washingtontimes--2020-08-01--Virtual school: Teachers want to improve but training varies

After a rocky transition to distance learning last spring , Georgia teacher Aimee Rodriguez Webb is determined to do better this fall .
She bought a dry-erase board and a special camera to display worksheets , and she set up her dining room to broadcast school lessons .
“ I ’ m getting myself geared up for what I feel will prepare me and allow me to teach remotely with more fidelity now that I know what I want it to look like , ” Rodriguez Webb said .
She and other teachers from suburban Atlanta ’ s Cobb County @ @ @ @ @ @ @ training as they prepare to launch the school year virtually .
With remote learning part of an increasing number of fall reopening plans , districts are facing pressure to improve after many students got left behind this spring in the scramble to close schools during the coronavirus pandemic .
But investment in training varies widely .
While some school systems have offered new guidance on teaching from afar , many educators feel like they ’ re on their own .
More affluent school districts have used the summer to train teachers both on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who are learning at least partly online , according to Richard Ferdig , an education technology researcher at Kent State University .
Teachers in those districts will perform well , he said .
“ For the ‘ have-nots , ’ I ’ m concerned - not that they couldn ’ t do it , but that they weren ’ t necessarily given the right things to do it , ” said Ferdig , who edits the Journal of Technology and Teacher Education , which released a special issue and online book dedicated to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They ’ ve either been given nothing or they ’ ve been told , ‘ Here ’ s the tools we bought for you , ’ with very little support on how to integrate those tools into ” teaching .
Many teachers were frustrated by the unplanned experiment in distance learning , a change most weren ’ t prepared for given how few schools had virtual components and how little their own college education focused on teaching both in person and online .
A poll of 1,500 Washington state teachers said 79 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the start of the school year , with 23 % of those saying they need significant training to be more effective in the fall , said Linda Mullen , spokeswoman for the Washington Education Association , which surveyed its members .
“ They want to do better , ” Mullen said .
In New York , polls indicated that parent dissatisfaction with distance learning increased as school closures persisted .
That was especially true among families in high-needs districts , where instruction was less likely to mirror a typical classroom .
“ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and gave them a Zoom link or gave them a Google Hangout or a Google Classroom , ” said Dia Bryant , deputy director for The Education Trust-New York , which conducted the polls .
“ Our teachers deserve better , and we need better professional learning for them.
” Some districts are adding days at the start of the school year for training in distance learning .
Portland , Oregon , public schools are relying on in-house learning and technology teams as they set aside part of the first two weeks of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ York , more than 500 teachers from 27 districts signed up for online sessions offered by a public education collaborative body .
Texas officials offered 8,000 principals and other school leaders training on how to guide teachers through the shift to remote or blended learning .
Rodriguez Webb said her district brought teachers back three weeks before students , instead of the usual one week .
She is optimistic the new school year will go better than the spring , when she worked long hours and taught herself skills like modifying worksheets into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ percentage of students engage regularly .
“ We winged it , ” she said of the shutdown that was expected to last weeks but stretched for months .
The district ’ s guidance consisted of long emails pointing out resources she had little time to explore .
A Cobb County schools statement said the district is committed to ensuring “ teachers have the tools , resources , and training to help students succeed , no matter the classroom setting.
” In New Haven , Connecticut , Assistant Superintendent Keisha Redd-Hannans said officials know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ high-quality , equitable instruction in a hybrid or a remote learning environment.
” Early on , no one knew how much work to give or how long students should spend on computers , she recalled .
The district contracted with a company to provide virtual training and has held “ summer institutes ” on topics like “ building a digital toolbox , ” Redd-Hannans said .
She said teachers are “ clamoring for additional professional learning , ” some of which will happen under a $ 269,000 contract with Learning Innovation Catalyst @ @ @ @ @ @ @ online and live coaching to districts in 14 states and several countries .
Some districts weathered the spring shutdown better than others .
Kiski Area School District officials in Pennsylvania plan to pick up where they left off as they start the school year fully online .
Administrators credit steps taken over several years , including being designated a Google Reference District in 2017 - meaning teachers regularly incorporate technology into learning .
“ We mapped out the day , starting from eight o ’ clock to three o ’ clock .
Teachers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they had to have assignments posted by nine o ’ clock , ” said Brian Swartzlander , principal of Kiski Area Upper Elementary School .
They also built in half-hour blocks for team meetings and one-on-one Google meetings with students .
Some parents have pleaded for schools to reopen fully , saying distance learning is no substitute , no matter what resources teachers receive .
“ They can train them all that they want .
They could give them the millions of dollars and tools … for online learning .
They could do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Christina Higley , a mother of three in Webster , New York .
“ There is still going to be children who can ’ t learn that way , and the teachers aren ’ t going to be able to change that - no matter what they do from afar , period .
”

After a rocky transition to distance learning last spring, Georgia teacher Aimee Rodriguez Webb is determined to do better this fall. She bought a dry-erase board and a special camera to display worksheets, and she set up her dining room to broadcast school lessons.
“I’m getting myself geared up for what I feel will prepare me and allow me to teach remotely with more fidelity now that I know what I want it to look like,” Rodriguez Webb said.
She and other teachers from suburban Atlanta’s Cobb County School District recently started three weeks of training as they prepare to launch the school year virtually.
With remote learning part of an increasing number of fall reopening plans, districts are facing pressure to improve after many students got left behind this spring in the scramble to close schools during the coronavirus pandemic. But investment in training varies widely. While some school systems have offered new guidance on teaching from afar, many educators feel like they’re on their own.
More affluent school districts have used the summer to train teachers both on technology and getting the most from students who are learning at least partly online, according to Richard Ferdig, an education technology researcher at Kent State University. Teachers in those districts will perform well, he said.
“For the ‘have-nots,’ I’m concerned - not that they couldn’t do it, but that they weren’t necessarily given the right things to do it,” said Ferdig, who edits the Journal of Technology and Teacher Education, which released a special issue and online book dedicated to professional development during the pandemic. “They’ve either been given nothing or they’ve been told, ‘Here’s the tools we bought for you,’ with very little support on how to integrate those tools into” teaching.
Many teachers were frustrated by the unplanned experiment in distance learning, a change most weren’t prepared for given how few schools had virtual components and how little their own college education focused on teaching both in person and online.
A poll of 1,500 Washington state teachers said 79% wanted more professional development or training before the start of the school year, with 23% of those saying they need significant training to be more effective in the fall, said Linda Mullen, spokeswoman for the Washington Education Association, which surveyed its members.
“They want to do better,” Mullen said.
In New York, polls indicated that parent dissatisfaction with distance learning increased as school closures persisted. That was especially true among families in high-needs districts, where instruction was less likely to mirror a typical classroom.
“We kind of just threw them out there and gave them a Zoom link or gave them a Google Hangout or a Google Classroom,” said Dia Bryant, deputy director for The Education Trust-New York, which conducted the polls. “Our teachers deserve better, and we need better professional learning for them.”
Some districts are adding days at the start of the school year for training in distance learning.
Portland, Oregon, public schools are relying on in-house learning and technology teams as they set aside part of the first two weeks of school for training. In western New York, more than 500 teachers from 27 districts signed up for online sessions offered by a public education collaborative body. Texas officials offered 8,000 principals and other school leaders training on how to guide teachers through the shift to remote or blended learning.
Rodriguez Webb said her district brought teachers back three weeks before students, instead of the usual one week. She is optimistic the new school year will go better than the spring, when she worked long hours and taught herself skills like modifying worksheets into Google Slides only to see a small percentage of students engage regularly.
“We winged it,” she said of the shutdown that was expected to last weeks but stretched for months. The district’s guidance consisted of long emails pointing out resources she had little time to explore.
A Cobb County schools statement said the district is committed to ensuring “teachers have the tools, resources, and training to help students succeed, no matter the classroom setting.”
In New Haven, Connecticut, Assistant Superintendent Keisha Redd-Hannans said officials know teachers weren’t prepared to deliver “high-quality, equitable instruction in a hybrid or a remote learning environment.” Early on, no one knew how much work to give or how long students should spend on computers, she recalled.
The district contracted with a company to provide virtual training and has held “summer institutes” on topics like “building a digital toolbox,” Redd-Hannans said.
She said teachers are “clamoring for additional professional learning,” some of which will happen under a $269,000 contract with Learning Innovation Catalyst, a company that says it provides online and live coaching to districts in 14 states and several countries.
Some districts weathered the spring shutdown better than others. Kiski Area School District officials in Pennsylvania plan to pick up where they left off as they start the school year fully online.
Administrators credit steps taken over several years, including being designated a Google Reference District in 2017 - meaning teachers regularly incorporate technology into learning.
“We mapped out the day, starting from eight o’clock to three o’clock. Teachers had prep in the morning, then they had to have assignments posted by nine o’clock,” said Brian Swartzlander, principal of Kiski Area Upper Elementary School. They also built in half-hour blocks for team meetings and one-on-one Google meetings with students.
Some parents have pleaded for schools to reopen fully, saying distance learning is no substitute, no matter what resources teachers receive.
“They can train them all that they want. They could give them the millions of dollars and tools … for online learning. They could do six weeks of intense training,” said Christina Higley, a mother of three in Webster, New York. “There is still going to be children who can’t learn that way, and the teachers aren’t going to be able to change that - no matter what they do from afar, period.”
___
Thompson reported from Buffalo, New York.


washingtontimes--2020-08-01--Madrid Open advised not to hold tournament amid virus uptick

MADRID ( AP ) - The organizers of the Madrid Open tennis tournament have been advised by local health authorities @ @ @ @ @ not hold the rescheduled event in September due to the resurgence of the coronavirus in @ @ @ @ @ said on Saturday that they had requested an evaluation of the health situation in the @ @ @ @ @ officials “ advised not to stage the tournament due to the current trend of COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ they are “ analyzing and closely evaluating all the possible options , while always focusing @ @ @ @ @ all those involved in the tournament.
” The tournament is scheduled to be played from @ @ @ @ @ s biggest tennis event was postponed from the spring due to the severe virus outbreak @ @ @ @ @ of the country managed to get under control .
With the economy back in motion @ @ @ @ @ worrying uptick in cases in recent weeks .
Spain ’ s health ministry reported more @ @ @ @ @ nationwide on Friday , with more than 300 detected in Madrid .

