• Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden criticized attacking a political candidate’s children as “crass.”
  • Biden said he had made a “specific decision” to not mention President Donald Trump’s children through his campaign, despite the president’s repeated criticisms of Hunter Biden’s personal history and business relationships. 
  • “Look, I’m running against Donald Trump, not his children,” Biden said in an interview on the progressive podcast “Pod Save America.”
  • Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden dismissed attacks on a political opponent’s family as “crass” after President Donald Trump has repeatedly zeroed in on his son Hunter’s business relationships and personal history ahead of the election.  

In an interview on the progressive podcast “Pod Save America” released Saturday, Biden was asked why he has not attacked Trump’s family members when the president continued to attack his son Hunter.

The former vice president said “it was a specific decision” to not bring up the activities or business dealings of Trump’s children during the presidential debates and throughout the campaign. 

“It’s a specific decision, and I just think it’s crass,” Biden said. “Look, I’m running against Donald Trump, not his children. The American people want to hear about their families, not about Trump’s family or my family, although I’m very proud of my family.”

“It’s just not how I was raised, it’s that basic,” Biden added.

During Thursday night’s debate, Trump repeatedly claimed Biden was involved in his son Hunter’s business dealings when there was no evidence this was the case, according to records, emails, and text messages reviewed by The Wall Street Journal.

Trump had previously attacked Biden over Hunter’s business and personal history in the first debate as well, which moderator Chris Wallace dismissed, citing that “the American people would rather hear more about substantial subjects.”

Critics have raised concerns since Trump’s election of possible conflicts of interest for Trump’s daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner while they serve as top advisors to the president.

In 2019, Ivanka Trump rejected claims she was profiting from the presidency in an interview with the Associated Press.

“[President Donald Trump’s] wealth, and our wealth, collectively and independently, was created prior to government service and prior to anyone in our lives having run for elected office,” she said.

Source Article from https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-says-its-crass-to-attack-political-opponents-family-2020-10

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Source Article from https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-senate-republicans-election/2020/10/24/f93f5ed0-15f4-11eb-ba42-ec6a580836ed_story.html

Democratic voters in the key swing state Pennsylvania are far outpacing their Republican counterparts in the number of mail-in ballots that have already been cast in the state with just 10 days until the November 3 election.

According to the United States Elections Project, 1,461,135 Pennsylvanians have mailed in their ballots as of October 23. More than 1 million of those belong to registered Democrats, whereas just 295,430 were cast by a registered Republican. The remainder of ballots cast are from unaffiliated voters or those belonging to a different party, the data shows.

The varying numbers between parties isn’t necessarily surprising, given that many Republican voters in the country plan to vote in-person on Election Day. President Donald Trump has attempted to incite fear in his fan base regarding the trustworthiness of mail-in ballots, despite there being no evidence of significant fraud associated with them, and has encouraged his backers to instead go to the polls themselves.

An ABC News/Washington Post poll conducted in September found that nationwide Trump led by 19 percentage points among those who intended to vote on Election Day, compared to Democratic candidate Joe Biden‘s massive advantage among early voters.

For the 19 states that report party registration, nearly 50 percent of ballots returned have been cast by Democrats, compared to the 27.5 percent by Republicans and 22.3 percent by those with no party affiliation, according to the U.S. Elections Project.

As of Saturday afternoon, more than 54.4 million Americans have voted early in this year’s general election, according to the project’s data. The numbers are particularly staggering when compared to those from the 2016 election, during which many eligible voters never cast a ballot.

In Pennsylvania, for instance, just over 6.1 million people voted that year, despite the more than 8.7 million people who were registered, according to the secretary of state. Trump ended up flipping the state, receiving its 20 electoral votes after Pennsylvania hadn’t voted for a Republican president in the last six election cycles.

As of October 19—the last day to register to vote in the state—just over 9 million people were registered to vote in this year’s election, according to the secretary of state. Among parties, more than 4.2 million Democrats and over 3.5 million Republicans are registered. The rest of the voters are either unaffiliated or affiliated with a minor party.

These statistics are similar to the party breakdown among registered voters in 2016, although the Republican Party has seen an increase of over 200,000 voters, data suggests.

