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MOSTLY SUNNY 63 • 40 | THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2020 | theworldlink.com
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Biden, Trump have final debate tonight NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — President Donald Trump and his Democratic challenger, Joe Biden, are set to square off in their final debate Thursday, one of the last high-profile opportunities for the trailing incumbent to change the trajectory of an increasingly contentious campaign. Worried about losing the White House, some advisers are urging Trump to trade his aggressive demeanor from the first debate for a lower-key style that puts Biden more squarely in the spotlight. But it’s unclear whether the president will listen. Biden, who has stepped off the campaign trail in favor of debate prep, expects Trump to get intensely personal. The former vice president and his inner circle see the president’s approach chiefly as an effort to distract from the
Senate panel advances Barrett
coronavirus, its economic fallout and other crises. With less than two weeks until Election Day, Biden is leading most national polls and has a narrower advantage in the battleground states that could decide the race. More than 42 million people have already cast their ballots. The debate, moderated by NBC’s Kristen Welker, is a final chance for both men to make their case to a television audience of tens of millions of voters. “The rule is that last debates before the election have a big impact,” said presidential historian Michael Beschloss, who made clear the legacy of the candidates’ first faceoff: “That was the most out-of-control presidential debate we have seen.” Trump, who staged a remarkable comeback in the closing
days of the 2016 campaign, believes he can do it again by using the power of the presidency to attack his rival. Trump on Tuesday called on Attorney General William Barr to immediately launch an investigation into unverified claims about Biden and his son Hunter, effectively demanding that the Justice Department muddy his political opponent and abandon its historic resistance to getting involved in elections. The president has promoted an unconfirmed New York Post report published last week that cites an email in which an official from Ukrainian gas company Burisma thanked Hunter Biden, who served on the company’s board, for arranging for him to meet Joe Biden during a 2015 visit to Washington. The Biden campaign has rejected Trump’s
assertion of wrongdoing and noted that Biden’s schedule did not show a meeting with the Burisma official. Some former national security officials and other experts said the episode raised multiple red flags of a possible foreign disinformation effort, especially given the involvement of Rudy Giuliani, Trump’s personal attorney, and Giuliani’s active role in promoting an anti-Biden narrative on Ukraine. But John Ratcliffe, the director of national intelligence, dismissed that disinformation theory. And the FBI appeared to endorse Ratcliffe’s position in a letter to a Senate committee that had requested information on a laptop purportedly belonging to Hunter Biden. Trump’s attacks on the Biden family have been relentless,
including his efforts to get Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden, which led to Trump’s impeachment. It’s part of a determined, yet so-far-unsuccessful effort to drive up his opponent’s negatives, as he did with Hillary Clinton four years ago. Trump campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh said, “Trump is still the political outsider, while Biden is the ultimate insider. We now know that Biden allowed his son to sell access to him while he was vice president.” While Biden will defend his own record and his son, aides have said, he hopes to focus on making the case that Trump is unfit for office and let the nation down during a confluence of crises. Please see Debate, Page 2
Vote on Supreme Court nominee held despite boycott from Democrats
WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Judiciary Committee Republicans powered past a Democratic boycott Thursday to advance Amy Coney Barrett’s Supreme Court nomination to the full Senate, keeping President Donald Trump’s pick on track for confirmation before Election Day. Democratic senators refused to show up in protest of the GOP’s rush to install Trump’s nominee to replace the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Never has the Senate confirmed a Supreme Court nominee so close to a presidential election. The Republicans, who hold the majority, voted unanimously in favor of Barrett, a conservative judge. Instead of attending, the Democrats displayed posters at their desks of Americans they say have benefited from the Affordable Care Act now being challenged in court. Senators plan to convene a rare weekend session ahead of a final confirmation vote expected Monday. “This is a groundbreaking, historic moment,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., the committee chairman. “We did it.” The 48-year-old federal judge’s ascent to the high court would lock a 6-3 conservative majority on the court for the foreseeable future. Trump’s Republican allies in the Senate are counting on Barrett’s ascent to improve their standing with voters. The court could open a new era of rulings on the Affordable Care Act, abortion access and even the results of the presidential election. “We should not be moving forward on this nomination,” Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said Wednesday in announcing the boycott. He called Barrett’s views “so far out of the mainstream.” Unable stop the confirmation, Democrats have been trying unsuccessfully to stall the process until after the Nov. 3 election, so the winner of the presidency could name the new nominee. “These are all such violations of American norms, values, decency and honor,” Schumer said. With Republicans holding a 53-47 majority in the Senate, Trump’s pick for the court is almost certain to be confirmed. Please see Nominee, Page 3
Zack Demars photos, The World
Robbyn Repp hands a neighbor a free bouquet of flowers as part of the annual Petal it Forward event.
