washingtontimes--2020-11-07--The Latest: Real Madrid's Hazard, Casemiro test positive

The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world : Real Madrid forward Eden Hazard @ @ @ @ @ positive for COVID-19 .
The Spanish club said all other first-team players , coaches and @ @ @ @ @ on Friday .
Coronavirus protocols require the 29-year-old Hazard and 28-year-old Casemiro to isolate .
@ @ @ @ @ on Sunday .
Hazard had been named in Belgium ’ s squad for upcoming international @ @

The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world:
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The Chicago Bears placed backup safety Deon Bush on the Reserve/COVID-19 list.
Bush becomes the latest addition in a week where two players tested positive, another was placed on it as a close contact, and the team closed its facility and canceled practice. Chicago plays at Tennessee on Sunday.
Starting right guard Germain Ifedi and backup offensive tackle Jason Spriggs were placed on the list on Tuesday. Coach Matt Nagy indicated this week that Spriggs tested positive for the coronavirus and Ifedi was put on it because of a close contact.
The Bears canceled practice and closed their facility Thursday after another player tested positive for COVID-19.
They we’re cleared that night by the NFL to practice the next day, and Ifedi was activated on Friday.
Bush has played in six games this season.
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The Los Angeles Chargers have placed cornerback Brandon Facyson on the reserve/COVID-19 list.
The list is for players who either test positive or have been in close contact with an infected person. This is the second straight week Los Angeles has placed someone on the list after not having a positive test during training camp or the regular season. Offensive guard Ryan Groy tested positive on Oct. 28.
Facyson was listed with “illness” on Friday’s injury report. The team added wide receiver Keenan Allen to Saturday’s injury report with “illness” with his status as questionable.
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Spanish club Granada wants its soccer match at leader Real Sociedad on Sunday to be postponed.
The club has asked the Spanish league to reschedule the game in San Sebastián as it does not have enough players after an unspecified number of its team members tested positive.
The league has not officially responded to the request made on Saturday.
The Spanish league’s anti-contagion protocols and testing have managed to avoid any major problems for its 20-team top flight since it resumed play in June after a three-month stoppage caused by the pandemic.
Spain’s second division has had matches rescheduled due to outbreaks.
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Real Madrid forward Eden Hazard and midfielder Casemiro have tested positive for COVID-19.
The Spanish club said all other first-team players, coaches and employees were negative from testing on Friday.
Coronavirus protocols require the 29-year-old Hazard and 28-year-old Casemiro to isolate.
The team plays at Valencia on Sunday.
Hazard had been named in Belgium’s squad for upcoming international games.
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More AP sports: https://apnews.com/apf-sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports


washingtontimes--2020-11-07--WMU ending partnership with Cooley Law School

KALAMAZOO , Mich. ( AP ) - Western Michigan University is ending its partnership with Cooley Law School .
Trustees voted Thursday to end the collaboration and wind things down over three years .
The school won ’ t have WMU in its name .
The association began in 2013 .
“ The affiliation with Cooley made sense at a time when new ventures for extending the University ’ s reach could be explored and given time to mature , ” said WMU President Edward Montgomery .
“ Today , the pandemic is impacting every aspect of our lives .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ focusing on our core mission as we chart a course for an even stronger post-pandemic WMU.
” Cooley once had nearly 4,000 students , with locations in Lansing , Ann Arbor , Grand Rapids , Auburn Hills and Riverview , Florida .
It will be down to Lansing and Florida next year , the Lansing State Journal reported .
“ The end of the ( WMU ) affiliation will not affect our ability to continue to deliver a quality student experience as we have over the course of our 48-year history , ” @ @ @ @ @ @

KALAMAZOO, Mich. (AP) - Western Michigan University is ending its partnership with Cooley Law School.
Trustees voted Thursday to end the collaboration and wind things down over three years. The school won’t have WMU in its name. The association began in 2013.
“The affiliation with Cooley made sense at a time when new ventures for extending the University’s reach could be explored and given time to mature,” said WMU President Edward Montgomery. “Today, the pandemic is impacting every aspect of our lives. … As a result, we are focusing on our core mission as we chart a course for an even stronger post-pandemic WMU.”
Cooley once had nearly 4,000 students, with locations in Lansing, Ann Arbor, Grand Rapids, Auburn Hills and Riverview, Florida. It will be down to Lansing and Florida next year, the Lansing State Journal reported.
“The end of the (WMU) affiliation will not affect our ability to continue to deliver a quality student experience as we have over the course of our 48-year history,” Cooley President James McGrath said.


washingtontimes--2020-11-07--Without Ginsburg, high court support for health law in doubt

WASHINGTON ( AP ) - Until six weeks ago , defenders of the Affordable Care Act could take comfort in some simple math .
Five Supreme Court justices who had twice preserved the Obama-era health care law remained on the bench and seemed unlikely votes to dismantle it .
But Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg ’ s death in mid-September and her replacement by Amy Coney Barrett barely a month later have altered the equation as the court prepares to hear arguments Tuesday in the third major legal challenge in the law ’ s 10-year existence .
Republican attorneys general in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administratio n , are arguing that the whole law should be struck down because of a change made by the Republican-controlled Congress in 2017 that reduced the penalty for not having health insurance to zero .
A court ruling invalidating the entire law would threaten coverage for more than 23 million people .
It would wipe away protections for people with preexisting medical conditions , subsidized insurance premiums that make coverage affordable for millions of Americans and an expansion of the Medicaid program that is available to low-income people in most states .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ severable from the mandate , ” Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton told the court in a written filing .
The Republicans are pressing this position even though congressional efforts to repeal the entire law have failed , including in July 2017 when then-Arizona Sen. John McCain delivered a dramatic thumbs-down vote to a repeal effort by fellow Republicans .
Barrett is one of three appointees of President Donald Trump who will be weighing the latest legal attack on the law popularly known as “ Obamacare.
” Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first time hearing a major case over the health law as justices , although Kavanaugh took part in the the first round of suits over it when he was a federal appeals court judge .
Of the other justices , Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Stepehen Breyer , Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor have voted to uphold the law .
Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas have voted for strike it all down .
The case is being argued at an unusual moment , a week after the presidential election , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ winning the White House .
Control of the Senate also is hanging in the balance .
The political environment aside , the practical effects of the repeal of the tax penalty have surprised many health care policy experts .
They predicted that getting rid of the penalty would lead over time to several million people dropping coverage , mostly healthier enrollees , and as a result , premiums for the law ’ s subsidized private insurance would rise because remaining customers would tend to be in poorer health .
But that hasn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Enrollment in the law ’ s insurance markets stayed relatively stable at more than 11 million people , even after the effective date of the penalty ’ s elimination in 2019 .
According to the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation , enrollment dropped by about 300,000 people from 2018 to 2019 .
Kaiser estimates 11.4 million people have coverage this year .
Enrollment has fallen by more than 1 million people in the Trump years , but most of that happened before the penalty was repealed , not after .
Premiums have also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
An additional 12 million people have coverage through the law ’ s Medicaid expansion .
Some policy experts are now reassessing the importance of the coverage requirement and its fines .
The thinking is that the law ’ s benefits - coverage for preexisting conditions and subsidized premiums - may be more powerful motivators for consumers than the penalty .
“ Enrollment doesn ’ t seem to have skewed towards sicker people as many expected without a mandate penalty , ” said Larry Levitt of the Kaiser Foundation .
“ The carrot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ powerful than the stick of the mandate.
” Barrett ’ s confirmation hearings featured a sort of role reversal , with Democrats predicting the law ’ s doom with Barrett on the court and Republicans playing down the prospects for a ruling that would completely upend the law .
Without tipping her hand about her eventual vote , Barrett talked at length about the legal doctrine of severability .
Even if the justices agree that the law ’ s mandate to buy health insurance is unconstitutional because Congress repealed the penalties for not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rest of the law alone .
That would be consistent with other rulings in which the court excised a problematic provision from a law that was otherwise allowed to remain in force .
A limited ruling would have little real-world consequence .
The case could also be rendered irrelevant if the new Congress were to restore a modest penalty for not buying health insurance .

