washingtontimes--2020-10-17--Virginia man opens restaurant, has eyes on other projects

ELKTON , Va. ( AP ) - Every morning , Rey Gotay goes to set up and open his newest business , Old 33 Beer & Burger Grill in Elkton , but the classic American-style eatery is far from Gotay ’ s first or last business endeavor .
Operating and managing a business is his bread and butter , and it ’ s work he ’ s done since he was 19 .
In his household , everyone was expected to start a business , so Gotay began a cleaning and maintenance corporation , Clean Sanity & Safety Protection , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ studies before he was 20 years old .
With dreams and ambition alone fueling his work , Gotay continues to imagine bigger and better , and has his eyes set on Elkton as the perfect landscape for future developments .
“ It ’ s beautiful .
It ’ s right in the middle .
Harrisonburg is growing towards Elkton and Massanutten is 15 minutes away , ” he said .
Juicy pork riblets , steamy homemade chili and gooey banana foster are just a sample of all that ’ s available for order @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the saffron-painted interior harmonize to create a cozy , Western-esque ambiance .
“ I love food industry because people come for your product .
Here , people drive an hour and a half because they heard it was good , ” Gotay said .
On Google , Old 33 has 4.6 stars based on 42 reviews , and 47 people have averaged a 4.9-star review on Facebook .
Gotay said the concept has proven a success due to the care in quality and consideration .
“ It ’ s based on the experiences @ @ @ @ @ @ @ working in restaurants .
… I ’ m more strict .
I ’ m more careful .
I ’ m more worried .
I want everything to be perfect with Old 33 , ” Gotay said .
Before opening the family eatery in July , Gotay had accrued nearly 15 years experience working and has managed restaurants for multimillion-dollar corporations , including Holland American Princess in Alaska , Stevens Pass in Washington , and Massanutten Resort .
In his free moments , Gotay often sits in the shade with a tablet and designs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to fruition .
He also often volunteers to assist corporate companies in management , but Gotay said his greatest passion is in growing food service .
“ I ’ m happy with where I am right now , but I want to expand the restaurant business , ” he said .
Mayor Josh Gooden met Gotay when Old 33 was still an incubated idea , waiting to hatch .
Amid his mind filled with ideas already sketched out years in advance , Gotay ’ s established and planned contributions to the Elkton community @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up to a bigger , bright future in the town , according to Gooden .
“ It ’ s just great to have Rey add to the mix of amazing entrepreneurs in our community , and it ’ s nice to know he ’ s there and wants to give back to the community and invest in our town , ” Gooden said .
“ He ’ s thrown out a few ideas for different improvements to buildings downtown or parks.
” Gotay said he is a perfectionist in his work and is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because it is a reflection of his years of experience as a business owner and corporate employee .
Gooden said that attention to detail has not gone unnoticed .
“ Just going above and beyond on projects that he ’ s already completed and going the extra mile to make sure things are done the best way they can , ” Gooden said .
“ He ’ s just so talented.
” Chelsey Lam is a server at Old 33 and said she respects Gotay ’ s supportive nature as a boss , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ entire work team .
“ It ’ s nice working somewhere where you can be accepted how you are and always know someone is going to be there for you , ” she said .
“ It is really great .
I love everyone I work with .
I have a great boss.
” Outside of Old 33 , Gotay is part of the Akal Institute volunteer team for the Blue Ridge Projects of Shenandoah Wellness & Transitional Living Center , a therapy and rehabilitation center for athletes , veterans and trauma survivors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ planning and oversight over projects , so she has confidence the ideas Gotay describes for the future of downtown will draw a splendor of success .
“ He definitely has a lot of motivation in seeing our town the best we can be , and he always wants us to be prospering and happy and healthy , ” Lam said .
“ He really wants our community to stay up and running and stay happy .
”

ELKTON, Va. (AP) - Every morning, Rey Gotay goes to set up and open his newest business, Old 33 Beer & Burger Grill in Elkton, but the classic American-style eatery is far from Gotay’s first or last business endeavor. Operating and managing a business is his bread and butter, and it’s work he’s done since he was 19.
In his household, everyone was expected to start a business, so Gotay began a cleaning and maintenance corporation, Clean Sanity & Safety Protection, now Clean Art, after finishing his studies before he was 20 years old. With dreams and ambition alone fueling his work, Gotay continues to imagine bigger and better, and has his eyes set on Elkton as the perfect landscape for future developments.
“It’s beautiful. It’s right in the middle. Harrisonburg is growing towards Elkton and Massanutten is 15 minutes away,” he said.
Juicy pork riblets, steamy homemade chili and gooey banana foster are just a sample of all that’s available for order at Old 33. Wooden panels and the saffron-painted interior harmonize to create a cozy, Western-esque ambiance.
“I love food industry because people come for your product. Here, people drive an hour and a half because they heard it was good,” Gotay said.
On Google, Old 33 has 4.6 stars based on 42 reviews, and 47 people have averaged a 4.9-star review on Facebook. Gotay said the concept has proven a success due to the care in quality and consideration.
“It’s based on the experiences I’ve gathered over 10 years working in restaurants. … I’m more strict. I’m more careful. I’m more worried. I want everything to be perfect with Old 33,” Gotay said.
Before opening the family eatery in July, Gotay had accrued nearly 15 years experience working and has managed restaurants for multimillion-dollar corporations, including Holland American Princess in Alaska, Stevens Pass in Washington, and Massanutten Resort.
In his free moments, Gotay often sits in the shade with a tablet and designs the world he wishes to see come to fruition. He also often volunteers to assist corporate companies in management, but Gotay said his greatest passion is in growing food service.
“I’m happy with where I am right now, but I want to expand the restaurant business,” he said.
Mayor Josh Gooden met Gotay when Old 33 was still an incubated idea, waiting to hatch. Amid his mind filled with ideas already sketched out years in advance, Gotay’s established and planned contributions to the Elkton community are part of the foundation work leading up to a bigger, bright future in the town, according to Gooden.
“It’s just great to have Rey add to the mix of amazing entrepreneurs in our community, and it’s nice to know he’s there and wants to give back to the community and invest in our town,” Gooden said. “He’s thrown out a few ideas for different improvements to buildings downtown or parks.”
Gotay said he is a perfectionist in his work and is proudest of his establishment of Old 33 because it is a reflection of his years of experience as a business owner and corporate employee. Gooden said that attention to detail has not gone unnoticed.
“Just going above and beyond on projects that he’s already completed and going the extra mile to make sure things are done the best way they can,” Gooden said. “He’s just so talented.”
Chelsey Lam is a server at Old 33 and said she respects Gotay’s supportive nature as a boss, which lends to positive relationships across the entire work team.
“It’s nice working somewhere where you can be accepted how you are and always know someone is going to be there for you,” she said. “It is really great. I love everyone I work with. I have a great boss.”
Outside of Old 33, Gotay is part of the Akal Institute volunteer team for the Blue Ridge Projects of Shenandoah Wellness & Transitional Living Center, a therapy and rehabilitation center for athletes, veterans and trauma survivors.
Lam said Gotay always practices thorough planning and oversight over projects, so she has confidence the ideas Gotay describes for the future of downtown will draw a splendor of success.
“He definitely has a lot of motivation in seeing our town the best we can be, and he always wants us to be prospering and happy and healthy,” Lam said. “He really wants our community to stay up and running and stay happy.”


washingtontimes--2020-10-17--Retro Baltimore: Y.A. Tittle carries team with mighty arm

BALTIMORE ( AP ) - He was 21 and balding , with a quirky name and a Hall of Fame arm that would set him apart if the other stuff didn ’ t .
In the early years of the Baltimore Colts , Yelberton Abraham ( Y.A . )
Tittle wowed football fans who rallied around the young quarterback of their fledgling football team .
Before Johnny Unitas captured the city ’ s hearts , there was Tittle , who led the Colts for three years ( 1948-1950 ) during their skittish start in the pros .
Then a member @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fielded a moribund club that won two of 14 games in its 1947 debut .
Enter Tittle , a 6-foot-1 , 190-pound rookie from Louisiana State who started immediately - and didn ’ t disappoint .
In the opener he sparkled , passing for two touchdowns in the first six minutes of a 45-28 victory over the New York Yankees , the defending division champs .
For the day , Tittle threw for a league-record 346 yards – breaking the mark held by the celebrated Otto Graham – and four touchdowns , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He also ran for a TD .
The Municipal Stadium crowd of 31,800 went nuts , spilling onto the field before game ’ s end .
“ Young Tittle found himself surrounded at every step , ” The Sun reported .
Afterward , coach Cecil Isbell exclaimed , “ He surely has lots of snap in his right arm.
” One of those scoring passes had traveled 55 yards in the air .
One month later , the Colts were 3-1 and set for a showdown at home with the two-time champion Cleveland @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 13 games .
The Browns boasted seven future Hall of Famers plus their coach , Paul Brown .
The Colts had Tittle but little else .
Still , Baltimore was stoked .
Led by their first-year quarterback , the Colts had stunned the Browns , 21-17 , in the preseason .
The buzz was such that WMAR-TV , in its infancy , aired the contest .
The Colts struck quickly .
On the third play , Tittle launched a 78-yard touchdown pass to halfback Billy Hillenbrand .
But Cleveland escaped with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ season .
The Colts finished 7-7 and tied for first place in their division but lost in a playoff game .
Tittle ’ s arm had raised the team from worst to first .
He passed for 2,522 yards ( more than Unitas did in any of his first three years ) and 16 touchdowns and rushed for four more .
His accuracy rate - nine interceptions in 289 attempts - led the league .
He ’ d blossomed with the Colts , throwing more than three times as many passes as in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his game under Colts coach Cecil Isbell .
“ Every pass that kid throws is a picture , ” the coach said .
“ ( Isbell ) inspired me to become what I am - a great forward passer , ” Tittle told The Sun in 2013 .
“ When I left college , I didn ’ t know what kind of player I was , but Isbell believed in me .
He was my confidence builder .
He convinced me that I was the greatest player to ever throw the football.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as he fired a pass , shouted “ Go git it !
” to receivers .
Reporters dubbed Y.A .
“ Yard Arm ” ; to teammates , he was simply “ Y.
” His picture appeared on wrappers of Koester ’ s Bread , a Baltimore favorite .
Not surprisingly , his rookie year was fraught with temptation .
“ We trained that summer in Sun Valley , Idaho , because one of the team ’ s owners owned a share of a ski resort there , ” he recollected in 2013 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , where all of these pretty college coeds had summer jobs waiting on tables .
The other guys had fun , but it irritated me because I ’ d just gotten married a week earlier .
“ I was jealous , yes , but I never broke my marriage vows.
” Sadly , despite his efforts , the Colts reverted to form in 1949 .
They won one game , defeating the Buffalo Bills on Tittle ’ s 53-yard touchdown pass with 24 seconds left .
Absorbed into the National Football League in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a midseason string of 12 straight losses with a 41-21 rout of the Green Bay Packers .
That afternoon , Tittle led a 27-point fourth-quarter comeback , passing for 277 yards and a score .
Afterward , the jubilant home crowd carried him on their shoulders to the locker room .
At season ’ s end , the Colts folded , its players dispersed around the league .
( Baltimore returned to the NFL in 1953 . )
Tittle landed in San Francisco and played 10 years with the 49ers before a trade @ @ @ @ @ @ @ led the Giants to three consecutive division titles and , at age 37 , won the league ’ s Most Valuable Player award in 1963 .
He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1971 and died in 2017 at age 90 .

