going on, plenty of great stuff still came out in 2020. From an inclusive musical about gay teens to modern #MeToo takes on classic thriller tropes to movies about the Black experience, exceptional stories and diverse storytellers were there for audiences to find. So here are the best films of 2020, ranked (and where to watch them):
What the 10 best movies of 2020 say about diversity in Hollywood, streaming and more USA TODAY’s Brian Truitt looks back on his 10 best films of 2020. Some weren’t released until December because of the pandemic's effect on Hollywood. Entertain This!, USA TODAY
10. ‘The Vast of Night’ Where to watch: Amazon Prime Everett (Jake Horowitz) and Fay (Sierra McCormick) are teenagers who investigate a strange audio frequency in their small New Mexico town in the 1950s-set sci-fi film "The Vast of Night." AMAZON There’s a Spielbergian vibe, Cold War-era paranoia and a “Twilight Zone”-esque framing device with this throwback sci-film, yet Andrew Patterson’s directorial debut feels exceedingly fresh and never anachronistic as it takes a spunky young radio operator (Sierra McCormick) and local radio DJ (Jake Horowitz) through one freaky night spent investigating a weird radio frequency in small-town 1950s New Mexico. Share this story
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9. ‘The Invisible Man’ Where to watch: On-demand platforms An unseen home invader follows Cecilia Kass (Elisabeth Moss) in "The Invisible Man." UNIVERSAL PICTURES This isn’t your grandparents’ Invisible Man, but thank goodness: Director Leigh Whannell creates a thoroughly modern monster in this thriller starring Elisabeth Moss as a young woman controlled by her wealthy sociopath boyfriend (Oliver Jackson-Cohen). After he dies by suicide, no one believes her claims of him haunting her from beyond the grave. “Invisible Man” is effective with scares as well as exploring abuse and gaslighting. Share this story
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8. ‘Promising Young Woman’ Where to watch: In theaters (Dec. 25) Cassie (Carey Mulligan) is a woman on a quest of vengeance in the darkly comic thriller "Promising Young Woman." FOCUS FEATURES In a year with none of Marvel’s Avengers, at least we have a real avenger in Carey Mulligan. In debut writer/director Emerald Fennell’s satisfying and surprising dark comedy, Mulligan plays an enigmatic med-school dropout who plagues creepy men taking advantage of women and exacts vengeance to right some past wrongs. The film is cutting, often funny but also deeply moving and thought-provoking. Share this story
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7. ‘His House’ Where to watch: Netflix Wunmi Mosaku and Ṣọpẹ Dìrísù are Sudanese refugees who find horrors after they arrive in England in "His House." AIDAN MONAGHAN/NETFLIX Timely with its immigration themes and ready to scare your pants off, the masterful chiller stars Ṣọpẹ Dìrísù and Wunmi Mosaku as a couple who escape war-torn South Sudan and seek asylum in England. After they move into decent digs, a wicked evil makes itself known as they face hard decisions made in the past. Writer/director Remi Weekes crafts a signature spin on the haunted-house film with frightening moments that stick with you. Share this story
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6. ‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom’ Where to watch: Netflix Chadwick Boseman plays a self-centered cornet player who has designs for having his own band in "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom." DAVID LEE/NETFLIX George C. Wolfe's excellent adaptation of the August Wilson play takes audiences back to 1920s Chicago for a tense and dysfunctional recording session with blues singer Ma Rainey (Viola Davis) and her band. Davis is great as the gold-toothed, larger-than-life title character, and the late Chadwick Boseman, in his final performance, shines brightest as Ma's self-centered cornet player with grand musical ambitions of his own. Share this story
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5. ‘Sound of Metal’ Where to watch: Amazon Prime Riz Ahmed stars as a drummer who experiences a sudden loss of hearing in "Sound of Metal." TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL Riz Ahmed's performance is superb as a rock drummer who loses his hearing and learns to lean on members of the tight-knit deaf community to cope. What's just as stunning in director Darius Marder's innovative and immersive drama is the sound design and use of open captions so that hearing audiences can experience a deaf person’s world, creating a sense of empathy in outstanding fashion. Share this story
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4. ‘Da 5 Bloods’ Where to watch: Netflix Isiah Whitlock Jr. (from left), Norm Lewis, Delroy Lindo, Clarke Peters and Jonathan Majors star in Spike Lee's war film "Da 5 Bloods." NETFLIX Spike Lee tackles the complicated history of Black Americans' wartime service with a trippy drama that follows four veterans (including a fantastic Delroy Lindo) returning to Vietnam to find the remains of their squad leader (Chadwick Boseman) as well as the gold they hid from a crashed CIA plane. Part slow-burn mystery, part old-guy comedy, "Bloods" reminds of past and present struggles with themes of modern civil unrest and activism. Share this story
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3. ‘The Trial of the Chicago 7’ Where to watch: Netflix Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (from left), Ben Shenkman, Mark Rylance, Eddie Redmayne and Alex Sharp star in Aaron Sorkin's drama "The Trial of the Chicago 7," about organizers charged with inciting a riot after a 1968 protest at the Democratic National Convention. NICO TAVERNISE/NETFLIX Aaron Sorkin, who crafts a courtroom film like no other, rounds up a ridiculously stellar cast for an exciting historical epic examining the violent riots – and their legal aftermath – at the 1968 Democratic National Convention. Everybody will have their own favorites, though Yahya Abdul-Mateen II impresses the most as Black Panther leader Bobby Seale and Michael Keaton drops in to steal a couple of scenes as Ramsey Clark. Share this story
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2. ‘The Prom’ Where to watch: Netflix Youngsters fight to have an inclusive prom in Ryan Murphy's Netflix musical comedy "The Prom," based on the Broadway show. MELINDA SUE GORDON/NETFLIX Ryan Murphy's infectious and joyous adaptation of the Broadway musical comedy hits our hearts differently at the end of a year like this when we could use some cathartic showstoppers. The movie also just happens to be a really good time, with Meryl Streep, James Corden, Nicole Kidman and Andrew Rannells as stage stars who, needing a PR boost, help a young lesbian (Jo Ellen Pellman) put together a prom for everyone. Share this story
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1. ‘One Night in Miami’ Where to watch: In theaters nationwide (Jan. 8) and Amazon Prime (Jan. 15) Malcolm X (Kingsley Ben-Adir, from left) takes a picture of his friends Jim Brown (Aldis Hodge), Cassius Clay (Eli Goree) and Sam Cooke (Leslie Odom Jr.) in "One Night in Miami." PATTI PERRET Lucky folks in Miami can see Regina King's magnificent and moving directorial debut in theaters Christmas Day, though everyone else will have to wait until January. Don't worry, it's well worth it: The drama takes a real-life night in the life of some famous friends – boxer Cassius Clay (Eli Goree), football star Jim Brown (Aldis Hodge), activist Malcolm X (Kingsley Ben-Adir) and soul singer Sam Cooke – and imagines a fascinating discussion about race, religion, power and their own insecurities that humanizes and illuminates these Black icons. Share this story
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Best movies of 2020