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Tuesday, October 13, 2020

Biden speaks to 30 cars of supporters at Ohio ‘drive-in rally’

Democratic nominee Joe Biden delivered a speech in front of around 30 socially-distanced cars of supporters at a “drive-in rally” on Monday in a warring event with Vice President Mike Pence who was also in the Buckeye State.

After the 77-year-old remembered what state he was in, and what office he was seeking, he gave remarks on the economy in front of United Auto Workers in a half-empty Toledo parking lot as Pence spoke to hundreds of supporters in the capitol of Columbus on Columbus Day.

Biden’s 25-minute speech was at times also derailed by supporters of President Trump, who stood on a nearby street corner and loudly chanted “four more years” as the Democratic presidential hopeful spoke.

Biden delivered familiar remarks on how he believed the 2020 presidential race was “between Scranton and Park Avenue” or “Toledo and Park Avenue” — a dig at President Trump’s history as a Manhattan real estate tycoon.

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Ex-pizza chain employee arrested for putting razor blades in dough

A former pizza company employee has been arrested after he was caught stuffing razor blades into dough sold at a supermarket in Maine, police said.

The food-tampering incident came to light after a customer purchased pizza dough at Hannaford Supermarket in Saco and discovered the sharp implements inside the package Oct. 6, according to the Saco Police Department.

Surveillance footage showed a man — later identified as Nicholas R. Mitchell — tampering with the packaging of Portland Pie Pizza products in the store.

Police said 38-year-old Mitchell was a former employee of the It’ll Be Pizza company, which manufactures the dough.

Authorities called on the public Sunday for help tracking down Mitchell, who they said left the store in a 2005 silver or gray Toyota Camry.

Within two hours, authorities tracked him to Dover, New Hampshire, around 50 miles away, police said.

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Trump knocks Sen. Blumenthal’s credibility after speaking out against Barrett

President Trump attacked the credibility of Sen. Richard Blumenthal on Monday as he gave his opening statement during the Senate confirmation hearing for Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett — targeting the Connecticut Democrat’s false comments about serving in Vietnam.

“So Crazy to watch Senator Blumenthal of Connecticut lecture all on morals & ethics when for 25 years he said he was a Great War Hero in Vietnam, and he was never even there,” Trump wrote on Twitter. “He lied & cheated right up until the day he got caught. Thank you to those in military who turned him in!”

In his opening statement, Blumenthal told Barrett he would oppose her nomination because, if confirmed, she will rule as a justice to strike down the Affordable Care Act.

Trump ridicules Biden for saying he’s running ‘for the Senate,’ forgetting Romney’s name

President Trump on Monday ridiculed Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden for mistakenly saying at a campaign stop he’s running “for the Senate” — and appearing to forget Mitt Romney’s name.
“‘I’m running as a proud Democrat, for the Senate’. Sleepy Joe Biden today,” Trump tweeted. “It’s only going to get worse. It is not sustainable for our County – China will own us!!!!”

In another tweet, Trump wrote, “Biden losing big in Florida. Only Fake Polls show otherwise! Bad for Healthcare. Thinks he’s running for the Senate. Forgot Mitt Romney’s name, and where he was!”

Trump often accuses Biden, 77, of going senile and fired off the tweets as he traveled to Sanford, Fla., for his first campaign trip after recovering from COVID-19.

At the rally, Trump told a roaring crowd, “Sleepy Joe Biden, not a nice guy, by the way… He had a very bad day today.

“If I ever had a day like he had today, they’d say ‘It’s over. It’s over.’ … He forgot Mitt Romney’s name. He didn’t know what state he was in. And he said today he’s a proud Democrat running for the US Senate.”

Biden “has got a lot of bad days coming,” Trump said.

“The one thing I know for sure, President Xi of China… President Putin of Russia… Kim Jong Un…. they are 100 percent sharp. We have someone running who is not 100 percent, he’s not 80 percent, he’s not 60 percent.”

Biden made the mistakes during a Columbus Day campaign trip to Toledo, Ohio. He previously claimed he was running for Senate during a stop in South Carolina in February.

Trump says WHO admitted he’s right on COVID-19 lockdowns

President Trump on Monday celebrated recent remarks by a World Health Organization leader that indefinite COVID-19 lockdowns are bad.

“The World Health Organization, did you see what happened? They came out a little while ago and they admitted that Donald Trump was right,” Trump said during a large rally in Sanford, Fla. — his first after recovering from the coronavirus.

“The lockdowns are doing tremendous damage to these Democrat-run states where they are locked down, sealed up. Suicide rates, drug rates, alcoholism, death by so many different forms. You can’t do that,” Trump said.

Trump slammed Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden for saying in August he would seek to re-impose harsh restrictions if scientists advised it.

“Biden would terminate our recovery, delay the vaccine, prolong the pandemic and annihilate Florida’s economy with a draconian, unscientific lockdown — that’s what he wants to do, lock it down, lock it down everybody,” Trump told the crowd.