BALTIMORE (AP) - He was 21 and balding, with a quirky name and a Hall of Fame arm that would set him apart if the other stuff didn’t. In the early years of the Baltimore Colts, Yelberton Abraham (Y.A.) Tittle wowed football fans who rallied around the young quarterback of their fledgling football team.
Before Johnny Unitas captured the city’s hearts, there was Tittle, who led the Colts for three years (1948-1950) during their skittish start in the pros. Then a member of the All-America Football Conference, Baltimore fielded a moribund club that won two of 14 games in its 1947 debut.
Enter Tittle, a 6-foot-1, 190-pound rookie from Louisiana State who started immediately - and didn’t disappoint. In the opener he sparkled, passing for two touchdowns in the first six minutes of a 45-28 victory over the New York Yankees, the defending division champs. For the day, Tittle threw for a league-record 346 yards – breaking the mark held by the celebrated Otto Graham – and four touchdowns, including scores of 60 and 80 yards. He also ran for a TD.
The Municipal Stadium crowd of 31,800 went nuts, spilling onto the field before game’s end.
“Young Tittle found himself surrounded at every step,” The Sun reported.
Afterward, coach Cecil Isbell exclaimed, “He surely has lots of snap in his right arm.” One of those scoring passes had traveled 55 yards in the air.
One month later, the Colts were 3-1 and set for a showdown at home with the two-time champion Cleveland Browns, who hadn’t lost in 13 games. The Browns boasted seven future Hall of Famers plus their coach, Paul Brown. The Colts had Tittle but little else.
Still, Baltimore was stoked. Led by their first-year quarterback, the Colts had stunned the Browns, 21-17, in the preseason. The buzz was such that WMAR-TV, in its infancy, aired the contest.
The Colts struck quickly. On the third play, Tittle launched a 78-yard touchdown pass to halfback Billy Hillenbrand. But Cleveland escaped with a 14-10 victory en route to an undefeated season. The Colts finished 7-7 and tied for first place in their division but lost in a playoff game.
Tittle’s arm had raised the team from worst to first. He passed for 2,522 yards (more than Unitas did in any of his first three years) and 16 touchdowns and rushed for four more. His accuracy rate - nine interceptions in 289 attempts - led the league. He’d blossomed with the Colts, throwing more than three times as many passes as in his senior year at LSU and elevating his game under Colts coach Cecil Isbell.
“Every pass that kid throws is a picture,” the coach said.
“(Isbell) inspired me to become what I am - a great forward passer,” Tittle told The Sun in 2013. “When I left college, I didn’t know what kind of player I was, but Isbell believed in me. He was my confidence builder. He convinced me that I was the greatest player to ever throw the football.”
Fans embraced the hard-throwing Texan who, as he fired a pass, shouted “Go git it!” to receivers. Reporters dubbed Y.A. “Yard Arm”; to teammates, he was simply “Y.” His picture appeared on wrappers of Koester’s Bread, a Baltimore favorite. Not surprisingly, his rookie year was fraught with temptation.
“We trained that summer in Sun Valley, Idaho, because one of the team’s owners owned a share of a ski resort there,” he recollected in 2013. “We stayed in a lodge, where all of these pretty college coeds had summer jobs waiting on tables. The other guys had fun, but it irritated me because I’d just gotten married a week earlier.
“I was jealous, yes, but I never broke my marriage vows.”
Sadly, despite his efforts, the Colts reverted to form in 1949. They won one game, defeating the Buffalo Bills on Tittle’s 53-yard touchdown pass with 24 seconds left. Absorbed into the National Football League in 1950, Baltimore went 1-11, breaking a midseason string of 12 straight losses with a 41-21 rout of the Green Bay Packers. That afternoon, Tittle led a 27-point fourth-quarter comeback, passing for 277 yards and a score. Afterward, the jubilant home crowd carried him on their shoulders to the locker room.
At season’s end, the Colts folded, its players dispersed around the league. (Baltimore returned to the NFL in 1953.) Tittle landed in San Francisco and played 10 years with the 49ers before a trade to New York. There, he led the Giants to three consecutive division titles and, at age 37, won the league’s Most Valuable Player award in 1963. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1971 and died in 2017 at age 90.


washingtontimes--2020-10-17--Suspect in fatal shooting of high school student in custody

HILLSBORO , Ore. ( AP ) - The person suspected of shooting and killing a 17-year-old Liberty High School student last week turned himself in Friday , according to the Hillsboro Police Department .
The name of the suspect , a juvenile , was not released .
Adrian Bucio-Rodriquez died Friday , Oct. 9 after being shot in a Hillsboro neighborhood near J.W .
Poynter Middle School .
Another person was injured .
The suspect faces charges of murder and attempted murder .
Hillsboro police provided no other details Friday .
Bucio-Rodriquez ’ s mother , Veronica , was notified @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s funeral Friday , Bucio-Rodriquez ’ s aunt Elisa Anguiano told KATU .
Anguiano said Veronica broke down in tears upon “ hearing this wonderful news.
” “ We are so happy that the suspect is arrested and charged .
We want to thank the people in the communities that came forward with information to help this case .
Although this doesn ’ t take away the pain it is the news that was needed .
We will continue to pray as we move forward to receive the rightful Justice that Adrian deserves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the remaining people that were there to be arrested as well as for the gun owner to take responsibility .
”

HILLSBORO, Ore. (AP) - The person suspected of shooting and killing a 17-year-old Liberty High School student last week turned himself in Friday, according to the Hillsboro Police Department.
The name of the suspect, a juvenile, was not released.
Adrian Bucio-Rodriquez died Friday, Oct. 9 after being shot in a Hillsboro neighborhood near J.W. Poynter Middle School. Another person was injured. The suspect faces charges of murder and attempted murder. Hillsboro police provided no other details Friday.
Bucio-Rodriquez’s mother, Veronica, was notified of the arrest during her son’s funeral Friday, Bucio-Rodriquez’s aunt Elisa Anguiano told KATU. Anguiano said Veronica broke down in tears upon “hearing this wonderful news.”
Anguiano released a statement from the family.
“We are so happy that the suspect is arrested and charged. We want to thank the people in the communities that came forward with information to help this case. Although this doesn’t take away the pain it is the news that was needed. We will continue to pray as we move forward to receive the rightful Justice that Adrian deserves.
“Also we would like for the remaining people that were there to be arrested as well as for the gun owner to take responsibility.”


washingtontimes--2020-10-17--Jaguars working remotely after positive COVID-19 test

