msnbc--2020-10-09--Whitmer conspiracy allegations tied to boogaloo movement

Several of the six men charged in federal court Thursday with a conspiracy to kidnap Michigan Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer have histories of anti-government organizing , as well as interest in countering what they saw as an `` uprising '' against President Donald Trump , according to their online profiles and comments .
In addition , several of the seven men facing separate state terrorism charges for their activity with a group called the Wolverine Watchmen also posted pro-Trump and anti-government content .
The men have not yet appeared in court or entered pleas .
A senior federal law enforcement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ group of seven tied to the Wolverine Watchmen believes in the `` boogaloo '' movement , which is largely dedicated to eradicating the government and killing law enforcement officers .
Their social media profiles showed connections to a wide variety of known anti-government groups .
Around the country , self-described members of the boogaloo movement have committed acts of violence and killed police officers in recent months , often in attempts to ignite what they believe will be a second civil war .
Authorities said a California man accused of killing a police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scrawled the word `` Boog '' in blood on the hood of a car during a standoff with police .
Federal agents arrested two other members of the boogaloo movement whom they accused of offering to work with the terrorist group Hamas last month .
In the Whitmer case , Adam Fox , Barry Croft , Ty Garbin , Kaleb Franks , Daniel Harris and Brandon Caserta were charged with conspiracy to commit kidnapping .
They are being held in U.S. marshals ' custody pending their detention hearing Tuesday morning .
NBC News @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the men charged in the cases that were connected by biographical information and email addresses tied to public records .
The profiles detail how some of the men who held anti-government views were spurred to action after Whitmer declared coronavirus lockdowns , which sparked protests that included members of armed right-wing groups , some of which called themselves militias .
Download the NBC News app for breaking news and politics In a social profile verified by date of birth , Croft wore a tricorn hat and a sweatshirt with the insignia of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Croft 's online footprint shows what appears to have been years of involvement in armed movements .
In 2016 , while he was living in Wilkesboro , North Carolina , Croft pushed pro-Trump conspiracy theories that absolved Russia of meddling in the 2016 election , calling investigations of Trump an `` uprising . ''
Croft added that he would be willing to fight for his beliefs and that he would be joined by millions of others , adding that they had more firearms than their perceived enemies .
Caserta 's social media @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that accelerated after the pandemic forced Michigan into lockdown .
In a YouTube video from May , Caserta claimed in a 30-minute diatribe that `` the enemy is government . ''
Caserta recorded the video in front of an anarchist 's flag and a map of Michigan .
He did not post on YouTube again until three weeks ago .
In that video , Caserta does not speak and simply loads and poses with a long gun while wearing a shirt that says `` F -- - The Government . ''
Fox , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ video shortly after it was posted , saying `` that safety lol , '' an apparent reference to the safety lock on Caserta 's gun .
On TikTok , Caserta posted selfie videos railing against the state , along with antigovernment hashtags .
`` The price of freedom is eternal vigilance , '' he said in a video posted Wednesday .
In one video , Caserta is wearing a Hawaiian shirt , which is typically associated with the boogaloo movement .
On Facebook , he posted about guns and Covid-19 conspiracies and espoused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Caserta 's Twitter timeline appears to show his rapid descent into radicalization .
In 2018 and early 2019 , Caserta largely liked and posted about comedy shows , podcasts like `` The Joe Rogan Experience , '' motivational quotations and selfies .
Caserta 's only likes after the onset of the pandemic mention conspiracy theories about Bill Gates and a meme about hogtying police officers .
Extremism researchers first noticed the boogaloo movement in 2019 , when fringe groups from gun rights and `` militia '' movements to white supremacists began referring to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` boogaloo , '' a joking reference to `` Breakin ' 2 : Electric Boogaloo , '' a 1984 sequel movie about break dancing .
The word is used to describe an uprising against a seemingly tyrannical or left-wing government , often in response to a perceived threat of widespread confiscation of guns .
For many , the word `` boogaloo '' is used jokingly or ironically , but others share the boogaloo alongside violent text and images , seemingly to inflame an eventual confrontation .
Others in the group facing federal charges @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their social media profiles before they were deleted .
Fox , who was a member of the public Facebook Group `` Open Michigan , '' had as his profile picture a skull and crossbones with a Three Percenter label and the phrase `` Liberty or Death . ''
Fringe anti-government groups in Michigan have agitated for months against what they have claimed are illegal orders the state government put in place to contain the coronavirus .
The groups got a boost in April when Trump tweeted `` LIBERATE MICHIGAN , '' which some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a call to arms .
Amy Cooter , a sociology professor and militia expert at Vanderbilt University , said Wolverine Watchmen is `` a relatively new group that was spurred to action specifically by the pandemic and by Whitmer 's response to it . ''
`` I absolutely believe that Trump plays a role in encouraging actions like this , in calling individuals to be members of groups like this in the first place and encouraging folks to show up in person to protests — by stoking fears and making them feel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ something about it , '' Cooter said .
A second law enforcement action Thursday involved state charges against seven more members of the Wolverine Watchmen .
The men , identified as Paul Bellar , Shawn Fix , Eric Molitor , Michael Null , William Null , Pete Musico and Joseph Morrison , face an array of state charges , including counts of threat of terrorism or material support of terrorist acts .
Musico had a YouTube channel on which he railed against Whitmer and praised Trump .
`` So sick and tired of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Donald Trump .
Well guess what ? ''
Musico said , pointing to a Trump 2020 hat on his head .
`` I hope that triggered a whole lot of people . ''

Ben Collins and Brandy Zadrozny and Tom Winter and Corky Siemaszko and Shamar Walters and Matteo Moschella  and Matthew Mulligan and Mohammed Syed

Several of the six men charged in federal court Thursday with a conspiracy to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer have histories of anti-government organizing, as well as interest in countering what they saw as an "uprising" against President Donald Trump, according to their online profiles and comments.
In addition, several of the seven men facing separate state terrorism charges for their activity with a group called the Wolverine Watchmen also posted pro-Trump and anti-government content.
The men have not yet appeared in court or entered pleas.
A senior federal law enforcement official said federal agents found that the group of seven tied to the Wolverine Watchmen believes in the "boogaloo" movement, which is largely dedicated to eradicating the government and killing law enforcement officers. Their social media profiles showed connections to a wide variety of known anti-government groups.
Around the country, self-described members of the boogaloo movement have committed acts of violence and killed police officers in recent months, often in attempts to ignite what they believe will be a second civil war. Authorities said a California man accused of killing a police officer and a federal agent in June scrawled the word "Boog" in blood on the hood of a car during a standoff with police. Federal agents arrested two other members of the boogaloo movement whom they accused of offering to work with the terrorist group Hamas last month.
The Michigan kidnapping suspects' online lives revealed boogaloo ties and swift online radicalization.
In the Whitmer case, Adam Fox, Barry Croft, Ty Garbin, Kaleb Franks, Daniel Harris and Brandon Caserta were charged with conspiracy to commit kidnapping. They are being held in U.S. marshals' custody pending their detention hearing Tuesday morning.
NBC News analyzed numerous social media profiles connected to the men charged in the cases that were connected by biographical information and email addresses tied to public records.
The profiles detail how some of the men who held anti-government views were spurred to action after Whitmer declared coronavirus lockdowns, which sparked protests that included members of armed right-wing groups, some of which called themselves militias.
Download the NBC News app for breaking news and politics
In a social profile verified by date of birth, Croft wore a tricorn hat and a sweatshirt with the insignia of the Three Percenters, an armed anti-government movement. Croft's online footprint shows what appears to have been years of involvement in armed movements.
In 2016, while he was living in Wilkesboro, North Carolina, Croft pushed pro-Trump conspiracy theories that absolved Russia of meddling in the 2016 election, calling investigations of Trump an "uprising."
Croft added that he would be willing to fight for his beliefs and that he would be joined by millions of others, adding that they had more firearms than their perceived enemies.
Caserta's social media timelines showed a more rapid radicalization path that accelerated after the pandemic forced Michigan into lockdown.
In a YouTube video from May, Caserta claimed in a 30-minute diatribe that "the enemy is government." Caserta recorded the video in front of an anarchist's flag and a map of Michigan. He did not post on YouTube again until three weeks ago. In that video, Caserta does not speak and simply loads and poses with a long gun while wearing a shirt that says "F--- The Government." Fox, also charged Thursday, responded to the video shortly after it was posted, saying "that safety lol," an apparent reference to the safety lock on Caserta's gun.
On TikTok, Caserta posted selfie videos railing against the state, along with antigovernment hashtags.
"The price of freedom is eternal vigilance," he said in a video posted Wednesday. In one video, Caserta is wearing a Hawaiian shirt, which is typically associated with the boogaloo movement. On Facebook, he posted about guns and Covid-19 conspiracies and espoused conflicting political ideologies, including anarchism.
Caserta's Twitter timeline appears to show his rapid descent into radicalization. In 2018 and early 2019, Caserta largely liked and posted about comedy shows, podcasts like "The Joe Rogan Experience," motivational quotations and selfies. Caserta's only likes after the onset of the pandemic mention conspiracy theories about Bill Gates and a meme about hogtying police officers.
Extremism researchers first noticed the boogaloo movement in 2019, when fringe groups from gun rights and "militia" movements to white supremacists began referring to an impending civil war using the word "boogaloo," a joking reference to "Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo," a 1984 sequel movie about break dancing.
The word is used to describe an uprising against a seemingly tyrannical or left-wing government, often in response to a perceived threat of widespread confiscation of guns. For many, the word "boogaloo" is used jokingly or ironically, but others share the boogaloo alongside violent text and images, seemingly to inflame an eventual confrontation.
Others in the group facing federal charges had similar anti-government memes and posts on their social media profiles before they were deleted. Fox, who was a member of the public Facebook Group "Open Michigan," had as his profile picture a skull and crossbones with a Three Percenter label and the phrase "Liberty or Death."
Fringe anti-government groups in Michigan have agitated for months against what they have claimed are illegal orders the state government put in place to contain the coronavirus. The groups got a boost in April when Trump tweeted "LIBERATE MICHIGAN," which some online extremist movements at the time took as a call to arms.
Amy Cooter, a sociology professor and militia expert at Vanderbilt University, said Wolverine Watchmen is "a relatively new group that was spurred to action specifically by the pandemic and by Whitmer's response to it."
"I absolutely believe that Trump plays a role in encouraging actions like this, in calling individuals to be members of groups like this in the first place and encouraging folks to show up in person to protests — by stoking fears and making them feel like it is their responsibility to do something about it," Cooter said.
A second law enforcement action Thursday involved state charges against seven more members of the Wolverine Watchmen.
The men, identified as Paul Bellar, Shawn Fix, Eric Molitor, Michael Null, William Null, Pete Musico and Joseph Morrison, face an array of state charges, including counts of threat of terrorism or material support of terrorist acts.
Musico had a YouTube channel on which he railed against Whitmer and praised Trump.
"So sick and tired of hearing about Donald Trump, Donald Trump, Donald Trump. Well guess what?" Musico said, pointing to a Trump 2020 hat on his head. "I hope that triggered a whole lot of people."


