washingtontimes--2020-11-06--Incendiary texts traced to outfit run by top Trump aide

BOSTON ( AP ) - A texting company run by one of President Donald Trump ’ s top campaign officials sent out thousands of targeted , anonymous text messages urging supporters to rally where votes were being counted in Philadelphia on Thursday , falsely claiming Democrats were trying to steal the presidential election .
The messages directed Trump fans to converge at a downtown intersection where hundreds of protesters from the opposing candidates ’ camps faced off Thursday afternoon .
Pennsylvania is a crucial battleground state where former Vice President Joe Biden ’ s supporters believe the outstanding ballots will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presidential election .
“ This kind of message is playing with fire , and we are very lucky that it does not seem to have driven more conflict , ” said John Scott-Railton , senior researcher at the University of Toronto ’ s online watchdog Citizen Lab .
Scott-Railton helped track down the source .
The texts were sent using phone numbers leased to the text-messaging platform Opn Sesame , said two people familiar with the matter who spoke on condition they not be further identified .
The company ’ s CEO is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s digital director .
It provides text-messaging services to GOP clients including the Republican National Committee .
“ ALERT : Radical Liberals & Dems are trying to steal this election from Trump !
We need YOU !
” the text said , directing recipients to “ show your support ” on a street corner near the Philadelphia Convention Center where votes were being counted and tensions were running high .
A top Trump campaign official , speaking on condition of anonymity , said the message did not come from the campaign .
Because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , none of whom the company would identify , it could not be determined exactly who sent the message .
Coby declined to comment .
Opn Sesame ’ s connection with the messages was first reported by The Washington Post .
Among those who received the rallying text was Chris Bray , who lives in rural Bucks County , about 25 miles outside Philadelphia .
A registered Independent who said he voted for Biden , Bray said he was very surprised to see the message pop up on his phone since he never @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump campaign .
“ I actually texted a number of other friends to say ‘ hey , have you guys been getting robo-texts like this ?
’ ” Bray said Friday .
“ It was a call to action .
It borders on that the rhetoric that we ’ ve been hearing for months now and that ’ s really dangerous if you get the right people together with a slight screw loose , we just don ’ t know what can happen.
” Later Thursday night , two men were arrested near @ @ @ @ @ @ @ without a permit , Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said .
District Attorney Larry Krasner said there were no indications they were part of an extremist group .
Their vehicle bore a window sticker for the right-wing conspiracy theory QAnon and an AR-style rifle and ammunition inside , Outlaw said .
The text messages were sent using 13 different phone numbers identified by RoboKiller , a mobile phone app that lets users block text and voice spam , said company vice president Giulia Porter .
RoboKiller traced the numbers to Twilio , a gateway @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Twilio shut down the numbers , saying in a statement that the texts “ were sent without consumer opt-out language , which is in direct contravention of our policies.
” A company spokesman declined further comment .
About 80 million political text messages have been sent daily since September in the U.S. - many of those from the Trump camp echoing his baseless claims that Democrats were trying to steal the election , said RoboKiller ’ s Porter .
They are highly targeted .
Political text-messaging campaigns can exploit the same flaws @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their origin .
They can spoof the numbers they call from and auto-blast thousands of texts with a single mouse click .
Opn Sesame has earned millions as a hub of text-messaging efforts for the Trump campaign and the Republican National Committee this election cycle , said a digital Republican strategist , who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of political retribution .
Facebook and Twitter cracked down on disinformation in the runup to the election , making text messaging and robocalls more attractive to those seeking to spread false and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their phones .
“ The extent to which these companies are relying upon loopholes in the law and a lack of regulation in this space has really staggered me , ” said Sam Woolley , a misinformation and computational propaganda researcher at the University of Texas at Austin .
“ They really want to circumvent the need to rely social media firms which is why they are using these private mechanisms , ” he added .
“ They are using tech that we don ’ t think of as particularly new , texting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ways that are very Machiavellian .
”

BOSTON (AP) - A texting company run by one of President Donald Trump’s top campaign officials sent out thousands of targeted, anonymous text messages urging supporters to rally where votes were being counted in Philadelphia on Thursday, falsely claiming Democrats were trying to steal the presidential election.
The messages directed Trump fans to converge at a downtown intersection where hundreds of protesters from the opposing candidates’ camps faced off Thursday afternoon. Pennsylvania is a crucial battleground state where former Vice President Joe Biden’s supporters believe the outstanding ballots will put him over the top in the presidential election.
“This kind of message is playing with fire, and we are very lucky that it does not seem to have driven more conflict,” said John Scott-Railton, senior researcher at the University of Toronto’s online watchdog Citizen Lab. Scott-Railton helped track down the source.
The texts were sent using phone numbers leased to the text-messaging platform Opn Sesame, said two people familiar with the matter who spoke on condition they not be further identified. The company’s CEO is Gary Coby, the Trump campaign’s digital director. It provides text-messaging services to GOP clients including the Republican National Committee.
“ALERT: Radical Liberals & Dems are trying to steal this election from Trump! We need YOU!” the text said, directing recipients to “show your support” on a street corner near the Philadelphia Convention Center where votes were being counted and tensions were running high.
A top Trump campaign official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the message did not come from the campaign. Because Opn Sesame is used by multiple customers, none of whom the company would identify, it could not be determined exactly who sent the message. Coby declined to comment.
Opn Sesame’s connection with the messages was first reported by The Washington Post.
Among those who received the rallying text was Chris Bray, who lives in rural Bucks County, about 25 miles outside Philadelphia.
A registered Independent who said he voted for Biden, Bray said he was very surprised to see the message pop up on his phone since he never signed up for anything related to the Trump campaign.
“I actually texted a number of other friends to say ‘hey, have you guys been getting robo-texts like this?’” Bray said Friday. “It was a call to action. It borders on that the rhetoric that we’ve been hearing for months now and that’s really dangerous if you get the right people together with a slight screw loose, we just don’t know what can happen.”
Later Thursday night, two men were arrested near the convention center for carrying loaded handguns without a permit, Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said. District Attorney Larry Krasner said there were no indications they were part of an extremist group. Their vehicle bore a window sticker for the right-wing conspiracy theory QAnon and an AR-style rifle and ammunition inside, Outlaw said.
The text messages were sent using 13 different phone numbers identified by RoboKiller, a mobile phone app that lets users block text and voice spam, said company vice president Giulia Porter. RoboKiller traced the numbers to Twilio, a gateway for bulk-messaging services.
After being notified, Twilio shut down the numbers, saying in a statement that the texts “were sent without consumer opt-out language, which is in direct contravention of our policies.” A company spokesman declined further comment.
About 80 million political text messages have been sent daily since September in the U.S. - many of those from the Trump camp echoing his baseless claims that Democrats were trying to steal the election, said RoboKiller’s Porter. They are highly targeted.
Political text-messaging campaigns can exploit the same flaws in telecommunications infrastructure that let robocallers hide their origin. They can spoof the numbers they call from and auto-blast thousands of texts with a single mouse click.
Opn Sesame has earned millions as a hub of text-messaging efforts for the Trump campaign and the Republican National Committee this election cycle, said a digital Republican strategist, who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of political retribution.
Facebook and Twitter cracked down on disinformation in the runup to the election, making text messaging and robocalls more attractive to those seeking to spread false and sometimes dangerous messages directly to voters via their phones.
“The extent to which these companies are relying upon loopholes in the law and a lack of regulation in this space has really staggered me,” said Sam Woolley, a misinformation and computational propaganda researcher at the University of Texas at Austin.
“They really want to circumvent the need to rely social media firms which is why they are using these private mechanisms,” he added. “They are using tech that we don’t think of as particularly new, texting, calling, but using them in ways that are very Machiavellian.”
___
Burke reported from San Francisco.


washingtontimes--2020-11-06--Republicans nudge ahead in California US House battles

LOS ANGELES ( AP ) - Republican U.S. House candidates padded their leads Friday in battleground districts in California , as the party sought to win back seats lost to Democrats two years ago .
The increases were not decisive but continued momentum for GOP candidates who could deliver major surprises in a heavily Democratic state in a year when Democrat Joe Biden trounced President Donald Trump on Election Day .
Democrats seized seven GOP-held seats in 2018 but appear in danger of losing as many as four of those districts just two years later , though tens of thousands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hold 45 of the California ’ s 53 House seats .
For decades Orange County was known as Republican holy ground , but a diversifying population brought political change .
In 2018 the realignment became undeniable as Democrats seized the last four seats all or partly in the county in defeats , stunning Republicans .
This year , however , could deliver some swift reversals for the Democrats .
Republican Michelle Steel opened up a slightly larger lead Friday over Democratic Rep. Harley Rouda in the coastal 48th District .
She now holds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ padding her edge daily .
Republican Young Kim lost a close race to Democratic Rep. Gil Cisneros in 2018 .
But this year she ’ s been narrowly ahead in their rematch in the 39th District that is divided among Orange , Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties .
She added to her lead Friday , and now holds a 2,600-vote cushion over her rival .
Democrats attacked Kim , a former legislator who was born in South Korea and grew up in Guam , as a devoted Trump acolyte .
Cisneros campaigned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Valadao lost his farm-belt 21st District seat to Democrat TJ Cox two years ago .
But the former congressman has widened his lead by nearly 1,300 votes and now holds about a 4-point edge in their rematch this year .
Valadao endorsed Trump after withholding his backing in 2016 - a risk in a district the president lost by 15 points in 2016 - but he also emphasized he has broken with the White House at times , including criticizing the administration for family separations at the border .
Republican former Rep. Darrell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Capitol Hill for tormenting the Obama administration when he headed the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee from 2011 to January 2015 .
He didn ’ t run for re-election in 2018 when his San Diego County-based 49th District began tilting Democratic .
But he ’ s back this year hoping to return to Capitol Hill in the more conservative neighboring 50th District that runs through the eastern part of the county .
It was held by Republican Rep. Duncan Hunter until he resigned earlier this year after pleading guilty to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Issa building his lead over Democrat Ammar Campa-Najjar to more than 19,000 votes .
A FORMER FIGHTER PILOT HOPES TO HANG ON NEAR LA Rep. Mike Garcia , a former Navy combat pilot and defense industry executive , easily won a special election in May to fill the vacant 25th District north of Los Angeles .
His rematch with Democrat Christy Smith remains very close , though he ’ s now built a lead of over 400 votes .
The swing district anchored in Los Angeles County , which includes a slice of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ronald Reagan Presidential Library , was open after freshman Democrat Katie Hill resigned suddenly amid an ethics investigation .
It ’ s a Democratic-leaning district and it ’ s notable that Garcia ’ s gains Friday came in an updated count in Los Angeles County , where Democrats typically prosper .
His stronghold of Ventura County did not update its vote tally .