While Pennsylvania remains a swing state in the 2020 election, several recent polls have Biden leading, as his team has increasingly turned its focus on securing the state. Former President Barack Obama campaigned there on Wednesday, hosting a drive-in rally to encourage the importance of voting early. Biden was there Saturday at a drive-in rally that Trump supporters in pickup trucks attempted to disrupt with honking.

A poll conducted by Muhlenberg College from October 13 to 20 had Biden ahead by 7 percentage points, leading Trump 51 to 44 percent. A Fox News poll taken among registered voters between October 17 and 20 had Biden winning by 5 percentage points, receiving 50 percent of voters’ support, compared to the 45 percent who backed Trump.

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Source Article from https://www.newsweek.com/pennsylvania-half-requested-mail-ballots-are-already-cast-dems-far-outpacing-republicans-1541907

A group of Trump-loving nuns grabbed attention on social media Saturday after they were spotted wearing MAGA masks with their habits and cheering the president on in Circleville, Ohio

Three nuns were behind the president’s podium, two holding rosaries and a third holding a Bible. 

During the Republican National Convention, another nun, Sister Deirdre Byrne, called the president the “most pro-life president ever.” 

TRUMP RALLIES OHIO IN JAM-PACKED SATURDAY 

“Donald Trump is the most pro-life president that this nation has ever had, defending life at all stages. His belief in the sanctity of life transcends politics,” Byrne said. 

“President Trump will stand up against Biden-Harris, who are the most anti-life presidential ticket ever, even supporting the horrors of late-term abortions and infanticide,” she continued. 

In Ohio, during a campaigning marathon that included five events, Trump told supporters he never would have won if his opponent Joe Biden “did a good job” as vice president. 

TRUMP CASTS HIS BALLOT IN FLORIDA, BRACES FOR MARATHON WEEKEND OF RALLIES 10 DAYS BEFORE ELECTION

“I wouldn’t have run, Joe, if you did a good job. I had a very nice life. I wouldn’t have run if you did a good job,” the president said. 

Trump said that Biden is the first politician to run promising tax hikes. 

“He’s the first politician ever to run saying he’s going to quadruple your taxes. This is the craziest thing I’ve ever seen,” he said. 

Biden has said he would raise taxes on the rich, promising not to raise them on anyone making $400,000.

CLICK HERE FOR THE FOX NEWS APP

“You let us down, Joe,” Trump said, calling Biden a “47-year politician who used his job to enrich himself.” 

Source Article from https://www.foxnews.com/politics/nuns-maga-masks-trump-rally

“Turn on television: ‘covid, covid, covid, covid, covid.’ A plane goes down, 500 people dead, they don’t talk about it — ‘covid, covid, covid, covid,'” Trump said. “By the way, on November 4th, you won’t hear about it anymore.”

Source Article from https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/10/24/biden-trump-sharpen-messages-with-campaign-stops-battleground-states/

Shortly after Donald Trump insisted to reporters in Ohio he expected a “red wave” on election day, 3 November, it was reported on Saturday that he told Republican donors this week it would be “tough” for the party to hold on to the Senate.

Trump trails Joe Biden in most national and battleground state polls. Democrats hold the House of Representatives and expect to keep it, while many forecasters think they have a good chance of re-taking the Senate, which Republicans hold 53-47, thereby achieving unified government.

“I think the Senate is tough actually,” the Washington Post said Trump told donors in Nashville, Tennessee, on Thursday, before his last debate against Biden, according to an anonymous attendee. “The Senate is very tough.”

The Post said Trump also insisted Republicans “are going to take back the House”. As Democrats hold that chamber by 232-197, few forecasters think there is much chance of that.

Senate Republicans face defeat in Colorado, Maine, Arizona and perhaps North Carolina. Supposedly safer seats in Georgia, Iowa and Montana look far from secure. Trump reportedly told donors North Carolina would hold and Alabama would be taken back, but said there were “a couple” of senators he did not want to help.

“There are a couple senators I can’t really get involved in,” the Post quoted him as saying. “I just can’t do it. You lose your soul if you do. I can’t help some of them. I don’t want to help some of them.”

Trump has clashed with senators including Ben Sasse of Nebraska, who offered harsh criticism and predicted “a Republican bloodbath in the Senate”.

Sasse is among conservatives eyeing post-Trump presidential runs. Others usually loyal but under pressure at the polls, such as John Cornyn in Texas and Martha McSally in Arizona, have mounted cautious bids to be seen as independent.

