washingtontimes--2020-09-26--Haunted house returns to West Virginia city

WHEELING , W.Va. ( AP ) - The vacant shell of old businesses shudders back to life tonight as the Infernum In Terra haunted attraction rises from its ancient slumber for its second year .
The haunt , which opened its doors for the first time last year , returns to find a world in turmoil , with the COVID-19 pandemic changing many aspects of society , and the scaring business is no different .
Owner Sean Cooley said he was happy with how the changes to accommodate social distancing practices have come .
Performers and guests all wear masks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ groups will be kept small , and sent through on timed intervals .
No more than 40 guests will tour the building in a half-hour , he said .
Cooley said he had been working for about five months reimagining the year ’ s scares , as restrictions and health concerns forced the haunt to abandon many staples of the genre , such as claustrophobic spaces and close encounters of the scary kind .
Many actors have had their spots in the smaller rooms filled with animatronic or pneumatic props .
The haunt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ narrow halls of the tour , with efforts made to keep them , and the guests , safe .
“ You can ’ t get as close to people like you used to , ” he said .
“ You can ’ t jump out and get right in their face , and obviously wearing a mask hinders the experience a little bit , we can ’ t do all the makeup that we usually do .
… It has to adapt to what ’ s going on , which is exactly what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the close-knit haunting industry has been top notch about helping one another with tips and tricks to keep the scares flowing when times are tough .
“ I ’ ve added a lot of animatronics to rooms that previously had actors , and some rooms are small , so we ’ ve added other scares there , ” he said .
“ There ’ s a bunch of little things that we ’ ve learned how to do , and in this industry , everybody helps each other out .
It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you and is like , ‘ Look what we ’ re doing !
’ … Everybody just shares their knowledge .
Everyone is a team player , and you don ’ t have to be so secretive , like you used to.
” Cooley ’ s informant network on haunting techniques ranges across the country , with some local assistance as well , he said .
Cooley said this year has been tough for the emerging business , and hopes that people looking to break cabin fever in a safe way will help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s definitely a challenge .
We had to place the limit on how many people can come through , and if we have to extend our times , that ’ s something we ’ ll do , ” he said .
“ People have been cooped up in their house , and they ’ re looking for something to do , something that ’ s safe .
They ’ re going to get scared , but it ’ s all for fun .
It ’ s a safe experience , and we ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Cooley touted his exhibit as “ a little more theatrical ” than other haunted houses , with the theme - nightmares - tying each room together .
“ We don ’ t copy movies .
We ’ re an original haunted house with our own original ideas.
” The location had served other purposes throughout the last year , with a Christmas event and a St. Patrick ’ s Day event , although the pandemic forced the another springtime event to shut down just days before its opening .
In the off-season @ @ @ @ @ @ @ props for sale at conventions , which have been shuttered for the time being , further inhibiting the revenue stream .
“ It put a pretty good hinder on business .
… We haven ’ t made anything .
Very , very little sales .
It ’ s hard to get a presence online , versus at a convention , 25,000 walking past your booth , making sales.
” Infernum In Terra opened Friday and operates Fridays , Saturdays and Sundays through Nov. 13 .
The box office opens at 6:30 p.m. and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tickets online , as tours are timed and outdoor waiting space is limited .

WHEELING, W.Va. (AP) - The vacant shell of old businesses shudders back to life tonight as the Infernum In Terra haunted attraction rises from its ancient slumber for its second year.
The haunt, which opened its doors for the first time last year, returns to find a world in turmoil, with the COVID-19 pandemic changing many aspects of society, and the scaring business is no different.
Owner Sean Cooley said he was happy with how the changes to accommodate social distancing practices have come. Performers and guests all wear masks as they tour the facility, and groups will be kept small, and sent through on timed intervals. No more than 40 guests will tour the building in a half-hour, he said.
Cooley said he had been working for about five months reimagining the year’s scares, as restrictions and health concerns forced the haunt to abandon many staples of the genre, such as claustrophobic spaces and close encounters of the scary kind. Many actors have had their spots in the smaller rooms filled with animatronic or pneumatic props. The haunt now employs 16 actors to fill the narrow halls of the tour, with efforts made to keep them, and the guests, safe.
“You can’t get as close to people like you used to,” he said. “You can’t jump out and get right in their face, and obviously wearing a mask hinders the experience a little bit, we can’t do all the makeup that we usually do. … It has to adapt to what’s going on, which is exactly what we’re doing.”
Cooley said the close-knit haunting industry has been top notch about helping one another with tips and tricks to keep the scares flowing when times are tough.
“I’ve added a lot of animatronics to rooms that previously had actors, and some rooms are small, so we’ve added other scares there,” he said. “There’s a bunch of little things that we’ve learned how to do, and in this industry, everybody helps each other out. It’s really nice when another haunted house calls you and is like, ‘Look what we’re doing!’ … Everybody just shares their knowledge. Everyone is a team player, and you don’t have to be so secretive, like you used to.”
Cooley’s informant network on haunting techniques ranges across the country, with some local assistance as well, he said.
Cooley said this year has been tough for the emerging business, and hopes that people looking to break cabin fever in a safe way will help carry them ahead.
“It’s definitely a challenge. We had to place the limit on how many people can come through, and if we have to extend our times, that’s something we’ll do,” he said. “People have been cooped up in their house, and they’re looking for something to do, something that’s safe. They’re going to get scared, but it’s all for fun. It’s a safe experience, and we’re looking to provide that for them.”
Cooley touted his exhibit as “a little more theatrical” than other haunted houses, with the theme - nightmares - tying each room together.
“We don’t copy movies. We’re an original haunted house with our own original ideas.”
The location had served other purposes throughout the last year, with a Christmas event and a St. Patrick’s Day event, although the pandemic forced the another springtime event to shut down just days before its opening. In the off-season, Cooley also develops and sells Halloween props for sale at conventions, which have been shuttered for the time being, further inhibiting the revenue stream.
“It put a pretty good hinder on business. … We haven’t made anything. Very, very little sales. It’s hard to get a presence online, versus at a convention, 25,000 walking past your booth, making sales.”
Infernum In Terra opened Friday and operates Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through Nov. 13.
The box office opens at 6:30 p.m. and closes at 11. Cooley recommends ordering tickets online, as tours are timed and outdoor waiting space is limited.


washingtontimes--2020-09-26--Maryland parents deliver desks to students amid pandemic

GAITHERSBURG , Md .
( AP ) - James Ortega started his seventh-grade school year with a Zoom class from his bed in Gaithersburg .
He said it is comfortable until it isn ’ t , although he didn ’ t have much of a choice .
He didn ’ t have a desk .
He did his homework for algebra , his favorite subject , by balancing a notebook on pillows .
But a few days ago , James , 12 , and his younger brother , Steven , 7 , got a delivery of free desks and chairs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while they navigate learning from home .
“ I ’ m going to have more space to get organized , ” said James , who attends Ridgewood Middle School in Gaithersburg .
“ Because then you can write.
” Since the coronavirus pandemic forced schools to move online , students were tasked with finding ways to learn from home - often at a kitchen table , a couch , a bed or even the living room floor .
Online learning is challenging enough for all children , and not having a dedicated workspace @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and organized .
That ’ s why Jessica and Al Berrellez , who live in Gaithersburg and have three children , have spent the past several weekends delivering desks and chairs to students in Montgomery County who don ’ t have them .
Al Berrellez , who works in sales and consulting in the building materials industry , makes some of the desks in his spare time , and friends and other volunteers make or donate the rest .
“ Every kid deserves to have their own little workstation , ” Al Berrellez @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to me , that seemed simple enough to do but that would make a big impact in these children ’ s lives.
” Remote learning has only “ exacerbated a lot of the inequalities ” students face in the classroom , Jessica Berrellez said .
They started their project “ Desks by Dads , ” as a way to level the playing field for students who don ’ t have desks or other workspace furniture at home .
So far , they ’ ve organized the delivery of 39 desks with the help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moment , “ Desks by Dads ” serves students at three schools near their Gaithersburg home , but the concept behind the project is spreading quickly .
A high school student in Virginia , a dad in Michigan and a family in North Carolina are all building desks for grade-school students .
The initial idea for the project came to Jessica Berrellez while she was scrolling Facebook over the summer and saw friends and neighbors posting the workspaces they created for the start of the school year .
The Berrellezes did the same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 12 , and Gabrielle , 6 , who have desks in their rooms .
But because of her involvement in the parent-teacher associations at her children ’ s schools , Jessica Berrellez said she knows there are plenty of other students who don ’ t have the space or resources to have a similar setup in their home .
She first tried to find free desks on Facebook Marketplace but didn ’ t have much luck .
So , she turned to her husband , who was already in the middle of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a few tutorials on YouTube , he constructed a prototype desk out of glue , screws , simple lumber and plywood .
It cost about $ 40 in materials and took about an hour or so to make .
They posted the final product on Facebook a month ago , created a page and started a fundraiser to offset the cost of materials .
They raised close to $ 3,000 after a few days and closed the fundraiser because they figured they had enough money for building materials .
Now , they ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go with every desk that they and other volunteers make and deliver to students .
There are now more than 100 students on the waiting list for a desk .
Most of the requests come from parents , but guidance counselors and teachers have also requested desks for students .
Some teachers have even asked for their own desks , Jessica Berrellez said .
The Berrellezes said it was a bit overwhelming to keep pace when the project started to gain steam , but they said it feels great to be in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re not a nonprofit , ” Jessica Berrellez said .
“ We ’ re just two regular people doing this because we care about our children ’ s friends and classmates.
” Since word has spread about their initiative , friends and neighbors are volunteering to build , donate or deliver furniture .
One family from Landover built two desks after watching a story about “ Desk by Dads ” on Univision , according to the Berrellezes .
The couple said they plan to host a community build this weekend , and they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ desks .
“ We don ’ t really have a ton of time .
This is just a weekend passion project for us , ” said Jessica Berrellez , who works at the Food and Drug Administration during the week .
“ But , you know , it ’ s manageable because there ’ s so many people who ’ ve just stepped up to help.
” Other people who are doing similar projects include Colby Samide , a junior at Woodgrove High School in Purcelville , Va. Colby said he started his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” in early September after first hearing of “ Desks by Dads.
” With some help , Colby has already built 100 desks and his community woodworking efforts were recently featured on NBC Nightly News .
Stacey Ellis , a mother of two who lives in Charlotte , learned about the Berrellezes ’ work with “ Desks by Dads ” through a local news report her friend shared on Facebook .
Less than two weeks after watching the video , her family has mobilized to create their own version of the project @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” distributing workspaces to students around Charlotte .
“ In this environment , you ’ ve got to take your inspiration where you can get it , ” Ellis said .
Two days after launching their own Facebook page for the family project , Ellis said they received requests for roughly 50 desks from four nearby elementary and middle schools .
And the family has already raised more than $ 500 for building materials .
“ How quickly it ’ s all coming in is really surprising and overwhelming in a fantastic way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the demand for desks has shown them that you don ’ t know what others in your community need until you go out and ask .
Jessica Berrellez said she hopes the idea continues to catch on , adding how meaningful it has been to see the energy from the other projects .
“ One person helping another person in a really small way isn ’ t going to be transformative but when you have lots of people doing small things together , maybe there ’ s power in that , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ longer does his Zoom classes from bed , said he was looking forward to showing his classmates his improved workspace when he logs on for class .
Schoolwork comes first for him , but once algebra is done , James said he ’ s excited to use his new desk for other purposes such as playing “ Fortnite ” with his friends .