MADRID (AP) - The organizers of the Madrid Open tennis tournament have been advised by local health authorities in the Spanish capital to not hold the rescheduled event in September due to the resurgence of the coronavirus in Spain.
The tournament organizers said on Saturday that they had requested an evaluation of the health situation in the city and that regional health officials “advised not to stage the tournament due to the current trend of COVID-19 cases.”
The organizers said they are “analyzing and closely evaluating all the possible options, while always focusing on guaranteeing the safety of all those involved in the tournament.”
The tournament is scheduled to be played from Sept. 12-20.
Spain’s biggest tennis event was postponed from the spring due to the severe virus outbreak that only a three-month lockdown of the country managed to get under control. With the economy back in motion, there has been a worrying uptick in cases in recent weeks.
Spain’s health ministry reported more than 1,500 new confirmed cases nationwide on Friday, with more than 300 detected in Madrid.
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More AP sports: https://apnews.com/apf-sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports


washingtontimes--2020-08-01--As Marlins deal with virus outbreak, 2B Isan Diaz opts out

MIAMI ( AP ) - Miami Marlins second baseman Isan Diaz is opting out of the 2020 season as his @ @ @ @ @ outbreak that developed during a season-opening trip .
At least 21 members of the Marlins @ @ @ @ @ infected , and the team hasn ’ t played since Sunday in Philadelphia .
Diaz @ @ @ @ @ Marlins ’ season was on hold , but he decided to become the first Miami @ @ @ @ @ He played in two of the Marlins ’ three games before their season was halted @ @ @ @ @ a rookie last year , but the organization has big hopes regarding his potential .

The Miami Marlins received no new positive results in their latest round of coronavirus testing, a person familiar with the situation said Saturday, but second baseman Isan Diaz opted out of the season.
The Philadelphia Phillies, meanwhile, said Saturday they had no new positives from tests a day before. Players were permitted to access Citizens Bank Park for staggered workouts beginning in the afternoon.
The person discussing the Marlins spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the tests had not been released publicly. At least 21 members of the Marlins’ traveling party have been infected by an outbreak at the start of a season-opening trip.
The team hasn’t played since Sunday in Philadelphia but hopes to resume games next week.
Diaz consistently tested negative while the season was on hold, but he decided to become the first Miami player to opt out. He played in two of the Marlins’ three games before their season was halted.
Diaz batted .173 as a rookie last year, but the organization has big hopes regarding his potential.
The infected Marlins players and staff left Philadelphia in sleeper buses Friday for Miami, where they will stay together in quarantine. The rest of the team remained in isolation at a hotel in Philadelphia.
With six teams idled Friday by the pandemic, Commissioner Rob Manfred spoke to union leader Tony Clark about the importance of players following the sport’s coronavirus protocols.
Manfred and Clark talked about what needs to be done to finish the season, a person familiar with the conversation said. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation.
The conversation between Manfred and Clark, first reported by ESPN, comes amid growing evidence that the spread of infection threatens to overtake efforts to play ball.
“Some things aren’t looking too good right now, but we have to play up to that point. Players are seeing what can happen,” Houston manager Dusty Baker said.
The latest game postponed was Milwaukee’s home opener against St. Louis, scrapped hours before the first pitch after two Cardinals players tested positive .
The Cardinals said in a statement they learned Thursday night about positive tests from samples collected Wednesday. Players and staff were instructed to isolate in their hotel rooms.
The Cardinals and Brewers still hoped to play Saturday night, and to make up Friday’s game with a pair of seven-inning games Sunday under a newly approved MLB plan for doubleheaders.
The Phillies-Blue Jays series in Philadelphia was among two weekend series called off earlier. The Marlins were hit with a virus outbreak in Philadelphia, and both Miami and the Phillies are sidelined for at least a week.
The schedules of the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles have also been scrambled. Cleveland players and staff talked about postponing Friday night’s game at Minnesota. The Cardinals had played at Target Field on Wednesday, a day before the Indians arrived.
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More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports


washingtontimes--2020-08-01--Airlines, unions pin hopes for more payroll cash on politics

With tens of thousands of airline workers facing layoffs this fall , labor groups are pushing Congress for more federal money to keep them on the payroll until next spring .
The unions have gained significant support among Democrats .
They hope that the prospect of mass layoffs weeks before a pivotal election will sway some Republican votes .
The airline industry has been battered by the virus pandemic .
In March , companies got $ 32 billion to help cover payroll costs for six months in exchange for not laying off workers .
The money and the ban on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there could be large-scale job cuts less than five weeks before the Nov. 3 election .
“ Ultimately the White House will be responsible for that , and so will the 23 Republican senators who are up for re-election , ” said Sara Nelson , president of the Association of Flight Attendants .
“ I don ’ t believe that ’ s a political risk that anyone is willing to take.
” But approval is far from certain .
Airlines are already downsizing - persuading thousands of workers to take voluntary buyouts or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up billions of dollars in private borrowing , giving them a better chance of surviving a long slump in travel .
The CEO of Southwest Airlines said he supports an extension of federal dollars for airline payrolls , but he doesn ’ t see the same urgency in Washington .
Back in the spring , “ there was broad support from Congress , the administration and even the president , ” Gary Kelly said .
“ This time around , that is not the case.
” Kelly made the comments in an employee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and other Southwest employees asked him to publicly support the payroll-aid extension .
Thirteen airline unions have joined to lobby Congress for a six-month extension of the payroll provision .
Of the total , $ 25 billion would go to passenger airlines .
Major airlines support the extension , but they are keeping a low profile .
Union and airline representatives fear that if the big airlines openly lobby for the money , it could be portrayed as a bailout .
Airlines for America , the trade group for the biggest U.S. carriers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government help but would take it if no new conditions were attached .
A group representing smaller carriers , the Regional Airline Association , has been more vocal in urging Washington to approve the money - two of its members have already shut down during the pandemic and a third is in grave jeopardy .
The union campaign is showing signs of momentum .
This week , more than 220 lawmakers in the House - mostly Democrats , but joined by 28 Republicans - endorsed the money , which they hope to include @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Capitol Hill .
Prospects in the Republican-controlled Senate and the Trump administration are less clear , however .
In the Senate , Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , R-Ky. , did not include airlines in his $ 1 trillion coronavirus relief proposal .
Some Senate Republicans say McConnell ’ s measure is already too expensive , and they could object to tacking on another $ 32 billion .
The Trump administration hasn ’ t stated its position on a second round of relief .
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said recently that airlines need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ caused by the pandemic but gave no details .
The Treasury Department declined to comment on the matter this week .
The issue will be decided when negotiators try to reconcile McConnell ’ s plan and a $ 3.5 trillion coronavirus-relief bill that the House passed in May .
It is unknown exactly how many jobs airlines will cut .
United Airlines sent layoff notices to 36,000 employees and warned pilots this week that there could be more furloughs - the industry ’ s term for termination of workers who have rehiring rights @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
American Airlines notified 25,000 workers , Delta Air Lines warned more than 2,500 pilots , and smaller airlines also sent out notices .
Southwest said it doesn ’ t expect to furlough anybody in 2020 .
U.S. airlines had about 750,000 employees before the pandemic hit , according to their trade group .
The original payroll aid in grants and low-interest loans was approved as air travel collapsed by 95 % .
The money was intended to save airline jobs until travel rebounded , but that has not happened .
Slow growth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and U.S. air travel is still down more than 70 % from a year ago .
House Transportation Committee Chairman Peter DeFazio , D-Ore. , said in a letter Monday to House and Senate leaders of both parties that travel won ’ t recover by Oct. 1 .
“ Without further relief from Congress , mass layoffs among airline industry workers are inevitable - and their magnitude will eclipse those of any furloughs the industry has ever seen , ” DeFazio wrote .
David Koenig can be reached at www.twitter.com/airlinewriter

