Pence's Biggest Test: a Break with Trump

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CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC Vaccine is on shelves but not in the arms US fails to deliver 2020 goal of 20 million doses

Karen Weintraub USA TODAY

If the pace of COVID-19 vaccine delivery into people’s arms stays the way it has been for the past few weeks, it could take years rather than months to vaccinate Americans, and the outbreak will continue to dominate lives. Federal officials overestimated the speed at which vaccines could be given, making delivery a disappointment in an otherwise successful development effort. Doses have been distributed behind the government’s initial schedule – 15 million, instead of the 20 million doses promised to be delivered by the end of 2020. About 70% of those doses are sitting on pharmacy shelves, according to government data, and only Pence’s biggest test: about 14% of doses destined for nursing home residents and caregivers have been injected. It’s not too late to turn the situation around, according to experts such as A break with Trump Kelly Moore, deputy director of the Im- munization Action Coalition, an education and advocacy group. VP in tough spot as Senate receives electoral votes The vice president’s constitutional To do so will require a host of im- role as presiding officer in the U.S. provements, including more money, Maureen Groppe The rules also may not matter to Senate means Mike Pence will additional staffing and greater experi- USA TODAY Trump’s supporters, some of whom ap- announce Joe Biden as winner of ence with vaccines shown to be safe parently believe Pence can do as he the presidential election. and effective but not so easy to use. WASHINGTON – Vice President wants. MEGAN VARNER/GETTY IMAGES Mike Pence began the Trump admini- “We need you to do the right thing See VACCINE, Page 4A stration tasked with investigating Don- Jan. 6!” a Trump supporter yelled at ald Trump’s unsubstantiated claims Pence during a rally Monday for the that millions of illegally cast ballots cost Senate runoff races in Georgia. him the popular vote in 2016. In addition to prevailing in the Elec- The “election integrity” commission toral College, Biden won the popular Pence headed quickly faded from view vote by more than 7 million votes. and disbanded months later after un- The Supreme Court twice refused to covering no evidence of widespread take up Trump-endorsed lawsuits that voter fraud. sought to overturn the results of the Now, Pence is ending Nov. 3 election. Federal and his tenure with an even A history major state courts dismissed bigger test of whether to Trump’s claims of voter support Trump’s spurious who reveres the fraud more than 60 times. election claims. Constitution, And recounts in Georgia and Protests began Tuesday in the capital ADRIA-JOI WATKINS VIA AP If he fulfills his consti- Wisconsin upheld Biden’s with thousands of pro-Trump and tutional role as presiding Pence is likely victories in those states. far-right demonstrators who will No charges in Wis. police officer of the Senate and hyperaware of Breaking with Trump continue to march Wednesday. More announces Wednesday could hurt Pence’s chances on Page 2A. JASPER COLT/USA TODAY shooting of Jacob Blake that President-elect Joe how history will of inheriting his mantle to Biden received more Elec- run for president himself in The decision by the Kenosha County toral College votes than judge his four years. district attorney subverts “the will of Live: Ga. Senate runoffs Trump, it will be the ever- But Pence – a history ma- the people,” Blake’s lawyer says. 3A actions. loyal Pence’s biggest jor who reveres the Constitu- decide balance of power break with Trump. tion and said he gets “chills” when he Unprecedented voter turnout in The law doesn’t give Pence the option visits Independence Hall – also has to Tuesday’s runoffs for two U.S. Senate of rejecting the state-certified results be hyperaware of how history will judge seats will determine whether when Congress convenes a joint session his actions. Republicans can hold onto power in to formally receive the count, which Even if Pence stays within the law, he QIJFAF-03005x(a)L ©COPYRIGHT 2021 Washington, or give Democrats USA TODAY, showed that Biden defeated Trump in will share with Trump the blame and control over both chambers of A division of Gannett Co., Inc. the Electoral College, 306-232. criticism for a manufactured crisis be- Congress and the White House. HOME DELIVERY That’s unlikely to matter to Trump, cause he did not counter the president’s Get the latest news and analysis from 1-800-872-0001, USATODAYSERVICE.COM who continues to argue without evi- disinformation campaign about wide- dence that he won the election – and to spread election fraud, said Timothy the USA TODAY Network’s coverage in falsely assert that Pence can unilateral- Naftali, a presidential historian at New Georgia, as well as live updates when ly reject electoral votes. York University. Congress begins counting Electoral “I hope Mike Pence comes through “It’s not enough to say President College votes on Wednesday, at Many will wait past for us,” Trump said at a rally in Georgia Trump has put Vice President Pence in a usatoday.com. their turn for vaccine Monday night. “He’s going to have a lot Americans on when they’ll get to say about it.” See PENCE, Page 2A the COVID-19 shot once it’s available to them:

I’LL GET IT ASAP: 40% COVID-19 sparked flood of workplace lawsuits I’LL WAIT A BIT: OSHA received more ployees sued over disputes over work- cases as of mid-December. 44% place safety, how they’re paid while The lawsuits represent just the lead- than 9,000 complaints working from home, and family and ing edge of an even bigger wave that’s I’LL NEVER medical leave. expected this year, says Gerald Maat- GET IT: Paul Davidson In 2020, the pandemic led employees man Jr., a Seyfarth partner. Many were 15% USA TODAY to file 1,005 workplace lawsuits in state filed after employees were laid off dur- and federal courts, according to Chi- ing the pandemic, he says. The COVID-19 pandemic spawned cago-based law firm Seyfarth Shaw. “COVID is now a driver of filings and more than 1,000 workplace-related Another law firm, Littler Mendelson, is significantly impacting workplace SOURCE: ABC News/Ipsos survey lawsuits last year and drove a record based in San Francisco, says the figure AMY BARNETTE, BILL CAMPLING/USA TODAY number of class-action cases as em- was even higher. It estimated 1,425 such See LAWSUITS, Page 4A 2A ❚ WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2021 ❚ USA TODAY NEWS Trump supporters gather in DC

President promises to “If you count the real votes, he won stir debate and draw out what would the election,” Swinney said, referring to otherwise be a procedural vote, their ef- address crowds at rallies an unproven claim that many votes for forts aren’t likely to change the results of Biden were illegal or cast late. “You’d the election. Ryan W. Miller and Trevor Hughes have to have your head in the sand to not Trump promised to attend the rallies USA TODAY know there was cheating going on.” Wednesday and promoted the events on Election security experts, state offi- Twitter. “I will be there. Historic day!” WASHINGTON – Crowds of Presi- cials, judges and independent observ- Trump tweeted Sunday, sharing a tweet dent Donald Trump’s supporters gath- ers across the USA have found no evi- from a rally organizer. ered Tuesday, a day before planned ral- dence of widespread voter fraud. D.C. authorities took precautions lies and protests likely to attract con- Swinney’s friend Marcus Wren, who against potential violence at the rallies. spiracy theorists and far-right waved a “Don’t Tread On Me” flag, said The Proud Boys, a far-right extremist extremists to the nation’s capital. patriots like them would keep Biden group, said members would attend, but Fervent Trump supporters are con- from taking office. Trump supporters gather in their plans may be complicated by their vening in D.C. this week to contest what “Enlightened patriots will stand up Washington on Tuesday, a day before chairman’s arrest Monday. they call a rigged election, despite a lack and say, ‘This will not stand,’ and they planned protests against the Electoral Enrique Tarrio was on a phone call of evidence of widespread voter fraud. will be forced to stop it,” said Wren, 67, College count in Congress certifying with a USA TODAY reporter when the The rallies coincide with a congression- who owns a bottled water company in Joe Biden’s win. TREVOR HUGHES/USA TODAY call was interrupted by sirens and he al vote to certify President-elect Joe Bi- Louisiana. “If someone doesn’t stand was arrested. He was charged with de- den’s win in the Electoral College on up, our republic will be gone.” struction of property in connection with Wednesday. Swinney said that based on crowd ringed by security fencing, including St. an incident last month when Tarrio was Before noon Tuesday, hundreds of sizes, he believes Trump easily has John’s Church of Lafayette Square. Res- accused of setting fire to a Black Lives people gathered on Freedom Plaza near more support than Biden. Wren referred taurants and other businesses were Matter banner after a Trump rally, ac- the White House, many waving Trump to the “deep state” attempting to steal closed, citing area road closures and cording to the Metropolitan Police De- and American flags. Vendors ringing the the election, a conspiracy theory about possible violence. partment. The banner had been taken plaza briskly sold flag-themed hats and a group of powerful elites that allegedly Tuesday’s gatherings were billed as a from a historic Black church. shirts, emblazoned with sayings from run government and society. “pre-rally” before the main event Police in D.C. erected signs warning “Stop the steal” to “Trump is my presi- Swinney and Wren said they hope Wednesday. Trump said he’ll make an that the open carrying of guns is illegal. dent.” the U.S. House will refuse to certify the address. Mayor Muriel Bowser urged residents to Walking the plaza and waving a giant electors Wednesday, throwing the elec- Some Republican lawmakers plan to avoid the area Wednesday, and National Texas flag, physical therapist Scott tion to state delegations, which they challenge the vote when Congress Guard troops will support police offi- Swinney, 63, said he believes Trump said would back Trump. meets Wednesday to confirm Biden’s cers. won the election. Many businesses were boarded up or win. Though the attempt is certain to Contributing: Will Carless

praise for Pence as a smart man who Pence calls it straight. “Of course, if he doesn’t come Continued from Page 1A through, I won’t like him quite as much,” Trump said before adding, “No, tough spot,” Naftali said. “I think Vice Mike is a great guy.” President Pence has put himself in a tough spot.” Long-term impacts