MARK SHERMAN and RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR

WASHINGTON (AP) - Until six weeks ago, defenders of the Affordable Care Act could take comfort in some simple math. Five Supreme Court justices who had twice preserved the Obama-era health care law remained on the bench and seemed unlikely votes to dismantle it.
But Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s death in mid-September and her replacement by Amy Coney Barrett barely a month later have altered the equation as the court prepares to hear arguments Tuesday in the third major legal challenge in the law’s 10-year existence.
Republican attorneys general in 18 states, backed by the Trump administratio n, are arguing that the whole law should be struck down because of a change made by the Republican-controlled Congress in 2017 that reduced the penalty for not having health insurance to zero.
A court ruling invalidating the entire law would threaten coverage for more than 23 million people. It would wipe away protections for people with preexisting medical conditions, subsidized insurance premiums that make coverage affordable for millions of Americans and an expansion of the Medicaid program that is available to low-income people in most states.
“No portion of the ACA is severable from the mandate,” Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton told the court in a written filing. The Republicans are pressing this position even though congressional efforts to repeal the entire law have failed, including in July 2017 when then-Arizona Sen. John McCain delivered a dramatic thumbs-down vote to a repeal effort by fellow Republicans.
Barrett is one of three appointees of President Donald Trump who will be weighing the latest legal attack on the law popularly known as “Obamacare.” Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh are the others. It’s their first time hearing a major case over the health law as justices, although Kavanaugh took part in the the first round of suits over it when he was a federal appeals court judge.
Of the other justices, Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Stepehen Breyer, Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor have voted to uphold the law. Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas have voted for strike it all down.
The case is being argued at an unusual moment, a week after the presidential election, with Democrat Joe Biden on the cusp of winning the White House. Control of the Senate also is hanging in the balance.
The political environment aside, the practical effects of the repeal of the tax penalty have surprised many health care policy experts. They predicted that getting rid of the penalty would lead over time to several million people dropping coverage, mostly healthier enrollees, and as a result, premiums for the law’s subsidized private insurance would rise because remaining customers would tend to be in poorer health.
But that hasn’t happened – at least not yet.
Enrollment in the law’s insurance markets stayed relatively stable at more than 11 million people, even after the effective date of the penalty’s elimination in 2019. According to the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation, enrollment dropped by about 300,000 people from 2018 to 2019. Kaiser estimates 11.4 million people have coverage this year.
Enrollment has fallen by more than 1 million people in the Trump years, but most of that happened before the penalty was repealed, not after.
Premiums have also remained stable since the penalty was repealed.
An additional 12 million people have coverage through the law’s Medicaid expansion.
Some policy experts are now reassessing the importance of the coverage requirement and its fines. The thinking is that the law’s benefits - coverage for preexisting conditions and subsidized premiums - may be more powerful motivators for consumers than the penalty.
“Enrollment doesn’t seem to have skewed towards sicker people as many expected without a mandate penalty,” said Larry Levitt of the Kaiser Foundation. “The carrot of the subsidies has been much more powerful than the stick of the mandate.”
Barrett’s confirmation hearings featured a sort of role reversal, with Democrats predicting the law’s doom with Barrett on the court and Republicans playing down the prospects for a ruling that would completely upend the law.
Without tipping her hand about her eventual vote, Barrett talked at length about the legal doctrine of severability. Even if the justices agree that the law’s mandate to buy health insurance is unconstitutional because Congress repealed the penalties for not complying, they could still leave the rest of the law alone. That would be consistent with other rulings in which the court excised a problematic provision from a law that was otherwise allowed to remain in force.
A limited ruling would have little real-world consequence. The case could also be rendered irrelevant if the new Congress were to restore a modest penalty for not buying health insurance.
A decision is expected by late spring.


washingtontimes--2020-11-07--Boy, 16, faces murder charge in shooting that killed 1

FRANKLIN , Ind .
( AP ) - A 16-year-old suburban Indianapolis boy has been charged as an adult in the fatal shooting of another teen who witnesses told police he had planned to engage in a fist fight .
Marcus Anthony Salatin of Greenwood was charged Thursday with murder and criminal recklessness in the Oct. 31 killing of Kashius Davis , 15 .
The Bargersville teen was found dead in a vehicle in a Greenwood subdivision with multiple gunshot wounds .
Johnson County Prosecutor Joseph Villanueva in a statement Thursday said Salatin was charged as an adult because people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time of an alleged offense can not be charged with murder in the juvenile court system .
Police arrived at the shooting scene just south of Indianapolis and found three teenagers in a Jeep , with Davis dead , another teen with a gunshot wound to the leg and the third uninjured .
Both survivors identified Salatin as the shooter and officers found eight 9mm shell casings at the scene , according to court documents .
The survivors told officers they drove with Davis to the neighborhood for a pre-arranged fist fight between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was shot in the leg told police he saw Salatin pull out a gun and “ empty a clip ” into the car before Davis could leave the vehicle .
He said Davis and Salatin had messaged each other for several days over a previous dispute involving an alleged theft .
Salatin was being held without bond at the Johnson County jail .
Online court records do not list an attorney who could speak on behalf of Salatin .
He faces an initial hearing Tuesday .

FRANKLIN, Ind. (AP) - A 16-year-old suburban Indianapolis boy has been charged as an adult in the fatal shooting of another teen who witnesses told police he had planned to engage in a fist fight.
Marcus Anthony Salatin of Greenwood was charged Thursday with murder and criminal recklessness in the Oct. 31 killing of Kashius Davis, 15. The Bargersville teen was found dead in a vehicle in a Greenwood subdivision with multiple gunshot wounds.
Johnson County Prosecutor Joseph Villanueva in a statement Thursday said Salatin was charged as an adult because people over the age of 16 at the time of an alleged offense cannot be charged with murder in the juvenile court system.
Police arrived at the shooting scene just south of Indianapolis and found three teenagers in a Jeep, with Davis dead, another teen with a gunshot wound to the leg and the third uninjured.
Both survivors identified Salatin as the shooter and officers found eight 9mm shell casings at the scene, according to court documents.
The survivors told officers they drove with Davis to the neighborhood for a pre-arranged fist fight between Davis and Salatin. The teen who was shot in the leg told police he saw Salatin pull out a gun and “empty a clip” into the car before Davis could leave the vehicle.
He said Davis and Salatin had messaged each other for several days over a previous dispute involving an alleged theft.
Salatin was being held without bond at the Johnson County jail. Online court records do not list an attorney who could speak on behalf of Salatin. He faces an initial hearing Tuesday.


washingtontimes--2020-11-07--AP FACT CHECK: Trump's errant assault on election integrity