Even Mitch McConnell, the ruthless architect of the Republicans’ push to install federal judges under Trump, has said he thinks his party has a “50-50” chance of keeping control. The majority leader, 78, set for re-election despite a tough fight in Kentucky, has rebuffed questions about his health after he appeared with severe bruising to his hands and face.

Control of the Senate has allowed Republicans to rush through the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to succeed Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the supreme court, thereby tipping it 6-3 in favour of conservatives.

If the White House and Senate are lost, a reactionary court would be Republicans’ bulwark against a Biden legislative agenda that could include reform to the court and the Senate.

The court is due to hear a challenge to the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, on 10 November. Trump has said he wants the justices to bring the ACA down, thereby depriving millions of healthcare in a pandemic and kneecapping his own drive to defeat HIV.

One senator who initially stood against the push for Barrett said during debate on Saturday she would vote to confirm. When the nomination comes to the floor on Monday, said Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, “I will be a yes. I have no doubt about her intellect … I have no doubt about her capability to do the job.”

Generally a defender of abortion rights Democrats say Barrett will threaten, Murkowksi had said no new justice should be named before the election.

Source Article from https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/oct/24/donald-trump-republican-donors-senate-washington-post

The state of Texas has already surpassed 76 percent of its total turnout in the 2016 general election with the number of early votes, as the Democratic Party is aiming to win the state for the first time in 44 years.

With its 38 electoral votes—the second-largest of any state—Texas is a key prize in the November 3 election. Once a reliably red state, recent polling indicates that Democratic candidate Joe Biden has a shot at flipping Texas blue. If successful, 2020 would mark the first year Texas has voted for a Democratic president since Jimmy Carter pulled off a win in 1976.

The Lone Star State went to President Donald Trump in 2016, with the Republican securing a lead nine percentage points higher than Hillary Clinton—and that was still the smallest margin seen by a Republican candidate in recent years.

But polling website FiveThirtyEight has Trump beating Biden by less than 1 percentage point in its national average, down significantly from Trump’s 3.9 percent lead in March. Two of the most recent polls had Biden either ahead or tied with Trump.

A Morning Consult survey conducted October 11 through 20 polled more than 3,000 likely voters in the state to find Biden leading Trump by one point—48 to 47 percent. A Quinnipiac University poll conducted between October 16 and 19 found the candidates tied, both receiving 47 percent of likely voters’ support.

Texans are heading to the polls in what appears to be record numbers this year. Early voting began in the state on October 13, but as of October 23, approximately 6,857,259 ballots had already been cast either by mail or in-person, according to the Texas secretary of state. This represents 76.45 percent of the total 2016 voter turnout, which saw 8,969,226 ballots cast.

There are nearly 17 million registered voters this year in the state, with the number of early votes amounting to a 40.44 percent turnout so far. In 2016, Texas experienced just a 59.39 percent turnout of its 15 million registered voters.

Texas has seen the highest voter turnout among youth voters across the U.S., according to new data released by the Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) at Tufts University.

At least 493,314 early votes or absentee ballots have been cast in Texas among residents between the ages of 18 and 29. That number is likely to be even higher, as data is available only for 23 counties in the state according for 65 percent of the population, researchers noted.

The record numbers seen in Texas are reflective of a larger pattern across the U.S., as early voting indicates this year’s turnout could be the highest in the country since 1908. More than 56 million Americans have already cast their ballots ahead of the November 3 election, evidence of just how much the coronavirus pandemic and divisive political climate have shaken up the cycle.

University of Florida professor Michael McDonald, who tracks early voting totals through the United States Elections Project, is predicting 150 million votes will be cast. This would be a turnout of 62.5 percent, as nearly 240 million American citizens are eligible to vote this year.

The nation hasn’t seen turnout that high in a presidential election since 1908 when Republican William H. Taft defeated Democrat William Jennings Bryan. Taft won the popular vote and an electoral college landslide.

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Source Article from https://www.newsweek.com/texas-early-votes-top-76-percent-total-2016-turnout-dems-aim-win-state-first-time-44-years-1541896

Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski on Saturday said she will vote to confirm Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court, providing significant support for President Donald Trump‘s nominee shortly before a final vote set for Monday.

