washingtontimes--2020-09-28--Bubble won't be back for full 2020-21 NHL season

EDMONTON , Alberta ( AP ) - The 64 days spent in the NHL playoff bubble feel like six months to Barclay Goodrow .
“ It ’ s tough , ” the Tampa Bay Lightning forward said .
“ It ’ s been a grind.
” It ’ s a grind he and players won ’ t do again next season .
The league and Players ’ Association will meet within the next two weeks to discuss the many possibilities of what the 2020-21 season could look like , but there ’ s no desire to stage it entirely within @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a season , of course not , ” NHLPA executive director Don Fehr told The Associated Press on Sunday .
“ Nobody is going to do that for four months or six months or something like that .
Whether we could create some protected environments that people would be tested and they ’ d be clean when they came in and lasted for some substantially shorter period of time with people cycling in and out is one of the things I suspect we will examine.
” Not long after the Stanley Cup is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as Monday night if the Lightning beat the Dallas Stars in Game 6 of the final , the two sides will talk about when next season might start , how many games might be possible , what testing and protocols might be required and whether fans might be allowed into buildings at some capacity at some point .
A week after Commissioner Gary Bettman said a mid-to-late December or January start was possible , Fehr agreed that the tentative Dec. 1 opening night target date was the “ earliest conceivable date ” the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ good reason to believe it ’ ll be later .
The NHLPA is in the process of finalizing a committee to start answering the myriad of questions hockey faces in trying to get another season going .
And while that and negotiations will begin quickly , the league and players are on the same page , that just like the return to play plan , they want to take time to get this right .
“ Nobody is going to rush it , ” Fehr said .
It helps the NHL has some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NFL , Major League Baseball and college athletics for what ’ s working and not working in those sports .
But the NHL is the most dependent on attendance , which Bettman said affects at least 50 % of revenues .
It needs fans , but might not be able to get them in all 31 buildings .
“ On whatever basis we may or may not be able to have fans in our buildings is something that may be well beyond our control in terms of local government regulations that will determine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where we were and off of where we were projecting , ” Bettman said Sept. 19 .
The league and players negotiated a long-term extension of the collective bargaining agreement knowing projections for at least next season would be much different given the global pandemic .
If each team can ’ t play 82 games with some fans at some point , everyone is likely to take an even bigger financial hit than expected , which could affect player salaries .
“ Players are adults .
They understand , ” Fehr said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ They may grumble , and they may wish it was different .
I ’ m sure owners do .
I ’ m sure fans do .
I ’ m sure everybody does .
Nobody likes what we ’ re living through .
But you don ’ t gain anything by sugar coating or being less blunt than otherwise would be the case.
” Players leaving the playoff bubble were blunt that they don ’ t want to go through that kind of extended isolation again .
Vegas forward Max Pacioretty was among them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t have to do that again.
” “ I hope the world takes a turn for the better here and hopefully get some normalcy back , ” Pacioretty said .
With a true return to normalcy a long time away , everyone may have to make some sacrifices to get back on the ice .
The Canadian border plays a factor and might require a rejiggered schedule with shorter or limited travel , like baseball did with its 60-game season .
The NHL could get to 60 games and hand out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the now 2021 Tokyo Olympics .
NBC is the NHL ’ s U.S. TV rightsholder and also airs the Olympics .
Of course , it ’ s conceivable there ’ s no season because owners would lose tens of millions of dollars without fans , but Fehr doesn ’ t believe that ’ s likely .
“ In this world we live in , I think anything is possible , but I think it ’ s pretty remote , ” he said .
“ What we have to do is basically proceed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a season , that we can figure out how to do it and how do we do it in a way which provides the requisite health and safety for players and staff and broadcasters and ( reporters ) and the fans once we can get them back in the arenas , but at the same time has some integrity .
That ’ ll be the task .
”

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) - The 64 days spent in the NHL playoff bubble feel like six months to Barclay Goodrow.
“It’s tough,” the Tampa Bay Lightning forward said. “It’s been a grind.”
It’s a grind he and players won’t do again next season. The league and Players’ Association will meet within the next two weeks to discuss the many possibilities of what the 2020-21 season could look like, but there’s no desire to stage it entirely within quarantined bubbles.
“Certainly not for a season, of course not,” NHLPA executive director Don Fehr told The Associated Press on Sunday. “Nobody is going to do that for four months or six months or something like that. Whether we could create some protected environments that people would be tested and they’d be clean when they came in and lasted for some substantially shorter period of time with people cycling in and out is one of the things I suspect we will examine.”
Not long after the Stanley Cup is awarded, which could be as soon as Monday night if the Lightning beat the Dallas Stars in Game 6 of the final, the two sides will talk about when next season might start, how many games might be possible, what testing and protocols might be required and whether fans might be allowed into buildings at some capacity at some point.
A week after Commissioner Gary Bettman said a mid-to-late December or January start was possible, Fehr agreed that the tentative Dec. 1 opening night target date was the “earliest conceivable date” the season could start and there’s good reason to believe it’ll be later.
The NHLPA is in the process of finalizing a committee to start answering the myriad of questions hockey faces in trying to get another season going. And while that and negotiations will begin quickly, the league and players are on the same page, that just like the return to play plan, they want to take time to get this right.
“Nobody is going to rush it,” Fehr said.
It helps the NHL has some time and an opportunity to monitor the NFL, Major League Baseball and college athletics for what’s working and not working in those sports.
But the NHL is the most dependent on attendance, which Bettman said affects at least 50% of revenues. It needs fans, but might not be able to get them in all 31 buildings.
“On whatever basis we may or may not be able to have fans in our buildings is something that may be well beyond our control in terms of local government regulations that will determine how much the shortfall is off of where we were and off of where we were projecting,” Bettman said Sept. 19.
The league and players negotiated a long-term extension of the collective bargaining agreement knowing projections for at least next season would be much different given the global pandemic. If each team can’t play 82 games with some fans at some point, everyone is likely to take an even bigger financial hit than expected, which could affect player salaries.
“Players are adults. They understand,” Fehr said. “They may not like it. They may grumble, and they may wish it was different. I’m sure owners do. I’m sure fans do. I’m sure everybody does. Nobody likes what we’re living through. But you don’t gain anything by sugar coating or being less blunt than otherwise would be the case.”
Players leaving the playoff bubble were blunt that they don’t want to go through that kind of extended isolation again. Vegas forward Max Pacioretty was among them, saying, “I hope we don’t have to do that again.”
“I hope the world takes a turn for the better here and hopefully get some normalcy back,” Pacioretty said.
With a true return to normalcy a long time away, everyone may have to make some sacrifices to get back on the ice. The Canadian border plays a factor and might require a rejiggered schedule with shorter or limited travel, like baseball did with its 60-game season.
The NHL could get to 60 games and hand out the Stanley Cup before the planned start of the now 2021 Tokyo Olympics. NBC is the NHL’s U.S. TV rightsholder and also airs the Olympics. Of course, it’s conceivable there’s no season because owners would lose tens of millions of dollars without fans, but Fehr doesn’t believe that’s likely.
“In this world we live in, I think anything is possible, but I think it’s pretty remote,” he said. “What we have to do is basically proceed on the assumption that there will be a season, that we can figure out how to do it and how do we do it in a way which provides the requisite health and safety for players and staff and broadcasters and (reporters) and the fans once we can get them back in the arenas, but at the same time has some integrity. That’ll be the task.”
___
Follow AP Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno on Twitter at https://twitter.com/SWhyno
___
More AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports


washingtontimes--2020-09-28--Asia shares mixed ahead of China holiday, Trump-Biden debate

TOKYO ( AP ) - Global shares were mostly higher Monday , ahead of the first U.S. presidential debate and a national holiday in China later in the week .
France ’ s CAC 40 rose 1.7 % in early trading to 4,808.95 , while Germany ’ s DAX jumped 2.4 % to 12,767.33 .
Britain ’ s FTSE 100 added 1.4 % to 5,922.40 .
U.S. shares were set for gains , with Dow futures advancing 0.9 % to 27,293.5 .
The S & P ; 500 future was also up 0.9 % , at 3,315.62 .
China is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Oct. 1 , followed by a weeklong holiday through Oct. 8 .
China ’ s statistical bureau reported Sunday that industrial profits rose 19 % in August from a year earlier , as the economy recovered from the pandemic downturn .
Regional markets are seeing signs of improvement in economic activity despite the coronavirus pandemic , as businesses strive to achieve a new normal with social distancing and mask-wearing .
Japan ’ s benchmark Nikkei 225 rose 1.3 % to finish at 23,511.62 , while South Korea ’ s Kospi added 1.3 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ S & P ; /ASX 200 lost earlier gains to slip 0.2 % to 5,952.30 .
Hong Kong ’ s Hang Seng index rose 1.2 % to 23,503.66 , while the Shanghai Composite index inched less than 0.1 % lower to 3,217.53 .
Investors are hoping for additional fiscal stimulus measures from the U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has said she hopes to find common ground for agreement with Treasury Secretary Stephen Mnuchin after the $ 2.4 trillion package under discussion failed to bridge the divide .
The chamber passed a $ 3.4 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cut their ambitions back by $ 1 trillion or so , while Senate Republicans have focused on a much smaller package in the $ 650 billion to $ 1 trillion range .
Bridging the overall topline gulf would be tough .
Working out hundreds of legislative details just before the November election , amid a feud over filling Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg ’ s seat on the Supreme Court could be impossible .
But there is pressure on both sides to do something to help the economy and the tens of millions of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Also on investors ’ minds is the first presidential debate , set for Tuesday , between U.S. President Donald Trump and Democratic candidate Joe Biden .
It could influence the course of U.S. policies likely to affect share prices across the board .
For the markets , “ the challenge is less about who wins and more about how narrow the victory could be , resulting in a contested election and leaving the market in congressional gridlock at a time when government support is critical , ” Stephen Innes of AxiCorp said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ erratic this month , with indexes setting new highs to start the month and then falling sharply as investors worried that values for some of technology giants had risen too high .
In energy trading , U.S. benchmark crude slipped 26 cents to $ 39.99 a barrel .
Brent crude , the international standard , lost 23 cents to $ 41.69 a barrel .
The U.S. dollar fell to 105.36 Japanese yen from 105.57 yen on Friday .
The euro inched down to $ 1.1627 from $ 1.1632 .