GAITHERSBURG, Md. (AP) - James Ortega started his seventh-grade school year with a Zoom class from his bed in Gaithersburg. He said it is comfortable until it isn’t, although he didn’t have much of a choice. He didn’t have a desk.
He did his homework for algebra, his favorite subject, by balancing a notebook on pillows.
But a few days ago, James, 12, and his younger brother, Steven, 7, got a delivery of free desks and chairs so they could have their own workspaces while they navigate learning from home.
“I’m going to have more space to get organized,” said James, who attends Ridgewood Middle School in Gaithersburg. “Because then you can write.”
Since the coronavirus pandemic forced schools to move online, students were tasked with finding ways to learn from home - often at a kitchen table, a couch, a bed or even the living room floor. Online learning is challenging enough for all children, and not having a dedicated workspace makes it even harder to be focused and organized.
That’s why Jessica and Al Berrellez, who live in Gaithersburg and have three children, have spent the past several weekends delivering desks and chairs to students in Montgomery County who don’t have them. Al Berrellez, who works in sales and consulting in the building materials industry, makes some of the desks in his spare time, and friends and other volunteers make or donate the rest.
“Every kid deserves to have their own little workstation,” Al Berrellez said. “This was something, to me, that seemed simple enough to do but that would make a big impact in these children’s lives.”
Remote learning has only “exacerbated a lot of the inequalities” students face in the classroom, Jessica Berrellez said. They started their project “Desks by Dads,” as a way to level the playing field for students who don’t have desks or other workspace furniture at home. So far, they’ve organized the delivery of 39 desks with the help of other parent volunteers.
At the moment, “Desks by Dads” serves students at three schools near their Gaithersburg home, but the concept behind the project is spreading quickly. A high school student in Virginia, a dad in Michigan and a family in North Carolina are all building desks for grade-school students.
The initial idea for the project came to Jessica Berrellez while she was scrolling Facebook over the summer and saw friends and neighbors posting the workspaces they created for the start of the school year. The Berrellezes did the same for their two school-age children, Bella, 12, and Gabrielle, 6, who have desks in their rooms.
But because of her involvement in the parent-teacher associations at her children’s schools, Jessica Berrellez said she knows there are plenty of other students who don’t have the space or resources to have a similar setup in their home.
She first tried to find free desks on Facebook Marketplace but didn’t have much luck. So, she turned to her husband, who was already in the middle of a home kitchen renovation. After watching a few tutorials on YouTube, he constructed a prototype desk out of glue, screws, simple lumber and plywood. It cost about $40 in materials and took about an hour or so to make.
They posted the final product on Facebook a month ago, created a page and started a fundraiser to offset the cost of materials. They raised close to $3,000 after a few days and closed the fundraiser because they figured they had enough money for building materials. Now, they’re trying to collect donated chairs to go with every desk that they and other volunteers make and deliver to students.
There are now more than 100 students on the waiting list for a desk. Most of the requests come from parents, but guidance counselors and teachers have also requested desks for students. Some teachers have even asked for their own desks, Jessica Berrellez said. The Berrellezes said it was a bit overwhelming to keep pace when the project started to gain steam, but they said it feels great to be in a position to help.
“We’re not a nonprofit,” Jessica Berrellez said. “We’re just two regular people doing this because we care about our children’s friends and classmates.”
Since word has spread about their initiative, friends and neighbors are volunteering to build, donate or deliver furniture. One family from Landover built two desks after watching a story about “Desk by Dads” on Univision, according to the Berrellezes. The couple said they plan to host a community build this weekend, and they hope to make as many as 40 desks.
“We don’t really have a ton of time. This is just a weekend passion project for us,” said Jessica Berrellez, who works at the Food and Drug Administration during the week. “But, you know, it’s manageable because there’s so many people who’ve just stepped up to help.”
Other people who are doing similar projects include Colby Samide, a junior at Woodgrove High School in Purcelville, Va. Colby said he started his own project, “Desks For Distance,” in early September after first hearing of “Desks by Dads.” With some help, Colby has already built 100 desks and his community woodworking efforts were recently featured on NBC Nightly News.
Stacey Ellis, a mother of two who lives in Charlotte, learned about the Berrellezes’ work with “Desks by Dads” through a local news report her friend shared on Facebook. Less than two weeks after watching the video, her family has mobilized to create their own version of the project called “D is for Desks,” distributing workspaces to students around Charlotte.
“In this environment, you’ve got to take your inspiration where you can get it,” Ellis said.
Two days after launching their own Facebook page for the family project, Ellis said they received requests for roughly 50 desks from four nearby elementary and middle schools. And the family has already raised more than $500 for building materials.
“How quickly it’s all coming in is really surprising and overwhelming in a fantastic way,” Ellis said.
The Berrellezes said the demand for desks has shown them that you don’t know what others in your community need until you go out and ask. Jessica Berrellez said she hopes the idea continues to catch on, adding how meaningful it has been to see the energy from the other projects.
“One person helping another person in a really small way isn’t going to be transformative but when you have lots of people doing small things together, maybe there’s power in that,” she said.
James, who no longer does his Zoom classes from bed, said he was looking forward to showing his classmates his improved workspace when he logs on for class. Schoolwork comes first for him, but once algebra is done, James said he’s excited to use his new desk for other purposes such as playing “Fortnite” with his friends.


washingtontimes--2020-09-26--Social media and COVID shaming: Fighting a toxic combination