With tens of thousands of airline workers facing layoffs this fall, labor groups are pushing Congress for more federal money to keep them on the payroll until next spring.
The unions have gained significant support among Democrats. They hope that the prospect of mass layoffs weeks before a pivotal election will sway some Republican votes.
The airline industry has been battered by the virus pandemic. In March, companies got $32 billion to help cover payroll costs for six months in exchange for not laying off workers. The money and the ban on layoffs both end Oct. 1, meaning there could be large-scale job cuts less than five weeks before the Nov. 3 election.
“Ultimately the White House will be responsible for that, and so will the 23 Republican senators who are up for re-election,” said Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants. “I don’t believe that’s a political risk that anyone is willing to take.”
But approval is far from certain. Airlines are already downsizing - persuading thousands of workers to take voluntary buyouts or early retirement. And they have lined up billions of dollars in private borrowing, giving them a better chance of surviving a long slump in travel.
The CEO of Southwest Airlines said he supports an extension of federal dollars for airline payrolls, but he doesn’t see the same urgency in Washington.
Back in the spring, “there was broad support from Congress, the administration and even the president,” Gary Kelly said. “This time around, that is not the case.”
Kelly made the comments in an employee video after a union representing flight attendants and other Southwest employees asked him to publicly support the payroll-aid extension.
Thirteen airline unions have joined to lobby Congress for a six-month extension of the payroll provision. Of the total, $25 billion would go to passenger airlines.
Major airlines support the extension, but they are keeping a low profile. Union and airline representatives fear that if the big airlines openly lobby for the money, it could be portrayed as a bailout.
Airlines for America, the trade group for the biggest U.S. carriers, said it is not pursuing new government help but would take it if no new conditions were attached. A group representing smaller carriers, the Regional Airline Association, has been more vocal in urging Washington to approve the money - two of its members have already shut down during the pandemic and a third is in grave jeopardy.
The union campaign is showing signs of momentum. This week, more than 220 lawmakers in the House - mostly Democrats, but joined by 29 Republicans - endorsed the money, which they hope to include in a new coronavirus-relief package being negotiated on Capitol Hill. Prospects in the Republican-controlled Senate and the Trump administration are less clear, however.
In the Senate, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., did not include airlines in his $1 trillion coronavirus relief proposal. Some Senate Republicans say McConnell’s measure is already too expensive, and they could object to tacking on another $32 billion.
The Trump administration hasn’t stated its position on a second round of relief. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said recently that airlines need more help to survive the travel downturn caused by the pandemic but gave no details. The Treasury Department declined to comment on the matter this week.
The issue will be decided when negotiators try to reconcile McConnell’s plan and a $3.5 trillion coronavirus-relief bill that the House passed in May.
It is unknown exactly how many jobs airlines will cut. United Airlines sent layoff notices to 36,000 employees and warned pilots this week that there could be more furloughs - the industry’s term for termination of workers who have rehiring rights - later this year or in 2021. American Airlines notified 25,000 workers, Delta Air Lines warned more than 2,500 pilots, and smaller airlines also sent out notices. Southwest said it doesn’t expect to furlough anybody in 2020.
U.S. airlines had about 750,000 employees before the pandemic hit, according to their trade group.
The original payroll aid in grants and low-interest loans was approved as air travel collapsed by 95%. The money was intended to save airline jobs until travel rebounded, but that has not happened. Slow growth in May and June stopped in July, and U.S. air travel is still down more than 70% from a year ago.
House Transportation Committee Chairman Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., said in a letter Monday to House and Senate leaders of both parties that travel won’t recover by Oct. 1.
“Without further relief from Congress, mass layoffs among airline industry workers are inevitable - and their magnitude will eclipse those of any furloughs the industry has ever seen,” DeFazio wrote.
___
David Koenig can be reached at www.twitter.com/airlinewriter


washingtontimes--2020-08-01--France starts testing travelers from 16 nations for virus

PARIS ( AP ) - Travelers entering France from 16 countries where the coronavirus is circulating widely are having to undergo virus tests upon arrival at French airports and ports .
French Prime Minister Jean Castex announced last month that the tests would be required starting Aug. 1 for the arriving passengers France is allowing in from the listed countries unless they present proof of a negative test done within 72 hours of their departure .
Those who test positive in France as of Saturday must quarantine for 14 days .
France is not permitting general travel to and from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ United States and Brazil .
The testing requirement therefore only applies to people entering under limited circumstances - “ French citizens who live in these countries or citizens of these countries with an established residence in France , ” Castex has said .
Daniel Court was tested at Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport after coming in from the French Riviera city of Nice .
He acknowledged not loving the experience .
“ It ’ s very fast , but I have to say that it ’ s not very pleasant .
It is surprising @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Court said .
Another passenger who got tested after landing at Paris ’ main airport , Nadia Vusik of Belarus , said she thought the new policy made sense .
“ It is definitely necessary , and I am happy that in France it is possible to do right here .
It ’ s very convenient.
” Health authorities have said that the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases has jumped on the French mainland in recent weeks .
The government previously made mask-wearing mandatory in all indoor public spaces .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ imposing another nationwide lockdown after the one that brought the country to a standstill for nearly two months between March and May .

PARIS (AP) - Travelers entering France from 16 countries where the coronavirus is circulating widely now must undergo virus tests upon arrival at French airports and ports.
French Prime Minister Jean Castex announced last month that the tests would be required starting Aug. 1 for passengers France is allowing in from a list of approved countries unless they present proof of a negative test done within 72 hours of their departure.
Those who test positive in France as of Saturday must quarantine for 14 days.
France is not permitting general travel to and from the 16 countries, which include the United States and Brazil. The testing requirement therefore only applies to people entering under limited circumstances: French citizens who live in these countries or citizens of these countries with an established residence in France.
Daniel Court was tested at Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport after coming in from the French Riviera city of Nice. He acknowledged not loving the experience.
“It’s very fast, but I have to say that it’s not very pleasant,” he said. “But we have to do it.”
Another passenger who got tested after landing at Paris’ main airport, Nadia Vusik of Belarus, said she thought the new policy made sense.
“It is definitely necessary, and I am happy that in France it is possible to do right here. It’s very convenient,” she said.
French health authorities say the number of daily confirmed COVID-19 cases has jumped on the French mainland in recent weeks. The government has already made mask-wearing mandatory in all indoor public spaces.
France has had over 225,000 confirmed infections and over 30,200 virus-related deaths, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University, but experts say all numbers in the pandemic are too low for various reasons, including limited testing and missed cases.
The French government has so far ruled out imposing another nationwide lockdown after the one that brought the country to a standstill for nearly two months between March and May.
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Follow AP’s pandemic coverage at http://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak


washingtontimes--2020-08-01--Cliffs closed for nesting peregrine falcons have reopened

MONTPELIER , Vt. ( AP ) - Vermont cliffs that were closed to hikers and rock climbers during peregrine falcon @ @ @ @ @ starting Saturday .
The nesting season has ended and all young falcons have learned to @ @ @ @ @ disturbed by people on the cliffs , the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department said .
@ @ @ @ @ fledged , and nesting data suggest Vermont falcons had a very successful year , ” @ @ @ @ @ department ’ s migratory bird biologist .
A final report will come out later in @ @ @ @ @ .
More than 50 volunteers monitor the nest sites around the state from March to @ @ @ @ @ Morin said .
Biologists and volunteers monitored peregrine pairs on at least 56 Vermont cliffs @ @ @ @ @ an Audubon biologist , who coordinates the monitoring effort for the Fish & Wildlife Department @ @ @ @ @ from Vermont ’ s threatened and endangered species list in 2005 .

MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) - Vermont cliffs that were closed to hikers and rock climbers during peregrine falcon nesting season are back open starting Saturday.
The nesting season has ended and all young falcons have learned to fly and should not be disturbed by people on the cliffs, the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department said.
“The young peregrines have fledged, and nesting data suggest Vermont falcons had a very successful year,” said Doug Morin, the department’s migratory bird biologist. A final report will come out later in the year, he said.
More than 50 volunteers monitor the nest sites around the state from March to the end of July, Morin said. Biologists and volunteers monitored peregrine pairs on at least 56 Vermont cliffs, said Margaret Fowle, an Audubon biologist, who coordinates the monitoring effort for the Fish & Wildlife Department.
Peregrine falcons were removed from Vermont’s threatened and endangered species list in 2005.


washingtontimes--2020-08-01--Co-op seeks to diversify yoga to heal racialized trauma

DENVER ( AP ) - Beverly Grant spent years juggling many roles before yoga helped her restore her balance .
When not doting over her three children , she hosted her public affairs talk radio show , attended community meetings or handed out cups of juice at her roving Mo ’ Betta Green MarketPlace farmers market , which has brought local , fresh foods and produce to Denver ’ s food deserts for more than a decade .
Her busy schedule came to an abrupt halt on July 1 , 2018 , when her youngest son , Reese , 17 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restaurant .
He ’ d just graduated from high school and was weeks from starting at the University of Northern Colorado .
“ It ’ s literally a shock to your system , ” Grant , 58 , said of the grief that flooded her .
“ You feel physical pain and it affects your conscious and unconscious functioning .
Your ability to breathe is impaired .
Focus and concentration are sporadic at best .
You are not the same person that you were before.
” In the midst of debilitating loss , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meditation daily that helped provide some semblance of peace and balance .
She had previously done yoga videos at home but didn ’ t get certified as an instructor until just before her son ’ s death .
Yoga then continued to be a grounding force when the coronavirus pandemic hit in March .
The lockdown orders in Colorado sent her back to long days of isolation at home , where she was the sole caregiver for her special-needs daughter and father .
Then , in April , her 84-year-old mother died unexpectedly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ve been doing the best that I can with facing my new reality , ” said Grant .
As a Black woman , she believes yoga can help other people of color , who she said disproportionately share the experience of debilitating trauma and grief - exacerbated today by such disparities as who ’ s most at risk of COVID-19 and the racialized distress from ongoing police brutality such as the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis .
While the country still needs much work to heal itself , she wants more people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their health .
She said the ancient practice , which began in India more than 5,000 years ago and has historical ties to ancient Africa , is the perfect platform to help cope with the unique stressors caused by daily microaggressions and discrimination .
“ It helps you feel more empowered to deal with many situations that are beyond your control , ” said Grant .
She teaches yoga with Satya Yoga Cooperative , a Denver-based group operated by people of color that was launched in June 2019 , inspired partly by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The co-op ’ s mission : Offer yoga to members of diverse communities to help them deal with trauma and grief before it shows up in their bodies as mental health conditions , pain and chronic disease .
“ When I think about racism , I think about stress and how much stress causes illness in the body , ” said Satya founder Lakshmi Nair , who grew up in a Hindu family in Aurora .
“ We believe that yoga is medicine that has the power to heal.
” Satya ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ movement to diversify yoga nationwide .
From the Black Yoga Teachers Alliance to new Trap Yoga classes that incorporate the popular Southern hip-hop music style to the Yoga Green Book online directory that helps Black yoga-seekers find classes , change appears to be happening .
According to National Health Interview Survey data , the percentage of non-Hispanic Black adults who reported practicing yoga jumped from 2.5 % in 2002 to 9.3 % in 2017 .
Nair seeks to plant the seeds for more : The co-op is trying to make classes more accessible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It offers many classes on a “ pay what you can ” model , with $ 10 suggested donations per session .
Satya also hosts two intensive yoga instructor training sessions for people of color per year , with hopes to offer more , in an effort to diversify the pool of yoga providers .
Blacks and Latinos consistently top national health disparities lists , with elevated risks for obesity and chronic conditions such as heart disease , diabetes and some forms of cancer , which has made them more susceptible to contracting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ face an elevated risk for depression and other mental health conditions .
And a growing body of research asserts that racism and discrimination may be playing a larger factor than previously thought .
For example , an Auburn University study published in January concluded that Blacks experience higher levels of stress due to racism , resulting in accelerated aging and premature death .
Another study , from the American Heart Association , showed a link between Black people experiencing discrimination and developing increased risk for hypertension .
Yoga is obviously not a panacea @ @ @ @ @ @ @ positive results in helping people manage stress , and as a complement to therapeutic work on trauma .
Satya co-op member Taliah Abdullah , 48 , said stress brought on by a toxic work environment and family problems inspired her to finally attend classes .
The effect was so life-changing that she enrolled in Satya ’ s teacher training .
“ I didn ’ t know I needed this , but it ’ s really changed my life for the better , ” she said .
“ I feel like now I have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need to better navigate the world as a woman of color.
” At a Saturday morning class Grant led before the pandemic hit , five Latina and Black women and a lone Black man sat atop colorful yoga mats in a half-circle around Grant with smoke billowing around them from a copal-scented incense stick .
Grant spoke in hushed tones during the hour-long session , leading them through cat-cow , downward dog and boat poses .
The theme was more spiritual than physical , more relaxing than vigorous , as illustrated by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : “ We are resilient , we are grounded , we are complete .
And the spirit of love is in me.
” First-time attendee Ramon Gabrielof-Parish , 42 , a Black professor at Naropa University in Boulder , became so relaxed that at one point he began snoring .
He said that after an exhausting week he appreciated the serene vibe .
Sarah Naomi Jones , 37 , who graduated from Satya ’ s training , said the co-op provides a safe space to bond , vent and heal - a very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where many people of color often feel unwelcome .
She said she felt that icy reception when , as a Black yoga newbie , she attended an intensive yoga class mostly filled with white attendees .
“ When I walked in , it was kind of like , ‘ What are you doing here ?
’ ” recalled Jones .
“ The spiritual component was totally missing .
It wasn ’ t about healing .
It felt like everyone was there just to show off how much more stretchier they were than another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 39 , said the growth of yoga among people of color is a sign of yearning for more inclusivity in the practice .
His nonprofit , Im ’ Unique , regularly hosts “ Breakin ’ Bread , Breakin ’ Barriers ” yoga sessions with a diverse mix of attendees followed by a meal and discussion on topics such as police brutality , racism and mass incarceration .
“ We believe that yoga is a great unifier that brings people together , ” he said .
Because of the pandemic , Beverly has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the foreseeable future as a safety precaution .
Satya took a brief hiatus of in-person classes , Grant said , but now offers some classes outdoors in parks in addition to daily online classes .
Grant said that during the pandemic , even online classes could make a difference for individuals .
“ That ’ s the beauty of yoga , ” Grant said .
“ It can be done in a group .
It can be done individually .
It can be done virtually and , most importantly , it can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ”