Looking ahead to 2024 Pence’s longtime friend Ralph Reed, chairman of the Faith and Freedom Co- Trump’s refusal to concede has divid- alition, said the relationship that Pence ed the Republican Party, including those built with Trump is strong enough to eyeing a possible bid for the White House withstand Pence’s expected decision to in 2024. follow the rules Wednesday. “The party is in the process of tearing “He has been an indispensable gov- itself apart,” GOP pollster Frank Luntz erning partner to this president and his said Tuesday on CNBC. team,” Reed said. “There is a tremen- Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., whom dous and deep personal regard for Pence made an extra effort to help elect him.” in 2018, was the first GOP senator to an- Reed said Pence’s “overriding priori- nounce he would object to the Electoral ty” will be to “do the right thing and let College results. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz the verdict of history take care of itself.” joined the effort. Assuming Pence does not ignore the Sens. Tom Cotton of Arkansas, Ben law Wednesday, his presiding over the Sasse of Nebraska and other GOP law- congressional certification of Trump’s makers denounced such moves as dan- defeat may not become a big part of his gerous to democracy. Vice President Mike Pence has tried to strike a balance between loyalty to his legacy, said Lindsay Chervinsky, a Pence, as he has throughout the presi- boss while not parroting his claims. LOGAN CYRUS/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES presidential historian and author of dency, has tried to strike a balance be- “The Cabinet: George Washington and tween remaining loyal to Trump while the Creation of an American Institu- not parroting his most divisive rhetoric Former Rep. Mark Souder said tion.” and unfounded claims. Pence has consistently bent his own “But certainly, his acceptance and Pence did not support an unsuccess- “It’s not enough to say record to accommodate Trump but is flirtation and sort of careful cultivation ful lawsuit aimed at giving him the au- probably still not considered 100% of these ideas that maybe the election thority to decide which states’ Electoral President Trump has put loyal by Trump’s core supporters. was rigged will be a big part of his biog- College votes to count. But he “wel- Vice President Pence in a Backing Trump’s claims to the end raphy,” she said. “They’re trying to comed” the efforts of lawmakers to “use would probably not be enough to be- overthrow the democracy. And so I the authority they have under the law to tough spot. I think Vice come the most “pro-Trump future think that he will be remembered as raise objections and bring forward evi- candidate,” the Indiana Republican participating in that.” dence.” President Pence has put said, and it would end the chance for Pence described his actions as mak- himself in a tough spot.” Pence to expand his potential politi- ing sure all “legal votes” are counted cal base, as well as compromising the Timothy Naftali, without acknowledging that states and New York University basic integrity of the office. courts have found no widespread irregu- “Within these parameters, the larities in the election. He hasn’t ad- come the presiding officer as the most vice president has been walking a dressed Trump’s effort Saturday to senior member of the majority party in fine line,” said Souder, a Republican. strong-arm Georgia officials to overturn the Senate. “Now he will have to choose.” Customer service his election defeat in that state. Vice presidential scholar Joel Gold- To view important information online related to In his only public comments about stein said that “would be pretty miser- Pence has limits your subscription, visit aboutyoursubscription. Wednesday’s proceedings, Pence prom- able behavior” on Pence’s part. Most vice usatoday.com. You can also manage your subscription at account.usatoday.com ised Trump supporters on Monday: presidents who have announced the re- Former Indiana Rep. David McIn- Contact USA TODAY for questions or to report “We’ll hear the objections. We’ll hear the sults of their own defeat recognized the tosh, a close friend of Pence’s, said issues via email at [email protected] or by evidence.” importance to democracy of gracefully the vice president wants to do every- phone at 1-800-872-0001. He stopped short of saying he would accepting their loss and offering support thing he can to support Trump and Operating hours are: ❚ Monday-Friday: 8:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m. EST do anything other than follow the pre- to the victors, he said. believes there were irregularities in scribed rules in doing so. “To preside but boycott stating the re- the election that need to be correct- Available subscriptions “The VP’s role under law is purely sult would make clear that pleasing ed. But there are limits to how far he’ll Subscribe and save today by visiting ministerial,” said Norman Eisen, a senior Trump is more important to Pence than go. usatoday.com/subscribe. The subscription below fellow at the Brookings Institution and communicating that basic and tradition- “He’s going to perform his role and is billed monthly and includes 24/7 access to outside counsel for the nonpartisan Vot- al democratic message,” Goldstein said. not go beyond that to try to exert usatoday.com, breaking news on our tablet and er Protection Program. “His responsibil- power that he doesn’t have,” said smartphone apps, subscriber benefits at usatoday.com/memberguide and the eNewspaper, ity is to open the certificates and call for What past VPs have done McIntosh, head of the conservative a digital replica of the print edition. objections in writing signed by at least Club for Growth. ❚ Delivery of the Monday through Friday print one senator and one congressperson.” Richard Nixon and Al Gore both re- McIntosh tried to relieve some of editions: $29.00 Those objections are certain to fail. ceived standing ovations after declaring the pressure Pence faces by running *Plus applicable taxes They require majority support from both their opponents the winner when, as sit- ads to counter those aired by the Lin- the Democrat-controlled House and Re- ting vice presidents, they had to certify coln Project. The anti-Trump group Contact us Customer Service ...... 1-800-872-0001 publican-controlled Senate. their own presidential losses. Nixon said trolled the president and vice presi- Newsroom ...... 703-854-3400, ext. 5, ext. 5 he could not think of “a more striking and dent by warning that Pence “will put Classified advertising ...... 1-800-397-0070 Will Pence ‘do his duty’? eloquent example of the stability of our the nail in your political coffin when National, regional advertising ...... 703-854-3400 constitutional system.” he presides over the Senate vote to An Indiana Republican who request- In 2017, when some House Democrats prove Joe Biden won.” Corrections and clarifications ed anonymity to speak freely said Pence tried to raise complaints about Russian The Club for Growth’s ads pro- Our goal is to promptly correct errors. Email us at is doing what many other Republicans election interference and voter suppres- claimed, “Mike Pence stays true. … [email protected] to report a mistake. Describe the error, where you saw it, the date, have done for four years – keeping his sion allegations, Biden repeatedly ruled Always has. Always will.” page number, or the URL. head down and hoping that everything them out of order. “The main audience was the presi- will work out. “There is no debate. There is no de- dent,” said McIntosh, who heard that Postal information Though the Republican expects Pence bate,” Biden said as he wielded the gavel. the Lincoln Project ads had gotten to Volume 39, No. 79 to “do his duty,” he said he would not be Pence’s spokesman Devin O’Malley Trump. “We wanted to correct the USA TODAY, USPS #684090, ISSN #0734-7456, is surprised if Pence steps off stage for the declined to say whether the vice presi- record.” published Monday through Friday at 7950 Jones Branch Dr. McLean, VA 22108. Periodicals postage final vote total announcement. dent intends to oversee all of the vote As Trump publicly pressured paid at McLean, VA 22108. Postmaster: Send Pence could hand the gavel to Sen. counting proceedings, including declar- Pence on Monday to ignore the law, address changes to Customer Service, PO Box Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, who would being the winner. he alternated his entreaties with 62670, San Angelo, TX 76906 NEWS K1 USA TODAY ❚ WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2021 ❚ 3A Prosecutor: What to expect from No charges against cop Electoral College count in shooting Nicholas Wu and Camille Caldera USA TODAY MILWAUKEE – The Kenosha, Wis- consin, police officer who shot Jacob Congress’ count of the Electoral Blake in August will not be criminally College, a normally symbolic affair af- charged, Kenosha County District At- firming the president-elect’s victory, is set to be a contentious, lengthy proc- torney Michael Graveley announced “I hope Mike Pence comes Tuesday. ess when the House and Senate convene in a joint session to count the through for us. He’s going to Neither the officer who fired shots, have a lot to say about it.” Rusten Sheskey, nor any others will be electoral votes on Wednesday. charged, Graveley said in a news In an effort that has divided the Re- President Donald Trump conference. His decision was based on publican Party, over a dozen Senate evidence that could not be seen on Republicans and at least 50 House Re- cellphone video of the incident, which publicans are set to object to the showed Sheskey shooting Blake, 29, in counting of electoral votes from states the back as he got into a vehicle with that President Donald Trump contest- his children inside. ed after Election Day. No Democrats Blake was left paralyzed. The video, are expected to object to the results. which was widely shared on social Trump has urged GOP lawmakers to media, sparked protests, vandalism join the objections, but the effort is un- and arson. likely to succeed because a majority of “It’s a narrow task today, it’s a legal both the House and Senate is needed and professional task,” Graveley said. to exclude any electoral votes. He added that the shooting was a Congress is set to meet on Wednes- The role of Vice President Mike Pence, who is shown in September, is limited by BRYNN ANDERSON/AP tragedy for Blake, his family, police day at 1p.m. EST as protesters descend the Constitution. and the community. on Washington. Here’s what to expect: Blake’s attorney, B’Ivory LaMarr, said Graveley was subverting the will What is the procedure? conference to vote as they will on objec- And Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., a member of the people by failing to charge Shes- tions after making his thoughts on the of Senate Republican leadership, told key. There was clearly probable cause Members of the House of Repre- process well-known early on, according reporters he would not support the ef- to believe a crime had been committed, sentatives and Senate will meet in a to a GOP aide who was not authorized to fort, adding, “I actually like to come up LaMarr said, and the case should be joint session in the House Chamber to speak publicly on the plans. with plans that have a chance of being brought before a jury. count the electoral votes and declare Despite McConnell’s opposition to successful.” “The people are being deprived of an official winner. States already certi- lodging objections, he has spoken with their constitutional right to be the trier fied the results of their own elections. senators individually to offer guidance, Previous objections of fact,” he said. The procedures for the session come but no formal plan has been sent to Graveley also did not charge the two from the Electoral Count Act of 1887. members of the conference. Objections to electoral votes are rare. other Kenosha officers who were there Vice President Mike Pence is ex- After debate concludes, the House In 2017, half a dozen House Demo- when Blake was shot, Brittany Mero- pected to preside over the joint session and Senate will vote. crats objected to electoral votes for nek and Vincent Arenas. in his role as president of the Senate. If A simple majority in both chambers Trump, citing voter suppression and po- Blake’s shooting and its aftermath he is not present, the chamber’s most is required to uphold the objection and tential interference from Russia. propelled Wisconsin into the national senior member, Sen. Chuck Grassley, throw out the state’s votes. Short of But Joe Biden, then-vice president spotlight. President Donald Trump R-Iowa, will preside. Leaders of both that, the objection is disposed of and and president of the Senate,rejected the and President-elect Joe Biden discuss- major parties will appoint lawmakers the votes are counted as cast. effort, since because they lacked a Sen- ed it during campaign stops in the from both chambers to act as “tellers.” After the votes are counted, it falls to ate sponsor. state. Biden met with Blake’s family Pence will open certificates of the Pence to declare the election winner. Just twice – in 1969 and 2005 – have and said charges against Sheskey ap- electoral votes from each state – So far, Pence – who has not acknowl- there been objections that met the crite- peared warranted; Trump praised po- whose electors met to cast their ballots edged Trump lost his bid for reelection – ria to require the House and Senate to lice and exhorted law and order. Dec. 14 – and hand them to the tellers has remained relatively quiet on his role debate and vote. On Aug. 25, the third night of pro- to read aloud. As they read a state’s in the electoral vote count process. In 1969, the objection was over a tests in Kenosha, two men, Anthony certificate, Pence will call for objec- On Dec. 28, Republicans including faithless elector from North Carolina Huber and Joseph Rosenbaum, were tions to the state’s votes. Texas Rep. Louie Gohmert filed a law- who voted for George Wallace instead of fatally shot by a teenager armed with To be considered, objections must suit in federal court to authorize Pence Richard Nixon. The objection was re- an AR-15-style rifle. Kyle Rittenhouse, be made in writing and endorsed by at to pick and choose which electoral votes jected by both chambers. 17, has been charged with killing them least one member of each chamber. to accept or reject. In a filing Dec. 31, In 2005, the objection was over elec- and with wounding Gaige Gross- Any objection that meets that crite- Pence asked the judge to dismiss the toral votes in Ohio, cast for George W. kreutz, 26, of West Allis. ria will result in a suspension of the suit, which his brief called “a walking le- Bush. Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., In addition to the charges of homi- joint session, at which time the House gal contradiction.” joined Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones, D- cide and attempted homicide, Ritten- and Senate will convene separately to The suit has since been dismissed by Ohio, in the action, which they said was house faces two counts of endangering consider the issue. courts because of Gohmert’s lack of to raise awareness about voter suppres- safety and one for illegal possession of The debate on each objection is lim- standing. sion. a firearm. A count of violating curfew ited to two hours. Each member may Trump has publicly pressured Pence The objection was roundly defeated, was added later. His attorney formally speak only for one five-minute stint, to intervene in the proceedings. receiving a single vote in the Senate, entered pleas of not guilty to the origi- and the fissures among the GOP on the “I hope Mike Pence comes through from Boxer herself, and 31 votes in the nal seven charges on his behalf during objections will put some Republicans for us,” Trump said at a rally in Georgia House, all from Democrats. a court hearing Tuesday. On the night in the unusual situation of arguing on on Monday night. “He’s going to have a of the shootings, Rittenhouse was the same side as Democrats against lot to say about it.” Could an objection succeed? among numerous white men who pa- the wishes of the president. “The Vice President has the power to trolled the protests with guns although Rep. Tom Reed, R-N.Y., co-chair of reject fraudulently chosen electors,” In short, no. Like the two previous they had no legal authority to do so. the bipartisan Problem Solvers Cau- Trump tweeted Tuesday. objections, there is virtually no chance Rittenhouse is free on a $2 million cus, told reporters on a conference call State officials have not found evi- that any challenges lodged will succeed. bond. His lawyers say he acted in self- Tuesday he expected to see “Republi- dence of widespread fraud in any of the The most straightforward reason the defense. cans having an honest debate on this states contested by Trump, and Pence objections will fail is that they must be Attorney Kimberly Motley, who rep- issue,” even as GOP members of his does not have the power to reject elec- approved by both chambers, and Demo- resents Grosskreutz, called the deci- group took different sides. tors. Under the 12th Amendment, crats control the House. sion not to charge Sheskey “outra- On the House side, Democrats have Pence’s role is just to “open all the certif- The Senate is harder to predict. The geous” and “another tragic reminder of chosen several lawmakers who are icates” and preside over their counting. runoff for seats in Georgia that will de- the inequities and the tremendous def- well-versed in the Constitution and termineS control of the Senate Tuesday. erence that is unfairly given to officers law to lead their rebuttals of any GOP Who is objecting? Loeffler is still seated as a U.S. senator for unreasonably violent behavior.” challenges on specific states. Speaker because she was appointed to fill a term Authorities and Kenosha residents Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., will preside At least three states will draw objec- going through 2023, but Republican Sen. took precautions ahead of Tuesday’s over any debate in the House. tions from both senators and members David Perdue, who was also up for re- announcement. Gov. Tony Evers called Senate Democrats have a similar of the House, starting the process for election in Tuesday’s runoffs, is no long- out the National Guard on Monday af- tactic in place, planning to cite GOP of- Congress to debate the counting of elec- er a senator after his term lapsed Sunday. ternoon as business owners boarded ficials and judges in each state that toral votes from them. Republicans still maintain a majority. up their windows and government certified the results of the election. Over a dozen Republican senators But only a handful of Republican sena- workers put up fences and concrete Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who will be have said they will object, including tors need to vote against the objections barriers around the courthouse. Mon- guiding some of the debate for Demo- Sen. Kelly Loeffler, R-Ga., who is likely for them to fail, assuming all Democrats day evening, the Kenosha City Council crats, told USA TODAY the debate in to object to the results in Georgia. vote against the objections. approved an emergency declaration the Senate will look different than in Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, spearheaded Regardless of the outcome in the that included road closures and autho- the House and would display a “bipar- a group of senators who said they would Senate, without the approval of the rized a citywide curfew. tisan pushback and that’s how our de- join in House lawmakers’ objections. House, objections will not change the And although Graveley’s news con- bate will be structured.” Cruz will object to the Arizona results, Electoral College vote totals. ference was announced to the media “I think you’re going to see a differ- according to a source familiar with his Though the challenges are doomed to Tuesday morning, he kept its location ent flavor to the argument in the Sen- plans who is not authorized to speak on fail, they will extend the vote-counting secret until 45 minutes before it began. ate because we will have a number of the record. process far longer than normal. Blake is home after months of hospi- strong figures on the Republican side Another Republican senator, Josh The joint session took just 23 min- talization and rehab, his attorney said. who are joining us in this,” she noted. Hawley of Missouri, is likely to object to utes in 2013 and 41 minutes in 2017, ac- Republicans in both the House and the votes from Pennsylvania. cording to the Congressional Research Senate have spoken out against the ef- On the House side, Rep. Mo Brooks Service. Not this time. fort to object to the electoral vote led the charge and has met with the If all six planned objections from the counting. White House about his proposal. The House receive support from a member Klobuchar added that in each state, Alabama Republican said in a Jan. 4 of the Senate, total debate time could Democratic senators, through their statement he would object to results exceed 12 hours, and the process could five-minute speeches, will highlight from Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Neva- take over 24 hours once time to clean the key Republican officials in the state da, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, states the chamber and time for votes is fac- that certified results or pushed back whose electoral processes he said were tored in, House Majority Leader Steny on Trump’s claims of fraud. “badly flawed” and “untrustworthy.” Hoyer, D-Md., told reporters Monday. “In all of these states, we will be em- However, some top Republican law- Recesses also are allowed under the phasizing the fact that it wasn’t just makers have argued against objecting. law governing the counting of electoral Gaige Grosskreutz, 26, who was shot one party that certified these elec- Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., the third- votes, though it is unclear whether Con- in the arm during protests this tions. In some states, it was a domi- ranking House Republican, circulated a gress will take breaks. summer in Kenosha, Wisconsin, joins nant Republican Party,” she said. memo among GOP lawmakers calling If that’s the case, the meeting could demonstrators in Milwaukee on Sept. Senate Republicans do not appear the objections “directly at odds with the wrap up sometime Thursday – or later – 5. MIKE DE SISTI/USA TODAY NETWORK to have a set plan on how the day will Constitution’s clear text and our core ending, at long last, the presidential look. Senate Majority Leader Mitch beliefs as Republicans,” according to a election. McConnell is allowing his fractured source familiar with the memo. Contributing: Christal Hayes 4A ❚ WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2021 ❚ USA TODAY NEWS Vaccine