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Republican U.S. House candidates padded their leads Friday in battleground districts in California, as the party sought to win back seats lost to Democrats two years ago.
The increases were not decisive but continued momentum for GOP candidates who could deliver major surprises in a heavily Democratic state in a year when Democrat Joe Biden trounced President Donald Trump on Election Day.
Democrats seized seven GOP-held seats in 2018 but appear in danger of losing as many as four of those districts just two years later, though tens of thousands of votes remain uncounted. Democrats currently hold 45 of the California’s 53 House seats.
FIGHT FOR THE GOP HOMELAND
For decades Orange County was known as Republican holy ground, but a diversifying population brought political change. In 2018 the realignment became undeniable as Democrats seized the last four seats all or partly in the county in defeats, stunning Republicans.
This year, however, could deliver some swift reversals for the Democrats. Republican Michelle Steel opened up a slightly larger lead Friday over Democratic Rep. Harley Rouda in the coastal 48th District. She now holds about a 6,200-vote advantage and has been padding her edge daily.
Republican Young Kim lost a close race to Democratic Rep. Gil Cisneros in 2018. But this year she’s been narrowly ahead in their rematch in the 39th District that is divided among Orange, Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties.
She added to her lead Friday, and now holds a 2,600-vote cushion over her rival. Democrats attacked Kim, a former legislator who was born in South Korea and grew up in Guam, as a devoted Trump acolyte. Cisneros campaigned on improving health care.
CENTRAL VALLEY SHOWDOWN
Republican David Valadao lost his farm-belt 21st District seat to Democrat TJ Cox two years ago. But the former congressman has widened his lead by nearly 1,300 votes and now holds about a 4-point edge in their rematch this year.
Valadao endorsed Trump after withholding his backing in 2016 - a risk in a district the president lost by 15 points in 2016 - but he also emphasized he has broken with the White House at times, including criticizing the administration for family separations at the border.
A CONGRESSMAN RETURNS?
Republican former Rep. Darrell Issa was well known during his days on Capitol Hill for tormenting the Obama administration when he headed the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee from 2011 to January 2015.
He didn’t run for re-election in 2018 when his San Diego County-based 49th District began tilting Democratic. But he’s back this year hoping to return to Capitol Hill in the more conservative neighboring 50th District that runs through the eastern part of the county.
It was held by Republican Rep. Duncan Hunter until he resigned earlier this year after pleading guilty to a federal corruption charge. Results Friday showed Issa building his lead over Democrat Ammar Campa-Najjar to more than 19,000 votes.
A FORMER FIGHTER PILOT HOPES TO HANG ON NEAR LA
Rep. Mike Garcia, a former Navy combat pilot and defense industry executive, easily won a special election in May to fill the vacant 25th District north of Los Angeles. His rematch with Democrat Christy Smith remains very close, though he’s now built a lead of over 400 votes.
The swing district anchored in Los Angeles County, which includes a slice of Ventura County that is home to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, was open after freshman Democrat Katie Hill resigned suddenly amid an ethics investigation.
It’s a Democratic-leaning district and it’s notable that Garcia’s gains Friday came in an updated count in Los Angeles County, where Democrats typically prosper. His stronghold of Ventura County did not update its vote tally.


washingtontimes--2020-11-06--Rachel Maddow in quarantine after coronavirus exposure

LOS ANGELES — MSNBC ’ s Rachel Maddow said Friday she was quarantining after being in contact with someone who @ @ @ @ @ .
Maddow said on social media that she ’ s tested negative so far for @ @ @ @ @ at home until it ’ s “ safe for me to be back at work @ @ @ @ @ ” Maddow , host of MSNBC ’ s most-watched show , has been a key @ @ @ @ @ ’ s election coverage .
She was off the air Friday night .
“ Wishing @ @ @ @ @ may these remarkable times bring out the best in all of us , ” she @ @ @ @ @ .

LOS ANGELES — MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow said Friday she was quarantining after being in contact with someone who tested positive for the coronavirus.
Maddow said on social media that she’s tested negative so far for COVID-19 but plans to remain at home until it’s “safe for me to be back at work without putting anyone at risk.”
Maddow, host of MSNBC’s most-watched show, has been a key part of the cable channel’s election coverage. She was off the air Friday night.
“Wishing everyone patience and calm; may these remarkable times bring out the best in all of us,” she wrote in her online message.
MSNBC declined to comment on Maddow’s announcement.


washingtontimes--2020-11-06--Legislature may meet in convention center amid pandemic

SANTA FE , N.M. ( AP ) - New Mexico legislators are grappling with the public health risks of convening their next session in January amid surging statewide rates of coronavirus infections and deaths .
A panel of leading legislators on Friday unveiled a proposal to move committee meetings to the downtown Santa Fe convention center to provide more spacious rooms for in-person committee hearings .
Democratic House speaker Brian Egolf described a possible hybrid attendance model for the upcoming 60-day session that would close off public access to the Statehouse for floor debates and votes - but allow public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the convention center .
A new coronavirus testing regimen for lawmakers and staff also is under consideration .
“ It allows us to have committee meetings with high ceilings , an excellent ventilation system , ” Egolf said .
Under ordinary circumstances , the Capitol ’ s committee rooms and corridors are tightly packed with lobbyists , pages and vendors of snacks and Native American jewelry , while the central rotunda serves as a staging ground for political demonstrations , business displays and artistic performances .
Several legislators balked at the hybrid proposal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health risks , constitutional requirements and whether the plan would undermine public compliance with emergency health orders that currently ban public gatherings of more than five people .
Legislators are exempt from the requirements .
Rep. Debbie Armstrong of Albuquerque urged colleagues to postpone the session entirely until later in 2021 .
She said holding committee meetings in the convention center could compound the spreading of COVID-19 , and noted that some legislators may decline to wear masks .
She said a new surge in infections is likely after Christmas and New Year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ widespread application of a coronavirus vaccine .
“ I fully expect it will be worse in January , ” she said .
“ I hope to God I am wrong .
… Even a few months ( delay ) could make all the difference in the world.
” Under state law , New Mexico ’ s unsalaried Legislature convenes in mid-January for 60 days in odd-numbered years and 30 days in even years .
That work could be delayed to a later “ extraordinary session ” with approval by a three-fifths vote of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ session by Gov .
Michelle Lujan Grisham , said Raúl Burciaga , lead attorney to the Legislature and director of the Legislative Council Service .
Lujan Grisham called together a special session in June to approve temporary voting reforms , budget amendments and economic relief legislation in response to the pandemic .
The Capitol building was open to legislators , staff and journalists but not the general public - with committee meetings and floor session broadcast over glitchy webcasts .
Several Republican senators attended without wearing masks .

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) - New Mexico legislators are grappling with the public health risks of convening their next session in January amid surging statewide rates of coronavirus infections and deaths.
A panel of leading legislators on Friday unveiled a proposal to move committee meetings to the downtown Santa Fe convention center to provide more spacious rooms for in-person committee hearings.
Democratic House speaker Brian Egolf described a possible hybrid attendance model for the upcoming 60-day session that would close off public access to the Statehouse for floor debates and votes - but allow public attendance and comment at committee meetings in the convention center. A new coronavirus testing regimen for lawmakers and staff also is under consideration.
“It allows us to have committee meetings with high ceilings, an excellent ventilation system,” Egolf said.
Under ordinary circumstances, the Capitol’s committee rooms and corridors are tightly packed with lobbyists, pages and vendors of snacks and Native American jewelry, while the central rotunda serves as a staging ground for political demonstrations, business displays and artistic performances.
Several legislators balked at the hybrid proposal during an hourslong discussion Friday of potential health risks, constitutional requirements and whether the plan would undermine public compliance with emergency health orders that currently ban public gatherings of more than five people. Legislators are exempt from the requirements.
Rep. Debbie Armstrong of Albuquerque urged colleagues to postpone the session entirely until later in 2021. She said holding committee meetings in the convention center could compound the spreading of COVID-19, and noted that some legislators may decline to wear masks.
She said a new surge in infections is likely after Christmas and New Year’s Day celebrations and prior to widespread application of a coronavirus vaccine.
“I fully expect it will be worse in January,” she said. “I hope to God I am wrong. … Even a few months (delay) could make all the difference in the world.”
Under state law, New Mexico’s unsalaried Legislature convenes in mid-January for 60 days in odd-numbered years and 30 days in even years.
That work could be delayed to a later “extraordinary session” with approval by a three-fifths vote of both legislative chambers, or a special session by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, said Raúl Burciaga, lead attorney to the Legislature and director of the Legislative Council Service.
Lujan Grisham called together a special session in June to approve temporary voting reforms, budget amendments and economic relief legislation in response to the pandemic.
The Capitol building was open to legislators, staff and journalists but not the general public - with committee meetings and floor session broadcast over glitchy webcasts. Several Republican senators attended without wearing masks.


washingtontimes--2020-11-06--Star Stockton mayor's reelection wavers, but he's confident