Asian stocks were mixed Tuesday after Wall Street recovered some of this month’s losses as investors looked ahead to a debate between President Donald Trump and his challenger in the November election, former Vice President Joe Biden.
Shanghai and Seoul advanced while Tokyo and Hong Kong declined. Sydney was little-changed.
Overnight, Wall Street’s benchmark S&P 500 index gained 1.6%, led by big tech stocks.
“This is welcome cheer, but does not redeem equities from a negative September,” Mizuho Bank said in a report. Its analysts questioned whether, without an obvious catalyst, the rise was driven by little more than “month-end short-covering,” or traders buying stocks to fulfill commitments to re-sell them.
The Shanghai Composite Index gained 0.5% to 3,231.89 while the Nikkei 225 in Tokyo lost 0.3% to 23,433.82, pulled lower by reports that telecoms giant NTT Corp. plans to take its mobile carrier DoCoMo private, enabling it to cut rates in line with government policy.
The Hang Seng in Hong Kong shed 0.3% to 23,414.78.
The Kospi in Seoul advanced 0.8% to 2,325.33 and Sydney’s S&P-ASX 200 was off less than 0.1% at 5,949.80. New Zealand declined while Singapore and Jakarta gained.
Tech stocks led an earlier rebound in global share prices, but investors began to worry they were overpriced, leading to a new sell-off.
Infusions of central bank credit into struggling economies and hopes for development of a coronavirus vaccine are supporting investor confidence.
However, the U.S. Congress still is arguing over the size of a new support package after additional unemployment benefits that helped to support consumer spending that powers the biggest global economy expired.
Investors were awaiting Tuesday’s 90-minute televised Trump-Biden debate. It comes amid trade tension with China and rising coronavirus deaths. Tens of millions of Americans are out of work.
Markets are watching the potential impact of the November election on tax policy and how long it might take to determine the winner.
The debate outcome is “not necessarily all that market relevant,” said Robert Carnell of ING in a report.
“With a reasonable polling lead, one could argue that Joe Biden has more to lose here than President Trump,” said Carnell. He said with some potential for gaffes or other colorful moments, the debate might be “cringe-worthy but unlikely to deliver an electoral car-crash for either side.”
On Wall Street, the S&P 500 rose to 3,351.60. The index is on track to close out September with a loss of 4.2% after five months of gains.
More than 90% of the stocks in the S&P 500 rose. Several companies announced mergers and acquisitions, helping to buoy prices.
Amazon climbed 2.5%, Apple rose 2.4% and Microsoft gained 0.8%.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 1.5% to 27,584.06. The Nasdaq composite climbed 1.9% to 11,117.53.
A monthly unemployment report due out Friday from the government could help to shed light on an economic recovery.
In energy markets, benchmark U.S. crude lost 25 cents per barrel to $40.35 in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude, used to price international oils, shed 23 cents to $42.64 per barrel in London.
The dollar declined to 105.47 yen from Monday’s 105.51 yen. The euro edged up to $1.1677 from $1.1676.


washingtontimes--2020-09-28--Governor seeks review of police protest response in Oregon

PORTLAND , Ore. ( AP ) - Criticism of the law enforcement response to a protest in Portland , Oregon , late Saturday into early Sunday prompted Gov .
Kate Brown to ask authorities to review “ any alleged incidents ” involving their officers .
The governor said in a series of tweets Sunday evening that she was committed to building trust in the community .
She asked Oregon State Police Superintendent Travis Hampton , Multnomah County Sheriff Mike Reese and Portland Police Chief Chuck Lovell to take another look at what happened during their joint operations that night .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ difficult jobs to do during these demonstrations , but I do still believe that we can protect free speech and keep the peace , ” Brown tweeted .
Videos from the demonstration in downtown Portland showed police grabbing a news photographer and pushing him to ground , as he was trying to document them tackling and detaining a person on a sidewalk , The Oregonian/OregonLive reported .
Freelance photographer John Rudoff was wearing a helmet with “ PRESS ” stickers affixed to it .
He told the outlet on Sunday that he ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ annoyed.
” One video appears to show an officer push a journalist into a tree , causing the journalist to drop the camera .
Oregon Public Broadcasting Editor Anna Griffin retweeted the video , writing , “ I ’ d also love to hear elected officials explain why a reporter from my organization was subject to violence at the hands of law enforcement when judges have made it very clear this is not acceptable.
” Another online video showed an officer apparently deploying a chemical spray in the face of a man who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sign toward them .
Several arrests were made and an unlawful assembly was declared after objects were thrown at officers , including full drink cans , firecrackers and rocks , authorities said .
One man broke away from officers and ran two blocks with his hands in zip-tie cuffs before he was recaptured by police .
Police also seized bear spray , a baton and a drone in separate stops or arrests .
Sheriff ’ s spokesperson Chris Liedle told The Oregonian/Oregon Live that anyone who believes officers acted unjustly or excessively can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ corresponding review board .
Nearly nightly protests have gripped Portland since the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis in May .
The unrest late Saturday came just hours after a right-wing rally and counterprotesters largely dispersed without serious violence Saturday afternoon .

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Criticism of the law enforcement response to a protest in Portland late Saturday into early Sunday prompted Oregon Gov. Kate Brown to ask authorities to review “any alleged incidents” involving their officers.
The governor said in a series of tweets Sunday evening that she was committed to building trust in the community. She asked Oregon State Police Superintendent Travis Hampton, Multnomah County Sheriff Mike Reese and Portland Police Chief Chuck Lovell to take another look at what happened during their joint operations that night.
“Journalists and law enforcement officers have difficult jobs to do during these demonstrations, but I do still believe that we can protect free speech and keep the peace,” Brown tweeted.
The trio of law enforcement agencies on Monday released a joint statement saying agencies were reviewing several use of force incidents from Saturday night’s protests to see if “any deputies, officers or troopers may have acted outside the scope of their police or training.” The agencies urged people to file a complaint with the relevant agency if they felt any officer, deputy or trooper acted unjustly or used excessive force.
Videos from the demonstration in downtown Portland showed police grabbing a news photographer and pushing him to ground as he was trying to document them tackling and detaining a person on a sidewalk, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported. Freelance photographer John Rudoff was wearing a helmet with “PRESS” stickers affixed to it. He told the outlet on Sunday that he’s “physically OK but am quite annoyed.”
One video appears to show an officer push a journalist into a tree, causing the journalist to drop the camera. Oregon Public Broadcasting Editor Anna Griffin retweeted the video, writing, “I’d also love to hear elected officials explain why a reporter from my organization was subject to violence at the hands of law enforcement when judges have made it very clear this is not acceptable.”
Another online video showed an officer apparently deploying a chemical spray in the face of a man who was yelling at police and waving a sign toward them.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon late Sunday called on Brown to appoint a special, independent prosecutor to investigate and prosecute police abuses that have occurred in Portland over the last several months.
“Police abuse of protesters, journalists, legal observers, medics, and bystanders must be stopped,” said Kelly Simon, the group’s interim legal director.
Several arrests were made and an unlawful assembly was declared overnight after objects were thrown at officers, including full drink cans, firecrackers and rocks, authorities said. One man broke away from officers and ran two blocks with his hands in zip-tie cuffs before he was recaptured by police. Police also seized bear spray, a baton and a drone in separate stops or arrests.
Sheriff’s spokesperson Chris Liedle told The Oregonian/Oregon Live that anyone who believes officers acted unjustly or excessively can file a complaint with the agency or corresponding review board.
Nearly nightly protests have gripped Portland since the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis in May.
The unrest late Saturday came just hours after a right-wing rally and counterprotesters largely dispersed without serious violence Saturday afternoon.


washingtontimes--2020-09-28--Top Afghan negotiator in Taliban talks arrives in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD ( AP ) - Afghanistan ’ s top official in negotiations with the Taliban arrived in Pakistan ’ s capital Monday on a three-day trip during which he will meet with the country ’ s prime minister and other government officials .
Abdullah Abdullah , who leads the Afghan High Council for National Reconciliation , was received by top government officials on arriving in Islamabad .
Apart from meeting with Prime Minister Imran Khan , the Afghan reconciliation leader also will meet with President Arif Alvi , Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and other officials .
The council represents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the Taliban which began in Qatar on Sept. 12 .
Those talks represent the most-serious effort yet at ending decades of war in Afghanistan that followed the 2001 U.S.-led invasion that toppled its Taliban government , which then hosting al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden who planned the Sept. 11 attacks .
The Afghan-Taliban talks come after a deal signed in February between the U.S. and the Taliban .
That aims to allow the U.S. to withdraw from Afghanistan and end the longest military engagement in American history .
Many Taliban leaders have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In those years they were part of the Afghan mujahedeen , allies of the U.S. in ending the 10-year occupation of the country by the Soviet Union .
Pakistan has denied giving sanctuary to Taliban members following their ouster in 2001 .
However , both Washington and Kabul routinely accuse Islamabad of giving them a safe haven , citing the Taliban long ties with Pakistan ’ s powerful Inter-Services Intelligence agency .
Khan publicly has said his government facilitated the talks .
He said now it was now up to the Afghans to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ visit “ will provide an opportunity for wide-ranging exchange of views on the Afghan peace process and strengthening of Pakistan-Afghanistan bilateral relations and people-to-people interaction , ” Pakistan ’ s Foreign Ministry said in a statement .
“ Pakistan fully supports all efforts for the peace , stability and prosperity of the Afghan people .
”