Flower shop’s message: ‘Petal it Forward’ ZACK DEMARS The World
NORTH BEND — Drivers on U.S. Highway 101 and Virginia Avenue got a sweet surprise Wednesday morning. Buckets of colorful flowers lined the sidewalk as staff from the Petal to the Metal flower shop prepared bouquets to hand to passing drivers as part of the Society of American Florists’ annual “Petal it Forward” event. “That person, you make their day,” said Robbyn Repp, the store’s owner. Repp and Mary Sue Blankenship, another shop staff member, have done the event for the past few years — but this year, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, they had to take it drive-thru only. Each time the light turned red, one of the mask-clad pair raced out into the street, passing flowers to drivers before they departed down the highway. The bouquets — one for the
Mary Sue Blankenship reaches to hand a stopped truck driver a bouquet of flowers. recipient, and another for them to give to someone else — were free. All Blankenship and Repp asked was that recipients pay (or petal) it forward to someone else with the flowers. “You just need to go make someone’s day,” Blankenship said. For Repp, the chance to bring
a smile to someone’s face is all the more important this year with the stress of the pandemic. “Everybody’s been so closed up and so afraid of everybody,” Repp said. “Right now, we really need it.” Repp’s store has had a challenging time, too. School dances, weddings, funerals and banquets
have all been cancelled or moved online, meaning many of the store’s usual orders “plummeted,” Repp said. Much of the store’s business has moved online, with staff members video calling customers to show them around the store or texting them photos of completed orders to make them feel like they’re there. Repp had to completely revamp the store’s website to make it accessible to people who don’t usually go online. Still, in spite of the lost revenue, Repp said it was worth the store’s time to continue the Petal it Forward event. Since it was coordinated through a national organization, the flowers came free from growers, and the store just had to pay for shipping and build the 200 bouquets Tuesday evening. “It’s a way of giving back to the community,” Repp said. “I couldn’t have my (store) door open if it weren’t for the community.”
US officials link Iran to emails meant to intimidate voters WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. officials have accused Iran of being behind a flurry of threatening but fake emails sent to Democratic voters in multiple battleground states in a late-stage efforts to sway public opinion and interfere in the presidential election. Purportedly from far-right, pro-Trump groups like the Proud Boys, the fake emails were apparently aimed at intimidating voters. John Ratcliffe, the government’s national intelligence director, said the aim was to hurt President Donald Trump in the
contest against Democrat Joe Biden, though he did not elaborate on how. One possibility is the messages may have been intended to align Trump in the minds of voters with the Proud Boys after he was criticized for failing to unequivocally denounce the group during the first presidential debate. The threatening emails officials did not lay out specific evidence for how they came to pinpoint Iran, but the activities attributed to Tehran would mark a signif-
icant escalation for a country some cybersecurity experts regard as a second-rate player in online espionage. The announcement was made late Wednesday at a hastily called news conference 13 days before the election. The allegations underscored the U.S. government’s concern about efforts by foreign countries to influence the election by spreading false information meant to suppress voter turnout and undermine American confidence in the vote. Such direct attempts to sway public opinion
are more commonly associated with Moscow, which conducted a covert social media campaign in 2016 aimed at sowing discord and is again interfering this year, but the idea that Iran could be responsible suggested that those tactics have been adopted by other nations, too. “These actions are desperate attempts by desperate adversaries,” said Ratcliffe, who, along with FBI Director Christopher Wray, insisted that the U.S. would Please see Iran, Page 3
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COVID-19 claims two more lives in Oregon Case total drops slightly from previous week The World The Oregon Health Authority reported two more deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic on Wednesday, bringing the state’s death toll to 635, but the total number of cases for the week dropped slightly from last week. OHA reported 331 new confirmed and presumptive cases as of 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, bringing the total since the pandemic began to 40,443 statewide. The new cases are in the following counties: Baker (1), Clackamas (27), Columbia (2), Coos (4), Crook (2), Deschutes (9), Douglas (7), Harney (2), Hood River (3), Jackson (36), Josephine (1), Lane (40), Linn (6), Malheur (8), Marion (43), Multnomah (56), Polk (2), Tillamook (1), Umatilla (19), Union (2), Wasco (1), Washington (55) and Yamhill (4). Oregon’s 634th COVID-19 death is a 70-year-old woman in Multnomah County who tested positive on Oct. 10 and died on Oct. 16 at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center. She had underlying conditions. Oregon’s 635th COVID-19 death is a 60-year-old woman in Washington County who tested positive on Sept. 26 and died on Oct.17 at Tuality Community Hospital. She had underlying conditions.
Weekly totals released The Oregon Health Authority released its COVID-19 Weekly Report Wednesday. For the week of Monday, Oct.12 through Sunday, Oct.18, OHA recorded 2,327 new daily cases, a 4% decline from the previous week’s pandemic high of 2,418.
The number of newly tested Oregonians rose to 28,960, as did those who tested positively, to 6.5%. Twenty-seven COVID-19 associated deaths were reported during the week—compared to 25 during the previous week. And people hospitalized with the virus remained the same at 143. The age group with the highest incidence of reported infection has been in persons aged 20 to 49. They represent 39% of Oregon’s population and they account for 56% of COVID-19 cases. Hospitalization and death rates increase with age, with persons 80 or older accounting for 51% of COVID-19 associated deaths.
No-cost COVID-19 vaccines planned for long-term care facilities Oregon Department of Human Services and Oregon Health Authority are notifying long-term care facilities and small congregate settings that their residents and employees can get no-cost COVID-19 vaccinations when a vaccine becomes available, as part of a partnership between the federal government and two large, commercial pharmacies. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Oct. 16 that it was partnering with CVS and Walgreens to provide on-site COVID-19 vaccinations for residents of long-term care facilities — nursing facilities, assisted living facilities, residential care facilities, adult foster care homes and other community-based care facilities, such as group homes for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Employees also could get the vaccine through this program, but the CDC says they likely would receive it earlier than residents based on a recommendation to
prioritize vaccination for health care personnel any employee who did not already receive the vaccine could be vaccinated through the on-site clinics. Registration to participate is 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on Oct. 29. Longterm care facilities that opt out of or don’t register for the clinics must provide an alternate plan, such as using their own on-site pharmacy to provide the COVID-19 vaccine to residents and employees, although these facilities would be responsible for all “end-to-end” processes and equipment, such as on-site storage, vaccination and reporting. “This HHS program will be important in building our state’s vaccination capacity once a vaccine is approved, and it will help facilitate efficient vaccination of the long-term care population,” said Paul Cieslak, M.D., medical director for communicable diseases and immunizations at the OHA Public Health Division. “As a result, it will ease the burden on long-term care facilities for administering the vaccine to protect our most vulnerable population, and on local public health authorities that would otherwise be heavily involved in this process.” Cieslak noted that 44% of the state’s COVID-19 deaths have been among residents of long-term care facilities. Nursing homes and skilled nursing facilities can sign up for the on-site clinics at the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) website, but they must first be enrolled in the NHSN COVID-19 Module for Long Term Care Facilities, https://www.cdc.gov/ nhsn/ltc/covid19/enroll. html. All other facilities will sign up via this online sign up form. Facilities that opt out of the program may be able to opt in later by emailing eocevent494@ cdc.gov.