Murkowski has previously criticized Barrett’s nomination due to the proximity to the 2020 presidential election, but announced her support during a speech on the Senate floor.

Murkowski still plans to vote against a procedural hurdle on Sunday that would advance Barrett’s nomination to a final vote, but said she supports the confirmation based on the judge’s qualifications.

“I believe that the only way to put us back on the path of appropriate consideration of judicial nominees is to evaluate Judge Barrett as we would want to be judged. On the merits of her qualifications,” Murkowski said on Saturday afternoon.

“And we do that when that final question comes before us. And when it does, I will be a yes,” she said.

Barrett already appears to have support from enough Senate Republicans to be confirmed. The Republican-controlled chamber is expected to confirm the conservative judge on Monday, effectively cementing a conservative majority before the Nov. 3 election.

Murkowski opposed Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation to the Supreme Court in 2018. The Alaska senator is up for re-election in 2022.

Source Article from https://www.cnbc.com/2020/10/24/lisa-murkowski-says-she-will-vote-to-confirm-amy-coney-barrett-to-supreme-court.html

The Waukegan police had said the officer, a Hispanic man who had been with the department for five years, opened fire on the car “in fear for his safety.”

Mr. Stinnette was with a woman when the officer approached the car they were in as part of an investigation.

The police have not said why the vehicle was being investigated.

The police said the car went into reverse toward the officer but did not describe how far the officer was from the car, how fast it was moving or any other details of the shooting, which prompted outrage among protesters and relatives of Mr. Stinnette and the driver. No gun was found inside the car, the police said.

The woman in the car was also shot and seriously injured. She was taken to a hospital where she remained as of Friday, the police said.

Clifftina Johnson said her daughter had been shot while driving the car and had undergone surgery for her injuries at a hospital on Thursday.

In a year of widespread demonstrations around the country against police violence and racial injustice, the killing of Mr. Stinnette touched off fresh protests in Waukegan.

The shooting came five months after George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, died after he was handcuffed and pinned to the ground under the knee of a white police officer in Minneapolis. It also happened just 16 miles south of Kenosha, Wis., where Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old Black man, was left partly paralyzed in August after a white police officer shot him seven times in the back.

Source Article from https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/24/us/waukegan-police-officer-fired.html

“Today, we are reporting 3,874 new cases, for a total of 364,033 cases since the start of this pandemic. Excuse me,” Ezike says. She then begins to cry, stepping away and turning away from the lectern.

Source Article from https://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/ny-illinois-top-doctor-crying-covid-briefing-20201024-hsbir3ojnbczxj2xq4cn7wlh3m-story.html

He pointed to news accounts that suggested Trump mused about selling Puerto Rico. But, he said, things could be even worse, pointing to reports Trump asked if a nuclear device could be used to stop hurricanes. “At least he didn’t do that. A nuclear hurricane seems as if it would have been bad,” Obama said, adding that Trump’s foibles would be funny if the consequences weren’t so serious.

Source Article from https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/elections/fl-ne-obama-drive-in-rally-biden-miami-20201024-qbopbs653fcszoi7v5n34flfbe-story.html

President Donald Trump was one of those GOP voters going to the polls, kicking off Florida’s statewide in-person early voting period Saturday by casting his ballot in West Palm Beach and livestreaming an event to urge supporters to show up and catch Democrats. Further south, in Miami, former President Barack Obama held a rally for his former vice president, Joe Biden, at Florida International University.

The split-screen schedule of the two presidents, each of whom carried Florida with different voter coalitions, shed light on the different strategies of the two campaigns in Trump’s must-win state, with the president trying to supersize older and white voter turnout and Obama seeking to boost young Black and Latino voting.

“One of the biggest shortcomings in 2016 was Hillary Clinton was unable to assemble the Obama coalition, especially among younger Black voters and especially among younger Black men. The Biden campaign has accurately identified that that’s a challenge they need to overcome this time,” said Tom Bonier, CEO of the Democratic data firm TargetSmart.

“So Obama [going] there is probably one of the items on the checklist and why the Obama visit makes sense.”

According to TargetSmart’s analysis, Black voters aged 18 to 29 have cast 15.8 percent of the total ballots so far in Florida. That’s half a percentage point down from the same period in 2016. Bonier pointed out that the total vote of that group, along with nearly all other demographics in the state, is up in raw votes and that “it’s not as if the numbers are bad. There’s opportunity.”