ISLAMABAD (AP) - Afghanistan’s top official in negotiations with the Taliban arrived in Pakistan’s capital Monday on a three-day trip during which he will meet with the country’s prime minister and other government officials.
Abdullah Abdullah, who leads the Afghan High Council for National Reconciliation, was received by top government officials on arriving in Islamabad. Later he took to Twitter to say he had a constructive meeting with Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi.
“We discussed the #PeaceProcess, the intra-Afghan talks in Doha, & strengthening bilateral relations,” he tweeted.
Apart from meeting with Prime Minister Imran Khan, the Afghan reconciliation leader was also expected to meet with President Arif Alvi, army chief Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa, the speaker of the National Assembly and the chairman of the Senate.
The council represents the Afghan government in historic peace negotiations with the Taliban which began in Qatar on Sept. 12. Those talks represent the most-serious effort yet at ending decades of war in Afghanistan that followed the 2001 U.S.-led invasion that toppled its Taliban government, which then hosting al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden who planned the Sept. 11 attacks.
The Afghan-Taliban talks come after a deal signed in February between the U.S. and the Taliban. That aims to allow the U.S. to withdraw from Afghanistan and end the longest military engagement in American history.
Many Taliban leaders have lived in Pakistan since the 1980s. In those years they were part of the Afghan mujahedeen, allies of the U.S. in ending the 10-year occupation of the country by the Soviet Union.
Pakistan has denied giving sanctuary to Taliban members following their ouster in 2001. However, both Washington and Kabul routinely accuse Islamabad of giving them a safe haven, citing the Taliban long ties with Pakistan’s powerful Inter-Services Intelligence agency.
Khan publicly has said his government facilitated the talks. He said now it was now up to the Afghans to seize this opportunity.
Abdullah’s visit “will provide an opportunity for wide-ranging exchange of views on the Afghan peace process and strengthening of Pakistan-Afghanistan bilateral relations and people-to-people interaction,” Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement. “Pakistan fully supports all efforts for the peace, stability and prosperity of the Afghan people.”
Also on Monday, Pakistan’s military said militants in an overnight attack opened fire on troops patrolling the former northwestern tribal town of Shakai, near the border with Afghanistan, killing an army captain Abdullah Zafar.
Pakistan’s border areas in the northwest served as a base for the Pakistani Taliban and other militants until a few years ago, when the army said it cleared the region of insurgents. But occasional attacks have continued.


washingtontimes--2020-09-28--Ambassadors appeal for acceptance of LGBT people in Poland

WARSAW , Poland ( AP ) - Polish leaders on Monday rejected suggestions that LGBT people are deprived of any of their rights in the country , after an open letter from 50 ambassadors and international representatives cited a need to work for “ non-discrimination , tolerance and mutual acceptance.
” The ambassadors ’ appeal , made in an open letter published Sunday , comes as an increasingly visible LGBT community in Poland has faced a backlash from the right-wing government , many local communities and the Catholic church .
“ Human rights are universal and everyone , including LGBTI @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enjoyment , ” the letter said , using the acronym for lesbian , gay , bisexual , transgender and intersex people .
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said he agreed that every person deserves respect but that he completely disagreed with the ambassadors ’ claim that LGBT people were being deprived of that .
“ Dear Ambassadors , I can tell only you that tolerance is in Poles ’ DNA , ” Morawiecki said at a news conference on Monday .
“ Nobody needs to teach us tolerance.
” Some of Poland ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lawmakers from the ruling party , have cast the movement for civil rights for LGBT people as a threat to traditional families .
President Andrzej Duda won a second term this summer after calling LGBT rights an “ ideology ” more dangerous than communism .
Meanwhile , dozens of towns in conservative parts of eastern and southern Poland have passed mostly symbolic resolutions declaring themselves to be free from “ LGBT ideology.
” Many of the declarations express the view that young people will be demoralized if confronted by the issue .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they are universal , ” U.S .
Ambassador Georgette Mosbacher tweeted .
“ 50 Ambassadors and Representatives agree.
” Joachim Brudzinski , deputy head of the ruling Law and Justice party who is now a lawmaker to the European Parliament , shot back at Mosbacher on Monday , saying “ we in Poland also agree.
” “ Therefore , we are waiting with hope for the next letter , this time in defense of murdered Christians , imprisoned # ProLife activists , people dismissed from work and persecuted for quoting the Bible , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he wrote on Twitter , along with some other examples of alleged abuse of Christians .
It was not exactly clear what Brudzinski was referring to .
Poland is a predominantly Catholic nation where Christians do not face persecution and where abortion is illegal in most cases and euthanasia is outlawed .
In one case , however , an IKEA employee in Poland was fired for citing Biblical passages to suggest gays should be killed .
The current government has spoken in the employee ’ s defense and a state prosecutor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him .
Brudzinski also waded into the debate about LGBT rights in the summer , saying on Twitter that “ Poland without LGBT is most beautiful.
” His tweet included an image of Jesus and eggs in a bird nest - a bird family which he described as “ realizing God ’ s plan.
” That triggered articles in the Polish liberal press about how homosexuality is a naturally occurring phenomenon in the animal world - just one of many examples of an outpouring of support in Poland for LGBT people .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ become common recently to see rainbow flags hanging from apartments or people carrying rainbow bags .
The ambassadors ’ letter paid tribute to the work of the LGBT community in Poland as it seeks to raise awareness about the challenges its faces .
The rise in hostility has led many to live in anger and fear or even to emigrate from the country .
Many activists say their greatest priority now is to get legislation passed criminalizing hate speech against people based on their sexual identity .
The letter was signed by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ European countries , including Germany , Ukraine and the United Kingdom , as well as further off nations like Japan and Australia .
It was also signed by representatives in Poland of the United Nations , the European Union , the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and the Community of Democracies , which is based in Warsaw .

WARSAW, Poland (AP) - Polish leaders on Monday rejected suggestions that LGBT people are deprived of any of their rights in the country, after an open letter from 50 ambassadors and international representatives cited a need to work for “non-discrimination, tolerance and mutual acceptance.”
The ambassadors’ appeal, made in an open letter published Sunday, comes as an increasingly visible LGBT community in Poland has faced a backlash from the right-wing government, many local communities and the Catholic church.
“Human rights are universal and everyone, including LGBTI persons, are entitled to their full enjoyment,” the letter said, using the acronym for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people.
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said he agreed that every person deserves respect but that he completely disagreed with the ambassadors’ claim that LGBT people were being deprived of that.
“Dear Ambassadors, I can tell only you that tolerance is in Poles’ DNA,” Morawiecki said at a news conference on Monday. “Nobody needs to teach us tolerance.”
Some of Poland’s leaders, including the president and lawmakers from the ruling party, have cast the movement for civil rights for LGBT people as a threat to traditional families. President Andrzej Duda won a second term this summer after calling LGBT rights an “ideology” more dangerous than communism.
Meanwhile, dozens of towns in conservative parts of eastern and southern Poland have passed mostly symbolic resolutions declaring themselves to be free from “LGBT ideology.” Many of the declarations express the view that young people will be demoralized if confronted by the issue.
“Human Rights are not an ideology - they are universal,” U.S. Ambassador Georgette Mosbacher tweeted. “50 Ambassadors and Representatives agree.”
Joachim Brudzinski, deputy head of the ruling Law and Justice party who is now a lawmaker to the European Parliament, shot back at Mosbacher on Monday, saying “we in Poland also agree.”
“Therefore, we are waiting with hope for the next letter, this time in defense of murdered Christians, imprisoned #ProLife activists, people dismissed from work and persecuted for quoting the Bible, people subjected to euthanasia against their will,” he wrote on Twitter, along with some other examples of alleged abuse of Christians.
It was not exactly clear what Brudzinski was referring to. Poland is a predominantly Catholic nation where Christians do not face persecution and where abortion is illegal in most cases and euthanasia is outlawed. In one case, however, an IKEA employee in Poland was fired for citing Biblical passages to suggest gays should be killed. The current government has spoken in the employee’s defense and a state prosecutor is suing the IKEA manager who fired him.
Brudzinski also waded into the debate about LGBT rights in the summer, saying on Twitter that “Poland without LGBT is most beautiful.” His tweet included an image of Jesus and eggs in a bird nest - a bird family which he described as “realizing God’s plan.”
That triggered articles in the Polish liberal press about how homosexuality is a naturally occurring phenomenon in the animal world - just one of many examples of an outpouring of support in Poland for LGBT people. In Warsaw, for instance, it has become common recently to see rainbow flags hanging from apartments or people carrying rainbow bags.
The ambassadors’ letter paid tribute to the work of the LGBT community in Poland as it seeks to raise awareness about the challenges its faces. The rise in hostility has led many to live in anger and fear or even to emigrate from the country.
Many activists say their greatest priority now is to get legislation passed criminalizing hate speech against people based on their sexual identity.
The letter was signed by the ambassadors of the United States, many European countries, including Germany, Ukraine and the United Kingdom, as well as further off nations like Japan and Australia.
It was also signed by representatives in Poland of the United Nations, the European Union, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and the Community of Democracies, which is based in Warsaw.


washingtontimes--2020-09-28--Saudi Arabia: G-20 gathering of world leaders to be virtual

