usatoday--2020-12-31--When in 2021 will pro, college and youth sports return to normal?

If 2020 was all about cardboard cutouts , consider 2021 the year of the zip tie in sports .
They are nasty little things , hard and nylon and unyielding , and in a global pandemic , they are increasingly impossible to miss in stadiums around the world .
They serve a dual purpose — cordoning off a cluster of seats , while ensuring we remain apart from one another .
From college football hotbeds to cavernous NFL stadiums to Major League Baseball ’ s playoffs , they ’ ve rendered useless thousands of seats , all in the name @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feet and , theoretically , creating a cold visual reminder that fans are not to stray out of their designated “ pod ” of close contacts .
And their continued presence or gradual retirement may be as good a gauge as any of “ normalcy ” entering a second year of playing and watching sports amid the coronavirus .
If 2020 saw an abundance of caution give way to a tentative and at times uneven return to play , 2021 will be a bridge year — a bridge , hopefully , to full-time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the fans who hope to populate them .
As production and distribution of a COVID-19 vaccine continues apace , the games will go on , much as we experienced them in 2020 : Near-daily testing for athletes .
Severely reduced capacity for fans — if any are allowed at all , based on local health regulations — and mandatory mask-wearing for those who do attend .
The ethical and moral dilemmas will continue , as well .
If 2020 provoked questions of whether healthy athletes should consume hundreds of thousands of coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and sometimes waited weeks for results , vaccine distribution will define the coming year .
20 FOR 2020 : Sports figures who defined courageous and kind , selfish and stubborn GOOD SPORTS:20 sports figures who made the world a better place in 2020 OPINION : Sports will never be the same after 2020 .
Here 's the good and bad As the waiting list shifts from the obvious to subsequent tiers of essentiality , where do athletes fit in ?
And can the vaccine be distributed swiftly enough to take a razor blade @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to shoulder in the cheap seats and try to pretend 2020 never happened ?
“ The quicker we vaccinate people over 70 , the faster pro sports can have fans in stands , ” says Will Humble , executive director of the Arizona Public Health Association .
“ ( COVID-19 ) will stay as a sporadic disease .
We will not have immunity until at least late summer .
“ But that doesn ’ t mean you can ’ t get back to normal before that.
” The NBA had just 73 days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s greatest triumph of 2020 — a “ bubble ” in Florida within which the regular season and playoffs were completed without a single COVID-19 case — and the start of the 2020-21 season .
Now , it has joined Major League Baseball and the NFL in contesting games at home arenas , with all the protocols that come with it .
The league has already postponed one game and quarantined several players due to contact tracing .
Yet it has exceeded the bubble in one area already — fans .
Six teams @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , have welcomed paying customers in a limited capacity , ranging from about 2,000 to 4,000 per game .
“ When you talk to our players , when we were all down in Orlando , they desperately missed ( fans ) , ” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a news conference on the eve of the Dec. 22 season opener .
“ I think everybody is accepting that this is the best we can do under the circumstances.
” Not all teams are embracing paying customers just yet .
In Texas , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not just stadium doors but also the welcome mat for relocated jewel events like baseball ’ s World Series and the College Football Playoff semifinal , the Houston Rockets are the only one of the state ’ s three NBA teams to immediately host fans , at up to 25 % capacity .
The Dallas Mavericks have not provided a timetable for including fans , telling season-ticket holders they will consult local health officials and the NBA to determine “ the best possible scenario.
” San Antonio Spurs owner R.C .
Buford announced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ games without fans , with the COVID-19 positivity rate in Bexar County reaching 19 % .
“ While we are confident in the plans and protocols we have in place , ” said Buford , “ we are uncomfortable hosting fans at this moment as the COVID-19 numbers and data in our community continue to trend in the wrong direction.
” Unlike most football and baseball games , basketball is contested indoors , where coronavirus spread can be much more prevalent .
Yet Humble said he believes behavior , far more than locale @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Arizona was another early-opening , sports-welcoming haven , well ahead of a summer wave of coronavirus cases and deaths .
Yet Arizona on Dec. 24 set a single-day high of 4,226 hospitalizations , a surge attributed partially to unregulated youth sports tournaments in the area .
The city of Phoenix banned youth tournaments on Dec. 2 , two weeks after nearly 800 youth sports teams from dozens of states converged on Maricopa County on the weekend of Nov. 20 .
“ We have several outbreaks that we have associated with club sports and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , executive director of Maricopa County Public Health , said last month .
Humble said it is not the athletes , but parents who are the problem — crowding together closely on sidelines and in stands , disregarding mask requirements and rendering moot municipal mitigation guidelines .
“ The vast majority of the parents are completely ignoring the masks , ” said Humble , “ and it showed up all autumn in the contact tracing not just in high school , but club sports .
It caused tons of spread .
And there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ In Arizona , when you rent the field , you have to have a mitigation plan you file with the city and Department of Health , but there ’ s no enforcement .
So , it ’ s a joke.
” Professional leagues have both money to mitigate and muscle to enforce .
MLB played an entire season and most of the playoffs without fans before welcoming around 10,000 patrons to National League Championship and World Series games at Globe Life Field in Texas .
Masks were required for entry , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ walked the pregame concourse and cheered from their roped-off seats .
But as games dragged into the night , mask use slipped .
And therein lies one of Humble ’ s biggest concerns for 2021 : A loophole at most stadiums enabling fans to pull down their mask so long as they are eating or drinking .
Humble is warily eyeing the Phoenix Open , staged in Scottsdale over Super Bowl weekend and famous for its 16th hole bacchanal .
“ If you make an exception for booze , and everyone is drinking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mask , ” he said .
“ If you distance people , require masks , and it ’ s dry , then you can get good adherence .
But the moment you start selling beer , you throw away the mask — and good judgment . ''
Someday , perhaps , this all will be incidental .
COVID-19 vaccines authorized for emergency use by the FDA — one from Pfizer , another from Moderna — are making their way to first- and second-phase recipients , as outlined by the Centers for Disease Control @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Immunization Practices .
There are nearly 75 million people in these groups , which include health-care personnel , long-term care facility residents , first responders and corrections officers , food and agriculture workers , the Postal Service , manufacturing , grocery stores , public transit and education , and anyone 75 or older .
Another 130 million fall in the next group : Ages 65-74 , ages 16-64 with high-risk medical conditions and any previously uncovered essential workers .
So , where do athletes fall in line ?
Silver said that the NBA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jump the line ” regarding vaccinations .
Immunologist Anthony Fauci recently estimated vaccines could be available to the general public by late March or April .
Sports ’ place in line may initially be determined by how “ essential ” athletes are considered in providing entertainment and distraction .
Come February , the NBA and NHL will be nearing midseason , MLB teams will report to spring training and the NFL will stage its Super Bowl .
Golf and tennis tours will be in full swing ; college basketball hopes to welcome back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NHL players would require around 2,500 vaccines to immunize its player populations ( or 5,000 doses , given the two-shot regimen ) .
There would be some additional public interest in vaccinating players given their rigorous travel schedules and close contact with the public .
“ I don ’ t have an answer .
But I don ’ t reject out of hand that professional athletes aren ’ t essential , ” says Humble .
“ Not in terms of food on the table , but social and emotional health .
Let ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lot to a lot of people.
” If 2020 taught the sports industry anything , it ’ s to assume virtually nothing .
Supply-chain issues or , worse yet , side effects that emerge as vaccine production ramps up could reset the timeline .
“ I ’ m going into it thinking that we are going to be in a similar situation as last year , and I think that ’ s a reasonable place to start , ” said Minnesota Twins manager Rocco Baldelli .
“ We want to be optimistic , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our heads have to be .
Starting on the ( optimistic ) side of it and then being shell-shocked when we have to go into our protocols in February or March — maybe it ’ s all psychology . ''
The vaccine ’ s 2021 delivery to the general public may coincide with the exact point on the calendar when the coronavirus shut down all sports last March .
That means baseball will be aiming to launch a season as the NBA and NHL look toward their playoffs .
And once again looming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where the financial and cultural stakes are the highest .
The NFL is on the verge of a significant triumph , completing a season in its entirety , despite football 's high-contact nature and the virus spiking around it .
Next year , there may be more than a smattering of fans to watch them .
But reaching herd immunity to accommodate capacity crowds may prove elusive .
Fauci recently estimated that 85 % of the population would need to get vaccinated to achieve immunity ; a recent Associated Press poll indicated 25 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vaccine when offered .
And though the more than 2 million Americans who have received the vaccine seems like a large number , the overall rollout is already missing expectations .
Health and Human Services secretary Alex Azar on Dec. 9 estimated 20 million Americans would receive the vaccine by year 's end .
With so many remaining variables , 2021 will be unpredictable .
If nothing else , the sports industry is prepared for the worst , hopefully having weathered it already .
And perhaps we ’ ll eradicate the zip ties @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us .
“ I am optimistic , ” said Baldelli , “ that at some point , and hopefully it ’ s next year , we can relax in some ways .
Because living in some kind of fear that you ’ re going to get this virus takes away from your quality of life .
I think we ’ re getting to the point where we can look out there and see that light we ’ re all hoping is going to arrive soon .
“ Again , we don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be .
But we can start to see it .
”