“And you know what? If you don’t feel good about going out, stay, relax, stay. You know the risk groups, you know the older people.”

Rep. Doug Collins introduces resolution to push for Pelosi removal as House speaker

Rep. Doug Collins on Monday introduced a resolution to push for the removal of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, claiming she “does not have the mental fitness” to lead the House of Representatives.

“Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s unwillingness to abide by the Constitution, combined with her recent actions, call into question her own mental fitness, which is why it’s critical that the House of Representatives demand her removal from the line of succession,” Collins said in a statement to Fox News.

A draft of Collins’ resolution, obtained by Fox News, argues that Pelosi “is unable to adequately serve as Speaker of the House of Representatives and should therefore be removed from her position.”

The resolution states that Pelosi “has spent the majority of the House of Representative’s time pursuing baseless and fruitless investigations” against President Trump and his administration, including launching an impeachment inquiry against him in the fall of 2019.

California hires Democratic operatives for "Get Out The Vote" effort

California is using federal taxpayer money to fund a “Team Biden" voter turnout program in possible violation of the law, according to lawmakers and documents obtained by "Tucker Carlson .

The state of California announced in August that it had awarded a $35 million contract to SKDKnickerbocker to produce materials to encourage voters to participate in the November election.

The firm will run California’s “Vote Safe California” campaign and will work to increase turnout.

The firm, SKDKnickerbocker, proudly says that it is “Team Biden” on its website. Its managing director Anita Dunn is a senior aide for Democratic nominee Joe Biden's campaign.

Reps. James Comer, R-Ky., Rodney Davis, R-Ill., and Jody Hice, R-Ga., sent a letter to Patricia Layfield, Inspector General of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, requesting an investigation of the "highly questionable" contract. Comer is ranking member of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform.

"This was a no-bid contract awarded to a partisan company," Comer told "Tucker Carlson Tonight" on Monday. "To get out the vote, they’re going to have to microtarget voters. In order to do that, they’re going to have to have sensitive voter data from the secretary of state’s office. ... We’re not going to let this go."

"Documents ... appear to show that the California Secretary of State’s Office is attempting to use Help America Vote Act (HAVA) grant money from the CARES Act to fund the contract. If true, this is a violation of law," the lawmakers wrote in a letter obtained by "Tucker Carlson Tonight”


New immigrant statue to replace Columbus as Buffalo declares Italian Heritage Month

Buffalo Mayor Byron W. Brown joined with members of the Federation of Italian-American Societies on Sunday to declare October as Italian Heritage Month, while also unveiling a rendering of the planned new immigrants monument to replace the Christopher Columbus statue that was voluntarily removed in July.

While still a hero to many Italian-Americans, Columbus is now also criticized as a colonizer who helped bring slavery and diseases to the New World, prompting a deeper review into his contributions, and calls to remove his name from parks and public displays.

The Federation removed the original statue from Columbus Park on Buffalo's West Side on July 10 to prevent further vandalism and damage, in the wake of civil unrest and a growing backlash against the famed explorer.




Today is voter-registration deadline in DC, Md. and Va.

In Virginia, the deadline to register to vote is Tuesday, Oct. 13.

If you want to register by printing out an application and mailing it back to your board of election, it must be postmarked by Tuesday. If you choose to register in-person at your local office, you must submit your registration by 5 p.m. You can find your local voter registration office online.

You can also register online. You have to complete the online registration by 11:59 p.m.

You can check if you’re registered to vote on the Virginia Department of Elections citizen portal.

Another key deadline in Virginia comes next week. The last day to ask to have an absentee ballot mailed to you in Virginia is Friday, Oct. 23. If you wait this long, the Virginia Department of Elections recommends you return your completed ballot in person, instead of mailing it in.

See everything else you need to know about voting in Virginia with WTOP’s Virginia Voter Guide.

Maryland deadlines

In Maryland, the deadline to register to vote — or to update your information — is Tuesday, Oct. 13.

If you choose to register by mailing a printed application, you’ll need to have it postmarked by Oct. 13. You can find the address for your local board of election online.

You can also register to vote online.

If you use the online system, you must be finished by 9 p.m. The State Board of Elections recommends you access the system no later than 8:50 p.m. on Oct. 13 to make sure you meet the deadline.

If you’re not sure if you’re registered, you can check online using the Voter Lookup tool.

Even if you miss the Oct. 13 deadline, you can still register to vote in Maryland later this month when early voting begins, because the state has same-day registration.

Early voting starts Oct. 26. If you still need to register, you can go to any early voting center in the county where you live and bring a document showing proof of residency. That includes a Maryland driver’s license or ID card with your current address or a paycheck, bank statement or utility bill with your name and address.

You can find a list of early voting centers in Maryland on the state Board of Elections website.

Same-day registration also applies on Election Day itself, which is Nov. 3. Here is a list of Election Day vote centers in Maryland.