Vineyards lose lawsuit against pot operation MCMINVILLE (AP) — Two Oregon wine grape growers have failed to convince a state judge their grapes would be marred by odors from a neighboring marijuana operation. Yamhill County Circuit Court Judge Cynthia Easterday ruled that Smera Vineyard and Maysara Winery haven’t met their burden of proof to justify blocking the Wagner family from growing and processing the crop, The Capital Press reported. The judge said she deliberated for nearly eight months
since the February trial and had re-listened to expert testimony several times. “This was a very difficult and close decision,” and while the potential for the smell of marijuana to taint wine grapes raises “a threat, a risk, and concerns, there is insufficient proof at this time by a preponderance of the evidence that it will damage plaintiffs’ current or future agricultural products,” Easterday said. The judge also determined that Steven, Mary and Richard Wagner, the marijuana producers, can
lawfully use an easement across one of the plaintiff’s properties and that the defendants are the prevailing parties under Oregon’s “right to farm” statute. The vineyard plaintiffs filed the lawsuit in 2017 but their request for a temporary restraining order against the marijuana operation was denied. However, their complaint survived a motion to dismiss after the court found the defendants didn’t have a “blanket immunity” from the charges under Oregon’s “right to farm” law.
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Glide teenager found safe The World A Glide teenager reported missing by the Douglas
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Idaho COVID patients may be sent to Portland, Seattle hospitals COEUR D’ALENE, Idaho. (AP) — People with COVID-19 in Northern Idaho soon may have to be sent to Seattle or Portland, Oregon, because the region’s hospitals are nearing capacity. Kootenai Health hospital said in a statement Wednesday that their hospital is at 99% capacity for patients. The facility is also short-staffed, as demand for nurses grows with the rise in COVID-19 cases throughout the country, the statement said. “Because all regional hospitals are experiencing the same situation, there will be limited opportunities to transfer patients to other facilities once at capacity,” the hospital said. “If there is no room available, Koo-
tenai Health is currently looking at hospitals in Seattle or Portland to find space to transfer patients, but it is very limited.” As of Wednesday morning, Kootenai Health had 31 COVID-19 inpatients and 11 required critical care. Chief Physician Executive Karen Cabell told KREM the hospital nearing capacity at its current levels is “unprecedented.” Kootenai Health will not turn anybody away, but there may be long wait times and patients might receive treatment in different locations such as the waiting room, Cabell said. In the southern Idaho city of Twin Falls, St. Luke’s Hospital has had to cancel all elective surgery for the month to
accommodate an influx of COVID-19 patients. One in every four patients there is sick with COVID-19. Idaho is seeing its largest coronavirus spike since the pandemic began, with new cases increasing statewide by 46.5% percent over the past two weeks. Gov. Brad Little, a Republican, has declined to take steps such as requiring masks statewide to slow the spread of the virus. For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death.
Debate
tegrity of the election itself, Trump refused to condemn white supremacists who have supported him, telling one such group known as the Proud Boys to “stand back and stand by.” The two men frequently talked over each other with Trump interrupting, nearly shouting, so often that Biden eventually snapped at him, “Will you shut up, man?” Aides have urged Trump, who has skipped debate prep, to show some restraint this time, allowing Biden to speak more and get himself in trouble with verbal gaffes and lapses. But the president has made no promises. “Some people think, ‘Let him talk,’ because he loses his train (of thought), he just loses it and he doesn’t speak the train of thought,” Trump said in a town hall discussion taped at the White House Rose Garden and aired by Sinclair Broadcast Group on Wednesday evening. “But we’ll see what happens. I mean, you will have to be there.” It was two days after
the first debate in Cleveland when Trump tested positive for the coronavirus. The White House has refused to reveal when the president had last tested negative before the debate, raising questions as to whether he was already infected when he took the stage. After the diagnosis, the Commission on Presidential Debates ruled that the second debate, which was to have been held last week, be virtual. Trump balked, leading to the cancellation of the debate and the two men holding dueling town halls instead, speaking at the same time more than 1,000 miles apart. On the debate stage Wednesday, two large plexiglass shields had been put in place in front of the candidates’ lecterns. On Thursday night, in an effort to curtail interruptions, Trump and Biden will each have his microphone cut off while his rival delivers an opening two-minute answer to each of the six debate topics, the commission announced.