When in 2021 will pro, college and youth sports return to normal?
Show Caption Hide Caption What will sports look like in 2021? Sports Pulse: How will 2021 look different than 2020 when it come to sports SportsPulse, USA TODAY
If 2020 was all about cardboard cutouts, consider 2021 the year of the zip tie in sports.
They are nasty little things, hard and nylon and unyielding, and in a global pandemic, they are increasingly impossible to miss in stadiums around the world. They serve a dual purpose — cordoning off a cluster of seats, while ensuring we remain apart from one another.
From college football hotbeds to cavernous NFL stadiums to Major League Baseball’s playoffs, they’ve rendered useless thousands of seats, all in the name of separating ticket-buyers by at least six feet and, theoretically, creating a cold visual reminder that fans are not to stray out of their designated “pod” of close contacts.
And their continued presence or gradual retirement may be as good a gauge as any of “normalcy” entering a second year of playing and watching sports amid the coronavirus.
If 2020 saw an abundance of caution give way to a tentative and at times uneven return to play, 2021 will be a bridge year — a bridge, hopefully, to full-time normalcy for the athletes in our arenas and the fans who hope to populate them.
As production and distribution of a COVID-19 vaccine continues apace, the games will go on, much as we experienced them in 2020:
Near-daily testing for athletes. Severely reduced capacity for fans — if any are allowed at all, based on local health regulations — and mandatory mask-wearing for those who do attend.
The ethical and moral dilemmas will continue, as well. If 2020 provoked questions of whether healthy athletes should consume hundreds of thousands of coronavirus tests while symptomatic citizens queued for hours and sometimes waited weeks for results, vaccine distribution will define the coming year.
20 FOR 2020: Sports figures who defined courageous and kind, selfish and stubborn
GOOD SPORTS: 20 sports figures who made the world a better place in 2020
OPINION: Sports will never be the same after 2020. Here's the good and bad
As the waiting list shifts from the obvious to subsequent tiers of essentiality, where do athletes fit in?
And can the vaccine be distributed swiftly enough to take a razor blade to those zip ties, congregate shoulder to shoulder in the cheap seats and try to pretend 2020 never happened?
“The quicker we vaccinate people over 70, the faster pro sports can have fans in stands,” says Will Humble, executive director of the Arizona Public Health Association. “(COVID-19) will stay as a sporadic disease. We will not have immunity until at least late summer.
“But that doesn’t mean you can’t get back to normal before that.”
Even a heavily-regulated “normal” will represent significant progress.
'Social animals'
The NBA had just 73 days from the conclusion of perhaps sport’s greatest triumph of 2020 — a “bubble” in Florida within which the regular season and playoffs were completed without a single COVID-19 case — and the start of the 2020-21 season.
Now, it has joined Major League Baseball and the NFL in contesting games at home arenas, with all the protocols that come with it. The league has already postponed one game and quarantined several players due to contact tracing.
Yet it has exceeded the bubble in one area already — fans. Six teams, taking advantage of looser local guidelines, have welcomed paying customers in a limited capacity, ranging from about 2,000 to 4,000 per game.
“When you talk to our players, when we were all down in Orlando, they desperately missed (fans),” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a news conference on the eve of the Dec. 22 season opener. “I think everybody is accepting that this is the best we can do under the circumstances.”
Not all teams are embracing paying customers just yet. In Texas, where Gov. Greg Abbott flung open not just stadium doors but also the welcome mat for relocated jewel events like baseball’s World Series and the College Football Playoff semifinal, the Houston Rockets are the only one of the state’s three NBA teams to immediately host fans, at up to 25% capacity.
The Dallas Mavericks have not provided a timetable for including fans, telling season-ticket holders they will consult local health officials and the NBA to determine “the best possible scenario.” San Antonio Spurs CEO R.C. Buford announced Monday the team will continue playing home games without fans, with the COVID-19 positivity rate in Bexar County reaching 19%.
“While we are confident in the plans and protocols we have in place,” said Buford, “we are uncomfortable hosting fans at this moment as the COVID-19 numbers and data in our community continue to trend in the wrong direction.”
Unlike most football and baseball games, basketball is contested indoors, where coronavirus spread can be much more prevalent. Yet Humble said he believes behavior, far more than locale, matters most.
His state of Arizona was another early-opening, sports-welcoming haven, well ahead of a summer wave of coronavirus cases and deaths. Yet Arizona on Dec. 24 set a single-day high of 4,226 hospitalizations, a surge attributed partially to unregulated youth sports tournaments in the area.
The city of Phoenix banned youth tournaments on Dec. 2, two weeks after nearly 800 youth sports teams from dozens of states converged on Maricopa County on the weekend of Nov. 20.
“We have several outbreaks that we have associated with club sports and clubs sporting events,” Marcy Flanagan, executive director of Maricopa County Public Health, said last month.
Humble said it is not the athletes, but parents who are the problem — crowding together closely on sidelines and in stands, disregarding mask requirements and rendering moot municipal mitigation guidelines.
“The vast majority of the parents are completely ignoring the masks,” said Humble, “and it showed up all autumn in the contact tracing not just in high school, but club sports. It caused tons of spread. And there’s no governing body to control.
“In Arizona, when you rent the field, you have to have a mitigation plan you file with the city and Department of Health, but there’s no enforcement. So, it’s a joke.”
Professional leagues have both money to mitigate and muscle to enforce. MLB played an entire season and most of the playoffs without fans before welcoming around 10,000 patrons to National League Championship and World Series games at Globe Life Field in Texas.
Masks were required for entry, and compliance was generally strong as fans walked the pregame concourse and cheered from their roped-off seats. But as games dragged into the night, mask use slipped.
And therein lies one of Humble’s biggest concerns for 2021: A loophole at most stadiums enabling fans to pull down their mask so long as they are eating or drinking.
Humble is warily eyeing the Phoenix Open, staged in Scottsdale over Super Bowl weekend and famous for its 16th hole bacchanal.
“If you make an exception for booze, and everyone is drinking booze, then there’s no mask,” he said. “If you distance people, require masks, and it’s dry, then you can get good adherence. But the moment you start selling beer, you throw away the mask — and good judgment."
Shot clock
Someday, perhaps, this all will be incidental.
COVID-19 vaccines authorized for emergency use by the FDA — one from Pfizer, another from Moderna — are making their way to first- and second-phase recipients, as outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.
There are nearly 75 million people in these groups, which include health-care personnel, long-term care facility residents, first responders and corrections officers, food and agriculture workers, the Postal Service, manufacturing, grocery stores, public transit and education, and anyone 75 or older.
Another 130 million fall in the next group: Ages 65-74, ages 16-64 with high-risk medical conditions and any previously uncovered essential workers.
So, where do athletes fall in line?
Silver said that the NBA “in no form or way will jump the line” regarding vaccinations. Immunologist Anthony Fauci recently estimated vaccines could be available to the general public by late March or April.
Sports’ place in line may initially be determined by how “essential” athletes are considered in providing entertainment and distraction.
Come February, the NBA and NHL will be nearing midseason, MLB teams will report to spring training and the NFL will stage its Super Bowl. Golf and tennis tours will be in full swing; college basketball hopes to welcome back March Madness.
MLB, NBA and NHL players would require around 2,500 vaccines to immunize its player populations (or 5,000 doses, given the two-shot regimen). There would be some additional public interest in vaccinating players given their rigorous travel schedules and close contact with the public.
“I don’t have an answer. But I don’t reject out of hand that professional athletes aren’t essential,” says Humble. “Not in terms of food on the table, but social and emotional health. Let’s face it — sports mean a lot to a lot of people.”
If 2020 taught the sports industry anything, it’s to assume virtually nothing. Supply-chain issues or, worse yet, side effects that emerge as vaccine production ramps up could reset the timeline.
“I’m going into it thinking that we are going to be in a similar situation as last year, and I think that’s a reasonable place to start,” said Minnesota Twins manager Rocco Baldelli. “We want to be optimistic, but I think that’s where our heads have to be. Starting on the (optimistic) side of it and then being shell-shocked when we have to go into our protocols in February or March — maybe it’s all psychology."
The vaccine’s 2021 delivery to the general public may coincide with the exact point on the calendar when the coronavirus shut down all sports last March. That means baseball will be aiming to launch a season as the NBA and NHL look toward their playoffs.
And once again looming in the autumn distance: Football, where the financial and cultural stakes are the highest. The NFL is on the verge of a significant triumph, completing a season in its entirety, despite football's high-contact nature and the virus spiking around it.
Next year, there may be more than a smattering of fans to watch them.
But reaching herd immunity to accommodate capacity crowds may prove elusive. Fauci recently estimated that 85% of the population would need to get vaccinated to achieve immunity; a recent Associated Press poll indicated 25% of Americans won't accept the vaccine when offered.
And though the more than 2 million Americans who have received the vaccine seems like a large number, the overall rollout is already missing expectations. Health and Human Services secretary Alex Azar on Dec. 9 estimated 20 million Americans would receive the vaccine by year's end.
With so many remaining variables, 2021 will be unpredictable. If nothing else, the sports industry is prepared for the worst, hopefully having weathered it already.
And perhaps we’ll eradicate the zip ties, in favor of those that bind us.
“I am optimistic,” said Baldelli, “that at some point, and hopefully it’s next year, we can relax in some ways. Because living in some kind of fear that you’re going to get this virus takes away from your quality of life. I think we’re getting to the point where we can look out there and see that light we’re all hoping is going to arrive soon.
“Again, we don’t know when it’s going to be. But we can start to see it.”
Contributing: Jeff Zillgitt