DUBAI , United Arab Emirates ( AP ) - Saudi Arabia , which is presiding over the Group of 20 countries this year , said Monday that the upcoming November gathering of world leaders will be held virtually amid the coronavirus pandemic .
The kingdom had originally planned to host world leaders for the G-20 summit in Riyadh before the pandemic , offering Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman the chance to share handshakes and wide smiles with presidents and prime ministers , such as Donald Trump , Russia ’ s President Vladimir Putin , India ’ s Narendra Modi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Instead , the planned virtual meet-up announced Monday strips the kingdom of the pomp that would have accompanied televised arrivals on Riyadh ’ s tarmac just two years after the killing and dismemberment of Saudi writer Jamal Khashoggi stained the crown prince ’ s reputation .
Prince Mohammed has insisted he had nothing to do with the operation carried out by Saudi agents inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul , despite U.S. senators and intelligence officials saying he bore responsibility for the slaying .
Saudi Arabia said the virtual summit Nov. 21-22 will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meeting will focus on focus on “ protecting lives and restoring growth by addressing vulnerabilities uncovered during the pandemic and by laying down the foundations for a better future , ” a Saudi statement said .
The statement added that G-20 countries , which represent the world ’ s biggest and most powerful economies , have contributed over $ 21 billion to support the production of vaccines and access to therapeutics , as well as injected $ 11 trillion “ to safeguard the global economy ” .
G-20 nations , however , have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against the virus and its economic impact .
The U.S. , China and Russia have opted out of a collaborative effort to develop and distribute a vaccine .
The G-20 agreed this year to suspend the debt of developing countries and defer billions of dollars in payments as governments focus spending on emergency stimulus programs to protect vulnerable people and boost national health care systems .
Pakistan ’ s prime minister , however , has called for outright debt relief for poorer nations from the world ’ s richest countries .
The leaders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ March in a session hosted by King Salman .
The virtual video call was unusual at the time , as governments around the world were beginning to stress the importance of social distancing to curb the virus ’ spread amid closures , curfews and lockdowns globally .
Rights groups and others had called for world leaders to boycott the summit in Saudi Arabia due to Khashoggi ’ s killing , the kingdom ’ s human rights record and its continued detention of activists .
It was unclear whether leaders such as Canadian Prime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Merkel would have attended an in-person summit , but there were others , such as Putin , who said they were ready to take part .
Agnes Callamard , the United Nations special rapporteur on extrajudicial , summary or arbitrary executions who investigated Khashoggi ’ s killing , told The Associated Press earlier this month that another country should volunteer to host the G-20 leaders summit if it was going to be held in-person .
Failing that , she said , it should be made conditional that Saudi Arabia releases imprisoned women ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , journalists and others .

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) - Saudi Arabia, which is presiding over the Group of 20 countries this year, said Monday that the upcoming November gathering of world leaders will be held virtually amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The kingdom had originally planned to host world leaders for the G-20 summit in Riyadh before the pandemic, offering Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman the chance to share handshakes and wide smiles with presidents and prime ministers, such as Donald Trump, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, India’s Narendra Modi and China’s Xi Jinping.
Instead, the planned virtual meet-up announced Monday strips the kingdom of the pomp that would have accompanied televised arrivals on Riyadh’s tarmac just two years after the killing and dismemberment of Saudi writer Jamal Khashoggi stained the crown prince’s reputation. Prince Mohammed has insisted he had nothing to do with the operation carried out by Saudi agents inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, despite U.S. senators and intelligence officials saying he bore responsibility for the slaying.
Saudi Arabia said the virtual summit Nov. 21-22 will be chaired by King Salman. The meeting will focus on focus on “protecting lives and restoring growth by addressing vulnerabilities uncovered during the pandemic and by laying down the foundations for a better future,” a Saudi statement said.
The statement added that G-20 countries, which represent the world’s biggest and most powerful economies, have contributed over $21 billion to support the production of vaccines and access to therapeutics, as well as injected $11 trillion “to safeguard the global economy”.
G-20 nations, however, have been criticized for not taking cohesive action against the virus and its economic impact. The U.S., China and Russia have opted out of a collaborative effort to develop and distribute a vaccine.
The G-20 agreed this year to suspend the debt of developing countries and defer billions of dollars in payments as governments focus spending on emergency stimulus programs to protect vulnerable people and boost national health care systems. Pakistan’s prime minister, however, has called for outright debt relief for poorer nations from the world’s richest countries.
The leaders of the G-20 last met virtually in March in a session hosted by King Salman. The virtual video call was unusual at the time, as governments around the world were beginning to stress the importance of social distancing to curb the virus’ spread amid closures, curfews and lockdowns globally.
Rights groups and others had called for world leaders to boycott the summit in Saudi Arabia due to Khashoggi’s killing, the kingdom’s human rights record and its continued detention of activists. It was unclear whether leaders such as Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau or German Chancellor Angela Merkel would have attended an in-person summit, but there were others, such as Putin, who said they were ready to take part.
Agnes Callamard, the United Nations special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions who investigated Khashoggi’s killing, told The Associated Press earlier this month that another country should volunteer to host the G-20 leaders summit if it was going to be held in-person. Failing that, she said, it should be made conditional that Saudi Arabia releases imprisoned women’s rights defenders, human rights activists, journalists and others.
___
Follow Aya Batrawy on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ayaelb.


washingtontimes--2020-09-28--Food trucks provide rare bright spot in hard-hit West Bank

RAMALLAH , West Bank ( AP ) - The coronavirus crisis has hit West Bank restaurants hard .
But one part of the dining sector is bucking the trend : food trucks .
With dine-in restaurants mostly closed due to health restrictions , food trucks have allowed entrepreneurial businessmen to find a way to keep working .
It ’ s a rare bright spot in a territory where unemployment is well over 20 % .
Issa Haj Yasin , an engineering student , opened his first food truck before the coronavirus crisis to provide himself an income to cover his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ business stopped in the first months of the crisis , but reopened as the pandemic worsened .
Now business has more than doubled .
“ Now I have six employees who are working in two vans , and I am preparing a new van that is going to have another four new employees , ” Haj Yasin said .
The truck parked by the curb on a central street in the West Bank city of Ramallah as workers grilled hot dogs and customers waited for their orders .
Mohammed Shkukani is another entrepreneur @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He said the mobile van was his first business .
He likes having the flexibility of being able to move .
“ If I face a political or economic problem in a place , I can move to another place , ” he said .
The pandemic comes at a hard time for the Palestinian economy .
It grew by just 1 % in 2019 and is projected to shrink by 7.6 % to 11 % in 2020 , according to the World Bank .
The internationally backed Palestinian Authority , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is expected to face a funding gap .
After relative success containing the virus this spring , the territory has taken a similar trajectory as that of Israel with a post-lockdown rise in cases that forced the Palestinian Authority to impose a 10-day lockdown in July .
The PA has now reported more than 35,000 cases in the West Bank and over 250 deaths .
More than a quarter of Palestinians lived in poverty before the virus .
The World Bank says the figure has likely risen to 30 % in the West @ @

RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) - The coronavirus crisis has hit West Bank restaurants hard. But one part of the dining sector is bucking the trend: food trucks.
With dine-in restaurants mostly closed due to health restrictions, food trucks have allowed entrepreneurial businessmen to find a way to keep working. It’s a rare bright spot in a territory where unemployment is well over 20%.
Issa Haj Yasin, an engineering student, opened his first food truck before the coronavirus crisis to provide himself an income to cover his university tuition and living expenses.
The business stopped in the first months of the crisis, but reopened as the pandemic worsened. Now business has more than doubled.
“Now I have six employees who are working in two vans, and I am preparing a new van that is going to have another four new employees,” Haj Yasin said. The truck parked by the curb on a central street in the West Bank city of Ramallah as workers grilled hot dogs and customers waited for their orders.
Mohammed Shkukani is another entrepreneur who runs a coffee van in Ramallah. He said the mobile van was his first business. He likes having the flexibility of being able to move. “If I face a political or economic problem in a place, I can move to another place,” he said.
The pandemic comes at a hard time for the Palestinian economy. It grew by just 1% in 2019 and is projected to shrink by 7.6% to 11% in 2020, according to the World Bank. The internationally backed Palestinian Authority, which governs parts of the West Bank, is expected to face a funding gap.
After relative success containing the virus this spring, the territory has taken a similar trajectory as that of Israel with a post-lockdown rise in cases that forced the Palestinian Authority to impose a 10-day lockdown in July. The PA has now reported more than 35,000 cases in the West Bank and over 250 deaths.
More than a quarter of Palestinians lived in poverty before the virus. The World Bank says the figure has likely risen to 30% in the West Bank.


washingtontimes--2020-09-28--Rabbis ponder COVID-19 queries of ultra-Orthodox Jewish life