If you update your address on Election Day, you will be asked to complete a provisional ballot, and an election judge will assist you with the process.

In Maryland, there’s another key deadline this week if you plan to vote by mail. Your request for a mail-in ballot must be received by your local board of election by Oct. 20. The Maryland State Board of Elections recommends you mail your request by Oct. 15 to make sure it is delivered in time.

See everything else you need to know about voting in Maryland with WTOP’s Maryland Voter Guide.

D.C. deadlines

In D.C., Tuesday, Oct. 13, is also the voter registration deadline ahead of the election.

You can register by mail or online.

However, just like Maryland, D.C. allows same-day registration during early voting and on Election Day.

In D.C., early voting begins Oct. 27. You can find a list of early voting sites and Election Day vote centers in D.C. online.

You will need to bring proof of residency with you. This can consist of a D.C. driver’s license, paycheck, bank statement, utility bill or lease, among other options.

You can check whether you’re registered to vote online or by calling the D.C. Board of Elections at 202-727-2525.

Unlike in Maryland and Virginia, D.C. mailed all active registered voters a ballot. (In Maryland, registered voters were sent a mail-in ballot request). However, if you were not mailed a ballot, or misplaced it, or you want to have your ballot mailed to an address other than your residence on file with the Board of Elections, the deadline for the Board of Elections to receive this request is next Monday, Oct. 19.

You can see directions for requesting a mail-in ballot on the Board of Elections website.

See everything else you need to know about voting in D.C. with WTOP’s D.C. Voter Guide.

Amazon Prime Day kicks off today and runs through Wednesday

Amazon Prime Day 2020 finally arrives with one analyst predicting a cash haul of nearly $10 billion for Jeff Bezos’ e-commerce mega-company.

That may make Bezos, already the world's richest man with a net worth of $200 billion, even richer. He remains the company's largest individual shareholder and the stock has gained 86% already this year.

Amazon put off Prime Day until Oct. 13 due to the coronavirus pandemic. The event runs through tomorrow

In its first forecast on Amazon Prime Day, eMarketer expects worldwide sales to jump 43% to reach $9.91 billion.

Lipsman said Prime Day arrives three months later than its typical mid-July timing, resulting in a different focus --“de-emphasizing products for summer and back-to-school, and making the event an early lead-in to the holiday season."

A Comment Worthy of A Post!

Ever since Mr. Joe Albero, editor of a conservative blog in Salisbury posted false information on his site, there have been rumors and misinformation circulating about a program that was not even on the library calendar. If Mr. Albero wanted to report real news or truth - he should have asked me or my Director for the story. The views expressed on Mr. Albero’s blog that instigated public backlash are based not in fact, but in misogyny, homophobia and fear. Choosing to censor programming based on the views of a small group of misinformed and hateful individuals does not build community. It silences the voices of those who are already marginalized. Furthermore, Mr. Albero’s blog went as far as to threaten bodily harm to library staff if they hosted such a program. Perhaps the County should look into those threats instead of emboldening bigots. Cheryl Sidwell Events and Development Manager Wicomico Public Libraries 410-749-3612 x122 My pronouns (She, Her, Hers) www.wicomicolibraries.org

A Viewer Writes...

 Letter to the Editor Memo to John Cannon John Cannon Vice President of the County Council Council Liason to the Wicomico Library Dear Councilman John Cannon, This anti-American is an employee of the Wicomico County Free Library and her salary is paid by the Wicomico County taxpayers. She is an anti-Christian and an anti-American and made this anti-American statement on her FB page: Cheryl Sidwell said... "I did not stand for prayer or pledge." She is bragging that she did not stand for the prayer or the Pledge of Allegiance. This idiot is working in our County Library and she is exposed to our children and indoctrinating them with her corrupt beliefs at our expense. Cheryl Sidwell said... "Y'all, please take a listen to my boss (at least for 2 more weeks - sadly, she is leaving Wicomico library b/c the County we live in is racist, sexist, and homophobic - but don't take my word for it, please listen to a woman who experienced both in her 2 years as our Executive Director). Speak, Truth to Power." Cheryl Sidwell said... "The good news is that Ms. Teagle has accepted a position that pays more and where she won't have to deal with so many bigots (hopefully) to try and create innovative and progressive programming." She is calling council members and Wicomico citizens "bigots." That is not acceptable for someone receiving county funding from county taxpayers. There are multiple other posts on this thread where she has made some damaging comments unfit for a Wicomico Library employee. She should be fired immediately!! You are in the position to address this and if you don't we will address it when you plan to run for re-election. Signed, Wicomico County Voter and Taxpayer Can someone make sure that Mr. Cannon gets his memo? He always says that he doesn't read Mr. Albero's Blog. We all know that he does read it but if the memo was given to him he couldn't deny not seeing it. Mr. Albero can you please make this a separate post for your viewers and address it to Mr. John Cannon? He is a Library Trustee and he should know what his employees of the Library are saying on Social Media.