SACRAMENTO , Calif. ( AP ) - Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs , who skyrocketed to national attention as one of the youngest mayors of a big city in the country , says he is “ 100 % ” confident he will win reelection despite early returns in San Joaquin County that show him trailing his Republican challenger .
Tubbs , 30 , who was raised by a single mother after his father was imprisoned for most of his life , graduated from Stanford University and interned in the Obama White House before returning to Stockton to run for city council @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 22 .
Oprah Winfrey endorsed him in 2012 , and then-President Barack Obama backed his run for mayor in 2016 .
But after getting more than 70 % of the vote in 2016 to become Stockton ’ s first Black mayor , Tubbs is still trailing Republican Kevin Lincoln by about 2,000 votes after three days of counting .
The numbers have surprised California Democrats , who have viewed Tubbs as a potential candidate for statewide office .
And it ’ s raised questions about the political effect of some of Tubbs ‘ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ programs that pay small groups of lower-income or disadvantaged people between $ 500 and $ 1,000 a month in an effort to combat poverty and violent crime .
In an interview with The Associated Press on Friday , Tubbs insisted he is behind not because he lacks support , but because of the way San Joaquin County Registrar Melinda Dubroff is counting the votes .
Through Thursday , the registrar ’ s office has counted only ballots cast in-person on Election Day or mail-in ballots received prior to Oct. 30 , he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likely to vote by mail while registered Republicans were more likely to vote in person .
Tubbs says there are still about 44,000 vote-by-mail ballots to be counted and he expects the vast majority to be for him .
“ The current vote count reflects an overabundance of conservative voters , which will be radically different once all the votes are counted , ” Tubbs said .
“ The frustration is , it ’ s taking the registrar a lot of time to count the ballots .
I think in that window of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where people are trying to Monday morning quarterback.
” A San Joaquin County spokeswoman could not verify how many ballots were still left to count in Stockton , saying the whole county has more than 125,000 left .
But Lee Neves , a Stockton-based political consultant , said lots of Democratic votes came in early .
“ He really should have been in the lead , ” Neves said of Tubbs .
“ It ’ s a toss-up.
” Lincoln , Tubbs ’ opponent , said he ’ s “ feeling pretty good @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pastor of LifeSong Church , who was born and raised in Stockton , said Tubbs ’ pursuit of national notoriety has caused him to neglect his duties in Stockton , marginalizing many residents and contributing to “ a huge increase of distrust in our city.
” “ The trend has been going in the same direction , we ’ ve continually increased our lead , ” he said .
“ Our hope is that through the weekend this trend will continue.
” Lincoln , the son of a Mexican mother and an African @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to become a Marine .
He was eventually assigned to Marine One , the call sign for the aircraft that carries the president , later worked for a private security company in Silicon Valley , and then returned to Stockton to become executive pastor for LifeSong Church .
A local website , 209 Times , has also weighed in on the race .
Activist Motecuzoma Sanchez , who unsuccessfully ran for mayor in the March primary and co-runs the site , said he is devoted to “ exposing Michael Tubbs and who he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was spending so much time outside of the city promoting himself and his political branding , that he was neglecting the fundamental duties of why he was elected , ” Sanchez said .
Michael Fitzgerald , a retired columnist for The Record newspaper in Stockton , said the group has “ published a nonstop narrative of lies and distortions ” about Tubbs that have been difficult to counter .
Tubbs said 209 Times did not have the power “ to change the election , ” adding he still has “ a very strong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrong , I ’ m happy to come back and have a conversation about things , ” he said .

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs, who skyrocketed to national attention as one of the youngest mayors of a big city in the country, says he is “100%” confident he will win reelection despite early returns in San Joaquin County that show him trailing his Republican challenger.
Tubbs, 30, who was raised by a single mother after his father was imprisoned for most of his life, graduated from Stanford University and interned in the Obama White House before returning to Stockton to run for city council in 2012, when he was just 22. Oprah Winfrey endorsed him in 2012, and then-President Barack Obama backed his run for mayor in 2016.
But after getting more than 70% of the vote in 2016 to become Stockton’s first Black mayor, Tubbs is still trailing Republican Kevin Lincoln by about 2,000 votes after three days of counting.
The numbers have surprised California Democrats, who have viewed Tubbs as a potential candidate for statewide office. And it’s raised questions about the political effect of some of Tubbs’ most ambitious experiments, including privately funded programs that pay small groups of lower-income or disadvantaged people between $500 and $1,000 a month in an effort to combat poverty and violent crime.
In an interview with The Associated Press on Friday, Tubbs insisted he is behind not because he lacks support, but because of the way San Joaquin County Registrar Melinda Dubroff is counting the votes. Through Thursday, the registrar’s office has counted only ballots cast in-person on Election Day or mail-in ballots received prior to Oct. 30, he said.
Statewide, registered Democrats were more likely to vote by mail while registered Republicans were more likely to vote in person. Tubbs says there are still about 44,000 vote-by-mail ballots to be counted and he expects the vast majority to be for him.
“The current vote count reflects an overabundance of conservative voters, which will be radically different once all the votes are counted,” Tubbs said. “The frustration is, it’s taking the registrar a lot of time to count the ballots. I think in that window of time there’s anxiety building up where people are trying to Monday morning quarterback.”
A San Joaquin County spokeswoman could not verify how many ballots were still left to count in Stockton, saying the whole county has more than 125,000 left.
But Lee Neves, a Stockton-based political consultant, said lots of Democratic votes came in early.
“He really should have been in the lead,” Neves said of Tubbs. “It’s a toss-up.”
Lincoln, Tubbs’ opponent, said he’s “feeling pretty good” about his chances. The 40-year-old pastor of LifeSong Church, who was born and raised in Stockton, said Tubbs’ pursuit of national notoriety has caused him to neglect his duties in Stockton, marginalizing many residents and contributing to “a huge increase of distrust in our city.”
“The trend has been going in the same direction, we’ve continually increased our lead,” he said. “Our hope is that through the weekend this trend will continue.”
Lincoln, the son of a Mexican mother and an African American father, also left Stockton - to become a Marine. He was eventually assigned to Marine One, the call sign for the aircraft that carries the president, later worked for a private security company in Silicon Valley, and then returned to Stockton to become executive pastor for LifeSong Church.
A local website, 209 Times, has also weighed in on the race. Activist Motecuzoma Sanchez, who unsuccessfully ran for mayor in the March primary and co-runs the site, said he is devoted to “exposing Michael Tubbs and who he really was.”
“(Tubbs) was spending so much time outside of the city promoting himself and his political branding, that he was neglecting the fundamental duties of why he was elected,” Sanchez said.
Michael Fitzgerald, a retired columnist for The Record newspaper in Stockton, said the group has “published a nonstop narrative of lies and distortions” about Tubbs that have been difficult to counter.
Tubbs said 209 Times did not have the power “to change the election,” adding he still has “a very strong base.”
“If I’m wrong, I’m happy to come back and have a conversation about things,” he said.


washingtontimes--2020-11-07--U.S. faces coronavirus 'inflection point' amid surge, possible transition

President Trump told voters they were “ turning the corner ” on the coronavirus , but Americans are running smack into a pandemic that is as daunting as ever , posing a challenge for whoever occupies the White House after the votes are counted .
The nation has recorded more than 100,000 new infections for three days running , smashing records , and hospitalizations are at their highest level since the mid-summer surge in the South and West .
Survival rates are gradually improving with better treatments but the raw total of deaths continues to climb — over 800 are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transmission , reaching a U.S. toll of 236,000 .
Some experts say politics might have gotten in the way of science , so there ’ s room for a national reset in the coming weeks and months .
“ This can be an inflection point where we can start creating policy around how to actually tackle this virus in a meaningful way .
I think that the election has probably distracted from it in a pretty serious way for months now , ” said Michael Mina , an assistant professor of epidemiology at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Public Health .
Dr. Mina said he would like to see a clearer strategy on how to control the virus , starting with widespread , rapid testing and robust marketing to get public buy-in for the effort .
He said the belief that lockdowns are the only option is leading to “ strife ” and fear .
Mr. Trump says new lockdowns are off the table as the economy tries to regain its footing from a brutal year that featured rolling closures across the country .
Blue-state governors from Wisconsin to New York @ @ @ @ @ @ @ post-Election Day , as Mr. Trump predicted , though the president ’ s pledge to deliver a vaccine within “ weeks ” might be on-target .
Pfizer , for instance , has said it could seek emergency authorization of its candidate by the latter half of this month .
Efforts to control the pandemic through immunization will last well into 2021 , however , leaving Americans with tough choices as they await election results and a potential leadership change .
Former Vice President Joseph R. Biden , who as of Friday afternoon had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says the country needs to double down on basic mitigation measures such as mask-wearing and widespread testing to track the disease and break up chains of transmission .
His campaign posted a seven-point plan for tackling the virus that ranges from general pledges , such as vowing to “ listen to the science , ” to more specific calls to action , such as $ 25 billion for vaccine distribution and the establishment of a Pandemic Testing Board akin to Roosevelt ’ s War Production Board .
He ’ s calling for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to requiring face coverings on federal property and interstate transportation while pleading with governors and mayors to pass mandates within their borders .
The current White House recommends the use of masks in situations where people can not socially distance .
But it hasn ’ t backed a mandate , saying Americans are equipped to make their own decisions .
White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows , who frequently appears in public without a mask , tested positive for the virus on Wednesday , according to Bloomberg News .
Mr. Trump says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weighed down his reelection bid , is misplaced , citing his efforts to protect the vulnerable at nursing homes , supply a surplus of ventilators and speed innovative therapeutics to hospitals .
He ’ s banking on groundbreaking antibody drugs in the regulatory pipeline to improve the situation moving forward .
But those drugs might have to be rationed since there will only be so many doses available .
The administration says 100 million doses of vaccine , meanwhile , should be ready before the end of the year , assuming the Food @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to candidates in the coming weeks .
“ The development and distribution of a coronavirus vaccine as soon as possible is emblematic of President Trump ’ s highest priority , the health and safety of the American people , ” White House spokesman Michael Bars said .
“ Importantly , any new vaccine must meet the FDA ’ s rigorous standards for quality , safety , and efficacy and will be verified in consultation with the independent experts of the vaccine advisory committee , which previously advised FDA on preventive vaccines for pneumonia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration is sparing no effort or expense to save millions of lives.
” Whether Mr. Trump is around to see through the vaccination campaign is up in the air , as states like Georgia and Pennsylvania finish counting votes or launch recounts .
Either way , the virus will remain a challenge .
“ Fighting COVID will be the number one priority during the transition period .
Governors , mayors , and public health officials need to encourage people to wear masks and respect social distancing rules , ” said Darrell West , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Institution .
If Mr. Biden wins , he “ needs to appoint a coronavirus czar who can plan the transition and coordinate the work of others , ” Mr. West said .
“ If we take things seriously , the case numbers should drop as we head into the spring .
”