usatoday--2020-12-24--Election, 'Jeopardy!' and more

Election, 'Jeopardy!' and more

In a year that saw the world turned upside down by the coronavirus pandemic , TV had its share of big moments .
Sure , many of your favorite shows were sidelined by production shutdowns , and the virus dominated news coverage .
But creativity often triumphed as entertainment producers sought to provide refuge ; a wild presidential election sparked record ratings for cable news networks ; plenty of shows were already filmed before the virus began taking its toll ; and the streaming age exploded with more newcomers .
( And let 's not forget that 2020 began with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ USA TODAY 's TV staff offers a look back at the highs ( and lows ) from a year we 'd rather forget .
A happy water-cooler moment : What is the 'Jeopardy ! '
GOAT Tournament ?
Legendary “ Jeopardy !
” champions Ken Jennings , James Holzhauer and Brad Rutter got a prime-time stage for ABC 's Greatest of All Time tournament in early January .
The special event was a huge hit and had the country talking .
Jennings clinched the title with three wins in four nights , telling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the contest that he was “ no longer as sharp as I used to be , ” which obviously wasn ’ t the case .
( Viewers will get to see the three champs again on ABC ’ s “ The Chase , ” which premieres Jan .
7 . )
Despite Jennings ' achievement , the real star was host Alex Trebek , a game show legend whose fan base grew even larger during his fight against Stage 4 pancreatic cancer .
'The Good Place ' goes out on a high note @ @ @ @ @ @ @ series finale of NBC 's existential afterlife sitcom `` The Good Place . ''
The series came to a fitting end that left the show 's signature plot twists and food puns behind in favor of a sentimental journey of goodbyes .
`` Good Place '' did n't have any more answers to life 's big questions than we humans can provide .
It was just like us : imperfect , messy , ambitious , loving , open-hearted , funny and well-intentioned .
Or at least , it was just like the best @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Although February feels like a few decades ago , yes , there was a Super Bowl this year .
And who could ’ ve guessed just how infectiously joyous the combo of Jennifer Lopez and Shakira would be as the halftime show stars , smiling and dancing their way through an energetic set that was short on over-the-top spectacle – there were no giant tiger puppets or high-flying entrances – but had plenty of jaw-dropping choreography , Top 40 hits and celebrations of Latin culture .
Sarah Palin rapped on 'The Masked Singer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Many of us fully started to appreciate the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic on March 11 .
That Wednesday night , the NBA suspended its season and Tom Hanks and wife Rita Wilson announced they had tested positive for the novel coronavirus while in Australia .
Also that day ?
Former Alaska governor and vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin was revealed as the tie-dyed , rapping ( Alaskan ) Bear on “ The Masked Singer.
” The combination of the serious with the surreal would come to define the news of 2020 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ off without a hitch .
But there was no red carpet to strut down for the Emmys and other awards shows as the year progressed .
Instead , stars served stylish looks anyway when accepting an award – or losing , as Ramy Youssef ( Hulu 's `` Ramy '' ) showed at the virtual Emmy Awards ceremony .
We were also gifted the ( controversial ) moment when Jennifer Aniston put out an actual dumpster fire .
We were a captive audience thanks to the pandemic , and there was plenty of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ especially on Netflix .
“ Tiger King ” became a phenomenon .
`` Floor is Lava '' recreated a childhood game .
Little did we know “ Love is Blind ” would foreshadow dating in 2020 : being in two different rooms , all alone with copious amounts of wine .
And “ Too Hot to Handle ” offered its own brand of ostensibly sex-free quarantine .
When the talk shows lost their audience ( and then went home ) There was a weird , almost intentionally Dadaist bent to Whoopi Goldberg opening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ View ” shouting “ “ Welcome to ‘ The View ’ !
” over and over again to an empty room .
The next night , Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Fallon hosted episodes of their late-night talk shows in similarly deserted studios devoid of traditional laughter .
The audience-free talk show , a pit stop on the way to quarantine TV made from home in the early days of the pandemic , was a bizarre , absurdist historical document of how the world changed in an instant .
Without audiences to cheer on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” borrowed footage from earlier seasons to create the illusion of a communal experience .
Not ideal , because the network never copped to the ruse , creating the impression it was violating California guidelines by inviting an audience into the studio .
`` America 's Got Talent , '' `` America 's Funniest Home Videos '' and other shows did their best to make up for a lack of a theater audience with virtual viewers , watching on camera from home .
… And at televised sports contests , too , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that , too , making sure famous fans were in virtual courtside seats .
Pro sports including the MLB and NFL also tried to make up for often-empty stadiums with canned sound and even cardboard cutout fans ( an alternate money maker during a pandemic ) at baseball games .
It wasn ’ t perfect , but it was better than crickets .
And , a home run that almost decapitated a cardboard fan gave us a new way to enjoy the long ball !
Pandemic production shutdown is the mother of TV @ @ @ @ @ @ @ production in March , some stations found creative ways to continue .
With cast members restricted to their homes , CBS legal drama “ All Rise ” produced an episode focused on a trial conducted via video conference , as some real-world courts did , with cast members filming from their homes .
NBC ’ s “ The Blacklist , ” stuck with a partially filmed episode , ingeniously employed eye-catching animation to create a memorably makeshift season finale .
NBC ’ s “ Parks and Recreation ” came out of retirement for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a fundraiser to feed the hungry .
Unfortunately , another great comedy , “ 30 Rock , ” had a much-derided remote return for a numbing ad-sales infomercial plugging NBCUniversal .
Blerg !
The streaming service club gets even bigger Streaming approached saturation levels , as two more big industry players , Comcast ( Peacock ) and WarnerMedia ( HBO Max ) , just months after Apple TV+ and Disney+ launched , joining Netflix , Hulu and Amazon Prime Video .
As Disney+ enjoyed early success with “ The Mandalorian ” and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Peacock introduced a free , ad-supported service .
HBO Max had a less-than-robust launch – just over 12 million have activated the service – but the success of “ The Flight Attendant , ” renewed for Season 2 , and the Christmas premiere of `` Wonder Woman 1984 , '' the same day it opens in theaters , provide a shot in the arm .
In response to theaters closed by the pandemic , Warner Bros. decision to launch its entire 17-film slate on HBO Max in 2021 could be transformational .
Say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ culturally connecting sitcom April ’ s “ Modern Family ” finale not only marked the end of a hilarious , Emmy-laden comedy .
The critically praised ABC sitcom might just be the last of TV ’ s top-rated , long-running sitcom hits , one year after the exit of CBS juggernaut “ The Big Bang Theory.
” With audiences fragmented by streaming and shorter , fewer seasons , it ’ s hard to imagine another series , no matter how good , becoming as big a fixture in the cultural conversation .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ threatens to accelerate the trends pushing against a big , bonding comedy – the kind of thing we all could use these days .
At least we still have reruns of “ Family , ” “ Big Bang , ” “ Friends , ” “ Seinfeld ” and “ The Office ” on streaming services , but there don ’ t appear to be many newer shows on that level to join them .
'Schitt ’ s Creek ' says goodbye , and sweeps the Emmys There were no vacancies at the Emmys @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” the Canadian best-comedy winner from obscure Pop TV – popularized by Netflix – which wrapped after six seasons in April and swept the comedy categories , a first .
Catherine O ’ Hara and Eugene Levy won as lead actors , while Annie Murphy and co-creator Daniel Levy took the supporting categories .
With wins for writing , directing , casting and costumes , there wasn ’ t a thorn for the Roses in sight .
Mid-September usually means it 's time for the ( declining ) broadcast TV business to roll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ series , a custom that dates back to sponsorships by automakers to roll out their new car models each fall .
But the pandemic production shutdown led to a staggered rollout : Some shows arrived in late October , others in November .
And two entire networks ( Fox and CW ) will wait til 2021 to introduce their programming staples .
'SNL ' returns with a masked audience ( and Jim Carrey ’ s bad version of Joe Biden ) In a year as tumultuous as 2020 , “ SNL '' writers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remotely .
But the 46th season , which boasts hosts including Chris Rock and Dave Chappelle , has been more of a whimper , especially when it comes to covering the 2020 election .
Jim Carrey ’ s Joe Biden impression fell flat in a year when the news is stranger than anything sketch comedy writers can come up with .
He bowed out , and regular cast member Alex Moffat replaced him on Dec. 19. Who knew chess could be so cool ?
Anya Taylor-Joy ’ s vivid performance as ( fictional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called its most popular limited series , which debuted in October , made the ancient game of strategy more appealing than ever and boosted sales of chess sets .
While it ’ s easy enough to grab a fancy set and try your hand at the game , replicating Beth 's genius is a little harder .
The 2020 election ( aka The Never Ending Story ) Who needs fictional drama ?
The presidential election and the way TV news covered it offered thrills , chills and spills that will keep everyone talking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first presidential debate was one for the ages , mostly because of President Donald Trump ’ s out-of-control interruptions ; Trump had dust-ups with CBS ' Lesley Stahl and NBC ’ s Savannah Guthrie ; Fox News ’ Tucker Carlson and NBC News got into an on-air fight days before the election ; and the race was too close to call on Election Night , as news divisions had predicted .
Network anchors seemed to breathe a sigh of relief when Joe Biden brought back a more traditional tone a few days later @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the votes to be anointed president-elect .
But Trump still managed to get coverage with claims of a “ rigged ” election , even after the Electoral College sealed Biden ’ s win .
Fans cheered Trebek as he continued to tape 'Jeopardy ! '
through October as contestants offered emotional testimonials .
The host provided a great service , speaking publicly about his Stage 4 pancreatic cancer while setting a wonderful example by embracing life .
Unfortunately , the disease claimed Trebek 's life on Nov. 8 , leading to an outpouring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ see his final episodes the week of Jan. 4 , a clue to the correct question : What is a happy yet bittersweet way to start 2021 ?
Few prime-time shows last a decade and a half – you can count `` Grey 's Anatomy , '' `` Law & Order : SVU '' and `` NCIS '' on one hand – but the long run of CW 's `` Supernatural '' is a truly paranormal feat .
Jensen Ackles and Jared Padadecki played demon-fighting brothers since 2005 ( the first season aired @ @ @ @ @ @ @ existed ) .
The series had a special connection with its social media-savvy fans , including USA TODAY film critic Brian Truitt , who wrote that the series allowed him to `` escape my own purgatory and head into a demon-filled world with two dudes who carried on , no matter what . ''
As holiday TV specials ( and outlets for them ) mushroomed , from Mariah Carey to Carrie Underwood , from Rugrats to Snoopy to Minions , the made-for-TV Christmas movie , a programming staple on Lifetime , Hallmark ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more diverse characters , including LGBTQ couples , after facing pressure to represent .
`` It feels like it 's progress , '' said gay actor Jonathan Bennett , who starred as half of a same-sex couple in Hallmark 's `` The Christmas House . ''