JACKSONVILLE , Fla. ( AP ) - The Jacksonville Jaguars are the latest NFL team dealing with a positive COVID-19 test .
The Jaguars said Saturday that a practice squad player has tested positive for the coronavirus .
The initial result was confirmed by a second test Friday evening .
The player was quarantined , and the team is reviewing contact tracing data to determine what further precautions need to be taken .
The Jaguars ( 1-4 ) host Detroit ( 1-3 ) on Sunday and plan to play as scheduled .
Jacksonville decided to hold football activities remotely Saturday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could benefit the team that it typically separates practice squad players from guys on the 53-man roster , creating an extra level of protection to help prevent an outbreak .
The Jaguars are the fourth NFL team to deal with COVID issues in recent days , joining Atlanta , Indianapolis and New England .
The Patriots canceled practice Friday and later placed center James Ferentz on the reserve/COVID-19 list .
He became the fifth player on the team to test positive for the virus .
The Colts had four positive tests that came @ @ @ @ @ @ @ returned to their facility one day after abandoning it because of a second positive .
New England already twice had the original Week 5 matchup against Denver postponed following four earlier positive coronavirus tests by players , including quarterback Cam Newton and cornerback Stephon Gilmore .
The game is scheduled for Sunday in Foxborough , Massachusetts , but now could be in jeopardy .
Newton and Gilmore , the reigning Defensive Player of the Year , returned to practice this week for the first time since testing positive for the virus .
Newton @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kansas City on Oct. 5 after his Oct. 2 positive test .
He was activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list on Wednesday .
Gilmore , who tested positive on Oct. 7 , was activated from the list Thursday .
Practice squad player Bill Murray also returned from the COVID-19 list Thursday .
Defensive tackle Byron Cowart , who tested positive on Oct. 11 , was joined on the list by Ferentz .
The Broncos haven ’ t played since Oct. 1 .
If they play Sunday , they ’ ll have had 16 days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tennessee ’ s layoff before the Titans beat Buffalo on Tuesday night following the NFL ’ s first COVID-19 outbreak , which affected two dozen members of the organization .
Denver ’ s layoff is the longest in the league since 2001 , when the NFL postponed all games on the weekend following the 9/11 terrorist attacks .
Three teams - the Saints , Steelers and Buccaneers - had byes when play resumed a week later , so they all had 20 days between games that year .
Of those three , only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ action .
Indianapolis closed its practice facility , then the four retests came back negative and the building reopened .
The Browns , who played the Colts on Sunday , had zero positive tests Friday morning and their building was open .
The negatives included one for star wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. , who was ill and sent home Thursday and not allowed to practice Friday .
Atlanta resumed in-person work under more stringent safety measures .
The Falcons play at Minnesota on Sunday .
Falcons rookie defensive tackle Marlon Davidson was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a second person , who is not a player , subsequently tested positive .
The Panthers placed guard/center Tyler Larsen on the reserve/COVID-19 list five days after he played against Atlanta .
AP Pro Football Writers Barry Wilner , Arnie Stapleton and Dennis Waszak Jr. , Sports Writers Mike Marot , Steve Reed and George Henry and freelancer Gethin Coolbaugh contributed to this report .

The New England Patriots went back to work Saturday in preparation for their twice-postponed game against Denver even as they added three more players to the COVID-19 injury list.
Offensive lineman Shaquille Mason and defensive lineman Derek Rivers were added to the list on Saturday, as was running back Sony Michel, who was already on injured reserve with a leg injury. The moves come a day after center James Ferentz was added to the COVID-19 list, prompting the team to cancel practice Friday and close its facility.
A Patriots spokesman said Saturday the team was proceeding with its usual day-before walkthrough, but all meetings would be virtual. The game against the Broncos was originally scheduled for Oct. 11, then pushed back one day and then rescheduled for Sunday at 1 p.m. after a fourth Patriot tested positive for the coronavirus.
The Broncos had COVID-19 news of their own Saturday: Running backs coach Curtis Modkins has tested positive and won’t make the trip to New England. He is in isolation and has no symptoms.
Elsewhere, the Jacksonville Jaguars said that a practice-squad player tested positive. The team placed 12 players on the practice squad COVID-19 list, 11 of them because they have been in close proximity with the infected teammate.
It benefited Jacksonville that it separates practice-squad players from those on the 53-man roster, creating an extra level of protection to help prevent an outbreak.
The Jaguars also placed defensive end Josh Mauro on the regular COVID-19 list. He had been suspended the first five weeks of the regular season but rejoined the team Monday and spent the week with the practice squad.
Those on the list will need three negative tests to be removed. The Jaguars (1-4) are confident they will host Detroit (1-3) on Sunday as scheduled, even though they held football activities remotely Saturday as part of NFL safety protocols.
Also dealing with COVID issues in recent days: Atlanta, Indianapolis, Carolina and Baltimore.
The Colts had four positive tests that came up negative upon retesting. The Falcons returned to their facility one day after abandoning it because of a second positive.
New England already had the Week 5 matchup against Denver postponed following four earlier positive coronavirus tests by players, including quarterback Cam Newton and cornerback Stephon Gilmore.
Gilmore, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, and Newton returned to practice this week for the first time since testing positive. Newton missed New England’s loss at Kansas City on Oct. 5 after his Oct. 2 positive test. He was activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list on Wednesday. Gilmore, who tested positive Oct. 7, was activated from the list Thursday. Practice-squad player Bill Murray also returned from the COVID-19 list Thursday.
Defensive tackle Byron Cowart, who tested positive Oct. 11, was joined on the list by Ferentz.
The Broncos haven’t played since Oct. 1. If they play Sunday, they’ll have had 16 days between games, one day longer than Tennessee’s layoff before the Titans beat Buffalo on Tuesday night following the NFL’s first COVID-19 outbreak, which affected two dozen members of the organization.
Denver’s layoff is the longest in the league since 2001, when the NFL postponed all games on the weekend following the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Three teams - the Saints, Steelers and Buccaneers - had byes when play resumed a week later, so they all had 20 days between games that year. Of those three, only the Steelers won in their return to action.
Indianapolis closed its practice facility, then the four retests came back negative and the building reopened.
Browns star receiver Odell Beckham Jr., who was ill and sent home Thursday and not allowed to practice Friday, had his second negative test in 24 hours. That cleared him to play Sunday at Pittsburgh.
The Ravens placed defensive tackle Brandon Williams - a key figure in Baltimore’s run defense - on the reserve/COVID-19 list. The team isn’t saying if he tested positive or came in close contact with someone infected.
The Falcons left as scheduled in two planes for Sunday’s game at Minnesota. The team said defensive end John Cominsky was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list and defensive line coaches Tosh Lupoi and Jess Simpson did not make the trip.
The Falcons have moved Edmond Robinson and defensive tackle Chris Slayton from the practice squad to the active roster as COVID-19 replacements.
Earlier this week, the team placed rookie defensive tackle Marlon Davidson on the reserve/COVID-19 list. The Falcons had to shut their facility Thursday but reopened Friday after one nonplayer tested positive.
The Panthers placed guard/center Tyler Larsen on the reserve/COVID-19 list five days after he played against Atlanta.
___
AP Pro Football Writers Barry Wilner, Mark Long, Arnie Stapleton and Dennis Waszak Jr., Sports Writers Jimmy Golen, Mike Marot, Steve Reed, George Henry and David Ginsburg and freelancer Gethin Coolbaugh contributed to this report.
___
More AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL


washingtontimes--2020-10-17--PM office: ICC prosecutor visits Sudan over Darfur charges

CAIRO ( AP ) - The International Criminal Court ’ s prosecutor is arriving Saturday in Sudan to discuss cooperation with local authorities over bringing to trial those internationally wanted for war crimes and genocide in the country ’ s Darfur conflict , the Sudanese government said .
Prime Minister Abdallla Hamdok ’ s office said in a statement that ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda and other court officials would stay in Sudan till Wednesday .
It ’ s the first announced visit for Bensouda to Sudan .
“ The ICC delegation will discuss methods of cooperation between the Government of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the suspects against whom the ICC has issued arrest warrants , ” read the statement , which did not name any of the suspects .
Among those wanted by the international court is Sudan ’ s former President Omar al-Bashir who has been in jail in Khartoum since his ouster last year and is facing several trials in Sudanese courts related to his three decades of strongman rule and the uprising that helped oust him .
The conflict in Sudan ’ s Darfur region broke out when rebels from the territory ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an insurgency in 2003 , complaining of oppression by the Arab-dominated government in Khartoum .
Al-Bashir ’ s government responded with a scorched-earth campaign of aerial bombings and unleashed militias known as Janjaweed , who are accused of mass killings and rapes .
Up to 300,000 people were killed and 2.7 million were driven from their homes .
The ICC charged al-Bashir , 76 , with war crimes and genocide for allegedly masterminding the campaign of attacks in Darfur .
Sudanese prosecutors started last week their own investigation into the Darfur conflict .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ other senior figures of al-Bashir ’ s rule : Abdel-Rahim Muhammad Hussein , interior and defense minister during much of the conflict , and Ahmed Haroun , a senior security chief at the time and later the leader of al-Bashir ’ s ruling party .
Both , Hussein and Haroun , have been under arrest in Khartoum since the Sudanese military , under pressure from protesters , ousted al-Bashir in April 2019 .
The court also indicted rebel leader Abdulla Banda , whose whereabouts are not known , and Janjaweed leader Ali Kushayb @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Central African Republic , Sudan ’ s neighbor , in June before being flown to The Hague to face justice more than 13 years after ICC judges issued an arrest warrant against him .
Sudan ’ s transitional government , which has promised democratic reforms and is led by a mix of civilian and military leaders , has previously said that war crime suspects including al-Bashir would be tried before the ICC , but the trial venue is a matter for negotiations with The Hague-based court .