President Trump told voters they were “turning the corner” on the coronavirus but Americans are running smack into a pandemic that’s as daunting as ever, posing a challenge for presumptive President-elect Joseph R. Biden as he eyes the transition.
The nation has recorded over 100,000 new infections for four days running, smashing records, and hospitalizations are at their highest level since the midsummer surge in the South and West.
Survival rates are gradually improving as doctors use better treatments but the raw total of deaths continues to climb — over 900 people are dying per day, on average — because of widespread transmission, reaching a U.S. toll of over 237,000.
Some experts say politics might have gotten in the way of science, so there’s room for a national reset in the coming weeks and months.
“This can be an inflection point where we can start creating policy around how to actually tackle this virus in a meaningful way. I think that the election has probably distracted from it in a pretty serious way for months now,” said Dr. Michael Mina, an assistant professor of epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
Dr. Mina said he would like to see a clearer strategy on how to control the virus, starting with widespread, rapid testing and adequate marketing to get public buy-in for the effort. He said the belief that lockdowns are the only option is leading to “strife” and fear.
During the campaign, Mr. Trump said new lockdowns were off the table as the economy scrambled to regain its footing after a brutal year of rolling closures.
Blue-state governors from Wisconsin to New York aren’t “opening up” post-Election Day, as Mr. Trump predicted, though the president’s pledge to deliver a vaccine within “weeks” might be on-target.
Pfizer, for instance, has said it could seek emergency authorization of its candidate by the latter half of this month.
Efforts to control the pandemic through immunization will last well into 2021, however, leaving Americans with tough choices as they enter a pivotal holiday period and await a change in White House leadership.
Mr. Biden, who was projected as the winner Saturday, says the country needs to double down on basic mitigation measures such as mask-wearing and widespread testing to track the disease and break up chains of transmission.
His campaign posted a seven-point plan for tackling the virus that ranges from general pledges, such as vowing to “listen to the science,” to more specific calls to action, such as $25 billion for vaccine distribution and the establishment of a Pandemic Testing Board akin to Roosevelt’s War Production Board.
He’s calling for a “national mask mandate” that amounts to requiring face coverings on federal property and interstate transportation while pleading with governors and mayors to pass mandates within their borders.
Mr. Biden late Saturday said he will name a coronavirus task force Monday to tackle the virus, signaling the pandemic is an immediate priority. The 12-member team will include former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, according to Axios.
The effort “will be built on a bedrock [of] science,” Mr. Biden said in Delaware. “I will spare no effort, none, or any commitment to turn around this pandemic.”
The current White House recommends the use of masks in situations where people cannot socially distance. But it hasn’t backed a mandate, saying Americans are equipped to make their own decisions.
White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, who frequently appears in public without a mask, tested positive for the virus Wednesday, according to Bloomberg News.
“Any positive case is taken seriously. Contact tracing has been conducted by the White House Medical Unit consistent with [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] guidelines to stop further transmission. Appropriate notifications and recommendations have been made,” said deputy White House press secretary Judd Deere.
Mr. Trump says criticism of his pandemic performance, which weighed down his reelection bid, is misplaced, citing his efforts to protect the vulnerable at nursing homes, supply a surplus of ventilators and speed innovative therapeutics to hospitals.
He’s banking on groundbreaking antibody drugs in the regulatory pipeline to improve the situation during his final weeks in office — though he is challenging the election results in court. Those drugs might have to be rationed, once approved, since there will only be so many doses available.
The administration says 100 million doses of vaccine, meanwhile, will be ready before the end of the year, assuming the Food and Drug Administration gives the green light to candidates in the coming weeks.
“The development and distribution of a coronavirus vaccine as soon as possible is emblematic of President Trump’s highest priority, the health and safety of the American people,” said White House spokesman Michael Bars. “Importantly, any new vaccine must meet the FDA’s rigorous standards for quality, safety, and efficacy and will be verified in consultation with the independent experts of the vaccine advisory committee, which previously advised FDA on preventive vaccines for pneumonia, HPV, and hepatitis. The administration is sparing no effort or expense to save millions of lives.”
Mr. Trump will not be able to see through the vaccination campaign, unless his legal challenges suddenly reverse the projected outcome of the election.
Either way, virus will remain a challenge well into 2021.
“Fighting COVID will be the number one priority during the transition period. Governors, mayors, and public health officials need to encourage people to wear masks and respect social distancing rules,” said Darrell West, director of governance studies at the Brookings Institution.
“Biden needs to appoint a coronavirus czar who can plan the transition and coordinate the work of others,” Mr. West said. “If we take things seriously, the case numbers should drop as we head into the sprin
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-11-07--Thousands in Leipzig protest German coronavirus restrictions

BERLIN ( AP ) - Thousands of people demonstrated in central Leipzig on Saturday against government-imposed restrictions meant to slow the spread of the coronavirus after a court issued a last-minute decision rejecting the eastern city ’ s attempt to move the protest elsewhere .
“ It is hard to explain how only two households are permitted to meet together and yet 16,000 people are allowed to demonstrate on one plaza , ” city spokesman Matthias Hasberg told the dpa news agency after the appeals court decision .
By the city ’ s calculations , only 5,000 people could gather @ @ @ @ @ @ @ house and keep 1.5 meters ( 5 feet ) from one another , so administrators had sought to have the demonstration moved to a larger location outside the center .
Demonstrators said 16,000 were expected at the rally , though figures indicating how many actually showed up were not immediately available .
The court did not issue details about its reasoning .
Protesters carried German flags and one woman carrying a sign saying “ For : truth , justice and freedom ” wore a mask over her eyes while leaving her nose and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Germany finished its first week into what is being called “ lockdown light ” with new restrictions to try and slow spiking coronavirus cases .
The country ’ s disease control center , the Robert Koch Institute said Saturday that Germany ’ s states had reported 23,300 new cases overnight , surpassing the record of 21,506 set the day before , which was the first time the country had registered more than 20,000 daily cases .
A four-week partial shutdown took effect on Monday , with bars , restaurants , leisure and sports @ @ @ @ @ @ @ imposed .
Shops and schools remain open .
The Robert Koch Institute says that the effects will first be seen two to three weeks from the start of the closures .
In Munich , an appeals court on Saturday upheld the southern city ’ s ban on demonstrations against coronavirus restrictions that were scheduled for Saturday and Sunday .
The court ruled authorities in the Bavarian city were within their rights to ban the demonstrations under infection protection regulations , dpa reported .

BERLIN (AP) - More than 20,000 people demonstrated Saturday in eastern Germany against government-imposed restrictions meant to slow the spread of the coronavirus after a court rejected the city of Leipzig’s attempt to move the protest away from a central square, police said.
By the city’s calculations, only 5,000 people could gather in Augustusplatz plaza and keep 1.5 meters (5 feet) away from one another. With protest organizers saying they expected at least 16,000 participants, administrators had sought to have the demonstration moved to a larger location outside the city’s center.
“It is hard to explain how only two households are permitted to meet together and yet 16,000 people are allowed to demonstrate on one plaza,” city spokesman Matthias Hasberg told German news agency dpa after the appeals court issued its decision,
The court did not issue details about its reasoning.
Few people at the protest wore masks or kept their distance from others despite police warning from megaphones and officers walking through the crowds on foot to caution them. One woman carried a sign that read “For: truth, justice and freedom” while wearing a mask over her eyes and leaving her nose and mouth uncovered.
The city ordered the event shut down a little more than two hours after it began due to mask non-compliance.
Many protesters refused to leave. Police warned on social media that they were videotaping participants to document who was committing crimes or civil infractions with their behavior. About half the crowd remained when it got dark outside.
At a smaller counter-demonstration nearby, people waved signs urging respect for coronavirus restrictions.
The demonstration came as Germany finished its first week of what is being called “lockdown light” with new restrictions to try and slow spiking coronavirus cases.
The country’s disease control center, the Robert Koch Institute said Saturday that Germany’s states had reported 23,300 new daily cases, surpassing the record of 21,506 set the day before when Germany for the first time registered more than 20,000 confirmed cases in 24 hours.
A four-week partial shutdown that took effect Monday closed bars, restaurants, leisure centers and sports facilities, and imposed new restrictions on contact with other people. Shops and schools remain open.
The Robert Koch Institute says any effects from the measures will be seen two to three weeks from the start of the closures.
In Munich, an appeals court on Saturday upheld the southern city’s ban on demonstrations against coronavirus restrictions that were scheduled for Saturday and Sunday.
The court ruled authorities in the Bavarian city were within their rights to ban the demonstrations under infection protection regulations, dpa reported.


washingtontimes--2020-11-07--Nurse talks about highs, lows of working on a COVID floor