Bonier pointed out that white voters without a college degree, Trump’s most loyal supporters, have a smaller share of the vote so far when compared to 10 days before the election in 2016.

But Republicans are expecting those white voters to show now that in-person early voting has started in every county. As for young Black voter turnout, it’s problematic for Biden that he’s not even matching Clinton’s 2016 totals, which still weren’t enough for her, said Florida’s top Republican data analyst, Ryan Tyson.

“If they’re excited about matching Clinton turnout, I say, ‘please do,’” Tyson said. “The only turnout that can defeat Trump soundly is an Obama coalition turnout, a turnout of the ascendant electorate of young voters, especially African American and Latino. Biden isn’t getting that. That’s why they’re bringing Obama to Miami. It’s appropriate to call it a rescue mission by Obama.”

Overall, Black voter and Hispanic voter turnout as a share of the early and absentee vote is higher than at this stage in 2016. But that’s mainly due to voting by older, high-propensity voters, who were expected to turn out any way, Tyson said. Democrats have led the way in turning out far more of these reliable voters than Republicans, who have 401,000 more high-propensity voters itching to cast ballots in person.

Republicans’ advantage in high-propensity voters in 2016 helped Trump overcome a deficit of nearly 247,000 votes on Election Day morning and beat Hillary Clinton by less than 113,000 votes.

Democrats are turning out more low-propensity voters and newly registered voters than Republicans. But as shares of their party’s votes, the proportions are roughly the same as 2016, according to an analysis by Tyson, whose most recent 1,000-sample Florida poll has Trump with a 2-point lead that’s well within the survey’s error margin of 3.1 points. Many recent public polls have Biden marginally leading.

“All signs point to another 1-to-2 percent Florida election,” Tyson said, noting that more younger voters are turning out, but older voters are still casting more ballots.

Steve Schale, a top advisor to Obama’s 2008 and 2012 Florida races who now leads the pro-Biden Unite the Country super PAC, agreed that the election will likely be tight but he disputed the idea that Obama was on any “rescue mission.” And he noted that Trump was stumping Friday in GOP-heavy Pensacola and The Villages retirement community, while Vice President Mike Pence came to Tallahassee on Saturday.

With his opponents defending their must-win state, Schale pointed out that Biden on Saturday was campaigning in Pennsylvania and his running mate, Kamala Harris, was in Ohio, both battlegrounds Trump won.

“Of course, I want to win Florida. But you can see where I spent my money,” Schale said via text message, referring to the PAC’s spending in the Upper Midwest. “I want Joe Biden to be president. If forcing them to go all in here means we lose FL and win the White House, you know how much that’s going to bother me?”

He replied his own question by sending a GIF of Trump’s former lawyer saying, “The answer is ‘zero.’”

In his speech in North Miami, a predominantly Black city, Obama on Saturday mocked Trump’s erratic behavior, saying “Florida Man wouldn’t even do this stuff!”

Trump responded with a tweet, in between campaign stops in North Carolina and Ohio, claiming that, “Nobody is showing up for Obama’s hate-laced speeches.” The day before in The Villages, Trump made fun of Obama’s middle name, “Hussein.”

As Trump early voted Saturday, he deadpanned: “I voted for a guy named Trump.”

The Trump campaign expects to continue eating into Democrats’ margin in Florida. The president’s campaign manager in the state, Susie Wiles, said, “I would rather be in our position than theirs” because Florida Republicans have a history of come-from-behind wins on Election Day, while Democrats have a history of blowing it.

“We believe in our plan because it worked in 2016 and in 2018 and in previous election cycles,” Wiles added.

In previous years, Democrats used to cast fewer absentee ballots than Republicans but topped the GOP by voting early in person. Now the roles have reversed. Trump demonized voting by mail, which discouraged many of his voters from casting absentee ballots, while more Democrats vowed to vote by mail because of the coronavirus pandemic.

After Democrats leapt out to a large lead in mail-in votes, Republicans began closing the gap once in-person early voting began in select counties Monday. Under Florida law, all counties have to offer in-person early voting starting Saturday. Many of those counties are small but have significant Republican-voting majorities.