From Page 1
“He knows that people want to hear about how we’re going to help working families get through the end of the month and pay the rent,” his running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris, said Wednesday in North Carolina. “That’s what people care about, and one of the things I love about Joe Biden — he doesn’t take on or talk about other people’s kids.” The one-two punch of the first debate and the president’s three-day hospital stint after contracting COVID-19 rattled his base of support and triggered alarm among Republicans who fear the White House and Senate could be slipping away. The initial debate was the most tumultuous in modern history, with a belligerent tone that was persistent and somehow fitting for what has been an extraordinarily ugly campaign. Amid heated clashes over the pandemic, the Supreme Court and the in-
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Judge slams DeVos for rejecting 94% of loan relief claims Associated Press Months after vowing to process a backlog of 160,000 requests for loan forgiveness from students who say they were defrauded by their schools, the U.S. Education Department has rejected 94% of claims it has reviewed, according to a federal judge who is demanding justification for the “blistering pace” of denials. In a biting decision issued Monday in California, U.S. District Judge William Alsup said the department has been denying claims using template letters that are “alarmingly curt.” Alsup threatened to suspend the agency from rejecting further requests, saying its approach “hangs borrowers out to dry.” He said that although Education Secretary Betsy DeVos blamed the backlog on the hard work that goes into processing claims, she has now “charged out
of the gate, issuing perfunctory denial notices utterly devoid of meaningful explanation at a blistering pace.” The Education Department said it is studying the ruling. Spokesperson Angela Morabito said many claims were submitted by borrowers who attended ineligible programs or who failed to make a valid claim for loan forgiveness. “Just because a claim was filed does not make it valid and eligible for taxpayer-funded relief,” she said in a statement. “The Department is following the publicly available process for resolving claims as quickly as possible, so those students who are eligible and were harmed get the relief they deserve.” The dispute stems from a 2019 lawsuit brought by 160,000 borrowers who say the Education Department illegally stalled their claims for loan relief. The claims were filed through
a program known as borrower defense, which forgives federal student loans for borrowers who are cheated by their colleges. It’s most often used by students who attended for-profit colleges. In a proposed settlement in April, the Education Department agreed to process the backlog of claims within 18 months. But Alsup scrapped the deal Monday, saying it was undermined by the recent spate of rejections. Instead, he called on the lawsuit to proceed and he authorized the deposition of up to five department officials to explain the denials. “We need to know what is really going on,” wrote Alsup, who was appointed to the court by President Bill Clinton. He said DeVos will not be required to appear for deposition “at this time,” but he suggested it may be necessary later. DeVos set out to overhaul the loan forgiveness program in
2017 and last year released new rules making it more difficult for borrowers to get loans erased. In the meantime, claims were piling up. When the lawsuit was filed, it had been a year since the department issued a final decision on any claim. The program had been expanded by President Barack Obama to erase loans for students who attended the Corinthian Colleges chain and other for-profit colleges found to have lied about the success of their graduates. DeVos opposed the expansion, saying it made it too easy for students to get their loans erased at the expense of taxpayers. Alsup’s decision was based on the department’s latest update on its work to clear the backlog. As of August, he wrote, the agency had denied 74,000 claims linked to the lawsuit while granting 4,400, amounting to a 94% rejection rate.
Rejections were delivered through standardized letters that included information on how to appeal the decision, but Alsup said the letters fail to explain the decision. It leaves borrowers in a “disturbingly Kafkaesque” situation, he wrote. Alsup said he is considering whether to forbid the department from issuing any further rejections until the case is decided. He has asked both sides to submit arguments around the question. Harvard Law School’s Project on Predatory Student Lending, which represents borrowers in the suit, said it looks forward to deposing agency officials to get an explanation for their actions. “The class members in this case have suffered harm at every turn, but in this court order they are finally seeing a change in the tides after years of waiting for justice,” said Eileen Connor, the group’s legal director.
Dazzling magician, skeptic James Randi dies at 92 Associated Press
James Randi, a magician who later challenged spoon benders, mind readers and faith healers with such voracity that he became regarded as the country’s foremost skeptic, has died, his foundation announced. He was 92. The James Randi Educational Foundation confirmed the death, saying simply that its founder succumbed to “age-related causes” on Tuesday. Entertainer, genius, debunker, atheist ̶ Randi was them all. He began gaining attention not long after dropping out of high school to join the carnival. As the Amazing Randi, he escaped from a locked coffin submerged in water and from a straitjacket as he dangled over Niagara Falls. Magical as his feats seemed, Randi concluded his shows around the globe with a simple statement, insisting no otherworldly powers were at play. “Everything you have seen here is tricks,” he would say. “There is nothing supernatural involved.”