Patients who need help are pushing call lights .
Families are calling looking for updates .
Nurses working 12-hour shifts , sweating and dehydrated wearing personal protection equipment , sometimes break down in tears .
Some aren ’ t as lucky and never leave , dying as they gasp for breath .
Beds are quickly filled by more patients waiting in the wings .
That ’ s a sampling of what it ’ s like to work on the COVID floor at Benefis Health System in Great Falls , which is bursting at the seams with patients who are struggling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Janus , a registered nurse , told the Great Falls Tribune .
Janus compares each day on the job to being on a roller coaster and “ constantly fighting fires.
” The full force of COVID-19 , she adds , has finally arrived in Montana , with the vast physical distances between people and cities in the nation ’ s fourth-largest state unable to stop its deadly march .
“ Back in the day , early COVID , we all heard about New York , ” Janus said in an interview , referring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spring on the East Coast .
“ It was easy to ignore because you weren ’ t in that world and at that time Montana was very safe .
We had so few cases so you just went about your day , being like , ‘ Alright , COVD is here , but it isn ’ t real.
’ “ Versus now .
It is real and it ’ s a nightmare .
We are living a nightmare here in Montana , a state that is socially distanced naturally , ” Janus said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases and at least 419 deaths .
Cascade County has reported 35 deaths , not all of which are yet included in the state total .
As of Nov. 6 , Cascade County had 1,848 active COVID-19 cases .
“ It is basically indescribable unless you are in it , ” Janus said on Oct. 27 of working on the COVID floor , when she was on the backside of another 12-hour shift .
Janus removed her goggles in a conference room on the main floor revealing red raccoon-like marks under her eyes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ We are filled to the brim , ” Janus says .
“ There are patients waiting in the ER .
They are keeping our COVID patients until somebody discharges.
” This map shows Montana at risk for active or imminent outbreak by Covid Act Now , a volunteer-driven nonprofit , built by a team of technologists , epidemiologists , public health experts and public policy leaders to provide data analysis on COVID-19 .
Located on the eighth floor , the COVID floor is sometimes called the penthouse .
On Oct. 27 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lives in its 20 rooms .
It ’ s so full several rooms are occupied by two patients .
Kevin Langkiet , director for Emergency Services and Critical Care at Benefis , told the Cascade City-County Health Board this week that Benefis is “ overflowing ” with 50-plus COVID patients who are not only being cared for on the COVID floor but also in the intensive care unit , progressive care unit , emergency room and even hallways .
“ It ’ s not a pretty sight , ” he said .
Janus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the COVID floor .
It ’ s her job to know the status of every patient .
She decides which room is best for a patient and handles issues brought to her from other nurses .
That could be a question about discharge plans or getting an IV started .
Janus has her own patients as well .
She tries to lead by example .
She also attempts to be positive by “ spreading a little sunshine in a very interesting situation right now.
” Janus , 35 , says she seen more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she has seen in her entire two-year nursing career .
“ Every other day some staff on the floor is crying , ” Janus says .
“ Every other day , somebody is having a difficult time with what ’ s happening.
” On that very day , a nurse who was caring for two patients in the process of dying was having a difficult time with the situation .
“ This nurse is like , ‘ I don ’ t know how much longer I can personally do this , ’ ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down by the people who aren ’ t getting well .
“ But I ’ m trying to focus on small success .
The people who are going home .
The people who are getting better , ” Janus said .
In most cases nurses got into nursing to help people return to health and go home , Janus said .
But in caring for COVID-19 patients , they ’ ve had to shift their mindset , because they are using skills of hospice nurses such as keeping deteriorating patients comfortable , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Coping with that I think is the hard part for a lot of nurses because that ’ s not necessarily why they go into nursing , ” Janus said .
Recently , during Janus ’ three days off , four people died , bringing the death toll on the floor , as of Oct. 27 to about 15 since it opened as the hospital ’ s designated COVID floor Sept. 10 with 10 patients .
It reached 27 patients 15 days later and has remained over capacity ever since .
Once , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a COVID-19 positive patient was admitted breathing “ room air ” and was dead three days later .
“ We have had multiple family members on our floor at one time , ” Janus said .
“ We play like bed roulette to get sisters in the same room together , or husband and wife in the same room together .
One is admitted and two days later here comes the spouse.
” If a family member gets COVID-19 , others in the family are bound to follow , Janus said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the floor at the same time and two died .
“ You hear about people dying from the flu .
It happens , ” Janus says .
“ But people are dying from COVID .
People ’ s lungs are so scarred for a lack of a better term because of COVID that their lungs are not getting better .
And that ’ s the biggest thing I ’ m seeing .
It ’ s like … people are dying .
That for me and my team is the hardest thing .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ are getting better and people are going home .
More people are going home than are dying .
Don ’ t get me wrong , ” Janus says .
As for her own scheduled , Janus tries to schedule 14-day “ stretches ” - working six days in a row followed by eight days off .
Some nights after her shift , Janus talks via facetime with the families of a patient .
“ One day somebody said , ‘ Why are you still here , ’ and I was like , ‘ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the person on the facetime that I need to go home so they need to stop talking to this person when we don ’ t know how much longer they will be here , ‘ ” Janus said .
Sometimes facetime talks involve family members saying goodbye to loved ones .
COVID-19 , the disease caused by the new coronavirus , can cause lung complications such as pneumonia and , in the most severe cases , acute respiratory distress syndrome , or ARDS , according to Johns Hopkins Medicine .
Monitoring and intervention @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” - oxygen desaturation - takes up a lot of time of nurses working the COVID floor , Janus said .
The majority of the patients at the Benefis COVID floor are on oxygen .
When they arrive , they may be OK breathing room air or breathing oxygen through a basic nasal cannula , a lightweight tube with a split end that delivers supplemental air through the nostrils .
Keeping each patient above 90 % oxygen saturation is the goal .
In a matter of hours , Janus has watched patients escalate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cannula to progressively more invasive and high-flow oxygen delivery forms such as Bilevel Positive Airway Pressure , or BiPAP .
“ That ’ s the thing about these patients , ” Janus says .
“ They are fine one moment and then they ’ re not.
” Is it the flu or COVID-19 ?
How to tell the difference Where are COVID-19 cases in Montana ?
See a map of coronavirus in the state Coronavirus in your community vs. the country A BiPAP , one step before a ventilator , is a large @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of patients via a mask to help them breathe .
It ’ s difficult to ween patients off of oxygen , Janus said .
“ Once these patients are getting on the BiPAP or the ventilator , a lot of times they are not getting off , ” Janus said .
She ’ s seen patients requiring 20 minutes of recovery time when they get back to their bed after walking 10 steps to the bathroom .
“ Imagine how scary it is if you can ’ t breathe , ” said Janus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ That , to me , would be the scariest thing.
” Janus ’ mother was a nurse but she followed her own career path initially earning degrees in exercise science and psychology , then going to an EMT school and working in the hospitality industry for 12 years .
Then the St. Charles , Minn. native decided to attend nursing school at Colorado Mountain College in Glenwood Springs .
Benefis is her first nursing job .
“ I love my job , ” she said .
“ I like it way more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She finds helping people rewarding and stressful .
A simple “ thank you ” note from a patient means the world to her .
She saves them all .
The pandemic has not caused her to rethink her career choice .
“ I feel like it ’ s that much more important , ” Janus said .
“ The only people these patients are seeing every day is you and the rest of the staff working on the floor.
” Patients are monitored 24-7 by day and night shifts of nurses who get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nursing assistants and respiratory therapists also work with the patients .
These days , Janus said , she is basically living at Benefis .
She had 72 hours of overtime on her last paycheck .
“ I personally have embraced it and just accepted it for what it is , ” she said of working during the COVID-19 pandemic .
Working in the COVID-19 floor sucks and nobody likes it , Janus has told her team .
Janus , who went to college on a track scholarship and played volleyball and basketball in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a traveling rugby team , has encouraged them to “ embrace the suck.
” “ So just together we need to embrace the suck and find positivity in each day , ” she said .
“ We ’ re learning so much together .
We ’ re an amazing team .
Everyone is helping everyone out.
” Five nurses and , in a perfect world , and two certified nursing assistants work a shift together .
The 20 nurses who work the floor are normally the “ patient flow team ” that floats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now they filling the need to treat COVID-19 patients .
Each shift begins with a positive quote for the team .
Janus recently began “ positivity pals ” in which nurses , if they want , team up with somebody who understands the daily stresses so they can talk and offer encouragement .
“ I think we do for the most part we have a positive environment given everything we see , ” she said .
Nurses wear shoe covers and isolation gowns , gloves , N-95 masks , which offer more protection @ @ @ @ @ @ @ face shield .
“ We are more than adequately protected , ” Janus said .
To her knowledge , nobody has gotten COVID-19 from working on the COVID floor .
Wearing all that personal protective equipment does add to the challenge .
Nurses move around a lot from bed to bed giving medications .
Dehydration is a problem .
It can be a pain to take off masks and gowns , which is necessary to get a drink .
“ I ’ ve lost 10 pounds in the last month , ” Janus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the community it ’ s that COVID-19 is not like the normal flu .
Stay away from people who are positive .
Don ’ t have big Thanksgiving and Christmas gatherings , she said .
Wear masks and stay 6 feet apart if you do and don ’ t go if you are feeling sick .
Many healthy people do fine after getting COVID-19 , she noted .
But many of the people struggling on the COVID-19 floor have preexisting conditions such as diabetes or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease .
How long @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to two weeks .
Patients stay until they have not had a fever for 24 hours and need less than three liters of oxygen a day .
Rest and exercise tests are performed to determine if they will need oxygen at home .
Besides the battle to breathe and general fatigue , residents with COVID-19 also face the challenge of social isolation , Janus said .
Most patients are placed in a room by themselves to protect the staff and other patients , with the door closed , and no visitors are allowed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how much longer it will go on , ” Janus said of the pandemic .
“ Hopefully not much longer .
”