20 top TV moments of 2020: From 'Jeopardy!' to 'Tiger King' and that wild election
Show Caption Hide Caption TV streaming: How the pandemic affected TV watching in 2020 USA TODAY TV Critic Kelly Lawler discusses how the COVID-19 pandemic affected TV shows, networks and productions in 2020. Entertain This!, USA TODAY
In a year that saw the world turned upside down by the coronavirus pandemic, TV had its share of big moments.
Sure, many of your favorite shows were sidelined by production shutdowns, and the virus dominated news coverage. But creativity often triumphed as entertainment producers sought to provide refuge; a wild presidential election sparked record ratings for cable news networks; plenty of shows were already filmed before the virus began taking its toll; and the streaming age exploded with more newcomers. (And let's not forget that 2020 began with several weeks of relative normalcy.)
USA TODAY's TV staff offers a look back at the highs (and lows) from a year we'd rather forget.
A happy water-cooler moment: What is the 'Jeopardy!' GOAT Tournament?
Legendary “Jeopardy!” champions Ken Jennings, James Holzhauer and Brad Rutter got a prime-time stage for ABC's Greatest of All Time tournament in early January. The special event was a huge hit and had the country talking. Jennings clinched the title with three wins in four nights, telling USA TODAY that he feared going into the contest that he was “no longer as sharp as I used to be,” which obviously wasn’t the case. (Viewers will get to see the three champs again on ABC’s “The Chase,” which premieres Jan. 7.) Despite Jennings' achievement, the real star was host Alex Trebek, a game show legend whose fan base grew even larger during his fight against Stage 4 pancreatic cancer.
'The Good Place' goes out on a high note
Everything actually was OK in the January series finale of NBC's existential afterlife sitcom "The Good Place." The series came to a fitting end that left the show's signature plot twists and food puns behind in favor of a sentimental journey of goodbyes. "Good Place" didn't have any more answers to life's big questions than we humans can provide. It was just like us: imperfect, messy, ambitious, loving, open-hearted, funny and well-intentioned. Or at least, it was just like the best version of ourselves we can be.
Jennifer Lopez and Shakira rock Super Bowl's halftime show
Although February feels like a few decades ago, yes, there was a Super Bowl this year. And who could’ve guessed just how infectiously joyous the combo of Jennifer Lopez and Shakira would be as the halftime show stars, smiling and dancing their way through an energetic set that was short on over-the-top spectacle – there were no giant tiger puppets or high-flying entrances – but had plenty of jaw-dropping choreography, Top 40 hits and celebrations of Latin culture.
Sarah Palin rapped on 'The Masked Singer' the day the pandemic got real
Many of us fully started to appreciate the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic on March 11. That Wednesday night, the NBA suspended its season and Tom Hanks and wife Rita Wilson announced they had tested positive for the novel coronavirus while in Australia. Also that day? Former Alaska governor and vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin was revealed as the tie-dyed, rapping (Alaskan) Bear on “The Masked Singer.” The combination of the serious with the surreal would come to define the news of 2020.
The remoteness of awards shows
The pre-pandemic Golden Globes and Oscars went off without a hitch. But there was no red carpet to strut down for the Emmys and other awards shows as the year progressed. Instead, stars served stylish looks anyway when accepting an award – or losing, as Ramy Youssef (Hulu's "Ramy") showed at the virtual Emmy Awards ceremony. We were also gifted the (controversial) moment when Jennifer Aniston put out an actual dumpster fire.
Pandemic-era reality TV: 'Tiger King,' 'Love is Blind,' 'Floor is Lava'
We were a captive audience thanks to the pandemic, and there was plenty of jaw-dropping television to keep us occupied, especially on Netflix. “Tiger King” became a phenomenon. "Floor is Lava" recreated a childhood game. Little did we know “Love is Blind” would foreshadow dating in 2020: being in two different rooms, all alone with copious amounts of wine. And “Too Hot to Handle” offered its own brand of ostensibly sex-free quarantine.
When the talk shows lost their audience (and then went home)
There was a weird, almost intentionally Dadaist bent to Whoopi Goldberg opening the March 11 episode of “The View” shouting “ “Welcome to ‘The View’!” over and over again to an empty room. The next night, Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Fallon hosted episodes of their late-night talk shows in similarly deserted studios devoid of traditional laughter. The audience-free talk show, a pit stop on the way to quarantine TV made from home in the early days of the pandemic, was a bizarre, absurdist historical document of how the world changed in an instant.
Virtual audiences fill empty studios on ‘Masked Singer,’ other reality contests
Without audiences to cheer on its contestants, “The Masked Singer” borrowed footage from earlier seasons to create the illusion of a communal experience. Not ideal, because the network never copped to the ruse, creating the impression it was violating California guidelines by inviting an audience into the studio. "America's Got Talent," "America's Funniest Home Videos" and other shows did their best to make up for a lack of a theater audience with virtual viewers, watching on camera from home.
… And at televised sports contests, too, as the pandemic restricts crowds
The NBA tried that, too, making sure famous fans were in virtual courtside seats. Pro sports including the MLB and NFL also tried to make up for often-empty stadiums with canned sound and even cardboard cutout fans (an alternate money maker during a pandemic) at baseball games. It wasn’t perfect, but it was better than crickets. And, a home run that almost decapitated a cardboard fan gave us a new way to enjoy the long ball!
Pandemic production shutdown is the mother of TV invention
When the pandemic shut down TV production in March, some stations found creative ways to continue. With cast members restricted to their homes, CBS legal drama “All Rise” produced an episode focused on a trial conducted via video conference, as some real-world courts did, with cast members filming from their homes. NBC’s “The Blacklist,” stuck with a partially filmed episode, ingeniously employed eye-catching animation to create a memorably makeshift season finale. NBC’s “Parks and Recreation” came out of retirement for a much-praised, socially distanced reunion episode, a fundraiser to feed the hungry. Unfortunately, another great comedy, “30 Rock,” had a much-derided remote return for a numbing ad-sales infomercial plugging NBCUniversal. Blerg!
The streaming service club gets even bigger
Streaming approached saturation levels, as two more big industry players, Comcast (Peacock) and WarnerMedia (HBO Max), just months after Apple TV+ and Disney+ launched, joining Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime Video. As Disney+ enjoyed early success with “The Mandalorian” and its staggering library of films, and Peacock introduced a free, ad-supported service. HBO Max had a less-than-robust launch – just over 12 million have activated the service – but the success of “The Flight Attendant,” renewed for Season 2, and the Christmas premiere of "Wonder Woman 1984," the same day it opens in theaters, provide a shot in the arm. In response to theaters closed by the pandemic, Warner Bros. decision to launch its entire 17-film slate on HBO Max in 2021 could be transformational.
Say goodbye to the big, long-running, culturally connecting sitcom
April’s “Modern Family” finale not only marked the end of a hilarious, Emmy-laden comedy. The critically praised ABC sitcom might just be the last of TV’s top-rated, long-running sitcom hits, one year after the exit of CBS juggernaut “The Big Bang Theory.” With audiences fragmented by streaming and shorter, fewer seasons, it’s hard to imagine another series, no matter how good, becoming as big a fixture in the cultural conversation. And that was before the pandemic, which threatens to accelerate the trends pushing against a big, bonding comedy – the kind of thing we all could use these days. At least we still have reruns of “Family,” “Big Bang,” “Friends,” “Seinfeld” and “The Office” on streaming services, but there don’t appear to be many newer shows on that level to join them.
'Schitt’s Creek' says goodbye, and sweeps the Emmys
There were no vacancies at the Emmys for “Schitt’s Creek,” the Canadian best-comedy winner from obscure Pop TV – popularized by Netflix – which wrapped after six seasons in April and swept the comedy categories, a first. Catherine O’Hara and Eugene Levy won as lead actors, while Annie Murphy and co-creator Daniel Levy took the supporting categories. With wins for writing, directing, casting and costumes, there wasn’t a thorn for the Roses in sight.
The TV season launch that wasn't
Mid-September usually means it's time for the (declining) broadcast TV business to roll out a slate of new and returning series, a custom that dates back to sponsorships by automakers to roll out their new car models each fall. But the pandemic production shutdown led to a staggered rollout: Some shows arrived in late October, others in November. And two entire networks (Fox and CW) will wait til 2021 to introduce their programming staples.
'SNL' returns with a masked audience (and Jim Carrey’s bad version of Joe Biden)
In a year as tumultuous as 2020, “SNL" writers made valiant efforts to air spring shows remotely. But the 46th season, which boasts hosts including Chris Rock and Dave Chappelle, has been more of a whimper, especially when it comes to covering the 2020 election. Jim Carrey’s Joe Biden impression fell flat in a year when the news is stranger than anything sketch comedy writers can come up with. He bowed out, and regular cast member Alex Moffat replaced him on Dec. 19.
Netflix hit 'The Queen’s Gambit' starts a chess craze
Who knew chess could be so cool? Anya Taylor-Joy’s vivid performance as (fictional) champ Beth Harmon in what Netflix called its most popular limited series, which debuted in October, made the ancient game of strategy more appealing than ever and boosted sales of chess sets. While it’s easy enough to grab a fancy set and try your hand at the game, replicating Beth's genius is a little harder.
The 2020 election (aka The Never Ending Story)
Who needs fictional drama? The presidential election and the way TV news covered it offered thrills, chills and spills that will keep everyone talking until the next presidential contest. The first presidential debate was one for the ages, mostly because of President Donald Trump’s out-of-control interruptions; Trump had dust-ups with CBS' Lesley Stahl and NBC’s Savannah Guthrie; Fox News’ Tucker Carlson and NBC News got into an on-air fight days before the election; and the race was too close to call on Election Night, as news divisions had predicted. Network anchors seemed to breathe a sigh of relief when Joe Biden brought back a more traditional tone a few days later, after news organizations determined he had the votes to be anointed president-elect. But Trump still managed to get coverage with claims of a “rigged” election, even after the Electoral College sealed Biden’s win.
Legendary 'Jeopardy!' host Alex Trebek dies after brave cancer battle
Fans cheered Trebek as he continued to tape 'Jeopardy!' through October as contestants offered emotional testimonials. The host provided a great service, speaking publicly about his Stage 4 pancreatic cancer while setting a wonderful example by embracing life. Unfortunately, the disease claimed Trebek's life on Nov. 8, leading to an outpouring of tears and tributes. Fans will see his final episodes the week of Jan. 4, a clue to the correct question: What is a happy yet bittersweet way to start 2021?
'Supernatural' says goodbye after 15 (!) seasons
Few prime-time shows last a decade and a half – you can count "Grey's Anatomy," "Law & Order: SVU" and "NCIS" on one hand – but the long run of CW's "Supernatural" is a truly paranormal feat. Jensen Ackles and Jared Padadecki played demon-fighting brothers since 2005 (the first season aired on predecessor WB, before CW even existed). The series had a special connection with its social media-savvy fans, including USA TODAY film critic Brian Truitt, who wrote that the series allowed him to "escape my own purgatory and head into a demon-filled world with two dudes who carried on, no matter what."
Holiday movies become more inclusive
As holiday TV specials (and outlets for them) mushroomed, from Mariah Carey to Carrie Underwood, from Rugrats to Snoopy to Minions, the made-for-TV Christmas movie, a programming staple on Lifetime, Hallmark (and lately, Netflix) began featuring more diverse characters, including LGBTQ couples, after facing pressure to represent. "It feels like it's progress," said gay actor Jonathan Bennett, who starred as half of a same-sex couple in Hallmark's "The Christmas House."