msnbc--2020-10-09--Jackie Robinson, MLK images in Trump ad leaves their families 'insulted'

The families of Jackie Robinson and Martin Luther King Jr. are blasting the Trump campaign for using the civil rights icons pictures in a new campaign ad .
`` The Trump campaign is in opposition to all that Jackie Robinson stood for and believed in .
We ’ re insulted and demand that his image be removed ! ''
Robinson 's daughter , Sharon Robinson , tweeted on Thursday .
`` The families of the late Black icons are n't having it , '' she later wrote on Twitter .
King 's daughter Bernice King tweeted at the president on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Trump ’ s use of my father ’ s image in his political ad beyond insulting and not reflective of # MLK ’ s commitment to creating the # BelovedCommunity .
My father should not be used in ways strongly misaligned with his vision and value . ''
She said the slain civil rights leader `` was working for an America with leaders who have answered the call to conscience and compassionate action , '' and quoted him calling for leaders `` not in love with publicity but in love with justice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of leader NOW , '' added King , who heads the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change .
The Trump ad , entitled , `` Say What You Will About America , '' uses the pictures of Robinson , the Brooklyn Dodgers great who broke baseball 's color barrier in 1947 , and King early on in the ad , while touting American exceptionalism .
`` Impossible ?
We treat that word as motivation , '' the ad says .
The ad takes a darker turn near the end of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of damages from looting and burning flags while warning than an unidientified `` they '' want `` to destroy our traditions . ''
It concludes by saying , `` We will never surrender America '' and `` do n't bet against us . ''
The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the daughters ' requests .

The families of Jackie Robinson and Martin Luther King Jr. are blasting the Trump campaign for using the civil rights icons pictures in a new campaign ad.
"The Trump campaign is in opposition to all that Jackie Robinson stood for and believed in. We’re insulted and demand that his image be removed!" Robinson's daughter, Sharon Robinson, tweeted on Thursday.
"The families of the late Black icons aren't having it," she later wrote on Twitter.
King's daughter Bernice King tweeted at the president on Wednesday, saying, "I find President Trump’s use of my father’s image in his political ad beyond insulting and not reflective of #MLK’s commitment to creating the #BelovedCommunity. My father should not be used in ways strongly misaligned with his vision and value."
She said the slain civil rights leader "was working for an America with leaders who have answered the call to conscience and compassionate action," and quoted him calling for leaders "not in love with publicity but in love with justice."
"America needs this type of leader NOW," added King, who heads the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change.
The Trump ad, entitled, "Say What You Will About America," uses the pictures of Robinson, the Brooklyn Dodgers great who broke baseball's color barrier in 1947, and King early on in the ad, while touting American exceptionalism.
"Impossible? We treat that word as motivation," the ad says. The ad takes a darker turn near the end of its 80-second running time, showing images of damages from looting and burning flags while warning than an unidientified "they" want "to destroy our traditions."
It concludes by saying, "We will never surrender America" and "don't bet against us."
The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the daughters' requests.


msnbc--2020-10-08--Tory Lanez, rapper who Megan Thee Stallion says shot her, charged with firearm assault

Rapper Tory Lanez has been charged with allegedly “ assaulting a female friend ” Thursday following accusations from Megan Thee Stallion that he shot her earlier this year .
Lanez , 28 , whose real name is Daystar Peterson , is facing one count of assault with a semiautomatic firearm and carrying a loaded , unregistered firearm in a vehicle , the Los Angeles County District Attorney ’ s Office said Thursday .
The charges stem from an incident in the Hollywood Hills on July 12 , a statement from the DA 's office said .
The statement from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the female victim .
But charging documents for Lanez from Thursday , seen by NBC News , identify her as “ Megan P. ” Megan Thee Stallion , whose real name is Megan Jovon Ruth Pete , told fans on Instagram in July that she was shot in a `` crime that was ... done with the intention to physically harm me.
” The rapper said that she underwent surgery to remove the bullet and was “ incredibly grateful to be alive.
” Police say they arrived at the scene of a Hollywood @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , where gunshots were heard before an SUV left the scene .
Pete ’ s foot was seemingly cut by broken glass in the SUV when officers located the vehicle , where a gun was also found .
The Los Angeles Police Department confirmed to NBC News in July that Lanez was arrested on a charge of having a concealed weapon in a vehicle , but did not have information on Pete ’ s claims of having been shot .
Pete , 25 , later publicly accused Lanez of being the one who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ video in August .
`` Yes ... Tory shot me , '' she said .
`` It 's not that I was protecting anybody , I just wasn ’ t ready to speak . ''
The statement from the DA on Thursday said Lanez and the victim `` got into an argument while riding in an SUV in the Hollywood Hills .
The victim exited the vehicle and ( Lanez ) is accused of shooting several times at her feet and wounding her . ''
Representatives for Pete did not immediately respond to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ No new booking information is available for Lanez through the Los Angeles County inmate records and it does not appear that he has been arrested for the new charges Thursday .
A representative for the Canada-born rapper did not immediately respond to a request for comment .

Rapper Tory Lanez has been charged with allegedly “assaulting a female friend” Thursday following accusations from Megan Thee Stallion that he shot her earlier this year.
Lanez, 28, whose real name is Daystar Peterson, is facing one count of assault with a semiautomatic firearm and carrying a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said Thursday. The charges stem from an incident in the Hollywood Hills on July 12, a statement from the DA's office said.
The statement from the district attorney's office does not name the female victim. But charging documents for Lanez from Thursday, seen by NBC News, identify her as “Megan P.”
Megan Thee Stallion, whose real name is Megan Jovon Ruth Pete, told fans on Instagram in July that she was shot in a "crime that was ... done with the intention to physically harm me.” The rapper said that she underwent surgery to remove the bullet and was “incredibly grateful to be alive.”
Megan Thee Stallion attends the Coach 1941 fashion show during New York Fashion Week on Feb. 11, 2020 in New York City. Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images file
Police say they arrived at the scene of a Hollywood Hills residence early Sunday, July 12, where gunshots were heard before an SUV left the scene. Pete’s foot was seemingly cut by broken glass in the SUV when officers located the vehicle, where a gun was also found.
The Los Angeles Police Department confirmed to NBC News in July that Lanez was arrested on a charge of having a concealed weapon in a vehicle, but did not have information on Pete’s claims of having been shot.
Pete, 25, later publicly accused Lanez of being the one who shot her in in an Instagram Live video in August. "Yes ... Tory shot me," she said. "It's not that I was protecting anybody, I just wasn’t ready to speak."
The statement from the DA on Thursday said Lanez and the victim "got into an argument while riding in an SUV in the Hollywood Hills. The victim exited the vehicle and (Lanez) is accused of shooting several times at her feet and wounding her."
Representatives for Pete did not immediately respond to an NBC News request for comment.
No new booking information is available for Lanez through the Los Angeles County inmate records and it does not appear that he has been arrested for the new charges Thursday. A representative for the Canada-born rapper did not immediately respond to a request for comment.


msnbc--2020-10-08--The 'evidence is clear': Hydroxychloroquine doesn't help Covid-19 patients

Researchers at the University of Oxford in the U.K. have concluded that hydroxychloroquine does nothing to prevent Covid-19-related deaths .
The research is a continuation of a major clinical trial that found that the drug — which has previously been touted by President Donald Trump and White House trade adviser Peter Navarro — had no clinical benefit .
The study , published in the New England Journal of Medicine , examined the outcomes of 1,561 patients hospitalized with Covid-19 who received hydroxychloroquine and compared them to 3,155 patients who served as a control group .
Within a month , about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ group had died .
There was also a slightly higher number of heart-related deaths in the hydroxychloroquine group ; however , that finding was not robust enough to be statistically significant — meaning it could have been due to chance .
`` The scientific evidence is clear , '' said Dr. Caleb Alexander , a professor of epidemiology and medicine at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health .
`` There is no convincing evidence of its effectiveness for treating Covid . ''
Download the NBC News app for breaking news about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been around for decades , is used to treat malaria and certain autoimmune conditions , including lupus and rheumatoid arthritis .
Its potential for treating Covid-19 first appeared in February with a small study from China .
The study did not examine how the drug might work in Covid-19 patients but instead looked at how it behaved on a cellular level in a lab .
That is typical of how research on experimental therapies generally begins .
Then , other small studies from China and France hinted that the drug might , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The journal that published the French study , however , later said the article did not meet its expected standard .
Within the next month , Trump publicly began touting the drug as a `` game changer . ''
The Food and Drug Administration authorized hydroxychloroquine for emergency use among hospitalized Covid-19 patients , as well as for those in clinical trials .
By April , physicians on the front lines treating seriously ill Covid-19 patients had surmised that hydroxychloroquine did nothing to help .
Multiple studies later provided the science to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The FDA pulled the emergency use authorization in June .
`` In light of ongoing serious cardiac adverse events and other serious side effects , the known and potential benefits '' of hydroxychloroquine `` no longer outweigh those risks , '' the FDA wrote on its website .
The National Institutes of Health and the World Health Organization also halted Covid-19-related trials of hydroxychloroquine .