Both parties monitor pre-Election Day ballots as a sign of base-voter intensity. Though the ballots are counted by party, the votes in them are not actually tabulated until Election Day.

As of Saturday morning, Democrats had cast 2.3 million total pre-Election Day ballots, or 43 percent of the 4.8 million so far. Republicans had cast about 1.9 million votes, or 36 percent. The rest were cast by no-party-affiliation voters.

As much as 75 percent of the vote could be cast before Election Day in Florida, which could mean the nation’s biggest battleground state could report the night’s most-significant results early.

Obama referenced that fact while addressing campaign organizers and members of the United Teachers of Dade labor union on Saturday, imploring Florida voters to make it an early night.

“If you bring Florida home, this thing’s over,” Obama said. “I won’t have to wait for the results. I want to go to sleep knowing we’re going to have a president fighting on our behalf.”

Source Article from https://www.politico.com/news/2020/10/24/republicans-florida-early-vote-democrats-432135

JANESVILLE (WKOW) — Rural America 2020, the national non-profit made up of rural leaders, will fly an aerial banner over Waukesha and the greater Milwaukee area to warn of the potential superspreader event that is President Trump’s rally today at the Waukesha County Airport.

The banner reads “WARNING: SUPERSPREADER TRUMP IN WI. MASK UP.”

Along with the aerial banner Rural America 2020 has posted a billboard outside the Waukesha County Airport with the message “TRUMP COVID SUPERSPREADER EVENT.”

The airplane will be flying around with the banner Oct. 24 between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. It can be tracked here using it’s tail number: N9627P

Source Article from https://wkow.com/2020/10/24/airplane-banner-warns-of-the-potential-superspreader-event-prior-to-trumps-rally/

The Lincoln Project was defiant, saying in a scathing public statement that the billboards would stay up.

The Lincoln Project is composed largely of conservatives looking to defeat President Donald Trump next month, including George Conway, a lawyer and husband of former Trump campaign manager and senior counselor Kellyanne Conway.

The public spat is playing out as coronavirus cases have begun to spike across the country again. President Trump, meanwhile, has continued to hold campaign rallies in spite of the lingering health threat with 10 days to go before the election.

The billboards feature an edited photo of Ivanka Trump smiling and gesturing at coronavirus death tolls in New York and the U.S. — the original photo depicted her holding up a can of Goya beans — and a quote attributed anonymously to Kushner in a September Vanity Fair article.

The article describes a March meeting between White House officials, including Kushner, a senior adviser to the president, and leaders in the private sector to procure scarce supplies for fighting the virus.

According to one attendee, the article says, Kushner lambasted New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, telling the group that “Cuomo didn’t pound the phones hard enough to get PPE for his state … His people are going to suffer and that’s their problem.”

Kasowitz denied that Kushner had made such a remark, the first portion of which was not included on the billboard.

“The Lincoln Project’s representations” of Trump and Kushner “are outrageous and shameful libel,” Kasowitz wrote to the group.

The group responded: “The level of indignant outrage Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump have shown towards The Lincoln Project for exposing their indifference for the more than 223,000 people who have lost their lives due to their reckless mismanagement of COVID-19 is comical. While we truly enjoy living rent free in their heads, their empty threats will not be taken any more seriously than we take Ivanka and Jared.”

The statement went on to imply that they believed any legal challenge would prevail on First Amendment grounds while lambasting the White House as well as Trump and Kushner, calling them “entitled, out-of-touch bullies who have never given the slightest indication they have any regard for the American people.”

“We plan on showing them the same level of respect,” it said.

Source Article from https://www.politico.com/news/2020/10/24/ivanka-trump-jared-kushner-lincoln-project-ads-432100

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Source Article from https://www.washingtonpost.com/elections/2020/10/24/trump-biden-live-updates/

Coronavirus cases grew by 5% or more over the past week in 37 states as of Friday, according to a CNBC analysis of Johns Hopkins data that uses a weekly average to smooth out fluctuations in daily reporting.

Some states, like California and Alabama, have been working through a backlog of tests that were added to Friday’s count, pushing the nation’s total higher, according to their data dashboards. However, the nation is now reporting roughly 63,200 daily new cases based on a weekly average, a more than 14% increase compared with a week ago.