In the spring , Rick Rose drew the wrath of strangers after he practically shouted on Facebook that he wasn ’ t buying a face mask .
Two months later , he contracted COVID-19 - and , he posted , he was struggling to breathe .
Days later , on July 4 , he was dead .
That post , among the Ohio man ’ s final public words on Facebook , attracted attention in the form of more than 3,100 “ haha ” laughing face emoji and a torrent of criticism from strangers .
“ If they would have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him like everybody else did , ” says Tina Heschel , mother of the 37-year-old Rose .
She says she ’ s “ tired of all the hate.
” “ I just want him to rest , ” she says .
Shaming people who get sick or don ’ t follow the rules in a public health crisis has been a thing since well before coronavirus , researchers say .
But the warp speed and reach of social media in the pandemic era gives the practice an aggressive new dimension .
“ It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the volume on stigmas that were already there , ” says University of Pennsylvania professor David Barnes , who has studied pandemics and stigmatization .
People shame or stigmatize when they feel threatened by something .
They need an explanation , and they find a scapegoat .
It helps them reaffirm their thinking and make sense of what ’ s happening .
That ’ s an important notion during a pandemic , which can feel vague and invisible .
“ There ’ s never been a society that hasn ’ t moralized disease @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Social media sites like Facebook take this practice , which used to be confined to social circles or by geography , and scale it to mass proportions , making it effectively limitless .
“ It ’ s changed the expectation of being able to speak up , ” says Pamela Rutledge , a psychologist who studies the impact of social media as director of the Media Psychology Research Center .
“ Everyone has a voice now.
” And those voices are used .
When a Florida sheriff said in August that his deputies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ masks except in limited circumstances , Twitter users swiftly branded him a “ # COVIDIOT.
” When doctors diagnosed Ecuador ’ s first coronavirus case earlier this year , pictures circulated within hours on social media showing the retired school teacher unconscious and intubated in her hospital bed .
Rose ’ s death was reported by national media , and visitors from around the country have stopped at his Facebook page to post messages or memes shaming him .
Many also left messages wishing him well or scolding those who criticized .
Shaming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have done things right and that the other person must have made a mistake , says Sherry Turkle , a Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor who studies social media .
She calls this “ magical protection and fantasy.
” “ It ’ s a way of putting a wall between ourselves and the people who are getting sick , ” she says .
Social media also gives people isolated in a pandemic a quick way to join communities that share their beliefs .
And when someone joins a group , that broader identity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ You behave in ways that you would not behave individually , ” Rutledge says .
People may not even realize that they are piling on as they click an emoji or leave a comment while scrolling through their feed .
Social media , Turkle says , can make shaming very addictive .
“ They ’ re not even addicted to the particular content anymore .
They ’ re just sort of addicted to the process of participating , ” she says .
Plus , Facebook , Twitter and the like give users @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one that Rutledge says can create “ legal , economic and all kinds of ramifications that never would have happened before.
” Julian Siegel figures business dropped about 20 % earlier this spring at his Fort Lauderdale , Florida , restaurant after someone posted a picture on the Nextdoor app of people waiting in his parking lot for food .
The person said the customers weren ’ t following social distancing guidelines at The Riverside Market ; Siegel insists that they were .
“ It was crazy .
People who have never been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we were spreading COVID , ” Siegel says .
After that , he started seeing people drive slowly by his restaurant , apparently taking pictures or video with phones .
“ We call them social media warriors .
There ’ s nothing you could do , ” he says .
“ We would wave.
” Siegel saw three or four posts on the Nextdoor app and Facebook , and he says arguments would break out on the posts about whether patrons were being safe .
In the end , he figures more people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Christy Broce used social media to fight stigmatization instead of fuel it .
The Pocahontas County , West Virginia , resident spent nearly a month in quarantine this summer after she and her two sons came down with the virus .
She says family members brought them groceries , and she and her boys kept to themselves .
But they still felt scorned , especially after someone falsely reported to the local health department that she was shopping at a grocery store a couple days after she tested positive .
That prompted her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Facebook .
Hundreds of people liked or loved that post , and several sent cards or messages of support .
“ People have reached out and been a little more caring , ” Broce says .
Such a response doesn ’ t surprise Rutledge .
She says sharing empathy or support on social media makes both the giver and the recipient feel better .
Like shaming or criticism , it can also help reaffirm a person ’ s views or beliefs .
And there ’ s this benefit , too : “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sort of make the world seem like a kinder , gentler place .
”

In the spring, Rick Rose drew the wrath of strangers after he practically shouted on Facebook that he wasn’t buying a face mask. Two months later, he contracted COVID-19 - and, he posted, he was struggling to breathe. Days later, on July 4, he was dead.
That post, among the Ohio man’s final public words on Facebook, attracted attention in the form of more than 3,100 “haha” laughing face emoji and a torrent of criticism from strangers.
“If they would have known him, they would have loved him like everybody else did,” says Tina Heschel, mother of the 37-year-old Rose. She says she’s “tired of all the hate.”
“I just want him to rest,” she says.
Shaming people who get sick or don’t follow the rules in a public health crisis has been a thing since well before coronavirus, researchers say. But the warp speed and reach of social media in the pandemic era gives the practice an aggressive new dimension.
“It’s like someone just turned up the volume on stigmas that were already there,” says University of Pennsylvania professor David Barnes, who has studied pandemics and stigmatization.
People shame or stigmatize when they feel threatened by something. They need an explanation, and they find a scapegoat. It helps them reaffirm their thinking and make sense of what’s happening. That’s an important notion during a pandemic, which can feel vague and invisible.
“There’s never been a society that hasn’t moralized disease, ever,” Barnes says.
Social media sites like Facebook take this practice, which used to be confined to social circles or by geography, and scale it to mass proportions, making it effectively limitless.
“It’s changed the expectation of being able to speak up,” says Pamela Rutledge, a psychologist who studies the impact of social media as director of the Media Psychology Research Center. “Everyone has a voice now.”
And those voices are used.
When a Florida sheriff said in August that his deputies wouldn’t be allowed to wear masks except in limited circumstances, Twitter users swiftly branded him a “#COVIDIOT.” When doctors diagnosed Ecuador’s first coronavirus case earlier this year, pictures circulated within hours on social media showing the retired school teacher unconscious and intubated in her hospital bed.
Rose’s death was reported by national media, and visitors from around the country have stopped at his Facebook page to post messages or memes shaming him. Many also left messages wishing him well or scolding those who criticized.
Shaming can help people feel reassured that they have done things right and that the other person must have made a mistake, says Sherry Turkle, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor who studies social media. She calls this “magical protection and fantasy.”
“It’s a way of putting a wall between ourselves and the people who are getting sick,” she says.
Social media also gives people isolated in a pandemic a quick way to join communities that share their beliefs. And when someone joins a group, that broader identity makes it easy to pile on.
“You behave in ways that you would not behave individually,” Rutledge says.
People may not even realize that they are piling on as they click an emoji or leave a comment while scrolling through their feed. Social media, Turkle says, can make shaming very addictive.
“They’re not even addicted to the particular content anymore. They’re just sort of addicted to the process of participating,” she says.
Plus, Facebook, Twitter and the like give users a way to quickly pass judgment - one that Rutledge says can create “legal, economic and all kinds of ramifications that never would have happened before.”
Julian Siegel figures business dropped about 20% earlier this spring at his Fort Lauderdale, Florida, restaurant after someone posted a picture on the Nextdoor app of people waiting in his parking lot for food. The person said the customers weren’t following social distancing guidelines at The Riverside Market; Siegel insists that they were.
“It was crazy. People who have never been here were bashing us, saying how we were spreading COVID,” Siegel says.
After that, he started seeing people drive slowly by his restaurant, apparently taking pictures or video with phones. “We call them social media warriors. There’s nothing you could do,” he says. “We would wave.”
Siegel saw three or four posts on the Nextdoor app and Facebook, and he says arguments would break out on the posts about whether patrons were being safe. In the end, he figures more people defended the restaurant than criticized it.
Christy Broce used social media to fight stigmatization instead of fuel it. The Pocahontas County, West Virginia, resident spent nearly a month in quarantine this summer after she and her two sons came down with the virus.
She says family members brought them groceries, and she and her boys kept to themselves. But they still felt scorned, especially after someone falsely reported to the local health department that she was shopping at a grocery store a couple days after she tested positive.
That prompted her to make a public plea for compassion on Facebook. Hundreds of people liked or loved that post, and several sent cards or messages of support.
“People have reached out and been a little more caring,” Broce says.
Such a response doesn’t surprise Rutledge. She says sharing empathy or support on social media makes both the giver and the recipient feel better. Like shaming or criticism, it can also help reaffirm a person’s views or beliefs.
And there’s this benefit, too: “It’s also a way to sort of make the world seem like a kinder, gentler place.”
___
Follow Associated Press health writer Tom Murphy on Twitter: http://twitter.com/thpmurphy


washingtontimes--2020-09-26--In leaders' UN videos, the backgrounds tell stories, too