Researchers at the University of Oxford in the U.K. have concluded that hydroxychloroquine does nothing to prevent Covid-19-related deaths.
The research is a continuation of a major clinical trial that found that the drug — which has previously been touted by President Donald Trump and White House trade adviser Peter Navarro — had no clinical benefit.
Full coverage of the coronavirus outbreak
The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, examined the outcomes of 1,561 patients hospitalized with Covid-19 who received hydroxychloroquine and compared them to 3,155 patients who served as a control group.
Within a month, about a quarter of the patients in each group had died.
There was also a slightly higher number of heart-related deaths in the hydroxychloroquine group; however, that finding was not robust enough to be statistically significant — meaning it could have been due to chance.
"The scientific evidence is clear," said Dr. Caleb Alexander, a professor of epidemiology and medicine at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. "There is no convincing evidence of its effectiveness for treating Covid."
Download the NBC News app for breaking news about the president's health
Hydroxychloroquine, which has been around for decades, is used to treat malaria and certain autoimmune conditions, including lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.
Its potential for treating Covid-19 first appeared in February with a small study from China. The study did not examine how the drug might work in Covid-19 patients but instead looked at how it behaved on a cellular level in a lab. That is typical of how research on experimental therapies generally begins.
Then, other small studies from China and France hinted that the drug might, indeed, be effective in treating patients. The journal that published the French study, however, later said the article did not meet its expected standard.
Within the next month, Trump publicly began touting the drug as a "game changer." The Food and Drug Administration authorized hydroxychloroquine for emergency use among hospitalized Covid-19 patients, as well as for those in clinical trials.
By April, physicians on the front lines treating seriously ill Covid-19 patients had surmised that hydroxychloroquine did nothing to help. Multiple studies later provided the science to back up what the doctors were saying.
The FDA pulled the emergency use authorization in June. "In light of ongoing serious cardiac adverse events and other serious side effects, the known and potential benefits" of hydroxychloroquine "no longer outweigh those risks," the FDA wrote on its website.
The National Institutes of Health and the World Health Organization also halted Covid-19-related trials of hydroxychloroquine.
Follow NBC HEALTH on Twitter & Facebook.


msnbc--2020-10-09--Neal Katyal: Trump’s call for indictments against political rivals is ‘the last gasp of a desperate,

Virus cases rise in NYC , prompting new fears for the fall

Neal Katyal: Trump’s call for indictments against political rivals is ‘the last gasp of a desperate, failing man’
Neal Katyal, the former Acting U.S. Solicitor General, joins Lawrence O’Donnell to discuss Donald Trump’s failure to behave in a presidential way by calling for Attorney General Barr to indict Joe Biden & Barack Obama.Oct. 9, 2020


msnbc--2020-10-08--Former Trump insider Cohen believes Trump wants to jail his rivals

Meacham: Pence probably saved the republic, but I don't always want to count on one person to do it


msnbc--2020-10-09--Virus cases rise in NYC, prompting new fears for the fall

Meacham: Pence probably saved the republic, but I don't always want to count on one person to do it 08:18


msnbc--2020-10-09--Amid murky health details, Trump wants to hold rally

The president said Thursday he was hoping to hold a rally over the weekend in Florida and potentially Pennsylvania, but questions remain a week after he publicly announced his coronavirus diagnosis.Oct. 9, 2020


msnbc--2020-10-09--Trump unmoored calls for indictment of his political opponents

The president on Thursday called for AG Barr to indict Joe Biden for the 'greatest political crime in the history of our country.' Trump also called for the indictment of former President Obama. The Morning Joe panel discusses.Oct. 9, 2020


msnbc--2020-10-08--Joe: We can't make the right choices if you lie to us

Joe: We can't make the right choices if you lie to us
On Wednesday, VP Mike Pence said the Trump WH respects the freedom of the American people regarding the pandemic and mask mandates. Joe Scarborough shares his thoughts on the White House's handling of the virus.Oct. 8, 2020


msnbc--2020-10-08--Harris did 'exactly what she needed to do' at debate


msnbc--2020-10-08--Politics on the fly with Pence, Trump and Obama

As the fly from Wednesday night's debate became the star of the show, what about how President Obama and Trump both handled flies in the past?Oct. 8, 2020


msnbc--2020-10-08--Sen. Warren: We need to beat the president 'bigly'

Sen. Eizabaeth Warren, D-Mass., weighs in on what happens if the president won't accept the outcome of the race if he loses. Sen. Warren says it's another test for the strength of our democracy and she says Trump must be defeated by a wide margin.Oct. 8, 2020


msnbc--2020-10-08--Trump asked Walter Reed doctors to sign non-disclosure agreements

President Trump required personnel at Walter Reed to sign non-disclosure agreements last year before they could be involved with treating him, according to four people familiar with the process.Oct. 8, 2020


msnbc--2020-10-09--White House hides Trump status as agent of infection; Trump blames Gold Star families

Rachel Maddow points out that the Trump administration has been forthcoming in the past about Donald Trump testing negative for Covid-19, which makes it all the more mysterious that they won't now say when Trump last tested negative. Meanwhile, Trump is blaming his infection on Gold Star families.Oct. 9, 2020


msnbc--2020-10-09--Alleged domestic terrorists used armed protests at Michigan capitol for recruitment


msnbc--2020-10-09--'Donald Trump has no understanding of what service is': Gold Star father


msnbc--2020-10-09--Former Mueller prosecutor Andrew Weissmann thinks we could see Trump self-pardon if he doesn’t win r

Former Mueller prosecutor Andrew Weissmann thinks we could see Trump self-pardon if he doesn’t win reelection

McCaskill : We can see ‘ cracks in the very firm foundation ’ of Trump ’ s GOP ‘ minions @

Former FBI general counsel Andrew Weissmann and Washington Post reporter David Fahrenthold discuss new reports that reveal more about Trump’s financial situation and how these developments could turn into even bigger legal problems for him, especially if he becomes a private citizen again soonOct. 9, 2020


msnbc--2020-10-09--Presidential debate in Miami canceled after Trump refuses to participate virtually

The second presidential debate between President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden slated for next week has been canceled, the Commission on Presidential Debate announced on Friday.Oct. 9, 2020


msnbc--2020-10-09--Trump’s crashing in polls after 'hell week' - but Biden trails Clinton’s 2016 edge

With just 25 days until Election Day, MSNBC’s Ari Melber reports on the historic voter turnout being seen during early voting compared to this time in 2016. Over 8 million ballots have been cast, and Republicans are nervous as signs indicate voters are turning on Trump. But as Melber explains, this race may be tighter than it seems: state polling shows Biden is not doing much better than Clinton was at this point last cycle, an election she eventually went on to narrowly lose.Oct. 9, 2020


msnbc--2020-10-09--Pelosi introduces legislation related to the 25th Amendment

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi introduced a piece of legislation that would work to establish a committee to advise on issues related to the 25th Amendment and the president's fitness for office. NBC's Leigh Ann Caldwell discusses the plan and what impact it could have this close to the election.Oct. 9, 2020


msnbc--2020-10-10--Why won’t the White House reveal the date of Trump’s last negative test?