While Covid-19 testing is up nearly 13% from Oct. 1, new cases have risen at a much faster rate. The seven-day average of new infections is up 51% over that same period, according to Johns Hopkins data.

“I think we’re going to bear a lot more infection … and the health-care system is going to have to bear the brunt of this burden, because I don’t think you have the popular will for stay-at-home orders or broad mitigation,” Gottlieb said, adding that the virus’ spread would slow “if everyone would just wear masks.”

Source Article from https://www.cnbc.com/2020/10/24/us-reports-more-than-83000-coronavirus-cases-record-daily-total-as-experts-warn-of-difficult-winter.html

According to NOCOAlert, “The East Troublesome Fire officials have upgraded to Mandatory evacuations for the eastern side of Estes Park. This is a large area that has a north border of Devils Gulch Road, west border of MacGregor Avenue, south border of Pierson Mountain, and east borders of Highways 34 and 36. This will close Highway 34 at Sleepy Hollow Park, and close Highway 36 at approximately mile marker 8. Mandatory Evacuations have been ordered for residents and business occupants in the area due to immediate and imminent danger. Evacuate the area immediately and as quickly as possible. Do not delay leaving to gather belongings or make efforts to protect your home or business. Evacuating immediately not only supports your safety, but also allows emergency crews better access to the area. For text updates, text the word TFIRE to 888777 from your cell phone. We will communicate information to that key word as needed. To view a map of the evacuation areas, please visit nocoalert.org. Please do not call 9-1-1 unless you are in danger.”

Confluence Spruce and Forest Canyon.

According to the Estes Valley Fire Protection District, “At 8:45 pm, we received reports of increased fire activity on Mount Wuh. A fire officer went to patrol, and reported the sighting to local incident resources. We scouted from WIndcliff and Bear Lake Road, but the fire was not visible due to heavy smoke presence in the valley. At 11:00 pm, Night Operations called us to request a surge of resources to assist with impending fire behavior. We reached out to mutual aid and received a total of 24 engines from 13 agencies. 28 of your Estes volunteers are staffing six apparatus. We’ve already received apparatus from Loveland, Big Elk, Glen Haven, Pinewood Springs, Allenspark, Platte Valley, Berthoud, Greeley, Evans, Front Range, WIndsor, and Frederick Firestone. More have offered, and will be called upon as things develop. These resources were divided into three task forces with leadership ready to protect values, depending on where the fire impacts. Initial efforts will be focused on Bear Lake Road in RMNP, along the Highway 66 corridor, and off of High Drive. Additional resources from other Divisions on the fire are being routed to Estes to assist.
Winds are sustained at 25 mph, gusting to 50 mph out of the west / southwest. The fire has not moved far off of Mount Wuh, but is starting to show increased fire behavior (crown fire runs) as temperatures increase. We anticipate that with the rising sun, fuels will warm up and we’ll see this behavior intensify.
The Emergency Operations Center was re-opened at 1:00 am, bringing together our unified command, public information officers, and key staff from local government. This ensures that all agencies are operating in unison on the same information. As things like evacuations are needed, this is crucial.
We have a very hard 24 hours ahead of us. Until the snow arrives, all we can do is attempt to catch spot fires as they arrive and protect homes point to point. The forecast is promising, if it gets here in time. It’s good to know that when we call for help, there are MANY who were willing to step up. We can’t thank them enough. We will report more when we can.
(1 – 06:00) Updated fire location is south of South Lateral Moraine to Bierstadt Lake. We expect the fire to exit the park by sunrise. In the canyon, the fire is nearing the mouth of Moraine Park. Current Task Forces are deployed along Highway 66. Additional resources have been ordered.
(2 – 06:45) Advance of fire still moving east towards Highway 66. We have shut off power to Highway 66, northern Mary’s Lake Rd, and High Drive.
(3 – 07:05) The fire is south of Steep Mountain in the Mill Creek drainage. It is approximately 0.75-1 mile west of Bear Lake Rd. Crews are unable to see the location in Moraine, but believe it’s at the mouth of the canyon.
(4 – 07:40) Another 12 engines are encountering to support our mutual aid engine. Additional agencies have been contacted and organizing. These are working in coordination with resources from the Incident Management Team to increase the probability of success.”

Kawuneechee near Coyote Valley trailhead.

