chicagotribune--2020-11-05--Coronavirus in Illinois updates: Here’s what happened Nov. 4 with COVID-19 in the Chicago area

The primary issue with hospital capacity is in the six regions of the state , as defined by Gov .
@ @ @ @ @ plan , outside Chicago and the collar counties .
In the Chicago area , overall @ @ @ @ @ density allow “ a lot of room for moving patients around within the northeast ” @ @ @ @ @ Ezike said .

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CTU workers direct vehicles lined up for COVID-19 testing outside of the Chicago Teachers Union on Dec. 30, 2021, in Chicago. CPS starts back to school on Monday following their holiday break. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
Illinois public health officials Wednesday reported 7,538 newly confirmed cases of COVID-19. There were also 55 additional deaths reported.
The statewide positivity rate for cases as a percent of total test for the past 7 days is 8.5%. There were 71,857 tests reported in the prior 24 hours. The state has now reported 437,556 cases since the pandemic began, and 9,933 fatalities.
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Meanwhile, the state’s top public health official warned there is a potential hospital bed shortage developing in some parts of the state.
“We have had calls for assistance from the state for medical staff. We know of some hospitals that have already slowed down elective surgeries to have beds,” Dr. Ngozi Ezike, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, said at a coronavirus briefing in Chicago on Wednesday.
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Here’s what’s happening Wednesday with COVID-19 in the Chicago area and Illinois:
7:35 p.m.: Chicago Teachers Union says schools won’t reopen Monday despite what ‘some principals’ say. No word from CPS.
Although Chicago Public Schools not yet set a date for students to begin returning to classrooms, the teachers union said it was compelled Wednesday to shoot down a rumor that schools will reopen on Monday.
Monday is the first day of the second quarter, and while CPS has said it hopes to begin bringing preschool and some special education students back into classrooms for in-person learning sometime during the second quarter, it has not specified when.
Yet the Chicago Teachers Union issues a statement Wednesday claiming “some principals continue to tell staff” that schools will reopen Monday. The union says CPS officials have denied this during bargaining sessions with the union.
Confused? Read the full story here. —Hannah Leone
7 p.m.: As daily case COVID-19 count again tops 7,500 in Illinois, public health officials warn of potential hospital bed shortage
As Illinois recorded its second-highest daily number of newly diagnosed coronavirus cases on Wednesday, the state’s top public health official warned there is a potential hospital bed shortage developing in some parts of the state.
“We have had calls for assistance from the state for medical staff. We know of some hospitals that have already slowed down elective surgeries to have beds,” Dr. Ngozi Ezike, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, said at a coronavirus briefing in Chicago on Wednesday.
“So there is a bed issue that’s brewing that’s only going to grow. We had 7,500 new cases, and that means that we have future hospitalizations, future needs for ICU beds, in a situation where some hospitals are already cramped,” she said. “So, yes, we have a significant problem.”
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The primary issue with hospital capacity is in the six regions of the state, as defined by Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s reopening plan, outside Chicago and the collar counties. In the Chicago area, overall hospital capacity and the population density allow “a lot of room for moving patients around within the northeast” region of the state, Ezike said.
As of Tuesday night, 3,761 people in Illinois were hospitalized with COVID-19. Of those, 776 were in intensive care units, and 327 were on ventilators.
Read more here. —Jamie Munks
1:01 p.m.: No Chicago travel quarantine order update this week
Chicago will not add or remove states from its travel quarantine order this week, the city announced, following an indication last week that Michigan could be added soon.
The city’s public health department tweeted the lack of change Wednesday afternoon after a spokesman on Tuesday said an announcement was delayed because of the election. Residents should “expect a full update early next week” as the current list covers 31 states as well as Puerto Rico.
Last week, the city added Florida to its travel order and warned Michigan could be next as coronavirus cases continued to rise, public health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady had said. Should that happen, it would join Illinois' Great Lakes neighbors Indiana and Wisconsin as the Midwest grapples with a recent surge of outbreaks.
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Read more here. —Alice Yin
12:11 p.m.: 7,538 new known COVID-19 cases and 55 additional deaths reported
Illinois health officials on Wednesday announced 7,538 new known cases of COVID-19 and 55 additional fatalities, bringing the total number of known infections in Illinois to 437,556 and the statewide death toll to 9,933 since the start of the pandemic. Officials also reported 71,857 new tests in the last 24 hours. The seven-day statewide positivity rate is 8.5%.
—Chicago Tribune staff
10:55 a.m.: CPS will spend $8.5 million on classroom air purifiers as it eyes reopening schools
Nearly all classrooms in Chicago Public Schools are “prepared for safe occupancy,” according to an assessment of ventilation and air qualify released by the district as it contemplates the reopening of schools.
At the same time, the state’s largest school system announced it will spend $8.5 million to purchase 20,000 HEPA air purifiers for classrooms.
The announcement was part of CPS' effort to assess school buildings in anticipation of an eventual return to in-person instruction amid the coronavirus pandemic.
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Read more here. —Alison Bowen
10:15 a.m.: State driver facilities in West Chicago, Aurora to reopen Thursday after closing because of coronavirus case
Two driver services facilities will reopen Thursday in West Chicago and Aurora after COVID-19 reached the buildings and forced two-week closures.
The West Chicago Commercial Driver’s License at 1280 Powis Road and the Aurora Driver Services facility at 339 East Indian Trail closed in late October after an employee tested positive for COVID-19.
Employees at both buildings were quarantined for 14 days and the facilities have since been “thoroughly cleaned and disinfected,” according to a press release from the Illinois Secretary of State’s office.
State officials encouraged people to go online to www.cyberdriveillinois.com for services such as renewing license plate stickers, obtaining replacement driver’s licenses/ID cards and safe driver renewals. Expiration dates for driver’s licenses and identification cards were extended until Feb. 1 because of the pandemic.
—Kelli Smith
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9 a.m.: Pritzker, state officials expected to give Wednesday afternoon update on COVID-19 in Illinois
Gov. J.B. Pritzker and state health officials were expected to give a regular update Wednesday afternoon on the state of the coronavirus pandemic and government officials' response.
Pritzker, after abandoning daily updates in June when cases declined from the earlier height of the pandemic, has been holding daily briefings again in recent weeks as case numbers spike in Illinois and across the country.
You will be able to watch the briefing here.
—Chicago Tribune staff
Breaking coronavirus news Stay up to date with the latest information on coronavirus with our breaking news alerts.
In case you missed it
Here are five stories from Tuesday related to COVID-19.