Nominee From Page 1
All Democrats are expected to oppose Barrett’s confirmation. Boycotting Thursday’s Judiciary panel session forced Republicans on the panel to change its rules to keep the confirmation on track. Those rules say at least two members of the minority party, Democrats, would need to be present to constitute a quorum for doing business. Mike Davis, a former top aide on the panel who now advises Senate Republicans, said the committee was well within its normal practice to hold the vote, even with Democrats skipping it. He said the
Iran From Page 1
impose costs on any foreign countries that interfere in the 2020 U.S. election and that the integrity of the vote remains sound. “You should be confident that your vote counts,” Wray said. “Early, unverified claims to the contrary should be viewed with a healthy dose of skepticism.” The two officials called out Russia and Iran for having obtained voter registration information, though such data is sometimes easily accessible and there was no allegation either country had hacked a database for it or had altered any vote tallies. Iran sent spoofed emails designed to intimidate voters and sow unrest and also distributed a video
The magician’s transparency gave a glimpse of what would become his longest-running act, as the country’s skeptic-in-chief. In that role, his first widely seen exploit was also his most enduring. On a 1972 episode of “The Tonight Show,” he helped Johnny Carson set up Uri Geller, the Israeli performer who claimed to bend spoons with his mind. Randi ensured the spoons and other props were kept from Geller’s hands until showtime to prevent any tampering. The result was an agonizing 22 minutes in which Geller was unable to perform any tricks. Randi had bushy white eyebrows and beard, a bald head, and gold-rimmed glasses, and bounced his 5-foot-6 (1.6 meter) frame energetically, even in his final years. He sought to disprove not just those who read palms and minds, but chiropractors, homeopaths and others he saw as predators seeking innocent people’s money. Randi targeted those he saw as frauds with a tenacity and dedication he
admitted was an obsession. His efforts were reminiscent of those of his great predecessor Harry Houdini, who devoted large portions of his time to debunking spiritualists and their seances. “I see people being swindled every day by medical quackery, frauds of every sort, psychics and their hot lines, people who claim to be able to find lost children or to help them invest their money,” Randi told The Associated Press in 1998. “I know they are being swindled because I know the methods being used.” Once, awaiting the chance to sift through the trash of a faith healer, Randi spent days in his car, eating Twinkies and drinking Pepsi. “I suffer from this obsession that I have something important to do,” he explained in a 2007 interview with The AP. There were other coups for Randi: He once showed the messages television faith healer Peter Popoff claimed to be getting from God about his audience were actually coming
longstanding practice has been to allow business to go forward if all members of the majority, Republicans, attend. Countering that view, a Democratic aide granted anonymity to discuss the proceedings said never before have the rules been brushed past for a Supreme Court confirmation. Barrett, an appellate court judge from Indiana, appeared for three days before the panel last week, batting back Democrats’ questions. She was asked about her approach to legal questions surrounding abortion access, gay marriage and the nation’s tradition of a peaceful transfer of presidential power. Trump has said he wants a judge seated in time to hear any potential disputes
arising from the Nov. 3 election, and Barrett declined to say if she would recuse herself from such cases. Many judicial nominees decline to discuss their views on various issues, saying they will consider the cases as they come. Barrett took a similar approach, drawing deep skepticism from Democrats because she had previously spoken out against abortion and past rulings on the Affordable Care Act. The court is set to hear a challenge to the health care law on Nov. 10, one week after the presidential election, and Trump has said he wants a justice who won’t rule as others have to uphold the Obama-era Affordable Care Act.
that falsely suggested voters could cast fraudulent ballots from overseas, Ratcliffe said. Wray and Ratcliffe did not describe the emails linked to Iran, but officials familiar with the matter said the U.S. has linked Tehran to messages that Democratic voters in multiple states, including Alaska and battleground locations like Florida, have received. The emails falsely purported to be from the far-right group Proud Boys and warned that “we will come after you” if the recipients didn’t vote for Trump. A security researcher who examined dozens of the emails It would not be the first time that the Trump administration has said Tehran is working against the Republican president. An intelligence assess-
ment released in August said: “Iran seeks to undermine U.S. democratic institutions, President Trump, and to divide the country in advance of the 2020 elections.” It said the country would probably continue to focus on “spreading disinformation on social media and recirculating anti-U.S. content.” A spokesman for Iran’s mission to the United Nations, Alireza Miryousefi, denied Tehran had anything to do with the alleged voter intimidation. “Unlike the U.S., Iran does not interfere in other country’s elections,” Miryousefi wrote on Twitter. “The world has been witnessing U.S.’ own desperate public attempts to question the outcome of its own elections at the highest level.”
from his wife through an earpiece. But the vast majority of those he aimed to show were frauds were lesser known, lured to prove their abilities by the James Randi Educational Foundation. Through that organization, Randi was guardian of a $1 million prize he promised to give anyone who could prove either their own supernatural powers or the presence of a supernatural being. His loudest detractors said they didn’t believe the money even existed, but Randi had the bank documentation. No one ever came close to collecting. Randi gave up the dayto-day operation of his foundation in 2009 and retired in 2015. Born Randall James Hamilton Zwinge in Toronto on Aug. 7, 1928, Randi ̶ known by everyone simply by that surname ̶ had a nagging desire to question from a young age. Academically, he said he was bored in school and teachers acknowledged he was prodigy far ahead of his peers. He never earned a high
school diploma or went to college but in 1986 was awarded a prestigious MacArthur fellowship, often known simply as a “genius grant.” He spoke with certainty. While he said he never really questioned his beliefs, he acknowledged there was always a chance he was wrong. “I am probably right. But I’m always only probably right,” he said. “Absolutes are very hard to find.” For all the analysis Randi put into seemingly everything, he still found delight in observing magic he knew was a stunt or watching a film that was just fantasy. He talked about the crushing feelings of watching a friend die and spoke of the magic of love. In 2010, he announced he was gay. In 2013, he married his longtime partner, Deyvi Pena, at a ceremony in Washington, D.C. He was the subject of a 2014 documentary, “An Honest Liar.” Penn Jillette, a magician in the mold of Randi, mourned his friend on
Twitter on Wednesday night, writing: “We will never forget that without Randi, there would not be Penn & Teller. It’s really that simple.” Randi said he couldn’t help feeling angry that his targets always seemed to perform escape acts of their own, continuing to win new followers and earn checks he said were cashed at reality’s expense. He wanted to see frauds punished, but he recognized most people wanted to believe. “The true believers,” he said, “will not pay any attention to evidence that does not show that they believe to be untrue.” It was frustrating to Randi and fueled an underlying anger toward those he labeled frauds. When he let his displeasure slip out, though, it often was mixed with wit, as when asked about his final wishes and how he’d like his ashes disposed. “My best friend is instructed to throw them in Uri Geller’s eyes,” he said. “I’d like him to get an eyeful of my ashes. I think that would be appropriate.”