Why won’t the White House reveal the date of Trump’s last negative test?
Chris Hayes: “The only reasonable conclusion to draw is that the president did not actually test negative before he got in a room with former Vice President Joe Biden for last week's debate."Oct. 10, 2020


msnbc--2020-10-10--McCaskill: We can see ‘cracks in the very firm foundation’ of Trump’s GOP ‘minions’

McCaskill: We can see ‘cracks in the very firm foundation’ of Trump’s GOP ‘minions’
Fmr. Sen. Claire McCaskill: “We’re beginning to see cracks in the very firm foundation of all of his minions in the Senate that have ‘R’ behind their name.”Oct. 10, 2020


msnbc--2020-10-10--Kansas GOP caught plotting to rig redistricting

“Just recently, a local Republican leader laid out a plan to defeat Congresswoman Davids in November,” says Chris Hayes. “Not by running a good candidate against her—no—but by redrawing Kansas's four congressional districts in such a way that she can't win.”Oct. 10, 2020


msnbc--2020-10-09--Rep. Maxine Waters: 'Long past time' to invoke 25th amendment on Trump

As Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi starts to look into legislation that would create a bipartisan commission to determine a sitting president’s ability to carry out the duties of the office, Congresswoman Maxine Waters thinks it’s time to invoke the 25th amendment on the president.Oct. 9, 2020


msnbc--2020-10-09--NYT: Trump borrowed $30 million seven weeks before 2016 election

There is new reporting from the New York Times on Trump’s tax returns and how the president engineered a windfall. The Times reports that seven weeks before the 2016 election a Trump partnership “borrowed $30 million from the City National Bank in Los Angeles.”Oct. 9, 2020


msnbc--2020-10-10--Despite Trump's claims, federal agencies foresee a secure election

The 2020 presidential election may be the first in which a candidate has campaigned to delegitimize the results before the first ballot was cast .
But for the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and other federal agencies , it ’ s the culmination of four years of preparation to keep the election safe .
“ We 've got a lot of confidence that the ballot 's as secure as it 's ever been , ” said CISA ’ s director , Chris Krebs .
“ We 've been working on this for three-and-a-half years.
” CISA and its partner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ FBI and National Security Agency , are keen to avoid a repeat of 2016 , when Russian military intelligence hacked the Illinois voter registration database and those of two Florida counties in the months leading up to that election .
With few procedures or lines of communication among federal , state and local governments , Illinois and the Florida counties were caught unaware .
Federal agencies did not have a way to clearly communicate the threats they were seeing , and the public did not learn the extent of what had happened until @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said in public and on social media that the 2020 election would somehow be “ rigged.
” In his televised debate with former Vice President Joe Biden on Sept. 29 , Trump insisted without evidence that the election was a “ fraud and a sham.
” Some of those sentiments are reflected in public opinion .
According to an NBC/SurveyMonkey poll in August , a majority of Americans , 55 percent , said they were not confident in the fairness of the election .
Since then , Trump , who is trailing Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his unsubstantiated claims .
But officials at multiple levels of government have contradicted him .
On Thursday , the FBI tweeted a nine-minute video , in which Director Christopher Wray , Krebs and two other agency heads talk about their commitment to safeguarding the election .
Unlike most of the FBI ’ s informational materials about election safety , which struggle to gain much attention with the public , the video racked up more than 1.4 million views .
And in a livestreamed CISA event Wednesday , Homeland Security Director Chad Wolf , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump , described a very different scenario than that posed by the president .
“ We believe preserving the integrity of this indispensable American tradition is pivotal in the administration 's commitment to putting America First , ” Wolf said in his prepared remarks .
“ With this administration 's full support and backing , the men and women of CISA have traveled across the country , building relationships with state and local officials who manage these critical systems.
” Between 2017 and the beginning of 2020 , CISA and other election officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attacking the election ’ s integrity .
CISA dispatched its senior cybersecurity advisor , Matt Masterson , around the country to meet with state and local election officials who may have been previously reluctant to embrace its offer of free cybersecurity services .
Mac Warner , secretary of state in West Virginia , said Masterson ’ s hiring signaled to states that federal officials were willing to be election partners rather than simply recipients of election intelligence .
“ Really , the change came when Matt Masterson came on board , ” Warner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ official himself , he wasn ’ t so tight-fisted with the information .
He understood the necessity of having that.
” But as the coronavirus hit in the spring , CISA pivoted to partnering with the Election Assistance Commission to prepare states for a massive , rapid shift to voting by mail and in-person under guidelines set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
The agency put out detailed plans for states to follow , including a week-by-week timeline for how to begin a major vote-by-mail program and cybersecurity checklists tailored @ @ @ @

The 2020 presidential election may be the first in which a candidate has campaigned to delegitimize the results before the first ballot was cast. But for the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and other federal agencies, it’s the culmination of four years of preparation to keep the election safe.
“We've got a lot of confidence that the ballot's as secure as it's ever been,” said CISA’s director, Chris Krebs. “We've been working on this for three-and-a-half years.”
CISA and its partner agencies on election security, like the FBI and National Security Agency, are keen to avoid a repeat of 2016, when Russian military intelligence hacked the Illinois voter registration database and those of two Florida counties in the months leading up to that election.
With few procedures or lines of communication among federal, state and local governments, Illinois and the Florida counties were caught unaware. Federal agencies did not have a way to clearly communicate the threats they were seeing, and the public did not learn the extent of what had happened until years later.
President Donald Trump has repeatedly said in public and on social media that the 2020 election would somehow be “rigged.” In his televised debate with former Vice President Joe Biden on Sept. 29, Trump insisted without evidence that the election was a “fraud and a sham.”
Voting machines are prepared for distribution from the Miami-Dade County Election Department during the general election in Doral, Florida, on Oct.1. Joe Raedle / Getty Images file
Some of those sentiments are reflected in public opinion. According to an NBC/SurveyMonkey poll in August, a majority of Americans, 55 percent, said they were not confident in the fairness of the election. Since then, Trump, who is trailing Biden in most national polls, has repeated his unsubstantiated claims.
But officials at multiple levels of government have contradicted him. On Thursday, the FBI tweeted a nine-minute video, in which Director Christopher Wray, Krebs and two other agency heads talk about their commitment to safeguarding the election. Unlike most of the FBI’s informational materials about election safety, which struggle to gain much attention with the public, the video racked up more than 1.4 million views.
And in a livestreamed CISA event Wednesday, Homeland Security Director Chad Wolf, who has been accused of catering to Trump, described a very different scenario than that posed by the president.
“We believe preserving the integrity of this indispensable American tradition is pivotal in the administration's commitment to putting America First,” Wolf said in his prepared remarks. “With this administration's full support and backing, the men and women of CISA have traveled across the country, building relationships with state and local officials who manage these critical systems.”
Between 2017 and the beginning of 2020, CISA and other election officials were concerned about the possibility of hackers attacking the election’s integrity. CISA dispatched its senior cybersecurity advisor, Matt Masterson, around the country to meet with state and local election officials who may have been previously reluctant to embrace its offer of free cybersecurity services.
Mac Warner, secretary of state in West Virginia, said Masterson’s hiring signaled to states that federal officials were willing to be election partners rather than simply recipients of election intelligence.
“Really, the change came when Matt Masterson came on board,” Warner said. “Having been an election official himself, he wasn’t so tight-fisted with the information. He understood the necessity of having that.”
But as the coronavirus hit in the spring, CISA pivoted to partnering with the Election Assistance Commission to prepare states for a massive, rapid shift to voting by mail and in-person under guidelines set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The agency put out detailed plans for states to follow, including a week-by-week timeline for how to begin a major vote-by-mail program and cybersecurity checklists tailored for individual states.


msnbc--2020-10-10--Ex-officer no longer fighting to overturn conviction in Laquan McDonald's death

An Illinois appellate court has granted a request to drop the appeal from the former Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke , convicted in the 2014 shooting death of Laquan McDonald .
Jason Van Dyke was convicted in 2018 of second-degree murder and 16 counts of aggravated battery with a firearm for fatally shooting McDonald , 17 , and was sentenced to more than six years in person .
“ Mr .
Van Dyke ’ s decision prevents additional years of litigation , bringing finality to the thorough prosecution of this case in which his rights were protected and justice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a statement .
Van Dyke 's attorney filed a motion to drop his appeal last month .
Attorney Jennifer Blagg said Van Dyke decided to withdraw his appeal because he is trying to move on with his life , according to The Associated Press .
“ He thought it was in the best interest of all the parties involved , including the McDonald family , that there be some finality , ” Blagg said .
The decision was announced Friday by the Kane County State ’ s Attorney Joe McMahon , who was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ McDonald was shot 16 times as he walked away after officers responded to a call that he was carrying a knife and breaking into cars in the city 's Southwest Side .
The fatal shooting sparked protests .
McDonald is Black , and Van Dyke is white .
Chicago 's police superintendent , Garry McCarthy , was fired in 2015 , one week after dashcam video of the deadly encounter was released .
Chicago had resisted sharing the video footage , which shows Van Dyke hitting McDonald 16 times and contradicts the police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ toward officers .
A judge forced the city to release the video .
Van Dyke at his trial testified that he feared for his life .
The dashcam footage showed that Van Dyke was moving toward McDonald , while the teenager was veering away from officers in the middle of the street .
Under Illinois law , Van Dyke likely will serve about half the sentence , the Kane County State ’ s Attorney 's Office said in a statement Friday .
Prosecutors had sought at least 18 years in prison .
Illinois @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a petition with the state Supreme Court to review whether the law was followed when the sentence was handed down .
The Illinois Supreme Court in March 2019 let stand Van Dyke 's sentence in a 4-2 decision .