JERUSALEM ( AP ) - Must an observant Jew who has lost his sense of taste and smell because of COVID-19 recite blessings for food and drink ?
Can one bend the metal nosepiece of a surgical face mask on the Sabbath ?
May one participate in communal prayers held in a courtyard from a nearby balcony ?
Months into the coronavirus pandemic , ultra-Orthodox rabbis in Israel are addressing questions like these as their legions of followers seek advice on how to maintain proper Jewish observance under the restrictions of the outbreak .
Social distancing and nationwide lockdowns have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2020 , but for religious Jews they can further complicate rites and customs that form the fabric of daily life in Orthodox communities .
Many of these customs are performed in groups and public gatherings , making it especially challenging for the religious public to maintain its lifestyle .
One religious publisher in Jerusalem released a book in July with over 600 pages of guidance from 46 prominent rabbis .
Topics range from socially distanced circumcisions ( allowed ) to Passover Seders over Zoom ( forbidden ) to praying with a quorum from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) .
One rabbi responded to a query about blessings on food for those who lost their sense of taste and smell due to the coronavirus .
His ruling ?
Prayers are still required , for “ even though one does not sense the flavor of the food , his intestines nonetheless benefit and are satisfied by the food and its nutrition.
” He then launched into a two-page legal argument citing rabbinic sources from the Talmud on down .
The collection - titled “ Havieni Hadarav , ” Hebrew for “ Bring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of many pamphlets , books , radio and social media Q & As ; published in recent months addressing matters of halacha , or Jewish religious law , during the pandemic .
Ultra-Orthodox Jews make up a little over 10 % of Israel ’ s 9 million citizens and adhere to a close observance of Jewish law .
The foundations of halacha are built on the Torah ’ s commandments and prohibitions , and the Talmud , a codification of Jewish law written down over the course of the early centuries of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the byproduct of generations of rabbis issuing legal arguments and rulings .
Their decisions , known as responsa , can sometimes be lenient and other times strict .
“ Every time a rabbi is asked a question , he has to essentially do what a judge would do , and bring up previous cases which he builds upon to come to his decision in this particular case , ” said Issamar Ginzberg , a Jerusalem-based Hassidic rabbi .
The method of questions and responses has underpinned centuries of the Jewish legal code @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say for sure how many people will follow this particular book ’ s rulings .
But there are hundreds of thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews , and opinions by prominent rabbis often carry great significance in daily life within the community .
“ It ’ s more like a law textbook than a novel on the bestseller list , ” said Ginzberg .
Rabbi Natan Feldman , head of the Tzuf Publishing House and editor of “ Havieni Hadarav , ” said the company has sold around 3,000 copies of the book , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” “ If people didn ’ t have it , they would err in all kinds of ways , ” Feldman said .
“ It ’ s something with a lot of utility.
” Israel ’ s ultra-Orthodox minority has been disproportionately affected by the coronavirus pandemic , with cities and neighborhoods where they live among the country ’ s current hot zones .
Overall , Israel has recorded around 200,000 cases of the novel coronavirus and more than 1,300 deaths .
The Health Ministry does not break down those numbers by population @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hit in part because they tend to be poorer and crowded , but also because of the tight-knit communal lifestyles , in which synagogues and seminaries play a central role .
Some ultra-Orthodox schools have remained open in defiance of a nationwide lockdown imposed earlier this month to help clamp down on the country ’ s surge in new cases .
While some rabbis have resisted orders to limit crowd sizes at prayers , especially for the current High Holiday season and this week ’ s gatherings for Yom Kippur , or the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tried to work with religious leaders to spread the word on promoting public health regulations and restricting the sizes of prayer gatherings .
Many of the responsa contend with the complications of holding prayers - which traditionally require a quorum of 10 adult men - outdoors and in a manner that complies with social distance regulations .
The rabbis offered differing opinions on what the law allows regarding participating in a minyan held in a communal courtyard from a balcony above .
Innovation has helped overcome some of the challenges of the lockdown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for observant Jews .
For example , can one enter a hospital on the Jewish Sabbath if there is a thermal camera at the entrance that takes visitors ’ temperatures ?
Activating such an electronic device could violate multiple prohibitions , so Rabbi Asher Weiss - a prominent ultra-Orthodox legal scholar involved in “ Havieni Hadarav ” - advised refraining from entering if only visiting a patient , but those in need of medical care ought not “ avoid entering the hospital and endanger their lives.
” But the bottom line , written @ @ @ @ @ @ @ introduction , is that people must “ take extra care to adhere to the instructions of qualified medical officials and the regulations of the Health Ministry and not violate them.
” Weiss did not respond to interview requests .
For Feldman , the publishing head , the tome of coronavirus laws not only helps those who desire to adhere to halacha , it ’ s a reminder for the future of the tribulations Jews faced during this outbreak .
“ If there should be , God forbid , another pandemic in the century @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be a memory , some kind of necessity for the coming generations , ” he said .

JERUSALEM (AP) - Must an observant Jew who has lost his sense of taste and smell because of COVID-19 recite blessings for food and drink? Can one bend the metal nosepiece of a surgical face mask on the Sabbath? May one participate in communal prayers held in a courtyard from a nearby balcony?
Months into the coronavirus pandemic, ultra-Orthodox rabbis in Israel are addressing questions like these as their legions of followers seek advice on how to maintain proper Jewish observance under the restrictions of the outbreak.
Social distancing and nationwide lockdowns have become a reality around the globe in 2020, but for religious Jews they can further complicate rites and customs that form the fabric of daily life in Orthodox communities. Many of these customs are performed in groups and public gatherings, making it especially challenging for the religious public to maintain its lifestyle.
One religious publisher in Jerusalem released a book in July with over 600 pages of guidance from 46 prominent rabbis. Topics range from socially distanced circumcisions (allowed) to Passover Seders over Zoom (forbidden) to praying with a quorum from a balcony (it’s complicated).
One rabbi responded to a query about blessings on food for those who lost their sense of taste and smell due to the coronavirus. His ruling? Prayers are still required, for “even though one does not sense the flavor of the food, his intestines nonetheless benefit and are satisfied by the food and its nutrition.” He then launched into a two-page legal argument citing rabbinic sources from the Talmud on down.
The collection - titled “Havieni Hadarav,” Hebrew for “Bring me to his chambers” - is one of many pamphlets, books, radio and social media Q&As published in recent months addressing matters of halacha, or Jewish religious law, during the pandemic.
Ultra-Orthodox Jews make up a little over 10% of Israel’s 9 million citizens and adhere to a close observance of Jewish law. The foundations of halacha are built on the Torah’s commandments and prohibitions, and the Talmud, a codification of Jewish law written down over the course of the early centuries of the first millennium.
Orthodox Jewish practice is the byproduct of generations of rabbis issuing legal arguments and rulings. Their decisions, known as responsa, can sometimes be lenient and other times strict.
“Every time a rabbi is asked a question, he has to essentially do what a judge would do, and bring up previous cases which he builds upon to come to his decision in this particular case,” said Issamar Ginzberg, a Jerusalem-based Hassidic rabbi. The method of questions and responses has underpinned centuries of the Jewish legal code.
There’s no way to say for sure how many people will follow this particular book’s rulings. But there are hundreds of thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews, and opinions by prominent rabbis often carry great significance in daily life within the community.
“It’s more like a law textbook than a novel on the bestseller list,” said Ginzberg.
Rabbi Natan Feldman, head of the Tzuf Publishing House and editor of “Havieni Hadarav,” said the company has sold around 3,000 copies of the book, which meets “the need of the hour.”
“If people didn’t have it, they would err in all kinds of ways,” Feldman said. “It’s something with a lot of utility.”
Israel’s ultra-Orthodox minority has been disproportionately affected by the coronavirus pandemic, with cities and neighborhoods where they live among the country’s current hot zones. Overall, Israel has recorded around 200,000 cases of the novel coronavirus and more than 1,300 deaths. The Health Ministry does not break down those numbers by population groups.
Religious areas have been hard hit in part because they tend to be poorer and crowded, but also because of the tight-knit communal lifestyles, in which synagogues and seminaries play a central role. Some ultra-Orthodox schools have remained open in defiance of a nationwide lockdown imposed earlier this month to help clamp down on the country’s surge in new cases. While some rabbis have resisted orders to limit crowd sizes at prayers, especially for the current High Holiday season and this week’s gatherings for Yom Kippur, or the Day of Atonement, the government has tried to work with religious leaders to spread the word on promoting public health regulations and restricting the sizes of prayer gatherings.
Many of the responsa contend with the complications of holding prayers - which traditionally require a quorum of 10 adult men - outdoors and in a manner that complies with social distance regulations. The rabbis offered differing opinions on what the law allows regarding participating in a minyan held in a communal courtyard from a balcony above.
Innovation has helped overcome some of the challenges of the lockdown, but has also raised additional concerns for observant Jews. For example, can one enter a hospital on the Jewish Sabbath if there is a thermal camera at the entrance that takes visitors’ temperatures?
Activating such an electronic device could violate multiple prohibitions, so Rabbi Asher Weiss - a prominent ultra-Orthodox legal scholar involved in “Havieni Hadarav” - advised refraining from entering if only visiting a patient, but those in need of medical care ought not “avoid entering the hospital and endanger their lives.”
But the bottom line, written by Weiss in the book’s introduction, is that people must “take extra care to adhere to the instructions of qualified medical officials and the regulations of the Health Ministry and not violate them.”
Weiss did not respond to interview requests.
For Feldman, the publishing head, the tome of coronavirus laws not only helps those who desire to adhere to halacha, it’s a reminder for the future of the tribulations Jews faced during this outbreak.
“If there should be, God forbid, another pandemic in the century to come, there will at least be a memory, some kind of necessity for the coming generations,” he said.


washingtontimes--2020-09-28--Trump's tax revelation could tarnish image that fueled rise