DENVER (AP) - Beverly Grant spent years juggling many roles before yoga helped her restore her balance.
When not doting over her three children, she hosted her public affairs talk radio show, attended community meetings or handed out cups of juice at her roving Mo’ Betta Green MarketPlace farmers market, which has brought local, fresh foods and produce to Denver’s food deserts for more than a decade.
Her busy schedule came to an abrupt halt on July 1, 2018, when her youngest son, Reese, 17, was fatally stabbed outside a Denver restaurant. He’d just graduated from high school and was weeks from starting at the University of Northern Colorado.
“It’s literally a shock to your system,” Grant, 58, said of the grief that flooded her. “You feel physical pain and it affects your conscious and unconscious functioning. Your ability to breathe is impaired. Focus and concentration are sporadic at best. You are not the same person that you were before.”
In the midst of debilitating loss, Grant said it was practicing yoga and meditation daily that helped provide some semblance of peace and balance. She had previously done yoga videos at home but didn’t get certified as an instructor until just before her son’s death.
Yoga then continued to be a grounding force when the coronavirus pandemic hit in March. The lockdown orders in Colorado sent her back to long days of isolation at home, where she was the sole caregiver for her special-needs daughter and father. Then, in April, her 84-year-old mother died unexpectedly of natural causes. “I’ve been doing the best that I can with facing my new reality,” said Grant.
As a Black woman, she believes yoga can help other people of color, who she said disproportionately share the experience of debilitating trauma and grief - exacerbated today by such disparities as who’s most at risk of COVID-19 and the racialized distress from ongoing police brutality such as the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
While the country still needs much work to heal itself, she wants more people of color to try yoga to help their health. She said the ancient practice, which began in India more than 5,000 years ago and has historical ties to ancient Africa, is the perfect platform to help cope with the unique stressors caused by daily microaggressions and discrimination.
“It helps you feel more empowered to deal with many situations that are beyond your control,” said Grant.
She teaches yoga with Satya Yoga Cooperative, a Denver-based group operated by people of color that was launched in June 2019, inspired partly by the Black Lives Matter and #MeToo movements. The co-op’s mission: Offer yoga to members of diverse communities to help them deal with trauma and grief before it shows up in their bodies as mental health conditions, pain and chronic disease.
“When I think about racism, I think about stress and how much stress causes illness in the body,” said Satya founder Lakshmi Nair, who grew up in a Hindu family in Aurora. “We believe that yoga is medicine that has the power to heal.”
Satya’s efforts are part of a growing movement to diversify yoga nationwide. From the Black Yoga Teachers Alliance to new Trap Yoga classes that incorporate the popular Southern hip-hop music style to the Yoga Green Book online directory that helps Black yoga-seekers find classes, change appears to be happening. According to National Health Interview Survey data, the percentage of non-Hispanic Black adults who reported practicing yoga jumped from 2.5% in 2002 to 9.3% in 2017.
Nair seeks to plant the seeds for more: The co-op is trying to make classes more accessible and affordable for people of color. It offers many classes on a “pay what you can” model, with $10 suggested donations per session. Satya also hosts two intensive yoga instructor training sessions for people of color per year, with hopes to offer more, in an effort to diversify the pool of yoga providers.
Blacks and Latinos consistently top national health disparities lists, with elevated risks for obesity and chronic conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and some forms of cancer, which has made them more susceptible to contracting and dying of COVID-19. They also face an elevated risk for depression and other mental health conditions.
And a growing body of research asserts that racism and discrimination may be playing a larger factor than previously thought. For example, an Auburn University study published in January concluded that Blacks experience higher levels of stress due to racism, resulting in accelerated aging and premature death. Another study, from the American Heart Association, showed a link between Black people experiencing discrimination and developing increased risk for hypertension.
Yoga is obviously not a panacea for racism, but it has shown positive results in helping people manage stress, and as a complement to therapeutic work on trauma.
Satya co-op member Taliah Abdullah, 48, said stress brought on by a toxic work environment and family problems inspired her to finally attend classes. The effect was so life-changing that she enrolled in Satya’s teacher training.
“I didn’t know I needed this, but it’s really changed my life for the better,” she said. “I feel like now I have the tools and the toolbox that I need to better navigate the world as a woman of color.”
At a Saturday morning class Grant led before the pandemic hit, five Latina and Black women and a lone Black man sat atop colorful yoga mats in a half-circle around Grant with smoke billowing around them from a copal-scented incense stick.
Grant spoke in hushed tones during the hour-long session, leading them through cat-cow, downward dog and boat poses. The theme was more spiritual than physical, more relaxing than vigorous, as illustrated by the mantra she used to begin the class: “We are resilient, we are grounded, we are complete. And the spirit of love is in me.”
First-time attendee Ramon Gabrielof-Parish, 42, a Black professor at Naropa University in Boulder, became so relaxed that at one point he began snoring. He said that after an exhausting week he appreciated the serene vibe.
Sarah Naomi Jones, 37, who graduated from Satya’s training, said the co-op provides a safe space to bond, vent and heal - a very different vibe from predominately white yoga spaces where many people of color often feel unwelcome. She said she felt that icy reception when, as a Black yoga newbie, she attended an intensive yoga class mostly filled with white attendees.
“When I walked in, it was kind of like, ‘What are you doing here?’” recalled Jones. “The spiritual component was totally missing. It wasn’t about healing. It felt like everyone was there just to show off how much more stretchier they were than another person.”
Denver-based Black yogi Tyrone Beverly, 39, said the growth of yoga among people of color is a sign of yearning for more inclusivity in the practice. His nonprofit, Im’Unique, regularly hosts “Breakin’ Bread, Breakin’ Barriers” yoga sessions with a diverse mix of attendees followed by a meal and discussion on topics such as police brutality, racism and mass incarceration.
“We believe that yoga is a great unifier that brings people together,” he said.
Because of the pandemic, Beverly has moved all his events and classes online for the foreseeable future as a safety precaution. Satya took a brief hiatus of in-person classes, Grant said, but now offers some classes outdoors in parks in addition to daily online classes. Grant said that during the pandemic, even online classes could make a difference for individuals.
“That’s the beauty of yoga,” Grant said. “It can be done in a group. It can be done individually. It can be done virtually and, most importantly, it can be done at your own pace.”


washingtontimes--2020-08-01--AP FACT CHECK: Trump's election agitations and distortions