CAIRO (AP) - The International Criminal Court’s prosecutor arrived in Sudan late Saturday to discuss cooperation with local authorities over bringing to trial those internationally wanted for war crimes and genocide in the country’s Darfur conflict, the Sudanese official news agency said.
Prime Minister Abdallla Hamdok’s office said in a statement that ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda and other court officials would stay in Sudan until Wednesday. It is the first announced visit for Bensouda to Sudan.
“The ICC delegation will discuss methods of cooperation between the Government of Sudan and the ICC with regard to the suspects against whom the ICC has issued arrest warrants,” read the statement, which did not name any of the suspects.
Among those wanted by the international court is former Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, who has been in jail in Khartoum since his ouster last year and is facing several trials in Sudanese courts related to his three decades of strongman rule and the uprising that helped oust him.
The conflict in Sudan’s Darfur region broke out when rebels from the territory’s ethnic central and sub-Saharan African community launched an insurgency in 2003, complaining of oppression by the Arab-dominated government in Khartoum.
Al-Bashir’s government responded with a scorched-earth campaign of aerial bombings and unleashed militias known as Janjaweed, who are accused of mass killings and rapes. Up to 300,000 people were killed and 2.7 million were driven from their homes.
The ICC charged al-Bashir, 76, with war crimes and genocide for allegedly masterminding the campaign of attacks in Darfur. Sudanese prosecutors started last week their own investigation into the Darfur conflict.
Also indicted by the court are two other senior figures of al-Bashir’s rule: Abdel-Rahim Muhammad Hussein, interior and defense minister during much of the conflict, and Ahmed Haroun, a senior security chief at the time and later the leader of al-Bashir’s ruling party. Both, Hussein and Haroun, have been under arrest in Khartoum since the Sudanese military, under pressure from protesters, ousted al-Bashir in April 2019.
The court also indicted rebel leader Abdulla Banda, whose whereabouts are not known, and Janjaweed leader Ali Kushayb, who surrendered to authorities in the Central African Republic, Sudan’s neighbor, in June before being flown to The Hague to face justice more than 13 years after ICC judges issued an arrest warrant against him.
Sudan’s transitional government, which has promised democratic reforms and is led by a mix of civilian and military leaders, has previously said that war crime suspects including al-Bashir would be tried before the ICC, but the trial venue is a matter for negotiations with The Hague-based court.


washingtontimes--2020-10-17--University scraps $70 application fee to boost access

WORCESTER , Mass .
( AP ) - A Massachusetts university is getting rid of its $ 70 undergraduate application fee to open access to a greater range of students .
“ By removing our application fee , we hope to eliminate a barrier that students and their families may face in applying to college , ” Worcester Polytechnic Institute President Laurie Leshin said in a statement this week .
Applicants who have already paid the fee will be reimbursed .
WPI had previously dropped other application requirements , including a college entrance exam score .
The university also removed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ merit-based scholarships in an effort to make the school more attainable to students who are traditionally underrepresented in the STEM disciplines .
“ As with our work to remove other barriers to access , our decision to eliminate the application fee started with us taking a step back and considering what this admissions process is like for students and their families , ” Andrew Palumbo , assistant vice president for enrollment management and dean of admissions and financial aid said .
“ Requiring students to pay a fee to receive an admissions decision @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to increase access to a high-quality STEM education .
”

WORCESTER, Mass. (AP) - A Massachusetts university is getting rid of its $70 undergraduate application fee to open access to a greater range of students.
“By removing our application fee, we hope to eliminate a barrier that students and their families may face in applying to college,” Worcester Polytechnic Institute President Laurie Leshin said in a statement this week.
Applicants who have already paid the fee will be reimbursed.
WPI had previously dropped other application requirements, including a college entrance exam score. The university also removed standardized test scores as a consideration for merit-based scholarships in an effort to make the school more attainable to students who are traditionally underrepresented in the STEM disciplines.
“As with our work to remove other barriers to access, our decision to eliminate the application fee started with us taking a step back and considering what this admissions process is like for students and their families,” Andrew Palumbo, assistant vice president for enrollment management and dean of admissions and financial aid said. “Requiring students to pay a fee to receive an admissions decision is in direct conflict with our mission to increase access to a high-quality STEM education.”


washingtontimes--2020-10-17--Police investigate threats, messages against Seattle mayor

Seattle ( AP ) - Police are investigating a series of incidents where homophobic slurs and hateful messages were left outside the home of Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan .
KOMO-TV reports some seemed designed to intimidate or threaten .
Given that Durkan is the city ’ s first lesbian mayor , a tag left scrawled on the street at her house Thursday night smacks of homophobia , officials said .
“ This kind of vandalism , especially with the kind of misogynistic , homophobic language is completely unacceptable and crosses a line , ” said Miri Cypers , the regional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pacific Northwest Office .
Rev .
Harriett Walden with Mothers for Police Accountability calls it a chilling return to the past .
“ As a product of segregation and Jim Crow , it reminds me of vigilantes by going to somebody ’ s home , ” Walden said .
Durkan ’ s staff have also seen an increase in threats and hateful messages via her email , swatting , social media , the mayor ’ s office voicemail and letters , including death threats .
There have been so many threats against Durkan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ streamlined the reporting process to give them a direct channel to detectives .
Several messages are serious enough to warrant additional investigation , according to police .
Determining when a threatening message is considered to be criminal conduct depends on how the victim perceives the message .
“ It ’ s not how it ’ s said , ” said Jim Fuda with Crime Stoppers of Puget Sound , who thinks it would be very reasonable for Durkan to be fearful .
“ It ’ s how it ’ s interpreted .
”

Seattle (AP) - Police are investigating a series of incidents where homophobic slurs and hateful messages were left outside the home of Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan.
KOMO-TV reports some seemed designed to intimidate or threaten.
Given that Durkan is the city’s first lesbian mayor, a tag left scrawled on the street at her house Thursday night smacks of homophobia, officials said.
“This kind of vandalism, especially with the kind of misogynistic, homophobic language is completely unacceptable and crosses a line,” said Miri Cypers, the regional director of the Anti-Defamation League’s Pacific Northwest Office.
Rev. Harriett Walden with Mothers for Police Accountability calls it a chilling return to the past.
“As a product of segregation and Jim Crow, it reminds me of vigilantes by going to somebody’s home,” Walden said.
Durkan’s staff have also seen an increase in threats and hateful messages via her email, swatting, social media, the mayor’s office voicemail and letters, including death threats.
There have been so many threats against Durkan and her staff that Seattle police have streamlined the reporting process to give them a direct channel to detectives. Several messages are serious enough to warrant additional investigation, according to police.
Determining when a threatening message is considered to be criminal conduct depends on how the victim perceives the message.
“It’s not how it’s said,” said Jim Fuda with Crime Stoppers of Puget Sound, who thinks it would be very reasonable for Durkan to be fearful. “It’s how it’s interpreted.”


washingtontimes--2020-10-17--AP FACT CHECK: Trump sees what others do not in the pandemic