usatoday--2020-12-31--In Georgia Senate runoffs, Democrats Jon Ossoff, Raphael Warnock use social media to rally young vot

Strong turnout among voters under 30 nationwide helped propel Joe Biden to a victory over President Donald Trump , an Associated Press report showed .
Democratic U.S. Senate candidates Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock hope to do the same with the help of newer social media apps like Snapchat and TikTok along with breaking the mold on more traditional platforms .
“ Seems like the Democrats are making more of an effort to appeal to young people , while the Republicans are just using their accounts for news and talking points , ” said Nate Thompson , 23 , of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Kelly Loeffler are on platforms such as Twitter and Instagram , but much of their posts include sharing news articles , pictures and videos of themselves or supporters and written posts about viewpoints .
On Loeffler 's page on Parler , for example , it 's almost entirely donation links to campaigns .
Ossoff and Warnock have posted memes and humorously worded pictures on their channels to appeal to young followers while getting their points across .
One such photo featured on Warnock ’ s Twitter depicted an Uno player with several @ @ @ @ @ @ @ joke about how Perdue would rather lose than admit President-elect Joe Biden won his race .
That joke also plays into another way Warnock has been engaging with young voters .
On Twitch , he has hosted a couple of game nights .
On one night , some of his young teammates played the video game Among Us with Public Service Commission runoff candidate Daniel Blackman .
Another featured Warnock playing Uno with Ossoff and a few others .
During the game nights , the candidates were able to answer questions from other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been more active on TikTok .
He posts a variety of videos that feature music , comedy and Ossoff ’ s thoughts on issues .
One more recent post featured a cardboard cut-out ‘ taking over for Jon ’ that starts talking politics and keeps talking after it gets knocked over by the wind .
TikTok follower Alison Hoffman , from Augusta , said Ossoff ’ s posts are often funny and relatable .
She also said he and Warnock seem to have a better grasp of the platforms they are using .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , wrote in an email that the strategy has been to meet young voters where they are .
`` Our campaign has built a robust and innovative digital program that is speaking directly to young voters on platforms like TikTok , Snapchat and Instagram about the issues that impact their lives , like stopping the spread of coronavirus , protecting our environment , tackling student loan debt , and passing a New Civil Rights Act , '' Best wrote .
Young voter Connor Rentz from Decatur County called the Democrats use of social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't feel like either one , particularly Warnock , is playing it safe , ” he said .
“ They ’ re being pretty forward about their stances.
” Atlanta voter Logan McElroy , 24 , said , while he enjoys the candidates ’ social media activity , it ’ s not new for politicians to engage on these platforms .
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has had a Twitch channel where she talks with the public while playing games .
But while they may not be the first to do this , McElroy said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Warnock reach many people who did n't vote in November .
The Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement found that young voter turnout was much stronger in the recent election and that young voter turnout made the difference in key battleground states .
In 2020 , CIRCLE said 52 % to 55 % of people , ages 18 to 29 , cast a ballot .
In 2016 , that demographic 's number was 42 % to 44 % , CIRCLE found .
Warnock 's press secretary Meredith Brasher @ @ @ @ @ @ @ digital organizing tools that helped elect Biden and Kamala Harris in November .
`` Our robust program includes Twitter , Instagram and other platforms where young voters are engaged , and we share content with users to post across their networks to share critical information about the stakes of this election , '' Brasher wrote in an email .
Kei Kawashima-Ginsberg , the director of CIRCLE , said youth voting turnout is being affected by both external investment and peer-to-peer political engagement among young people .
“ Especially in the pandemic era of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ external groups and political parties , but also huge amounts of young people making social media contact to communicate what they believe politically , who they think people should vote for and the issues that they really care about , ” she said .
`` Georgia 's unprecedented youth turnout in the general election was a result of years of Georgia Democrats ' hard work and [ Jon Ossoff 's ] relentless focus on turning out young voters , and we 're going to win this race by energizing record-setting youth turnout again @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

In Georgia Senate runoffs, Democrats Jon Ossoff, Raphael Warnock use social media to rally young voters
Strong turnout among voters under 30 nationwide helped propel Joe Biden to a victory over President Donald Trump, an Associated Press report showed. Democratic U.S. Senate candidates Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock hope to do the same with the help of newer social media apps like Snapchat and TikTok along with breaking the mold on more traditional platforms.
“Seems like the Democrats are making more of an effort to appeal to young people, while the Republicans are just using their accounts for news and talking points,” said Nate Thompson, 23, of Augusta.
Republican Senate incumbents David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler are on platforms such as Twitter and Instagram, but much of their posts include sharing news articles, pictures and videos of themselves or supporters and written posts about viewpoints. On Loeffler's page on Parler, for example, it's almost entirely donation links to campaigns.
Ossoff and Warnock have posted memes and humorously worded pictures on their channels to appeal to young followers while getting their points across. One such photo featured on Warnock’s Twitter depicted an Uno player with several cards in his hands that made a joke about how Perdue would rather lose than admit President-elect Joe Biden won his race.
That joke also plays into another way Warnock has been engaging with young voters. On Twitch, he has hosted a couple of game nights. On one night, some of his young teammates played the video game Among Us with Public Service Commission runoff candidate Daniel Blackman. Another featured Warnock playing Uno with Ossoff and a few others. During the game nights, the candidates were able to answer questions from other players about the issues.
Ossoff has been more active on TikTok. He posts a variety of videos that feature music, comedy and Ossoff’s thoughts on issues. One more recent post featured a cardboard cut-out ‘taking over for Jon’ that starts talking politics and keeps talking after it gets knocked over by the wind.
TikTok follower Alison Hoffman, from Augusta, said Ossoff’s posts are often funny and relatable. She also said he and Warnock seem to have a better grasp of the platforms they are using.
Ossoff's campaign manager, Jake Best, wrote in an email that the strategy has been to meet young voters where they are.
"Our campaign has built a robust and innovative digital program that is speaking directly to young voters on platforms like TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram about the issues that impact their lives, like stopping the spread of coronavirus, protecting our environment, tackling student loan debt, and passing a New Civil Rights Act," Best wrote.
Young voter Connor Rentz from Decatur County called the Democrats use of social media very refreshing.
“I don't feel like either one, particularly Warnock, is playing it safe,” he said. “They’re being pretty forward about their stances.”
Atlanta voter Logan McElroy, 24, said, while he enjoys the candidates’ social media activity, it’s not new for politicians to engage on these platforms. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has had a Twitch channel where she talks with the public while playing games. But while they may not be the first to do this, McElroy said these new channels could definitely help Ossoff and Warnock reach many people who didn't vote in November.
The Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement found that young voter turnout was much stronger in the recent election and that young voter turnout made the difference in key battleground states. In 2020, CIRCLE said 52% to 55% of people, ages 18 to 29, cast a ballot. In 2016, that demographic's number was 42% to 44%, CIRCLE found.
Warnock's press secretary Meredith Brasher said they are heavily invested in the digital organizing tools that helped elect Biden and Kamala Harris in November.
"Our robust program includes Twitter, Instagram and other platforms where young voters are engaged, and we share content with users to post across their networks to share critical information about the stakes of this election," Brasher wrote in an email.
Kei Kawashima-Ginsberg, the director of CIRCLE, said youth voting turnout is being affected by both external investment and peer-to-peer political engagement among young people.
“Especially in the pandemic era of 2020, there is both mobilization from external groups and political parties, but also huge amounts of young people making social media contact to communicate what they believe politically, who they think people should vote for and the issues that they really care about,” she said.
"Georgia's unprecedented youth turnout in the general election was a result of years of Georgia Democrats' hard work and [Jon Ossoff's] relentless focus on turning out young voters, and we're going to win this race by energizing record-setting youth turnout again on Jan. 5," Best wrote.


usatoday--2020-12-31--Don't shoot guns at midnight to celebrate new year, police warn – and offer $500 for tips leading to

Police in Montgomery , Alabama , are offering a $ 500 cash reward for tips that lead to the arrest and conviction of people who are celebrating the arrival of 2021 with gunfire .
In Richmond , Virginia , police are echoing a similar guidance .
Their warning stems from a shooting that occurred at the beginning of this year and claimed the life of a 28-year-old woman , the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported .
Police said La-tiyah S. Hood was a mother of two who was shot accidentally in the beginning minutes of 2020 .
She had spent the evening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ group had celebrated by shooting guns into the air .
“ There are a lot of ways to celebrate the New Year – this isn ’ t one of them , ” said police Capt .
Rick Edwards .
In Montgomery , a city ordinance means people who fire their guns into the air could face a $ 100 fine and seven days in jail for a first offense , or up to a $ 500 fine and six months in jail for repeat offenses .
Cincinnati : Police to crackdown on 'celebratory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Police say firing your gun to celebrate New Year 's Eve is dangerous , so do n't do it Hood ’ s mother said she hopes to prevent a tragedy like this from happening again .
“ A celebration cheated two sons from their mom , 10 siblings of their sister , four nieces of their auntie , a grieving mother of her beloved daughter , '' Stephanie Brandon said in a statement released by the police department .
“ The family birthdays , holidays , family celebrations will be less our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mistake.
” Mateen B. Johnson , 26 , was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in connection to the incident and is serving six months in prison .
A similar , tragic incident occurred in Houston last year , just a minute after midnight .
Police in Texas ' Harris County said 61-year-old Philippa Ashford died after being shot at 12:01 a.m. on Jan. 1 , 2020 , adding that she may have been struck by celebratory gunfire from outside her immediate neighborhood .
The woman ’ s family and their neighbors were discharging fireworks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that she had been shot , according to the department .
She was pronounced dead at the scene .
What will Times Square look like this NYE ?
A ball drop , a 'frozen zone ' and bomb-sniffing dogs 2021 : When will pro , college and youth sports return to normal ?