WASHINGTON ( AP ) - The bombshell revelations that President Donald Trump paid just $ 750 in federal income taxes the year he ran for office and paid no income taxes at all in many others threaten to undercut a pillar of his appeal among blue-collar voters and provide a new opening for his Democratic rival , Joe Biden , on the eve of the first presidential debate .
Trump has worked for decades to build an image of himself as a hugely successful businessman - even choosing “ mogul ” as his Secret Service code name .
But The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he paid just $ 750 in federal income taxes in 2016 , the year he won the presidency , and in 2017 , his first year in office .
He paid no income taxes whatsoever in 10 of the previous 15 years , largely because he reported losing more money than he made , according to the Times , which obtained years ’ worth of tax return data that the president had long fought to keep private .
The development comes at a particularly precarious moment for Trump , whose Republican campaign is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s handling of the pandemic .
It hands Biden an easy attack line heading into Tuesday ’ s debate .
And with early voting already happening in some states and Election Day just over a month away , Trump may be running out of time to turn his campaign around .
“ Donald Trump needs this election to be about Joe Biden as a choice , ” said longtime GOP consultant Alex Conant .
“ This keeps the focus squarely on Trump ’ s character and the chaos going into the most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ debate.
” Of course , Trump has repeatedly faced - and survived - devastating turns that would have sunk any other politician .
That includes , most notably , the stunning “ Access Hollywood ” tape released in October 2016 , in which Trump was recorded bragging about kissing and groping women without their permission .
The video ’ s release came just two days before Trump was set to face then-candidate Hillary Clinton in their second debate and was considered a death knell to his campaign at the time .
At this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ already underway in many states and so few voters still undecided , it is unclear whether any new discoveries about Trump would make any difference .
Trump ’ s support over the years has remained remarkably consistent , polls over the course of his presidency have found .
Yet the tax allegations go to the very heart of Trump ’ s appeal , especially among the blue-collar voters in states like Pennsylvania , Wisconsin and Michigan who propelled him to the presidency in 2016 .
Trump was supported by about two-thirds of white @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an analysis by the Pew Research Center , versus only about 2 in 10 nonwhite noncollege graduates .
Indeed , in a Gallup poll from February 2016 , Republicans who wanted to see Trump win their party ’ s nomination cited his experience as a businessman as the second-most important reason they backed him , surpassed only by his status as a nonpolitician and an outsider .
Even today , when asked to explain their support for Trump , voters often point to his success in business as evidence of his acumen .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that he gave up a great deal to serve as president , citing his sacrifice as evidence that he ran for the job not out of self-interest , but because he cares about improving the lives of people like them .
But the image of a man flying around in private jets from one luxury property to another and paying less in taxes than millions of Americans with far more modest lifestyles could prompt a backlash similar to the one 2012 GOP nominee Mitt Romney faced after he was secretly recorded at a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Americans who don ’ t pay income taxes were “ dependent upon government ” and would never vote for him .
″ ( M ) y job is not to worry about those people .
I ’ ll never convince them they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives , ” Romney said .
Roughly half of Americans pay no federal income taxes , but the average income tax paid in 2017 was nearly $ 12,200 , according to the IRS .
Democrats wasted no time in seizing on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s online store already selling stickers saying “ I paid more income taxes than Donald Trump ” on Sunday night .
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer tweeted an emoji calling on followers to raise their hands “ if you paid more in federal income tax than President Trump.
” “ That ’ s why he hid his tax returns .
Because the whole time , he wasn ’ t paying taxes .
But you were , ” added Sen. Chris Murphy , D-Conn. And Rep. Richard Neal , D-Mass.
, chair of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the new report highlights the importance of the House Democratic lawsuit against the Trump administration to access Trump ’ s tax returns .
“ This reporting shines a stark light on the vastly different experience people with power and influence have when interacting with the Internal Revenue Service than the average American taxpayer does , ” he said in a statement .
In addition to the news about Trump ’ s annual payments , the Times found that many of his best-known businesses , including his golf courses , reported huge losses , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ uphill battle for reelection , his finances are under particular stress thanks to “ hundreds of millions of dollars in debt coming due that he has personally guaranteed.
” Trump is also under audit over a $ 72.9 million tax refund that could cost him more than $ 100 million if the IRS rules against him , the Times revealed .
The development comes after Biden recently stepped up his efforts to paint Trump as a charlatan who has lied to his working-class supporters .
In contrast , Biden has tried to highlight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Biden has said , is “ Scranton vs. Park Avenue , ” pitting Biden ’ s boyhood hometown in Pennsylvania against Manhattan , where Trump built his branding empire and reality television career .
“ This clearly plays straight into that contrast that Biden has opened up , ” said Joe Trippi , a veteran strategist of multiple Democratic presidential campaigns .
Trippi said coming into the debate , Biden now has something he can concretely point to as he tries to sway the slim margin of voters who remain undecided .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ working class voters , and you ’ re talking about Biden winning in places like Ohio , ” Trippi said .
Conant , who worked on Florida Sen. Marco Rubio ’ s 2016 presidential campaign , noted how defensive Trump became when Rubio , during a primary debate , charged that Trump “ would be selling watches in Manhattan ” had he not inherited tens of millions of dollars from his father , Fred .
Trump raised an index finger in the air , yelling , “ No , no , no , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interrupt Rubio and insisted that he had instead borrowed money .
“ That is so wrong , ” he said .
“ So long as this campaign is all about Trump , ” Conant said , “ he ’ s going to lose.
” Associated Press writers Bill Barrow in Atlanta , Josh Boak in Baltimore , and Darlene Superville and Lisa Mascaro in Washington contributed to this report .

WASHINGTON (AP) - The bombshell revelations that President Donald Trump paid just $750 in federal income taxes the year he ran for office and paid no income taxes at all in many others threaten to undercut a pillar of his appeal among blue-collar voters and provide a new opening for his Democratic rival, Joe Biden, on the eve of the first presidential debate.
Trump has worked for decades to build an image of himself as a hugely successful businessman - even choosing “mogul” as his Secret Service code name. But The New York Times on Sunday revealed that he paid just $750 in federal income taxes in 2016, the year he won the presidency, and in 2017, his first year in office. He paid no income taxes whatsoever in 10 of the previous 15 years, largely because he reported losing more money than he made, according to the Times, which obtained years’ worth of tax return data that the president had long fought to keep private.
The development comes at a particularly precarious moment for Trump, whose Republican campaign is struggling to overcome criticism of the president’s handling of the pandemic. It hands Biden an easy attack line heading into Tuesday’s debate. And with early voting already happening in some states and Election Day just over a month away, Trump may be running out of time to turn his campaign around.
“Donald Trump needs this election to be about Joe Biden as a choice,” said longtime GOP consultant Alex Conant. “This keeps the focus squarely on Trump’s character and the chaos going into the most important night of the campaign, the debate.”
Of course, Trump has repeatedly faced - and survived - devastating turns that would have sunk any other politician. That includes, most notably, the stunning “Access Hollywood” tape released in October 2016, in which Trump was recorded bragging about kissing and groping women without their permission. The video’s release came just two days before Trump was set to face then-candidate Hillary Clinton in their second debate and was considered a death knell to his campaign at the time.
At this point in the race, with voting already underway in many states and so few voters still undecided, it is unclear whether any new discoveries about Trump would make any difference. Trump’s support over the years has remained remarkably consistent, polls over the course of his presidency have found.
Yet the tax allegations go to the very heart of Trump’s appeal, especially among the blue-collar voters in states like Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan who propelled him to the presidency in 2016. Trump was supported by about two-thirds of white voters without college degrees, according to an analysis by the Pew Research Center, versus only about 2 in 10 nonwhite noncollege graduates.
Indeed, in a Gallup poll from February 2016, Republicans who wanted to see Trump win their party’s nomination cited his experience as a businessman as the second-most important reason they backed him, surpassed only by his status as a nonpolitician and an outsider.
Even today, when asked to explain their support for Trump, voters often point to his success in business as evidence of his acumen. And they often repeat his talking point that he gave up a great deal to serve as president, citing his sacrifice as evidence that he ran for the job not out of self-interest, but because he cares about improving the lives of people like them.
But the image of a man flying around in private jets from one luxury property to another and paying less in taxes than millions of Americans with far more modest lifestyles could prompt a backlash similar to the one 2012 GOP nominee Mitt Romney faced after he was secretly recorded at a closed-door fundraiser saying that the 47% of Americans who don’t pay income taxes were “dependent upon government” and would never vote for him.
″(M)y job is not to worry about those people. I’ll never convince them they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives,” Romney said.
Roughly half of Americans pay no federal income taxes, but the average income tax paid in 2017 was nearly $12,200, according to the IRS.
Democrats wasted no time in seizing on the news, with the Biden campaign’s online store already selling stickers saying “I paid more income taxes than Donald Trump” on Sunday night.
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer tweeted an emoji calling on followers to raise their hands “if you paid more in federal income tax than President Trump.”
“That’s why he hid his tax returns. Because the whole time, he wasn’t paying taxes. But you were,” added Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn.
And Rep. Richard Neal, D-Mass., chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, said the new report highlights the importance of the House Democratic lawsuit against the Trump administration to access Trump’s tax returns.
“This reporting shines a stark light on the vastly different experience people with power and influence have when interacting with the Internal Revenue Service than the average American taxpayer does,” he said in a statement.
In addition to the news about Trump’s annual payments, the Times found that many of his best-known businesses, including his golf courses, reported huge losses, and that, as he faces an uphill battle for reelection, his finances are under particular stress thanks to “hundreds of millions of dollars in debt coming due that he has personally guaranteed.” Trump is also under audit over a $72.9 million tax refund that could cost him more than $100 million if the IRS rules against him, the Times revealed.
The development comes after Biden recently stepped up his efforts to paint Trump as a charlatan who has lied to his working-class supporters. In contrast, Biden has tried to highlight his own middle-class upbringing.
The election, Biden has said, is “Scranton vs. Park Avenue,” pitting Biden’s boyhood hometown in Pennsylvania against Manhattan, where Trump built his branding empire and reality television career.
“This clearly plays straight into that contrast that Biden has opened up,” said Joe Trippi, a veteran strategist of multiple Democratic presidential campaigns.
Trippi said coming into the debate, Biden now has something he can concretely point to as he tries to sway the slim margin of voters who remain undecided.
“You move a few points of working class voters, and you’re talking about Biden winning in places like Ohio,” Trippi said.
Conant, who worked on Florida Sen. Marco Rubio’s 2016 presidential campaign, noted how defensive Trump became when Rubio, during a primary debate, charged that Trump “would be selling watches in Manhattan” had he not inherited tens of millions of dollars from his father, Fred.
Trump raised an index finger in the air, yelling, “No, no, no, no,” as he sought to interrupt Rubio and insisted that he had instead borrowed money. “That is so wrong,” he said.
“So long as this campaign is all about Trump,” Conant said, “he’s going to lose.”
___
Associated Press writers Bill Barrow in Atlanta, Josh Boak in Baltimore, and Darlene Superville and Lisa Mascaro in Washington contributed to this report.


washingtontimes--2020-09-28--Biden urges pause on Trump court pick until after election