UNITED NATIONS ( AP ) - Chinese President Xi Jinping urged the world to “ reject attempts to build blocks to keep others out ” as an image of his country ’ s storied Great Wall hung behind him .
Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte used photos and videos to illustrate what he was talking about .
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison shared his policy views - and his scenic view of Sydney Harbor .
If the annual U.N. General Assembly meeting of national leaders is always a window on the world , this year the window is opening directly onto @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Staying home because of the coronavirus pandemic , they are speaking by video , adding a new layer of imagemaking to the messages and personas they seek to project .
“ They have to be authentic , they have to be believable , and this is even more of a challenge virtually .
But it need not be , if you ’ re able to think about how to use your background creatively , ” says Steven D. Cohen , a Johns Hopkins University business communication professor who has coached politicians .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the frame to complement those messages , to break through the glass of the computer and connect through stories , through visions , ” he says .
The General Assembly hall ’ s podium has provided decades of presidents , prime ministers and monarchs with a coveted portrait of statesmanship - and a setting conducive to it .
While it ’ s no secret that many speeches are aimed largely at domestic audiences , sideline encounters and the prospect of live reactions from the international community can be “ a factor for nudging @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about : finding common cause , ” said Richard Ponzio , a former U.S. State Department and U.N. official and now a fellow at the Stimson Center , a foreign policy think tank .
Many leaders lamented that they can ’ t convene in person this year .
“ Thankfully , we can make optimal use of modern technology , ” said Suriname ’ s new president , Chan Santokhi , one of several speakers whose videos featured introductory music .
Others enhanced their presentations with subtitles or even cable-news-style chyrons , like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ FUTURE FOR ALL ” and “ WE MUST LEAVE NO ONE BEHIND ” to underscore key messages from eSwatini ’ s prime minister , Ambrose Mandvulo Dlamini .
Duterte overlaid parts of his speech with relevant photos and videos of coronavirus test centers , storms and more , going well beyond the maps and pictures that leaders occasionally hold up at the assembly podium .
Without the hall , some speakers opted for a more approachable posture .
Pope Francis , for example , eschewed a podium to stand close to the camera @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speaking to a visitor .
Many leaders sat at desks , sometimes giving the world a glimpse of personal photos , stacks of books and other presumably carefully curated workaday items , including a coffee cup for Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador .
Speaking from a desk connotes being “ friendly , conversational , trying to connect with people , ” said Jim Bennett , executive director of the Virtual Meetings and Events Association , an event planners ’ clearinghouse .
But desks - especially large ones - also can signal authority @ @ @ @ @ @ @ setting : a sunny spot overlooking the city ’ s famous harbor and opera house , with boats passing in the background .
Morrison , who has complained in the past about international institutions bossing countries around , called the virus a reminder of the importance of multinational cooperation , though he added that international institutions need to be “ accountable to the sovereign states that form them.
” Fiji ’ s prime minister , Frank Bainimarama , had a crowd in the background of his speech for a special session on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his remarks highlighting Fiji ’ s role in peacekeeping missions and ocean preservation efforts , he and the spectators gave the U.N. a birthday cheer .
To be sure , many leaders spoke the traditional visual language of political speechmaking , flanked by flags with TV-friendly plain backdrops .
Many others appeared in well-appointed offices and ceremonial rooms that could provide plenty of fodder for the decor-ranking that took flight online this spring as the pandemic forced TV commentators and other public figures to work from home .
Kausea Natano , the prime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tuvalu , gave the global audience a picture of its tropical shore .
For heads of state , of course , a backdrop often speaks to more than individual taste .
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis ’ against a panorama of the Acropolis and the Parthenon .
In the background as Vietnamese President Nguyen Phu Trong spoke was a bust of revolutionary leader Ho Chi Minh - who , Trong said , aspired to see Vietnam join the U.N. long before it did in 1977 , after decades of conflict .
Venezuelan President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of 19th-century South American independence leader Simón Bolivar and invoked him while lashing out at the United States , which doesn ’ t recognize Maduro as Venezuela ’ s president .
U.S. President Donald Trump , for his part , used the White House diplomatic reception room to film an uncommonly brief address focused on criticizing China .
Palau ’ s president , for one , used his video to send a more up-close-and-personal message in his final U.N. speech after serving as the Pacific island nation ’ s leader for 16 of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ points of pride in the background - a U.N. environmental award and baseball and basketball trophies from teams on which he played - and a bright pink polo shirt instead of the dark suits he wore to the assembly rostrum over the years , Tommy E. Remengesau Jr. reflected on what the group has and hasn ’ t tackled since he first addressed it in the wake of the Sept. 11 terror attacks in 2001 .
“ My message then was one of unity , ” he said , and “ this call @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cara Anna in Johannesburg contributed to this report .
Follow New York-based AP reporter Jennifer Peltz on Twitter at http : //www.twitter.com/JennPeltz

UNITED NATIONS (AP) - Chinese President Xi Jinping urged the world to “reject attempts to build blocks to keep others out” as an image of his country’s storied Great Wall hung behind him. Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte used photos and videos to illustrate what he was talking about. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison shared his policy views - and his scenic view of Sydney Harbor.
If the annual U.N. General Assembly meeting of national leaders is always a window on the world, this year the window is opening directly onto their desks, presidential palaces and homelands.
Staying home because of the coronavirus pandemic, they are speaking by video, adding a new layer of imagemaking to the messages and personas they seek to project.
“They have to be authentic, they have to be believable, and this is even more of a challenge virtually. But it need not be, if you’re able to think about how to use your background creatively,” says Steven D. Cohen, a Johns Hopkins University business communication professor who has coached politicians.
“They can use what happens in the frame to complement those messages, to break through the glass of the computer and connect through stories, through visions,” he says.
The General Assembly hall’s podium has provided decades of presidents, prime ministers and monarchs with a coveted portrait of statesmanship - and a setting conducive to it. While it’s no secret that many speeches are aimed largely at domestic audiences, sideline encounters and the prospect of live reactions from the international community can be “a factor for nudging people into what multilateral diplomacy is all about: finding common cause,” said Richard Ponzio, a former U.S. State Department and U.N. official and now a fellow at the Stimson Center, a foreign policy think tank.
Many leaders lamented that they can’t convene in person this year.
“Thankfully, we can make optimal use of modern technology,” said Suriname’s new president, Chan Santokhi, one of several speakers whose videos featured introductory music.
Others enhanced their presentations with subtitles or even cable-news-style chyrons, like “HOW WE CAN BUILD A BETTER FUTURE FOR ALL” and “WE MUST LEAVE NO ONE BEHIND” to underscore key messages from eSwatini’s prime minister, Ambrose Mandvulo Dlamini. Duterte overlaid parts of his speech with relevant photos and videos of coronavirus test centers, storms and more, going well beyond the maps and pictures that leaders occasionally hold up at the assembly podium.
Without the hall, some speakers opted for a more approachable posture. Pope Francis, for example, eschewed a podium to stand close to the camera in a bookcase-lined room, as though speaking to a visitor.
Many leaders sat at desks, sometimes giving the world a glimpse of personal photos, stacks of books and other presumably carefully curated workaday items, including a coffee cup for Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
Speaking from a desk connotes being “friendly, conversational, trying to connect with people,” said Jim Bennett, executive director of the Virtual Meetings and Events Association, an event planners’ clearinghouse. But desks - especially large ones - also can signal authority.
Morrison chose an even more conversational setting: a sunny spot overlooking the city’s famous harbor and opera house, with boats passing in the background. Morrison, who has complained in the past about international institutions bossing countries around, called the virus a reminder of the importance of multinational cooperation, though he added that international institutions need to be “accountable to the sovereign states that form them.”
Fiji’s prime minister, Frank Bainimarama, had a crowd in the background of his speech for a special session on the U.N.’s 75th anniversary. After his remarks highlighting Fiji’s role in peacekeeping missions and ocean preservation efforts, he and the spectators gave the U.N. a birthday cheer.
To be sure, many leaders spoke the traditional visual language of political speechmaking, flanked by flags with TV-friendly plain backdrops. Many others appeared in well-appointed offices and ceremonial rooms that could provide plenty of fodder for the decor-ranking that took flight online this spring as the pandemic forced TV commentators and other public figures to work from home. Kausea Natano, the prime minister of the Pacific island nation of Tuvalu, gave the global audience a picture of its tropical shore.
For heads of state, of course, a backdrop often speaks to more than individual taste.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis spoke against a panorama of the Acropolis and the Parthenon. The prime minister of Mauritius, Pravind Jugnauth, seized on the chance to mark his country’s claim in a territorial dispute, appearing in front of a map that showed the British-controlled Chagos Islands as part of Mauritius while discussing the countries’ long-running disagreement over the archipelago.
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro spoke before a large portrait of 19th-century South American independence leader Simón Bolivar and invoked him while lashing out at the United States, which doesn’t recognize Maduro as Venezuela’s president. U.S. President Donald Trump, for his part, used the White House diplomatic reception room to film an uncommonly brief address focused on criticizing China.
Palau’s president, for one, used his video to send a more up-close-and-personal message in his final U.N. speech after serving as the Pacific island nation’s leader for 16 of the last 20 years.
With some points of pride in the background - a U.N. environmental award and baseball and basketball trophies from teams on which he played - and a bright pink polo shirt instead of the dark suits he wore to the assembly rostrum over the years, Tommy E. Remengesau Jr. reflected on what the group has and hasn’t tackled since he first addressed it in the wake of the Sept. 11 terror attacks in 2001.
“My message then was one of unity,” he said, and “this call remains apt today.”
___
Associated Press writer Cara Anna in Johannesburg contributed to this report. Follow New York-based AP reporter Jennifer Peltz on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/JennPeltz


washingtontimes--2020-09-26--Maine lobster business salvaged its summer despite pandemic