Don't shoot guns at midnight to celebrate new year, police warn – and offer $500 for tips leading to arrests
Police in Montgomery, Alabama, are offering a $500 cash reward for tips that lead to the arrest and conviction of people who are celebrating the arrival of 2021 with gunfire.
In Richmond, Virginia, police are echoing a similar guidance. Their warning stems from a shooting that occurred at the beginning of this year and claimed the life of a 28-year-old woman, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported.
Police said La-tiyah S. Hood was a mother of two who was shot accidentally in the beginning minutes of 2020. She had spent the evening at a home where some in the group had celebrated by shooting guns into the air.
“There are a lot of ways to celebrate the New Year – this isn’t one of them,” said police Capt. Rick Edwards.
In Montgomery, a city ordinance means people who fire their guns into the air could face a $100 fine and seven days in jail for a first offense, or up to a $500 fine and six months in jail for repeat offenses.
Cincinnati: Police to crackdown on 'celebratory gunfire' New Year's Eve
Indianapolis: Police say firing your gun to celebrate New Year's Eve is dangerous, so don't do it
Hood’s mother said she hopes to prevent a tragedy like this from happening again.
“A celebration cheated two sons from their mom, 10 siblings of their sister, four nieces of their auntie, a grieving mother of her beloved daughter," Stephanie Brandon said in a statement released by the police department. “The family birthdays, holidays, family celebrations will be less our love because of another’s careless mistake.”
Mateen B. Johnson, 26, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in connection to the incident and is serving six months in prison.
A similar, tragic incident occurred in Houston last year, just a minute after midnight.
Police in Texas' Harris County said 61-year-old Philippa Ashford died after being shot at 12:01 a.m. on Jan. 1, 2020, adding that she may have been struck by celebratory gunfire from outside her immediate neighborhood.
The woman’s family and their neighbors were discharging fireworks in their cul-de-sac when she called out that she had been shot, according to the department. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Contributing: Brad Harper, Montgomery Advertiser; The Associated Press
What will Times Square look like this NYE? A ball drop, a 'frozen zone' and bomb-sniffing dogs
2021: When will pro, college and youth sports return to normal?


usatoday--2020-12-31--How to make champagne jello shots for New Year's Eve

How to make champagne jello shots for New Year 's Eve Ring in the new year with this tasty recipe @ @ @ @ @

New Year's Eve: Champagne jello shots
Ring in the new year with this tasty recipe for champagne jello shots.
ProblemSolved, USA TODAY


usatoday--2020-12-31--GOP Sen. Perdue quarantining after possible exposure to COVID-19 just days before Georgia runoff rac

Republican Sen. David Perdue announced Thursday he was quarantining after coming into contact with someone on his campaign who tested positive for COVID-19 , a striking development just 5 days before voters decide his political fate in a runoff race in Georgia .
Perdue ’ s campaign said both the Georgia Republican and his wife tested negative for the disease Thursday but were going to quarantine , following the recommendations of his doctor and CDC guidelines .
“ The Senator and his wife have been tested regularly throughout the campaign , and the team will continue to follow CDC guidelines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adds .
Perdue ’ s quarantine comes only days before voters will decide whether he will keep his seat , one of the state ’ s two Senate races on Tuesday that will determine which political party controls the upper chamber .
He is facing a tough challenge from Democrat Jon Ossoff .
On Jan. 5 , voters will also decide between GOP Sen. Kelly Loeffler or Democrat Raphael Warnock .
Both Republicans have regularly held events amid the pandemic where attendees have largely went maskless and ignored social distancing efforts .
Democrats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ size of crowds and have instead instituted drive-in events or virtual rallies to attract support .
Loeffler similarly had to quarantine last month after a coronavirus scare after she received conflicting test results .
She has since returned to the campaign trail .

GOP Sen. Perdue quarantining after possible exposure to COVID-19 just days before Georgia runoff race
Show Caption Hide Caption Georgia runoffs will decide who controls U.S. Senate Millions in campaign contributions are rolling into Georgia as its Senate races have national implications. USA TODAY
Republican Sen. David Perdue announced Thursday he was quarantining after coming into contact with someone on his campaign who tested positive for COVID-19, a striking development just 5 days before voters decide his political fate in a runoff race in Georgia.
Perdue’s campaign said both the Georgia Republican and his wife tested negative for the disease Thursday but were going to quarantine, following the recommendations of his doctor and CDC guidelines.
“The Senator and his wife have been tested regularly throughout the campaign, and the team will continue to follow CDC guidelines,” a statement from his campaign adds.
More: Louisiana Congressman-elect Luke Letlow dies of COVID-19
More: In Georgia Senate runoffs, Democrats Jon Ossoff, Raphael Warnock use social media to rally young voters
Perdue’s quarantine comes only days before voters will decide whether he will keep his seat, one of the state’s two Senate races on Tuesday that will determine which political party controls the upper chamber. He is facing a tough challenge from Democrat Jon Ossoff.
On Jan. 5, voters will also decide between GOP Sen. Kelly Loeffler or Democrat Raphael Warnock.
Both Republicans have regularly held events amid the pandemic where attendees have largely went maskless and ignored social distancing efforts. Democrats have cut most rallies to limit the size of crowds and have instead instituted drive-in events or virtual rallies to attract support. Loeffler similarly had to quarantine last month after a coronavirus scare after she received conflicting test results. She has since returned to the campaign trail.


usatoday--2020-12-31--Your COVID vaccine questions, answered: how is distrust of the vaccine being addressed?

Your COVID vaccine questions , answered : how is distrust of the vaccine being addressed ?
COVID vaccine distrust : @ @ @ @ @ Director of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases , answers your vaccine questions .

Your COVID vaccine questions: how is distrust being addressed?
COVID vaccine distrust: Dr. William Schaffner, Medical Director of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, answers your vaccine questions.
Staff Video, USA TODAY


usatoday--2020-12-31--Your COVID vaccine questions, answered: how safe is the vaccine? What about preservatives?

Your COVID vaccine questions , answered : how safe is the vaccine ?
What about preservatives ?
How safe is @ @ @ @ @ there preservatives ?
Dr. William Schaffner , National Foundation for Infectious Diseases medical director , @ @

Your COVID vaccine questions answered: How safe is the COVID vaccine?
How safe is the COVID vaccine? Are there preservatives? Dr. William Schaffner, National Foundation for Infectious Diseases medical director, answers.
USA TODAY


usatoday--2020-12-31--Your COVID vaccine questions, answered: do I have to pay for the COVID vaccine?

Your COVID vaccine questions , answered : do I have to pay for the COVID vaccine ?
Who pays for @ @ @ @ @ William Schaffner , Medical Director of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases , answers your @ @

Your COVID vaccine questions: Do I have to pay for the COVID vaccine?
Who pays for the COVID vaccine? Dr. William Schaffner, Medical Director of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, answers your questions.
Staff Video, USA TODAY


usatoday--2020-12-31--Your COVID vaccine questions, answered: what happens if I miss the second-dose of vaccine?

Your COVID vaccine questions , answered : what happens if I miss the second-dose of vaccine ?
Your COVID-19 vaccine @ @ @ @ @ reporter Adrianna Rodriguez : what happens if I miss the second-dose of vaccine ?
From @ @ @ @ @

What happens if I miss the second-dose of vaccine?
Your COVID-19 vaccine questions, answered with health reporter Adrianna Rodriguez: what happens if I miss the second-dose of vaccine? From "States of America"
Staff Video, USA TODAY


usatoday--2020-12-31--Your COVID vaccine questions, answered: I already had COVID, should I get the vaccine?

Your COVID vaccine questions , answered : I already had COVID , should I get the vaccine ?
Your COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ if I already had COVID , should I get the vaccine ?
From States of @ @ @ @ @ December 16 , 2020 .

Your COVID vaccine questions: I had COVID, should I get the vaccine?
Your COVID-19 vaccine questions, answered: if I already had COVID, should I get the vaccine? From States of America's live show on December 16, 2020.
Staff Video, USA TODAY


usatoday--2020-12-31--Your COVID vaccine questions, answered: should I get vaccinated if I have allergies?

Your COVID vaccine questions , answered : should I get vaccinated if I have allergies ?
Your COVID-19 vaccine questions @ @ @ @ @ get vaccinated if I have allergies ?
From `` States of America '' live on @ @ @ @ @

Your COVID vaccine questions, answered: what if I have allergies?
Your COVID-19 vaccine questions, answered: Should I get vaccinated if I have allergies? From "States of America" live on December 16, 2020.
Staff Video, USA TODAY


usatoday--2020-01-31--OnPolitics: Is today the day impeachment ends?