An Illinois appellate court has granted a request to drop the appeal from the former Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke, convicted in the 2014 shooting death of Laquan McDonald.
Jason Van Dyke was convicted in 2018 of second-degree murder and 16 counts of aggravated battery with a firearm for fatally shooting McDonald, 17, and was sentenced to more than six years in person.
“Mr. Van Dyke’s decision prevents additional years of litigation, bringing finality to the thorough prosecution of this case in which his rights were protected and justice was served," McMahon said in a statement.
Van Dyke's attorney filed a motion to drop his appeal last month.
Attorney Jennifer Blagg said Van Dyke decided to withdraw his appeal because he is trying to move on with his life, according to The Associated Press.
“He thought it was in the best interest of all the parties involved, including the McDonald family, that there be some finality,” Blagg said.
The decision was announced Friday by the Kane County State’s Attorney Joe McMahon, who was appointed to prosecute the controversial case.
McDonald was shot 16 times as he walked away after officers responded to a call that he was carrying a knife and breaking into cars in the city's Southwest Side.
The fatal shooting sparked protests. McDonald is Black, and Van Dyke is white.
Chicago's police superintendent, Garry McCarthy, was fired in 2015, one week after dashcam video of the deadly encounter was released.
Chicago had resisted sharing the video footage, which shows Van Dyke hitting McDonald 16 times and contradicts the police's original description of McDonald as lunging toward officers. A judge forced the city to release the video.
Van Dyke at his trial testified that he feared for his life. The dashcam footage showed that Van Dyke was moving toward McDonald, while the teenager was veering away from officers in the middle of the street.
Under Illinois law, Van Dyke likely will serve about half the sentence, the Kane County State’s Attorney's Office said in a statement Friday.
Prosecutors had sought at least 18 years in prison.
Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul and McMahon filed a petition with the state Supreme Court to review whether the law was followed when the sentence was handed down.
The Illinois Supreme Court in March 2019 let stand Van Dyke's sentence in a 4-2 decision.


msnbc--2020-10-10--Regeneron board member and executive sell $1 million in stock after Trump touts treatment

A Regeneron executive and one of its directors sold $ 1 million worth of stocks two days after President Donald Trump announced he was taking their therapeutic , recent filings from the Securities and Exchange Commission reveal .
Last Friday night , the White House announced that as part of Trump 's treatment for coronavirus , he had received Regeneron ’ s experimental antibody cocktail that has not passed formal trials or been approved by the Food and Drug Administration .
One day later , the president appeared in a video posted to his Twitter account about his treatment at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ They gave me Regeneron , ” he said , saying the company name instead of the treatment ’ s name , REGN-COV2 .
“ It was like , unbelievable .
I felt good immediately .
I felt as good three days ago as I do now.
” At another point in the video he said that the therapeutics he was given were “ miracles ... we have things happening that look like they ’ re miracles coming down from God.
” '' I think this was a blessing from God that I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think it was a blessing in disguise , '' Trump said in the video .
`` I caught it , I heard about this drug , I said , 'Let me take it ' … and it was incredible the way it worked . ''
“ I call that a cure , ” he said .
“ It ’ s a cure.
” After the video posted , Regeneron ’ s stock jumped over 3 percent in after-hours trading .
On Monday , when markets opened , Regeneron stock prices surged $ 33 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day , Joseph Goldstein , who sits on the company ’ s board of directors , and SVP and Head of Commercial Marion McCourt exercised stock options that let them sell a total of 10,200 shares for a net profit of over $ 1 million .
According to filings , that netted about $ 740,000 for Goldstein and $ 260,000 for McCourt .
Company executives have been selling shares at the company on a regular basis , but insider sales activity jumped at the same time the coronavirus took hold in the United @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2020 , according to data collected by MarketBeat .
The year isn ’ t over and already $ 100 million more in stock has been sold compared to 2019 and 2018 — $ 248 million vs $ 142 million and $ 143 million , respectively — a 70 percent increase .
The company 's stock price has climbed from $ 400 to $ 600 a share from the beginning of the year , a 50 percent increase .
The SEC did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday evening .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s financial documents reveal the president ’ s three family trusts held investments in Regeneron as well as pharmaceutical giant Sanofi , which itself is a major shareholder in Regeneron .
His 2017 filing with the U.S. Office of Government Ethics disclosed shares in Regeneron , but they did not appear on his 2020 filing .
A Regeneron company spokesperson said Goldstein and McCourt ’ s stock sales were pre-planned through a mechanism designed to avoid accusations of insider trading and were automatically triggered by the stock hitting certain levels .
“ Those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to 10b5-1 plans , ” Regeneron spokesperson Alexandra Bowie told NBC News in an email .
“ These are pre-established at a time when the executive/director is not aware of any material , nonpublic information about Regeneron and automatically trigger when the stock hits a certain price.
” After NBC News asked for copies of the plans , Bowie said , “ The plans themselves are not public.
” When asked for the dates the plans were first created and modified , Bowie said the company “ practice ” was “ to require @ @ @ @ @ @ @ period ’ before a plan becomes effective.
” Accountable Pharma , a campaign of the watchdog group Accountable.US , said the sales raised potential ethical concerns for the Trump administration and the drug company executives and called for an “ investigation.
” '' This is the latest case in a clear pattern of President Trump pumping up stocks with his 'miracle cure ' hype and pledges of taxpayer dollars while drug company executives dump their shares and guarantee they come out ahead whether their treatment works or not , ” spokesman Eli Zupnick @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should absolutely be an investigation to determine whether there were any improprieties regarding these stock sales , including any potential government action taken to enrich President Trump or his political advisers , '' he wrote .
Daniel Taylor , associate professor of accounting at The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania , said that the steps the companies executives took to set up a pre-determined sale schedule should protect them from any legal action .
“ If 10b5-1 are put in place well in advance of any event , it provides safe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said .
But companies and executives need to avoid even the appearance of impropriety and be mindful of how the appearance of well-timed trades can create reputational risks , he said .
“ They company doesn ’ t want people to think their executives are trading opportunistically , ” Taylor said .

A Regeneron executive and one of its directors sold $1 million worth of stocks two days after President Donald Trump announced he was taking their therapeutic, recent filings from the Securities and Exchange Commission reveal.
Last Friday night, the White House announced that as part of Trump's treatment for coronavirus, he had received Regeneron’s experimental antibody cocktail that has not passed formal trials or been approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
One day later, the president appeared in a video posted to his Twitter account about his treatment at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
“They gave me Regeneron,” he said, saying the company name instead of the treatment’s name, REGN-COV2. “It was like, unbelievable. I felt good immediately. I felt as good three days ago as I do now.”
At another point in the video he said that the therapeutics he was given were “miracles...we have things happening that look like they’re miracles coming down from God.”
"I think this was a blessing from God that I caught [the virus], I think it was a blessing in disguise," Trump said in the video. "I caught it, I heard about this drug, I said, 'Let me take it' … and it was incredible the way it worked."
“I call that a cure,” he said. “It’s a cure.”
After the video posted, Regeneron’s stock jumped over 3 percent in after-hours trading.
On Monday, when markets opened, Regeneron stock prices surged from $564 to over $600 a share. That day, Joseph Goldstein, who sits on the company’s board of directors, and SVP and Head of Commercial Marion McCourt exercised stock options that let them sell a total of 10,200 shares for a net profit of over $1 million. According to filings, that netted about $740,000 for Goldstein and $260,000 for McCourt.
Company executives have been selling shares at the company on a regular basis, but insider sales activity jumped at the same time the coronavirus took hold in the United States, starting the second quarter of 2020, according to data collected by MarketBeat. The year isn’t over and already $100 million more in stock has been sold compared to 2019 and 2018 — $248 million vs $142 million and $143 million, respectively — a 70 percent increase. The company's stock price has climbed from $400 to $600 a share from the beginning of the year, a 50 percent increase.
The SEC did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday evening.
The New York Times reported that Trump’s financial documents reveal the president’s three family trusts held investments in pharmaceutical giant Sanofi, which itself was a major shareholder in Regeneron until May. His 2017 filing with the U.S. Office of Government Ethics disclosed shares in Regeneron, but they did not appear on his 2020 filing.
A Regeneron company spokesperson said Goldstein and McCourt’s stock sales were pre-planned through a mechanism designed to avoid accusations of insider trading and were automatically triggered by the stock hitting certain levels.
“Those [Oct. 5] transactions were conducted pursuant to 10b5-1 plans,” Regeneron spokesperson Alexandra Bowie told NBC News in an email. “These are pre-established at a time when the executive/director is not aware of any material, nonpublic information about Regeneron and automatically trigger when the stock hits a certain price.”
After NBC News asked for copies of the plans, Bowie said, “The plans themselves are not public.” When asked for the dates the plans were first created and modified, Bowie said the company “practice” was “to require at least a 30 day ‘waiting period’ before a plan becomes effective.”
Accountable Pharma, a campaign of the watchdog group Accountable.US, said the sales raised potential ethical concerns for the Trump administration and the drug company executives and called for an “investigation.”
"This is the latest case in a clear pattern of President Trump pumping up stocks with his 'miracle cure' hype and pledges of taxpayer dollars while drug company executives dump their shares and guarantee they come out ahead whether their treatment works or not,” spokesman Eli Zupnick said in an email.
“There should absolutely be an investigation to determine whether there were any improprieties regarding these stock sales, including any potential government action taken to enrich President Trump or his political advisers," he wrote.
Daniel Taylor, associate professor of accounting at The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, said that the steps the companies executives took to set up a pre-determined sale schedule should protect them from any legal action.
“If 10b5-1 are put in place well in advance of any event, it provides safe harbor regardless of the event,” he said.
But companies and executives need to avoid even the appearance of impropriety and be mindful of how the appearance of well-timed trades can create reputational risks, he said.
“They company doesn’t want people to think their executives are trading opportunistically,” Taylor said.
The SEC didn't immediately respond to a request for comment sent Friday evening.
CORRECTION (Oct. 12, 12:39 p.m. ET): A previous version of this article misstated investments held by the Trump family trusts. The trusts are known to have investments in Sanofi, not in Regeneron. The article also misstated Sanofi’s investment in Regeneron. Sanofi is not currently a major shareholder of Regeneron, reducing its investments in the company in May.