WASHINGTON ( AP ) - President Donald Trump is pushing for quick confirmation of Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett while his Democratic rival , Joe Biden , implored the Republican-led Senate to hold off on voting on her nomination until after the Nov. 3 election to “ let the people decide.
” Trump ’ s announcement of Barrett for the seat held by the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is launching a high-stakes , fast-track election season fight over confirmation of a conservative judge who is expected to shift the court rightward as it reviews health care , abortion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at a news conference Sunday at the White House , the president vowed she will be confirmed “ very quickly.
” Biden appealed directly to his former colleagues in the Senate to “ take a step back from the brink.
” Biden is urging Senate Republicans not to fan a controversy during an already tumultuous election year for a country reeling from the coronavirus crisis , a struggling economy and protests over racial injustice .
If Trump wins the election , Biden said the president ’ s nominee should have a vote .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ next justice if he prevails on Nov. 3 .
“ This is time to de-escalate , ” Biden said Sunday in Wilmington , Delaware .
No justice has ever been confirmed to the Supreme Court so close to a presidential election with early voting already underway in some states .
Republicans believe the fight ahead will boost voter enthusiasm for Trump and Senate Republicans at serious risk of losing their majority .
Democrats warn Barrett ’ s confirmation would almost certainly undo Americans ’ health care protections as the high court takes up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the fall .
According to a national poll by The New York Times and Siena College that was released Sunday , a clear majority - 56 % - of voters believes the winner of the Nov. 3 presidential election should fill Ginsburg ’ s seat , versus 41 % who said Trump should as the current president .
Biden has said he would nominate the first Black woman to the court , but he has not released the names of his potential choices .
The poll , which was conducted Sept. 22-24 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of 3.5 percentage points .
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi argued that Trump was moving too quickly to fill the vacancy before the court hears a challenge to the Affordable Care Act on Nov. 10 .
“ It ’ s not about this justice .
It ’ s about any justice he would appoint right now , ” Pelosi said on CNN ’ s “ State of the Union.
” Trump spotlighted Barrett ’ s Roman Catholic religion Sunday , portraying her as a victim of attacks on her faith .
But it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , particularly health care access that is drawing opposition from Democrats , not her private beliefs .
Pelosi , a practicing Catholic like Barrett , sidestepped any focus on Barrett ’ s conservative religious outlook , which California Sen. Dianne Feinstein , a Democrat , brought up in Barrett ’ s Senate hearings in 2017 when Trump nominated her for the appellate bench .
Pelosi said , “ What I am concerned about is anyone that President Trump would have appointed was there to undo the Affordable Care Act.
” Senate Majority Leader @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote on Barrett ’ s nomination in the “ weeks ahead.
” The Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to launch confirmation hearings Oct. 12 , with a possible Senate vote by Oct. 29 - days before the presidential election .
“ The Senate will confirm her next month , ” declared Sen. Tom Cotton , R-Ark.
, on CNN .
With only two of the 53 Republican senators voicing opposition to a confirmation vote before the Nov. 3 election , Democrats appeared outnumbered - and without recourse to block the nomination .
Sen. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leader , said Democrats can slow down the confirmation by a matter of hours or days , “ but we can ’ t stop the outcome.
” If confirmed , Barrett ’ s addition would make for the sharpest ideological swing on the Supreme Court since Clarence Thomas replaced Justice Thurgood Marshall nearly three decades ago .
In a memo to colleagues , Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer warned of the GOP ’ s “ monomaniacal drive ” to confirm the nominee .
Schumer told Senate Democrats , “ Our number one job @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stake for the American people if Republicans jam through this nominee .
The elimination of the Affordable Care Act is at the top of the list.
” Barrett has been critical of Chief Justice John Roberts ’ 2012 opinion upholding the health care law .
Ginsburg was one of five votes that saved the law on two prior court challenges .
Weissert reported from Wilmington , Delaware .
Associated Press writers Hope Yen in Washington and Bill Barrow in Atlanta contributed to this report .

DARLENE SUPERVILLE, WILL WEISSERT and LISA MASCARO

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump is pushing for quick confirmation of Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett while his Democratic rival, Joe Biden, implored the Republican-led Senate to hold off on voting on her nomination until after the Nov. 3 election to “let the people decide.”
Trump’s announcement of Barrett for the seat held by the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is launching a high-stakes, fast-track election season fight over confirmation of a conservative judge who is expected to shift the court rightward as it reviews health care, abortion access and other hot-button issues.
Speaking at a news conference Sunday at the White House, the president vowed she will be confirmed “very quickly.”
Biden appealed directly to his former colleagues in the Senate to “take a step back from the brink.”
Biden is urging Senate Republicans not to fan a controversy during an already tumultuous election year for a country reeling from the coronavirus crisis, a struggling economy and protests over racial injustice.
If Trump wins the election, Biden said the president’s nominee should have a vote. But Biden said he should choose the next justice if he prevails on Nov. 3.
“This is time to de-escalate,” Biden said Sunday in Wilmington, Delaware.
No justice has ever been confirmed to the Supreme Court so close to a presidential election with early voting already underway in some states. Republicans believe the fight ahead will boost voter enthusiasm for Trump and Senate Republicans at serious risk of losing their majority. Democrats warn Barrett’s confirmation would almost certainly undo Americans’ health care protections as the high court takes up a case against the Affordable Care Act in the fall.
According to a national poll by The New York Times and Siena College that was released Sunday, a clear majority - 56% - of voters believes the winner of the Nov. 3 presidential election should fill Ginsburg’s seat, versus 41% who said Trump should as the current president. Biden has said he would nominate the first Black woman to the court, but he has not released the names of his potential choices.
The poll, which was conducted Sept. 22-24, had a margin of sampling error of 3.5 percentage points.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi argued that Trump was moving too quickly to fill the vacancy before the court hears a challenge to the Affordable Care Act on Nov. 10.
“It’s not about this justice. It’s about any justice he would appoint right now,” Pelosi said on CNN’s “State of the Union.”
Trump spotlighted Barrett’s Roman Catholic religion Sunday, portraying her as a victim of attacks on her faith. But it’s her conservative approach to the law, particularly health care access that is drawing opposition from Democrats, not her private beliefs.
“It’s a disgrace,” Trump said.
Pelosi, a practicing Catholic like Barrett, sidestepped any focus on Barrett’s conservative religious outlook, which California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a Democrat, brought up in Barrett’s Senate hearings in 2017 when Trump nominated her for the appellate bench.
Pelosi said, “What I am concerned about is anyone that President Trump would have appointed was there to undo the Affordable Care Act.”
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has said the Senate will vote on Barrett’s nomination in the “weeks ahead.” The Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to launch confirmation hearings Oct. 12, with a possible Senate vote by Oct. 29 - days before the presidential election.
“The Senate will confirm her next month,” declared Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., on CNN.
With only two of the 53 Republican senators voicing opposition to a confirmation vote before the Nov. 3 election, Democrats appeared outnumbered - and without recourse to block the nomination.
Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., the assistant leader, said Democrats can slow down the confirmation by a matter of hours or days, “but we can’t stop the outcome.”
If confirmed, Barrett’s addition would make for the sharpest ideological swing on the Supreme Court since Clarence Thomas replaced Justice Thurgood Marshall nearly three decades ago.
In a memo to colleagues, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer warned of the GOP’s “monomaniacal drive” to confirm the nominee.
Schumer told Senate Democrats, “Our number one job is to communicate exactly what is at stake for the American people if Republicans jam through this nominee. The elimination of the Affordable Care Act is at the top of the list.”
Barrett has been critical of Chief Justice John Roberts’ 2012 opinion upholding the health care law. Ginsburg was one of five votes that saved the law on two prior court challenges.
___
Weissert reported from Wilmington, Delaware. Associated Press writers Hope Yen in Washington and Bill Barrow in Atlanta contributed to this report.


washingtontimes--2020-09-28--Pandemic overwhelms Trump's message in critical N. Carolina