chicagotribune--2020-11-06--Waukegan police shooting victim Marcellis Stinnette did not get immediate aid because authorities fe

Waukegan police shooting victim Marcellis Stinnette did not get immediate aid because authorities feared he had a gun, records show

She led police on a brief chase before her car slid off the road .
As Salinas pulled his police @ @ @ @ @ , she backed up the vehicle as the officer got out of his car .
@ @ @ @ @ at the car as it backed toward him and he feared for his life .
@ @ @ @ @ s family said there was no threat to the officer , and he fired at @ @ @ @ @ of the car .

Zharvellis Holmes, left, mother of Marcellis Stinnette, and his grandmother, Sherrellis Stinnette, center, listen as the Rev. Jesse Jackson, right, and others speak Oct. 28, 2020, outside the Illinois State Police headquarters in Des Plaines. They had viewed video of the shooting death Stinnette and the wounding of Tafara Williams by Waukegan police last week. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
Medical aid was not immediately provided to Marcellis Stinnette after he was shot by a Waukegan police officer last month because authorities on the scene feared he and his girlfriend might have had a gun in the car in which they sat bleeding, according to records released Thursday.
The 66 pages of reports were released by the city of Waukegan in response to a Freedom of Information Act request for information related to the investigation into the Oct. 20 police shooting of Stinnette, 19, and Tafara Williams, 20, a Black Waukegan couple who are the parents of a 7-month-old son.
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Stinnette was killed, and Williams wounded after being shot by Dante Salinas, a Hispanic police officer.
Videos previously released by the city showed James Keating, a white police officer, approaching the couple as they sat in a car in front of Williams' home. As the officer attempted to arrest Stinnette on an alleged warrant Williams, who was in the driver’s seat, sped off.
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She led police on a brief chase before her car slid off the road. As Salinas pulled his police cruiser alongside Williams' car, she backed up the vehicle as the officer got out of his car. Police officials said Salinas shot at the car as it backed toward him and he feared for his life. Attorneys for the couple’s family said there was no threat to the officer, and he fired at the couple from the side of the car.
Stinnette’s mother, Zharvellis Holmes, filed a federal lawsuit against the two officers and the city alleging he did not get medical attention for 8 minutes after he was shot.
The reports released by the city Thursday indicated that police officers on the scene after the shooting were concerned that Williams and Stinnette may have been armed, though no gun was ultimately found.
They ordered Williams out of the vehicle, but said they were unable to determine immediately whether there was a weapon nearby, and eventually decided to approach the car and remove Williams, who suffered a gunshot wound to the abdomen.
Handout photo of Marcellis Stinnette who was shot and killed by Waukegan police on October 20th. (family handout / Chicago Tribune)
Reports described Stinnette as still breathing but unresponsive. He was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead about a half-hour later.
The reports described Salinas as being “visibly shaken” following the incident.
Salinas was fired by the department three days after the shooting for policy and procedure violations, the city said. It has since been revealed that he did not activate his body camera before the shooting.
On video released by the city, Salinas, in the moments after the shooting, could be heard yelling at Williams that she had tried to tun him over.


chicagotribune--2020-11-06--Daywatch: Biden leads in Georgia, Pritzker warns of possible statewide crackdown and 10 restaurants

Daywatch: Biden leads in Georgia, Pritzker warns of possible statewide crackdown and 10 restaurants to order from for Take Out challenge

Meanwhile , the election is stretching on as ballot counting continues in battleground states and the winner of the presidency @ @ @ @ @ — remains unknown .
Follow along with the latest results here and national updates here @

Good morning, Chicago. On Thursday, Illinois passed 10,000 deaths from coronavirus as the state hit a record of 9,935 cases recorded in the last day. The state also reported 97 additional deaths over a 24-hour period, the first time the state’s single-day death toll has surpassed 90 since early June.
Meanwhile, the election is stretching on as ballot counting continues in battleground states and the winner of the presidency — and some local races — remains unknown. Follow along with the latest results here and national updates here.
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Here’s more election news and other top stories you need to know to start your day.
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An election worker examines ballots as vote counting in the general election continues at State Farm Arena on Nov. 5, 2020, in Atlanta. (Brynn Anderson/AP)
Democrat Joe Biden is now leading President Donald Trump in the battleground state of Georgia, according to The Associated Press.
By Friday morning, Biden overtook Trump in the number of ballots counted in the battleground, a must-win state for Trump that has long been a Republican stronghold. Biden now has a 917-vote advantage.
Hours earlier, Biden offered reassurances that the counting could be trusted, projecting a more presidential appearance while urging patience from Americans.
The president has continued his so far baseless claims of fraud and corruption. Not all in the Republican Party are backing him, however.
U.S. House election results: Their majority shrunk, Democrats blame losses on leadership, election message and even Trump
14th Congressional District squeaker: Her opponent, Jim Oberweis, has claimed victory in a tight contest, but Lauren Underwood optimistic as mail ballots continue to be counted
Get the latest 2020 election updates all day here.
Helena Coleman, foreground, and Renea Walker take their self-administered COVID-19 tests at the Illinois Department of Public Health testing site on West 79th Street in Chicago on Nov. 5, 2020. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Thursday said he will again impose tougher statewide restrictions if the latest resurgence of the coronavirus, which has now claimed more than 10,000 lives in Illinois, continues to escalate.
Pritzker’s warning of a potential statewide order is a departure from his messages in recent weeks that the state will stick to cracking down only on regions in his reopening plan when they reach state-set bench marks.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker, left, and House Speaker Michael Madigan appear together in Springfield in 2019. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune / Chicago Tribune)
After the defeat of his signature policy initiative at the polls this week, Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Thursday said Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan should no longer be in charge of the state Democratic Party.
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A man watches protesters near the Chicago Public Schools headquarters on Aug. 26, 2020. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
Thursday marked the final day of student attendance for the virtual fall quarter, and Chicago Public Schools has yet to publicly announce a date for a return to classrooms, beyond its plan to offer in-person learning to students in prekindergarten and special education clusters sometime before 2020 is over.
Quesabirria tacos at El G-Fe. (Nick Kindelsperger / Chicago Tribune)
Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced a campaign on Thursday called Take Out Chicago, which she hopes will spur more people to order from local restaurants. Chicagoans who order from 10 restaurants in the city by Dec. 15 can enter to win a VIP tour of a Chicago institution like Soldier Field or the Art Institute. Need some inspiration? Here are 10 places to start.