WASHINGTON ( AP ) - The most direct attempt to undermine the integrity of the U.S. election with bad information came not from overseas sources or online liars but from a president standing behind the presidential seal at the White House and facing defeat .
President Donald Trump spoke of “ horror stories ” in voting and counting across the land but his stories were wrong .
Election officials , Democrats and some Republicans blanched at his baseless recitation of sinister doings and his effort to delegitimize democracy ’ s highest calling .
Since the tide turned after election night @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the counting , Trump lashed out at results he didn ’ t like , often lapsing into all-capital letters with his hectoring .
Biden stayed low for several days after the vote , making measured statements when he did appear .
A sampling of the rhetoric from a transformational week : TRUMP : “ We ’ re hearing stories that are horror stories .
… We think there is going to be a lot of litigation because we have so much evidence and so much proof.
” - remarks Thursday night from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ produced no evidence of systematic problems in voting or counting .
In fact , the ballot-counting process across the country has been running smoothly for the most part , even with the U.S. in the throes of the coronavirus pandemic .
One of his main complaints , that counting spilled over past Election Day , is meritless .
No presidential election has had all the votes counted the same day and there is no law or even expectation that that should be the case .
The surge in mailed ballots and the high @ @ @ @ @ @ @ usual in some , but not all , cases .
TRUMP : “ In Pennsylvania , partisan Democrats have allowed ballots in the state to be received three days after the election and we think much more than that and they are counting those without any postmarks or any identification whatsoever.
” - Thursday night .
THE FACTS : “ Partisan Democrats ” didn ’ t ordain this .
It was the state Supreme Court that ruled ballots mailed before the end of Election Day could be received up to three days later @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when Pennsylvania flipped and gave Biden the lead Friday , that was on the basis of votes cast before the end of Election Day .
Ballots received after Tuesday were held apart from the rest and not part of the tally when Trump made his complaint .
The U.S. Supreme Court examined the case and did not stand in the way of the three-day time frame .
It may review the matter again later .
A number of other states have also made accommodations for the crush of mailed ballots .
TRUMP : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state Supreme Court to try and ban our election observers .
… They don ’ t want anybody in there .
They don ’ t want anybody watching them while they are counting the ballots.
” - Thursday night .
THE FACTS : That ’ s false .
He is wholly misrepresenting a court case in the state .
No one tried to ban poll watchers representing each side in the election .
Democrats did not try to stop Republican representatives from being able to observe the process .
The main issue in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the parties could get to election workers who are processing mail-in ballots in Philadelphia .
The Trump campaign sued to allow the observers to get closer than the guidelines had allowed .
A court ruled in favor of that request .
TRUMP : “ Our campaign has been denied access to observe any counting in Detroit.
” - Thursday night .
Absentee ballots were counted at a downtown convention center , where some 134 counting boards were set up .
Each party was allowed one poll watcher per board , said City Clerk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not aware of any Republican poll watchers being removed but noted some had been “ very aggressive , trying to intimidate the poll workers and processors.
” Mark Brewer , former chairman of the Michigan Democratic Party , said he was inside the convention center and access was cut off to some people from both sides at one point because of capacity restrictions related to the pandemic .
TRUMP : “ The election apparatus in Georgia is run by Democrats.
” - Thursday night .
THE FACTS : No , the state ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger .
TRUMP : “ The 11th Circuit ruled that in Georgia the votes have to be in by Election Day , that they should be in by Election Day .
And they weren ’ t .
Votes are coming in after Election Day.
” - Thursday night .
THE FACTS : That ’ s not an accurate description of the ruling in question or what happened in the election in Georgia .
Although the 11th U.S .
Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that votes must be in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to count , an exception was made for ballots from the members of U.S. military serving overseas .
Those could be received until 5 p.m. Friday and still count .
Election officials in Georgia are still counting votes , but they are votes that have been lawfully received .
TRUMP : “ If you count the legal votes , I easily win .
if you count the illegal votes , they can try to steal the election from us.
” - Thursday night .
THE FACTS : This is baseless .
Neither Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ identified substantial numbers of “ illegal ” votes , much less the mammoth numbers it would take to ruin an easy win by Trump in an election where more than 140 million people voted .
He frequently speaks as if mail-in voting itself is illegitimate .
But it unfolded in accordance with state voting rules , in some cases adapted by officials to help voters get through the pandemic safely .
TRUMP : “ We were winning in all the key locations by a lot , actually .
And then our number started @ @ @ @ @ @ @ - Thursday night .
THE FACTS : He has no foundation to make this accusation .
The change in fortunes he speaks about is explained by the nature of vote counting in the states , not by any sudden surge of malfeasance that others have not seen .
And it not happen in “ secret ” any more than his initial leads developed in secret .
Often , big cities are slower to report their numbers , and those votes tend skew Democratic .
Likewise , many states tend to count mail-in ballots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That portion of the vote has tended to favor Biden , particularly because Trump urged his supporters in advance to avoid mail-in voting and to vote in person either early or on Election Day .
Trump finished election night with leads in Pennsylvania , Michigan , Wisconsin and Georgia , among the states most in play , then saw his advantage begin to fray Wednesday and past that .
TRUMP : “ ANY VOTE THAT CAME IN AFTER ELECTION DAY WILL NOT BE COUNTED !
- tweet Thursday .
THE FACTS : Not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ votes received in the mail after Tuesday were counted in many places , and legally .
Roughly 20 states allow for late-arriving ballots .
KELLYANNE CONWAY , unofficial Trump adviser : “ Why are we in such a rush to finish this election prematurely ?
Let ’ s be patient .
Let ’ s take a deep breath .
Let ’ s count every legal vote .
I think it ’ s a time to be methodical and not emotional.
” - Thursday on “ Fox & Friends.
” TRUMP , less than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COUNT !
” - tweet .
THE FACTS : The count went on .
A president doesn ’ t control ballot counting .
But if state and local officials had somehow stopped counting all at once , that would have frozen a tally that had Biden ahead in electoral and popular votes .
In reality , Trump wanted counting stopped only in undecided key states where he was ahead and Biden might catch up , not the reverse .
A variety of Trump ’ s advisers insisted the president wanted a full and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contradicted by his tweets and other statements .
TRUMP : “ We want all voting to stop.
” - statement to supporters in the White House early Wednesday morning .
THE FACTS : This was not a coherent demand or complaint .
Voting stopped everywhere on Tuesday , Election Day .
Voting had even stopped in Hawaii , where the clock is five hours behind Washington , when he appeared in the East Room after 2 a.m .
He may have meant counting should stop .
But state and local officials have never @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election in one day , there is no obligation for them to do so and they did not stop in response .
“ IF YOU COUNT THE LEGAL VOTES , I EASILY WIN THE ELECTION !
IF YOU COUNT THE ILLEGAL AND LATE VOTES , THEY CAN STEAL THE ELECTION FROM US !
” - statement released Thursday .
THE FACTS : He presented no calculation to back this up , or evidence of late votes or illegal ones .
People could not vote after Election Day .
If by late votes he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s routine and legal to finish counting in days ahead .
The great number of ballots cast by mail in the pandemic and the intense interest in the election gave officials far more to count and they never finish in one day in normal times anyway .
TRUMP : “ We have claimed , for Electoral Vote purposes , the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania ( which won ’ t allow legal observers ) the State of Georgia , and the State of North Carolina , each one of which has a BIG Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the State of Michigan if , in fact … there was a large number of secretly dumped ballots as has been widely reported.
” - tweets Wednesday .
THE FACTS : Presidents don ’ t get to “ hereby claim ” election victories .
No candidates for office do .
The U.S. government does not count the ballots in a U.S. election or conduct the vote .
State and local officials do that .
The winner of a presidential election is determined by the number of electoral votes gained in each state .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and may be by the Supreme Court .
As for the rest of his tweet , his leads at the time in Georgia and North Carolina were not “ Big ” and his substantial opening lead in Pennsylvania was coming down as more mail ballots and other ballots were counted in Democratic-leaning areas .
He was wrong to say Pennsylvania did not let observers from the campaign watch the processing of votes ; it did .
But a judge sided with Trump in ruling campaign observers could get closer to the processing of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so they could see it better .
He offered no evidence about “ secretly dumped ballots ” in Michigan but has generally tried to assign nefarious motives to voting procedures that actually were carried out according to authorized guidelines .
His campaign manager , Bill Stepien , also told fabricated stories of shenanigans , asserting to reporters Thursday that “ every night the president goes to bed with a lead ” and every night new votes “ are mysteriously found in a sack.
” That day , courts in Georgia and Michigan dismissed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : “ For the first time ever , we lost zero races in the House .
I was talking to ( House Republican leader ) Kevin McCarthy today .
He said he couldn ’ t believe it : zero races .
Very unusual thing .
Zero.
” - Thursday night .
THE FACTS : Far from zero .
Republicans lost more than 200 House races .
But no GOP incumbents lost their races in counting so far .
TRUMP : “ Get out & VOTE !
Under my Administration , our ECONOMY is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 33.1 % .
Next year will be the GREATEST ECONOMIC YEAR in American History !
- his final tweet of the campaign to deal with his record .
THE FACTS : That ’ s a distorted snapshot of the economy and not measure of its current performance .
The economy indeed grew by a record 33.1 % annual rate in the July-September quarter but it followed the economy ’ s plunge in the spring and did not make up for lost ground .
The U.S. government ’ s estimate of third-quarter growth showed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two-thirds of the output that was lost early this year when the eruption of the virus closed businesses , threw tens of millions out of work and caused the deepest recession since the Great Depression .
Since the third quarter , the economy has been weakening again .
Coranavirus infections have spiked , hiring has sagged and Washington ’ s emergency economic aid has run out , with no more help in sight this year .
Gregory Daco , chief U.S. economist at Oxford Economics , noted that the record-high third quarter growth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ product “ tells us little , if anything , about momentum ” in the current quarter .
“ The strong GDP performance gives a false impression of the economy ’ s true health , ” Daco wrote in a research note .
“ We anticipate a much slower second phase of the recovery.
” Associated Press writers Maryclaire Dale in Philadelphia , Amanda Seitz in Chicago , Christina A. Cassidy in Atlanta and Colleen Long , Brian Slodysko and Hope Yen in Washington contributed to this report .
EDITOR ’ S NOTE - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by political figures .