msnbc--2020-10-10--Militia expert: Trump’s comments were ‘call to arms’ to white power extremists

Trump campaign tainted by personal legal , financial desperation

In the wake of the FBI thwarting a plot to kidnap and possibly kill Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, militia expert Kathleen Belew joins Lawrence O’Donnell to explain the movement and that this is part of a larger plot to subvert democracy. Belew says the movement has been around for generations so the real question is why are we, as a society, not confronting the threat head-on.Oct. 10, 2020


msnbc--2020-10-10--Susan Page on moderating VP debate: I'm still not checking Twitter

Meacham: Pence probably saved the republic, but I don't always want to count on one person to do it


msnbc--2020-10-10--Biden sounds alarm on Trump election attacks: We must win big

As the president continues to attack the integrity of the election in right-wing media interviews, Joe Biden tells supporters the best strategy Democrats have is to beat Trump overwhelmingly. Baratunde Thurston and Lanhee Chen join to discuss.Oct. 10, 2020


msnbc--2020-10-10--Trump plans White House event as White House Covid outbreak spreads

With medical experts saying the president could still be contagious and the White House refusing to say when Trump last tested negative, Trump is planning a 'Law and Order' event on Saturday with hundreds in attendance. Dr. Kavita Patel reacts.Oct. 10, 2020


msnbc--2020-10-10--Trump falsely claims he's cured and plans new campaign events

Trump is planning a White House 'Law & Order' event on Saturday and an in-person rally in Florida on Monday as the plans for the next Biden-Trump debate fall apart.Oct. 10, 2020


msnbc--2020-10-09--Trump politicizes Covid-19 diagnosis, spreads dangerous falsehoods

While medical experts say the president should remain in quarantine for about 20 days, Trump says he's cured and wants to start holding rallies again.Oct. 9, 2020


msnbc--2020-10-10--Trump campaign tainted by personal legal, financial desperation

Timothy Snyder, author of On Tyranny, talks about how Donald Trump's personal legal and financial problems push him toward an autocrat's desperation to hold onto power, and what Americans need to watch for if Trump decides to override democracy to hold onto power.Oct. 10, 2020


msnbc--2020-10-10--Public health luminary encourages CDC director Redfield to stand up to Trump


msnbc--2020-10-10--White House killed CDC order requiring masks on public and commercial transportation: NYT

Olivia Troye, former aide to Mike Pence on the White House Coronavirus Task Force, affirms New York Times reporting that the CDC had intended to require everyone on public and commercial transportation to wear a mask, but the Trump White House blocked the order.Oct. 10, 2020


msnbc--2020-10-10--'Nothing happening': Third-party candidacies appear less a factor in 2020

In 2016 , third-party candidates in the pivotal states of Pennsylvania , Michigan , Wisconsin and Florida won more votes than President Donald Trump 's narrow margins of victory .
In Minnesota , New Hampshire and Nevada , those candidates captured enough votes to dwarf 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton 's own slim margins of victory , too .
This year , third-party candidates are struggling to raise funds , are less well-known and are polling beneath their 2016 predecessors — and the unique challenges of campaigning during a pandemic will make reversing those trends nearly impossible .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ candidates running , '' Ron Nielson , who managed former New Mexico Gov .
Gary Johnson 's 2016 Libertarian campaign , said in an interview .
`` I 'm not discounting the candidates running , but they do n't have the persona and the charisma has never been developed in those campaigns to capture in the moment .
There 's just nothing happening . ''
Four years ago , Trump and Clinton both faced historic levels of unfavorability , opening the door for a more meaningful third-party vote .
But the 2020 race @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden , the Democratic presidential nominee , is different , experts and leading members of both the Libertarian and the Green parties told NBC News .
In some instances , these candidates are not even on the ballot in critical swing states .
In Wisconsin and Pennsylvania — two of the most hotly contested swing states this cycle — Green Party presidential nominee Howie Hawkins will not even appear on the ballot .
Still , Hawkins , a longtime Green Party advocate and perennial candidate for office , said there 's a simple @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not seen the kind of support that was generated in 2016 , when they accounted for more than 5 percent of the national vote .
`` It 's Trump , '' Hawkins said , adding that he heard similar reasoning when he ran for governor of New York in 2018 .
`` I had former supporters , donors , phone bankers , canvassers say , ' I got to vote for [ New York Gov .
Andrew ] Cuomo to resist Trump , ' '' he said .
`` Which did n't make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But that 's , I think , the mentality .
That 's why it 's been difficult for third parties . ''
NBC News/Wall Street Journal polling data shows that the lack of a competitive third-party candidate may be more beneficial to Biden than to Trump .
In interviews with 215 third-party voters in multiple surveys from January through August , the polling found that 2016 third-party voters are breaking toward Biden over Trump by a more than 2-to-1 margin .
As the surveys found , 47 percent of those voters are backing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ One-third of that group is either undecided or backing another candidate .
Jeff Horwitt , senior vice president at Hart Research Associates , which conducts the NBC News/Wall Street Journal polls , said last time around those who voted third party `` really did not like either candidate . ''
`` And in our research across the year , it 's not as though they have great feelings about Biden , '' he said .
`` But when you compare their feelings around the questions , positive , negative scales and things like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much , much worse . ''
The split in this group between those who are now backing Biden and those who support Trump serves as `` a really important sign for where things are headed , '' Horwitt added .
Lack of name recognition could also be a factor .
In 2016 , the Libertarian ticket featured two former governors , while the Green Party nominated Jill Stein , who had been the party 's presidential candidate in 2012 .
The 2020 third-party and independent field features Hawkins and Libertarian nominee Jo Jorgensen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the party 's vice presidential nominee in 1996 .
There 's also rap mogul Kanye West , who is only on the ballot in a handful of states and has said he is `` walking , '' not running for office , and a collage of lesser-known candidates run as the standard-bearers of tickets like the Constitution Party .
Fundraising provides a snapshot of the tough spot third-party candidates find themselves in this cycle .
In 2016 , Johnson raised more than $ 11 million and Stein more than $ 3 million .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 1.4 million as of August , while Hawkins has brought in about $ 300,000 .
West has raised just more than $ 11,000 , discounting funds he has provided his campaign , according to the Federal Election Commission .
And while more well-known business executives and politicians ranging from Mark Cuban and Howard Schultz to Rep. Justin Amash , I-Mich. , contemplated third-party or independent bids , they opted to stay on the sidelines .
Others , like billionaire Mike Bloomberg , who has mulled independent bids in years past , ran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while former Massachusetts Gov .
Bill Weld , Johnson 's running mate in 2016 , ultimately opted to run against Trump in the Republican primary .
In an interview with NBC News , Weld said the 2020 third-party environment is what it is because `` people are scared of Mr. Trump '' and `` think that he 's a dangerous person . ''
`` And so , that would lead many people I think in both those parties , the party of Jill Stein and the party of Gary Johnson to vote for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Whereas in an ordinary year , they might not vote for the Democrat . ''
Weld said those invested in the Libertarian movement who backed his ticket in 2016 would not have much of a stomach for Trump , citing what he described as abuses of the Department of Justice , the federal government and law .
`` The Libertarians are very much conscious of the wise restraints that keep men free and they want to be able to operate within that world , '' he said .
`` And Mr. Trump is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fact that he would like to remove those parameters of our system of democracy and freedom . ''
But Nielson said Trump might actually be missing an opportunity to make inroads .
`` There 's a lot of Liberty movement voters who are somewhat undecided , '' Nielson said .
`` I think that there 's a lot of them that would probably like to vote for Trump and I think that they 're trying to bring themselves in that direction .
I think that would be the option that I think a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is whether they can vote for Trump or not . ''
Hawkins said he believes Biden will deliver the decisive victory that current polling projects but warned the former vice president will `` disappoint '' progressives , which Hawkins thinks will give his party new life .
`` That 's our opportunity .
Right now , it 's tough for us , '' he said , adding he hopes 2020 is `` just a sort of one-off situation . ''
`` So I think our longer-term prospects are a lot better than the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said .