chicagotribune--2020-11-06--Chicago cop stabbed while answering mental health call on the South Side

Police were called around 11:15 p.m. to an apartment in the 9000 block of South Burley Avenue in South Chicago @ @ @ @ @ a 26-year-old man was damaging the home where he lives with his family , police @ @

A Chicago police officer was stabbed in the abdomen while responding to a mental health call on the South Side Thursday night, authorities said.
The officer suffered a puncture wound and was taken to a hospital in fair condition, police said. A man was taken into custody.
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Police were called about 11:15 p.m. to an apartment in the 9000 block of South Burley Avenue in South Chicago, where they were told a 26-year-old man was damaging the home where he lives with his family, police said.
When police arrived, the man started throwing things at the officers, then went outside and ran at them with two knives, police said.
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The officers used stun guns to subdue him, but he stabbed one of the officers while being taken into custody, police said.


chicagotribune--2020-11-06--Election 2020 live updates: Biden takes lead over Trump in battleground state of Georgia

The contest is still too early for the AP to call .
Thousands of ballots are still left to be @ @ @ @ @ where the former vice president was in the lead .

Election signage in Times Square as ballots are still being counted in multiple states, on Nov. 6, 2020. (Todd Heisler/The New York Times)
For the latest updates, click here for the weekend’s live blog.
Democrat Joe Biden stood on the cusp of winning the presidency Friday night, three days after Election Day, as the long, exacting work of counting votes widened his lead over President Donald Trump in critical battleground states.
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High turnout, a massive number of mail-in ballots and slim margins between the two candidates all contributed to the delay in naming a winner. But Biden held leads in Pennsylvania, Nevada and Georgia, putting him in an ever-stronger position to capture the 270 Electoral College votes needed to take the White House.
There was intense focus on Pennsylvania, where Biden led Trump by more than 27,000 votes, and Nevada, where the Democrat led by about 22,000. The prolonged wait added to the anxiety of a nation facing historic challenges, including the surging pandemic and deep political polarization.
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Trump stayed in the White House and out of sight, as more results trickled in and expanded Biden’s lead in must-win Pennsylvania. In the West Wing during the day, televisions remained tuned to the news amid trappings of normalcy, as reporters lined up for coronavirus tests and outdoor crews worked on the North Lawn on a mild, muggy fall day.
Biden, for his part, addressed the nation Friday night near his home in Wilmington, Delaware, and acknowledged the sluggish pace of the count “can be numbing.” But he added, “Never forget the tallies aren’t just numbers: They represent votes and voters.”
He expressed confidence that victory ultimately would be his, saying, “The numbers tell us a clear and convincing story: We’re going to win this race.”
Standing alongside his running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris, and against a backdrop of flags, Biden wasn’t able to give the acceptance speech his aides had hoped. But he hit notes of unity, seemingly aimed at cooling the temperature of a heated, divided nation.
“We have to remember the purpose of our politics isn’t total unrelenting, unending warfare,” he said. “No, the purpose of our politics, the work of our nation, isn’t to fan the flames of conflict, but to solve problems, to guarantee justice, to give everybody a fair shot.”
Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden speaks Friday, Nov. 6, 2020, in Wilmington, Del. (Carolyn Kaster/AP)
Trump’s campaign on Friday was mostly quiet -- a dramatic difference from the day before, when officials held a morning call projecting confidence and then a flurry of press conferences announcing litigation in key states. But it was touched once again by the coronavirus pandemic.
Chief of staff Mark Meadows contracted the virus, according to two senior White House officials not authorized to publicly discuss private matters. A campaign aide, Nick Trainer, also tested positive.
Trump’s handling of the pandemic has been the defining issue of the campaign. The president, first lady Melania Trump and several other members of the White House staff and Trump’s campaign team have fallen ill.
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A handful of states remained in play Friday evening — Georgia, North Carolina too early to call along with Pennsylvania and Nevada. In all four states the margins between Trump and Biden were too narrow and the number of ballots left to be counted too great for the AP to declare a victor.
The latest 2020 election updates (all times EST):
11:30 p.m.: Trump’s chief of staff Mark Meadows diagnosed with COVID-19
President Donald Trump’s chief of staff Mark Meadows has been diagnosed with the coronavirus as the nation sets daily records for confirmed cases for the pandemic.
Two senior administration officials confirmed Friday that Meadows had tested positive for the virus, which has killed more than 236,000 Americans so far this year.
Meadows traveled with Trump in the run-up to Election Day and last appeared in public early Wednesday morning without a mask as Trump falsely declared victory in the vote count. He had been one of the close aides around Trump when the president came down with the virus more than a month ago, but was tested daily and maintained his regular work schedule.
More on this story here. — Associated Press
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11:26 p.m.: Why ballot-counting in Nevada is dragging on
The pace of vote-counting in Nevada is being criticized for taking too long and it’s even become fodder for online jokes. But government officials say they are emphasizing accuracy over speed in a year when processing an unprecedented flood of mail-in ballots under extended deadlines is taking more time.
“We told everyone early on that results would take at least 10 days,” Secretary of State spokeswoman Jennifer A. Russell said in an email.
More on this story here. — Associated Press
11:14 p.m.: Biden says he’s preparing for White House
Joe Biden says he is already preparing to assume the presidency even though he has not been declared the winner in his race against President Donald Trump.
“I want people to know we’re not waiting to get the work done,” he said late Friday in remarks to the nation.
Biden said he and his running mate, Kamala Harris, have held briefings on the coronavirus and the economy this week as the U.S. records record daily cases.
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He noted nearly 240,000 people have died from the pandemic and said he wants those families to know they aren’t alone.
He also addressed the millions of Americans who remain out of work and are struggling to pay rent or buy food.
“We don’t have any more time to waste on partisan warfare,” he said.
The Associated Press has not yet declared a winner in the race between Biden and Trump because neither candidate has reached the 270 Electoral College votes needed to carry the White House.