WASHINGTON ( AP ) - Heads snapped and eyes rolled when President Donald Trump made a case for considering an election postponement in the pandemic .
Republican and Democratic lawmakers , who agree on precious little , said forget about it .
Among them , Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell agreed Nov. 3 is set in stone .
But with Trump previewing his angry discontent if the election is not to his liking , will the foundational rock of the republic hold ?
Such questions will shadow the remainder of the campaign now that Trump has explicitly challenged a process @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wars , the Civil War and every existential calamity in history .
A look at Trump ’ s statement on the subject , his latest distortions of Democratic rival Joe Biden ’ s record and more from the past week : TRUMP : “ Must know Election results on the night of the Election , not days , months , or even years later !
” - tweet Thursday .
TRUMP : “ I want to have the result of the election .
I don ’ t want to be waiting around for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thursday .
THE FACTS : He ’ s demanding something no one can deliver .
The president appeared unaware that American democracy can ’ t be shaped to produce a same-day result to sate his impatience .
There ’ s certainly no requirement for a winner to be declared election night , and the prospect of having to wait to know who won has not been used as justification to try to delay the vote itself .
State election officials in some battleground states recently warned it may take days to count an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by mail because they don ’ t feel safe showing up to the polls .
In an election as close as 2016′s , a delayed tally in key states could keep the outcome from being quickly known .
Delayed results are common in a few states where elections are already conducted largely by mail .
But a presidential election hasn ’ t been left in limbo since 2000 , when ballot irregularities in Florida led to weeks of chaos and court fights .
TRUMP : “ With Universal Mail-In Voting ( not Absentee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2020 will be the most INACCURATE & FRAUDULENT Election in history .
It will be a great embarrassment to the USA .
Delay the Election until people can properly , securely and safely vote ?
?
?
” - tweet Thursday .
THE FACTS : Trump has persistently theorized about voter fraud and never supported those theories with facts .
He appointed a commission to get to the bottom of voter fraud and it disbanded without making any findings .
Time and again , voter fraud has proved exceedingly rare , and voting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more common .
Multiple checks , such as signature verification in many states , must happen before a ballot can be counted , and experts say any fraud can be detected .
Five states relied on mail-in ballots even before the coronavirus pandemic raised concerns about voting in person .
Those states say they have the necessary safeguards in place to ensure that a hostile foreign actor doesn ’ t co-opt the vote .
More states intend to rely more heavily on mail-in voting for the same reason .
“ Trump is simply @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tremendous ’ potential for fraud , ” Richard L. Hasen , an elections expert at the University of California , Irvine , School of Law , wrote recently .
“ While certain pockets of the country have seen their share of absentee-ballot scandals , problems are extremely rare in the five states that rely primarily on vote-by-mail , including the heavily Republican state of Utah.
” Indeed , election experts widely say that all forms of voter fraud are rare .
The Brennan Center for Justice in 2017 ranked the risk of ballot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 0.0009 % , based on studies of past elections .
Even so , Trump has sketched wild scenarios , recently imagining “ thousands and thousands of people sitting in somebody ’ s living room , signing ballots all over the place.
” As for the extraordinary step of moving the Nov. 3 election , the chances are almost nil .
The date of the presidential election - the Tuesday after the first Monday in November in every fourth year - is enshrined in federal law and would require an act of Congress to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House , will not support Trump on this .
Republicans , who control the Senate , are unlikely to , either .
TRUMP : “ Mail-In Voting is an easy way for foreign countries to enter the race.
” - tweet Thursday .
THE FACTS : No , it ’ s one of the most difficult ways for a foreign adversary to meddle in a U.S. election .
Swaying a federal election using absentee ballots would mean paying thousands of U.S. citizens , carefully selected in key cities in battleground states , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government and risk detection and prosecution .
Far easier and cheaper would be a social media campaign seeking to discourage certain groups of people from voting , something the FBI has already warned about .
Or launching a sophisticated cyberattack on voter registration data that would eliminate certain voters from the rolls , causing havoc at polling places or election offices as officials look to count ballots from people who are “ missing ” from their voter databases .
Last month Attorney General Bill Barr raised the possibility that a “ foreign country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ counterfeit ballots.
” He argued they would be hard to detect , but that ’ s been disputed by election experts .
Absentee ballots are printed on special paper and must be formatted correctly in order to be processed and counted .
Ballots are specific to each precinct , often with a long list of local races , and would be easily identified as fraudulent if everything didn ’ t match precisely .
“ This is a complete red herring , ” said Wendy Weiser , director of the democracy program at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s completely not plausible , and not something that security and election experts are actually worried about.
” TRUMP : “ Biden came out against fracking .
Well , that means Texas is going to be one of the most unemployed states in our country .
That means Oklahoma , North Dakota , New Mexico are going to be a disaster .
Ohio , Pennsylvania - disaster .
No fracking.
” - news conference Thursday .
THE FACTS : No , that ’ s not Biden ’ s position at all .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden misstated his fracking policy to suggest he ’ d ban it and his campaign quickly corrected the record .
Trump continually ignores the correction .
Biden has been otherwise consistent on his middle-of-the-road position , going so far as to tell an anti-fracking activist that he “ ought to vote for somebody else ” if he wanted an immediate fracking ban .
He proposes to deny new fracking permits only on federal lands .
Such a limited step can not spell “ disaster ” for entire states .
By far the most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : “ Joe Biden said he would defund the police .
Biden would defund them .
He ’ d abolish them , I guess.
” - remarks Thursday to New Hampshire supporters .
THE FACTS : We ’ ve heard this falsehood many times .
What ’ s new is that Trump was informed face to face nearly two weeks ago that Biden does not propose defunding or abolishing police , yet he is still saying it .
Biden actually proposes more money for police departments and he has explicitly rejected the calls @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or abolish departments .
He ’ d spend more to support improvements in police practices .
Two weeks ago , Fox News reporter Chris Wallace confronted Trump on the matter when the president tried to hang a defund-abolish label on Biden .
Trump cited a policy document drafted by aides to Biden and ex-rival Bernie Sanders .
It contains recommendations , not necessarily policies embraced by the candidate .
But even that document would not defund or wipe out police departments .
It seeks , for example , “ increased funding for officer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country , including for personal safety equipment and mental health services.
” TRUMP : “ We think we ’ re going to cut prescription drug prices 50 , 60 , even 70 % .
” - remarks Thursday to New Hampshire supporters .
TRUMP : “ What I have done will lead to a 50 % REDUCTION in prices , at least , & Big Pharma is not happy about it .
No other President would be able to produce what I have.
” - tweet Tuesday .
THE FACTS : No @ @ @ @ @ @ @ offing for drug prices .
Efforts announced last month by the president - such as allowing importation of medicines from countries where prices are lower - take time to roll out .
It remains to be seen how much they ’ ll move the needle on prices .
Drug importation , for example , requires regulatory actions to be taken and supply chains to be established , a tall order when the election is just three months away .
Trump has taken actions to reduce patient costs for some drugs , such as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ less ambitious than those in a bill from Speaker Nancy Pelosi that the House passed last year .
Her bill would authorize Medicare to negotiate prices for expensive medications and use savings from lower drug costs to establish Medicare coverage for dental care , hearing and vision .
She would cap Medicare recipients ’ out-of-pocket costs for medicines at $ 2,000 a year .
No limit exists on those annual costs now .
The vast majority of Medicare recipients have low drug costs , but the Kaiser Family Foundation estimated that in 2017 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much more , averaging $ 3,200 in a year .
Pelosi has challenged Trump to order Republican senators to pass her bill .
White House actions , while not insignificant , don ’ t amount to the massive changes Trump brags about .
One major initiative would give people on Medicare the option of limiting their out-of-pocket costs for insulin to $ 35 a month starting next year , by picking an “ enhanced ” prescription drug plan for a slightly higher premium .
TRUMP , on a U.S. intelligence assessment that Russia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Afghanistan to kill Americans there .
“ If it reached my desk I would have done something about it.
” - interview Tuesday with “ Axios on HBO.
” THE FACTS : His claim that the matter didn ’ t reach him is unconvincing .
The Associated Press reported in June that the assessment was included in at least one of Trump ’ s written daily intelligence briefings last year .
As well , then-national security adviser John Bolton told colleagues he briefed Trump on the intelligence assessment and the subject was the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president .
This was according to U.S. officials with direct knowledge of the intelligence who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the highly sensitive information publicly .
Trump said this past week he did not raise the matter in recent phone calls with Russian President Vladimir Putin .
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo would not tell senators in testimony whether he has brought it up with his Russian counterpart .
He said he discusses with the Russians all threats that they pose to Americans and U.S. interests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump wasn ’ t briefed on the suspected bounties because the assessment is not conclusive .
However presidents are commonly informed of the most consequential intelligence even if the findings are not complete , so they can make decisions about potential or emerging threats .
Associated Press writers Christina A. Cassidy in Atlanta , Ellen Knickmeyer in Oklahoma City and Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar and Zeke Miller in Washington contributed to this report .
EDITOR ’ S NOTE - A look at the veracity of claims by political figures .