Will the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump come to an end today ?
It might come down to a few senators ' votes on whether to allow witnesses .
How did we get here this week ?
The president 's defense team wrapped up their rebuttal to the Democrats case , arguing that the president was totally in bounds to ask about the Biden family 's business relationships in Ukraine .
`` All we 're saying is that there was a basis to talk about this , to raise this issue , and that is enough , '' said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's defense attorneys .
Then it was time for questions .
Both Democrats and Republicans were able to ask questions of either the House impeachment managers or the president 's defense team .
In response to a question from Sen. Ted Cruz about whether it mattered if Trump engaged in a `` quid pro quo , '' attorney Alan Dershowitz argued that presidents can not be removed from office for an action they believe could help get them reelected .
Dershowitz , a member of Trump 's defense team , said motive was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the public interest , it was not impeachable .
Dershowitz said Thursday that his answer is being `` willfully distorted . ''
Then on Thursday , Sen. Rand Paul walked out on the trial after Chief Justice John Roberts refused to read his question .
Paul said his question didn ’ t name the alleged whistleblower -- although a version of it that he tweeted mentioned the name of an official some Republicans have speculated is the whistleblower .
So for now , we wait .
The trial starts back up at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump headed to Michigan Thursday , to tour an axle manufacturing plant , and then to Iowa , for a rally with supporters at Drake University ( where the Democrats debated just a few weeks ago . )
`` The American people and frankly people all over the world know it 's a hoax , '' Trump said on the eve of the pivotal vote that will decide whether senators will hear witnesses in the trial .
Trump of course was not the only politician in Iowa .
It 's 4 days before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ running ( who is n't also a juror in the impeachment trial ) was canvassing the state .
Former Vice President Joe Biden took the opportunity to offer a contrast to Iowa caucusgoers , telling them 'character is on the ballot . '
`` Ladies and gentlemen , in November America will have the chance to answer the question : Does the character of the president matter ?
Yes or no , '' Biden asked a crowd in Waukee , Iowa .
Elsewhere , former mayor Pete Buttigieg offered some of his harshest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to wrap up a top finish in Iowa and carry momentum into the New Hampshire primary .
`` Here we are , at this moment where we 've got a historic majority .
We 've got to galvanize , not polarize that American majority so that we can win , and so that we can govern and actually get these things done , '' Buttigieg said .
`` And that 's what I ’ m offering . ''
Thanks , as always , for reading .
The USA TODAY Network will have more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iowa Monday for the caucuses .
Stay tuned .
— Annah Aschbrenner

OnPolitics: Is today the day impeachment ends?
Show Caption Hide Caption Presidential impeachment: Clinton, Johnson, Nixon test U.S. democracy Presidents have been impeached, but none have been removed from office due to impeachment. Confusing? Here's how. Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
Will the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump come to an end today? It might come down to a few senators' votes on whether to allow witnesses.
How did we get here this week?
The president's defense team wrapped up their rebuttal to the Democrats case, arguing that the president was totally in bounds to ask about the Biden family's business relationships in Ukraine.
"All we're saying is that there was a basis to talk about this, to raise this issue, and that is enough," said Pam Bondi, one of the president's defense attorneys.
Then it was time for questions.
Both Democrats and Republicans were able to ask questions of either the House impeachment managers or the president's defense team.
In response to a question from Sen. Ted Cruz about whether it mattered if Trump engaged in a "quid pro quo," attorney Alan Dershowitz argued that presidents cannot be removed from office for an action they believe could help get them reelected.
Dershowitz, a member of Trump's defense team, said motive was what mattered and if an act was in the public interest, it was not impeachable. Dershowitz said Thursday that his answer is being "willfully distorted."
Then on Thursday, Sen. Rand Paul walked out on the trial after Chief Justice John Roberts refused to read his question.
Paul said his question didn’t name the alleged whistleblower -- although a version of it that he tweeted mentioned the name of an official some Republicans have speculated is the whistleblower.
So for now, we wait. The trial starts back up at 1 p.m. ET.
Meanwhile, Trump headed to Michigan Thursday, to tour an axle manufacturing plant, and then to Iowa, for a rally with supporters at Drake University (where the Democrats debated just a few weeks ago.)
"The American people and frankly people all over the world know it's a hoax," Trump said on the eve of the pivotal vote that will decide whether senators will hear witnesses in the trial.
Trump of course was not the only politician in Iowa. It's 4 days before the Iowa caucus, so almost everyone running (who isn't also a juror in the impeachment trial) was canvassing the state.
Former Vice President Joe Biden took the opportunity to offer a contrast to Iowa caucusgoers, telling them 'character is on the ballot.'
"Ladies and gentlemen, in November America will have the chance to answer the question: Does the character of the president matter? Yes or no," Biden asked a crowd in Waukee, Iowa.
Elsewhere, former mayor Pete Buttigieg offered some of his harshest critiques for his closest rivals, trying to wrap up a top finish in Iowa and carry momentum into the New Hampshire primary.
"Here we are, at this moment where we've got a historic majority. We've got to galvanize, not polarize that American majority so that we can win, and so that we can govern and actually get these things done," Buttigieg said. "And that's what I’m offering."
Thanks, as always, for reading. The USA TODAY Network will have more than 60 journalists on the ground in Iowa Monday for the caucuses. Stay tuned. — Annah Aschbrenner


usatoday--2020-01-31--Impeachment trial: debate over witnesses and 'executive privilege'

The Senate impeachment trial against President Donald Trump reached a crossroads that could either extend the trial for days or @ @ @ @ @

Trump impeachment trial: debate to allow witnesses
The Senate impeachment trial against President Donald Trump reached a crossroads that could either extend the trial for days or see a vote soon.
USA TODAY


usatoday--2020-01-31--Donald Trump to make 'school choice' a major topic at State of the Union address

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump plans to use next week 's State of the Union speech to renew a call for tax breaks designed to provide more scholarships for students to attend private schools , two administration sources familiar with the address told USA TODAY Thursday .
Trump 's emphasis on school choice – a popular issue with his core supporters – will be part of a speech in which the president is likely to discuss themes central to his reelection message , including the economy , immigration and health care .
In Tuesday 's prime-time speech , Trump will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would offer tax credits to people who donate money to nonprofit groups that provide scholarships to private schools .
The Education Freedom Scholarships legislation would provide up to $ 5 billion in federal tax credits to individuals and businesses who donate to scholarships for families to use at private , faith-based schools or to fund homeschooling .
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has championed the proposal since taking office under Trump .
During a White House `` school choice roundtable '' in December , Trump told allies that `` for decades , countless children @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
The president said , `` We believe that every parent should have educational freedom for their children . ''
Opponents of the legislation said Trump 's plan would siphon badly needed funds from public schools .
The National Education Association said during a similar push by Trump last year that his administration is pursuing `` failed voucher schemes . ''
`` If we ’ re serious about every child ’ s future , let ’ s get serious and ask educators what they need to provide every student with the opportunity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` They ’ ll tell you we should not be starving resources from the public schools that 90 % of America ’ s students attend . ''
Two administration officials discussed the president 's State of the Union plans on condition of anonymity , saying the speech is in development .
Trump 's plan will face an uphill fight in Congress , especially in an election year .
During last year 's State of the Union , Trump made a brief mention of the topic , saying , `` The time has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s children . ''
Two bills proposed in the wake of that speech continue to languish in Congress , though Trump officials said they have more than 100 co-sponsors for their plan .
Democrats who control the U.S. House have long opposed using public funds for private school tuition .
Trump administration officials traveled the country to promote what officials called National School Choice Week .
“ The truth is that families that can afford private school tuition , or have the means to move out of a bad school zone , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Joe Grogan , director of the Domestic Policy Council at the White House .
`` All American families need that freedom. ''
.
During an appearance Tuesday in Madison , Wis. , Vice President Mike Pence said , `` When parents are given the opportunity to choose the best school for their children – whether that ’ s public or private , parochial , Christian or home school – outcomes improve , kids do better , and education improves for everyone . ''
Wisconsin Democrats accused the Trump administration of trying to tilt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump and his cronies are sabotaging public education because it ’ s not their children who go to public schools , ” said state Democratic Party Chairman Ben Wikler .
`` They ’ re handing massive tax cuts to the richest people in America while cutting funding for teachers , for training , for our school systems . ''
During his State of the Union , Trump plans to introduce a guest who would benefit from school choice programs , officials said .

Donald Trump to make 'school choice' a major topic at State of the Union address
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump plans to use next week's State of the Union speech to renew a call for tax breaks designed to provide more scholarships for students to attend private schools, two administration sources familiar with the address told USA TODAY Thursday.
Trump's emphasis on school choice – a popular issue with his core supporters – will be part of a speech in which the president is likely to discuss themes central to his reelection message, including the economy, immigration and health care.
In Tuesday's prime-time speech, Trump will call for passage of long-pending legislation that would offer tax credits to people who donate money to nonprofit groups that provide scholarships to private schools.
The Education Freedom Scholarships legislation would provide up to $5 billion in federal tax credits to individuals and businesses who donate to scholarships for families to use at private, faith-based schools or to fund homeschooling. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has championed the proposal since taking office under Trump.
During a White House "school choice roundtable" in December, Trump told allies that "for decades, countless children have been trapped in failing government schools." The president said, "We believe that every parent should have educational freedom for their children."
Opponents of the legislation said Trump's plan would siphon badly needed funds from public schools.
The National Education Association said during a similar push by Trump last year that his administration is pursuing "failed voucher schemes."
"If we’re serious about every child’s future, let’s get serious and ask educators what they need to provide every student with the opportunity to succeed," the NEA said. "They’ll tell you we should not be starving resources from the public schools that 90% of America’s students attend."
Two administration officials discussed the president's State of the Union plans on condition of anonymity, saying the speech is in development.
Trump's plan will face an uphill fight in Congress, especially in an election year.
During last year's State of the Union, Trump made a brief mention of the topic, saying, "The time has come to pass school choice for America’s children."
Two bills proposed in the wake of that speech continue to languish in Congress, though Trump officials said they have more than 100 co-sponsors for their plan.
Democrats who control the U.S. House have long opposed using public funds for private school tuition.
Trump administration officials traveled the country to promote what officials called National School Choice Week.
“The truth is that families that can afford private school tuition, or have the means to move out of a bad school zone, already have education freedom," said Joe Grogan, director of the Domestic Policy Council at the White House. "All American families need that freedom.".
During an appearance Tuesday in Madison, Wis., Vice President Mike Pence said, "When parents are given the opportunity to choose the best school for their children – whether that’s public or private, parochial, Christian or home school – outcomes improve, kids do better, and education improves for everyone."
Wisconsin Democrats accused the Trump administration of trying to tilt the field toward private schools.
“Trump and his cronies are sabotaging public education because it’s not their children who go to public schools,” said state Democratic Party Chairman Ben Wikler. "They’re handing massive tax cuts to the richest people in America while cutting funding for teachers, for training, for our school systems."
During his State of the Union, Trump plans to introduce a guest who would benefit from school choice programs, officials said.
Contributing: Erin Richards


usatoday--2020-01-31--President Trump shares illegal immigrant murder case at Des Moines rally