—Associated Press
11:05 p.m.: Biden projects confidence he’ll win White House
Joe Biden projected confidence Friday that he would win the presidential election, citing his lead in votes in key states like Pennsylvania.
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The Associated Press has not yet declared a winner in the race between Biden and President Donald Trump because neither candidate has reached the 270 Electoral College votes needed to carry the White House.
Biden noted he has already won the most votes in history for any presidential candidate.
He said a record number of Americans “chose change over more of the same.”
He told the nation that the political parties may be opponents, but they are not enemies.
“Let’s put the anger and the demonization behind us,” he said.
— Associated Press
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10:13 p.m.: Perdue, Ossoff head to Georgia US Senate runoff
Republican U.S. Sen. David Perdue and Democrat Jon Ossoff will face off in a Jan. 5 runoff in Georgia for Perdue’s Senate seat.
Libertarian candidate Shane Hazel was able to get enough votes so that neither Perdue or Ossoff was able to clear the 50% threshold needed for an outright win.
Thousands of absentee ballots and in-person votes cast early needed to be counted after Election Night passed, forcing a long and tense wait before the race could be called.
The contest has already seen huge spending from outside groups on both sides and millions of dollars more are expected to pour into the state ahead of the runoff.
The race between Ossoff and Perdue, a close ally of President Donald Trump, has been characterized by sharp attack ads but relatively moderate political positions.
Both candidates pivoted to the middle vying for a state Trump won handily four years ago, but where swaths of suburbia have shown signs of disillusionment with the president.
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Perdue sought to cast Ossoff as backing a “radical socialist agenda,” while Ossoff portrayed Perdue as a “corrupt” Washington insider who has been part of a botched pandemic response.
More on this story here. — Associated Press
9:46 p.m.: Incendiary election texts traced to outfit run by top Trump aide
A texting company run by one of President Donald Trump’s top campaign officials sent out thousands of targeted, anonymous text messages urging supporters to rally where votes were being counted in Philadelphia on Thursday, falsely claiming Democrats were trying to steal the presidential election.
The messages directed Trump fans to converge at a downtown intersection where hundreds of protesters from the opposing candidates' camps faced off Thursday afternoon. Pennsylvania is a crucial battleground state where former Vice President Joe Biden’s supporters believe the outstanding ballots will put him over the top in the presidential election.
More of the story here. — Associated Press
9:10 p.m.: Pro-Trump protesters decry the vote-counting
Pro-Trump protesters — some of them openly carrying rifles and handguns — rallied outside vote-tabulation centers in a few cities around the country Friday, responding to groundless accusations from President Donald Trump that the Democrats were trying to steal the White House.
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Elections officials in several states where Democrat Joe Biden was ahead said the anger outside their doors made them fear for the safety of their employees.
Roughly 100 Trump supporters gathered for a third straight day in front of the elections center in Phoenix, where hundreds of workers were processing and counting ballots.
“Arrest the poll workers!” the crowd chanted, demanding four more years in office for Trump. Sheriff’s deputies kept protesters in a “free speech” zone away from the entrance to the building.
“When we start auditing some of these voter rolls, their fraud may actually be exposed,” conservative activist Charlie Kirk told the crowd, eliciting cheers.
In Detroit, dozens of Trump supporters returned to the streets outside the city’s convention center, where election workers counted ballots.
“Stop the steal!” the protesters chanted. Some carried signs that read, “Make Elections Fair Again” and “We Love Trump.” Police cordoned off streets leading to the building and maintained a close watch on the protest.
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The county treasurer in Detroit, Eric Sabree, said he had closed his office because of threats. In a statement, Sabree said the decision was made “in the interest of the safety of taxpayers and our staff” and because of “credible information” from the sheriff’s office.
In Philadelphia, two men with handguns were arrested Thursday night near the convention center where the vote-counting that could decide the White House race was going on.
The men, ages 42 and 61, had driven up in a Hummer from Virginia and did not have permits to carry the weapons in Pennsylvania, police said. A military-style rifle and ammunition were found inside their vehicle, Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said. The car had a window sticker for the right-wing conspiracy theory QAnon.
District Attorney Larry Krasner did not say why the men had come to Philadelphia but said there were no indications they were part of an extremist group.
In Rhode Island, about 100 protesters rallied outside the state board of elections headquarters, demanding a recount in an overwhelmingly Democratic state where Biden won with more than 59% of the vote.
Protesters said ballots were illegally dumped in Rhode Island, but offered no evidence. State elections officials have said they have no evidence of fraud.
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“We demand a recount in Jesus' name!” protest leader Kathleen Forant shouted, as state police stood nearby.
— Associated Press
8:47 p.m.: Stacey Abrams draws credit and praise as Joe Biden inches ahead in Georgia
Stacey Abrams, who earlier this year was on a shortlist of potential vice presidential candidates, was ultimately not chosen by Joe Biden. But Friday, as Biden took a narrow lead in Georgia, it was Abrams who was celebrated, a sign of her remarkable ascent as a power broker since her failed bid for governor of that state two years ago.
Celebrities, activists and voters across Georgia credited Abrams with moving past her loss — she came within 55,000 votes of the governor’s mansion — and building a well-funded network of organizations that highlighted voter suppression in the state and inspired an estimated 800,000 residents to register to vote.
More on this story here. — The New York Times
8:13 p.m.: Biden’s lead grows in battleground Pennsylvania
Democrat Joe Biden’s lead over President Donald Trump is growing in battleground Pennsylvania.
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By Friday evening, the Democrat held a lead of over 19,500 votes out of more than 6.5 million ballots cast. That’s an edge of about 0.29%. State law dictates that a recount must be held if the margin between the two candidates is less than 0.5%.
The Associated Press has not declared a winner in the state.
The Pennsylvania secretary of state’s website said Friday that there were 102,541 more mail ballots that needed to be counted, including many from Allegheny County, a Democratic area that is home to Pittsburgh, and the Democratic stronghold of Philadelphia County.