WASHINGTON ( AP ) - “ I believe we ’ re rounding the corner.
” “ We ’ re a winner on the excess mortality.
” “ We have the vaccines coming and we have the therapies coming.
” “ We have done an amazing job.
” President Donald Trump sees in the pandemic what he wants to see .
He seemed to acknowledge as much when he was challenged on stage a few days ago for repeatedly and thoroughly misrepresenting a study about masks .
No , the study did not find that most people who wear masks get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But , “ that ’ s what I heard and that ’ s what I saw , and - regardless….
” Regard for the facts is not a hallmark of Trump ’ s campaign for the Nov. 3 election or of his presidency .
His assurance , heard for weeks , that the U.S. is rounding the corner on the coronavirus is belied by rising infection in the vast majority of states and higher deaths in 30 by week ’ s end , as well as by a surge in Europe .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ another layer of risk to health .
As for Trump ’ s claim that he ’ s done an amazing job on the pandemic , that ’ s part of a record in office that voters are judging now and until polls close for the Nov. 3 election .
He and Democratic rival Joe Biden bid for late advantage in competing forums that replaced a canceled presidential debate .
Meantime , the Senate vetted Judge Amy Coney Barrett ’ s nomination for the Supreme Court with committee hearings that often seemed to put @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as “ Obamacare , ” on trial .
Some statements from the past week and how they compare with the facts : TRUMP , asked about the many attendees at a White House event who got sick with COVID-19 : “ Just the other day they came out with a statement that 85 % of the people that wear masks catch it.
” - NBC forum in Miami on Thursday .
NBC ’ S SAVANNAH GUTHRIE : “ Well , they didn ’ t say that , I know that study.
” TRUMP @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I heard and that ’ s what I saw , and — regardless , but everybody ’ s tested and they ’ re tested often.
” THE FACTS : That was at least the third time the same day that he flatly misstated the findings of a federal study and the first time he was called out on it .
The study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention did not find that 85 % of mask wearers catch COVID-19 .
If that were so , the majority of Americans would be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : that 85 % of a small group of COVID-19 patients surveyed reported they had worn a mask often or always around the time they would have become infected .
Dining in restaurants , where masks are set aside for meals , was one activity suspected of spreading community infection .
The study not declare masks ineffective .
Trump told a North Carolina rally earlier in the day : “ Did you see CDC ?
That 85 % of the people wearing a mask catch it , OK ?
” And to Fox @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a statement that 85 % of the people wearing masks catch it.
” THE FACTS : That marker of mass death is a problematic bragging point .
Excess mortality estimates take a look at how many more people are dying than usual .
The estimates help to illustrate that the death toll attributed to COVID-19 understates how many are actually dying from the disease .
As many as 215,000 more people than usual died in the U.S. during the first seven months of the year , suggesting that the number of lives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than the official toll , which was then about 150,000 .
More than half the dead in the excess mortality count were people of color , a higher proportion than their share of the population , according to an analysis by The Associated Press and the Marshall Project , a nonprofit news organization covering the criminal justice system .
Exactly how many of the abnormally high deaths were from the virus can not be known , and international comparisons can not be made with precision .
But the findings don ’ t make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ BIDEN : “ This nominee said she wants to get rid of the Affordable Care Act.
” – remarks to reporters Monday .
BIDEN : “ Why do Republicans have time to hold a hearing on the Supreme Court ?
… It ’ s about finally getting his ( Trump ’ s ) wish to wipe out the affordable health care act because their nominee has said in the past that the law should be struck down.
” – to supporters in Ohio on Monday .
THE FACTS : No , Barrett has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down the health law .
Biden may ultimately be right that if she joins the court , she would vote to eliminate the law , but there are also reasons to believe she might not .
Biden is alluding to a 2017 commentary Barrett wrote that included a critique of the Supreme Court ’ s 2012 ruling upholding parts of the law .
Barrett was a University of Notre Dame law professor at the time .
In her critique , she specifically took issue with Chief Justice John Roberts ’ reasoning that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ law - the mandate that everyone get health coverage - be considered a tax and therefore within the powers of Congress to enforce .
She said he stretched the law “ beyond its plausible meaning ” to uphold it in the 5-4 vote .
That ’ s not necessarily the same as her wanting to trash the entire law .
It ’ s difficult to take what a prospective jurist wrote about a complex law and use it to state as fact how she might rule years later when some circumstances have changed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t hesitate to do so .
All that is certain is that Barrett criticized how her potential colleagues on the high court ruled on the law eight years ago .
TRUMP , reacting to news that several people associated with the Biden campaign on a recent flight with Biden ’ s running mate , Sen. Kamala Harris , tested positive for COVID-19 : “ We extend our best wishes , which is more than they did to me , but that ’ s OK. ” - North Carolina rally Thursday .
Hours @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Oct. 2 that he had tested positive , both Biden and Harris sent their wishes for a quick recovery via Twitter .
“ Jill and I send our thoughts to President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump for a swift recovery , ” Biden wrote .
“ We will continue to pray for the health and safety of the president and his family.
” Harris tweeted a similar message “ wishing President Trump and the First Lady a full and speedy recovery .
We ’ re keeping them and the entire Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign at the time also said it would stop running negative ads , with the candidate tweeting that “ this can not be a partisan moment ” when Trump was going to a hospital for treatment of his coronavirus infection .
Biden ’ s camp resumed the advertising after Trump was released .
SEN. TED CRUZ : “ ’ Obamacare ’ has doubled the profits of the big health insurance companies , doubled them .
‘ Obamacare ’ has been great corporate welfare for giant health insurance companies at the same time , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ - average families ’ premiums - have risen more than - have risen $ 7,967 per year on average .
That is catastrophic that millions of Americans can ’ t afford health care .
It is a catastrophic failure of ‘ Obamacare.
’ ” - Barrett nomination hearing Wednesday .
THE FACTS : No , family premiums for health insurance have not risen by $ 7,967 per year , as Cruz asserted .
Nowhere close .
That figure comes from the Kaiser Family Foundation but it captures the increase over 11 years - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as the Republican senator from Texas put it .
In addition , the figure applies to the cost of premiums for employer-provided coverage , not for “ Obamacare ” or for health insurance overall .
Kaiser ’ s Larry Levitt says the cost of employer coverage wasn ’ t much affected by the health law and “ the increase in premiums is largely due to changes in underlying health care costs over this period.
” The law ’ s premiums for a standard “ silver ” individual plan purchased by a hypothetical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 273 a month nationally in 2014 , to $ 462 this year .
Levitt said there ’ s not a clear equivalent for a family premium in the health law ’ s marketplaces ; what a family pays is the sum of each member ’ s individual premiums .
Cruz ’ s take on insurer profits also missed the mark .
Some major insurers lost money for a time selling “ Obamacare ” coverage , and several companies exited the health law ’ s markets .
The law actually has a provision @ @ @ @ @ @ @ SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM : “ Under the Affordable Care Act , three states get 35 % of the money , folks .
Can you name them ?
I ’ ll help you , California , New York and Massachusetts .
They ’ re 22 % of the population .
… Now , why did they get 35 % of the money when they are only 22 % of the population ?
” - Barrett confirmation hearing Tuesday .
THE FACTS : The South Carolina senator ’ s suggestion that Democrats designed the health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Big states with higher premiums and more enrollment in the health insurance marketplaces get more federal money .
But that ’ s driven by differences in premiums between states and by the number of people who sign up for taxpayer-subsidized coverage .
Moreover , some states such as South Carolina get much less federal money under the health law because they chose not to expand Medicaid , where the federal government picks up 90 % of the cost .
TRUMP : “ We had the greatest economy in the history of our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ FACTS : The numbers show it wasn ’ t the greatest in U.S. history .
Did the U.S. have the most jobs on record before the pandemic ?
Sure , the population had grown .
The 3.5 % unemployment rate before the recession was at a half-century low , but the percentage of people working or searching for jobs was still below a 2000 peak .
Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Romer looked at Trump ’ s economic growth record this month .
Growth under Trump averaged 2.48 % annually before the pandemic , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gains achieved during Barack Obama ’ s second term .
By contrast , the economic expansion that began in 1982 during Ronald Reagan ’ s presidency averaged 4.2 % a year .
BIDEN : “ The crime bill itself did not have mandatory sentences , except for two things , it had three strikes and you ’ re out , which I voted against in the crime bill.
” - ABC forum in Philadelphia on Thursday .
THE FACTS : That ’ s misleading .
Biden is understating the impact of the Clinton-era @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bear in getting it passed into law .
Biden wrote and voted for that sweeping 1994 crime bill , which included money for more prisons , expanded the use of the federal death penalty and called for a mandatory life sentence for three-time violent offenders - the so-called three strikes provision .
He did call the three-strikes rule “ wacko ” at one point , even as he was helping to write the bill .
Whatever his reservations about certain provisions , he ultimately voted for the legislation , which included the three-strikes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the Black Lives Matter era as a heavy-handed and discriminatory tool of the justice system .
TRUMP : “ When I see thousands of ballots dumped in a garbage can and they happen to have my name on it ?
I ’ m not happy about it.
” - Miami forum .
THE FACTS : Nobody has seen that .
Contrary to Trump ’ s repeated , baseless attacks on voting security , voting and election fraud is vanishingly rare .
No cases involving thousands of ballots dumped in the trash have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has cited a case of military ballots marked for him being thrown in the trash in Pennsylvania as evidence of a possible plot to steal the election .
But he leaves out the details : County election officials say that the seven ballots , along with two unopened ones , were accidentally tossed in an elections office in a Republican-controlled county by a single contract worker and that authorities were swiftly called .
The Brennan Center for Justice in 2017 ranked the risk of ballot fraud at 0.00004 % to 0.0009 % , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In the five states that regularly send ballots to all voters , there have been no major cases of fraud or difficulty counting the votes .
TRUMP : “ We have the vaccines coming and we have the therapies coming.
” -Miami forum .
THE FACTS : That ’ s the expectation , but not a certainty .
The intense effort to develop vaccines and treatments has had both advances and setbacks .
Despite Trump ’ s repeated promises of an imminent vaccine , scientists say it ’ s unlikely that data showing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before the election .
Promising therapies are being tried .
A new study led by the World Health Organization suggests that the antiviral drug remdesivir - among the drugs given to Trump - did not help hospitalized COVID-19 patients .
But that ’ s not the final word on a medicine that became the standard of care in many countries after a U.S. study found it sped recovery .
TRUMP : “ One of the most important issues for Pennsylvania is the survival of your fracking industry .
Joe Biden has repeatedly pledged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a liar .
He ’ s a liar.
” - remarks Tuesday at a rally in Johnstown , Pennsylvania .
THE FACTS : That ’ s false .
Biden has repeatedly pledged not to abolish fracking .
None of that has dissuaded the president from wholly distorting Biden ’ s position .
At one of the Democratic primary debates , Biden misspoke when he addressed the subject , saying that if he became president , there would be “ no more - no new - fracking.
” Biden ’ s campaign quickly corrected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ position is that he would ban new gas and oil permits , including for fracking , on federal lands only .
The vast majority of oil and gas does not come from federal lands .
He ’ s hewed closely to that middle-of-the-road position , going so far as to tell an anti-fracking activist that he “ ought to vote for somebody else ” if he was in a hurry to see fracking abolished .
Fracking , or hydraulic fracturing , opened up a yearslong oil and gas boom in parts of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including battleground Pennsylvania .
The technique went into widespread use during the Obama-Biden administration .
Some liberal Democrats wish Biden were taking a tougher line against fracking now .
But he isn ’ t .
TRUMP : “ The World Health Organization just admitted that I was right .
Lockdowns are killing countries all over the world .
The cure can not be worse than the problem itself .
Open up your states , Democrat governors .
Open up New York .
A long battle , but they finally did the right thing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ HOUSE : “ Over the weekend , the World Health Organization officially changed their policy and strongly stated that prolonged lockdowns must end because of their significant harms.
” - White House official in call Monday with reporters , speaking on condition of anonymity .
THE FACTS : They ’ re twisting words out of context .
The WHO has not shifted its position that national stay-at-home orders or “ lockdowns ” should be considered a measure of last resort to contain the virus .
Nor did it ever declare that Trump “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Trump appeared to be referring to comments made last week by Dr. David Nabarro , one of six special envoys to the WHO on COVID-19 .
He told the British magazine The Spectator that lockdowns should be considered as just one measure among many to control the virus , with an aim to give countries “ breathing space ” to roll out other , better anti-COVID measures .
“ We in the World Health Organization do not advocate lockdowns as the primary means of control of this virus , ” Nabarro said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be justified “ to buy you time to reorganize , regroup , rebalance your resources , protect your health workers who are exhausted .
But by and large , we ’ d rather not do it.
” Since declaring the coronavirus a pandemic in March , the WHO has said that if countries decide to go into lockdown , it should be considered temporary and they should use the time to implement measures such as testing , tracing , informing local populations and promoting physical distancing .
The United Nations body has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such as mask wearing that it first opposed for the general public .
It has also lagged governments in pushing border closings .
But on “ stay at home ” lockdown measures , it hasn ’ t changed .
Associated Press writers Amanda Seitz , David Klepper , Jude Joffe-Block , Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar , Bill Barrow , Josh Boak , Darlene Superville , Kevin Freking and Jamey Keaten contributed to this report .
EDITOR ’ S NOTE - A look at the veracity of claims by political figures .