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About 200,000 doses are being given a day. Anthony Fauci, director of the Na- tional Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said vaccinators should soon be able to deliver 1 million a day. “There were a lot of aspirational goals set by federal officials about how many vaccines could be delivered how quickly,” Moore said. “The delivery of a box of vaccine to a clinic door is the easiest part of the process.” Chicago has delivered 95% of the vaccine it’s received, but at the current rate of delivery, it would take a year to a year-and-a-half to vaccinate residents, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Tuesday. Chicago has built infrastructure to deliver the vaccine, Lightfoot said, but needs more doses. “The federal government has to step up, finally, and do a better job at protecting American lives from this terrible virus.” Operation Warp Speed, the federal program tasked with developing and delivering COVID-19 vaccines, promised to vaccinate 20 million Americans in December. Three weeks after shipping began, the program has distributed 15 million doses to hospitals and nursing home providers, but only 4.5 million people have gotten the first of the two- shot regimen. That means 30% of available doses have been used. Among nursing home residents and caregivers, 365,000 shots have been de- Florida gave older residents priority in COVID-19 vaccinations last month. GREG LOVETT/USA TODAY NETWORK livered out of more than 2.5 million distributed – a 14% usage rate. Federal officials have focused on get- delivered at neighborhood pharmacies san, nonpartisan, one government re- ting the vaccine onto hospital shelves, and health care facilities. sponse,” he said. but to get them off the shelves requires CVS is ready to deliver vaccine at all “There were a lot of Moore lives in Tennessee, which has “an enormous human element,” Moore 10,000 of its pharmacies nationwide eight neighboring states each with dif- said. There are always bugs when you and expects to be able to give 20 million aspirational goals set by ferent policies. In Bristol, Tennessee, “translate from paper to practice,” she to 25 million doses a month once federal officials about how police officers have to wait until health said, and federal plans didn’t give enough vaccine is available. “We’re care workers are vaccinated, while offi- enough consideration to the need for ready to go once the government autho- many vaccines could be cers across the border in Bristol, Vir- scheduling and organizing clinics, edu- rizes wider distribution,” said Mike ginia, are allowed to line up. cating patients and caregivers and re- DeAngelis, a CVS spokesperson. delivered how quickly. The Different standards could mean vac- solving the small problems that crop up. delivery of a box of vaccine cinators will hesitate to make sure Hospital workers and public health Frustrating front-line experience they’re not making a mistake, and recip- officials are exhausted after 11 months of to a clinic door is the easiest ients will be more likely to pass on the fighting the virus. “And now they’re be- Steven Wolf, who co-runs neurology part of the process.” vaccine, thinking they’re not a priority. ing asked to ramp up the most ambi- services for YAI, a New York-based sup- These problems are all solvable, tious vaccine program the country has port organization for people with au- Kelly Moore, Moore said, and it’s realistic to think Immunization Action Coalition ever seen,” said Howard Koh, a former tism, Down syndrome and other condi- they will be fixed within the next month, assistant secretary for health at the U.S. tions, came in over his vacation to vacci- and the number of vaccinations will Department of Health and Human Ser- nate patients and the staff members “We talk people into medication and reach 1 million a day nationwide, as vices and now a professor at the Har- who care for them. “I was envisioning surgery and all these other things, and Fauci suggested. vard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. that we were going to get them in and we could not convince these 10 that this Surgeon General Jerome Adams, The protocols for this vaccine are dif- out fast,” Wolf said, but the process was is what you’ve got to do to take care of speaking on NBC News’ “Today” show, ferent from those for the seasonal flu “horribly terrible.” yourself,” he said. “I came home so frus- agreed that the state delivery systems vaccine, for which a nurse can wheel a It took 52 clicks on each person’s trated.” have been uneven, some distributing cart through hospital hallways, deliver- digital medical record before the patient 75% or more of available doses and oth- ing shot after shot. People who receive a was ready to receive a shot. YAI had to Lack of money, leadership ers not even 25%. COVID-19 vaccine have to be watched get consent forms signed by family He said there would be more money for 15 minutes to ensure they don’t have members and guardians for those who Although Congress allocated $8 bil- to help out, more locations will soon be an allergic reaction. This requires hospi- couldn’t sign for themselves. lion for vaccine distribution, Koh said added to provide vaccinations and more tals to set aside space and personnel – “It was just freaking endless,” Wolf it’s not enough and should have arrived people will be eligible to get the vaccine. both of which are at a premium. said of the paperwork. months ago. The bottom line is that everyone “All of those things are just part of the He and two others were able to vacci- “This is a field that has been under- wants vaccinations to move faster, said not-unexpected challenges we face in nate 40 people in three hours, far fewer resourced and overlooked for far too Nancy Foster, vice president for quality implementing such a complex program than he anticipated. long,” Koh said. and patient safety policy at the Amer- with a new vaccine based on a new plat- Ten caregivers refused to receive the Koh, who was commissioner of pub- ican Hospital Association. Vaccines form in the midst of the height of the vaccine. Some wanted to talk it over lic health for the Commonwealth of provide the chance to get beyond CO- pandemic with exhausted health care with family members. Others wanted Massachusetts during 9/11 and the an- VID-19. workers who are at the end of their rope more people to go first, while some re- thrax scare in 2001, said officials prom- “It is the great opportunity and the after all the work they’ve been doing for peated conspiracy theories about the ised then never to be caught off guard great hope,” Foster said. “No one wants the past year,” Moore said. vaccine. again by a public health emergency, but to see it moving slowly.” By the time there is enough vaccine Wolf said he considers himself a pret- that resolve didn’t last. Contributing: Grace Hauck to distribute outside hospitals and other ty persuasive person, and he was armed He criticized the lack of federal lead- Health and patient safety coverage care facilities to the broader community, with lots of facts about the minor side ership and politicization of public at USA TODAY is made possible in part vaccinators will have worked out some effects and major benefits of the vac- health, saying state and local govern- by a grant from the Masimo Foundation of the kinks in the system, she said. cine, but he said he and his colleagues ments should collaborate, not go it for Ethics, Innovation and Competition It may get easier to vaccinate large couldn’t persuade those 10 to get vacci- alone. in Healthcare. The Masimo Foundation numbers of people when shots can be nated. “A crisis like this should be biparti- does not provide editorial input.