Additionally, there are potentially tens of thousands of provisional ballots that remain to be tabulated, though an exact number remained unclear. Those ballots will be counted after officials verify their eligibility to be included.
Pennsylvania is among a handful of battleground states that Trump and Biden are narrowly contesting as they seek the 270 electoral votes needed to win the presidency.
— Associated Press
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7:35 p.m.: Pennsylvanians feel the gravity of their vote as the world watches
Recognizing the magnitude of the moment, Pennsylvanians didn’t need relatives calling to say CNN was talking about Allentown or Facebook friends reminding them that the fate of the nation was in their hands. They felt the weight of their votes Wednesday, when day broke without a winner in the presidential election.
In Allentown, Millie Canales bounced from TV news to social media feeds, wondering if she would once again have to tell her children that Donald Trump emerged victorious.
“At first I was nervous again,” she said, “and then when Gov. Wolf said just wait until all the votes are counted, I felt better.”
More of the story here. — Kayla Dwyer and Jacqueline Palochko, The Morning Call
7:01 p.m.: Biden’s lead grows in Nevada as more results are released
Joe Biden’s lead over President Donald Trump in Nevada grew Friday, putting the former vice president ahead by 22,657 votes in the battleground state.
The results were mail-in ballots from Democrat-heavy Clark County, which includes Las Vegas and three-quarters of Nevada’s population. Biden had 632,558 votes, and Trump had 609,901.
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Biden’s lead has doubled from Thursday, when he was ahead of Trump by about 11,000 votes.
Nevada has six Electoral College votes and could be decisive as Biden closes in on the 270 needed to win the White House. It’s too early to call the contest, with votes still being counted.
— Associated Press
6:22 p.m.: Evangelicals stick with Trump, see upside even if he loses
The conservative evangelical Christians who helped send Donald Trump to the White House four years ago stuck by him in 2020. But even if Trump doesn’t get a second term, some conservative Christians see reasons to celebrate in this year’s election results.
White evangelical voters made up 23% of the vote nationwide and overwhelmingly favored Trump this fall, with about 8 in 10 backing him, according to AP VoteCast. Their support may not have been enough to re-elect the president — with Democratic nominee Joe Biden in the lead as states continued to count votes Friday — yet evangelicals still took heart in their strong presence at the polls and the GOP’s success in down-ballot races.
More of the story here. — Associated Press
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6:11 p.m.: Biden adds to lead over Trump in Georgia
As of early Friday evening, Biden had overtaken Trump by 4,235 votes in the battleground state, which Trump must win to have a shot at reelection.
The Democrat first surpassed Trump in the state vote count on Friday morning as votes continue to be counted.
The contest is still too early for The Associated Press to call.
Trump’s lead dwindled after Election Day when state officials began processing mail-in ballots, a form of voting that has skewed heavily in Biden’s favor after Trump spent months claiming — without proof — that voting by mail would lead to widespread voter fraud.
If there is less than a 0.5 percentage point difference between Biden’s and Trump’s vote totals, state law dictates that a recount must be held. Biden currently holds a lead of about 0.08 percentage points.
A Democratic presidential candidate hasn’t won Georgia since Bill Clinton in 1992.
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— Associated Press
6:02 p.m.: Trump’s attacks on mail-in ballots rankle some military vets
President Donald Trump has held himself up as a champion of U.S. troops without rival. Now, with his presidency on the line, he’s casting suspicion on a tool of participatory democracy — the mail-in ballot — that has allowed U.S. military personnel to vote while serving far from home since the War of 1812.
The president has shouted from Twitter to “STOP THE COUNT” and leveled unsubstantiated charges that “surprise ballot dumps” after election night are helping rival Democrat Joe Biden “steal” the election.
All the while, Trump insists that military voters' mail-in ballots must be counted. He even suggested on Friday — without presenting evidence — that some troops' mail-in ballots have gone “missing.”
In his dizzying effort to sow doubt about the integrity of the vote, Trump has been all over the map on mail-in voting. The broadsides have unsettled many veterans and former military brass who saw voting by mail as a tether to their civic duty when serving abroad.
“Officials at all levels including in the Congress need to say to the president ‘Sir, you need to exercise the same patience that the rest of the nation does,’” said retired Navy Adm. Steve Abbot, who later served as deputy homeland security adviser in the George W. Bush administration.
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More of the story here. — Associated Press
5:41 p.m.: Harris set to speak before Biden in TV address
Democratic vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris is expected to deliver remarks Friday alongside Joe Biden.
Biden has scheduled a prime-time address on the presidential contest as votes continue to be counted in several battleground states. Biden is on the cusp of victory as he opened narrow leads over President Donald Trump in Georgia and Pennsylvania.
Harris has appeared alongside Biden during his remarks in recent days but has not made any public comments herself on the state of the race. A campaign official confirmed she will speak Friday night before Biden does.
The California senator has been at a hotel in Wilmington, Delaware, with her family since Tuesday night.
The Associated Press has not yet declared a winner in Nevada, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania and Alaska.
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— Associated Press
5:37 p.m.: Sen. Johnson says half of country won’t accept a Biden win
Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, of Wisconsin, said Friday that half the country will not accept the outcome of the presidential election if Democrat Joe Biden wins.
Johnson, a staunch supporter of President Donald Trump, also refused to say if he thought the election was legitimate, while admitting he had no proof of any illegal activity.
“It’s very unfortunate that no matter who wins, the other half of America is not going to view this as a particularly legitimate election,” Johnson said on WTMJ-AM. “That’s a real problem. I’m not saying it’s legitimate or not. I’m saying this process has been set up where people are not going to view it as legitimate. And that’s a real problem.”
Johnson said there has “always been some voter fraud that the mainstream media and unfortunately, many officials just simply ignore.” He offered no examples and his spokesman did not immediately respond when asked to provide some.
“I’m not alleging anything because I have no proof,” Johnson said. “All I’m saying is there are enough irregularities” to raise concerns.
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— Associated Press
5:22 p.m.: Armed men arrested near Philadelphia vote counting location