WASHINGTON (AP) - “I believe we’re rounding the corner.” “We’re a winner on the excess mortality.” “We have the vaccines coming and we have the therapies coming.” “We have done an amazing job.”
President Donald Trump sees in the pandemic what he wants to see. He seemed to acknowledge as much when he was challenged on stage a few days ago for repeatedly and thoroughly misrepresenting a study about masks.
No, the study did not find that most people who wear masks get COVID-19. Most people don’t. But, “that’s what I heard and that’s what I saw, and - regardless….”
Regard for the facts is not a hallmark of Trump’s campaign for the Nov. 3 election or of his presidency.
His assurance, heard for weeks, that the U.S. is rounding the corner on the coronavirus is belied by rising infection in the vast majority of states and higher deaths in 30 by week’s end, as well as by a surge in Europe. This as the flu season approaches, another layer of risk to health.
As for Trump’s claim that he’s done an amazing job on the pandemic, that’s part of a record in office that voters are judging now and until polls close for the Nov. 3 election. He and Democratic rival Joe Biden bid for late advantage in competing forums that replaced a canceled presidential debate.
Meantime, the Senate vetted Judge Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination for the Supreme Court with committee hearings that often seemed to put the Affordable Care Act, also known as “Obamacare,” on trial.
Some statements from the past week and how they compare with the facts:
THE VIRUS
TRUMP, asked about the many attendees at a White House event who got sick with COVID-19: “Just the other day they came out with a statement that 85% of the people that wear masks catch it.” - NBC forum in Miami on Thursday.
NBC’S SAVANNAH GUTHRIE: “Well, they didn’t say that, I know that study.”
TRUMP: “Well that’s what I heard and that’s what I saw, and — regardless, but everybody’s tested and they’re tested often.”
THE FACTS: That was at least the third time the same day that he flatly misstated the findings of a federal study and the first time he was called out on it. The study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention did not find that 85% of mask wearers catch COVID-19. If that were so, the majority of Americans would be infected.
It found something quite different: that 85% of a small group of COVID-19 patients surveyed reported they had worn a mask often or always around the time they would have become infected. Dining in restaurants, where masks are set aside for meals, was one activity suspected of spreading community infection. The study not declare masks ineffective.
Trump told a North Carolina rally earlier in the day: “Did you see CDC? That 85% of the people wearing a mask catch it, OK?” And to Fox Business News: ”CDC comes out with a statement that 85% of the people wearing masks catch it.”
___
TRUMP: “We’re a winner on the excess mortality.” - Miami forum.
THE FACTS: That marker of mass death is a problematic bragging point.
Excess mortality estimates take a look at how many more people are dying than usual. The estimates help to illustrate that the death toll attributed to COVID-19 understates how many are actually dying from the disease.
As many as 215,000 more people than usual died in the U.S. during the first seven months of the year, suggesting that the number of lives lost to the coronavirus was significantly higher than the official toll, which was then about 150,000. More than half the dead in the excess mortality count were people of color, a higher proportion than their share of the population, according to an analysis by The Associated Press and the Marshall Project, a nonprofit news organization covering the criminal justice system.
Exactly how many of the abnormally high deaths were from the virus cannot be known, and international comparisons cannot be made with precision.
But the findings don’t make the U.S. a “winner.”
___
SUPREME COURT
JOE BIDEN: “This nominee said she wants to get rid of the Affordable Care Act.” – remarks to reporters Monday.
BIDEN: “Why do Republicans have time to hold a hearing on the Supreme Court? … It’s about finally getting his (Trump’s) wish to wipe out the affordable health care act because their nominee has said in the past that the law should be struck down.” – to supporters in Ohio on Monday.
THE FACTS: No, Barrett has not said explicitly that she would strike down the health law. Biden may ultimately be right that if she joins the court, she would vote to eliminate the law, but there are also reasons to believe she might not.
Biden is alluding to a 2017 commentary Barrett wrote that included a critique of the Supreme Court’s 2012 ruling upholding parts of the law. Barrett was a University of Notre Dame law professor at the time.
In her critique, she specifically took issue with Chief Justice John Roberts’ reasoning that the penalty attached to one part of the law - the mandate that everyone get health coverage - be considered a tax and therefore within the powers of Congress to enforce. She said he stretched the law “beyond its plausible meaning” to uphold it in the 5-4 vote.
That’s not necessarily the same as her wanting to trash the entire law. It’s difficult to take what a prospective jurist wrote about a complex law and use it to state as fact how she might rule years later when some circumstances have changed. But Biden and other Democrats didn’t hesitate to do so.
All that is certain is that Barrett criticized how her potential colleagues on the high court ruled on the law eight years ago.
___
FROM NORTH CAROLINA
TRUMP, reacting to news that several people associated with the Biden campaign on a recent flight with Biden’s running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris, tested positive for COVID-19: “We extend our best wishes, which is more than they did to me, but that’s OK.” - North Carolina rally Thursday.
THE FACTS: That’s false.
Hours after Trump’s early morning announcement on Oct. 2 that he had tested positive, both Biden and Harris sent their wishes for a quick recovery via Twitter.
“Jill and I send our thoughts to President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump for a swift recovery,” Biden wrote. “We will continue to pray for the health and safety of the president and his family.”
Harris tweeted a similar message “wishing President Trump and the First Lady a full and speedy recovery. We’re keeping them and the entire Trump family in our thoughts.”
The Biden campaign at the time also said it would stop running negative ads, with the candidate tweeting that “this cannot be a partisan moment” when Trump was going to a hospital for treatment of his coronavirus infection. Biden’s camp resumed the advertising after Trump was released.
___
GOP v. “OBAMACARE”
SEN. TED CRUZ: “’Obamacare’ has doubled the profits of the big health insurance companies, doubled them. ‘Obamacare’ has been great corporate welfare for giant health insurance companies at the same time, according to the Kaiser foundation, premiums - average families’ premiums - have risen more than - have risen $7,967 per year on average. That is catastrophic that millions of Americans can’t afford health care. It is a catastrophic failure of ‘Obamacare.’” - Barrett nomination hearing Wednesday.
THE FACTS: No, family premiums for health insurance have not risen by $7,967 per year, as Cruz asserted. Nowhere close.
That figure comes from the Kaiser Family Foundation but it captures the increase over 11 years - 2009 to 2020 - not per year, as the Republican senator from Texas put it. In addition, the figure applies to the cost of premiums for employer-provided coverage, not for “Obamacare” or for health insurance overall.
Kaiser’s Larry Levitt says the cost of employer coverage wasn’t much affected by the health law and “the increase in premiums is largely due to changes in underlying health care costs over this period.”
The law’s premiums for a standard “silver” individual plan purchased by a hypothetical 40-year-old went up from an average of $273 a month nationally in 2014, to $462 this year.
Levitt said there’s not a clear equivalent for a family premium in the health law’s marketplaces; what a family pays is the sum of each member’s individual premiums.
Cruz’s take on insurer profits also missed the mark. Some major insurers lost money for a time selling “Obamacare” coverage, and several companies exited the health law’s markets. The law actually has a provision that in effect limits insurer profits.
___
SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM: “Under the Affordable Care Act, three states get 35% of the money, folks. Can you name them? I’ll help you, California, New York and Massachusetts. They’re 22% of the population. … Now, why did they get 35% of the money when they are only 22% of the population?” - Barrett confirmation hearing Tuesday.
THE FACTS: The South Carolina senator’s suggestion that Democrats designed the health law to benefit Democratic states is misleading.
Big states with higher premiums and more enrollment in the health insurance marketplaces get more federal money. But that’s driven by differences in premiums between states and by the number of people who sign up for taxpayer-subsidized coverage.
Moreover, some states such as South Carolina get much less federal money under the health law because they chose not to expand Medicaid, where the federal government picks up 90% of the cost.
___
THE UNDEBATE
ECONOMY
TRUMP: “We had the greatest economy in the history of our country.” - Miami forum.
THE FACTS: The numbers show it wasn’t the greatest in U.S. history.
Did the U.S. have the most jobs on record before the pandemic? Sure, the population had grown. The 3.5% unemployment rate before the recession was at a half-century low, but the percentage of people working or searching for jobs was still below a 2000 peak.
Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Romer looked at Trump’s economic growth record this month. Growth under Trump averaged 2.48% annually before the pandemic, only slightly better than the 2.41% gains achieved during Barack Obama’s second term. By contrast, the economic expansion that began in 1982 during Ronald Reagan’s presidency averaged 4.2% a year.
So Trump is wrong.
___
CRIME
BIDEN: “The crime bill itself did not have mandatory sentences, except for two things, it had three strikes and you’re out, which I voted against in the crime bill.” - ABC forum in Philadelphia on Thursday.
THE FACTS: That’s misleading. Biden is understating the impact of the Clinton-era bill and the influence he brought to bear in getting it passed into law.
Biden wrote and voted for that sweeping 1994 crime bill, which included money for more prisons, expanded the use of the federal death penalty and called for a mandatory life sentence for three-time violent offenders - the so-called three strikes provision.
He did call the three-strikes rule “wacko” at one point, even as he was helping to write the bill. Whatever his reservations about certain provisions, he ultimately voted for the legislation, which included the three-strikes rule and has come to be seen in the Black Lives Matter era as a heavy-handed and discriminatory tool of the justice system.
___
ELECTION FRAUD
TRUMP: “When I see thousands of ballots dumped in a garbage can and they happen to have my name on it? I’m not happy about it.” - Miami forum.
THE FACTS: Nobody has seen that. Contrary to Trump’s repeated, baseless attacks on voting security, voting and election fraud is vanishingly rare. No cases involving thousands of ballots dumped in the trash have been reported in this election.
Trump has cited a case of military ballots marked for him being thrown in the trash in Pennsylvania as evidence of a possible plot to steal the election. But he leaves out the details: County election officials say that the seven ballots, along with two unopened ones, were accidentally tossed in an elections office in a Republican-controlled county by a single contract worker and that authorities were swiftly called.
The Brennan Center for Justice in 2017 ranked the risk of ballot fraud at 0.00004% to 0.0009%, based on studies of past elections.
In the five states that regularly send ballots to all voters, there have been no major cases of fraud or difficulty counting the votes.
___
TRUMP: “We have the vaccines coming and we have the therapies coming.” -Miami forum.
THE FACTS: That’s the expectation, but not a certainty. The intense effort to develop vaccines and treatments has had both advances and setbacks.
Despite Trump’s repeated promises of an imminent vaccine, scientists say it’s unlikely that data showing a leading shot actually works would come before the election. Promising therapies are being tried.
A new study led by the World Health Organization suggests that the antiviral drug remdesivir - among the drugs given to Trump - did not help hospitalized COVID-19 patients. But that’s not the final word on a medicine that became the standard of care in many countries after a U.S. study found it sped recovery.
___
FROM PENNSYLVANIA
FRACKING
TRUMP: “One of the most important issues for Pennsylvania is the survival of your fracking industry. Joe Biden has repeatedly pledged to abolish fracking. He’s a liar. He’s a liar.” - remarks Tuesday at a rally in Johnstown, Pennsylvania.
THE FACTS: That’s false. Biden has repeatedly pledged not to abolish fracking. None of that has dissuaded the president from wholly distorting Biden’s position.
At one of the Democratic primary debates, Biden misspoke when he addressed the subject, saying that if he became president, there would be “no more - no new - fracking.” Biden’s campaign quickly corrected his mistake.
Biden’s actual position is that he would ban new gas and oil permits, including for fracking, on federal lands only. The vast majority of oil and gas does not come from federal lands.
He’s hewed closely to that middle-of-the-road position, going so far as to tell an anti-fracking activist that he “ought to vote for somebody else” if he was in a hurry to see fracking abolished.
Fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, opened up a yearslong oil and gas boom in parts of the Southwest, High Plains and Northeast, including battleground Pennsylvania. The technique went into widespread use during the Obama-Biden administration.
Some liberal Democrats wish Biden were taking a tougher line against fracking now. But he isn’t.
___
WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION
TRUMP: “The World Health Organization just admitted that I was right. Lockdowns are killing countries all over the world. The cure cannot be worse than the problem itself. Open up your states, Democrat governors. Open up New York. A long battle, but they finally did the right thing!” - tweet Monday.
WHITE HOUSE: “Over the weekend, the World Health Organization officially changed their policy and strongly stated that prolonged lockdowns must end because of their significant harms.” - White House official in call Monday with reporters, speaking on condition of anonymity.
THE FACTS: They’re twisting words out of context. The WHO has not shifted its position that national stay-at-home orders or “lockdowns” should be considered a measure of last resort to contain the virus. Nor did it ever declare that Trump “was right” on his COVID-19 response.
Trump appeared to be referring to comments made last week by Dr. David Nabarro, one of six special envoys to the WHO on COVID-19. He told the British magazine The Spectator that lockdowns should be considered as just one measure among many to control the virus, with an aim to give countries “breathing space” to roll out other, better anti-COVID measures.
“We in the World Health Organization do not advocate lockdowns as the primary means of control of this virus,” Nabarro said. He added that lockdowns can only be justified “to buy you time to reorganize, regroup, rebalance your resources, protect your health workers who are exhausted. But by and large, we’d rather not do it.”
Since declaring the coronavirus a pandemic in March, the WHO has said that if countries decide to go into lockdown, it should be considered temporary and they should use the time to implement measures such as testing, tracing, informing local populations and promoting physical distancing.
The United Nations body has been inconsistent at times with its recommendations, such as mask wearing that it first opposed for the general public. It has also lagged governments in pushing border closings. But on “stay at home” lockdown measures, it hasn’t changed.
___
Associated Press writers Amanda Seitz, David Klepper, Jude Joffe-Block, Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, Bill Barrow, Josh Boak, Darlene Superville, Kevin Freking and Jamey Keaten contributed to this report.
___
EDITOR’S NOTE - A look at the veracity of claims by political figures.
___
Find AP Fact Checks at http://apnews.com/APFactCheck
Follow @APFactCheck on Twitter: https://twitter.com/APFactCheck