they weren’t compensated for all the Lawsuits hours they logged, or for their purchases of computers or printers. Continued from Page 1A A record 231 wage-and hour-related class-action lawsuits were certified last class-actions,” Maatman says. year, Maatman says, and COVID-19 Among the 1,005 workplace lawsuits cases made up about one-third of those. sparked by the outbreak, well over half – That’s significant because class-action 690 – dealt with layoffs and firings, with suits can include hundreds or thou- employees arguing they were victims of sands of plaintiffs, and certification age or racial discrimination, for exam- means a judge has determined the case ple. can go forward as a class action. Most Nearly 200 were related to workplace such lawsuits are settled before they go safety. Workers claimed businesses to trial, Maatman says. didn’t provide adequate personal pro- Other types of workplace suits, ac- tective equipment or hygiene products, cording to Seyfarth Shaw: didn’t comply with cleaning and sanita- • Discrimination. In New Jersey, tion protocols, or didn’t enforce temper- a firm denied a 70-year-old plaintiff’s ature checks or mask-wearing by cus- request to work from home. He had tomers or visitors, among other accusa- cited his age and medical condition for tions. the request. In another case, a worker The Occupational Safety and Health A car sporting a sign calling for a safe and healthy workplace drives past lost a job because the employer was Administration requires employers to Smithfield Foods in Sioux Falls, S.D., on April 9 at a protest on behalf of concerned about exposing him to CO- establish a workplace “free from recog- employees during the COVID-19 outbreak. ERIN BORMETT/USA TODAY NETWORK VID-19. nized hazards that are causing or are • Leave. Many suits say employees likely to cause death or serious physical grappling with COVID-19 themselves or harm” to employees. the agency has received more than ments, hourly workers must be paid ex- caring for a relative have been illegally Last year, OSHA issued COVID-19-re- 9,000 complaints. tra for the hours they put in beyond 40 denied sick leave or family and medical lated citations triggered by 295 inspec- Meanwhile, 113 of the workplace suits each week. leave. tions, and it proposed penalties totaling were so-called wage-and-hour claims, Fast-food workers may sue because • Retaliation. Employees charged $3.8 million. But Debbie Berkowitz, in which staffers contended they were they weren’t paid for the time they spent that they were fired for complaining worker safety and health program direc- forced to work off the clock, for in- putting on and taking off protective about unsafe working conditions, or the tor for the National Employment Law stance. While most white-collar work- gear. And call-center and clerical em- failure to comply with COVID-19 proto- Project, a worker advocacy group, noted ers are exempt from overtime require- ployees working from home may claim cols. NEWS USA TODAY ❚ WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2021 ❚ 5A

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LGBTQ group finds Trump judges hostile Report says nearly 40% That outpaced Trump’s recent pred- American Psychiatric Association have ecessors, none of whom managed to discredited the practice. have put gains at risk place as many judicial appointees dur- But in the opinion, Judge Britt Grant ing their first four years in office. During wrote that the ban on the controversial Kristine Phillips the Obama administration, only 30 fed- treatment infringes on therapists’ First USA TODAY eral appeals court nominees were con- Amendment rights and that the govern- firmed during his first four years in of- ment may not prohibit the expression of WASHINGTON – Nearly 40% of fice, according to the report. Previous an idea simply because society finds it judges President Donald Trump ap- administrations going back to President offensive. Judge Barbara Lagoa agreed pointed to federal appeals courts have a Ronald Reagan’s managed to confirm 30 with Grant, resulting in a split 2-1 history of hostility toward LGBTQ to 42 nominees to the appeals court decision. rights, according to a new report by the bench during the first four years. In a candid speech in November to LGBT advocacy group Lambda Legal. “I think in many ways, Trump’s im- As Supreme Court listen to cases the conservative Federalist Society, The report presents a sobering image pact on the judiciary will be his most about sex discrimination in the Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito for civil rights advocates of Trump’s significant and lasting legacy,” McGo- workplace, protesters gather outside lamented society’s hostility against tra- lasting influence on the federal judiciary wan said. on Oct. 8, 2019. JACK GRUBER/USA TODAY ditional views on marriage. “You can’t – one they say threatens to roll back pro- While the Supreme Court hears only say that marriage is a union between gress made in advancing the rights of about 100 to 150 cases annually, the 13 one man and one woman,” Alito said. the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgen- federal appeals courts around the coun- assignment surgery while in a Texas “Until very recently, that’s what the vast der community. try hear thousands of the most conse- prison. Ho, who referred to the inmate majority of Americans thought. Now it’s “Our analysis was ... about calling out quential cases every year that shape using male pronouns, wrote that while it considered bigotry.” the danger to the rule of law, the danger laws and affect the rights of millions of can be considered “cruel and unusual The speech was widely criticized by to the integrity and credibility of the ju- Americans. punishment” to deny medical care to a Democrats and advocates, including diciary to be putting forth nominees Carrie Severino, chief counsel at the prisoner, there is much disagreement in McGowan. Lambda Legal also opposed who fundamentally start from a per- conservative Judicial Crisis Network, the medical community about the ne- Alito’s nomination to the high court in spective of LGBTQ people as ‘less which has promoted Trump’s nomi- cessity of sex-reassignment surgery. 2006. than,’ ” said Sharon McGowan, legal di- nees, has said the nomination process Later that year, Judge David Stras, McGowan said she expects similar rector for Lambda Legal. under the Trump administration is not whom Trump nominated to the U.S. cases and rulings to make their way Trump will leave office having signifi- about meeting quotas. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit, through the federal court system. cantly altered the makeup of the federal Trump “is looking for people with a wrote an opinion backing wedding In the past, McGowan said, Lambda judiciary, from lower courts to the Su- principled judicial philosophy,” Severi- videographers’ First Amendment rights Legal has won cases before Republican- preme Court – an accomplishment no said. “The fundamental question is to refuse to provide services at same-sex appointed judges, but the difference made possible by Senate Republicans making sure we have judges who are go- weddings. The judge wrote that the during the Trump administration is the and one that will create a major obstacle ing to be faithful to the Constitution.” videographers have creative control over appointment of judges whose records for President-elect Joe Biden. The report by Lambda Legal – which their work and have the right to decline show “deep hostility” against LGBTQ After four years, Trump has analyzed public records on Trump’s requests for services from clients who rights. appointed three Supreme Court justices nominees, including their statements contradict their views that marriage is “We can and should be able to expect and 230 lower court judges to lifetime and writings as private citizens – sin- solely between a man and a woman. fair and impartial justice from judges re- posts, many of whom are young, white gled out several appeals court judges Also last year, two Trump-nominat- gardless of whether they were appoint- and male jurists who will have decades who, the authors say, have already ised judges to the U.S. Court of Appeals ed by Republicans or Democrats. We did to influence and shape federal law. sued rulings hostile to LGBTQ rights. for the 11th Circuit voted to strike down not oppose every single Trump nomi- According to Lambda Legal’s report, In 2019, Judge James Ho, whom local laws protecting LGBTQ minors nee. We did not paint them with the released Tuesday, the Trump admini- Trump nominated to the U.S. Court of from conversion therapy, a practice of same brush,” McGowan said. But, she stration has appointed 54 of the 177, Appeals for the 5th Circuit, wrote an attempting to change a person’s sexual said, “there should be a baseline below about 30%, of actively serving federal opinion denying health care to a trans- orientation or gender identity. The which we would never fall.” appeals court judges. gender woman who was seeking sex-re- American Medical Association and the Contributing: Richard Wolf

Canyon on Work begins to memorialize Mars is unmarked graves at Clemson more than Professor seeks to tell importance of honoring Black history has never been more important. Grand stories of 604 people “History gives us an opportunity to learn about the past, and honor the past Doyle Rice Zoe Nicholson as we make decisions on how to live in USA TODAY Greenville News the present and in the future. USA TODAY NETWORK “And because African Americans Arizona’s Grand Canyon may be were so integral to the development of awe-inspiring, but it’s just “a scratch” GREENVILE, S.C. – Although she our country, and at Clemson University, compared with the massive Valles has dedicated her life’s work to re- it’s a history that needs to be front and Marineris Canyon on Mars. searching Black history at Clemson center,” Thomas said. Slicing along the Martian equator University, Dr. Rhondda Thomas Since Floyd’s death, Clemson Univer- for about 2,500 miles, the canyon wants you to know she’s not a histori- sity trustees voted to remove two names would reach from New York City to San an. She’s a storyteller. Clemson’s Rhondda Thomas examines of men known for racism, Calhoun and Francisco if placed in the United Each story she discovers – whether stonework that came from enslaved Benjamin Tillman. States, according to NASA. The canyon it’s infant Katie, an enslaved girl who people’s cabins. GREENVILLE NEWS Calhoun was a slave owner and se- floor sinks 7 miles into the surround- was listed on the deed of the planta- cessionist whose plantation became ing plains. That is as deep as some of tion when it was sold to John C. Cal- Clemson University. Benjamin “Pitch- the deepest parts of Earth’s ocean. houn’s son in 1854, or Jimmie Gunn, a fork” Tillman was a governor and white It’s the largest canyon in the solar Charlotte, North Carolina-based musi- supremacist whose name adorned system, and images from the Mars Re- cian who was invited to perform on Clemson’s most iconic building. connaissance Orbiter reveal details Clemson’s all-white campus in the President Jim Clements established about its size. The photos were taken 1930s – is vital, the Calhoun Lemon a task force on racial equity. Clemson using the HiRISE (High Resolution Im- professor of literature said. football players organized a Black Lives aging Science Experiment), the most Thomas tells these stories through Matter demonstration. Hundreds of powerful camera ever sent to another Call My Name, a nonprofit research students have rallied together to de- planet. It’s one of six instruments project (and now a book) that seeks to mand more inclusive support for Black aboard the Mars Reconnaissance Or- tell the public about the Black people students. biter, the University of Arizona said. who helped Clemson University and Clemson University has discovered But even amid the activism and Despite breathtaking images of Val- the land it sits on. hundreds of unmarked graves change of today, Thomas said, the past les Marineris, scientists still aren’t “We strive to give every person that containing slaves and convict laborers can’t be ignored. sure how the gargantuan canyon com- we identify a story ... because together, at the site of Woodland Cemetery. Especially for Black people, who are plex formed, according to LiveScience. they create a beautiful mosaic of histo- KEN RUINARD/GREENVILLE NEWS reminded of the legacy of racism and “Unlike Earth’s Grand Canyon, ry that is painful. It has love, it has joy, slavery in South Carolina and beyond Valles Marineris probably wasn’t it has horror. It has all of the human every time they look in the mirror, she carved out by billions of years of rush- emotions that are associated with be- pers, convict laborers and domestic said. ing water; the Red Planet is too hot and ing on this planet,” Thomas said. workers who lived and worked in Clem- “It’s very difficult for me to forget this dry to have ever accommodated a river For months, Thomas has been son up until the cemetery was formally history because it’s written on my skin. large enough to slash through the crust working to identify and tell the stories dedicated in the 1920s, Thomas said. I’m a descendant of enslaved people like that,” LiveScience said. of the 604 people buried in unmarked While Thomas doesn’t know if they and slaveholders and slavers. And so ev- A large portion of the canyon prob- graves at Woodland Cemetery, Clem- will be able to identify any of the people ery time I look in the mirror, I see that ably cracked open billions of years ago, son’s on-campus graveyard that sits buried across the steep hills making up history. I can’t leave it in the past, be- the European Space Agency said, under the shadow of Memorial Stadi- the cemetery, she knows many families cause it’s written on my body.” when a nearby group of volcanoes um. in the area have ancestral ties to Fort Clemson University voted to tell the known as the Tharsis region was first But without remains – the red clay Hill Plantation and the many ways the “complete history” of Clemson in 2015, thrusting out of the Martian soil. in which they are buried is acidic land was used after it was sold. which includes the legacy of slavery and The Tharsis bulge is home to Olym- enough to dissolve bone – and without “Those graves have been there for a using convict laborers and sharecrop- pus Mons, the largest known volcano a lot of documentation, Thomas is long time. So we didn’t discover them. pers to farm and build Clemson’s earli- in the solar system. turning to the surrounding communi- They were recovered,” Thomas said. est campus buildings. ties to help connect modern descend- The university used ground-penetrat- The work at Woodland is just one ants and residents with the stories ing radar to determine the location of part of telling that story, Thomas said. buried in the clay. 604 graves, discoveries they announced The rest will come with activism, time Thomas has formed a community in October. and progress. outreach panel, which will begin work And now that the final resting places “I don’t see the cemetery project as this month to connect the history, sto- are known, the work to tell their stories the game-changer. It’s just something ries and research at Woodland to com- begins. that we need to do. munities in Pendleton, Clemson, Cen- “If (the public) believes they have “It’s one of the many things that we tral and Seneca. family members that are buried on need to do in order to fully embrace The panel’s immediate goal is edu- Cemetery Hill, please reach out to us. Clemson’s history, to connect with local A close-up view of Mars’ Valles cation, to shine a light on who is buried We want to talk to them,” Thomas said. African American communities, to sit Marineris, the largest canyon in the among the white faculty and alumni at After the nation’s racial reckoning in down together and figure out how the solar system. Woodland, which researchers believe the wake of George Floyd’s death in university can be more supportive of the NASA/JPL/UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA include enslaved Africans, sharecrop- Minneapolis in May, Thomas said the whole state as a land-grant institution.” NEWS USA TODAY ❚ WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2021 ❚ 7A OPINION