WASHINGTON (AP) - Heads snapped and eyes rolled when President Donald Trump made a case for considering an election postponement in the pandemic. Republican and Democratic lawmakers, who agree on precious little, said forget about it.
Among them, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell agreed Nov. 3 is set in stone. But with Trump previewing his angry discontent if the election is not to his liking, will the foundational rock of the republic hold?
Such questions will shadow the remainder of the campaign now that Trump has explicitly challenged a process that has unfolded on schedule through world wars, the Civil War and every existential calamity in history.
A look at Trump’s statement on the subject, his latest distortions of Democratic rival Joe Biden’s record and more from the past week:
ELECTION AGITATION
TRUMP: “Must know Election results on the night of the Election, not days, months, or even years later!” - tweet Thursday.
TRUMP: “I want to have the result of the election. I don’t want to be waiting around for weeks and months.” - news conference Thursday.
THE FACTS: He’s demanding something no one can deliver. The president appeared unaware that American democracy can’t be shaped to produce a same-day result to sate his impatience.
There’s certainly no requirement for a winner to be declared election night, and the prospect of having to wait to know who won has not been used as justification to try to delay the vote itself.
State election officials in some battleground states recently warned it may take days to count an expected surge of ballots that people send by mail because they don’t feel safe showing up to the polls. In an election as close as 2016′s, a delayed tally in key states could keep the outcome from being quickly known.
Delayed results are common in a few states where elections are already conducted largely by mail. But a presidential election hasn’t been left in limbo since 2000, when ballot irregularities in Florida led to weeks of chaos and court fights.
___
TRUMP: “With Universal Mail-In Voting (not Absentee Voting, which is good), 2020 will be the most INACCURATE & FRAUDULENT Election in history. It will be a great embarrassment to the USA. Delay the Election until people can properly, securely and safely vote???” - tweet Thursday.
THE FACTS: Trump has persistently theorized about voter fraud and never supported those theories with facts. He appointed a commission to get to the bottom of voter fraud and it disbanded without making any findings.
Time and again, voter fraud has proved exceedingly rare, and voting without going to polling places has become more common.
Multiple checks, such as signature verification in many states, must happen before a ballot can be counted, and experts say any fraud can be detected.
Five states relied on mail-in ballots even before the coronavirus pandemic raised concerns about voting in person. Those states say they have the necessary safeguards in place to ensure that a hostile foreign actor doesn’t co-opt the vote. More states intend to rely more heavily on mail-in voting for the same reason.
“Trump is simply wrong about mail-in balloting raising a ‘tremendous’ potential for fraud,” Richard L. Hasen, an elections expert at the University of California, Irvine, School of Law, wrote recently. “While certain pockets of the country have seen their share of absentee-ballot scandals, problems are extremely rare in the five states that rely primarily on vote-by-mail, including the heavily Republican state of Utah.”
Indeed, election experts widely say that all forms of voter fraud are rare. The Brennan Center for Justice in 2017 ranked the risk of ballot fraud at an infinitesimal 0.00004% to 0.0009%, based on studies of past elections.
Even so, Trump has sketched wild scenarios, recently imagining “thousands and thousands of people sitting in somebody’s living room, signing ballots all over the place.”
As for the extraordinary step of moving the Nov. 3 election, the chances are almost nil.
The date of the presidential election - the Tuesday after the first Monday in November in every fourth year - is enshrined in federal law and would require an act of Congress to change. Democrats, who control the House, will not support Trump on this. Republicans, who control the Senate, are unlikely to, either.
___
TRUMP: “Mail-In Voting is an easy way for foreign countries to enter the race.” - tweet Thursday.
THE FACTS: No, it’s one of the most difficult ways for a foreign adversary to meddle in a U.S. election.
Swaying a federal election using absentee ballots would mean paying thousands of U.S. citizens, carefully selected in key cities in battleground states, who are willing to conspire with a foreign government and risk detection and prosecution.
Far easier and cheaper would be a social media campaign seeking to discourage certain groups of people from voting, something the FBI has already warned about. Or launching a sophisticated cyberattack on voter registration data that would eliminate certain voters from the rolls, causing havoc at polling places or election offices as officials look to count ballots from people who are “missing” from their voter databases.
Last month Attorney General Bill Barr raised the possibility that a “foreign country could print up tens of thousands of counterfeit ballots.” He argued they would be hard to detect, but that’s been disputed by election experts.
Absentee ballots are printed on special paper and must be formatted correctly in order to be processed and counted. Ballots are specific to each precinct, often with a long list of local races, and would be easily identified as fraudulent if everything didn’t match precisely.
“This is a complete red herring,” said Wendy Weiser, director of the democracy program at the Brennan Center for Justice. “It’s completely not plausible, and not something that security and election experts are actually worried about.”
___
BIDEN’S PLATFORM
TRUMP: “Biden came out against fracking. Well, that means Texas is going to be one of the most unemployed states in our country. That means Oklahoma, North Dakota, New Mexico are going to be a disaster. Ohio, Pennsylvania - disaster. No fracking.” - news conference Thursday.
THE FACTS: No, that’s not Biden’s position at all.
In a March 15 primary debate, Biden misstated his fracking policy to suggest he’d ban it and his campaign quickly corrected the record. Trump continually ignores the correction.
Biden has been otherwise consistent on his middle-of-the-road position, going so far as to tell an anti-fracking activist that he “ought to vote for somebody else” if he wanted an immediate fracking ban. He proposes to deny new fracking permits only on federal lands. Such a limited step cannot spell “disaster” for entire states. By far the most fracking happens on private land.
___
TRUMP: “Joe Biden said he would defund the police. Biden would defund them. He’d abolish them, I guess.” - remarks Thursday to New Hampshire supporters.
THE FACTS: We’ve heard this falsehood many times. What’s new is that Trump was informed face to face nearly two weeks ago that Biden does not propose defunding or abolishing police, yet he is still saying it.
Biden actually proposes more money for police departments and he has explicitly rejected the calls of some on the left to defund or abolish departments. He’d spend more to support improvements in police practices.
Two weeks ago, Fox News reporter Chris Wallace confronted Trump on the matter when the president tried to hang a defund-abolish label on Biden. Trump cited a policy document drafted by aides to Biden and ex-rival Bernie Sanders. It contains recommendations, not necessarily policies embraced by the candidate. But even that document would not defund or wipe out police departments.
It seeks, for example, “increased funding for officer health and well-being in police departments across the country, including for personal safety equipment and mental health services.”
___
PRESCRIPTION DRUGS
TRUMP: “We think we’re going to cut prescription drug prices 50, 60, even 70%.” - remarks Thursday to New Hampshire supporters.
TRUMP: “What I have done will lead to a 50% REDUCTION in prices, at least, & Big Pharma is not happy about it. No other President would be able to produce what I have.” - tweet Tuesday.
THE FACTS: No massive, across-the-board cuts are in the offing for drug prices.
Efforts announced last month by the president - such as allowing importation of medicines from countries where prices are lower - take time to roll out. It remains to be seen how much they’ll move the needle on prices.
Drug importation, for example, requires regulatory actions to be taken and supply chains to be established, a tall order when the election is just three months away.
Trump has taken actions to reduce patient costs for some drugs, such as insulin, but the steps have been less ambitious than those in a bill from Speaker Nancy Pelosi that the House passed last year. Her bill would authorize Medicare to negotiate prices for expensive medications and use savings from lower drug costs to establish Medicare coverage for dental care, hearing and vision.
She would cap Medicare recipients’ out-of-pocket costs for medicines at $2,000 a year. No limit exists on those annual costs now. The vast majority of Medicare recipients have low drug costs, but the Kaiser Family Foundation estimated that in 2017, about 1 million Medicare recipients paid much more, averaging $3,200 in a year.
Pelosi has challenged Trump to order Republican senators to pass her bill.
White House actions, while not insignificant, don’t amount to the massive changes Trump brags about. One major initiative would give people on Medicare the option of limiting their out-of-pocket costs for insulin to $35 a month starting next year, by picking an “enhanced” prescription drug plan for a slightly higher premium.
___
RUSSIAN BOUNTIES
TRUMP, on a U.S. intelligence assessment that Russia was paying a bounty to militants in Afghanistan to kill Americans there. “If it reached my desk I would have done something about it.” - interview Tuesday with “Axios on HBO.”
THE FACTS: His claim that the matter didn’t reach him is unconvincing.
The Associated Press reported in June that the assessment was included in at least one of Trump’s written daily intelligence briefings last year. As well, then-national security adviser John Bolton told colleagues he briefed Trump on the intelligence assessment and the subject was the sole purpose of that meeting with the president.
This was according to U.S. officials with direct knowledge of the intelligence who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the highly sensitive information publicly.
Trump said this past week he did not raise the matter in recent phone calls with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo would not tell senators in testimony whether he has brought it up with his Russian counterpart. He said he discusses with the Russians all threats that they pose to Americans and U.S. interests.
White House officials have argued that Trump wasn’t briefed on the suspected bounties because the assessment is not conclusive. However presidents are commonly informed of the most consequential intelligence even if the findings are not complete, so they can make decisions about potential or emerging threats.
___
Associated Press writers Christina A. Cassidy in Atlanta, Ellen Knickmeyer in Oklahoma City and Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar and Zeke Miller in Washington contributed to this report.
___
EDITOR’S NOTE - A look at the veracity of claims by political figures.
___
Find AP Fact Checks at http://apnews.com/APFactCheck
Follow @APFactCheck on Twitter: https://twitter.com/APFactCheck


washingtontimes--2020-08-01--Traffic control measures planned for NASCAR race day

LOUDON , N.H. ( AP ) - Traffic control measures will be in place as race fans head to and @ @ @ @ @ Speedway .
Sunday ’ s NASCAR Cup Series Foxwoods Resort Casino 310 starts at 3 @ @ @ @ @ congestion in the late afternoon and early evening .
That morning , Route 106 will @ @ @ @ @ one lane southbound from I-393 to the intersection of Shaker Road .
From that intersection @ @ @ @ @ there will be two northbound lanes and one southbound lanes .
From 3:30 p.m. to @ @ @ @ @ beone northbound and two southbound lanes on Route 106 .