washingtontimes--2020-10-17--Coronavirus dominates low-key Senate race in Virginia

RICHMOND , Va. ( AP ) - Much like the presidential contest , the U.S. Senate race in Virginia has been heavily shaped by the coronavirus .
Unlike the presidential contest , few people are paying attention .
Virginians are nearly two weeks away from deciding between two-term incumbent U.S. Sen. Mark Warner and Republican challenger Daniel Gade , a political newcomer , in a contest that ’ s become largely an afterthought .
Warner , who played a high-profile role as the highest-ranking Democrat overseeing the Senate Intelligence Committee ’ s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The pandemic and the presidential contest between President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden has left little room for voters ’ attention .
And the highly contagious nature of the disease has prevented both candidates from the traditional stumping that defines traditional campaigns .
“ It feels a little bit like a science fiction movie , ” Warner said , referring to socially distanced campaign events he ’ s held outside with attendees wearing masks and face shields .
Both Warner and Gade say the virus is at the top @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s response as been the key flashpoint in the race so far .
Gade , a retired Army officer who lost a leg in a Humvee explosion while serving in Iraq , said while there ’ s “ certainly things we could have done better , ” he thinks the Trump administration deserves the benefit of the doubt in how it handled a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic .
“ On balance , the president has done the best he could , ” said Gade , who also criticized Warner for not voting for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republicans proposed .
Warner said he wants an additional relief package and is eager to work with the Trump administration to figure one out .
But he said Gade is “ fundamentally wrong ” when he praises Trump ’ s handling of the virus .
He said that seven months into the pandemic , the Trump administration has failed on a wide range of issues , from beefing up the domestic supply chain of personal protective equipment to implementing a national testing strategy .
“ I don ’ t think that ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Warner said .
Warner has numerous advantages over Gade .
He ’ s a former governor who is well known by much of the electorate as a tech and business savvy moderate .
He ’ s raised about $ 11 million this election cycle to Gade ’ s $ 1 million , according to the Virginia Public Access Project .
Conservative national groups and donors are focused on saving vulnerable GOP senators in other states as Republican prospects for holding its 53-47 majority have been darkening for months .
Warner came @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but Virginia has tilted far more to the left since then thanks in large part to suburban voter disenchantment with Trump .
“ There ’ s nothing in my outer imagination that makes me think Warner can lose this race , ” said Quentin Kidd , a political science professor at Christopher Newport University .
Gade was Trump ’ s appointee to serve on the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission but withdrew his nomination after a lengthy delay in the Senate over his confirmation .
He insists the race is much closer than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He has focused his message on trying to tag Warner as an ineffectual and disinterested career politician .
Gade ’ s first negative ad includes video of a much younger-looking Warner declaring during a 1996 Senate bid that he would only ever serve two terms in the Senate .
Gade also mocked Warner for saying the most important job he ’ s ever had in public service was overseeing the intelligence committee ’ s Russia investigation .
Gade said the committee ’ s bipartisan reports , which affirm the U.S. intelligence community ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2016 presidential election in a far-ranging campaign approved by Russian President Vladimir Putin and aimed at helping Donald Trump win the White House , were underwhelming .
Warner said the committee has done invaluable work protecting national security and improving election security from foreign adversaries .
He said the committee ’ s ability to get such work done amid a largely dysfunctional Congress highlights his growing ability to get things done in a bipartisan matter .
He said he was wrong when he advocated for term limits 24 years ago , saying it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effective in the Senate .
“ These last couple of years , I put a lot more points on the board , ” Warner said .