In 2016, third-party candidates in the pivotal states of Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin and Florida won more votes than President Donald Trump's narrow margins of victory.
In Minnesota, New Hampshire and Nevada, those candidates captured enough votes to dwarf 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton's own slim margins of victory, too.
This year, third-party candidates are struggling to raise funds, are less well-known and are polling beneath their 2016 predecessors — and the unique challenges of campaigning during a pandemic will make reversing those trends nearly impossible.
"I think that there's some good candidates running," Ron Nielson, who managed former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson's 2016 Libertarian campaign, said in an interview. "I'm not discounting the candidates running, but they don't have the persona and the charisma has never been developed in those campaigns to capture in the moment. There's just nothing happening."
Four years ago, Trump and Clinton both faced historic levels of unfavorability, opening the door for a more meaningful third-party vote. But the 2020 race between Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden, the Democratic presidential nominee, is different, experts and leading members of both the Libertarian and the Green parties told NBC News.
In some instances, these candidates are not even on the ballot in critical swing states. In Wisconsin and Pennsylvania — two of the most hotly contested swing states this cycle — Green Party presidential nominee Howie Hawkins will not even appear on the ballot.
Still, Hawkins, a longtime Green Party advocate and perennial candidate for office, said there's a simple reason for why the third-party candidacies have not seen the kind of support that was generated in 2016, when they accounted for more than 5 percent of the national vote.
"It's Trump," Hawkins said, adding that he heard similar reasoning when he ran for governor of New York in 2018.
"I had former supporters, donors, phone bankers, canvassers say, 'I got to vote for [New York Gov. Andrew] Cuomo to resist Trump,'" he said. "Which didn't make any, really, electoral sense. But that's, I think, the mentality. That's why it's been difficult for third parties."
NBC News/Wall Street Journal polling data shows that the lack of a competitive third-party candidate may be more beneficial to Biden than to Trump. In interviews with 215 third-party voters in multiple surveys from January through August, the polling found that 2016 third-party voters are breaking toward Biden over Trump by a more than 2-to-1 margin. As the surveys found, 47 percent of those voters are backing Biden while 20 percent support Trump. One-third of that group is either undecided or backing another candidate.
Jeff Horwitt, senior vice president at Hart Research Associates, which conducts the NBC News/Wall Street Journal polls, said last time around those who voted third party "really did not like either candidate."
"And in our research across the year, it's not as though they have great feelings about Biden," he said. "But when you compare their feelings around the questions, positive, negative scales and things like that, Trump's standing is just much, much worse."
The split in this group between those who are now backing Biden and those who support Trump serves as "a really important sign for where things are headed," Horwitt added.
Lack of name recognition could also be a factor. In 2016, the Libertarian ticket featured two former governors, while the Green Party nominated Jill Stein, who had been the party's presidential candidate in 2012. The 2020 third-party and independent field features Hawkins and Libertarian nominee Jo Jorgensen, a Clemson University professor who was the party's vice presidential nominee in 1996. There's also rap mogul Kanye West, who is only on the ballot in a handful of states and has said he is "walking," not running for office, and a collage of lesser-known candidates run as the standard-bearers of tickets like the Constitution Party.
Fundraising provides a snapshot of the tough spot third-party candidates find themselves in this cycle. In 2016, Johnson raised more than $11 million and Stein more than $3 million. This cycle, Jorgensen had raised about $1.4 million as of August, while Hawkins has brought in about $300,000. West has raised just more than $11,000, discounting funds he has provided his campaign, according to the Federal Election Commission.
And while more well-known business executives and politicians ranging from Mark Cuban and Howard Schultz to Rep. Justin Amash, I-Mich., contemplated third-party or independent bids, they opted to stay on the sidelines. Others, like billionaire Mike Bloomberg, who has mulled independent bids in years past, ran in the Democratic primary this year, while former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld, Johnson's running mate in 2016, ultimately opted to run against Trump in the Republican primary.
In an interview with NBC News, Weld said the 2020 third-party environment is what it is because "people are scared of Mr. Trump" and "think that he's a dangerous person."
"And so, that would lead many people I think in both those parties, the party of Jill Stein and the party of Gary Johnson to vote for Biden," he said. "Whereas in an ordinary year, they might not vote for the Democrat."
Weld said those invested in the Libertarian movement who backed his ticket in 2016 would not have much of a stomach for Trump, citing what he described as abuses of the Department of Justice, the federal government and law.
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"The Libertarians are very much conscious of the wise restraints that keep men free and they want to be able to operate within that world," he said. "And Mr. Trump is not really being too subtle about the fact that he would like to remove those parameters of our system of democracy and freedom."
But Nielson said Trump might actually be missing an opportunity to make inroads.
"There's a lot of Liberty movement voters who are somewhat undecided," Nielson said. "I think that there's a lot of them that would probably like to vote for Trump and I think that they're trying to bring themselves in that direction. I think that would be the option that I think a lot of them are probably weighing out is whether they can vote for Trump or not."
Hawkins said he believes Biden will deliver the decisive victory that current polling projects but warned the former vice president will "disappoint" progressives, which Hawkins thinks will give his party new life.
"That's our opportunity. Right now, it's tough for us," he said, adding he hopes 2020 is "just a sort of one-off situation."
"So I think our longer-term prospects are a lot better than the next [few] weeks," he said.


msnbc--2020-10-10--Taiwan calls for 'meaningful dialogue' with China amid heightened military tensions

TAIPEI — Taiwan wants to have `` meaningful dialogue '' with China on an equal basis , President Tsai Ing-wen said on Saturday , extending an olive branch at a time of heightened military tension with Beijing , which claims the island as sovereign Chinese territory .
Democratic Taiwan has come under increasing pressure from Beijing , which has ramped up air force activity near the island in the past few weeks , including crossing the Taiwan Strait 's sensitive mid line that normally serves as an unofficial buffer zone .
China says it is responding to `` collusion '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ growing U.S. support for the self-governed island .
Beijing views this a precursor to Taiwan declaring formal independence , a red line for China .
Speaking at National Day celebrations , Tsai described the situation in the Taiwan Strait as `` quite tense . ''
This , along with disputes in the South China Sea , a China-India border conflict and China 's crackdown in Hong Kong , showed democracy and peace in the region were facing big challenges , she said .
If Beijing can heed Taiwan 's voice and jointly facilitate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can surely be resolved , she added .
`` As long as the Beijing authorities are willing to resolve antagonisms and improve cross-strait relations , while parity and dignity are maintained , we are willing to work together to facilitate meaningful dialogue , '' Tsai said .
There was no immediate reaction from China , which cut off a formal talks mechanism in 2016 after Tsai first won office .
Download the NBC News app for breaking news and politics Tsai said she was committed to maintaining stability in the Taiwan Strait , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both sides .
Still , she has made strengthening Taiwan 's armed forces a priority , and said she would keep pushing this , upholding the principle of neither seeking war nor fearing it .
`` Our commitment to our sovereignty and democratic values will not change , but we will also maintain strategic flexibility and be responsive to changes , '' she said , without elaborating .
The United States has been pushing Taiwan to modernize its military so they can become a `` porcupine '' — hard for China to attack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has no formal diplomatic ties with Taipei , though it is its strongest global backer .

TAIPEI — Taiwan wants to have "meaningful dialogue" with China on an equal basis, President Tsai Ing-wen said on Saturday, extending an olive branch at a time of heightened military tension with Beijing, which claims the island as sovereign Chinese territory.
Democratic Taiwan has come under increasing pressure from Beijing, which has ramped up air force activity near the island in the past few weeks, including crossing the Taiwan Strait's sensitive mid line that normally serves as an unofficial buffer zone.
China says it is responding to "collusion" between Washington and Taipei, angered at growing U.S. support for the self-governed island. Beijing views this a precursor to Taiwan declaring formal independence, a red line for China.
Speaking at National Day celebrations, Tsai described the situation in the Taiwan Strait as "quite tense."
This, along with disputes in the South China Sea, a China-India border conflict and China's crackdown in Hong Kong, showed democracy and peace in the region were facing big challenges, she said.
If Beijing can heed Taiwan's voice and jointly facilitate reconciliation and peaceful dialogue, regional tension can surely be resolved, she added.
"As long as the Beijing authorities are willing to resolve antagonisms and improve cross-strait relations, while parity and dignity are maintained, we are willing to work together to facilitate meaningful dialogue," Tsai said.
There was no immediate reaction from China, which cut off a formal talks mechanism in 2016 after Tsai first won office.
Download the NBC News app for breaking news and politics
Tsai said she was committed to maintaining stability in the Taiwan Strait, but that this was the responsibility of both sides.
Still, she has made strengthening Taiwan's armed forces a priority, and said she would keep pushing this, upholding the principle of neither seeking war nor fearing it.
"Our commitment to our sovereignty and democratic values will not change, but we will also maintain strategic flexibility and be responsive to changes," she said, without elaborating.
The United States has been pushing Taiwan to modernize its military so they can become a "porcupine" — hard for China to attack.
America, like most countries, has no formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, though it is its strongest global backer.


msnbc--2020-10-10--As pandemic shutters cinemas, oldest movie theater in the world tries to buck the trend