WASHINGTON (AP) - The most direct attempt to undermine the integrity of the U.S. election with bad information came not from overseas sources or online liars but from a president standing behind the presidential seal at the White House and facing his defeat.
In the hours before his election loss Saturday, President Donald Trump spoke of “horror stories” in voting and counting across the land, but his stories were wrong. Election officials, Democrats and some Republicans blanched at his baseless recitation of sinister doings and his effort to delegitimize democracy’s highest calling.
But he did not stop even after Pennsylvania delivered the presidency to Democrat Joe Biden.
Since the tide turned after election night and Biden gained strength on his way to victory, Trump lashed out at results he didn’t like, often lapsing into all-capital letters with his hectoring. Biden stayed low for several days after the vote, making measured statements when he did appear.
Trump persisted in misrepresenting developments at ballot-counting centers, falsely tweeting that campaign observers in Pennsylvania were blocked from seeing what was going on as Biden overtook him in the vote count.
Twitter hid four of Trump’s tweets behind a label warning that they contain dubious information, a step the company says significantly restricts engagement with them. The tweets made false statements about the legality of properly cast ballots and the way votes are being counted. Twitter has flagged more than a dozen of Trump’s tweets and retweets this way in the past week.
Facebook applied cautionary labels to Trump’s posts on its platform, too. For one Trump post claiming ballot irregularities, Facebook’s label stated: “Election officials follow strict rules when it comes to ballot counting, handling and reporting.”
A sampling of the rhetoric from a transformational week:
‘HORROR STORIES’
TRUMP: “The American People are entitled to an honest election: that means counting all legal ballots, and not counting any illegal ballots.” - statement Saturday after the outcome in Pennsylvania delivered Biden the presidential election victory.
THE FACTS: Trump has not presented evidence that Americans had a dishonest election or that “illegal ballots” shaped the result.
He has portrayed the tallying of mailed ballots received after Election Day as illegitimate, but in fact that is explicitly allowed in roughly 20 states, and the Supreme Court did not stand in the way of it. He accused election officials of banning campaign representatives from voting places, but that is false, too.
Trump refused to concede and said he will press his legal challenges, despite seeing several lawsuits dismissed by courts.
___
TRUMP: “We’re hearing stories that are horror stories. … We think there is going to be a lot of litigation because we have so much evidence and so much proof.” - remarks Thursday night from the White House.
THE FACTS: Trump produced no evidence of systematic problems in voting or counting. In fact, the ballot-counting process across the country has been running smoothly for the most part, even with the U.S. in the throes of the coronavirus pandemic.
One of his main complaints, that counting spilled over past Election Day, is meritless. No presidential election has had all the votes counted the same day and there is no law or even expectation that that should be the case. The surge in mailed ballots and the high turnout have made the process slower than usual in some, but not all, cases.
___
PENNSYLVANIA
TRUMP: “…Pennsylvania, which everyone thought was easily won on Election Night, only to see a massive lead disappear, without anyone being allowed to OBSERVE, for long intervals of time.” - tweet Saturday morning.
TRUMP: “In Pennsylvania, for example, our legal observers were not permitted meaningful access to watch the counting process. … Only a party engaged in wrongdoing would unlawfully keep observers out of the count room.” - statement Saturday refusing to concede to Biden after his victory.
TRUMP: “Pennsylvania Democrats have gone to the state Supreme Court to try and ban our election observers. … They don’t want anybody in there. They don’t want anybody watching them while they are counting the ballots.” - Thursday night remarks.
THE FACTS: These assertions are false. Trump is wholly misrepresenting a court case in the state and what happened at voting places. No one tried to ban poll watchers representing each side in the election. Democrats did not try to stop Republican representatives from being able to observe the process.
The main issue in the case was how close observers representing the parties could get to election workers who are processing mail-in ballots in Philadelphia. Trump’s representatives sued to allow the observers to get closer than the guidelines had allowed. A court ruled in favor of that request.
The counting in Philadelphia was being livestreamed and Trump’s lawyers admitted in court that their campaign had observers in the room - “a none-zero” number of them, as they put it.
Contrary to Trump’s statement, there was no widespread belief election night that Trump had “easily won” the state. It was well-known that huge numbers of mailed-in ballots as well as in-person ballots were to be counted and that many would be from Democratic-leaning areas. That’s why news organizations did not call Pennsylvania for Trump.
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TRUMP: “In Pennsylvania, partisan Democrats have allowed ballots in the state to be received three days after the election and we think much more than that and they are counting those without any postmarks or any identification whatsoever.” - Thursday night.
THE FACTS: “Partisan Democrats” didn’t ordain this. It was the state Supreme Court that ruled ballots mailed before the end of Election Day could be received up to three days later and still be counted. His accusation that mailed ballots without postmarks are being counted is also false. Election officials are weeding out ballots postmarked after Nov. 3.
The U.S. Supreme Court examined the case and did not stand in the way of the three-day time frame. It may review the matter again later.
A number of other states have also made accommodations for the crush of mailed ballots.
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TRUMP: “Tens of thousands of votes were illegally received after 8 P.M. on Tuesday, Election Day, totally and easily changing the results in Pennsylvania and certain other razor thin states.” - tweet Saturday morning.
THE FACTS: This is groundless. Many states allow votes received in the mail after Election Day to be counted. It’s not illegal. And Trump has presented no evidence that “tens of thousands” came in after poll closings.
In Pennsylvania, ballots received after 8 p.m. on Election Day were only a fragment of the total vote count. Across the state, counties reported receiving fewer than 8,000 after Tuesday, though some were still assessing how many they had.
Most of those ballots were sitting segregated waiting to be counted and were not included in vote totals, and officials were weeding out ballots that weren’t postmarked by Nov. 3.
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MICHIGAN
TRUMP: “Our campaign has been denied access to observe any counting in Detroit.” - Thursday night.
THE FACTS: That’s false.
Absentee ballots were counted at a downtown convention center, where some 134 counting boards were set up. Each party was allowed one poll watcher per board, said City Clerk Janice Winfrey.
She said she was not aware of any Republican poll watchers being removed but noted some had been “very aggressive, trying to intimidate the poll workers and processors.”
Mark Brewer, former chairman of the Michigan Democratic Party, said he was inside the convention center and access was cut off to some people from both sides at one point because of capacity restrictions related to the pandemic.
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GEORGIA
TRUMP: “The election apparatus in Georgia is run by Democrats.” - Thursday night.
THE FACTS: No, the state’s elections are overseen by a Republican, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.
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TRUMP: “The 11th Circuit ruled that in Georgia the votes have to be in by Election Day, that they should be in by Election Day. And they weren’t. Votes are coming in after Election Day.” - Thursday night.
THE FACTS: That’s not an accurate description of the ruling in question or what happened in the election in Georgia.
Although the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that votes must be in by 7 p.m. Election Day for them to count, an exception was made for ballots from the members of U.S. military serving overseas. Those could be received until 5 p.m. Friday and still count. Election officials in Georgia are still counting votes, but they are votes that have been lawfully received.
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NON-SHENANIGANS
TRUMP: “If you count the legal votes, I easily win. if you count the illegal votes, they can try to steal the election from us.” - Thursday night.
THE FACTS: This is baseless.
Neither Trump’s campaign aides nor election officials identified substantial numbers of “illegal” votes, much less the mammoth numbers it would take to ruin an easy win by Trump in an election where more than 140 million people voted.
He frequently speaks as if mail-in voting itself is illegitimate. But it unfolded in accordance with state voting rules, in some cases adapted by officials to help voters get through the pandemic safely.
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TRUMP: “We were winning in all the key locations by a lot, actually. And then our number started miraculously getting whittled away in secret.” - Thursday night.
THE FACTS: He has no foundation to make this accusation. The change in fortunes he speaks about is explained by the nature of vote counting in the states, not by any sudden surge of malfeasance that others have not seen. And it does not happen in “secret” any more than his initial leads developed in secret.
Often, big cities are slower to report their numbers, and those votes tend skew Democratic. Likewise, many states tend to count mail-in ballots at the end of the process. That portion of the vote tended to favor Biden, particularly because Trump urged his supporters in advance to avoid mail-in voting and to vote in person either early or on Election Day.
Trump finished election night with leads in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin and Georgia, among the states most in play, then saw his advantage begin to fray Wednesday and past that.
___
TRUMP: “ANY VOTE THAT CAME IN AFTER ELECTION DAY WILL NOT BE COUNTED! - tweet Thursday.
THE FACTS: Not true. Despite the tweet shout, votes received in the mail after Tuesday were counted in many places, and legally. Roughly 20 states allow for late-arriving ballots.
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KELLYANNE CONWAY, unofficial Trump adviser: “Why are we in such a rush to finish this election prematurely? Let’s be patient. Let’s take a deep breath. Let’s count every legal vote. I think it’s a time to be methodical and not emotional.” - Thursday on “Fox & Friends.”
TRUMP, less than an hour later: “STOP THE COUNT!” - tweet.
THE FACTS: The count went on. A president doesn’t control ballot counting. But if state and local officials had somehow stopped counting all at once, that would have frozen a tally that had Biden ahead in electoral and popular votes.
In reality, Trump wanted counting stopped only in undecided key states where he was ahead and Biden might catch up, not the reverse. A variety of Trump’s advisers insisted the president wanted a full and fair count, only to be flatly contradicted by his tweets and other statements.
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TRUMP: “We want all voting to stop.” - statement to supporters in the White House early Wednesday morning.
THE FACTS: This was not a coherent demand or complaint. Voting stopped everywhere on Tuesday, Election Day. Voting had even stopped in Hawaii, where the clock is five hours behind Washington, when he appeared in the East Room after 2 a.m.
He may have meant counting should stop. But state and local officials have never counted all the votes in a presidential election in one day, there is no obligation for them to do so and they did not stop in response.
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“IF YOU COUNT THE LEGAL VOTES, I EASILY WIN THE ELECTION! IF YOU COUNT THE ILLEGAL AND LATE VOTES, THEY CAN STEAL THE ELECTION FROM US!” - statement released Thursday.
THE FACTS: He presented no calculation to back this up, or evidence of late votes or illegal ones.
People could not vote after Election Day. If by late votes he meant ballots counted after Tuesday, it’s routine and legal to finish counting in days ahead. The great number of ballots cast by mail in the pandemic and the intense interest in the election gave officials far more to count and they never finish in one day in normal times anyway.
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TRUMP: “We have claimed, for Electoral Vote purposes, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (which won’t allow legal observers) the State of Georgia, and the State of North Carolina, each one of which has a BIG Trump lead. Additionally, we hereby claim the State of Michigan if, in fact … there was a large number of secretly dumped ballots as has been widely reported.” - tweets Wednesday.
THE FACTS: Presidents don’t get to “hereby claim” election victories. No candidates for office do.
The U.S. government does not count the ballots in a U.S. election or conduct the vote. State and local officials do that. The winner of a presidential election is determined by the number of electoral votes gained in each state. Legal challenges are settled by courts, and may be by the Supreme Court.
As for the rest of his tweet, his leads at the time in Georgia and North Carolina were not “Big” and his substantial opening lead in Pennsylvania vanished as more mail ballots and other ballots were counted in Democratic-leaning areas.
He was wrong to say Pennsylvania did not let observers from the campaign watch the processing of votes; it did. But a judge sided with Trump in ruling campaign observers could get closer to the processing of ballots than they had been allowed, so they could see it better.
He offered no evidence about “secretly dumped ballots” in Michigan but has generally tried to assign nefarious motives to voting procedures that actually were carried out according to authorized guidelines.
His campaign manager, Bill Stepien, also told fabricated stories of shenanigans, asserting to reporters Thursday that “every night the president goes to bed with a lead” and every night new votes “are mysteriously found in a sack.” That day, courts in Georgia and Michigan dismissed complaints from the Trump campaign.
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HOUSE RACES
TRUMP: “For the first time ever, we lost zero races in the House. I was talking to (House Republican leader) Kevin McCarthy today. He said he couldn’t believe it: zero races. Very unusual thing. Zero.” - Thursday night.
THE FACTS: Far from zero. Republicans lost more than 200 House races. But no GOP incumbents lost their races in counting so far.
___
Associated Press writers Maryclaire Dale in Philadelphia, Amanda Seitz in Chicago, Christina A. Cassidy in Atlanta, Tali Arbel in Phoenix, David Klepper in Providence, Rhode Island, and Colleen Long, Brian Slodysko and Hope Yen in Washington contributed to this report.
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EDITOR’S NOTE - A look at the veracity of claims by political figures.
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Find AP Fact Checks at http://apnews.com/APFactCheck
Follow @APFactCheck on Twitter: https://twitter.com/APFactCheck