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Much like the presidential contest, the U.S. Senate race in Virginia has been heavily shaped by the coronavirus. Unlike the presidential contest, few people are paying attention.
Virginians are nearly two weeks away from deciding between two-term incumbent U.S. Sen. Mark Warner and Republican challenger Daniel Gade, a political newcomer, in a contest that’s become largely an afterthought.
Warner, who played a high-profile role as the highest-ranking Democrat overseeing the Senate Intelligence Committee’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential contest, is widely considered the favorite.
The pandemic and the presidential contest between President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden has left little room for voters’ attention. And the highly contagious nature of the disease has prevented both candidates from the traditional stumping that defines traditional campaigns.
“It feels a little bit like a science fiction movie,” Warner said, referring to socially distanced campaign events he’s held outside with attendees wearing masks and face shields.
Both Warner and Gade say the virus is at the top of voters’ minds, and Trump’s response as been the key flashpoint in the race so far.
Gade, a retired Army officer who lost a leg in a Humvee explosion while serving in Iraq, said while there’s “certainly things we could have done better,” he thinks the Trump administration deserves the benefit of the doubt in how it handled a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic.
“On balance, the president has done the best he could,” said Gade, who also criticized Warner for not voting for a second round of COVID-19 relief that Senate Republicans proposed.
Warner said he wants an additional relief package and is eager to work with the Trump administration to figure one out. But he said Gade is “fundamentally wrong” when he praises Trump’s handling of the virus. He said that seven months into the pandemic, the Trump administration has failed on a wide range of issues, from beefing up the domestic supply chain of personal protective equipment to implementing a national testing strategy.
“I don’t think that’s a record you want to be repeated,” Warner said.
Warner has numerous advantages over Gade. He’s a former governor who is well known by much of the electorate as a tech and business savvy moderate. He’s raised about $11 million this election cycle to Gade’s $1 million, according to the Virginia Public Access Project.
Conservative national groups and donors are focused on saving vulnerable GOP senators in other states as Republican prospects for holding its 53-47 majority have been darkening for months.
Warner came surprisingly close to losing six years ago, but Virginia has tilted far more to the left since then thanks in large part to suburban voter disenchantment with Trump.
“There’s nothing in my outer imagination that makes me think Warner can lose this race,” said Quentin Kidd, a political science professor at Christopher Newport University.
Gade was Trump’s appointee to serve on the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission but withdrew his nomination after a lengthy delay in the Senate over his confirmation. He insists the race is much closer than people think and is ultimately winnable.
He has focused his message on trying to tag Warner as an ineffectual and disinterested career politician. Gade’s first negative ad includes video of a much younger-looking Warner declaring during a 1996 Senate bid that he would only ever serve two terms in the Senate.
Gade also mocked Warner for saying the most important job he’s ever had in public service was overseeing the intelligence committee’s Russia investigation. Gade said the committee’s bipartisan reports, which affirm the U.S. intelligence community’s conclusions that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election in a far-ranging campaign approved by Russian President Vladimir Putin and aimed at helping Donald Trump win the White House, were underwhelming.
“It’s a big fat nothing-burger,” Gade said.
Warner said the committee has done invaluable work protecting national security and improving election security from foreign adversaries. He said the committee’s ability to get such work done amid a largely dysfunctional Congress highlights his growing ability to get things done in a bipartisan matter. He said he was wrong when he advocated for term limits 24 years ago, saying it takes time to learn how to be effective in the Senate.
“These last couple of years, I put a lot more points on the board,” Warner said.


washingtontimes--2020-10-17--Georgia's Carter Center to observe US Election for 1st time

ATLANTA ( AP ) - David Carroll has been working with the Carter Center observing and monitoring elections in Third World countries for 30 years .
In each of the 111 observations in 39 countries , a few things consistently stick out .
Deep ideological polarization .
Ethnic and racial divisions .
Little confidence in election integrity .
Results not accepted .
As the country barrels toward one of the most contentious elections in American history , already dripping with tension about the whole voting process , the Atlanta-based Carter Center is taking the unprecedented step to get involved in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ politics on this country are not unlike what we see in other countries , ” Carroll said .
“ Those are the types of things we see in countries where democracy is really struggling.
” At this late date , with the United States being a patchwork of about 10,000 individual jurisdictions across 50 states with no centralized election administration , it would be almost impossible for the Carter Center to monitor elections here .
There also would be perceptions of bias because it was founded by a former Democratic Party president .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ some states , including Georgia , about small-scale , targeted observation efforts on specific aspects of the process , but stopping short of full-fledged monitoring .
The Carter Center also will implement a public information campaign to enhance public knowledge and build confidence in the American election process .
“ We are focusing on trust and transparency , how to increase understanding of the election , how the election process is working and how the absentee process is working , ” Carroll said .
“ All with the idea of addressing distrust and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by former President Jimmy Carter has long been involved in elections across Latin America , the Middle East and Africa .
Currently , teams are working in Côte d ’ Ivoire , Myanmar and Bolivia .
“ It is hard for the Carter Center , which has done human relations work overseas , not to look in our backyard , ” said Carter Center CEO Paige Alexander .
“ Something that we have learned is that you ensure good elections by increasing public knowledge .
We just need to bring that back home.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to work in countries that are either “ poised to take a step forward or in danger of taking a step backward , ” Carroll said .
Carroll said America is on the brink of backsliding , something he could not have envisioned when the Carter Center ’ s program started .
“ Until the last five or 10 years - though the U.S. was far from perfect - it didn ’ t fit that category , ” Carroll said .
“ I started to get more concerned about polarization , especially over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nothing that can compare to what we are seeing in my experience in the United States.
” In Georgia on Monday , long lines greeted voters on the first day of early voting , offering a snapshot of national issues like access to polling places and the security of voting equipment .
In addition , President Donald Trump , who is trailing in the polls to former Vice President Joe Biden , has repeatedly questioned the integrity of the election , alleging a proliferation of mail-in voting will cause widespread fraud .
More @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus pandemic that has killed nearly 220,000 Americans .
“ U.S .
elections have never been perfect , but generally Americans trusted in the process and believed in the results , ” said Avery Davis-Roberts , an associate director in the Carter Center ’ s Democracy Program .
Among the Carter Center ’ s election efforts in the U.S. : - Producing two animated videos – one that lays out voting options and another that focuses on the need for patience after election day , as the large number of mailed ballots will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
- Working with nonpartisan or bipartisan groups to produce and distribute a number of reports , fact sheets , opinion pieces , and articles on various aspects of the electoral process .
Along with the National Conference of State Legislatures , the Carter Center developed a 37-page roundup of the policies governing election observers in all 50 states .
It teamed up with the National Vote at Home Initiative to produce a report and webinar on how local election officials can make the absentee ballot process more transparent .
- Offering training @ @ @ @ @ @ @ standards .
-Hosting free virtual public conversations about voting .
Last week , CNN correspondent Suzanne Malveaux hosted a virtual conversation with the former U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff ; Kevin Johnson , a senior member of the Carter Center ’ s U.S. Election Expert Team ; and Jennifer Morrell , a partner at The Elections Group .
“ We ’ re not naïve - there are real problems in 2020 , and we plan to speak out about them when we think we can make a difference , ” Carroll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some pretty good systems and safeguards in place , and we want people to know about those , too .
”

ERNIE SUGGS, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

ATLANTA (AP) - David Carroll has been working with the Carter Center observing and monitoring elections in Third World countries for 30 years.
In each of the 111 observations in 39 countries, a few things consistently stick out.
Deep ideological polarization. Ethnic and racial divisions. Little confidence in election integrity. Results not accepted.
Sounds like America, 2020.
As the country barrels toward one of the most contentious elections in American history, already dripping with tension about the whole voting process, the Atlanta-based Carter Center is taking the unprecedented step to get involved in U.S. elections.
“The characteristics of politics on this country are not unlike what we see in other countries,” Carroll said. “Those are the types of things we see in countries where democracy is really struggling.”
At this late date, with the United States being a patchwork of about 10,000 individual jurisdictions across 50 states with no centralized election administration, it would be almost impossible for the Carter Center to monitor elections here. There also would be perceptions of bias because it was founded by a former Democratic Party president.
The Carter Center is in discussion with some states, including Georgia, about small-scale, targeted observation efforts on specific aspects of the process, but stopping short of full-fledged monitoring.
The Carter Center also will implement a public information campaign to enhance public knowledge and build confidence in the American election process.
“We are focusing on trust and transparency, how to increase understanding of the election, how the election process is working and how the absentee process is working,” Carroll said. “All with the idea of addressing distrust and lack of confidence.”
The organization founded by former President Jimmy Carter has long been involved in elections across Latin America, the Middle East and Africa. Currently, teams are working in Côte d’Ivoire, Myanmar and Bolivia.
“It is hard for the Carter Center, which has done human relations work overseas, not to look in our backyard,” said Carter Center CEO Paige Alexander. “Something that we have learned is that you ensure good elections by increasing public knowledge. We just need to bring that back home.”
The Carter Center is generally invited to work in countries that are either “poised to take a step forward or in danger of taking a step backward,” Carroll said.
Carroll said America is on the brink of backsliding, something he could not have envisioned when the Carter Center’s program started.
“Until the last five or 10 years - though the U.S. was far from perfect - it didn’t fit that category,” Carroll said. “I started to get more concerned about polarization, especially over the last four or five years. Nothing that can compare to what we are seeing in my experience in the United States.”
In Georgia on Monday, long lines greeted voters on the first day of early voting, offering a snapshot of national issues like access to polling places and the security of voting equipment.
In addition, President Donald Trump, who is trailing in the polls to former Vice President Joe Biden, has repeatedly questioned the integrity of the election, alleging a proliferation of mail-in voting will cause widespread fraud. More people are voting by mail amid a coronavirus pandemic that has killed nearly 220,000 Americans.
“U.S. elections have never been perfect, but generally Americans trusted in the process and believed in the results,” said Avery Davis-Roberts, an associate director in the Carter Center’s Democracy Program.
Among the Carter Center’s election efforts in the U.S.:
- Producing two animated videos – one that lays out voting options and another that focuses on the need for patience after election day, as the large number of mailed ballots will likely delay the results of the election.
- Working with nonpartisan or bipartisan groups to produce and distribute a number of reports, fact sheets, opinion pieces, and articles on various aspects of the electoral process. Along with the National Conference of State Legislatures, the Carter Center developed a 37-page roundup of the policies governing election observers in all 50 states. It teamed up with the National Vote at Home Initiative to produce a report and webinar on how local election officials can make the absentee ballot process more transparent.
- Offering training for journalists on transparency and international election standards.
-Hosting free virtual public conversations about voting. Last week, CNN correspondent Suzanne Malveaux hosted a virtual conversation with the former U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff; Kevin Johnson, a senior member of the Carter Center’s U.S. Election Expert Team; and Jennifer Morrell, a partner at The Elections Group.
“We’re not naïve - there are real problems in 2020, and we plan to speak out about them when we think we can make a difference,” Carroll said. “But there are also some pretty good systems and safeguards in place, and we want people to know about those, too.”
Reporter Mark Niesse contributed to this article.
___
The headline of the story has been corrected to show that the Carter Center is not observing the U.S. election.