President Trump cited the case of Marvin Esquivel-Lopez , an undocumented immigrant from Guatemala charged with first-degree murder in the @ @ @ @ @ woman and her two children during his speech at a rally in Des Moines , @ @ @ @ @

President Trump shares illegal immigrant murder case at Des Moines rally
President Trump cited the case of Marvin Esquivel-Lopez, an undocumented immigrant from Guatemala charged with first-degree murder in the killing of a Des Moines woman and her two children during his speech at a rally in Des Moines, Jan. 30, 2020.
USA TODAY, USA TODAY


usatoday--2020-01-31--'The Russians are coming', and other moments from a busy day in Congress and the impeachment trial

The Senate impeachment trial against President Donald Trump has reached a crossroads that could either extend the trial for days or see a vote soon on whether to remove and convict .
The designed factor will if Senators decide to allow new witnesses and documents .
If that happens , the trial could go on for days or weeks .
If not , it could be over by Friday evening .
Here are some of the top moments from Thursday 's session of the Trump impeachment trial and related news from Congress .
Nancy Pelosi says Trump 'will not be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that President Donald Trump ca n't be exonerated if senators do n't call witnesses in his impeachment trial .
“ He will not be acquitted , ” Pelosi told reporters .
“ You can not be acquitted if you don ’ t have a trial .
And you don ’ t have a trial if you don ’ t have witnesses and documentation.
” The speaker was responding to repeated questions from reporters about Democrats ’ next move if the Senate clears Trump .
More : 'Is that true ? '
: Here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impeachment trial “ We ’ re still prayerful , hopeful , ” she insisted , “ that the Senate will have the courage to hear the truth.
” Channeling Paul Revere , Pelosi warned that democracy and the nation ’ s system of government are at stake .
“ The Russians are coming .
The Russians are coming , ” she said .
“ And the president has led a clear path for them to interfere , once again , in our election as they are currently doing.
” Pelosi , who has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russia , added : “ I don ’ t know what the Russians have on the president , politically , personally or financially , but he doesn ’ t see Russia as an adversary.
” Sen. Rand Paul , R-Ky. , submitted a question during the impeachment trial that Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts refused to read .
“ The presiding officer declines to read the question as submitted , ” said Roberts , who did not offer further explanation .
Paul walked out of the chamber after Roberts declined the question @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t name the alleged whistleblower - although his question , which he wrote in a tweet , mentioned the name of an official some Republicans have speculated is the whistleblower .
More : Trump lawyer Dershowitz argues president ca n't be impeached for an act he thinks will help his reelection The question revived allegations from some Trump allies that the whistleblower “ conspired ” with a House committee staff member to reveal information that would lead to the president ’ s impeachment .
Paul did not offer evidence for the claim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to not allow a question , ” Paul said , but declined to say why he did not force a vote to overrule Roberts .
Before the question , Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , R-Ky. , opened the question session by assuring Roberts that the Senate would respect his `` unique position in reading in reading our questions . ''
“ I want to be able to continue to assure him that that level of consideration for him will continue , '' he said .
Hours before the Senate will decide whether @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as part of the president 's impeachment trial , McConnell huddled with Sen. Lisa Murkowski , a key vote , for several minutes on the Senate floor during a break .
While the two were talking , Sen. Susan Collins , another key Republican vote , was approached by Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin , one of the Democrats who is thought to be considering Trump 's acquittal .
The two locked arms and Manchin escorted Collins to the back of the chamber , where the pair talked for several minutes then left together @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Republican whip attempting to unify the GOP in voting against witnesses , with a handshake that turned into a hug .
Several Republican senators asked both Trump ’ s lawyers and Democratic impeachment managers under what circumstances a “ president could request a foreign country to investigate a US citizen including a political rival who is not under investigation.
” Deputy Counsel Patrick Philbin answered the question by going back to the record of Trump ’ s July 25 call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky .
Trump had asked Zelensky to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ look into allegations against former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden .
Philbin , however , asserted that Trump had not called “ for an investigation necessarily into Vice President Biden or his son , but the situation in which the prosecutor had been fired , ” referring to the ouster of Ukrainian prosecutor Viktor Shokin .
Republicans have argued Trump ’ s conduct on the call was justified because of his concerns about the Bidens and corruption .
Philbin continued , arguing that potential malfeasance by an American overseas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ask about , even if it ’ s “ not something that would mean a criminal investigation here in the United States.
” Sens .
Collins , Roy Blunt , R-Mo.
, Marco Rubio , R-Fla. , and Mike Crapo , R-Idaho , had posed the question .
Collins is a key undecided vote on both allowing witnesses and Trump ’ s conviction or acquittal .
Democrats disagreed .
House Manager Rep. Adam Schiff , D-Calif. , said “ it would be hard for me to contemplate circumstances where that would be appropriate @ @

Nicholas Wu, Christal Hayes, Bart Jansen and Maureen Groppe, USA TODAY

'The Russians are coming', and other moments from a busy day in Congress and the impeachment trial
Show Caption Hide Caption Trump impeachment trial: debate to allow witnesses The Senate impeachment trial against President Donald Trump reached a crossroads that could either extend the trial for days or see a vote soon. USA TODAY
The Senate impeachment trial against President Donald Trump has reached a crossroads that could either extend the trial for days or see a vote soon on whether to remove and convict.
The designed factor will if Senators decide to allow new witnesses and documents. If that happens, the trial could go on for days or weeks. If not, it could be over by Friday evening.
Here are some of the top moments from Thursday's session of the Trump impeachment trial and related news from Congress.
Nancy Pelosi says Trump 'will not be acquitted'
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Thursday that President Donald Trump can't be exonerated if senators don't call witnesses in his impeachment trial.
“He will not be acquitted,” Pelosi told reporters. “You cannot be acquitted if you don’t have a trial. And you don’t have a trial if you don’t have witnesses and documentation.”
The speaker was responding to repeated questions from reporters about Democrats’ next move if the Senate clears Trump.
More: 'Is that true?': Here are questions senators asked during Trump's impeachment trial
“We’re still prayerful, hopeful,” she insisted, “that the Senate will have the courage to hear the truth.”
Channeling Paul Revere, Pelosi warned that democracy and the nation’s system of government are at stake.
“The Russians are coming. The Russians are coming,” she said. “And the president has led a clear path for them to interfere, once again, in our election as they are currently doing.”
Pelosi, who has said before that all roads lead to Russia, added: “I don’t know what the Russians have on the president, politically, personally or financially, but he doesn’t see Russia as an adversary.”
Justice Roberts refuses to read question from Sen. Rand Paul
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., submitted a question during the impeachment trial that Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts refused to read.
“The presiding officer declines to read the question as submitted,” said Roberts, who did not offer further explanation.
Paul walked out of the chamber after Roberts declined the question. He told reporters his question didn’t name the alleged whistleblower - although his question, which he wrote in a tweet, mentioned the name of an official some Republicans have speculated is the whistleblower.
More: Trump lawyer Dershowitz argues president can't be impeached for an act he thinks will help his reelection
How Russian interference could affect the 2020 election, too Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election and helped Donald Trump win. We look back at history and ask: Will they do it again? Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
The question revived allegations from some Trump allies that the whistleblower “conspired” with a House committee staff member to reveal information that would lead to the president’s impeachment. Paul did not offer evidence for the claim.
“It was an incorrect finding to not allow a question,” Paul said, but declined to say why he did not force a vote to overrule Roberts.
Before the question, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., opened the question session by assuring Roberts that the Senate would respect his "unique position in reading in reading our questions."
“I want to be able to continue to assure him that that level of consideration for him will continue," he said.
McConnell huddles with key vote hours before witness vote
Hours before the Senate will decide whether it will consider additional witnesses and documents as part of the president's impeachment trial, McConnell huddled with Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a key vote, for several minutes on the Senate floor during a break.
While the two were talking, Sen. Susan Collins, another key Republican vote, was approached by Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin, one of the Democrats who is thought to be considering Trump's acquittal. The two locked arms and Manchin escorted Collins to the back of the chamber, where the pair talked for several minutes then left together.
Manchin also greeted Sen. John Thune, the Republican whip attempting to unify the GOP in voting against witnesses, with a handshake that turned into a hug.
Trump’s lawyer claims Trump didn't ask Ukrain to investigate Bidens
Several Republican senators asked both Trump’s lawyers and Democratic impeachment managers under what circumstances a “president could request a foreign country to investigate a US citizen including a political rival who is not under investigation.”
Deputy Counsel Patrick Philbin answered the question by going back to the record of Trump’s July 25 call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Trump had asked Zelensky to “do us a favor” and look into allegations against former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden.
Philbin, however, asserted that Trump had not called “for an investigation necessarily into Vice President Biden or his son, but the situation in which the prosecutor had been fired,” referring to the ouster of Ukrainian prosecutor Viktor Shokin.
Republicans have argued Trump’s conduct on the call was justified because of his concerns about the Bidens and corruption.
Philbin continued, arguing that potential malfeasance by an American overseas would be “perfectly legitimate" to ask about, even if it’s “not something that would mean a criminal investigation here in the United States.”
Sens. Collins, Roy Blunt, R-Mo., Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, had posed the question. Collins is a key undecided vote on both allowing witnesses and Trump’s conviction or acquittal.
Democrats disagreed. House Manager Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., said “it would be hard for me to contemplate circumstances where that would be appropriate.”