washingtontimes--2020-11-07--Ex-northwest Indiana mayor faces retrial on bribery charge

HAMMOND , Ind .
( AP ) - A former northwestern Indiana mayor is facing a December retrial on a federal charge alleging that he solicited a bribe from two local businessmen .
A federal judge in Hammond scheduled former Portage Mayor James Snyder ‘ s trial for Dec. 7 on the soliciting bribes charge .
During that trial , federal prosecutors will again try to convince a jury that Snyder solicited a bribe from brothers Bob and Steve Buha .
A federal jury convicted Snyder in February 2019 of bribery and federal tax violations , but the bribery verdict @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Snyder deserved a new trial because he was denied the chance of calling the brothers to testify that they didn ’ t bribe Snyder .
The brothers wouldn ’ t take the witness stand during Snyder ‘ s 2019 trial on fears they might be criminally charged themselves if they supported Snyder and contradicted the government accusations , The ( Northwest Indiana ) Times reported .
Prosecutors allege Snyder corruptly steered $ 1.125 million in contracts for the city of Portage to buy garbage trucks from the Portage trucking company in 2013 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ owners .
The government alleges Snyder solicited and received a $ 13,000 bribe from the brothers a few weeks later .
Snyder pleaded not guilty to the charge .
His legal team argues the $ 13,000 was a legitimate payment for consulting services Snyder provided the trucking dealership to save money on the cost of insurance and information technology .
U.S. District Court Judge Theresa L. Springmann decided last month that Snyder must face a new jury on the bribery charge , overruling defense arguments that a second trial was barred by the @ @ @ @ @ @

HAMMOND, Ind. (AP) - A former northwestern Indiana mayor is facing a December retrial on a federal charge alleging that he solicited a bribe from two local businessmen.
A federal judge in Hammond scheduled former Portage Mayor James Snyder’s trial for Dec. 7 on the soliciting bribes charge. During that trial, federal prosecutors will again try to convince a jury that Snyder solicited a bribe from brothers Bob and Steve Buha.
A federal jury convicted Snyder in February 2019 of bribery and federal tax violations, but the bribery verdict was later overturned. Another judge ruled that Snyder deserved a new trial because he was denied the chance of calling the brothers to testify that they didn’t bribe Snyder.
The brothers wouldn’t take the witness stand during Snyder’s 2019 trial on fears they might be criminally charged themselves if they supported Snyder and contradicted the government accusations, The (Northwest Indiana) Times reported.
Prosecutors allege Snyder corruptly steered $1.125 million in contracts for the city of Portage to buy garbage trucks from the Portage trucking company in 2013, when the Buha brothers were its owners.
The government alleges Snyder solicited and received a $13,000 bribe from the brothers a few weeks later.
Snyder pleaded not guilty to the charge. His legal team argues the $13,000 was a legitimate payment for consulting services Snyder provided the trucking dealership to save money on the cost of insurance and information technology.
U.S. District Court Judge Theresa L. Springmann decided last month that Snyder must face a new jury on the bribery charge, overruling defense arguments that a second trial was barred by the constitutional protection against double jeopardy.


washingtontimes--2020-11-07--Ample hunting opportunities prompt safety-tip reminders