GREAT FALLS, Mont. (AP) - Phones are always ringing.
Patients who need help are pushing call lights.
Families are calling looking for updates.
Nurses working 12-hour shifts, sweating and dehydrated wearing personal protection equipment, sometimes break down in tears.
Patients are recovering.
Some aren’t as lucky and never leave, dying as they gasp for breath.
Beds are quickly filled by more patients waiting in the wings.
That’s a sampling of what it’s like to work on the COVID floor at Benefis Health System in Great Falls, which is bursting at the seams with patients who are struggling to breathe and sometimes live, Katie Janus, a registered nurse, told the Great Falls Tribune.
Janus compares each day on the job to being on a roller coaster and “constantly fighting fires.”
The full force of COVID-19, she adds, has finally arrived in Montana, with the vast physical distances between people and cities in the nation’s fourth-largest state unable to stop its deadly march.
“Back in the day, early COVID, we all heard about New York,” Janus said in an interview, referring to the first COVID-19 wave in the spring on the East Coast. “It was easy to ignore because you weren’t in that world and at that time Montana was very safe. We had so few cases so you just went about your day, being like, ‘Alright, COVD is here, but it isn’t real.’
“Versus now. It is real and it’s a nightmare. We are living a nightmare here in Montana, a state that is socially distanced naturally,” Janus said.
Montana has had 37,947 total COVID-19 cases and at least 419 deaths.
Cascade County has reported 35 deaths, not all of which are yet included in the state total.
As of Nov. 6, Cascade County had 1,848 active COVID-19 cases.
“It is basically indescribable unless you are in it,” Janus said on Oct. 27 of working on the COVID floor, when she was on the backside of another 12-hour shift.
Janus removed her goggles in a conference room on the main floor revealing red raccoon-like marks under her eyes from the pressure of the eye protection.
“We are filled to the brim,” Janus says. “There are patients waiting in the ER. They are keeping our COVID patients until somebody discharges.”
This map shows Montana at risk for active or imminent outbreak by Covid Act Now, a volunteer-driven nonprofit, built by a team of technologists, epidemiologists, public health experts and public policy leaders to provide data analysis on COVID-19.
Located on the eighth floor, the COVID floor is sometimes called the penthouse.
On Oct. 27, 27 patients were fighting for their lives in its 20 rooms. It’s so full several rooms are occupied by two patients.
Kevin Langkiet, director for Emergency Services and Critical Care at Benefis, told the Cascade City-County Health Board this week that Benefis is “overflowing” with 50-plus COVID patients who are not only being cared for on the COVID floor but also in the intensive care unit, progressive care unit, emergency room and even hallways.
“It’s not a pretty sight,” he said.
Janus is the “charge nurse” of the COVID floor.
It’s her job to know the status of every patient.
She decides which room is best for a patient and handles issues brought to her from other nurses. That could be a question about discharge plans or getting an IV started.
Janus has her own patients as well.
She tries to lead by example. She also attempts to be positive by “spreading a little sunshine in a very interesting situation right now.”
Spreading sunshine on the COVID-19 floor isn’t easy.
Janus, 35, says she seen more death in the past three months than she has seen in her entire two-year nursing career.
“Every other day some staff on the floor is crying,” Janus says. “Every other day, somebody is having a difficult time with what’s happening.”
On that very day, a nurse who was caring for two patients in the process of dying was having a difficult time with the situation.
“This nurse is like, ‘I don’t know how much longer I can personally do this,’” Janus said. “They are run down by the people who aren’t getting well.
“But I’m trying to focus on small success. The people who are going home. The people who are getting better,” Janus said.
In most cases nurses got into nursing to help people return to health and go home, Janus said.
But in caring for COVID-19 patients, they’ve had to shift their mindset, because they are using skills of hospice nurses such as keeping deteriorating patients comfortable, and talking to families and offering support.
“Coping with that I think is the hard part for a lot of nurses because that’s not necessarily why they go into nursing,” Janus said.
Recently, during Janus’ three days off, four people died, bringing the death toll on the floor, as of Oct. 27 to about 15 since it opened as the hospital’s designated COVID floor Sept. 10 with 10 patients. It reached 27 patients 15 days later and has remained over capacity ever since.
Once, said Janus, recalling her toughest case, a COVID-19 positive patient was admitted breathing “room air” and was dead three days later.
“We have had multiple family members on our floor at one time,” Janus said. “We play like bed roulette to get sisters in the same room together, or husband and wife in the same room together. One is admitted and two days later here comes the spouse.”
If a family member gets COVID-19, others in the family are bound to follow, Janus said. One time, three family members were on the floor at the same time and two died.
“You hear about people dying from the flu. It happens,” Janus says. “But people are dying from COVID. People’s lungs are so scarred for a lack of a better term because of COVID that their lungs are not getting better. And that’s the biggest thing I’m seeing. It’s like … people are dying. That for me and my team is the hardest thing.
“At the same time, people are getting better and people are going home. More people are going home than are dying. Don’t get me wrong,” Janus says.
As for her own scheduled, Janus tries to schedule 14-day “stretches” - working six days in a row followed by eight days off.
Some nights after her shift, Janus talks via facetime with the families of a patient.
“One day somebody said, ‘Why are you still here,’ and I was like, ‘I can’t hardly say to the person on the facetime that I need to go home so they need to stop talking to this person when we don’t know how much longer they will be here,‘” Janus said.
Sometimes facetime talks involve family members saying goodbye to loved ones.
COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, can cause lung complications such as pneumonia and, in the most severe cases, acute respiratory distress syndrome, or ARDS, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.
Monitoring and intervention to ensure patients do not “desat” - oxygen desaturation - takes up a lot of time of nurses working the COVID floor, Janus said.
“We’re constantly checking oxygen,” she said.
The majority of the patients at the Benefis COVID floor are on oxygen.
When they arrive, they may be OK breathing room air or breathing oxygen through a basic nasal cannula, a lightweight tube with a split end that delivers supplemental air through the nostrils.
Keeping each patient above 90% oxygen saturation is the goal.
In a matter of hours, Janus has watched patients escalate from needing oxygen through the basic nasal cannula to progressively more invasive and high-flow oxygen delivery forms such as Bilevel Positive Airway Pressure, or BiPAP.
“That’s the thing about these patients,” Janus says. “They are fine one moment and then they’re not.”
Is it the flu or COVID-19? How to tell the difference
Where are COVID-19 cases in Montana? See a map of coronavirus in the state
Coronavirus in your community vs. the country
A BiPAP, one step before a ventilator, is a large machine that forces air into the lungs of patients via a mask to help them breathe. It’s difficult to ween patients off of oxygen, Janus said.
“Once these patients are getting on the BiPAP or the ventilator, a lot of times they are not getting off,” Janus said.
She’s seen patients requiring 20 minutes of recovery time when they get back to their bed after walking 10 steps to the bathroom.
“Imagine how scary it is if you can’t breathe,” said Janus, describing the distress of patients. “That, to me, would be the scariest thing.”
Janus’ mother was a nurse but she followed her own career path initially earning degrees in exercise science and psychology, then going to an EMT school and working in the hospitality industry for 12 years.
Then the St. Charles, Minn. native decided to attend nursing school at Colorado Mountain College in Glenwood Springs.
Benefis is her first nursing job.
“I love my job,” she said. “I like it way more than I thought I ever would.”
She finds helping people rewarding and stressful. A simple “thank you” note from a patient means the world to her. She saves them all.
The pandemic has not caused her to rethink her career choice.
“I feel like it’s that much more important,” Janus said. “The only people these patients are seeing every day is you and the rest of the staff working on the floor.”
Patients are monitored 24-7 by day and night shifts of nurses who get to know them.
Doctors, certified nursing assistants and respiratory therapists also work with the patients.
These days, Janus said, she is basically living at Benefis.
She had 72 hours of overtime on her last paycheck.
“I personally have embraced it and just accepted it for what it is,” she said of working during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Working in the COVID-19 floor sucks and nobody likes it, Janus has told her team.
Janus, who went to college on a track scholarship and played volleyball and basketball in high school and continues to play on a traveling rugby team, has encouraged them to “embrace the suck.”
“So just together we need to embrace the suck and find positivity in each day,” she said. “We’re learning so much together. We’re an amazing team. Everyone is helping everyone out.”
Five nurses and, in a perfect world, and two certified nursing assistants work a shift together.
The 20 nurses who work the floor are normally the “patient flow team” that floats to other floors in the hospital but now they filling the need to treat COVID-19 patients.
Each shift begins with a positive quote for the team. Janus recently began “positivity pals” in which nurses, if they want, team up with somebody who understands the daily stresses so they can talk and offer encouragement.
“I think we do for the most part we have a positive environment given everything we see,” she said.
Nurses wear shoe covers and isolation gowns, gloves, N-95 masks, which offer more protection against airborne particles, goggles and/or a face shield.
“We are more than adequately protected,” Janus said.
To her knowledge, nobody has gotten COVID-19 from working on the COVID floor.
Wearing all that personal protective equipment does add to the challenge.
Nurses move around a lot from bed to bed giving medications. Dehydration is a problem. It can be a pain to take off masks and gowns, which is necessary to get a drink.
“I’ve lost 10 pounds in the last month,” Janus said.
If she has a message for the community it’s that COVID-19 is not like the normal flu.
Wash your hands.
Stay away from people who are positive.
Don’t have big Thanksgiving and Christmas gatherings, she said. Wear masks and stay 6 feet apart if you do and don’t go if you are feeling sick.
Many healthy people do fine after getting COVID-19, she noted.
But many of the people struggling on the COVID-19 floor have preexisting conditions such as diabetes or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
How long patients are kept varies from a day to two weeks.
Patients stay until they have not had a fever for 24 hours and need less than three liters of oxygen a day. Rest and exercise tests are performed to determine if they will need oxygen at home.
Besides the battle to breathe and general fatigue, residents with COVID-19 also face the challenge of social isolation, Janus said. Most patients are placed in a room by themselves to protect the staff and other patients, with the door closed, and no visitors are allowed.
“We don’t know how much longer it will go on,” Janus said of the pandemic. “Hopefully not much longer.”


washingtontimes--2020-11-07--Joe Biden closes in on 270 in presidential race after claiming 'mandate'