TODAY'S DEBATE: ELECTION CERTIFICATION Our View: The choice between democracy and Trump is easy

Among the Republicans who voted Hawley of Missouri, harbor ambitions to acquit Donald Trump of impeach- to win populist support among Trump ment charges last year were those who voters for future presidential bids. saw the shame of a Senate trial as pun- And some of the Senate plotters — ishment enough. “I believe the presi- James Lankford of Oklahoma and Mike dent has learned from this case,” Sen. Braun of Indiana, to name two — say Susan Collins of Maine said. “He will be their actions are merely symbolic much more cautious in the future.” moves to placate constituents who be- Sure he will. The fact is, Trump lieve that Trump should have won. doesn’t know shame. His instincts lie Today’s certification votes are being elsewhere — in the feral perception of cast as a difficult choice for Republican just how far he can push Republicans to lawmakers — including Vice President appease and enable him. Mike Pence, who will preside over the Since losing the Nov. 3 election, Senate — between upholding the con- Trump has checked out of his day job, stitutional process and conciliating a largely ignoring the raging coronavirus corrupt president. and focusing instead on spreading un- No, this isn’t hard at all, as a number founded claims of voting fraud. He has of Republican senators understand. hounded the governors of Arizona and “Let’s be clear what’s happening here: MIKE THOMPSON/USA TODAY NETWORK Georgia to help overturn voting results We have a bunch of ambitious politi- in those states; summoned Michigan cians who think there’s a quick way to lawmakers to the White House for arm- tap into the president’s populist base I lost to Josh Hawley twisting to achieve the same; and, in a without doing any real, long-term dam- brazen phone call Saturday, pleaded age,” said Ben Sasse of Nebraska. “But with the Georgia secretary of state and they’re wrong.” his lawyer to “find” enough votes to flip The effort sets a dangerous preced- in a campus election the state in his favor. ent for future lawmakers tempted to In other words, the president has overturn the will of the people. “The I moved on. Why won’t The rule, while easy to administer, learned absolutely nothing since the Founders entrusted our elections chief- was a bad one. It even had the potential House impeached him for a phone call ly to the states — not Congress,” argued he do that with Trump? for individuals to co-opt the society for in which he attempted to use foreign Tom Cotton of Arkansas, a Trump sup- the sole purpose of destroying it. His- aid to shake down a foreign leader to porter who nonetheless declined to Irina D. Manta torically, however, nobody had exploit- dig up dirt on Joe Biden. cast his lot with a rebellious few. ed that rule, to my knowledge. Instead, Today, in what should be a ceremo- The actions by Hawley, Cruz and Sen. Josh Hawley has made waves candidates had campaigned for votes nial proceeding for Congress to simply others also risk further emboldening a with his call for Republican senators to from people actively involved with the count electoral votes certifying Biden president who has shown no capacity object to President-elect Joe Biden’s campus club. as president, at least a dozen Republi- for self-constraint. Beyond bullying election victory and force Congress to I found out about Sen. Hawley’s can senators and scores of GOP House tactics to overturn the election, Trump vote today on whether to accept the plans too late to counter them success- members will seek to reject election re- has urged supporters to gather for a Electoral College results. I invite Sen. fully. I lost the YLS Federalist Society’s sults unless a special commission is “wild” demonstration today in Wash- Hawley to reconsider his misguided po- presidential election to him by a hand- created to investigate baseless claims ington, D.C. (prompting local authori- sition and, instead, to do what I did ful of votes. of consequential voter fraud spread by ties to call out the National Guard); met when I lost an election to no other than The presidency comes with a num- Trump and his media allies — claims with a former adviser who advocates him: Show grace in defeat. The princi- ber of advantages, including entry to that have been disproven by multiple that Trump declare martial law and ple is the same whether the election is key professional opportunities. From recounts and tossed out of dozens of hold new elections; countermanded or- for president of the United my perspective, I was the more courts. (Democrats have raised similar ders to pull a carrier group out of the States or, as with us, for presi- deserving candidate and cared certification challenges in the past, but Middle East to ease tensions with Iran; dent of a campus club. more about the organization. never in such numbers and never with and installed acolytes in a series of high Sen. Hawley, R-Mo., and I The voting rules, again, were the support of the defeated candidate.) Pentagon posts. were both members of the Yale problematic, and Sen. Hawley The effort is doomed to fail. There This behavior is so unnerving that Law School Class of 2006. While exploited that all the way to vic- should be more than enough votes in the 10 living former Defense secretar- we had our differences, we tory for himself and the rest of the Senate and certainly enough in the ies, led by Dick Cheney, signed an ex- shared a common bond through Irina D. his slate. Democratically controlled House to traordinary opinion piece warning that our joint participation in the Manta But you know what? As far as block this effort to overturn an Amer- “efforts to involve the U.S. armed forces school’s Federalist Society, electoral fairness is concerned, ican election. But why would so many in resolving election disputes would made up of mostly conservative none of that matters. The rules people who call themselves conserva- take us into dangerous, unlawful and and libertarian law students. were the rules. The people who tives even take these radical steps to unconstitutional territory.” At the end of our first year, we showed up to vote had the right subvert democracy? The Republicans who have chosen to were both elected as vice presi- to vote. I have no reason to be- Many fear Trump’s power to sway appease Trump by challenging the dents for events of the YLS Fed- lieve that the person who count- GOP votes against them in future pri- election results must know they will eralist Society. Collaborating in ed the votes miscounted. Based maries. He brandished that cudgel in a bear some level of responsibility for these positions in our second Sen. on the system we had, which — rally Monday night, vowing to cam- any desperate act the president takes year proved difficult. I organized Hawley AP while flawed — was hardly un- paign against the 2022 reelection of before Biden assumes office on Jan. 20. the lion's share of the group’s ethical, Sen. Hawley won and I Georgia Republican Gov. Brian Kemp Trump will be gone in two weeks, but events and often received no responses lost. And not once did I attempt to con- for his refusal to intervene in the state’s history will long remember those who from him on emails I sent to him and test that loss. election on Trump’s behalf. Others, conspired with him to undermine the society’s president that year. This Sen. Hawley and I both ended up ini- such as Ted Cruz of Texas and Josh America’s democracy. puzzled me because I thought our goal tially as law professors, but then our was to make the organization as strong paths split. He pursued political offices as possible, and failure to communicate while I remained in academia (though I Opposing View: Why we’ll vote was an obstacle. also continued my own political activ- This isn’t to say that Sen. Hawley ism). And while he has been one of to reject certain states’ electors didn’t have his qualities as a vice presi- President Donald Trump’s loyalists, I dent. For example, his marketing skills have been the opposite, from my mem- Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, declined to Electoral Commission — consisting of certainly contributed to strong turnout bership in Checks & Balances (a group provide an opposing view. Excerpts five Senators, five House Members, and at an event with the late Harvard Law of lawyers and academics committed to from the statement sent by Cruz and 10 five Supreme Court Justices — to con- School professor William Stuntz. While the Constitution and the rule of law) to other Republican senators: sider and resolve the disputed returns. I did more work that year, Sen. Hawley my volunteer work for the Biden cam- We should follow that precedent. To knew better how to shine the spotlight paign in 2020. On January 6, it is incumbent on wit, Congress should immediately ap- on his contributions, which is an im- Of course, the stakes are much high- Congress to vote on whether to certify point an Electoral Commission, with portant skill in the political arena. er when it comes to the presidency of the 2020 election results. That vote is full investigatory and fact-finding au- The YLS Federalist Society’s presi- the United States than that of the Yale the lone constitutional power remain- thority, to conduct an emergency 10- dential election started rolling around Law School Federalist Society. ing to consider and force resolution of day audit of the election returns in the the spring of our second year, in 2005, Conversely, however, maintaining the multiple allegations of serious voter disputed states. Once completed, indi- and it was traditional for one of the two the integrity of the democratic system fraud. At that quadrennial joint ses- vidual states would evaluate the Com- VPs for events to assume that role. Sen. of our country vastly trumps doing so sion, there is long precedent of Demo- mission’s findings and could convene a Hawley and I each announced our can- for a law school club. cratic members of Congress raising ob- special legislative session to certify a didacies. Shortly before the election, a While Sen. Hawley is unlikely to suc- jections to presidential election results, change in their vote, if needed. friend tipped me off to how Sen. Haw- ceed in his bid to hinder Biden from tak- as they did in 1969, 2001, 2005, and Accordingly, we intend to vote on ley was planning to beat me, given that ing office, he is setting a dangerous pre- 2017. And, in both 1969 and 2005, a January 6 to reject the electors from he was uncertain he could do so based cedent such that one day, a hostile Con- Democratic senator joined with a Dem- disputed states as not “regularly given” on votes only from regular members gress could overturn a rightful presi- ocratic House member in forcing votes and “lawfully certified” (the statutory who knew our records best. dential election. in both houses on whether to accept the requisite), unless and until that emer- As appeared accurate based on the The courts have ruled repeatedly presidential electors being challenged. gency 10-day audit is completed. eventual turnout, Sen. Hawley had ob- that there is no evidence of widespread The most direct precedent on this We are not naive. We fully expect tained from the sitting president the voter fraud in the 2020 presidential question arose in 1877, following seri- most if not all Democrats, and perhaps student email addresses for the YLS election. Some speculate that Sen. ous allegations of fraud and illegal con- more than a few Republicans, to vote Federalist Society Listserv (and the Hawley is simply posturing to position duct in the Hayes-Tilden presidential otherwise. But support of election in- president, whom I had helped to win himself for a presidential run someday. race. Specifically, the elections in three tegrity should not be a partisan issue. A the previous year, did not volunteer Even if this provided ethical cover for states — Florida, Louisiana, and South fair and credible audit — conducted ex- that information to me at that stage). his actions (spoiler: it doesn’t), he has Carolina — were alleged to have been peditiously and completed well before The rule was that anyone who had the intelligence to find better tactics conducted illegally. January 20 — would dramatically im- signed up for the Listserv by a certain than eroding our democratic system. In 1877, Congress did not ignore prove Americans’ faith in our electoral earlier date could vote in the society’s those allegations, nor did the media process and would significantly en- elections. This included a bunch of Professor Irina D. Manta is the found- simply dismiss those raising them as hance the legitimacy of whoever be- people who did not attend events and ing director of the Center for Intellectual radicals trying to undermine democra- comes our next president. We owe that had little or no involvement with the Property Law at Hofstra University’s cy. Instead, Congress appointed an to the people. YLS Federalist Society. Maurice A. Deane School of Law.