Two men armed with loaded handguns were arrested Thursday near the Philadelphia convention center where an ongoing vote count could decide the presidential election, police said.
Joshua Macias, 42, and Antonio LaMotta, 61, traveled from the Virginia Beach, Virginia, area in a Hummer and did not have permits to carry the weapons in Pennsylvania, police said.
They were arrested after the FBI in Virginia relayed a tip about their plans to Philadelphia police. Officers stopped the men on the street about a block away from the vehicle, Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said.
Macias had a .40-caliber Beretta handgun inside his jacket, LaMotta had a 9mm Beretta in a holster and an AR-style rifle and ammunition were found inside the vehicle, Outlaw said. Authorities initially said that the rifle did not have a serial number but later said that it did.
A silver Hummer with Virginia license plates was parked Friday at the location where police say they found the men. It was adorned with an American flag and a window sticker for the right-wing conspiracy theory QAnon.
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— Associated Press
4:25 p.m.: How claims of dead Michigan voters spread faster than the facts
The tweets began to arrive Wednesday night, carrying explosive claims that people in Michigan were voting under the names of dead people.
Austen Fletcher, a former Ivy League football player turned right-wing internet journalist, said in videos posted to Twitter that he had discovered registration documents on a state of Michigan website that showed that four people with reported birth dates from 1900 to 1902 had submitted absentee ballots before Tuesday’s election. “How long has this been going on?” he asked.
By Thursday morning, Fletcher’s videos were the talk of the Republican internet. “Why is it taking regular Americans to expose this level of obvious corruption?” said Candace Owens, a conservative commentator, sharing one of the videos to her 2.7 million Twitter followers.
Yet a few phone calls by Fletcher would have revealed evidence that indicates that what appeared to be fraud were run-of-the-mill clerical errors.
More on this story here. — The New York Times
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3:33 p.m.: Pennsylvania vote counters' toil to extend into next week
Tens of thousands of remaining mail-in ballots — as well as the provisional ballots and those cast by military and overseas voters — will decide whether Biden’s slim lead holds up or if Republican President Donald Trump can find the votes he needs to repeat his 2016 victory in the state.
Starting to count provisional ballots on Monday, some counties decided, will help ensure that they can include all valid mail-in votes arriving by Friday that were sent on or before Election Day. Philadelphia officials said Friday that process may take several days.
In Allegheny County, which includes Pittsburgh, the crew worked through lunch on Friday, counting and sorting ballots. Officials were unsure when their count would be complete.
More on this story here. — Associated Press
3:26 p.m.: US agency pushes back on voter fraud claims
The federal agency that oversees U.S. election security is pushing back at unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud without mentioning that President Donald Trump is making unfounded allegations about the vote count.
A new statement from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency notes that local election offices have detection measures that “make it highly difficult to commit fraud through counterfeit ballots.”
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CISA, a component of the Department of Homeland Security, published the statement Friday on a section of its website devoted to dispelling rumors. It said it was countering a rumor about the role of DHS and CISA in the printing of ballots and auditing of results. Neither agency has a role in printing or auditing ballots. CISA principally helps local and state election departments protect themselves against cyberattacks.
CISA also put out a statement noting that the systems and processes used to tabulate votes and certify results “are protected by various safeguards that help ensure the accuracy of election results.”
The agency has been urging the public for weeks to be patient during the counting of results, which was slower this year in large part because of COVID-19 and the large number of mail-in ballots. It has made no comment on Trump saying without evidence that the ballot-counting process is unfair and corrupt.
— Associated Press
3:24 p.m.: Romney: Trump’s election fraud claim wrong, ‘reckless’
Key Republican lawmakers, including 2012 presidential nominee Mitt Romney, on Friday slammed President Donald Trump’s unsubstantiated claim that Democrats are trying to “steal” the election. But some GOP leaders struck a more neutral tone — and others urged the White House to fight.
Romney, now a senator from Utah, said Trump was within his rights to request recounts and call for investigations where evidence of irregularities exists.
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But Trump "is wrong to say the election was rigged, corrupt and stolen,″ Romney said on Twitter. Trump’s claim "damages the cause of freedom here and around the world ... and recklessly inflames destructive and dangerous passions,″ he said.
Romney is Trump’s most vocal critic within the Republican Party and voted to convict Trump in the president’s impeachment trial earlier this year.
His comments came as GOP Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania — whose state is a key battleground in the presidential election, where votes are still being tallied — called Trump’s claim of fraud “very disturbing.”
“There’s simply no evidence anyone has shown me of any widespread corruption or fraud,” Toomey told “CBS This Morning.”
— Associated Press
3:13 p.m.: Pennsylvania GOP turns to US Supreme Court
Pennsylvania Republicans are turning to the U.S. Supreme Court to ask for an order that mail ballots arriving after Election Day in the battleground state be segregated. The state’s top elections official already had ordered those ballots be kept apart.
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The emergency request Friday came as Democrat Joe Biden inched ahead of President Donald Trump in Pennsylvania.
The plea is part of an ongoing Republican appeal to the Supreme Court to try to keep ballots received in the mail after Election Day from being counted. The state’s top court granted a three-day extension, and the Supreme Court refused to block it.
But Democratic Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar told local officials to keep the ballots separate because the high court hasn’t ultimately decided whether to step in.
Republicans presented no evidence that counties are not adhering to Boockvar’s orders, but said, “It is unclear whether all county boards are following them in the post-election chaos.”
— Associated Press
2:46 p.m.: Trump faces tough road in getting Supreme Court to intervene
Facing the potential for narrow losses in multiple battlegrounds, President Donald Trump might have a tough time persuading the Supreme Court to take up his call to intervene and prevent Joe Biden from becoming president.