Twenty-three moviegoers filed into the State Theatre in Washington , Iowa , on Oct. 2 — hardly a crowd , but one of the busier Friday nights the cinema has had since reopening in late May .
Ushers in masks escorted the guests to their chairs , careful to seat them at least 6 feet away from one another .
Then , the lights dimmed , the gold curtain over the cinema ’ s single screen rose , and the film began — just as it has for more than 120 years .
The State Theatre , located in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iowa City , is the oldest continually operating movie theater in the world .
It has faced threats to its survival before , but none quite like the coronavirus pandemic , which has made customers wary of indoor public spaces , and Hollywood wary of releasing new films that might entice audiences to come back in the first place .
While theaters , which closed from coast to coast in March due to the virus , were permitted to reopen in Iowa at half-capacity over Memorial Day weekend , attendance at the State @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been sparse .
“ We haven ’ t had any titles that would even warrant having 75 people there , let alone 150 , ” said Russell Vannorsdel , vice president of Fridley Theatres , which owns and operates the State Theatre , along with 17 other theaters in Iowa and Nebraska .
“ It is a struggle.
” The hardships extend beyond small theaters .
Cineworld , the parent company of Regal Cinemas , announced Monday that it would temporarily close all of Regal ’ s 536 locations in the United States @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Universal again delayed the release of “ No Time to Die ” until April 2021 , making the new James Bond film the latest tentpole movie that Hollywood studios have pushed beyond this year .
( Universal Pictures is a unit of NBCUniversal , the parent company of NBC News . )
“ It ’ s kind of at a crisis point , ” said Patrick Corcoran , vice president and chief communications officer at the National Association of Theatre Owners , the largest movie theater trade association in the world .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the association ’ s members found that 69 percent of small- and mid-size companies would not be able to keep their doors open through the end of the year without new movies , federal relief or a combination of both .
The State Theatre has enough in its coffers to stay open at least through January , and the cinema has been exploring new ways to stay afloat , absent aid or an injection of fresh films , Vannorsdel said .
When it first closed , the cinema began selling curbside popcorn so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first weekend , it sold more than 300 large buckets of popcorn at $ 6.25 each , Vannorsdel said .
Now that it has reopened , the State Theatre is offering private cinema rentals for small groups of viewers or video gamers .
The theater ’ s biggest challenge has been figuring out what to show on its sole screen .
Family-oriented movies generally perform better , so the cinema initially passed on Christopher Nolan ’ s science-fiction thriller “ Tenet , ” a Labor Day release that had been heralded as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the movies .
( Instead , it was greeted with tepid sales nationwide , and when the State Theatre later screened it for a couple of weeks , it brought in a meager eight people on a Friday night , Vannorsdel said . )
The movie that has done best during the pandemic is Disney ’ s 1993 Halloween classic , “ Hocus Pocus , ” the film that attracted about two dozen audience members last Friday .
In subsequent showings later in the weekend , more than 100 others bought tickets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ titles can only give the State Theatre ’ s box office so much of a bump , especially because tickets for such movies are sold at a discounted price of $ 4 for adults and $ 3 for children , instead of the regular price of $ 7 and $ 5 .
“ We desperately need new Hollywood product , ” Vannorsdel said .
That may not happen for a while .
While cinemas have been allowed to reopen in nearly all states with varying restrictions , New York , one of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kept them closed , causing a cascade effect throughout the entire industry as studios reconsider releasing new films without theaters open in a top revenue area .
At the State Theatre , year-over-year revenues have been down about 70 percent since it reopened , while Fridley Theatres ’ as a whole are down more than 85 percent since reopening .
“ It ’ s disappointing that New York and California can ultimately dictate if a theater in Iowa will go bankrupt or not , but it is now fact .
We are to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I feel confident that we can make it till the end of the year .
Past that ?
I don ’ t know.
” If the State Theatre were to close , it would be devastating to the community , said Sarah Grunewaldt , executive director of Main Street Washington , a local nonprofit that uses historic preservation as an economic development tool .
The theater and its gleaming marquee are one of the first sights as you enter Washington ’ s downtown area , and the aroma of popcorn wafts down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Going to the movies is a treat , and our theater is really lovely , ” Grunewaldt said .
“ It has this grandiose feel .
You are transported into this kind of time-forgotten place.
” The theater opened in 1897 and charged as little 15 cents for a ticket , according to the Guinness Book of World Records .
Prior to becoming a movie theater , it had been an opera house .
Its history has not been without difficulties .
In 2010 , a fire in the projection room closed the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other times when its survival was uncertain , including the Great Depression and through changes to the motion picture industry , such as the advent of television , then color television , then streaming services , Vannorsdel said .
This time , the challenge is outlasting a virus that has upended everything .
The State Theatre has committed to keeping all its salaried employees , while also taking on new costs : providing masks and optional face shields for workers ; installing plexiglass dividers at the box office and concession stand ; and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rests in between movie showings .
“ It ’ s persevered through all this and I believe we will still persevere through the pandemic , but we need movies to do it , ” Vannorsdel said .
“ In lieu of movies , we need support.
” “ Theaters will always be around , ” he added .
“ But there is a possibility that there is going to be less of them , and that ’ s sad .
”

Twenty-three moviegoers filed into the State Theatre in Washington, Iowa, on Oct. 2 — hardly a crowd, but one of the busier Friday nights the cinema has had since reopening in late May. Ushers in masks escorted the guests to their chairs, careful to seat them at least 6 feet away from one another. Then, the lights dimmed, the gold curtain over the cinema’s single screen rose, and the film began — just as it has for more than 120 years.
The State Theatre, located in a rural community about 30 miles outside of Iowa City, is the oldest continually operating movie theater in the world. It has faced threats to its survival before, but none quite like the coronavirus pandemic, which has made customers wary of indoor public spaces, and Hollywood wary of releasing new films that might entice audiences to come back in the first place.
Full coverage of the coronavirus outbreak
While theaters, which closed from coast to coast in March due to the virus, were permitted to reopen in Iowa at half-capacity over Memorial Day weekend, attendance at the State Theatre’s approximately 300-seat auditorium has been sparse.
The State Theatre has faced challenges before: In 2010, a fire in the projection room temporarily closed the storied cinema and led to a full restoration. Allison Akright/Fridley Theatres
“We haven’t had any titles that would even warrant having 75 people there, let alone 150,” said Russell Vannorsdel, vice president of Fridley Theatres, which owns and operates the State Theatre, along with 17 other theaters in Iowa and Nebraska. “It is a struggle.”
The hardships extend beyond small theaters. Cineworld, the parent company of Regal Cinemas, announced Monday that it would temporarily close all of Regal’s 536 locations in the United States. The decision came days after MGM and Universal again delayed the release of “No Time to Die” until April 2021, making the new James Bond film the latest tentpole movie that Hollywood studios have pushed beyond this year. (Universal Pictures is a unit of NBCUniversal, the parent company of NBC News.)
“It’s kind of at a crisis point.” Patrick Corcoran, National Association of Theatre Owners
“It’s kind of at a crisis point,” said Patrick Corcoran, vice president and chief communications officer at the National Association of Theatre Owners, the largest movie theater trade association in the world. He added that a recent survey of the association’s members found that 69 percent of small- and mid-size companies would not be able to keep their doors open through the end of the year without new movies, federal relief or a combination of both.
The State Theatre has enough in its coffers to stay open at least through January, and the cinema has been exploring new ways to stay afloat, absent aid or an injection of fresh films, Vannorsdel said.
When it first closed, the cinema began selling curbside popcorn so locals could enjoy movie popcorn to-go; the first weekend, it sold more than 300 large buckets of popcorn at $6.25 each, Vannorsdel said. Now that it has reopened, the State Theatre is offering private cinema rentals for small groups of viewers or video gamers.
The State Theatre can normally seat around 300 people, but Covid-19 restrictions only allowed for half-capacity when the theater reopened in May. Allison Akright/Fridley Theatres
The theater’s biggest challenge has been figuring out what to show on its sole screen. Family-oriented movies generally perform better, so the cinema initially passed on Christopher Nolan’s science-fiction thriller “Tenet,” a Labor Day release that had been heralded as the film that would bring customers back to the movies. (Instead, it was greeted with tepid sales nationwide, and when the State Theatre later screened it for a couple of weeks, it brought in a meager eight people on a Friday night, Vannorsdel said.)
The movie that has done best during the pandemic is Disney’s 1993 Halloween classic, “Hocus Pocus,” the film that attracted about two dozen audience members last Friday. In subsequent showings later in the weekend, more than 100 others bought tickets for it, too.
But repertory titles can only give the State Theatre’s box office so much of a bump, especially because tickets for such movies are sold at a discounted price of $4 for adults and $3 for children, instead of the regular price of $7 and $5.
“We desperately need new Hollywood product,” Vannorsdel said.
That may not happen for a while. While cinemas have been allowed to reopen in nearly all states with varying restrictions, New York, one of the most important box office markets, has kept them closed, causing a cascade effect throughout the entire industry as studios reconsider releasing new films without theaters open in a top revenue area.
“I feel confident that we can make it till the end of the year. Past that? I don’t know.”
At the State Theatre, year-over-year revenues have been down about 70 percent since it reopened, while Fridley Theatres’ as a whole are down more than 85 percent since reopening.
“It’s disappointing that New York and California can ultimately dictate if a theater in Iowa will go bankrupt or not, but it is now fact. We are to that point,” Vannorsdel said. “I feel confident that we can make it till the end of the year. Past that? I don’t know.”
‘It’s persevered through all this’
If the State Theatre were to close, it would be devastating to the community, said Sarah Grunewaldt, executive director of Main Street Washington, a local nonprofit that uses historic preservation as an economic development tool. The theater and its gleaming marquee are one of the first sights as you enter Washington’s downtown area, and the aroma of popcorn wafts down the block, she said.
“Going to the movies is a treat, and our theater is really lovely,” Grunewaldt said. “It has this grandiose feel. You are transported into this kind of time-forgotten place.”
The theater opened in 1897 and charged as little 15 cents for a ticket, according to the Guinness Book of World Records. Prior to becoming a movie theater, it had been an opera house.
Its history has not been without difficulties. In 2010, a fire in the projection room closed the theater for months.
There have been other times when its survival was uncertain, including the Great Depression and through changes to the motion picture industry, such as the advent of television, then color television, then streaming services, Vannorsdel said.
Download the NBC News app for full coverage of the coronavirus outbreak
This time, the challenge is outlasting a virus that has upended everything. The State Theatre has committed to keeping all its salaried employees, while also taking on new costs: providing masks and optional face shields for workers; installing plexiglass dividers at the box office and concession stand; and disinfecting auditorium seats, cupholders and arm rests in between movie showings.
“It’s persevered through all this and I believe we will still persevere through the pandemic, but we need movies to do it,” Vannorsdel said. “In lieu of movies, we need support.”
“Theaters will always be around,” he added. “But there is a possibility that there is going to be less of them, and that’s sad.”