WINSTON-SALEM , N.C. ( AP ) - President Donald Trump is fighting to fill a Supreme Court vacancy , howling with unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud and warning that violent mobs are infiltrating the suburbs .
But on a recent morning along Arbor Street , a peaceful tree-lined road with stately brick Colonials and Tudors near Winston-Salem , the women who are the targets of Trump ’ s messages were confronting much more tangible threats .
As conservative activists canvassed the neighborhood , one young mother , a baby in her arms , shouted through a closed window that she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , another was focused on teaching her children their daily lessons at the kitchen table .
And a few doors down , 49-year-old Christina Donnell , an independent who voted for Trump four years ago , said through a black face mask that Trump ’ s “ terrible ” handling of the pandemic and divisive leadership more broadly are her chief concerns .
“ It ’ s embarrassing to the country , ” Donnell , a lawyer who previously lived in Washington , said of Trump ’ s leadership .
“ He ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of the nation ’ s most consequential swing states , Trump ’ s push to inject new dynamics into the final weeks of the 2020 election is being overshadowed by the frightening realities of everyday life during a pandemic .
Trump and his allies hope the escalating Supreme Court nomination fight will help unify a fractured Republican Party that has lost its grip on college-educated suburban voters , particularly white women .
But for many , the coronavirus and the related economic challenges are much more pressing issues .
Trump ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a state that his senior aides describe as a “ must-win.
” A loss in the state , which Democrats have carried only once at the presidential level in the last 30 years , would make Trump ’ s path to a second term incredibly difficult and signal dire challenges elsewhere on the electoral map .
Public polling , backed by private discussions with strategists from both Trump ’ s and Democrat Joe Biden ’ s campaigns , indicate that North Carolina remains a true tossup five weeks before Election Day .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ’ s concerns about his standing here , he has traveled to North Carolina every week for the last five weeks , second only to Pennsylvania .
Trump ’ s standing will also help decide races for governor and senator , a set of competitive contests that has drawn more political advertising dollars to North Carolina than any other state in the nation .
More than $ 246 million has been spent or reserved to communicate with North Carolina voters online and on television about the presidential and Senate contests so far @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kantar-CMAG .
Florida follows with $ 236 million and then Arizona with $ 223 million .
Trump has also dispatched Vice President Mike Pence to North Carolina twice over the last five weeks in addition to four visits by Trump ’ s children .
The president ’ s daughter-in-law , Lara Trump , a North Carolina native , led a Women for Trump event in the rural eastern part of the state last week to help energize the president ’ s base .
She was scheduled to visit again on Monday .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is to become the next president , ” Lara Trump said in an interview .
She said the Supreme Court debate might help motivate each side ’ s base , including some “ fence sitters ” who may not have voted at all .
But she pointed to a more serious concern for suburban women .
“ As far as suburban women are concerned , they want safety and security .
They ’ ve seen what has happened to so many of our Democrat-run cities across America , ” Lara Trump said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the chaos , the destruction , the violence.
” After her comments , she led an event for roughly 200 people in which the pandemic was not mentioned at all on stage or by several voters who asked questions .
The Supreme Court came up only once .
The conversation was far more focused on the prospect of voter fraud , an issue President Trump has raised repeatedly as polls show him trailing , though experts report there is no significant evidence of such fraud .
As in other swing states , Democrats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health care , especially the Trump administration ’ s ongoing court fight to overturn former President Barack Obama ’ s health care law and the protections for those with preexisting conditions that are part of it .
Biden ’ s team has largely relied on advertising to communicate its message , however , because the candidate himself has not been a regular presence in North Carolina - or anywhere - during the pandemic .
Biden made his first trip as the Democratic nominee to the state last week .
His running mate , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her first appearance on Monday at a Raleigh event focused on health care .
“ He needs to pick up his game some , ” said former North Carolina Gov .
Jim Hunt , a Biden ally , calling on Biden ’ s campaign to intensify in-person canvassing .
Hunt said the election is “ as tight as a tick.
” North Carolina is a glaring example of the deepening divisions that have defined U.S. politics in the Trump era .
Obama in 2008 was the only Democrat to carry the state after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a bluer shade of purple thanks to an influx of college-educated Northern transplants who have packed into North Carolina ’ s urban and suburban areas , especially around Charlotte and Raleigh .
Those booming regions are voting more and more Democratic while the state ’ s more rural areas are voting more and more Republican .
It is truly a case of two North Carolinas in which voters are focused on completely different sets of issues , said Morgan Jackson , a leading Democratic strategist who is working on the state ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voters in the suburbs swung from Obama in 2008 to Trump in 2016 and are threatening to swing to Biden because of the pandemic .
“ When you think about the issue set they ’ re focused on , their lives are still centered around COVID , ” Jackson said , noting that many have school- or college-aged children whose lives have been transformed by the pandemic several months after it first exploded in the United States .
Biden ’ s team privately believes it has already won the suburbs , while those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hopeful that the Supreme Court fight might shift voters ’ attention away from the pandemic , especially as the confirmation fight intensifies over the coming weeks .
Trump nominated federal judge Amy Coney Barrett to fill Ruth Bader Ginsburg ’ s vacancy over the weekend .
Republicans hope to finalize the confirmation before the Nov. 3 election .
The final-weeks drama is making life difficult for conservative leaders like Chris McCoy , a senior adviser for the group Americans for Prosperity Action , which has spent months reaching out to suburban swing voters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tillis win a second term .
“ This has been one of the more grueling canvassing efforts I ’ ve ever been part of , ” said McCoy , a veteran of North Carolina politics .
“ It ’ s really touchy out there .
We have good days and bad days.
” Back on Arbor Street , there were more lawn signs expressing support for Black Lives Matter than Trump .
Donnell explained that she voted for Trump four years earlier because she thought he would be better on the economy and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presidency , she was so appalled by his behavior that she left the Republican Party and became an independent .
Still , she ’ s not sure how she ’ ll vote in November .
She ’ s “ not a fan ” of Biden , either .
The Supreme Court may influence her vote , but not in the way Trump hoped .
“ I would hate to see the court become ultra-conservative .
I ’ m a lawyer .
That ’ s a big issue for me .
… I ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ might disappear , ” Donnell said .
“ That ’ s what would sway me toward Biden .
”

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) - President Donald Trump is fighting to fill a Supreme Court vacancy, howling with unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud and warning that violent mobs are infiltrating the suburbs.
But on a recent morning along Arbor Street, a peaceful tree-lined road with stately brick Colonials and Tudors near Winston-Salem, the women who are the targets of Trump’s messages were confronting much more tangible threats.
As conservative activists canvassed the neighborhood, one young mother, a baby in her arms, shouted through a closed window that she was in quarantine. Across the street, another was focused on teaching her children their daily lessons at the kitchen table.
And a few doors down, 49-year-old Christina Donnell, an independent who voted for Trump four years ago, said through a black face mask that Trump’s “terrible” handling of the pandemic and divisive leadership more broadly are her chief concerns.
“It’s embarrassing to the country,” Donnell, a lawyer who previously lived in Washington, said of Trump’s leadership. “He’s an embarrassing role model.”
In one of the nation’s most consequential swing states, Trump’s push to inject new dynamics into the final weeks of the 2020 election is being overshadowed by the frightening realities of everyday life during a pandemic. Trump and his allies hope the escalating Supreme Court nomination fight will help unify a fractured Republican Party that has lost its grip on college-educated suburban voters, particularly white women.
But for many, the coronavirus and the related economic challenges are much more pressing issues.
Trump’s challenge is acute here in North Carolina, a state that his senior aides describe as a “must-win.” A loss in the state, which Democrats have carried only once at the presidential level in the last 30 years, would make Trump’s path to a second term incredibly difficult and signal dire challenges elsewhere on the electoral map.
Public polling, backed by private discussions with strategists from both Trump’s and Democrat Joe Biden’s campaigns, indicate that North Carolina remains a true tossup five weeks before Election Day. And lest there be any doubt about Trump’s concerns about his standing here, he has traveled to North Carolina every week for the last five weeks, second only to Pennsylvania.
Trump’s standing will also help decide races for governor and senator, a set of competitive contests that has drawn more political advertising dollars to North Carolina than any other state in the nation. More than $246 million has been spent or reserved to communicate with North Carolina voters online and on television about the presidential and Senate contests so far, according to the media tracking firm Kantar-CMAG. Florida follows with $236 million and then Arizona with $223 million.
Trump has also dispatched Vice President Mike Pence to North Carolina twice over the last five weeks in addition to four visits by Trump’s children.
The president’s daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, a North Carolina native, led a Women for Trump event in the rural eastern part of the state last week to help energize the president’s base. She was scheduled to visit again on Monday.
“This is a must-win state for whoever is to become the next president,” Lara Trump said in an interview.
She said the Supreme Court debate might help motivate each side’s base, including some “fence sitters” who may not have voted at all. But she pointed to a more serious concern for suburban women.
“As far as suburban women are concerned, they want safety and security. They’ve seen what has happened to so many of our Democrat-run cities across America,” Lara Trump said. “It is absolutely frightening to see the chaos, the destruction, the violence.”
After her comments, she led an event for roughly 200 people in which the pandemic was not mentioned at all on stage or by several voters who asked questions. The Supreme Court came up only once. The conversation was far more focused on the prospect of voter fraud, an issue President Trump has raised repeatedly as polls show him trailing, though experts report there is no significant evidence of such fraud.
As in other swing states, Democrats’ closing message has been focused on health care, especially the Trump administration’s ongoing court fight to overturn former President Barack Obama’s health care law and the protections for those with preexisting conditions that are part of it.
Biden’s team has largely relied on advertising to communicate its message, however, because the candidate himself has not been a regular presence in North Carolina - or anywhere - during the pandemic. Biden made his first trip as the Democratic nominee to the state last week. His running mate, Kamala Harris, is scheduled to make her first appearance on Monday at a Raleigh event focused on health care.
“He needs to pick up his game some,” said former North Carolina Gov. Jim Hunt, a Biden ally, calling on Biden’s campaign to intensify in-person canvassing. Hunt said the election is “as tight as a tick.”
North Carolina is a glaring example of the deepening divisions that have defined U.S. politics in the Trump era.
Obama in 2008 was the only Democrat to carry the state after 1976, but it continues to trend a bluer shade of purple thanks to an influx of college-educated Northern transplants who have packed into North Carolina’s urban and suburban areas, especially around Charlotte and Raleigh. Those booming regions are voting more and more Democratic while the state’s more rural areas are voting more and more Republican.
It is truly a case of two North Carolinas in which voters are focused on completely different sets of issues, said Morgan Jackson, a leading Democratic strategist who is working on the state’s gubernatorial and Senate races.
The swing voters in the suburbs swung from Obama in 2008 to Trump in 2016 and are threatening to swing to Biden because of the pandemic.
“When you think about the issue set they’re focused on, their lives are still centered around COVID,” Jackson said, noting that many have school- or college-aged children whose lives have been transformed by the pandemic several months after it first exploded in the United States.
Biden’s team privately believes it has already won the suburbs, while those close to Trump’s campaign are hopeful that the Supreme Court fight might shift voters’ attention away from the pandemic, especially as the confirmation fight intensifies over the coming weeks. Trump nominated federal judge Amy Coney Barrett to fill Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s vacancy over the weekend. Republicans hope to finalize the confirmation before the Nov. 3 election.
The final-weeks drama is making life difficult for conservative leaders like Chris McCoy, a senior adviser for the group Americans for Prosperity Action, which has spent months reaching out to suburban swing voters to help North Carolina Republican Sen. Thom Tillis win a second term.
“This has been one of the more grueling canvassing efforts I’ve ever been part of,” said McCoy, a veteran of North Carolina politics. “It’s really touchy out there. We have good days and bad days.”
Back on Arbor Street, there were more lawn signs expressing support for Black Lives Matter than Trump.
Donnell explained that she voted for Trump four years earlier because she thought he would be better on the economy and taxes. But two years into his presidency, she was so appalled by his behavior that she left the Republican Party and became an independent.
Still, she’s not sure how she’ll vote in November. She’s “not a fan” of Biden, either.
The Supreme Court may influence her vote, but not in the way Trump hoped.
“I would hate to see the court become ultra-conservative. I’m a lawyer. That’s a big issue for me. … I’m worried that women’s rights might disappear,” Donnell said. “That’s what would sway me toward Biden.”