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Trump could need the court’s help in two or more states, an unlikely scenario that is far different from what took place in 2000, the only time the court has effectively settled a presidential election. Twenty years ago, the entire fight was over Florida’s electoral votes and involved a recount as opposed to trying to halt the initial counting of ballots.
More on this story here. — Associated Press
2:23 p.m.: Biden nearly doubles lead in Nevada as more results released
Joe Biden has increased his lead over President Donald Trump in Nevada, leading by 20,137 votes in the battleground state.
Results released Friday from Democrat-heavy Clark County, which includes Las Vegas and three-quarters of Nevada’s population, along with two rural counties, put Biden at 627,104 votes. Trump had 606,967.
Biden’s lead nearly doubled from Thursday, when he was leading Trump by about 11,000 votes.
Clark County has an additional 63,000 mail ballots to be processed over the next few days and 60,000 provisional ballots to be processed later, Registrar Joe Gloria said. He said the county would release more results Friday afternoon but did not know how many ballots could be included.
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The state has said it will provide an update later in the day on how many ballots are yet to be counted statewide. On Thursday, it reported that number at 190,150.
— Associated Press
1:54 p.m.: Biden plans prime-time televised address
Joe Biden’s campaign says he will give a speech during prime time Friday.
The Democratic presidential candidate’s campaign announced that he would be making an address but did not say where or what he plans to say.
Biden is on the cusp of winning the presidency as he opens up narrow leads over President Donald Trump in several critical backgrounds.
The Associated Press has not called the presidential race. Votes are still being counted in states including Pennsylvania and Georgia.
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He has urged the public to be patient as vote counting continues. He was spending Friday at home in Wilmington, Delaware.
A stage set up since election night for a victory party outside the city’s convention center remained intact and has been secured for days by security personnel using high fencing and car barriers.
Biden campaign staffers who arrived in Wilmington for a victory party earlier in the week have been told to hold onto their hotel rooms until early next week.
— Associated Press
12:31 p.m.: Georgia will recount votes, secretary of state says
Early Friday morning, while it was still dark in Atlanta, Joe Biden overtook President Donald Trump in the number of ballots counted in Georgia — a must-win state for Trump that has long been a Republican stronghold. Biden now has a roughly 1,500 vote advantage in a state with about 5 million ballots cast.
“With a margin that small, there will be a recount,” Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said Friday.
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The Secretary of State’s office said several thousand absentee ballots were still being counted Friday. Also, 8,900 unreturned ballots sent to military and overseas voters could be counted if received by 5 p.m. Friday. Counties also have provisional ballots to review and possibly add to their totals, along with absentee ballots that need to be “cured” by voters by day’s end.
There are still “an unknowable amount of ballots” that could be counted, said Gabriel Sterling, who has overseen the implementation of Georgia’s new electronic voting system. He said counties have been working diligently to finish tabulating their results, and he emphasized his confidence in the legitimacy of the process. Any evidence-backed complaint will be investigated, he added.
“When you have a narrow margin, little, small things can make a difference. So everything’s going to have to be investigated to protect the integrity of the vote,” he said.
—Associated Press
11:55 a.m.: House minority leader, Sen. Lindsey Graham throw support behind Trump’s unfounded corruption claims
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy is insisting, inaccurately, that President Donald Trump “won” the election — even though officials in several states are still counting Americans' ballots.
“So everyone who’s listening, do not be quiet, do not be silent about this. We cannot allow this to happen before our very eyes,” McCarthy said Thursday on Fox News. “Join together and let’s stop this.”
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One top Trump ally Sen. Lindsey Graham said on a call with reporters Friday that he supports Trump’s efforts to challenge ballot counts in several states yet to be called in the presidential race.
Graham said he’s “not conceding” that Biden is going to win the presidency but will try to work with a Democratic administration if one is installed. He said on Fox News Thursday night he would donate $500,000 to the president’s “legal defense fund” and urged people to pitch in.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell struck a more neutral tone, and other top Republicans more defiantly urged Trump to fight to defeat Democrat Joe Biden.
“Every legal vote should be counted,” McConnell tweeted early Friday. “All sides must get to observe the process.”
McConnell grew testy during a press conference later in Kentucky when was repeatedly asked to say more. “Beyond that, I don’t have anything to say,” McConnell said. “It won’t make any difference how many times you ask I’ve already given my answer.”
More on this story here. —Associated Press
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Sen. Pat Toomey, standing with his family, during a news conference on Oct. 5, 2020. (Rick Kintzel/The Morning Call)
9:42 a.m.: Pennsylvania Republican senator calls Trump’s comments ‘very disturbing’
A key Republican senator said Friday he saw no evidence to support President Donald Trump’s baseless claim that Democrats are trying to “steal” the election and called the president’s words “very disturbing.”
Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, whose state is a key battleground in the presidential election, said “There’s simply no evidence anyone has shown me of any widespread corruption or fraud” to supported Trump’s claim Thursday of fraud in balloting.
“The president’s speech last night was very disturbing to me because he made very, very serious allegations without any evidence to support it,” Toomey told “CBS This Morning.”
He added: “I voted for President Trump. I endorsed President Trump. I want the next president to be the person who legitimately wins the Electoral College and I will accept whoever that is.”
Trump, who has complained for weeks about mail-in ballots, escalated his allegations late Thursday, saying at the White House that the ballot-counting process is unfair and corrupt. Trump did not back up his claims with any details or evidence, and state and federal officials have not reported any instances of widespread voter fraud.
Toomey has announced he is not seeking reelection in 2022, but several other Republican lawmakers have also criticized Trump’s comments.
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Rep. Adam Kinzinger, a Republican from Illinois, tweeted Thursday that the president’s claims of fraud are “getting insane.” If Trump has “legit” concerns about fraud, they need to be based on evidence and taken to court, Kinzinger said, adding, “STOP Spreading debunked misinformation.”