LOUDON, N.H. (AP) - Traffic control measures will be in place as race fans head to and from the New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series Foxwoods Resort Casino 310 starts at 3 p.m., meaning the greatest congestion in the late afternoon and early evening.
That morning, Route 106 will be one lane northbound and one lane southbound from I-393 to the intersection of Shaker Road. From that intersection to the speedway entrance, there will be two northbound lanes and one southbound lanes.
From 3:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., there will beone northbound and two southbound lanes on Route 106.


washingtontimes--2020-08-01--Maine bear hunt nears as hunters can now set bait

AUGUSTA , Maine ( AP ) - Maine ’ s annual fall bear hunt is getting closer as hunters are @ @ @ @ @ for the animals in the woods .
It became legal for hunters to set bait @ @ @ @ @ hunting season in which it is legal to shoot bears over bait runs from Aug. @ @ @ @ @ The hunt continues until late November after the bait season is over , but the @ @ @ @ @ s bear hunt takes place over bait .
State wildlife officials have said the use @ @ @ @ @ a successful hunt , which is itself necessary to control the bear population .
Some @ @ @ @ @ claim , and have tried to roll back the use of bait over the years @

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) - Maine’s annual fall bear hunt is getting closer as hunters are now able to lay bait for the animals in the woods.
It became legal for hunters to set bait starting on Saturday. The hunting season in which it is legal to shoot bears over bait runs from Aug. 31 to Sept. 26.
The hunt continues until late November after the bait season is over, but the vast majority of Maine’s bear hunt takes place over bait. State wildlife officials have said the use of bait is necessary for a successful hunt, which is itself necessary to control the bear population.
Some animal welfare activists dispute that claim, and have tried to roll back the use of bait over the years.


washingtontimes--2020-08-01--COVID-19 leads to changes in fire camps, community briefings

MISSOULA , Mont .
( AP ) - Wildland firefighters already follow a lengthy list of safety and wardrobe rules : the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic has just made it a little longer .
New sleeping arrangements , meal deliveries and personal gear have all become part of the summer routine , according to Mike Goicoechea , a Type-I incident commander with the U.S. Forest Service ’ s Northern Region .
And while Montana has yet to engage in the typical August smoke and flames , crews have already got experience with the new protocols on fires in the Southwest .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ overseeing the XX fire near Tucson , Arizona .
His crew got based in a hotel that was closed due to COVID-19 restrictions , with local $ 400 fines for failure to wear face masks .
“ You can take 70 people into a hot zone and I can safely report nobody on my incident management team tested positive , ” Goicoechea said .
“ It tells me all this stuff we ’ ve been talking about works.
” One thing the public will notice about new wildfire pandemic protocols are changes in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ information officer would invite local residents to a school gym or park pavilion and give updates on the fire ’ s progress and crews ’ strategies .
Those in-person meetings won ’ t happen this summer .
Instead , extra incident command team members have been added to manage on-line conferences on Zoom , Facebook and other platforms to spread the word .
“ That was something new for all of us , ” Goicoechea said .
“ We ’ d have 800 to 1,000 folks every night for an hour , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to work pretty well .
And it saves some people from having to drive to the location .
That ’ s easier for people who can ’ t attend physically.
” Forest Service Region 1 spokesman Dan Hottle said the agency knows moving new people into remote areas makes people nervous about the spread of coronavirus .
“ We want to let people know the Forest Service is doing everything we can to protect people , ” Hottle said .
“ It ’ s a rapidly changing environment.
” On the crew side @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of one ” where small teams live and work together in isolation from other squads .
Instead of big fire camps that take over county fairgrounds or cow pastures , each module makes a spike camp at a safe distance from the fire and works independently .
“ That way if something does occur , you don ’ t take out the whole camp or team , ” Goicoechea said .
“ We ’ ve had a little bit of experience with this with things like Norovirus and strep throat.
” Instead of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meals now come to the firefighters packed like TV dinners .
Goicoechea said the one big complaint he ’ s heard was the loss of salad bars for fresh vegetables .
Tactically , firefighters are getting used to daily strategy briefings by computer or radio instead of in-person sessions .
Goicoechea said one place that gets tricky is in the field when a group of team leaders gathers around a map to position personnel .
Everyone has to be extra-careful about mask rules when the heads are close together .
“ In firefighting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ risks more serious than COVID , ” Goicoechea said .
“ This is another risk you have to put on your plate .
It ’ s part of the training we give to mitigate and identify those hazards .
Be methodical .
Protect your bubble .
Do everything you can to do your job .
”

MISSOULA, Mont. (AP) - Wildland firefighters already follow a lengthy list of safety and wardrobe rules: the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic has just made it a little longer.
New sleeping arrangements, meal deliveries and personal gear have all become part of the summer routine, according to Mike Goicoechea, a Type-I incident commander with the U.S. Forest Service’s Northern Region. And while Montana has yet to engage in the typical August smoke and flames, crews have already got experience with the new protocols on fires in the Southwest.
Goicoechea recently returned from a two-week stint overseeing the XX fire near Tucson, Arizona. His crew got based in a hotel that was closed due to COVID-19 restrictions, with local $400 fines for failure to wear face masks.
“You can take 70 people into a hot zone and I can safely report nobody on my incident management team tested positive,” Goicoechea said. “It tells me all this stuff we’ve been talking about works.”
One thing the public will notice about new wildfire pandemic protocols are changes in community outreach meetings. Typically, an information officer would invite local residents to a school gym or park pavilion and give updates on the fire’s progress and crews’ strategies. Those in-person meetings won’t happen this summer. Instead, extra incident command team members have been added to manage on-line conferences on Zoom, Facebook and other platforms to spread the word.
“That was something new for all of us,” Goicoechea said. “We’d have 800 to 1,000 folks every night for an hour, with time to submit questions. It seemed to work pretty well. And it saves some people from having to drive to the location. That’s easier for people who can’t attend physically.”
Forest Service Region 1 spokesman Dan Hottle said the agency knows moving new people into remote areas makes people nervous about the spread of coronavirus.
“We want to let people know the Forest Service is doing everything we can to protect people,” Hottle said. “It’s a rapidly changing environment.”
On the crew side, firefighters are deploying in “modules of one” where small teams live and work together in isolation from other squads. Instead of big fire camps that take over county fairgrounds or cow pastures, each module makes a spike camp at a safe distance from the fire and works independently.
“That way if something does occur, you don’t take out the whole camp or team,” Goicoechea said. “We’ve had a little bit of experience with this with things like Norovirus and strep throat.”
Instead of big catering tents and eating areas, meals now come to the firefighters packed like TV dinners. Goicoechea said the one big complaint he’s heard was the loss of salad bars for fresh vegetables.
Tactically, firefighters are getting used to daily strategy briefings by computer or radio instead of in-person sessions. Goicoechea said one place that gets tricky is in the field when a group of team leaders gathers around a map to position personnel. Everyone has to be extra-careful about mask rules when the heads are close together.
“In firefighting, there are a lot of other risks more serious than COVID,” Goicoechea said. “This is another risk you have to put on your plate. It’s part of the training we give to mitigate and identify those hazards. Be methodical. Protect your bubble. Do everything you can to do your job.”


washingtontimes--2020-08-01--Grants to help ensure health of Massachusetts bays

BOSTON ( AP ) - Several environmental organizations are sharing a nearly $ 100,000 grant to help improve the health of the ecosystems of Ipswich Bay , Massachusetts Bay and Cape Cod Bay .
The federal funds will be matched by almost $ 200,000 in municipal and private contributions , according to the state Office of Coastal Zone Management .
Projects funded through this year ’ s Healthy Estuaries Grants include water quality monitoring , resource management planning , and investigations of estuary habitats .
The Center for Coastal Studies will use its portion of the grant to expand its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ measures of coastal and ocean acidification .
The Mystic River Watershed Association will conduct an inventory of environmental conditions in Belle Isle Marsh .
The Merrimack River Watershed Council will collect data on water quality and bacteria in the river .
Salem Sound Coastwatch will investigate the impacts of docks and piers on seagrass in Salem Sound to ensure protection of an important fish habitat .
“ These grants apply federal funds to local projects that directly improve water quality and habitat conditions from Salisbury to Provincetown , ” Energy and Environmental Affairs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

BOSTON (AP) - Several environmental organizations are sharing a nearly $100,000 grant to help improve the health of the ecosystems of Ipswich Bay, Massachusetts Bay and Cape Cod Bay.
The federal funds will be matched by almost $200,000 in municipal and private contributions, according to the state Office of Coastal Zone Management.
Projects funded through this year’s Healthy Estuaries Grants include water quality monitoring, resource management planning, and investigations of estuary habitats.
The Center for Coastal Studies will use its portion of the grant to expand its existing water quality monitoring program to include measures of coastal and ocean acidification.
The Mystic River Watershed Association will conduct an inventory of environmental conditions in Belle Isle Marsh.
The Merrimack River Watershed Council will collect data on water quality and bacteria in the river.
Salem Sound Coastwatch will investigate the impacts of docks and piers on seagrass in Salem Sound to ensure protection of an important fish habitat.
“These grants apply federal funds to local projects that directly improve water quality and habitat conditions from Salisbury to Provincetown,” Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Kathleen Theoharides said in a statement.


washingtontimes--2020-08-01--Rhode Island deer hunting permits go on sale

PROVIDENCE , R.I. ( AP ) - Rhode Island ’ s deer hunting season may be more than a month @ @ @ @ @ now available .
The permits go on sale Saturday and can either be purchased online @ @ @ @ @ Management ’ s website or at any one of dozens of local sales agents .
@ @ @ @ @ antlered deer , or buck , permits or antlerless deer permits .
Hunters may also @ @ @ @ @ ” package permit for use in most of the state to take up to seven @ @ @ @ @ A limit of 350 “ All Outdoors ” packages are available on a first-come , @ @ @ @ @ hunting season kicks off with a youth archery season in parts of the state on @ @ @ @ @ followed by the Sept. 15 opener for all archers .
Zone 2 , which is @ @ @ @ @ state , opens to youth archers on Sept. 26 and 27 followed by the Oct. @ @ @ @ @ .