PORTLAND , Maine ( AP ) - Maine ’ s lobster fishermen braced for a difficult summer this year because of the coronavirus pandemic , but then the unexpected happened .
They kept catching lobsters , and people kept buying them .
The pandemic has posed significant challenges for the state ’ s lobster fishery , which is the nation ’ s largest , but members of the industry reported a steady catch and reasonable prices at the docks .
Prices for consumers and wholesalers were low in the early part of the summer but picked up in August to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ summer .
The Maine lobster industry is in the midst of a multiyear boom , and fishermen have caught more than 100 million pounds ( 45,360,000 kilograms ) for a record nine years in a row .
It ’ s hard to guess whether they ’ ll reach that total again , but summer 2020 hasn ’ t been half bad for a season in which many fishermen expected collapse , said Kristan Porter , president of the Maine Lobstermen ’ s Association .
“ Especially early in the season when nothing was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We were thinking it would be a complete disaster , ” Porter said .
“ If it stays like this , we can struggle through and have a season , and then get ready to fish next year.
” Lobster fishermen harvest the seafood species using underwater traps , and the busiest part of the season is the summer .
Maine ’ s lobster fishery is by far the largest in the country .
Lobsters are also closely tied to tourism in Maine , which also took a hit from the pandemic .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fact that many consumers who typically eat lobster in restaurants started buying them retail , said John Sackton , an industry analyst and founder of SeafoodNews.com .
The catch might have been less than recent summers , but that kept prices from falling , he said .
Live lobsters were selling in the $ 8 range in the wholesale market in mid-September , not too far off from recent seasons .
“ Even with Maine travel and quarantine restrictions , there was probably heavier tourist usage in Maine than it appeared that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Some lobster businesses pivoted to a direct-to-consumer model during the early stages of the pandemic in an attempt to keep moving product .
That allowed the industry to weather the months in which shipping was disrupted and restaurants were almost completely shut down .
And lobsters remained easy to find in Maine supermarkets throughout the summer .
Farther from home , the slow reemergence of China as a market for the seafood also bodes well for the lobster business ’ s future , industry members said .
Lobster has been a major @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trade hostilities with China .
The U.S. shipped almost $ 26 million in lobster to China through July - far less than the record year of 2018 but more than $ 6.5 million ahead of the 2019 pace .
That allowed Stephanie Nadeau , owner of The Lobster Co. in Arundel , to rehire most of her crew , which she laid off during the disruptions of the trade war .
It has been a hectic year , she said , but the increase in international shipping is a positive sign .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bronco , ” she said .
“ You never know which way the bronco ’ s going to break .
”

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) - Maine’s lobster fishermen braced for a difficult summer this year because of the coronavirus pandemic, but then the unexpected happened. They kept catching lobsters, and people kept buying them.
The pandemic has posed significant challenges for the state’s lobster fishery, which is the nation’s largest, but members of the industry reported a steady catch and reasonable prices at the docks. Prices for consumers and wholesalers were low in the early part of the summer but picked up in August to be about on par with a typical summer.
The Maine lobster industry is in the midst of a multiyear boom, and fishermen have caught more than 100 million pounds (45,360,000 kilograms) for a record nine years in a row.
It’s hard to guess whether they’ll reach that total again, but summer 2020 hasn’t been half bad for a season in which many fishermen expected collapse, said Kristan Porter, president of the Maine Lobstermen’s Association.
“Especially early in the season when nothing was open, no restaurants were open. We were thinking it would be a complete disaster,” Porter said. “If it stays like this, we can struggle through and have a season, and then get ready to fish next year.”
Lobster fishermen harvest the seafood species using underwater traps, and the busiest part of the season is the summer. Maine’s lobster fishery is by far the largest in the country. Lobsters are also closely tied to tourism in Maine, which also took a hit from the pandemic.
The lobster industry was apparently helped by the fact that many consumers who typically eat lobster in restaurants started buying them retail, said John Sackton, an industry analyst and founder of SeafoodNews.com. The catch might have been less than recent summers, but that kept prices from falling, he said.
Live lobsters were selling in the $8 range in the wholesale market in mid-September, not too far off from recent seasons.
“Even with Maine travel and quarantine restrictions, there was probably heavier tourist usage in Maine than it appeared that there would be,” Sackton said.
Some lobster businesses pivoted to a direct-to-consumer model during the early stages of the pandemic in an attempt to keep moving product. That allowed the industry to weather the months in which shipping was disrupted and restaurants were almost completely shut down. And lobsters remained easy to find in Maine supermarkets throughout the summer.
Farther from home, the slow reemergence of China as a market for the seafood also bodes well for the lobster business’s future, industry members said.
Lobster has been a major piece of President Donald Trump’s trade hostilities with China. The U.S. shipped almost $26 million in lobster to China through July - far less than the record year of 2018 but more than $6.5 million ahead of the 2019 pace.
That allowed Stephanie Nadeau, owner of The Lobster Co. in Arundel, to rehire most of her crew, which she laid off during the disruptions of the trade war. It has been a hectic year, she said, but the increase in international shipping is a positive sign.
“It’s like riding a bucking bronco,” she said. “You never know which way the bronco’s going to break.”


washingtontimes--2020-09-26--1963 church bombing survivor seeks apology, restitution

More than a dozen sticks of dynamite planted by Ku Klux Klansmen exploded at a Birmingham church in 1963 , killing four Black girls .
The “ fifth little girl , ” Sarah Collins Rudolph , survived but still has shards of glass in her body from the blast that took her sister , her right eye and her dreams of becoming a nurse .
Rudolph , 69 , is now seeking an apology from the state and compensation for what she says has been a lifetime of trauma .
A law firm working for free on Rudolph ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Kay Ivey arguing that the words of state leaders , including Gov .
George Wallace , at the time encouraged the racial violence that led to one of the most infamous acts of the civil rights era .
Attorney Ishan K. Bhabha said Rudolph ’ s story “ cries out for justice.
” “ Her life was put on a fundamentally different track in an instant as a little girl , ” said Bhabha .
The state has yet to respond to Rudolph .
The five girls were gathered in a downstairs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Baptist Church on the morning of Sept. 15 , 1963 , when a timed bomb planted by KKK members went off outside under a set of stairs .
The blast killed Denise McNair , 11 , and three 14-year-olds : Carole Robertson , Cynthia Wesley , and Addie Mae Collins , who was Rudolph ’ s sister .
Rudolph recalled that she and her sister had gone to the washroom to freshen up after walking to church .
The other girls came in after their Sunday school class finished .
Denise asked Addie @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Rudolph recalled .
“ When Addie reached out to tie it , that ’ s when I heard this sound , boom , the bomb went off , ” Rudolph recalled .
She started calling for her sister .
“ Addie , Addie.
” The bombing followed months of racial unrest in the state .
Birmingham ’ s public schools were going through racial desegregation at the time , and Wallace had vowed “ segregation forever ” at his first inauguration earlier that year , urging whites to “ send a message @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contend the bombing amounted to state-incited violence , arguing it was inspired and motivated by Wallace ’ s racist rhetoric .
“ While the State of Alabama did not place the bomb next to the church , its Governor and other leaders at the time played an undisputed role in encouraging its citizens to engage in racial violence , including the violence that stole the lives of four little girls , and irreparably injured a fifth , the morning of September 15 , 1963 , ” her attorneys wrote in the letter to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anniversary of the bombing .
Gina Maiola , a spokeswoman for Ivey , said that Rudolph ’ s request is being reviewed .
It came about after a then-partner in the law firm of Jenner & Block saw Rudolph speak in South Carolina .
Touched by her story , he asked the firm to help her without charge .
Moments after the explosion , a deacon found Rudolph still standing in the rubble ; she may have been saved because she was a little further away from the bomb , by a sink @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where her mother later told her that her sister and the other girls had died .
What followed was a lifetime dealing with the physical and mental pain from the bombing .
Rudolph lost her right eye and a shard of glass remains in her left eye .
Even today she jumps at loud noises , including thunder .
Her home just outside Birmingham is filled with photos of the sister she lost .
“ I was going to be a nurse , but I just wasn ’ t able to keep up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I used to be a straight A student .
I just wasn ’ t able to anymore , ” she said .
Despite her injuries , Rudolph provided testimony that helped lead to the convictions of the men accused of planting the bomb .
A series of trials that began in 1977 resulted in three Ku Klux Klansmen being convicted of murder in the bombing ; all died in prison ; a suspected accomplice died without ever being charged .
After the bombing , Rudolph for years lived anonymously .
She said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ story until 2000 at age 48 .
She has been encouraged by her husband , George Rudolph , who started a Facebook page on her behalf .
“ I wanted her story to be told , to be heard , ” George Rudolph said .