Democratic challenger Joseph R. Biden was closing in on clinching enough Electoral College votes to defeat President Trump as ballot-counting across the country continued Saturday .
The most closely-watched states were Pennsylvania , Georgia , Arizona and Nevada , where Mr. Biden held narrow leads .
The former vice president held a projected 264-214 electoral vote lead over Mr. Trump , according to The Associated Press , putting him one additional state away from securing the 270 votes needed if his lead in Arizona holds .
Mr. Biden could also surpass 270 votes if he clinches Pennsylvania even if the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which is the one state where the Democrat ’ s lead was narrowing .
Late Friday , Mr. Biden said he was on track to win and said Americans have given him a “ mandate ” to tackle COVID-19 , the economy , climate change and systemic racism .
Mr. Trump said Friday that he wants all “ legal ” ballots to be counted and that Mr. Biden shouldn ’ t be declaring victory prematurely .
Mr. Biden overtook Mr. Trump in Georgia and Pennsylvania early Friday as additional ballots from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
On Saturday , Mr. Biden had a 49.4 % to 49.3 % lead over Mr. Trump in Georgia , a margin of about 7,200 votes , with 99 % of the estimated votes in .
State officials expect things to head to a recount , which can be requested if the margin between the two candidates is 0.5 % or less of the votes cast .
In Pennsylvania , Mr. Biden had a 49.6 % to 49.1 % lead , a margin of about 29,000 votes , with 96 % of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ automatic recount if the margin is 0.5 % or less of the total votes cast .
Mr. Trump carried Pennsylvania by about 44,000 votes in 2016 .
In Arizona , Mr. Biden held a 49.6 % to 48.7 % lead over Mr. Trump , a margin of about 30,000 votes , with an estimated 97 % of the votes reported .
The president has been eating into Mr. Biden ’ s lead since Tuesday as additional ballots were counted .
Mr. Trump ’ s team says they expect the president to win the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Associated Press called Arizona for Mr. Biden .
Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs has already said she doesn ’ t expect a recount either way .
The margin between the two candidates would have to be separated by less than 0.1 % of the votes cast or 200 votes or less , whichever is smaller , for there to be a recount in Arizona .
In Nevada , Mr. Biden had a 49.8 % to 48 % lead over Mr. Trump , a margin of about 23,000 votes , with about 93 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ former vice president has padded his lead as additional ballots from Democratic-leaning Clark County were counted .
A losing candidate can request a recount in Nevada no matter what the margin is .
In North Carolina , Mr. Trump had a 50 % to 48.6 % lead over Mr. Biden , a margin of about 77,000 votes , with an estimated 98 % of the votes reported .
Solidly red Alaska was the other state that had yet to be called .
Officials aren ’ t going to start tallying outstanding early and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ least 40 % or so of the state ’ s total , until at least next week .
Mr. Trump ’ s team has initiated various legal actions in Nevada , Pennsylvania , Georgia and Michigan and has vowed to pursue a recount in Wisconsin , which the AP called for Mr. Biden on Wednesday .

Dave Boyer, David Sherfinski and David Sherfinski, Dave Boyer

Democratic challenger Joseph R. Biden was closing in on clinching enough Electoral College votes to defeat President Trump as ballot-counting across the country continued Saturday.
The most closely-watched states were Pennsylvania, Georgia, Arizona and Nevada, where Mr. Biden held narrow leads.
The former vice president held a projected 264-214 electoral vote lead over Mr. Trump, according to The Associated Press, putting him one additional state away from securing the 270 votes needed if his lead in Arizona holds.
Mr. Biden could also surpass 270 votes if he clinches Pennsylvania even if the president catches and passes him in Arizona, which is the one state where the Democrat’s lead was narrowing.
Late Friday, Mr. Biden said he was on track to win and said Americans have given him a “mandate” to tackle COVID-19, the economy, climate change and systemic racism.
On Saturday, Mr. Trump disagreed.
“I won this election, by a lot!” the president said on Twitter in all capital letters.
Mr. Biden overtook Mr. Trump in Georgia and Pennsylvania early Friday as additional ballots from the Democratic-leaning Atlanta and Philadelphia areas were counted.
On Saturday, Mr. Biden had a 49.4% to 49.3% lead over Mr. Trump in Georgia, a margin of about 7,200 votes, with 99% of the estimated votes in.
State officials expect things to head to a recount, which can be requested if the margin between the two candidates is 0.5% or less of the votes cast.
In Pennsylvania, Mr. Biden had a 49.6% to 49.1% lead, a margin of about 29,000 votes, with 96% of the vote reported. There would be an automatic recount if the margin is 0.5% or less of the total votes cast.
Mr. Trump carried Pennsylvania by about 44,000 votes in 2016.
In Arizona, Mr. Biden held a 49.5% to 48.9% lead over Mr. Trump, a margin of about 20,600 votes, with an estimated 97% of the votes reported.
The president has been eating into Mr. Biden’s lead since Tuesday as additional ballots were counted. Mr. Trump’s team says they expect the president to win the state even after Fox News and the AP called Arizona for Mr. Biden.
Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs has already said she doesn’t expect a recount either way.
The margin between the two candidates would have to be separated by 0.1% or less of the votes cast or 200 votes or less, whichever is smaller, for there to be a recount in Arizona.
In Nevada, Mr. Biden had a 49.8% to 48% lead over Mr. Trump, a margin of about 23,000 votes, with about 93% of the votes reported.
The former vice president has padded his lead as additional ballots from Democratic-leaning Clark County were counted.
A losing candidate can request a recount in Nevada no matter what the margin is.
In North Carolina, Mr. Trump had a 50% to 48.6% lead over Mr. Biden, a margin of about 77,000 votes, with an estimated 98% of the votes reported.
Solidly red Alaska was the other state that had yet to be called. Officials aren’t going to start tallying outstanding early and absentee ballots, which make up at least 40% or so of the state’s total, until at least next week.
Mr. Trump’s team has initiated various legal actions in Nevada, Pennsylvania, Georgia and Michigan and has vowed to pursue a recount in Wisconsin, which the AP called for Mr. Biden on Wednesday.
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com. • David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-11-07--Kids divided on possible parole 25 years after dad kills mom

DRAPER , Utah ( AP ) - Emery Blanchard says she has seen a change in her father , and after 25 years in prison believes it ’ s time to move on .
“ What I ’ m hoping for is to close this chapter , is to put this 25 years - and frankly , some of the childhood nightmare - to rest .
I ’ m ready to open my arms to my dad and offer him stable and reliable housing , ” she told a member of the Utah Board of Pardons and Parole on Tuesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her brother , Michael Blanchard , believes their father is right where he belongs .
“ I don ’ t believe for a second he can be rehabilitated .
He ’ s just a monster .
An old monster , ” he said .
On Sept. 9 , 1995 , John Emery Blanchard , of Park City , brutally murdered his ex-wife , Patricia Ann Coon Blanchard , 45 , whom he had a tumultuous relationship with , using his arm to strangle her with such force that a bone in her neck @ @ @ @ @ @ @ murder .
After a monthlong trial , a jury convicted Blanchard .
But only four jurors voted for a death sentence .
And the jury could not come to a consensus over whether to give Blanchard the possibility of parole .
Because of that , he was sentenced to life with the possibility of parole , angering groups such as the National Organization for Women .
The first parole hearing for Blanchard , now 76 , was held Tuesday .
Prosecutors said Blanchard slashed the tires on his ex-wife ’ s truck that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , crept up the stairs and raped her before strangling her with his hands .
After his arrest , Blanchard made vulgar statements about how she wouldn ’ t die fast enough during a struggle he claimed lasted 20 minutes .
He scrawled on a piece of paper : “ For months I planned to kill her .
I did it tonight .
NO REGRETS !
” He later told police 200 people in Park City probably wondered why he hadn ’ t kill his ex-wife sooner .
But at trial , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he was asked on Tuesday to recount his crime , Blanchard again contended that some of the obscene statements he made 25 years ago were lies .
“ I was beside myself , ” he said .
“ I was angry .
I was out of my mind.
” Blanchard admitted that he and Patti did not have a great relationship .
“ We were as dysfunctional as you could imagine , ” he said .
Blanchard was also abusing drugs and alcohol at the time .
But he claimed Tuesday that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seemed to imply it was in self-defense .
Blanchard said his ex-wife was leaving on a trip the next day , and asked him to come over that night to bring her money .
He claims that she told him to not let the children know he was there , so he entered the house through a window .
Blanchard said he went into her bedroom , placed the money on the bed and then sat there with his hands to his side and head in his lap .
“ What I didn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to get clobbered from the back , ” he said .
Blanchard said his ex-wife hit him in the back with a lamp , and then used her finger to try and gouge his eye out .
“ I put my forearm across her neck , and felt and heard three pops , ” he said .
“ It was not drawn out , it was very immediate.
” At several points during the parole hearing , Blanchard made the point that “ I was the only one in the room ” and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remembered it happened , ” suggesting there were no other witnesses .
But Blanchard conceded the bedroom door was open during the attack , and based on testimony at trial , his daughter Emery , who was then 13 , was outside the door .
Emery Blanchard said Tuesday she has “ gone through all the emotions ” over the past 25 years , and has attended therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder .
Over the years , Blanchard has met with her father in prison , and in her own life has worked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s criminal justice system .
She said she is proud of her dad for becoming sober and being a model inmate while in prison .
Now , she said she ’ s at place in her life where she ’ s looking for peace and empathy and to move on from that chapter .
“ I ’ m very prepared for my dad ’ s release , ” she said .
“ All he wants right now is peace and quiet.
” Blanchard said she also has concerns about her father ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in prison .
But her brother doesn ’ t share those feelings .
Michael Blanchard , who was 12 and asleep in another room when his mother was murdered , indicated that based on his father ’ s latest psychological exam conducted in August , he is still manic depressive , bipolar and a sociopath .
During his trial , prosecutors argued that John Blanchard was manipulative .
His son said Tuesday that based on the information he has collected , not much has changed .
“ I still believe he is that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” he said .
While he said he ’ s proud of his father for doing well while in prison , “ What got him there is the problem.
” Michael Blanchard doesn ’ t believe his father has the ability to feel for others and is only worried about his own needs .
He asked the parole board to let his father serve his life sentence without the possibility of parole .
“ We don ’ t feel safe with him around , even at his old age.
” he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ responded by talking about both of his children ’ s accomplishments since his conviction , saying he ’ s been “ blown away ” at how well they ’ ve landed on their feet .
But he then again repeated that he was the only other person in the room that night , and that he killed her quickly .
“ I ’ m very , very sorry that he doesn ’ t think I ’ m sorry , ” he said .
“ I think it ’ s a very terrible story @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
… I would like you to know I ’ m sorry.
” The full five-member board will now vote whether to grant parole .
A decision is expected in about two weeks .