We want every vote counted, yes every legal vote (of course). But, if you have legit concerns about fraud present EVIDENCE and take it to court. STOP Spreading debunked misinformation... This is getting insane. — Adam Kinzinger (@RepKinzinger) November 6, 2020
More on this story here. —Associated Press
9:05 a.m.: Biden now leads in Pennsylvania as mail ballots keep being counted
Democrat Joe Biden is now leading President Donald Trump in the battleground state of Pennsylvania.
By Friday morning, Biden overtook Trump in the number of ballots counted in the state, which Trump must win to have a shot at reelection. Biden now holds a nearly 6,000-vote advantage.
The contest is still too early for The Associated Press to call. Votes in the state are still being counted.
Trump’s lead dwindled after Election Day when state officials began processing mail-in ballots, a form of voting that has skewed heavily in Biden’s favor after Trump spent months claiming — without proof — that voting by mail would lead to widespread voter fraud.
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If there is less than a half percentage point difference between Biden’s and Trump’s vote totals, state law dictates that a recount must be held.
—Associated Press
A voter drops a mail ballot at a drop box in Lauderhill, Fla., on Monday, Nov. 2, 2020. (Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
6:21 a.m.: No longer a ‘Flori-duh’ laughingstock: How Florida’s vote came in so fast
Floridians are watching this year’s election drama from the sidelines, repeatedly hitting the refresh button and waiting for votes to trickle in from battleground states.
The Sunshine State bucked its reputation for voting mishaps and slow results.
Florida reported its vote tally quickly after the polls closed at 7 p.m. on Election Day. Fox News was the first major news outlet to call the race for Trump at 11:05 p.m. Tuesday, and some political observers wondered why the state wasn’t called even earlier.
The Associated Press called the race at 12:34 a.m. Wednesday.
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Here are some reasons why Florida was able to deliver speedier results and avoid chaos.
Pre-Election Day processing: Florida election officials could start processing mail ballots 22 days before the election. That meant much of the work had already been done when polls closed. Other states have different laws on this. Pennsylvania couldn’t start processing mail ballots until 7 a.m. on Election Day. The Trump campaign and its allies blocked efforts to allow mail ballots to be processed earlier in Pennsylvania.
Florida election officials could start processing mail ballots 22 days before the election. That meant much of the work had already been done when polls closed. Other states have different laws on this. Pennsylvania couldn’t start processing mail ballots until 7 a.m. on Election Day. The Trump campaign and its allies blocked efforts to allow mail ballots to be processed earlier in Pennsylvania. Experience : Florida has more experience handling mail ballots, which surged in popularity this year because of the pandemic. In the 2016 election, nearly 2.7 million Floridians cast mail ballots, compared with about 262,800 in Pennsylvania. Florida is often the butt of jokes, but its election officials are used to high-stakes, close elections that require the processing of large numbers of votes.
: Florida has more experience handling mail ballots, which surged in popularity this year because of the pandemic. In the 2016 election, nearly 2.7 million Floridians cast mail ballots, compared with about 262,800 in Pennsylvania. Florida is often the butt of jokes, but its election officials are used to high-stakes, close elections that require the processing of large numbers of votes. Deadlines : Domestic mail ballots in Florida must be received by 7 p.m. on Election Day to be counted. That means ballots that arrive after that deadline won’t be counted. That’s not the case in other states, which means it will take longer to tally the results. Nevada mail ballots are counted if they are postmarked by Election Day and received no later than seven days after the election. Mail ballots in Pennsylvania are accepted if they are postmarked on Election Day and received no later than three days after the election.
: Domestic mail ballots in Florida must be received by 7 p.m. on Election Day to be counted. That means ballots that arrive after that deadline won’t be counted. That’s not the case in other states, which means it will take longer to tally the results. Nevada mail ballots are counted if they are postmarked by Election Day and received no later than seven days after the election. Mail ballots in Pennsylvania are accepted if they are postmarked on Election Day and received no later than three days after the election. Trump’s win: Trump won in a blowout by Florida standards, beating Biden by more than 370,000 votes. That was well outside the margin that would trigger a recount.
For more on this story, click here. —Skyler Swisher, Sun Sentinel
Republican supporters watch returns for Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Raphael Warnock and Republican incumbent Sen. Kelly Loeffler on Nov. 3, 2020, in Atlanta. (Curtis Compton/Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
6:00 a.m.: Georgia Senate runoffs could decide balance of power if Biden wins
The outcome in several contested states will determine whether Joe Biden defeats President Donald Trump. But if the Democratic challenger wins, the ambitions of a Biden presidency could well come down to Georgia.
Georgia, long a Republican stronghold — but one with rapidly changing demographics — could be the site of two runoffs on Jan. 5 to settle which party would control the Senate.
Should Democrats win them, Biden would be dealing with a majority in the Senate, increasing his chances for passing legislation and securing major appointment confirmations. Otherwise, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, could wield the power to block Biden.
Other races in North Carolina and Alaska also hold the potential to reshape the balance of power, but Georgia offers the more likely prospect.
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In Georgia, two runoff elections would mean a campaign on an almost national scale, with tens of millions of dollars spent by both sides.
Biden has been mum on the Senate balance as he awaits the results in his own election, but he offered a preview days before Tuesday’s election.
“I can’t tell you how important it is that we flip the United States Senate. There’s no state more consequential than Georgia in that fight,” Biden declared at an Atlanta rally on Oct. 27, when he campaigned alongside Democratic Senate hopefuls Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock.
Votes were still being counted to determine whether Ossoff will meet Georgia Sen. David Perdue in a second round. Georgia law requires an outright majority to win a statewide office.
Separately, a Georgia special election to fill the unexpired term of former Sen. Johnny Isakson will require a runoff between Warnock and Sen. Kelly Loeffler, the Republican appointed to the post last year after Isakson retired.
Nationally, the Senate stands at 48-48. But Republicans lead uncalled races in Alaska and North Carolina.
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For more on this story, click here. —Associated Press
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[ Here’s what happened on Nov. 3 and 4 ]