More than a dozen sticks of dynamite planted by Ku Klux Klansmen exploded at a Birmingham church in 1963, killing four Black girls.
The “fifth little girl,” Sarah Collins Rudolph, survived but still has shards of glass in her body from the blast that took her sister, her right eye and her dreams of becoming a nurse. Rudolph, 69, is now seeking an apology from the state and compensation for what she says has been a lifetime of trauma.
A law firm working for free on Rudolph’s behalf sent a letter to Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey arguing that the words of state leaders, including Gov. George Wallace, at the time encouraged the racial violence that led to one of the most infamous acts of the civil rights era. Attorney Ishan K. Bhabha said Rudolph’s story “cries out for justice.”
“Her life was put on a fundamentally different track in an instant as a little girl,” said Bhabha.
The state has yet to respond to Rudolph.
The five girls were gathered in a downstairs washroom at Birmingham’s 16th Street Baptist Church on the morning of Sept. 15, 1963, when a timed bomb planted by KKK members went off outside under a set of stairs. The blast killed Denise McNair, 11, and three 14-year-olds: Carole Robertson, Cynthia Wesley, and Addie Mae Collins, who was Rudolph’s sister.
Rudolph recalled that she and her sister had gone to the washroom to freshen up after walking to church. The other girls came in after their Sunday school class finished.
Denise asked Addie to tie the sash on her dress, Rudolph recalled.
“When Addie reached out to tie it, that’s when I heard this sound, boom, the bomb went off,” Rudolph recalled.
She started calling for her sister. “Addie, Addie.”
Addie didn’t answer.
The bombing followed months of racial unrest in the state. Birmingham’s public schools were going through racial desegregation at the time, and Wallace had vowed “segregation forever” at his first inauguration earlier that year, urging whites to “send a message to Washington.”
Rudolph’s attorneys contend the bombing amounted to state-incited violence, arguing it was inspired and motivated by Wallace’s racist rhetoric.
“While the State of Alabama did not place the bomb next to the church, its Governor and other leaders at the time played an undisputed role in encouraging its citizens to engage in racial violence, including the violence that stole the lives of four little girls, and irreparably injured a fifth, the morning of September 15, 1963,” her attorneys wrote in the letter to Ivey on the eve of the 57th anniversary of the bombing.
Gina Maiola, a spokeswoman for Ivey, said that Rudolph’s request is being reviewed. It came about after a then-partner in the law firm of Jenner & Block saw Rudolph speak in South Carolina. Touched by her story, he asked the firm to help her without charge.
Moments after the explosion, a deacon found Rudolph still standing in the rubble; she may have been saved because she was a little further away from the bomb, by a sink. She was taken to a hospital where her mother later told her that her sister and the other girls had died.
What followed was a lifetime dealing with the physical and mental pain from the bombing. Rudolph lost her right eye and a shard of glass remains in her left eye. Even today she jumps at loud noises, including thunder. Her home just outside Birmingham is filled with photos of the sister she lost.
“I was going to be a nurse, but I just wasn’t able to keep up with studies anymore like I used to. I used to be a straight A student. I just wasn’t able to anymore,” she said.
Despite her injuries, Rudolph provided testimony that helped lead to the convictions of the men accused of planting the bomb. A series of trials that began in 1977 resulted in three Ku Klux Klansmen being convicted of murder in the bombing; all died in prison; a suspected accomplice died without ever being charged.
After the bombing, Rudolph for years lived anonymously. She said she didn’t start telling her story until 2000 at age 48. She has been encouraged by her husband, George Rudolph, who started a Facebook page on her behalf.
“I wanted her story to be told, to be heard,” George Rudolph said.


washingtontimes--2020-09-26--Another special session: Louisiana lawmakers return Monday

Louisiana lawmakers say the focus for their special session starting Monday centers on the coronavirus pandemic and Hurricane Laura recovery , but the session agenda is so broadly written that dozens , if not hundreds of bills , on a long list of topics could be filed .
Seventy items are included in the agenda , and any legislation on those topics can be debated during the monthlong session .
Among the many items are the state budget , emergency powers for the governor and lawmakers , COVID-19 treatment and prevention , high school athletics , business tax breaks , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New Orleans transit workers and contracting at state parks .
Some bills that lawmakers couldn ’ t get through the regular session and a special session earlier this year will be filed , while legislators also hope to tweak other measures they passed into law .
The session begins Monday at 6 p.m. and must end by Oct. 27 .
Senate President Page Cortez and House Speaker Clay Schexnayder , both Republicans , gathered a majority of signatures from House and Senate legislators on a petition to call the session on their own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could be considered by talking with their members .
That sidelined Gov .
John Bel Edwards from setting the agenda or having input into its contents .
The Democratic governor said he ’ s concerned about the length and timing of the session and the public ’ s access amid a pandemic .
Most Democratic lawmakers didn ’ t sign the petition to convene the session .
“ The most questionable thing about the call is the sheer number of items in it , the vast majority of which have nothing to do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Edwards said .
Legislative leaders said they wanted to give members the opportunity to hear issues they feel are important .
One of the main reasons Republican lawmakers called the special session is to try to put new limits on the governor ’ s powers to declare and respond to an emergency and to expand the scope of legislative authority in such situations .
Ideas include requiring approval from lawmakers or a council of elected officials for a governor to continue emergency declarations after a certain period of time and possibly revoking Edwards @ @ @ @ @ @ @ activities .
“ I think there ’ s a large segment of the Legislature that wants to at least have a seat at the table to discuss how the state operates ” during an emergency , Cortez said .
Republicans said Edwards has damaged Louisiana businesses in rules he ’ s enacted to combat the virus .
The governor said he ’ s trying to balance public health and economic needs with an outbreak that has killed more than 5,200 people in Louisiana .
Lawmakers are looking for ways to shore up an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ billion in March but will run out of money within days amid the pandemic unemployment spike .
When the dollars disappear , Louisiana will have to borrow money from the federal government to keep benefits flowing - unless they find another financial approach .
If they resort to the federal loan , that will trigger a drop in benefits to jobless workers who already receive some of the lowest unemployment assistance in the country and an increase in charges on businesses that pay into the unemployment trust fund .
Proposals to refill the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that lawmakers earlier this year allocated to business grants , one-time payments to front-line workers and reimbursement of local government agencies ’ spending on pandemic response .
Agencies overseeing those earmarked programs say they have already obligated much of the money .
Another option being discussed to avoid the federal loan would involve state borrowing through a bond sale to investors for upfront cash .
Lawmakers say they want to work on helping southwest Louisiana recover from the devastation of Hurricane Laura ’ s strike last month .
But without any federal block @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be limited in what they can accomplish .
They said they want to make sure that high school students who evacuated aren ’ t disqualified from the TOPS college tuition program .
And they said they need to tweak the K-12 public school financing formula to account for displaced students and to keep dollars flowing to hardest-hit Calcasieu and Cameron parishes .
Beyond those issues , some lawmakers want to take a deep dive into contracting provisions and discuss the state construction budget , while others want to debate criminal justice issues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allows debate on the distribution of Jefferson Parish hotel taxes , broadband internet incentives , the authorization of the Plaquemine port district to seek a certain trade designation and the sale of surplus property in Jackson Parish .

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) -
Louisiana lawmakers say the focus for their special session starting Monday centers on the coronavirus pandemic and Hurricane Laura recovery, but the session agenda is so broadly written that dozens, if not hundreds of bills, on a long list of topics could be filed.
Seventy items are included in the agenda, and any legislation on those topics can be debated during the monthlong session. Among the many items are the state budget, emergency powers for the governor and lawmakers, COVID-19 treatment and prevention, high school athletics, business tax breaks, rural development issues, retirement benefits for New Orleans transit workers and contracting at state parks.
Some bills that lawmakers couldn’t get through the regular session and a special session earlier this year will be filed, while legislators also hope to tweak other measures they passed into law.
SESSION DETAILS
The session begins Monday at 6 p.m. and must end by Oct. 27.
Senate President Page Cortez and House Speaker Clay Schexnayder, both Republicans, gathered a majority of signatures from House and Senate legislators on a petition to call the session on their own and created the list of items that could be considered by talking with their members.
That sidelined Gov. John Bel Edwards from setting the agenda or having input into its contents. The Democratic governor said he’s concerned about the length and timing of the session and the public’s access amid a pandemic. Most Democratic lawmakers didn’t sign the petition to convene the session.
“The most questionable thing about the call is the sheer number of items in it, the vast majority of which have nothing to do with the public health emergency,” Edwards said.
Legislative leaders said they wanted to give members the opportunity to hear issues they feel are important.
GOVERNOR’S POWER
One of the main reasons Republican lawmakers called the special session is to try to put new limits on the governor’s powers to declare and respond to an emergency and to expand the scope of legislative authority in such situations.
Ideas include requiring approval from lawmakers or a council of elected officials for a governor to continue emergency declarations after a certain period of time and possibly revoking Edwards’ existing coronavirus restrictions on business and activities.
“I think there’s a large segment of the Legislature that wants to at least have a seat at the table to discuss how the state operates” during an emergency, Cortez said.
Republicans said Edwards has damaged Louisiana businesses in rules he’s enacted to combat the virus. The governor said he’s trying to balance public health and economic needs with an outbreak that has killed more than 5,200 people in Louisiana.
UNEMPLOYMENT TRUST FUND
Lawmakers are looking for ways to shore up an unemployment trust fund that topped $1 billion in March but will run out of money within days amid the pandemic unemployment spike.
When the dollars disappear, Louisiana will have to borrow money from the federal government to keep benefits flowing - unless they find another financial approach. If they resort to the federal loan, that will trigger a drop in benefits to jobless workers who already receive some of the lowest unemployment assistance in the country and an increase in charges on businesses that pay into the unemployment trust fund.
Proposals to refill the fund include taking federal coronavirus aid dollars that lawmakers earlier this year allocated to business grants, one-time payments to front-line workers and reimbursement of local government agencies’ spending on pandemic response. Agencies overseeing those earmarked programs say they have already obligated much of the money.
Another option being discussed to avoid the federal loan would involve state borrowing through a bond sale to investors for upfront cash.
HURRICANE LAURA
Lawmakers say they want to work on helping southwest Louisiana recover from the devastation of Hurricane Laura’s strike last month. But without any federal block grant aid from Congress, state legislators will be limited in what they can accomplish.
They said they want to make sure that high school students who evacuated aren’t disqualified from the TOPS college tuition program. And they said they need to tweak the K-12 public school financing formula to account for displaced students and to keep dollars flowing to hardest-hit Calcasieu and Cameron parishes.
EVERYTHING ELSE
Beyond those issues, some lawmakers want to take a deep dive into contracting provisions and discuss the state construction budget, while others want to debate criminal justice issues and police funding.
The agenda also allows debate on the distribution of Jefferson Parish hotel taxes, broadband internet incentives, the authorization of the Plaquemine port district to seek a certain trade designation and the sale of surplus property in Jackson Parish.
___
Follow Melinda Deslatte on Twitter at http://twitter.com/melindadeslatte


washingtontimes--2020-09-26--Winning a 'row office' is a chance for GOP to pressure Wolf