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - Rhode Island’s deer hunting season may be more than a month away, but permits are now available.
The permits go on sale Saturday and can either be purchased online at the Department of Environmental Management’s website or at any one of dozens of local sales agents.
Deer permits are sold as antlered deer, or buck, permits or antlerless deer permits. Hunters may also purchase one “All Outdoors” package permit for use in most of the state to take up to seven deer during the seasons. A limit of 350 “All Outdoors” packages are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
The deer hunting season kicks off with a youth archery season in parts of the state on Sept. 12 and 13, followed by the Sept. 15 opener for all archers. Zone 2, which is mostly western portions of the state, opens to youth archers on Sept. 26 and 27 followed by the Oct. 1 opener for all archers.


washingtontimes--2020-08-01--Trump's faith outreach aims to cast Democrats as the enemy

President Donald Trump ’ s reelection campaign is courting religious voters in part by seeking to portray Democrats as a threat to religious freedom - a pitch amplified by disputes over the issue during the coronavirus pandemic .
During an event last week outside Atlanta hosted by the campaign ’ s evangelical outreach effort , Christian surrogates touted the president ’ s record on advancing devout conservatives ’ priorities while casting Democrats as captive to an anti-religious agenda .
Two speakers singled out restrictions on singing in church imposed by California ’ s Democratic governor to help stem the spread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lawsuits from some pastors .
White House faith adviser Paula White-Cain appealed to Christians to trust the president over “ a very deceptive media.
” White-Cain , a fixture in Trump ’ s circle of religious conservative advisers , asserted that Democratic presidential hopeful and lifelong Roman Catholic Joe Biden was helping liberals to silence people of faith .
Biden is “ a Trojan horse for a very radical left agenda that is behind him that wants to take down our churches , ” White-Cain , often described as Trump ’ s personal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tied religion to love of country with the title “ Praise , Prayer , and Patriotism.
” A second of those events is set for Thursday in Las Vegas .
White-Cain ’ s appearance last week was her third in four days on behalf of Trump , after an online meeting with evangelical backers and a food distribution visit with presidential daughter and adviser Ivanka Trump as part of an administration pandemic aid program .
The pastor ’ s presence comes as the campaign steps up its already-active faith outreach with a stark @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ground on religious freedom .
Richard Lee , founding pastor at First Redeemer Church in Atlanta , told attendees at the Trump event that governors and mayors are “ bossing the churches around … to see what you will do in case ( Biden ) gets in office and they can come after you.
” Biden ’ s campaign has built a religious outreach effort of its own that ’ s seen as more robust than that of 2016 ’ s Democratic presidential nominee , Hillary Clinton .
It is even hoping that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ help him persuade some Christian conservative voters to abandon Trump .
But White-Cain blasted the former vice president for shifting leftward on abortion , an issue that promises to hurt Biden with some religious voters .
“ The Democratic Party today has been taken over by the spirit of the anti-Christ .
It ’ s an evil party , ” Lee told Trump supporters , adding that Democrats are not evil but “ wonderful people ” who have “ been deceived.
” Ryan Burge , a political scientist at Eastern Illinois University , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so subtle ” attempt to sour Christian voters on Democrats .
“ Trump wants to tap into that very base feeling of ‘ white Christianity is under attack , ’ ” Burge said .
“ It ’ s all posturing to set up this God gap , where if you ’ re a Christian - especially a white Christian - the Republican Party is going to protect you.
” The tactic is “ not based in any sort of reality , ” Burge noted , “ because Democrats have not elected atheists or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden ’ s team views his ease talking about faith as an asset that can be more powerful than total agreement on policy , but his campaign also has worked to connect his agenda to faith-focused values - most recently on a call this week highlighting the moral underpinning of his racial equality proposals .
Trump ’ s evangelical surrogates , meanwhile , point to the president ’ s successes on issues important to religious conservatives .
In addition to reshaping the federal judiciary with scores of conservative appointments , Trump this year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the anti-abortion March for Life event .
Trump ’ s administration also has set up an office at the Department of Health and Human Services to aid providers with religious or moral qualms about procedures such as abortion , for example , and spotlighted prayer in schools .
Trump ’ s support for the religious right ’ s policy goals has helped him push past the apparent mismatch between a twice-divorced president prone to occasional profanity and the conservative Christians whose support he has avidly courted since the 2016 campaign .
Indeed , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ event acknowledged that Trump , who voiced support for abortion two decades ago , can come across as undevout .
Trump “ has never tried to act like a pastor , ” White-Cain told the crowd in Georgia , where Trump backers were socially distancing in a hotel ballroom .
“ Let me tell you , he ain ’ t ever going to be like one.
” Ralph Reed , the veteran conservative strategist who founded the Faith & Freedom Coalition , suggested that God had a hand in elevating Trump , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his personality , ” to the White House .
Evangelicals for Trump , a campaign coalition-building effort , hosts three prayer calls weekly touting the president ’ s record , with more than 100 convened since the pandemic began .
That ’ s on top of faith-focused calls held by the campaign ’ s anti-abortion voter outreach effort and online events hosted under the “ Faith in America ” banner .
Vice President Mike Pence - a born-again Christian with a long track record in allying with fellow conservative evangelicals - recently launched @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stop this week in a second swing state , Florida .
But the GOP ’ s outreach goes beyond white evangelicals , who continue to give Trump favorable marks .
The campaign has a separate Catholic voter coalition , and on-the-ground engagement is underway in communities ranging from Jewish to Assyrian to Chaldean .
Voter registration , including drives at houses of worship , is a central focus .
And the president ’ s oldest child , Donald Trump Jr. , publicly marked Pioneer Day , a holiday significant for members of The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , during a recent visit to Utah .
Mike Mears , the Republican National Committee ’ s director of strategic partnerships and faith engagement , described the party ’ s engagement as “ full-throttled ” and a sign of religious voters ’ importance .
“ That is why we have consistently been in communities for years now , reaching out to people of faith across the religious spectrum , ” Mears said in a statement .
Associated Press religion coverage receives support from the Lilly Endowment through the Religion News Foundation .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign is courting religious voters in part by seeking to portray Democrats as a threat to religious freedom - a pitch amplified by disputes over the issue during the coronavirus pandemic.
During an event last week outside Atlanta hosted by the campaign’s evangelical outreach effort, Christian surrogates touted the president’s record on advancing devout conservatives’ priorities while casting Democrats as captive to an anti-religious agenda. Two speakers singled out restrictions on singing in church imposed by California’s Democratic governor to help stem the spread of the virus, limits that prompted lawsuits from some pastors.
White House faith adviser Paula White-Cain appealed to Christians to trust the president over “a very deceptive media.” White-Cain, a fixture in Trump’s circle of religious conservative advisers, asserted that Democratic presidential hopeful and lifelong Roman Catholic Joe Biden was helping liberals to silence people of faith.
Biden is “a Trojan horse for a very radical left agenda that is behind him that wants to take down our churches,” White-Cain, often described as Trump’s personal pastor, said during an event that tied religion to love of country with the title “Praise, Prayer, and Patriotism.” A second of those events is set for Thursday in Las Vegas.
White-Cain’s appearance last week was her third in four days on behalf of Trump, after an online meeting with evangelical backers and a food distribution visit with presidential daughter and adviser Ivanka Trump as part of an administration pandemic aid program. The pastor’s presence comes as the campaign steps up its already-active faith outreach with a stark message: Support the president or lose ground on religious freedom.
Richard Lee, founding pastor at First Redeemer Church in Atlanta, told attendees at the Trump event that governors and mayors are “bossing the churches around … to see what you will do in case (Biden) gets in office and they can come after you.”
Biden’s campaign has built a religious outreach effort of its own that’s seen as more robust than that of 2016’s Democratic presidential nominee, Hillary Clinton. It is even hoping that his long history of personal faith will help him persuade some Christian conservative voters to abandon Trump.
But White-Cain blasted the former vice president for shifting leftward on abortion, an issue that promises to hurt Biden with some religious voters.
“The Democratic Party today has been taken over by the spirit of the anti-Christ. It’s an evil party,” Lee told Trump supporters, adding that Democrats are not evil but “wonderful people” who have “been deceived.”
Ryan Burge, a political scientist at Eastern Illinois University, said Trump has made a “not so subtle” attempt to sour Christian voters on Democrats.
“Trump wants to tap into that very base feeling of ‘white Christianity is under attack,’” Burge said. “It’s all posturing to set up this God gap, where if you’re a Christian - especially a white Christian - the Republican Party is going to protect you.”
The tactic is “not based in any sort of reality,” Burge noted, “because Democrats have not elected atheists or nominated atheists in any systematic way.”
Biden’s team views his ease talking about faith as an asset that can be more powerful than total agreement on policy, but his campaign also has worked to connect his agenda to faith-focused values - most recently on a call this week highlighting the moral underpinning of his racial equality proposals.
Trump’s evangelical surrogates, meanwhile, point to the president’s successes on issues important to religious conservatives.
In addition to reshaping the federal judiciary with scores of conservative appointments, Trump this year became the first president to speak at the anti-abortion March for Life event. Trump’s administration also has set up an office at the Department of Health and Human Services to aid providers with religious or moral qualms about procedures such as abortion, for example, and spotlighted prayer in schools.
Trump’s support for the religious right’s policy goals has helped him push past the apparent mismatch between a twice-divorced president prone to occasional profanity and the conservative Christians whose support he has avidly courted since the 2016 campaign. Indeed, some speakers at last week’s event acknowledged that Trump, who voiced support for abortion two decades ago, can come across as undevout.
Trump “has never tried to act like a pastor,” White-Cain told the crowd in Georgia, where Trump backers were socially distancing in a hotel ballroom. “Let me tell you, he ain’t ever going to be like one.”
Ralph Reed, the veteran conservative strategist who founded the Faith & Freedom Coalition, suggested that God had a hand in elevating Trump, “with his imperfect past, and with his personality,” to the White House.
Evangelicals for Trump, a campaign coalition-building effort, hosts three prayer calls weekly touting the president’s record, with more than 100 convened since the pandemic began. That’s on top of faith-focused calls held by the campaign’s anti-abortion voter outreach effort and online events hosted under the “Faith in America” banner. Vice President Mike Pence - a born-again Christian with a long track record in allying with fellow conservative evangelicals - recently launched a faith-centered tour in Wisconsin that will stop this week in a second swing state, Florida.
But the GOP’s outreach goes beyond white evangelicals, who continue to give Trump favorable marks. The campaign has a separate Catholic voter coalition, and on-the-ground engagement is underway in communities ranging from Jewish to Assyrian to Chaldean. Voter registration, including drives at houses of worship, is a central focus.
And the president’s oldest child, Donald Trump Jr., publicly marked Pioneer Day, a holiday significant for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, during a recent visit to Utah.
Mike Mears, the Republican National Committee’s director of strategic partnerships and faith engagement, described the party’s engagement as “full-throttled” and a sign of religious voters’ importance.
“That is why we have consistently been in communities for years now, reaching out to people of faith across the religious spectrum,” Mears said in a statement.
__
Associated Press religion coverage receives support from the Lilly Endowment through the Religion News Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for this content.