DEAR ABBYBy Abigail Van Buren CHANGING A DIAPER CAUSES FAMILY FRICTION AT BAPTISM DEAR ABBY: My sister-in-law “Brenda” often takes it upon herself to change a baby’s diaper during social gatherings with family. She never bothers to ask the baby’s parents if it’s OK to do this, and they never solicit her help. For years, I found it a bit strange, but never said anything to Brenda or another family member. Some time ago, my in-laws and immediate family were at my son’s baptismal party. Several babies from my wife’s side as well as my own were there. My wife’s relatives aren’t well-acquainted with mine. Before our wedding, neither of our families had ever met the other. During the festivities, my wife’s niece -- who was still in diapers -- appeared to have a full load in her back side. Her parents were in another room. Without informing them of the issue or asking permission, Brenda took it upon herself to change the diaper. The child’s mother walked into the room and began to loudly scold Brenda for doing it without her consent. You could see the mother was upset and scared, since she did not know Brenda at all. After the party ended, my family couldn’t understand why the child’s mother became so upset. They thought she was some kind of nut for reacting the way she did. I fully understand why the mother became upset. Given the fact that she doesn’t know Brenda, and that one must clean the baby’s private parts when changing a diaper, I don’t understand why Brenda would take this upon herself. What’s your opinion, Abby? -STRANGE IN THE EAST DEAR STRANGE: What your sister-in-law did may have been fine with her own family, but for her to have changed the diaper of a child whose parents she didn’t know well (and from whom she didn’t have permission!) was inappropriate. I don’t fault the mother for being upset. Rather than blame her
for reacting the way she did, it’s time someone explains boundaries to Miss Brenda. DEAR ABBY: Being bored due to the quarantine, I signed up to Classmates. com to look for old friends. Moments later I received a response from a male classmate. We graduated the same year. I really don’t remember him, although he said he remembered me. Anyway, we started texting and exchanging graduation pictures. He still lives in our hometown, I don’t. We have started talking almost every day. My problem is, we have so many things in common, from family to same make of car and insurance company, I have started getting a creepy feeling. It freaked me out to the point that I blocked him. He was always respectful, but for us to have so much in common made my stomach lurch. Do you think this is possible? Or is there a chance he could be stalking me? -- FREAKED OUT DEAR FREAKED: It could be coincidental that you have so much in common, but I would never advise anyone who had a gut feeling that something wasn’t right to ignore it. Listen to your intuition and you will never go wrong. ------------------------------Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www. DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069. Abby shares more than 100 of her favorite recipes in two booklets: “Abby’s Favorite Recipes” and “More Favorite Recipes by Dear Abby.” Send your name and mailing address, plus check or money order for $16 (U.S. funds) to: Dear Abby, Cookbooklet Set, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447. (Shipping and handling are included in the price.)
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MOSTLY SUNNY 63 • 40 | THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2020 | theworldlink.com
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Pro Picks: Giants, Eagles seek NFC Least lead BARRY WILNER
Associated Press
It’s so fitting to call the NFC East the NFC Least this season. Just adding an L to the division makes sense: Dallas, Washington, Philadelphia and the New York Giants have been collecting losses. On Thursday night, the nation will be treated to (subjected to?) Giants at Eagles. In some ways, it is a potential battle for first place in the NFL’s worst division. With the Cowboys and Washington going at it on Sunday, the winner at the Linc has a shot at the top spot should Dallas lose. The NFC East has a 2-15-1 record (.139) in non-division games, which is third worst through six weeks since the 1970
merger. The AFC East was 1-9 (.100) after six weeks in 1986 and the AFC Central was 2-16 (.111) in 1984. NFC East teams have also been outscored by 10.2 points per game in non-division games, twice as high as the nextworst sector, the AFC East (5.1). Philadelphia has something of an excuse considering there are more starters on the injury list than on the field. The Eagles have displayed tremendous grit in going 1-4-1, which stands second to Dallas (2-4), and ahead of Washington and New York, both 1-5. The Giants come off their first victory for coach Joe Judge, beating Washington. Philadelphia, No. 23 in the AP Pro32, is a 5-point favorite over No. 29 New York … EAGLES, 22-20