HARRISBURG , Pa. ( AP ) - Gov .
Tom Wolf is raising money to help fellow Democrats in their quest to retake Pennsylvania ’ s state House or Senate majorities , but there are other races that may have a bigger impact on his fortunes in his last two years in office .
The three statewide contests for attorney general , auditor general and treasurer elect people to four-year terms who can change how a governor manages the state ’ s finances , pursues agendas outside of the Legislature and claims the mantle of a capable operator of government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” former Gov .
Tom Corbett said in an interview .
A political spokesperson for Wolf said the Democrat gave $ 10,000 in campaign donations to each of his fellow Democrats running for a so-called row office this year , a tiny sum compared with his giving to Democrats seeking seats in the Republican-controlled Legislature .
A Democratic takeover of even one chamber of the Legislature is a long-shot .
Republicans , rather , may have a better shot at picking off a row office .
For Republicans , it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a long time .
The last time Pennsylvania elected a Republican as attorney general , it was 2008 ; as treasurer , 2000 ; and as auditor general , 1992 .
The row officers have built-in watchdog duties that can gum up a governor ’ s agenda .
For instance , a treasurer or auditor general must approve a general obligation bond issue , while both must approve a tax-anticipation note .
Treasurers can block payments they see as illegal .
Attorneys general must ensure all executive branch contracts are legal and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agenda in the courts in clashes with lawmakers or the White House .
They also can use their statewide platform to amplify an opposition message .
“ You will have a bully pulpit on certain issues that may not fall within the purview of your job description , ” said Rob Gleason , the former chairman of the state Republican Party .
In the view of Republicans , Wolf has benefitted from having Democrats in all three jobs since he took office in 2015 , helping his agenda in budget battles or policy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wolf ’ s relationships with the row officers have been smooth sailing compared with his conflicts with the Republican-controlled Legislature .
“ It would be nice to have someone who ’ s going to be a watchdog , and those three positions put themselves out as watchdogs , ” said state Rep. Greg Rothman , R-Cumberland .
Of course , row officers don ’ t have to be of the opposite party to get under a governor ’ s skin , especially when they want to run for higher office .
Former Gov @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recalled feeling burned by how some audits were rolled out by then-Auditor General Jack Wagner , a Democrat who went on to run for governor in 2010 , before losing in a crowded primary .
But he got along with Corbett , the Republican state attorney general who succeeded Rendell as governor .
As governor , Corbett had high-profile scrapes with then-Attorney General Kathleen Kane , a Democrat who in 2013 rejected one of Corbett ’ s ballyhooed efforts at privatization , a contract to hire the operator of British national lottery to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Auditor General Eugene DePasquale promised an audit of the contract terms , and then-Treasurer Rob McCord warned that he might not pay the operator unless he was satisfied that the company ’ s plans to expand the scope of lottery gambling were allowed by law .
Later that year , Kane refused to defend Pennsylvania ’ s 1996 law banning same-sex marriage against a newly filed federal lawsuit , saying the law was unconstitutional .
That forced Corbett ’ s office to mount a defense of a law that was losing political and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up to run for reelection .
Then , amid Corbett ’ s reelection run , DePasquale and McCord issued a warning about the state ’ s deteriorating finances , drawing accusations from Republicans that they were engaged in political theater .
Corbett sees Kane ’ s treatment of him as the hallmarks of someone aiming for higher office - “ She was looking for a future , ” he said - but recalls no hard feelings toward DePasquale and McCord .
DePasquale is the only currently serving row officer who dealt with both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ insists he treated both men the same , regardless of party .
He never , he said , blunted an audit to benefit Wolf .
“ I take enormous pride in being hard on both Tom Corbett and Tom Wolf , ” said DePasquale , who is now running for Congress against four-term U.S. Rep. Scott Perry in the Harrisburg-area 10th District .
If DePasquale never got under Corbett ’ s skin , then he definitely got under the skin of Wolf administration officials , perhaps most recently when , in December , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kathy Boockvar , accused him of issuing a misleading estimate of possibly inaccurate voter records .
That didn ’ t stop Wolf from holding a fundraiser for DePasquale ’ s congressional run , drawing complaints from Republicans .
Of course , the Republican-controlled Legislature had pushed through a 9 % cut in DePasquale ’ s official budget last year - after they knew he would challenge Perry .
“ The thing I find fascinating about the criticism , ” DePasquale said , “ is a lot of people who are criticizing me now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Congress.
” AP ’ s Advance Voting guide brings you the facts about voting early , by mail or absentee from each state : https : //interactives.ap.org/advance-voting-2020

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Gov. Tom Wolf is raising money to help fellow Democrats in their quest to retake Pennsylvania’s state House or Senate majorities, but there are other races that may have a bigger impact on his fortunes in his last two years in office.
The three statewide contests for attorney general, auditor general and treasurer elect people to four-year terms who can change how a governor manages the state’s finances, pursues agendas outside of the Legislature and claims the mantle of a capable operator of government.
“They can have an influence,” former Gov. Tom Corbett said in an interview.
A political spokesperson for Wolf said the Democrat gave $10,000 in campaign donations to each of his fellow Democrats running for a so-called row office this year, a tiny sum compared with his giving to Democrats seeking seats in the Republican-controlled Legislature.
A Democratic takeover of even one chamber of the Legislature is a long-shot. Republicans, rather, may have a better shot at picking off a row office.
For Republicans, it’s an avenue they haven’t had in a long time. The last time Pennsylvania elected a Republican as attorney general, it was 2008; as treasurer, 2000; and as auditor general, 1992.
The row officers have built-in watchdog duties that can gum up a governor’s agenda.
For instance, a treasurer or auditor general must approve a general obligation bond issue, while both must approve a tax-anticipation note. Treasurers can block payments they see as illegal. Attorneys general must ensure all executive branch contracts are legal and can carry a governor’s policy agenda in the courts in clashes with lawmakers or the White House.
They also can use their statewide platform to amplify an opposition message.
“You will have a bully pulpit on certain issues that may not fall within the purview of your job description,” said Rob Gleason, the former chairman of the state Republican Party.
In the view of Republicans, Wolf has benefitted from having Democrats in all three jobs since he took office in 2015, helping his agenda in budget battles or policy battles during the coronavirus with lawmakers. Wolf’s relationships with the row officers have been smooth sailing compared with his conflicts with the Republican-controlled Legislature.
“It would be nice to have someone who’s going to be a watchdog, and those three positions put themselves out as watchdogs,” said state Rep. Greg Rothman, R-Cumberland.
Of course, row officers don’t have to be of the opposite party to get under a governor’s skin, especially when they want to run for higher office.
Former Gov. Ed Rendell, a Democrat, recalled feeling burned by how some audits were rolled out by then-Auditor General Jack Wagner, a Democrat who went on to run for governor in 2010, before losing in a crowded primary. But he got along with Corbett, the Republican state attorney general who succeeded Rendell as governor.
As governor, Corbett had high-profile scrapes with then-Attorney General Kathleen Kane, a Democrat who in 2013 rejected one of Corbett’s ballyhooed efforts at privatization, a contract to hire the operator of British national lottery to manage the Pennsylvania Lottery.
Meanwhile, Auditor General Eugene DePasquale promised an audit of the contract terms, and then-Treasurer Rob McCord warned that he might not pay the operator unless he was satisfied that the company’s plans to expand the scope of lottery gambling were allowed by law.
Later that year, Kane refused to defend Pennsylvania’s 1996 law banning same-sex marriage against a newly filed federal lawsuit, saying the law was unconstitutional. That forced Corbett’s office to mount a defense of a law that was losing political and legal favor just as he was gearing up to run for reelection.
Then, amid Corbett’s reelection run, DePasquale and McCord issued a warning about the state’s deteriorating finances, drawing accusations from Republicans that they were engaged in political theater.
Corbett sees Kane’s treatment of him as the hallmarks of someone aiming for higher office - “She was looking for a future,” he said - but recalls no hard feelings toward DePasquale and McCord.
DePasquale is the only currently serving row officer who dealt with both Corbett and Wolf as governors, and insists he treated both men the same, regardless of party. He never, he said, blunted an audit to benefit Wolf.
“I take enormous pride in being hard on both Tom Corbett and Tom Wolf,” said DePasquale, who is now running for Congress against four-term U.S. Rep. Scott Perry in the Harrisburg-area 10th District.
If DePasquale never got under Corbett’s skin, then he definitely got under the skin of Wolf administration officials, perhaps most recently when, in December, Wolf’s secretary of state, Kathy Boockvar, accused him of issuing a misleading estimate of possibly inaccurate voter records.
That didn’t stop Wolf from holding a fundraiser for DePasquale’s congressional run, drawing complaints from Republicans.
Of course, the Republican-controlled Legislature had pushed through a 9% cut in DePasquale’s official budget last year - after they knew he would challenge Perry.
“The thing I find fascinating about the criticism,” DePasquale said, “is a lot of people who are criticizing me now were extolling my virtues before I ran for Congress.”
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Follow Marc Levy on Twitter at www.twitter.com/timelywriter.
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AP’s Advance Voting guide brings you the facts about voting early, by mail or absentee from each state: https://interactives.ap.org/advance-voting-2020


washingtontimes--2020-09-26--Cory Booker in strong position against GOP challenger Mehta