DRAPER, Utah (AP) - Emery Blanchard says she has seen a change in her father, and after 25 years in prison believes it’s time to move on.
“What I’m hoping for is to close this chapter, is to put this 25 years - and frankly, some of the childhood nightmare - to rest. I’m ready to open my arms to my dad and offer him stable and reliable housing,” she told a member of the Utah Board of Pardons and Parole on Tuesday, the Deseret News reported.
But her brother, Michael Blanchard, believes their father is right where he belongs.
“I don’t believe for a second he can be rehabilitated. He’s just a monster. An old monster,” he said.
On Sept. 9, 1995, John Emery Blanchard, of Park City, brutally murdered his ex-wife, Patricia Ann Coon Blanchard, 45, whom he had a tumultuous relationship with, using his arm to strangle her with such force that a bone in her neck snapped. He was charged with capital murder.
After a monthlong trial, a jury convicted Blanchard. But only four jurors voted for a death sentence. And the jury could not come to a consensus over whether to give Blanchard the possibility of parole. Because of that, he was sentenced to life with the possibility of parole, angering groups such as the National Organization for Women.
The first parole hearing for Blanchard, now 76, was held Tuesday.
Prosecutors said Blanchard slashed the tires on his ex-wife’s truck that night, then broke into her home, crept up the stairs and raped her before strangling her with his hands.
After his arrest, Blanchard made vulgar statements about how she wouldn’t die fast enough during a struggle he claimed lasted 20 minutes. He scrawled on a piece of paper: “For months I planned to kill her. I did it tonight. NO REGRETS!” He later told police 200 people in Park City probably wondered why he hadn’t kill his ex-wife sooner.
But at trial, he claimed those statements were lies. When he was asked on Tuesday to recount his crime, Blanchard again contended that some of the obscene statements he made 25 years ago were lies.
“I was beside myself,” he said. “I was angry. I was out of my mind.”
Blanchard admitted that he and Patti did not have a great relationship.
“We were as dysfunctional as you could imagine,” he said.
Blanchard was also abusing drugs and alcohol at the time. But he claimed Tuesday that the murder was not premeditated, and even seemed to imply it was in self-defense.
Blanchard said his ex-wife was leaving on a trip the next day, and asked him to come over that night to bring her money. He claims that she told him to not let the children know he was there, so he entered the house through a window. Blanchard said he went into her bedroom, placed the money on the bed and then sat there with his hands to his side and head in his lap.
“What I didn’t know was I was going to get clobbered from the back,” he said.
Blanchard said his ex-wife hit him in the back with a lamp, and then used her finger to try and gouge his eye out.
“I put my forearm across her neck, and felt and heard three pops,” he said. “It was not drawn out, it was very immediate.”
At several points during the parole hearing, Blanchard made the point that “I was the only one in the room” and that “it’s how I remembered it happened,” suggesting there were no other witnesses.
But Blanchard conceded the bedroom door was open during the attack, and based on testimony at trial, his daughter Emery, who was then 13, was outside the door.
Emery Blanchard said Tuesday she has “gone through all the emotions” over the past 25 years, and has attended therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder. Over the years, Blanchard has met with her father in prison, and in her own life has worked as a victim advocate in Utah’s criminal justice system.
She said she is proud of her dad for becoming sober and being a model inmate while in prison. Now, she said she’s at place in her life where she’s looking for peace and empathy and to move on from that chapter.
“I’m very prepared for my dad’s release,” she said. “All he wants right now is peace and quiet.”
Blanchard said she also has concerns about her father’s age and being exposed to COVID-19 while in prison.
But her brother doesn’t share those feelings.
Michael Blanchard, who was 12 and asleep in another room when his mother was murdered, indicated that based on his father’s latest psychological exam conducted in August, he is still manic depressive, bipolar and a sociopath.
During his trial, prosecutors argued that John Blanchard was manipulative. His son said Tuesday that based on the information he has collected, not much has changed.
“I still believe he is that monster that I knew growing up,” he said.
While he said he’s proud of his father for doing well while in prison, “What got him there is the problem.”
Michael Blanchard doesn’t believe his father has the ability to feel for others and is only worried about his own needs. He asked the parole board to let his father serve his life sentence without the possibility of parole.
“We don’t feel safe with him around, even at his old age.” he said.
After his son spoke, John Blanchard responded by talking about both of his children’s accomplishments since his conviction, saying he’s been “blown away” at how well they’ve landed on their feet.
But he then again repeated that he was the only other person in the room that night, and that he killed her quickly.
“I’m very, very sorry that he doesn’t think I’m sorry,” he said. “I think it’s a very terrible story, and the terrible role I played. … I would like you to know I’m sorry.”
The full five-member board will now vote whether to grant parole. A decision is expected in about two weeks.


washingtontimes--2020-11-07--Jailed Iranian rights lawyer released, amid health problems

TEHRAN , Iran ( AP ) - A leading Iranian human rights lawyer has been released from prison , Iran ’ s state-run news agency reported Saturday , after she was earlier hospitalized amid a hunger-strike conducted from her cell .
Nasrin Sotoudeh was taken to hospital in mid-September , a month after launching her hunger strike seeking better prison conditions and the release of political prisoners amid the pandemic .
IRNA ’ s report said Sotoudeh has now been released from the women ’ s prison where she was being held .
The assistant prosecutor in charge of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state news agency .
It did not include details of her health condition , or details about the conditions of her release from prison .
Sotoudeh was arrested in 2018 on charges of collusion and propaganda against Iran ’ s rulers and eventually was sentenced to 38 years in prison and 148 lashes .
Under the law she must serve at least 12 years .
During her prison term , Sotoudeh occasionally visited clinics as she also suffered chronic gastrointestinal and foot problems .
Earlier this year , the 57-year-old Sotoudeh - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and women prosecuted for removing their headscarves , - held a five-day hunger strike demanding prisoners be released to protect them from the coronavirus .

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - A leading Iranian human rights lawyer has been released from prison, Iran’s state-run news agency reported Saturday, after she was earlier hospitalized amid a hunger-strike conducted from her cell.
Nasrin Sotoudeh was taken to hospital in mid-September, a month after launching her hunger strike seeking better prison conditions and the release of political prisoners amid the pandemic.
IRNA’s report said Sotoudeh has now been released from the women’s prison where she was being held.
The assistant prosecutor in charge of the prison approved her release, according to the state news agency. It did not include details of her health condition, or details about the conditions of her release from prison.
Sotoudeh was arrested in 2018 on charges of collusion and propaganda against Iran’s rulers and eventually was sentenced to 38 years in prison and 148 lashes. Under the law she must serve at least 12 years.
During her prison term, Sotoudeh occasionally visited clinics as she also suffered chronic gastrointestinal and foot problems.
Earlier this year, the 57-year-old Sotoudeh - known for defending activists, opposition politicians and women prosecuted for removing their headscarves,- held a five-day hunger strike demanding prisoners be released to protect them from the coronavirus.


washingtontimes--2020-11-07--Church to honor 45th anniversary of Fitzgerald shipwreck

Mariners ’ Church of Detroit will observe the 45th anniversary Sunday of the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald during its yearly memorial service for those who have died in Great Lakes shipwrecks .
The event will be live-streamed on Facebook for the first time , said the Rev .
Jeffrey M. Hubbard , rector at the church also known as “ The Maritime Sailors ’ Cathedral.
” “ This year , we ’ re especially mindful of the challenges first responders face in protecting our freedom , our rights and our health , ” Hubbard said .
“ That includes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ply the Great Lakes waterways .
As beautiful as they are , the Great Lakes can be incredibly dangerous .
This service honors and remembers those who have perished over the centuries.
” More than 10,000 lives have been lost in the roughly 6,000 shipwrecks on record in the five inland seas .
The S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald sank Nov. 10 , 1975 , during a storm on Lake Superior .
The vessel was carrying a load of iron ore pellets to a Detroit steel mill when it plunged to the bottom 17 miles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Upper Peninsula .
All 29 crewmen were lost .
The Rev .
Richard Ingalls , then pastor of Mariners ’ Church , rang its “ brotherhood bell ” 29 times to honor them as described in Gordon Lightfoot ’ s ballad , “ The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.
” As is customary , it will be rung again during the Sunday memorial .
The service at the 178-year-old church regularly attracts sailors , veterans , recreational boaters and their families .
Those wishing to attend this year must email the church beforehand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distancing requirements .

DETROIT (AP) -
Mariners’ Church of Detroit will observe the 45th anniversary Sunday of the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald during its yearly memorial service for those who have died in Great Lakes shipwrecks.
The event will be live-streamed on Facebook for the first time, said the Rev. Jeffrey M. Hubbard, rector at the church also known as “The Maritime Sailors’ Cathedral.”
“This year, we’re especially mindful of the challenges first responders face in protecting our freedom, our rights and our health,” Hubbard said. “That includes all the current and past sailors who ply the Great Lakes waterways. As beautiful as they are, the Great Lakes can be incredibly dangerous. This service honors and remembers those who have perished over the centuries.”
More than 10,000 lives have been lost in the roughly 6,000 shipwrecks on record in the five inland seas.
The S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald sank Nov. 10, 1975, during a storm on Lake Superior. The vessel was carrying a load of iron ore pellets to a Detroit steel mill when it plunged to the bottom 17 miles from Whitefish Point in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. All 29 crewmen were lost.
The Rev. Richard Ingalls, then pastor of Mariners’ Church, rang its “brotherhood bell” 29 times to honor them as described in Gordon Lightfoot’s ballad, “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.” As is customary, it will be rung again during the Sunday memorial.
The service at the 178-year-old church regularly attracts sailors, veterans, recreational boaters and their families. Those wishing to attend this year must email the church beforehand at info@marinerschurchofdetroit.org because of social distancing requirements.