From the Town of Estes Park, “The East Troublesome Fire – Thompson Zone is moving rapidly due to high winds. The entire Estes Valley is now under MANDATORY evacuation orders. Anyone remaining in the valley should leave immediately preferably using US 34 or US 36 to the east. Do not delay; drive safely. Evacuations were also upgraded to MANDATORY for the Highway 7 corridor south of Lily Lake overnight.
Real-time emergency alerts and evacuation zones map: www.nocoalert.org
For text updates on the Troublesome Fire, text the word TFIRE to 888777.
For text update on the Cameron Peak Fire, text the word LCEVAC to 888777.
Watch www.cotrip.org for updates on state highways.
Joint Information Center: 970-980-2500 (opens at 8 a.m.) and www.larimer.org/cameron-peak-fire (evacuation resources, shelter, animals, etc.)
Larimer Sheriff’s media info line: 970-980-2501
Information on the East Troublesome Fire Thompson Zone and Cameron Peak Fires is available at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6964/ or www.facebook.com/cameronpeakfire. Email 2020.cameronpeak@firenet.gov or call 970-541-1008 (8 a.m.- 8 p.m.)

 

Source Article from https://www.eptrail.com/2020/10/24/all-of-estes-park-under-mandatory-evacuation/

AUSTIN (KXAN) — On Friday evening, Gov. Greg Abbott took to Twitter to call for the end of “mail ballot vote fraud in Texas.”

In a tweet, Abbott cited a Thursday KXAN Investigation, which found that in Texas, 150 people have been charged with voter fraud crime since 2004. The methods of voter fraud in these charges included ineligible felons casting ballots and people voting using names of deceased people.

“This shows Mail ballot vote fraud in Texas,” Abbott tweeted Friday. “We must end it.”

But many in the Governor’s replies pointed to the fact that 150 in 16 years does not necessarily reflect a widespread problem.

“150 out of 250,000,000 in 16 years?” someone responded.

Other replies included:

“It shows how difficult it is to get away with mail ballot vote fraud in Texas.”

“What it shows is that the fraud prevention measures we have in place work well.”

The Brennan Center for Justice, a nonpartisan law and policy institute at the New York University Law School, has widely researched instances of voter fraud in the U.S. In one of its most noted reports, “The Truth About Voter Fraud,” the Brennan Center reports that “voter fraud” is most often exaggerated.

Additionally, the report says claims of voter fraud don’t take into account honest mistakes by voters: for instance, someone may not be aware they are currently ineligible to vote and may cast a ballot without knowing it.

The report also points to instances that it says can actually cause what may look like voter fraud, saying “irregularities” at polls can happen by actions other than voters.

“For example, flyers may spread misinformation about the proper locations and procedures for voting; thugs may be dispatched to intimidate voters at the polls; missing ballot boxes may mysteriously reappear. These are all problems with the election administration system… but they are not “voter fraud.”

The Brennan Center’s research also found that claims of “voter fraud” are often used as a way to disenfranchise legitimate voters — becoming a form of voter suppression.

Recent instances of claims of voter fraud include statements made by Pres. Donald Trump, who has said multiple times that the 2020 Presidential Election would likely be impacted by voter fraud. In the first debate of the election, Trump said, (in reference to mail-in ballots): “This is going to be a fraud like you’ve never seen.”

Trump also urged voters to watch polls “very closely” during the first debate. In a letter to U.S. Attorney General William Barr and FBI Director Christopher A. Wray, the NAACP wrote that in Trump’s statement, “many heard a call for voter intimidation.”

A Saturday article in The Los Angeles Times looks to Republican voting expert Benjamin L. Ginsberg, who has represented many Republican candidates over 40 years. In a recent op-ed, Ginsberg said that Trump’s claims were “unsustainable” based on a lack of evidence.

“The truth is that after decades of looking for illegal voting, there’s no proof of widespread fraud,” Ginsberg wrote. “At most, there are isolated incidents — by both Democrats and Republicans. Elections are not rigged. Absentee ballots use the same process as mail-in ballots — different states use different labels for the same process.”

Source Article from https://www.kxan.com/news/texas-politics/gov-greg-abbott-says-we-must-end-mail-in-ballot-fraud-points-to-kxan-investigation-finding-150-charges-since-2004/