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Chairman and CEO USA TODAY Publisher USA TODAY Vice President/Local News and Audience Development: Amalie Nash Executive Editor/News: Jeff Taylor Gannett Co. President of News Editor in Chief Vice President & Executive Editor/Investigations: Chris Davis Executive Editor/Audience: Patty Michalski MICHAEL REED MARIBEL PEREZ WADSWORTH NICOLE CARROLL Chief Revenue Officer, sales and service: Kevin Gentzel Editorial Page Editor: Bill Sternberg 8A ❚ WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2021 ❚ USA TODAY NEWS Pixar’s lineup has shown heart and ‘Soul’ through the years MONEY+LIFE In honor of the studio’s latest release, we look USA TODAY | WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2021 | SECTION B back and rank the entire catalog. Page 5B

MONEYLINE

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MANUFACTURING RISES TO BEST READING IN TWO YEARS

American factories grew in December at the fastest pace in more than two years as manufacturing continued to weather the pandemic better than the battered services sector. The Institute for Supply Management reported Tuesday that its gauge of manufacturing activity rose to 60.7% last month, the highest reading since it stood at 60.8 in August 2018. The gauge was up 3.2 percentage points from a No- vember level of 57.5. Any reading above 50 indicates expansion in the manufacturing sector. The U.S. economy collapsed from April through June but since that time manufacturing has Henry McSorley, 2, plays with toys as Burke Miller, 2, and Ethan Miller, 3, participate in a math activity with Nicole posted solid gains, while the services Leitermann at Impressions Family Child Care In Kimberly, Wis. PHOTOS BY DAN POWERS/USA TODAY NETWORK sector and the travel industry, has been harder hit.

SHAKE SHACK OFFERS Pandemic upends KOREAN CHICKEN SANDWICH

Shake Shack added new Korean-inspired menu items across U.S. locations, adding fuel to the chicken sand- options for child care wich war in 2021. The new selections include the Korean-Style Fried Chick’n Families and providers cope with virus’ unexpected toll Sandwich and the Korean Gochujang Chick’n Bites. In a blog post, Shake Shack said both the sandwich and Samantha West and Sarah Hauer bites include gochujang, a spicy red Milwaukee Journal Sentinel chili paste. Meanwhile, the sandwich USA TODAY NETWORK also includes kimchi, a mix of ferment- ed vegetables and spices. MILWAUKEE – Leah Kavanaugh studied art in college, but made child care her career. She relishes building relationships with kids and families ARAB LEADERS IN GULF and feeling like she’s a part of a com- SIGN DECLARATION munity. “What other job can you walk in the Gulf Arab leaders signed a declaration door and children yell your name, run Tuesday to ease a rift with Qatar, fol- up to you and give you a giant hug? lowing Saudi Arabia’s decision to end a There’s so much joy,” said Kavanaugh, 1 3 ⁄2-year embargo of the energy-rich a lead toddler teacher at the Children’s country that deeply divided regional Learning Center at the University of U.S. security allies in the Arabian Pen- Wisconsin-Milwaukee. “It’s a warm, insula. Saudi Arabia said it was restor- feel-good kind of job to have. I can’t ing full diplomatic relations with Qatar, imagine doing anything else.” although it was not clear how soon the But the coronavirus pandemic step would be followed by the United forced Kavanaugh to leave the job she Leitermann sets up an artwork project for Ethan, left, Burke and Henry at Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt. loves. Impressions Family Child Care. It’s because she can’t find child care for her own children, Lincoln, a second grader, and, Neil, a kindergartner, who With more kids learning at home ei- numbers every year to decide what Dow Jones Industrial Avg. are home all day because their school ther full or part time this school year, works financially. Sometimes, it makes is entirely online now. more families are looking for child care the most sense for a parent to drop out 32,000 Her husband, Andy, a high school at a time when an already critical short- of the workforce and not pay for child 167.71 English teacher, must return to work age of child care has grown worse. Pro- care. 30,000 after taking a leave of absence to care viders are reducing capacity and, as The difficult choices women such as for the kids. They don’t have family their financial struggles mount, up to Kavanaugh are facing, are just one facet 28,000 30,391 nearby to help out, and the couple one-third in Wisconsin could shut of the disproportionate toll the econom- can’t afford to send the children to an- down. ic downturn has taken on women during 26,000 other child care center or provider. what has come to be called the “sheces- 24,000 Countless women across Wiscon- Child care decisions changed sion.” JULY JAN. sin have found themselves in Kava- In September, a National Women’s AP naugh’s predicament, being forced to Under normal circumstances, par- TUESDAY MARKETS choose between work and family. ents of young children run the child care See CHILD CARE, Page 2B

INDEX CLOSE CHG Dow Jones Industrial Avg. 30,391.60 x 167.71 S&P 500 3,726.86 x 26.21 Nasdaq composite 12,818.96 x 120.51 T-note, 10-year yield 0.954 x 0.037 SOURCES USA TODAY RESEARCH, BLOOMBERG Did IRS send your stimulus

USA TODAY SNAPSHOTS© check to the wrong account?

Mortgage rates stimulus payments arrived promptly Michigan, said she’s had the same ad- back in April without any trouble via di- dress in Knoxville for the past 10 years. Rates reported Tuesday. Susan Tompor rect deposit. She hasn’t changed her bank account. Current Week ago Columnist Some taxpayers are “floored” to dis- And the retiree has been receiving So- USA TODAY cover that they might have to wait for a cial Security benefits via direct deposit 30 yr. fixed 2.85% 2.88% check or debit card in the mail or even for more than a year. 15 yr. fixed 2.30% 2.37% wait to file their 2020 federal income re- Her son received his second stimulus 5/1 ARM 2.96% 3.03% A second round of stimulus pay- turns before the second stimulus mess payment through direct deposit by Jan. ments triggered a second round of is resolved. 4, as soon as the second stimulus pay- 7/1 ARM 2.90% 2.94% complaints from many angry taxpay- Many are angry that the Internal Rev- ments became available, and he casual- 30 yr. jumbo 2.89% 2.90% ers who aren’t seeing their money enue Service and the U.S. Department ly asked her if she received her money. 30 yr. FHA 2.52% 2.61% quickly. of Treasury aren’t being upfront about She hasn’t received a dime yet. And So while many people began receiv- the possible snags. she was shocked Monday when she ing the second stimulus payments in “You’ve got more glitches going on used the IRS tool called “Get My Pay- their bank accounts Monday, others than you’re leading people to believe, ment” at IRS.gov to track her Economic only saw red. which is what I suspect,” said Deb Cata- Impact Payment once that tool was up- Some $600 payments apparently line, 65, who grew up in Flint, Michigan, dated. are going into the wrong bank ac- but now lives in Knoxville, Tennessee. The site told her: “We scheduled your counts, according to frustrated tax- Cataline, who once worked as a para- payment to be mailed on Jan. 6, 2021, to payers. Or checks are being mailed, legal for United Auto Workers-General BANKRATE.COM others say, even though their first Motors Legal Services Plan in Flint, See STIMULUS, Page 2B 2B ❚ WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2021 ❚ USA TODAY MONEY

to stay profitable. Under normal circum- entirely women, about half of whom hoff without overburdening the fam- Child care stances, that’s not a problem. have an associate degree or more educa- ilies. Tammy Dannhoff provides in-home tion, according to a 2016 Wisconsin “It’s a struggle both ways, for the Continued from Page 1B child care and early education from her Early Childhood Association study. families and also for myself,” Dannhoff Oshkosh home. She estimates she re- “They are women who have been said. “We thought this would be a good Law Center analysis found that four ceives two inquiries a week from cur- working at poverty-level wages for a compromise.” times more women than men dropped rent and expecting parents through really long time and they’re gritty and It was a big help to Jen Riha, whose out of the labor force in September. email or her Facebook page. have incredible resilience,” Schmidt 4-year-old daughter Kendra has re- “Usually, it’s the woman,” said Emilie Dannhoff is rarely able to help them. said. “But at some point, the system ceived care from Dannhoff for two Amundson, secretary of the Wisconsin In her newsletter, she includes a “ba- breaks when you can’t even bring in years. Department of Children and Families. by check spot,” where she alerts families enough revenue to pay your staff $10 an Already, mothering three kids – “That’s the piece of it that COVID has of future openings for infants. Almost hour.” Thomas, 16, Ariana, 10, and Kendra – really exposed – the toll on the working immediately, parents trying to conceive “It’s simply unsustainable, and the and having a full-time job as a laminator women to have to grapple with this and in October 2019 snatched a spot she an- pandemic has only made that worse.” operator was hard to juggle. figure out what the lack of available, nounced would be open in 2021. For months, Nicole Leitermann has Add in a pandemic, which caused her safe, quality child care means for my ca- The pandemic has only made it worried that she would have to close the husband, Jeramie, to be laid off for a reer.” worse. Dannhoff has been getting three in-home child care business she started couple of months and her children’s or four inquiries per week from parents over two decades ago. schools to close, and it’s even more of a Job losses slams providers desperate to find care as they return to Since the pandemic hit Wisconsin, struggle. Being able to pay a reduced work. She knows many other providers Leitermann often found herself lying rate meant a lot to the Rihas. The thousands of pandemic-related are in the same boat. awake at night, thinking about what “She didn’t have to do that but she did job losses have taken a toll on child care “I feel bad for the (parents) – child else she could do for a living if she anyway,” Riha said of Dannhoff’s enroll- providers. care is so hard to find,” Dannhoff said. couldn’t make ends meet. ment maintenance program. “It was “Most of my parents are single wom- And it’s even more difficult to find in In early spring, before the state’s Saf- very heartfelt and kind of her.” en,” said Keyuante Sholar, the director the midst of a pandemic that has led er at Home order went into effect, she Dannhoff has had a tough year. She of Kids Are Smart II in Milwaukee. some centers to voluntarily operate at had seven children enrolled. But as hasn’t been able to contribute to her re- “They are single parents. Once mom reduced capacity to encourage social businesses closed and parents worked tirement fund. She and her husband put loses her job, there isn’t anyone there to distancing. from home or were laid off and trying to off planned renovations to their home back her up. She has to figure it out.” Some in-home providers, too, have cut costs, that number dropped to just and trips. Around 30 children used to come to opted to limit the number of children in two. She feared what would happen if Now, she worries about winter. Kids Are Smart II on any given day. Re- their care despite the sizable hit to their the number of children in her care dwin- Dannhoff and her husband still wake up cently, it’s been about 10, Sholar said. income. dled to none. every morning and immediately ask Part of that drop is a result of social dis- On average, a National Association “I’ve done this for 22 years and hon- themselves: “Can I smell? Can I taste?” tancing requirements. But a parent’s for the Education of Young Children sur- estly that was the first time that I really When a parent calls Dannhoff, she lost job is the top reason kids aren’t re- vey found enrollment at Wisconsin pro- had to think about what else I could do if worries that one of the eight children turning to day care, Sholar said. viders is about half of what it was before I couldn’t do this anymore,” Leitermann she cares for has been exposed to the vi- For families that can’t afford or find the pandemic. said through tears. “It was so hard.” rus and she might be forced to shut child care, that means someone has to But what is most concerning: The While she made it past that hurdle – down indefinitely. stay home with the kids – especially the survey revealed that 1 out of every 3 Leitermann now has six children en- “It’s always in the back of my mind,” younger ones, who can’t be left home child care programs in Wisconsin said rolled, and another two babies coming she said. alone and are unable to navigate online the facility would have to close without soon – her fears linger. learning without help. additional public assistance to help What will happen if her home be- Another example of the It’s exacerbating a long-standing make ends meet. comes the start of an outbreak? What if ‘shecession’ at work problem in Wisconsin: Families already Congress’ $900 billion COVID-19 re- all of her children are out of her care for were challenged to find quality, afford- lief bill includes $10 billion in relief for weeks on end because they must quar- After the pandemic closed the Uni- able child care before the pandemic. the child care industry, the bulk of antine or are sick themselves? versity of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Chil- Half of Wisconsin ZIP codes are de- which will go toward grants for child Dannhoff, too, worried that COVID-19 dren’s Learning Center for five months, fined by the state Department of Chil- care providers for payroll, cleaning sup- would rip her 32-year-old business Kira Hartley felt lucky to be back to dren and Families as child care deserts – plies and fixed costs like rent. away from her for good. work. She’s the center’s toddler pro- areas with an insufficient supply of li- However, child care advocates say Dannhoff is licensed to care for eight gram coordinator. censed child care providers. The prob- it’s not enough. children, but after the Safer At Home or- But the challenges and curveballs lem is particularly acute in Wisconsin’s der, her enrollment dropped “drastical- have kept coming since reopening in rural counties, where 70% of ZIP codes Providers’ struggles become acute ly.” At one point, she had just two chil- August. are child care deserts. dren attending full time and two others Under normal circumstances, Kava- And then, there’s the cost. The child care workforce has always coming on only a part-time basis and naugh and another teacher were able to Child care is expensive for both par- been resilient, said Ruth Schmidt, exec- was down nearly $5,000 per month – bring their children to the center for af- ents and providers, who have always utive director of the Wisconsin Early about 80% of her income. ter school care. Now, with the center op- operated on thin margins. Childhood Association. It’s had to be – a Absences continued: One family had erating at half its capacity, there’s not The average cost of child care in was provider or teacher must really love kids to pull out for three weeks after being enough space for them. $9,072 per child in Wisconsin in 2019, to pursue a career in the profession. exposed to COVID-19. In early Novem- Unable to find affordable child care according to a report from the nonprofit But the pandemic is pushing many to ber, Dannhoff said, another family was elsewhere, both teachers are taking Child Care Aware of America. That’s a breaking point. out while quarantining as close con- leaves of absence. roughly the cost of in-state tuition and According to a 2018 Center for Amer- tacts to a case. “We already struggle to recruit teach- fees at the University of Wisconsin. ican Progress study, the median hourly Eventually, Dannhoff and her hus- ers and we’re losing two more,” Hartley wage for Wisconsin child care workers band came up with an enrollment main- said in November. “There are so many Reduced capacities add pressure is $10.03, and for preschool teachers, it’s tenance program in which parents pay stories of this ... The issue has always $11.64. half of their weekly tuition during the been there, COVID has only exacerbated Providers try to stay at peak capacity The child care workforce is almost absence, to cushion the blow to Dann- it.”