SPRINGFIELD , Ill. ( AP ) - The Illinois Department of Natural Resources is offering safety tips for hunting as sportsmen and -women head for the field this fall and winter .
Illinois provides ample opportunity for hunters in the coming months , with seasons for fall and winter waterfowl , upland game , fur-bearer and deer , both firearm and archery .
IDNR said it has investigated seven hunting incidents already in 2020 , compared with 20 in 2019 .
Half of last year ’ s incidents involved elevated tree stands .
Agency safety education administrator Jeff Hopkins said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should always be used with tree stands .
Safety guidelines include making sure the stand is installed correctly , and examining the harness and straps for wear , and the ladder for working order .
Safety educators and state conservation police also stress the importance of firearm safety .
That includes always assuming a firearm is loaded , always pointing it in a safe direction , making sure that beyond the target there are no other hunters , buildings vehicles or other animals , and keeping the finger outside the trigger guard and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) - The Illinois Department of Natural Resources is offering safety tips for hunting as sportsmen and -women head for the field this fall and winter.
Illinois provides ample opportunity for hunters in the coming months, with seasons for fall and winter waterfowl, upland game, fur-bearer and deer, both firearm and archery.
IDNR said it has investigated seven hunting incidents already in 2020, compared with 20 in 2019. Half of last year’s incidents involved elevated tree stands.
Agency safety education administrator Jeff Hopkins said “fall arrest system” safety harnesses should always be used with tree stands. Safety guidelines include making sure the stand is installed correctly, and examining the harness and straps for wear, and the ladder for working order.
Safety educators and state conservation police also stress the importance of firearm safety. That includes always assuming a firearm is loaded, always pointing it in a safe direction, making sure that beyond the target there are no other hunters, buildings vehicles or other animals, and keeping the finger outside the trigger guard and off the trigger until ready to shoot.


washingtontimes--2020-11-07--Fight looms over limiting Indiana governor's emergency power

INDIANAPOLIS ( AP ) - Indiana Gov .
Eric Holcomb withstood criticism over his use of state emergency powers during the coronavirus pandemic , cruising to a resounding reelection victory .
Holcomb will likely face a similar debate again soon - this time from fellow Republicans when they return to the Statehouse for the upcoming legislative session .
Many conservatives across the state argue Holcomb infringed upon individual rights with a statewide mask mandate and executive orders forcing the closure of businesses deemed nonessential during the early weeks of the pandemic .
That has some Republican legislators looking to rein @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state ’ s emergency law , which was largely drafted in 2003 following the 9/11 terrorist attacks .
Republican Todd Rokita , who won election to become state attorney general starting in January , said he believed it was meant for temporary situations such as floods , tornadoes or terrorist actions , even though epidemics are included among the 29 situations specified in the law .
The 46 coronavirus-related executive orders that Holcomb has signed since first issuing a public health emergency in early March will likely be a target for many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Legislature .
Some have suggested steps such as limiting any emergency action by the governor to 30 days without legislative support .
Republican House Speaker Todd Huston said the issue will certainly be debated but declined to outline any specific changes .
Huston praised Holcomb ’ s handling of the state ’ s COVID-19 response and said that legislators would work with the governor on any revisions to his authority as lawmakers had not considered such a long-lasting emergency .
“ It ’ s created a new lens of viewing the emergency powers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take a fresh look at it and find an appropriate balance , ” Huston said .
“ If you aren ’ t evaluating everything after being in the midst a pandemic , that ’ d be a mistake.
” Indiana has seen steep increases in new COVID-19 infections , hospitalizations and deaths since Holcomb lifted nearly all coronavirus-related limits on businesses and crowd sizes in September .
Indiana ’ s seven-day moving average of COVID-19 deaths has tripled to about 30 since late September and hospitalizations have jumped more than 150 % , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The state ’ s death toll has topped 4,500 , including confirmed and presumed coronavirus infections , since the first coronavirus fatality in March .
Holcomb has resisted calls for reinstating coronavirus limits , saying the public needs to increase the use of face masks and other precautions to slow the virus spread .
Holcomb defends his actions as necessary during a pandemic and doesn ’ t show signs of wanting new limits placed on his emergency powers .
He said Wednesday , the day after his reelection victory , that he “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during the legislative session that starts in January .
“ Not just the necessity for a mask mandate for the state , but for any other question that they might have or access to information that they might want while they are all here , ” Holcomb said .
Holcomb ’ s reelection victory margin was among the largest in state history , but conservative critics flocked to support Libertarian candidate Donald Rainwater , who flatly rejected the face mask order and received about 11 percent of the statewide vote - about triple @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in recent elections .
Rainwater also finished second in about a third of Indiana ’ s 92 counties , ahead of Democrat Woody Myers , who called for tougher coronavirus actions than Holcomb has taken .
Republicans , with their large majorities in the House and Senate , will likely drive whatever changes are considered to the governor ’ s authority .
But House Democratic Leader Phil GiaQuinta of Fort Wayne said legislators shouldn ’ t rush into imposing limits on the emergency powers .
“ The governor , more so than individual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where we ’ re going and how complicated these things can be and the Legislature is trying to micromanage a little bit too much , ” GiaQuinta said .
“ I want to hear what the governor has to say with regards to the flexibility he needs , working with the department of health , to be able to make the case for doing the mask mandate and everything else .
”

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb withstood criticism over his use of state emergency powers during the coronavirus pandemic, cruising to a resounding reelection victory.
Holcomb will likely face a similar debate again soon - this time from fellow Republicans when they return to the Statehouse for the upcoming legislative session.
Many conservatives across the state argue Holcomb infringed upon individual rights with a statewide mask mandate and executive orders forcing the closure of businesses deemed nonessential during the early weeks of the pandemic.
That has some Republican legislators looking to rein in the governor’s authority under the state’s emergency law, which was largely drafted in 2003 following the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Republican Todd Rokita, who won election to become state attorney general starting in January, said he believed it was meant for temporary situations such as floods, tornadoes or terrorist actions, even though epidemics are included among the 29 situations specified in the law.
The 46 coronavirus-related executive orders that Holcomb has signed since first issuing a public health emergency in early March will likely be a target for many of the rural conservatives in the Republican-dominated Legislature. Some have suggested steps such as limiting any emergency action by the governor to 30 days without legislative support.
Republican House Speaker Todd Huston said the issue will certainly be debated but declined to outline any specific changes.
Huston praised Holcomb’s handling of the state’s COVID-19 response and said that legislators would work with the governor on any revisions to his authority as lawmakers had not considered such a long-lasting emergency.
“It’s created a new lens of viewing the emergency powers act and I think we need to take a fresh look at it and find an appropriate balance,” Huston said. “If you aren’t evaluating everything after being in the midst a pandemic, that’d be a mistake.”
Indiana has seen steep increases in new COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations and deaths since Holcomb lifted nearly all coronavirus-related limits on businesses and crowd sizes in September.
Indiana’s seven-day moving average of COVID-19 deaths has tripled to about 30 since late September and hospitalizations have jumped more than 150%, according to the state health department. The state’s death toll has topped 4,500, including confirmed and presumed coronavirus infections, since the first coronavirus fatality in March.
Holcomb has resisted calls for reinstating coronavirus limits, saying the public needs to increase the use of face masks and other precautions to slow the virus spread.
Holcomb defends his actions as necessary during a pandemic and doesn’t show signs of wanting new limits placed on his emergency powers. He said Wednesday, the day after his reelection victory, that he “looked forward” to talking with lawmakers during the legislative session that starts in January.
“Not just the necessity for a mask mandate for the state, but for any other question that they might have or access to information that they might want while they are all here,” Holcomb said.
Holcomb’s reelection victory margin was among the largest in state history, but conservative critics flocked to support Libertarian candidate Donald Rainwater, who flatly rejected the face mask order and received about 11 percent of the statewide vote - about triple the typical support for Libertarian governor candidates in recent elections.
Rainwater also finished second in about a third of Indiana’s 92 counties, ahead of Democrat Woody Myers, who called for tougher coronavirus actions than Holcomb has taken.
Republicans, with their large majorities in the House and Senate, will likely drive whatever changes are considered to the governor’s authority.
But House Democratic Leader Phil GiaQuinta of Fort Wayne said legislators shouldn’t rush into imposing limits on the emergency powers.
“The governor, more so than individual legislators, has a better idea of where we’re going and how complicated these things can be and the Legislature is trying to micromanage a little bit too much,” GiaQuinta said. “I want to hear what the governor has to say with regards to the flexibility he needs, working with the department of health, to be able to make the case for doing the mask mandate and everything else.”