KNOCKOUT POOL: The Patriots don’t allow a touchdown and still lose? When does that happen? Well, when Pro Picks takes them in the knockout pool. UGH! If you still care, we’d advise going with the CHARGERS. Jacksonville (minus 7 1-2) at Los Angeles Chargers: The Chargers have played better than a 1-4 team. Now they face a 1-5 team … BEST BET: CHARGERS, 30-15 Detroit (plus 2 1-2) at Atlanta: Only because we are required to pick an ... UPSET SPECIAL: LIONS, 30-29 Tampa Bay (pick-em) at Las Vegas: Don’t see it as much of a gamble backing Tom Brady in Sin City … BUCCANEERS, 27-24
Pittsburgh (minus 2) at Tennessee: Battle of the unbeatens. The Steelers will stay unblemished … STEELERS, 23-16 Cleveland (minus 3½) at Cincinnati: Looking for a bounce back from the Browns, though the Bengals are improving … BROWNS, 33-23 Dallas (minus 2) at Washington: Man, it has gotten ugly in Big D. A trip to DC helps … COWBOYS, 20-15 Carolina (plus 7 1-2) at New Orleans: The rested Saints should be up to speed at last … SAINTS, 30-20 Buffalo (minus 12) at New York Jets: The last thing the NFL’s worst team needs is an opponent coming off two untidy losses … BILLS, 37-13 Green Bay (minus 3 1-2)
at Houston: Pro Picks still is shaking its head over how bad the Packers looked at Tampa … PACKERS, 27-24 Seattle (minus 3) at Arizona: What a statement the Cardinals could make by winning this one. Nope, but close … SEAHAWKS, 30-28 San Francisco (plus 2 1-2) at New England: It’s been 20 years (pre-Brady) since the Patriots were 2-4. A loss would put them there … PATRIOTS, 22-20 Kansas City (minus 9) at Denver: Like the Chargers, Denver is better than its results thus far. Still ... CHIEFS, 31-20 Chicago (plus 5 1-2) at Los Angeles Rams, Monday night: Maybe by December we will have faith in the Bears … RAMS, 23-19
Rays even World Series at 1-1 with Lowe’s homers ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Brandon Lowe kept finding his name near the top of Tampa Bay’s lineup even as his offensive struggles continued to mount this postseason. After Lowe finally busted out in Game 2 of the World Series, the Rays and Dodgers are tied deep in the heart of Texas. “Sometimes guys, you’ve got to allow them to go through some tough patches,” manager Kevin Cash said. “He will go quiet for a little while, but he can get as hot as anybody in baseball.” Lowe hit two home runs to the opposite field, Tampa Bay’s bullpen held on late and the Rays beat Los Angeles 6-4 on Wednesday night. “Yeah, those felt really good,” said Lowe, a 2019 All-Star who led the Rays with 14 homers and 37 RBIs this season. “It felt great to kind of get back and contribute to the team. They’ve been doing so well for the past month — it felt really good to get back and actually start doing stuff again.” Blake Snell struck out nine in 4 2/3 innings for the Rays and didn’t allow a hit until Chris Taylor’s two-run homer trimmed it to 5-2 in the fifth. The Dodgers threatened to complete a big comeback in the eighth, but Tampa Bay’s relievers held firm. Lowe and Joey Wendle each had three RBIs for the Rays, whose six runs and 10 hits were their most over the past 11 postseason games. “I think today was a little bit better indicator of the kind of team that we are,” said Wendle, who had a two-run double and a sacrifice fly. “Just a complete win, complete team win.” Nick Anderson got four outs for the victory. Diego Castillo earned the save
Series opener has record low TV rating ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The Los Angeles Dodgers’ victory over the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 1 drew a record-low audience of television viewers for a World Series game. Los Angeles’ 8-3 win received a 5.1 rating and 11 share, and was seen by an average of 9,195,000 viewers on Fox from 8:06 p.m. to 11:41 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, Nielsen Media Research said Wednesday. The previous low had been set the only other time the Rays were in the World Series, when their 5-4 loss to Philadelphia in Game 3 in 2008 was viewed by an average of 9,836,000 that Oct. 25, a Saturday night. The start was delayed by rain for 91 minutes to 10:06 p.m. and the final out was at 1:47 a.m. Until now the low for a Game 1 had been San Francisco’s 7-1 win over Kansas City on Oct. 21, 2012, viewed by an average of 12,191,000 on a Tuesday night. Washington’s 5-4 victory over Houston in last year’s opener was seen by an average of 12,283,000 on Oct. 22, also a Tuesday night. Still, Fox won the prime time evening with its best performance on a Tuesday night since Game 6 of last year’s World Series. when he struck out Taylor, the only batter he faced. Pete Fairbanks went 1 2/3 innings and left-hander Aaron Loup threw a called third strike past slugger Cody Bellinger with a runner on second to end the eighth. Loup also retired the first two hitters in the ninth. “They’ve got some really good pitchers. They got out to that early lead and we just weren’t able to overcome it,” Taylor said. “We did a pretty good job of fighting to the end and we just weren’t able to come up with the big hit we needed.” After an off day, Game 3 in the bestof-seven Series matches two big-game pitchers starting on extra rest Friday night. Charlie Morton goes for the Rays against Walker Buehler. Los Angeles was the “home team” for the first two games but will bat first in the next three.