Other consumers say they’re being Stimulus told by the IRS site that they’ll be mailed a check, even though the consumers Continued from Page 1B said the government has their correct direct deposit information. the address we have on file for you.” Some fear that the IRS site indicates “My first stimulus was direct depos- that they won’t get any payment even ited,” Cataline told me by phone Tues- though the readers are certain that their day. “Why are they mailing a check?” income would allow them to qualify. It is true that some people will get a What should we expect? reduced payment or no payment now. Since the latest $600 payment is half The second round of stimulus pay- of the maximum stimulus that we saw ments started going out the last week of in the spring, the complete phaseout December and will continue through will hit more families this time. early January, according to Luis D. Gar- Eligibility for the payments starts to cia, an IRS spokesperson. phase out at modified adjusted gross in- The stimulus money is being spread comes of $75,000 for single filers and across the economy to consumers in $150,000 for joint filers. three different ways: Direct deposit into The stimulus payment is cut by $5 for bank accounts, the mailing of paper every $100 of income earned above the checks and via new and existing gov- thresholds. For example, a couple earn- ernment-related debit cards. Hint: Some are reporting delays in receiving their second stimulus checks. GETTY IMAGES ing more than $174,000 won’t get a sec- Don’t throw out a new blue Visa debit ond stimulus payment — that compares card if one suddenly pops up in the mail with the $198,000 cutoff with the spring because that card issued by MetaBank Where are trouble spots? fund money. In the past, that process payments. Single people making more could have your stimulus payment on it. led to a glitch and some consumers had than $87,000 wouldn’t get stimulus Garcia said direct deposit payments We saw a great deal of frustration to wait to receive a stimulus check. money now. will be made first to individuals who and confusion back in the spring and H&R Block took to Twitter to state: have valid routing and account informa- summer, as the federal government “The IRS Get My Payment website may What can you do? tion on file. This includes both filers and rolled out the first stimulus payments. display an account number you don’t those that used the Non-filer tool at IRS- Some people had to wait months on recognize. If you took a Refund Transfer, Taxpayers will be able to square .gov to receive their first stimulus pay- end. it may be reflecting that account num- things up when tax filing season begins ment. At the same time, several consumers ber. Check your 2019 return to confirm.” later in January. It’s not terribly reassur- If the IRS doesn’t have routing and said Tuesday that they did not have any H&R Block issued a statement to the ing if you’d like the money now but the account information for a direct depos- trouble receiving the first stimulus pay- Detroit Free Press on Tuesday: “H&R tax return will offer some relief. it, taxpayers will be sent either a check ments in 2019 but they’re now facing Block understands stimulus checks are The 2020 federal income tax return or debit card in the form of a new EIP some type of blip with the second pay- vitally important for millions of Amer- will include a “Recovery Rebate Credit” Card. Paper checks and debit cards re- ments now. icans. The IRS determines where sec- that will apply to both the first and sec- quire more processing and mailing time. Just because things ran smoothly for ond stimulus payments were sent, and ond round of stimulus payments. The IRS plans to relaunch the Get My you the first time apparently doesn’t in some cases, money was sent to a dif- The IRS notes: “If you have not re- Payment online tool soon to include in- mean you’re going to easily get the sec- ferent account than the first stimulus ceived your full payment by the time formation on the second stimulus, ac- ond stimulus. payment last spring. you file your 2020 return, you may claim cording to Garcia. Several readers emailed me Tuesday “We immediately deposited millions the Recovery Rebate Credit on your tax The second round of Economic Im- morning to tell me about a variety of of stimulus payments to customers’ return.” pact Payments – or what the IRS has problems that they’re facing now. bank accounts and onto our Emerald If you’re worried now, the IRS sug- called “EIP 2” – is generally $600 for sin- One huge issue: Many said the IRS Prepaid Mastercard yesterday, and all gests that taxpayers go to IRS.gov to gles and $1,200 for married couples fil- site indicated that their Economic Im- direct deposits are being processed,” ac- track the stimulus payments. The IRS ing a joint return. If you have young chil- pact Payment was deposited Monday cording to the statement. says taxpayers should not call their dren, you could receive more money. into a bank account that isn’t theirs. “If the IRS Get My Payment website bank or the IRS. An extra $600 is available for each Some H&R Block customers in par- displays an account number a customer Given the level of frustration that child who qualifies. But just like the first ticular are upset about payments not doesn’t recognize, H&R Block customer some are experiencing now, though, it is round of stimulus payments, an age ending up in their own bank accounts. service agents are ready to help with ad- best to try to take a breath and not bank limit is in place and parents aren’t get- Some who are complaining used ditional information at 800-HRBLOCK on that stimulus arriving quickly. The ting the extra $600 now for dependents H&R Block for tax preparation services (800-472-5625) and @HRBlockAnsw- stimulus sequel isn’t looking much bet- who are 17 and older. and had the fees withheld from their re- ers on Twitter.” ter than the original production. MONEY USA TODAY ❚ WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2021 ❚ 3B PERSONAL FINANCE Consider lessons of 2020 in this year’s financial goals

Russ Wiles Columnist USA TODAY

Drawing up a list of financial resolutions for the new year isn’t the routine exercise it once was. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed that, as it has altered so many other behaviors. It’s not just a matter of plotting the usual ways to save more money, cut debt or re-evaluate your spending patterns – this year’s three most popular money resolutions, according to Fidelity Investments’ 2021 New Year Financial Resolutions survey. Rather, the CO- VID-19 pandemic and the financial pres- sures it has caused have brought a new sense of urgency to some goals, while posing different challenges and pre- senting new opportunities.

Evaluate spending, budget

Budgeting, for example, ranks as a top financial resolution year in and year out. But this time, things are a bit different because the pandemic changed The coronavirus pandemic gives you the opportunity to reassess your spending and budget. PIXABAY/STOCK PHOTO spending patterns for many people. If you review how you spent money over the past year or two, you likely can spot home-insurance coverage, or different and a key source of funds to pay down a data-breach security firm. Of those, key differences and perhaps areas for types, if your dwelling has risen in val- credit card balances and so on. But of- only 44% were unique. improvement. ue, you recently completed remodeling fice-shutting measures to control the vi- The 2020 list of most common pass- For example, you’re probably not projects or you set up a new home- rus slowed tax-return processing and words was similar to those from 2019. driving as much anymore so you might based business. the issuance of some refunds by the In- For example, the numerical string not need a car to the same extent. May- ternal Revenue Service. “123456” was near the top both years. be you don’t need to buy as many Cancel unneeded subscriptions “Taxpayers shouldn’t rely on receiv- Other common ones include “pass- clothes, especially for work, or perhaps ing a refund by a certain date, especially word,” “picture1,” “111111,” “qwerty” and you’re spending much less on entertain- While you’re looking at spending, when making major purchases or pay- “abc123.” ment and restaurants. Most likely, you take the time to evaluate your various ing bills,” the IRS warned in December. Review all your online accounts and cut back big time on travel. Maybe you subscriptions, memberships and other “Some tax returns may require addi- delete those you no longer use, Nord- can reduce these expenditures perma- accounts with an eye on eliminating tional review, and processing may take Pass suggests. Favor passwords that are nently. those you no longer use, said Rebell. longer.” unique, complicated and long. “Make an inventory of what you did Look to cancel automated, recurring The IRS said it already expects that in 2020, and use it as a roadmap for payments whether tied to your bank ac- refunds tied to the earned income tax Invest in yourself 2021,” suggested Bobbi Rebell, a certi- count, cellphone or other accounts if credit and the additional child tax credit fied financial planner and adviser for you rarely use those services anymore. won’t be issued before mid-February. Even before COVID-19 arrived, many Splitit, a site that helps people make in- Cancellations don’t need to be per- Americans found that their job and fi- terest-free purchases on installment. manent and might bring about a better Maintain online vigilance nancial-literacy skills were lacking. “Our definition of needs and wants has deal. If you change your mind, you can Now might be a good time to take changed so much.” always resubscribe to a service and The IRS and other entities have courses or make other personal im- might receive a coupon, introductory warned of an uptick in cyber scams tied provements, especially as so much of Assess your insurance needs rate or discount for doing so, Rebell add- to stimulus payments, coronavirus-re- this can be done online. ed. Also, look to reduce paper clutter by lief measures and the like. Given that While people usually think of finan- You might have noticed that you signing up for email statements where many of these federal and state pro- cial resolutions in terms of saving more don’t require the same types or levels of possible. grams are new, it’s easy to get confused. or cutting debt, learning and earning protection as before. Auto insurance is These and other moves to get more Plus, more people are shopping online more also are important, noted Dana an obvious example, now that more organized weren’t necessitated by the amid the COVID-19 outbreak, raising the Anspach, a certified financial planner people are working or studying at home. pandemic, but you might now finally odds of falling victim. with Sensible Money in Scottsdale, Ari- That has meant fewer cars are on the have the time to get it all done. Hence the need to stay alert. Among zona. “Learning is the foundation of road, with a sharp reduction in vehicle key points: Be skeptical about offers both making smarter investment deci- accidents and better insurance deals. Plan for an unreliable tax refund from unfamiliar companies, avoid click- sions and increasing your earning pow- “The staggering drop in accidents ing on attachments and be wary of un- er,” she said. this year resulted in a dramatic drop in Many Americans still haven’t built up solicited messages from tax authorities As with any resolution, Anspach said claims paid by insurers,” said the Con- an emergency fund, and the COVID-19 such as the IRS, which doesn’t initiate it’s critical to devise a plan to make it sumer Federation of America and the outbreak with widespread job losses contact this way. happen by defining actionable steps Center for Economic Justice in a recent didn’t help. But there could be a special Also, take the opportunity to change and putting them on a calendar, now. review of accident statistics. need to accumulate a cash cushion now passwords to lessen the odds of having Other helpful tips include having a men- The groups want to see insurers low- because you probably can’t count on an account hacked. Americans don’t tor or accountability buddy and follow- er premiums – and many have. It thus your annual income-tax refund arriving change their passwords often. Nor do ing a course of action for at least three to might be a good time to evaluate your with as much predictability as in the they utilize complex, lengthy pass- four weeks, until the new behavior be- insurance needs with an eye on shop- past. words. Password manager NordPass comes routine. ping around. Tax refunds are the largest chunk of said it determined this by examining Reach Wiles at russ.wiles@arizona- Conversely, you might need more change many Americans receive all year 275 million passwords, with the help of republic.com.