washingtontimes--2020-11-07--Biden won Michigan with surge in cities, suburbs

LANSING , Mich. ( AP ) - Joe Biden reclaimed Michigan for Democrats with a surge of support in urban regions like Detroit and Grand Rapids , offsetting high turnout in rural and exurban areas for President Donald Trump .
Biden ‘ s 146,000-vote margin , 2.7 percentage points , was powered by gains in big , vote-rich counties such as Oakland near Detroit and Kent , which includes Grand Rapids - amid a record 5.5 million people casting ballots statewide .
Biden won Oakland by 14 points , besting Hillary Clinton ’ s 8-point edge in 2016 .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump netted it by 3 points four years ago .
Trump again won traditional bellwether Macomb County outside Detroit , by roughly 8 points - less than his 11-point margin in 2016 , however .
Biden became just the second Democratic presidential candidate to carry Kent in more than 50 years , after Barack Obama did it in his first run .
How stark was the shift in Kent , a former Republican stronghold that is changing demographically ?
About 51,000 more people voted for president than in 2016 .
Biden secured 48,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ got 17,000 more than last time - as fewer people voted for a third-party candidate or left blank the top of the ticket , too .
Biden claimed 11 of the state ’ s 83 counties , including three he flipped : Kent , Saginaw and Leelanau near Traverse City .
In Wayne , the state ’ s largest county and home to Detroit , Biden ‘ s net gain over Trump outpaced Clinton ’ s by 32,000 votes .
Still , the percentage-point margin was identical to 2016 - evidence that despite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , nothing seems amiss statistically .
Blue counties such as Washtenaw and Ingham turned bluer .
Biden won with the backing of voters of color , younger voters and white voters with college degrees , said Patrick Schuh , Michigan director for the liberal group America Votes , which works to mobilize Democratic turnout .
Biden , he said , also cut into Trump ‘ s margins with non-college-educated female white voters .
Among Black voters , 93 % supported Biden ; 53 % of White voters backed Trump , according to results @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 3,571 voters in Michigan conducted for The Associated Press by NORC at the University of Chicago .
Biden had a 17-point edge among women , Trump a 12-point margin with men .
Biden won three of four age groups : 18-29 , 30-44 and 65 and older .
Trump took the 45-64 age bracket .
Biden won 68 % of urban voters to 31 % for Trump and 54 % of suburban voters to 44 % for Trump .
The president was supported by 58 % of rural voters to 40 % for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to find new supporters in the suburbs and in rural , red pockets of Michigan - in counties like Hillsdale on the Indiana border , Sanilac in the Thumb and many in the state ’ s northern region .
But Democrats also turned out their vote .
About two-thirds of the counties that backed Trump became more Democratic - most just slightly , some more significantly .
“ We are a much more politically volatile state , ” Schuh said , noting results at the top of the ticket over the last decade @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2010 and 2014 , reelected Obama in 2012 , backed Trump in 2016 , elected Democrat Gretchen Whitmer in 2018 and , this time , supported Biden .
In the VoteCast survey , self-described independent voters supported Biden 50 % to 42 % for Trump .
Among those saying they were moderate - about a third of respondents - Biden had a 26-point edge .
“ They ’ re all swing election environments here in Michigan , ” Schuh said .
“ Michigan is a crucial part of the blue wall and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the other aspect of this is we have more swing voters here than I think folks recognize.
” Still , he said , many voters are locked into their camps and persuadable voters account for a sliver of the electorate .
“ It ’ s a mobilization game and you can play on the margins - both sides can .
”

LANSING, Mich. (AP) - Joe Biden reclaimed Michigan for Democrats with a surge of support in urban regions like Detroit and Grand Rapids, offsetting high turnout in rural and exurban areas for President Donald Trump.
Biden’s 146,000-vote margin, 2.7 percentage points, was powered by gains in big, vote-rich counties such as Oakland near Detroit and Kent, which includes Grand Rapids - amid a record 5.5 million people casting ballots statewide.
Biden won Oakland by 14 points, besting Hillary Clinton’s 8-point edge in 2016. He carried Kent by almost 6 points after Trump netted it by 3 points four years ago. Trump again won traditional bellwether Macomb County outside Detroit, by roughly 8 points - less than his 11-point margin in 2016, however.
Biden became just the second Democratic presidential candidate to carry Kent in more than 50 years, after Barack Obama did it in his first run.
How stark was the shift in Kent, a former Republican stronghold that is changing demographically? About 51,000 more people voted for president than in 2016. Biden secured 48,000 more votes than Clinton, while Trump got 17,000 more than last time - as fewer people voted for a third-party candidate or left blank the top of the ticket, too.
Biden claimed 11 of the state’s 83 counties, including three he flipped: Kent, Saginaw and Leelanau near Traverse City.
In Wayne, the state’s largest county and home to Detroit, Biden’s net gain over Trump outpaced Clinton’s by 32,000 votes. Still, the percentage-point margin was identical to 2016 - evidence that despite Republicans’ questioning of vote counting there, nothing seems amiss statistically. Blue counties such as Washtenaw and Ingham turned bluer.
Biden won with the backing of voters of color, younger voters and white voters with college degrees, said Patrick Schuh, Michigan director for the liberal group America Votes, which works to mobilize Democratic turnout. Biden, he said, also cut into Trump’s margins with non-college-educated female white voters.
Among Black voters, 93% supported Biden; 53% of White voters backed Trump, according to results from AP Votecast, a survey of 3,571 voters in Michigan conducted for The Associated Press by NORC at the University of Chicago. Biden had a 17-point edge among women, Trump a 12-point margin with men. Biden won three of four age groups: 18-29, 30-44 and 65 and older. Trump took the 45-64 age bracket.
Biden won 68% of urban voters to 31% for Trump and 54% of suburban voters to 44% for Trump. The president was supported by 58% of rural voters to 40% for Biden.
Trump proved he was able to find new supporters in the suburbs and in rural, red pockets of Michigan - in counties like Hillsdale on the Indiana border, Sanilac in the Thumb and many in the state’s northern region. But Democrats also turned out their vote.
About two-thirds of the counties that backed Trump became more Democratic - most just slightly, some more significantly.
“We are a much more politically volatile state,” Schuh said, noting results at the top of the ticket over the last decade.
Voters elected Rick Snyder governor in 2010 and 2014, reelected Obama in 2012, backed Trump in 2016, elected Democrat Gretchen Whitmer in 2018 and, this time, supported Biden. In the VoteCast survey, self-described independent voters supported Biden 50% to 42% for Trump. Among those saying they were moderate - about a third of respondents - Biden had a 26-point edge.
“They’re all swing election environments here in Michigan,” Schuh said. “Michigan is a crucial part of the blue wall and the path to the presidency clearly, but the other aspect of this is we have more swing voters here than I think folks recognize.”
Still, he said, many voters are locked into their camps and persuadable voters account for a sliver of the electorate.
“It’s a mobilization game and you can play on the margins - both sides can.”
___
Follow David Eggert at https://twitter.com/DavidEggert00


washingtontimes--2020-11-07--Ivory Coast authorities arrest top opposition figure

ABIDJAN , Ivory Coast ( AP ) - Authorities in Ivory Coast have arrested opposition leader Pascal Affi N ’ Guessan as part of a growing crackdown on those who challenged the president ’ s re-election to a third term , opposition party officials said Saturday .
N ’ Guessan was arrested in Akoupé , a city northeast of Abidjan , on his way to Bongouanou , his ancestral homeland , according to a statement published on the official page of his political party , the Ivorian Popular Front .
The arrest comes after authorities detained a top-ranking official from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of PDCI .
The opposition has referred to President Alassane Ouattara ’ s re-election to a third term as an “ electoral coup d ’ etat.
” It tried to challenge the legality of his candidacy before the Oct. 31 vote , maintaining the president had already served two terms in power .
Ouattara maintained he could run again because of a constitutional referendum in 2016 .
N ’ Guessan and the other top opposition candidate , Henri Konan Bedie , boycotted the vote and said shortly afterward they considered Ouattara ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called the declaration “ an act of sedition.
” On Friday , public prosecutor Adou Richard said N ’ Guessan would be prosecuted on charges of terrorism and attacking state authority and that authorities were also seeking another opposition figure , Albert Toikeusse Mabri .
However , the prosecutor said the 86-year-old Bedie was “ neither under arrest nor under house arrest.
” There have been widespread fears of post-election violence erupting in Ivory Coast , where more than 3,000 people were killed following a disputed vote a decade ago .
Opposition leaders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in violence linked to this year ’ s election .

ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast (AP) - Authorities in Ivory Coast have arrested opposition leader Pascal Affi N’Guessan as part of a growing crackdown on those who challenged the president’s re-election to a third term, opposition party officials said Saturday.
N’Guessan was arrested in Akoupé, a city northeast of Abidjan, on his way to Bongouanou, his ancestral homeland, according to a statement published on the official page of his political party, the Ivorian Popular Front.
The arrest comes after authorities detained a top-ranking official from another opposition party, Maurice Kakou Guikahue of PDCI.
The opposition has referred to President Alassane Ouattara’s re-election to a third term as an “electoral coup d’etat.” It tried to challenge the legality of his candidacy before the Oct. 31 vote, maintaining the president had already served two terms in power. Ouattara maintained he could run again because of a constitutional referendum in 2016.
N’Guessan and the other top opposition candidate, Henri Konan Bedie, boycotted the vote and said shortly afterward they considered Ouattara’s mandate to be finished. The government called the declaration “an act of sedition.”
On Friday, public prosecutor Adou Richard said N’Guessan would be prosecuted on charges of terrorism and attacking state authority and that authorities were also seeking another opposition figure, Albert Toikeusse Mabri.
However, the prosecutor said the 86-year-old Bedie was “neither under arrest nor under house arrest.”
There have been widespread fears of post-election violence erupting in Ivory Coast, where more than 3,000 people were killed following a disputed vote a decade ago.
Opposition leaders said more than 30 people have died in violence linked to this year’s election.


washingtontimes--2020-11-07--UAE announces relaxing of Islamic laws for personal freedoms

DUBAI , United Arab Emirates ( AP ) - The United Arab Emirates announced on Saturday a major overhaul of the country ’ s Islamic personal laws , allowing unmarried couples to cohabitate , loosening alcohol restrictions and criminalizing so-called “ honor killings.
” The broadening of personal freedoms reflects the changing profile of a country that has sought to bill itself as a Westernized destination for tourists , fortune-seekers and businesses despite its Islamic legal code that has previously triggered court cases against foreigners and outrage in their home countries .
The reforms aim to boost the country ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consolidate the UAE ’ s principles of tolerance , ” state-run WAM news agency reported .
The announcement follows a historic U.S.-brokered deal to normalize relations between the UAE and Israel , which is expected to bring an influx of Israeli tourists and investment .
The changes also reflect the efforts of the Emirates ’ rulers to keep pace with a rapidly changing society at home .
“ I could not be happier for these new laws that are progressive and proactive , ” said Emirati filmmaker Abdallah Al Kaabi , whose art @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and gender identity .
“ 2020 has been a tough and transformative year for the UAE , ” he added .
Changes include scrapping penalties for alcohol consumption , sales and possession for those 21 and over .
The government decrees behind the changes were announced on WAM and detailed in state-linked newspaper The National , which said they would take immediate effect .
Although liquor and beer is widely available in bars and clubs in the UAE ’ s luxuriant coastal cities , individuals previously needed a government-issued license to purchase , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The new rule would apparently allow Muslims who have been barred from obtaining licenses to drink alcoholic beverages freely .
Another amendment allows for “ cohabitation of unmarried couples , ” which has long been a crime in the UAE .
Authorities , especially in the more freewheeling financial hub of Dubai , often looked the other way when it came to foreigners , but the threat of punishment still lingered .
Attempted suicide , forbidden in Islamic law , would also be decriminalized , The National reported .
In a move @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rights , ” the government said it also decided to get rid of laws defending “ honor crimes , ” a widely criticized tribal custom in which a male relative may evade prosecution for assaulting a woman seen as dishonoring a family .
The punishment for a crime committed to eradicate a woman ’ s “ shame , ” for promiscuity or disobeying religious and cultural strictures , will now be the same for any other kind of assault .
In a country where expatriates outnumber citizens nearly nine to one , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Shariah courts on issues like marriage , divorce and inheritance .
Traditional Islamic values remain strong in the federation of seven desert sheikhdoms .
The announcement said nothing of other behavior deemed insulting to local customs that has landed foreigners in jail in the past , such as acts of homosexuality , cross-dressing and public displays of affection .
The reforms come as skyscraper-studded Dubai gets ready to host the World Expo .
The high-stakes event is planned to bring a flurry of commercial activity and some 25 million visitors to the country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year because of the coronavirus pandemic .

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The United Arab Emirates announced on Saturday a major overhaul of the country’s Islamic personal laws, allowing unmarried couples to cohabitate, loosening alcohol restrictions and criminalizing so-called “honor killings.”
The broadening of personal freedoms reflects the changing profile of a country that has sought to bill itself as a Westernized destination for tourists, fortune-seekers and businesses despite its Islamic legal code that has previously triggered court cases against foreigners and outrage in their home countries.
The reforms aim to boost the country’s economic and social standing and “consolidate the UAE’s principles of tolerance,” state-run WAM news agency reported, which offered only minimal details in the surprise weekend announcement. The government decrees behind the changes were outlined extensively in state-linked newspaper The National, which did not cite its source.
The move follows a historic U.S.-brokered deal to normalize relations between the UAE and Israel, which is expected to bring an influx of Israeli tourists and investment. It also comes as skyscraper-studded Dubai gets ready to host the World Expo. The high-stakes event, expected to bring a flurry of commercial activity and some 25 million visitors to the country, was initially scheduled for October but was pushed back a year because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The changes, which The National said would take immediate effect, also reflect the efforts of the Emirates’ rulers to keep pace with a rapidly changing society at home.
“I could not be happier for these new laws that are progressive and proactive,” said Emirati filmmaker Abdallah Al Kaabi, whose art has tackled taboo topics like homosexual love and gender identity.
“2020 has been a tough and transformative year for the UAE,” he added.
Changes include scrapping penalties for alcohol consumption, sales and possession for those 21 and over. Although liquor and beer is widely available in bars and clubs in the UAE’s luxuriant coastal cities, individuals previously needed a government-issued license to purchase, transport or have alcohol in their homes. The new rule would apparently allow Muslims who have been barred from obtaining licenses to drink alcoholic beverages freely.
Another amendment allows for “cohabitation of unmarried couples,” which has long been a crime in the UAE. Authorities, especially in the more freewheeling financial hub of Dubai, often looked the other way when it came to foreigners, but the threat of punishment still lingered. Attempted suicide, forbidden in Islamic law, would also be decriminalized, The National reported.
In a move to better “protect women’s rights,” the government said it also decided to get rid of laws defending “honor crimes,” a widely criticized tribal custom in which a male relative may evade prosecution for assaulting a woman seen as dishonoring a family. The punishment for a crime committed to eradicate a woman’s “shame,” for promiscuity or disobeying religious and cultural strictures, will now be the same for any other kind of assault.
In a country where expatriates outnumber citizens nearly nine to one, the amendments will permit foreigners to avoid Islamic Shariah courts on issues like marriage, divorce and inheritance.
The announcement said nothing of other behavior deemed insulting to local customs that has landed foreigners in jail in the past, such as acts of homosexuality, cross-dressing and public displays of affection.
Traditional Islamic values remain strong in the federation of seven desert sheikhdoms. Even so, Annelle Sheline, a Middle East research fellow at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, wrote on Twitter that the drastic changes “can happen without too much popular resistance because the population of citizens, especially in the main cities of Dubai and Abu Dhabi, is so small.”
The roughly 1 million Emiratis in the UAE, a hereditarily ruled country long criticized for its suppression of dissent, closely toe the government line. Political parties and labor unions remain illegal.