Lowe hit a solo shot to left-center in the first off rookie Tony Gonsolin, putting the American League champion Rays ahead for the first time at this neutral-site World Series with their 27th homer of the postseason — matching a major league record. The second baseman was hitting .107 this postseason, and in an even worse 4-for-48 slide (.083) the past 13 games since the start of the AL Division Series. “You’ve got to able to be tough-minded and Brandon is. A lot of our guys are,” Cash said. “We owe it to our guys to stick with them. “Brandon, go ahead and get hot now, feel good about yourself.” By the time Lowe went deep again in the fifth, his second opposite-field homer of the game — and the entire season — it was 5-0. That one bounced off the top of the left-field wall with a runner on against Dustin May, already the fourth Los Ange-
Boise State favored in Mountain West Associated Press
When Bryan Harsin was trying to figure out how to keep his team engaged throughout the uncertainty surrounding whether Boise State would play this season or not, there was one voice he turned to for advice. “I only need to talk to Mack Brown because he talks to everybody else,” Harsin said. “I’ll just say this because every other college coach in America goes to Mack Brown, they all talk to him. So I can go to him and I got a relationship with him and he is the best.” Whether the advice Harsin gained from chatting with Brown was useful will become clearer Saturday when the Broncos open the Mountain West season hosting Utah State. Even with a shortened preseason camp, and with significant questions along the line of scrimmage, the Broncos are again expected to be the class of the Mountain West. The Broncos have two solid quarterback options in sophomore starter Hank Bachmeier and Southern California transfer Jack Sears. They have a top running back in George Holani and talented pass catchers in Khalil Shakir and Octavius Evans. Defensively, the Broncos are loaded at linebacker thanks to Riley Whimpey and North Carolina State transfer Brock Miller. The secondary should be solid with
the trio of Kekaula Kaniho, Avery Williams and Jalen Walker. The biggest questions for the Broncos will be on the line of scrimmage, where Boise State will be replacing four starters on the offensive line and must find a pass-rushing option after the loss of Curtis Weaver on defense. “This is an unbelievable challenge for guys with just their discipline and their focus,” Harsin said. “And to me, if we can actually do that, these guys are going to be so much better for a lot of reasons, if we’re able to accomplish that and then go out there and execute on game day.” PART TWO: For the second straight season, Bachmeier will be the starter when the Broncos open the season. He’s hoping for a much healthier sophomore campaign after missing six games due to injury during his freshman season. When he was on the field, Bachmeier went 6-1 as the starter, throwing for 1,879 yards and nine touchdowns. If Bachmeier has any issues, the Broncos have options after Sears moved from USC. Sears appeared in just one game during his time at USC, but it was a memorable performance in 2018 when he went 20 of 28 for 235 yards and two TDs against Arizona State. BY GEORGE: Holani was the Mountain West freshman of the year last season after rushing
for 1,014 yards and seven touchdowns. He also caught 26 passes, three for touchdowns. His rushing total extended Boise State’s streak with a 1,000-yard rusher to 11 straight seasons. It’s the second-longest streak in college football history, but Holani may be hard-pressed to extend it to 12 straight with the Broncos having just eight scheduled games. Holani had just three games a season ago where he topped 100 yards rushing. ON THE DOCKET: Boise State did get one break in its Mountain West schedule. The Broncos won’t face San Diego State, but do have a challenging road slate that includes games at Air Force, Hawaii and a season finale at Wyoming on Dec. 12. The highlight of the schedule is the Nov. 6 home game against No. 12 BYU. It’s the one game from Boise State’s original schedule that the team was able to be keep. EMPTY HOUSE: After conversations with local health officials, Boise State has opted not to have fans in the seats at Albertsons Stadium to begin the season. There is a chance that could change as the season goes on. According to school records, the smallest previous crowd for any game involving Boise State as a four-year institution came on Nov. 21, 1970, in a 41-7 road win over the College of Idaho.
les pitcher. Will Smith and NLCS MVP Corey Seager also homered for the Dodgers. Seager’s solo shot in the eighth was his seventh homer and 16th RBI, extending the franchise records he had already set this postseason. It’s the most homers by a shortstop in any MLB postseason. Snell, the 2018 AL Cy Young Award winner, retired 10 straight before walking Kiké Hernández with two outs in the fifth and Taylor, the No. 9 batter, homered on his 80th pitch. Tampa Bay’s ace was out of the game two batters later, after Mookie Betts walked and Seager singled. “He was outstanding,” Cash said. “He was awesome. Gave us everything that we needed.” Anderson got out of the jam with a strikeout of Justin Turner, then gave up a solo homer to Smith in the sixth. The Dodgers knew it would be primarily a bullpen game using various arms, instead of bringing back Buehler on short rest after ace lefty Clayton Kershaw threw six strong innings in their 8-3 win Tuesday night in Game 1. “We didn’t have anybody that was on regular rest,” manager Dave Roberts said afterward, though he said he felt great with Buehler going in Game 3. Roberts also said Julio Urías, who is 4-0 in four appearances this postseason after getting the last nine outs in the NLCS clincher, will start Game 4. Kershaw would then be ready on regular rest for Game 5. Los Angeles used seven pitchers, and four of the first five allowed runs. The Dodgers were the first team to use four pitchers within the first four innings of a World Series game since Oakland against Cincinnati in 1990.
Stan Van Gundy agrees to become coach of Pelicans Associated Press Stan Van Gundy is headed to the New Orleans Pelicans, where he’ll take over a promising team that includes 2019 No. 1 overall draft pick Zion Williamson and reigning Most Improved Player Brandon Ingram. Van Gundy agreed to a fouryear contract, said a person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the terms had not been revealed publicly. The coach said on his Twitter account Wednesday that he was “excited to join a talented New Orleans Pelicans team” and thanked team owner Gayle Benson and others for the opportunity. “It will be an honor to work with our players and to work for Mrs. Benson and David Griffin, Trajan Langdon, their staff and the great people of New Orleans,” Van Gundy wrote. “I can’t wait to talk to our players and get the process started.” Among the players he’ll talk to is veteran locker-room leader JJ Redick, who spent his second through sixth NBA seasons playing for Van Gundy in Orlando. Redick has
readily credited Van Gundy for helping him develop into a reliable double-digit scorer. “In terms of intangibles and characteristics I think any NBA player should have, I think he taught me those things and he reinforced those things in me — professionalism, accountability ... not taking any nights off, all that stuff, because he lives that,” Redick said of Van Gundy in 2016, when he played for the Los Angeles Clippers and Van Gundy was coaching Detroit. “I see how hard he works, how much he invests in his craft, and so as a player, playing for him, you really have no choice but to do the same.” In New Orleans, Van Gundy will replace Alvin Gentry, who was let go after the Pelicans missed this season’s playoffs. Part of the problem for the Pelicans this season was that Williamson missed most of the season; he averaged 22.5 points and 6.3 rebounds per game on 58% shooting, albeit in only 24 games. The Pelicans were 30-42 this past season, getting to the NBA’s restart bubble at Walt Disney World but falling well short of the playoffs.