TRENTON , N.J. ( AP ) - There ’ s a U.S. Senate race in New Jersey this year , but it might be hard to tell if you ’ re watching for campaign ads on TV or looking for national media coverage .
That ’ s because there really isn ’ t much to speak of .
Polls have shown the Democratic incumbent , U.S. Sen. Cory Booker , with a double-digit lead over his Republican challenger , Rik Mehta .
Pundits have predicted there ’ s little likelihood of the charismatic former Newark mayor losing to Mehta , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including a law degree and a doctorate in pharmacy .
There are no Senate ads running on broadcast stations in Philadelphia or New York - markets that capture New Jersey - for or against either candidate , according to the Federal Communication Commission ’ s records .
Nonpartisan political ratings organizations count New Jersey firmly in the Democrats ’ column .
Even so , voters looking closely at both top-party candidates will find a lot of contrasts .
Booker is a well-recognized figure , whose failed run in the most recent Democratic presidential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for months .
Mehta is new to the political game and is the founder of biopharmaceutical firms .
He lives in traditionally Republican Morris County with his wife and three children , while Booker lives in the Democratic stronghold of Newark in Essex County , with his partner , actor Rosario Dawson .
Booker has about $ 3.5 million cash on hand , according to the Federal Election Commission , while Mehta has about $ 18,000 .
Those figures are through June 30 , with more recent data expected next month .
Those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ closely contested races , where tens of millions of dollars is being spent , and helps explain why there ’ s less advertising that voters are used to .
Booker is unabashedly liberal ; Mehta said in an interview he won ’ t distance himself from President Donald Trump , who isn ’ t popular in New Jersey .
“ I would describe myself as pretty unapologetically Republican , ” he said .
He added that he ’ s “ completely happy with the direction the president has taken this country , especially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ago , when Booker was running for his first full term after winning a special election in 2013 , he has landmark legislation to point to this year .
He was a top sponsor of the First Step Act , which Trump signed in 2018 .
The criminal justice overhaul gave judges more discretion when sentencing some drug offenders .
It also boosted prisoner rehabilitation efforts .
It ’ s something he ’ s put at the center of his re-election campaign , pointing to the bipartisan nature of the new law .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ division , I was able to lead Congress forward to pass into law , with bi-partisan support , historic reforms to our criminal justice system , ” he said in a statement .
The recent death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg also brings another high-profile issue to the forefront .
Booker , in a speech on the Senate floor , eulogized her as a giant of American history .
He also lamented the Republican-led Senate ’ s vow to press ahead with Trump ’ s nominee to the Supreme Court .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump pick to the court to a likely fatal blow for President Barack Obama ’ s Affordable Care Act .
“ If it is the final year of President Trump ’ s term , we should wait until after the election before we put someone on the highest court in the land for a lifetime appointment .
What is this about ?
It is about the most sacred ideals of our nation - life , liberty , freedom from fear , freedom from disease , ” he said .
Mehta said he would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nominee were he in the Senate now .
Mehta ’ s run follows that of former biopharmaceutical executive Republican Bob Hugin in 2018 .
Hugin poured millions of his own dollars into his campaign against Democratic incumbent Bob Menendez , who had just exited a bruising federal corruption case after the charges were dropped against him .
Hugin lost by more than 10 points , despite the timing having given Republicans hope they could knock off Menendez .
Mehta , who is Indian American , would be the first person of Asian descent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jersey if he is victorious .
He would also be the first Republican since Clifford Case in 1972 to win a Senate election in New Jersey .
Booker was first elected in special election in October 2013 to fill the seat opened after Frank Lautenberg died .
He was the first Black person to represent New Jersey in the Senate , and the just the ninth African American in the U.S. Senate .
He won his first full term in 2014 , defeating Republican Jeff Bell .
Election Day is Nov. 3 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contest will mostly be by mail because of the coronavirus outbreak .
Voters have already begun getting ballots , with most expected to have them by Oct. 5 .
Besides Booker and Mehta , there are three other candidates running as well on other party tickets or their own slogans .
AP ’ s Advance Voting guide brings you the facts about voting early , by mail or absentee from each state : https : //interactives.ap.org/advance-voting-2020

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) - There’s a U.S. Senate race in New Jersey this year, but it might be hard to tell if you’re watching for campaign ads on TV or looking for national media coverage.
That’s because there really isn’t much to speak of.
Polls have shown the Democratic incumbent, U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, with a double-digit lead over his Republican challenger, Rik Mehta. Pundits have predicted there’s little likelihood of the charismatic former Newark mayor losing to Mehta, a political newcomer with an accomplished background including a law degree and a doctorate in pharmacy.
There are no Senate ads running on broadcast stations in Philadelphia or New York - markets that capture New Jersey - for or against either candidate, according to the Federal Communication Commission’s records. Nonpartisan political ratings organizations count New Jersey firmly in the Democrats’ column.
Even so, voters looking closely at both top-party candidates will find a lot of contrasts.
Booker is a well-recognized figure, whose failed run in the most recent Democratic presidential primary had him under the national spotlight for months. Mehta is new to the political game and is the founder of biopharmaceutical firms. He lives in traditionally Republican Morris County with his wife and three children, while Booker lives in the Democratic stronghold of Newark in Essex County, with his partner, actor Rosario Dawson.
Booker has about $3.5 million cash on hand, according to the Federal Election Commission, while Mehta has about $18,000. Those figures are through June 30, with more recent data expected next month. Those figures are low compared to the most closely contested races, where tens of millions of dollars is being spent, and helps explain why there’s less advertising that voters are used to.
Booker is unabashedly liberal; Mehta said in an interview he won’t distance himself from President Donald Trump, who isn’t popular in New Jersey.
“I would describe myself as pretty unapologetically Republican,” he said. He added that he’s “completely happy with the direction the president has taken this country, especially before the pandemic.”
Unlike six years ago, when Booker was running for his first full term after winning a special election in 2013, he has landmark legislation to point to this year. He was a top sponsor of the First Step Act, which Trump signed in 2018. The criminal justice overhaul gave judges more discretion when sentencing some drug offenders. It also boosted prisoner rehabilitation efforts.
It’s something he’s put at the center of his re-election campaign, pointing to the bipartisan nature of the new law.
“Even in the face of unprecedented division, I was able to lead Congress forward to pass into law, with bi-partisan support, historic reforms to our criminal justice system,” he said in a statement.
The recent death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg also brings another high-profile issue to the forefront. Booker, in a speech on the Senate floor, eulogized her as a giant of American history. He also lamented the Republican-led Senate’s vow to press ahead with Trump’s nominee to the Supreme Court.
Booker equated the appointment of a new Trump pick to the court to a likely fatal blow for President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act.
“If it is the final year of President Trump’s term, we should wait until after the election before we put someone on the highest court in the land for a lifetime appointment. What is this about? It is about the most sacred ideals of our nation - life, liberty, freedom from fear, freedom from disease,” he said.
Mehta said he would “absolutely” vote for a Trump nominee were he in the Senate now.
Mehta’s run follows that of former biopharmaceutical executive Republican Bob Hugin in 2018. Hugin poured millions of his own dollars into his campaign against Democratic incumbent Bob Menendez, who had just exited a bruising federal corruption case after the charges were dropped against him. Hugin lost by more than 10 points, despite the timing having given Republicans hope they could knock off Menendez.
Mehta, who is Indian American, would be the first person of Asian descent to win a Senate seat from New Jersey if he is victorious. He would also be the first Republican since Clifford Case in 1972 to win a Senate election in New Jersey.
Booker was first elected in special election in October 2013 to fill the seat opened after Frank Lautenberg died. He was the first Black person to represent New Jersey in the Senate, and the just the ninth African American in the U.S. Senate. He won his first full term in 2014, defeating Republican Jeff Bell.
Election Day is Nov. 3, but voting in this year’s contest will mostly be by mail because of the coronavirus outbreak. Voters have already begun getting ballots, with most expected to have them by Oct. 5.
Besides Booker and Mehta, there are three other candidates running as well on other party tickets or their own slogans.
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AP’s Advance Voting guide brings you the facts about voting early, by mail or absentee from each state: https://interactives.ap.org/advance-voting-2020