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DOW JONES INDUSTRIAL AVERAGE S&P 500 • STANDARD & POOR’S NASDAQ COMPOSITE RUSSELL 2000 Closing: 30,391.60 Closing: 3,726.86 Closing: 12,818.96 Closing: 1,979.11 Change: +.6% Change: +.7% Change: +.0% Change: +1.7% +167.71 YTD % Chg: -.7% +26.21 YTD % Chg: -.8% +120.51 YTD % Chg: -.5% +33.20 YTD % Chg: +.2%

MARKET PERFORMANCE BY SECTOR MARKET NOTEBOOK TOP 10 EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS COMMODITIES Sector Close Chg. 4wk 1 YTD 1 Issues NYSE NASDAQ ETF, ranked by volume Ticker Close Chg. % Chg %YTD Commodities Close Prev. Chg. % Chg. % YTD Energy 39.66 +1.70 -1.5% +4.6% Advancing 1,890 2,350 SPDR S&P500 ETF Tr SPY 371.33 +2.54 +0.7% -0.7% Cattle (lb.) 1.15 1.12 +0.03 +2.5% +1.9% Corn (bushel) 4.92 4.84 +0.08 +1.7% +1.6% Materials 73.31 +1.61 +2.2% +1.3% Declining 644 898 iShs Emerg Mkts EEM 53.25 +1.25 +2.4% +3.1% 102 Gold (troy oz.) 1,952.70 1,944.70 +8.00 +0.4% +3.2% Telecom 74.44 +0.82 -0.3% +0.3% Unchanged 45 ProShs UltPro ShtQQQ SQQQ 15.45 -0.39 -2.5% +1.8% Total 2,579 3,350 SPDR Energy XLE 39.66 +1.70 +4.5% +4.6% Hogs, lean (lb.) .71 .71 unch. -0.4% +0.9% Health care 113.77 +0.82 +0.9% +0.3% Issues at 165 iPath Sh Term Fut VXX 17.64 -0.61 -3.3% +5.1% Natural Gas (Btu.) 2.70 2.58 +0.12 +4.7% +6.4% Consumer discret. 160.61 +1.19 +2.1% - 0.1% Oil, heating (gal.) 1.52 1.46 +0.06 +3.9% +2.4% New 52 Week High 95 6SPDR Financial XLF 29.21 +0.13 +0.4% -0.9% Financials 29.21 +0.13 +1.5% -0.9% Oil, lt. swt. crude (bar.) 49.93 47.62 +2.31 +4.9% +2.9% New 52 Week Low 6 iShs iBoxx HY CpBd HYG 87.15 +0.03 ...% -0.2% Silver (troy oz.) 27.57 27.28 +0.29 +1.1% +4.7% Technology 128.73 +0.83 +1.5% -1.0% Share Volume iShares Silver Trust SLV 25.67 +0.32 +1.3% +4.5% Consumer staples 66.72 ... -1.5% -1.1% Total 4,124,495,818 5,520,193,277 Direx S&P500Bear 3x SPXS 4.00 -0.07 -1.7% +2.3% Soybeans (bushel) 13.50 13.17 +0.33 +2.5% +2.6% Wheat (bushel) 6.54 6.42 +0.12 +1.9% +2.1% Industrials 87.26 +0.85 -2.2% -1.5% Advancing 3,299,226,419 4,111,823,823 Direxion SCapBear 3x TZA 6.82 -0.35 -4.9% -0.7% 1,378,149,187 Utilities 61.11 -0.01 -2.3% -2.5% Declining 811,087,240 Unchanged 14,182,159 30,220,267 FOREIGN CURRENCIES FOREIGN MARKETS S&P 500’S BIGGEST GAINERS S&P 500’S BIGGEST LOSERS Currency per dollar Close Prev. 6 mo. ago Yr. ago Country Close Prev. Change %Chg. %YTD British pound .7339 .7372 .8015 .7647 Frankfurt 13,651.22 13,726.74 -75.52 -0.6% -0.5% Company (ticker) Price $ Chg . % Chg. YTD Company (ticker) Price $ Chg . % Chg. YTD Canadian dollar 1.2669 1.2773 1.3557 1.2992 Hong Kong 27,649.86 27,472.81 +177.05 +0.6% +1.5% Occid Petl (OXY) 19.21 +1.76 +10.1 +11.0 Verisign Inc (VRSN) 206.50 -7.08 -3.3 -4.6 Chinese yuan 6.4563 6.4616 7.0664 6.9655 Japan (Nikkei) 27,158.63 27,258.38 -99.75 -0.4% -1.0% Diamondback Energy (FANG) 53.67 +4.73 +9.7 +10.9 Vornado Rlty (VNO) 35.64 -1.02 -2.8 -4.6 Euro .8128 .8162 .8893 .8956 London 6,612.25 6,571.88 +40.37 +0.6% +2.4% Apache Corp (APA) 16.18 +1.41 +9.5 +14.0 PulteGroup Inc (PHM) 41.07 -1.14 -2.7 -4.8 Mexico City 44,908.12 44,703.00 +205.12 +0.5% +1.9% Marathon Oil (MRO) 7.45 +.62 +9.1 +11.7 Moodys Corp (MCO) 284.38 -7.62 -2.6 -2.0 Japanese yen 102.64 103.11 107.50 108.01 Halliburton (HAL) 20.41 +1.58 +8.4 +8.0 Fortinet Inc (FTNT) 141.74 -3.82 -2.6 -4.6 Mexican peso 19.8562 19.9086 22.3914 18.9258 SOURCE Morningstar, Dow Jones Indexes, The Associated Press Going to the gym will look different in 2021

Heather Clark & Lisa Iannucci The Journal News Starbucks has a new Pistachio Latte USA TODAY NETWORK as part of its winter menu. STARBUCKS WESTCHESTER, N.Y. – In a typical year, joining a gym often tops the list of new year’s resolutions as people seek Starbucks to get in shape and live a healthier life- style. 2021 is not a typical year. bundles up The COVID-19 pandemic is still un- derway, and although vaccines are being administered around the world, re- for winter strictions are still in place for many es- tablishments, including gyms and fit- Kelly Tyko ness centers. USA TODAY Gyms across the country were closed in March due to the COVID-19 At Momentum Fitness in Tallahassee, Fla., every other cardio machine has a sign Starbucks kicks off 2021 with a new pandemic. In New York, they were al- saying it is temporarily closed so everyone can practice social distancing. winter menu and additions to its per- lowed to reopen in late August, with ALICIA DEVINE/USA TODAY NETWORK manent lineup. some tough restrictions: gyms could Starting Tuesday at participating only operate at one-third capacity and locations nationwide, customers can required that patrons and staff wear “I also do a short set of exercises two equipment as possible to give everyone order the new Honey Almondmilk masks and social distance. Some up- to three times a week and keep looking the fitness experience they deserve with Cold Brew and Pistachio Latte inspired graded ventilation systems and closed for variations of them on Instagram to as much space as possible to ensure by a beverage that launched at Star- communal shower areas. alleviate boredom with the same ones,” maximum comfort for all members and bucks Reserve Roasteries. The latte is Others, such as Lifeplex Health said Brooks. staff.” made with espresso and steamed milk Club in Rockland closed, citing the CO- Tiffany Schlurensauer started at- If you are heading to any gym for the combined with a sauce made with pis- VID-19 pandemic as the reason for its home workouts with Beachbody back in first time since the quarantine started, tachios and a salted buttery topping. demise. May, just after the pandemic started. Kenyon suggests that you’re properly The Seattle-based coffee giant an- Where does that leave people who “My programs include nutrition masked, haven’t had any COVID-19 nounced that Kale and Portabella want to work out in 2021? plans and accountability groups, which symptoms, and are ready and willing. Mushroom Sous Vide Egg Bites and Gym owners have expressed that was the missing puzzle for me,” said “We have countless members here the returning Honey Almondmilk Flat it’s safe to return to the gym, with their Schlurensauer, who lost 30 pounds in who’ve reported that the hardest part is White are permanent items. upped cleaning regimens and new air six months. “Not having to leave the just stepping back in the club - the rest There also is a Red Velvet Loaf and ventilation systems. house, I can do it on my time and don’t is like riding a bike.” Earth Cake Pop available for a limited While some people are cautiously have to worry about day care for the time, as well as two Starbucks Reserve heading back to those gyms that have kids.” Social aspect of working out whole bean coffees – Guatemala Hue- reopened, others have found new ways Her resolution for 2021? “Definitely to huetenango and Ethiopia Yirgacheffe to exercise, from app-based programs continue working out at home,” said the Some studios are now available via Chelelektu. to Facebook groups to simply walking, Salt Point resident. “With the kids being livestream, so you can have the in-per- The Starbucks Reserve coffee will hiking, or engaging in other outdoor home from school, it was harder for me son benefits of a gym from home. be sold at 3,200 company-operated pursuits. The biggest change may be to make the time, and then the thought Susannah Powell teaches yoga and stores in the USA. The drink had been that those looking to work out have of working out with a mask just com- functional strength classes via lives- served only at Starbucks Reserve discovered they can do it anytime and pletely deterred me.” tream since closing her Hudson River Roasteries, Reserve bars and select anywhere. Yoga studio a few months ago. Starbucks locations, the company “I think that’s the biggest change,” Some are happy to be back “We have regular and accessible yoga said, advising customers to use the said Adrian Killion, a five-time a week classes, but also functional strength Starbucks app to find which locations gym goer who now does on-demand Janna Whearty was happy to be back where students can progressively build carry the coffee. classes at home with Les Milles. “I can at Gold’s Gym in Poughkeepsie once it strength by adding load with resistance Starbucks shared during its Inves- do whatever class I want, when I reopened. She had been going six days a bands and weights,” she said. “This in- tor Day that millennials and Gen-Z-ers want.” week since completing the Heart Asso- corporates strength, balance and mobil- under 30 are two times more likely to That’s in line with a recent survey ciation’s BetterU program in 2018. ity.” drink cold coffee. by the American College of Sports “The routine of going is critical for Hudson River Yoga offers fundamen- Medicine’s Health & Fitness Journal, me, and so the change in how I exercised tal classes so if you are new to yoga and Starbucks’ 2021 winter menu which reports the No. 1 fitness trend for during the shutdown was tough,” she exercising, it’s a great starting point that 2021 will be online training. said. you can do in your living room. Here are descriptions of the limit- When the quarantine began, Ste- Whearty tried to work out virtually “Start with the fundamental classes ed-time items: phanie Carnes started using the Open- but didn’t have the same results. that will give you all the foundations you h Pistachio Latte: The drink is Fit app, which she called a good alter- “I need someone pushing me or I need to join any yoga class,” she ex- available hot, iced and blended and native to the gym; it includes a suppor- don’t work hard enough,” she said. “Go- plained. “With the strength classes you pairs pistachio with espresso and tive Facebook group. Carnes is coming back to the gym was something I will learn how to progressively add load steamed milk, finished with a salted, mitting to complete an OpenFit was anxious to do but anxious in a good as your strength builds, so basically you brown, buttery topping. challenge – a streak of consecutive way. The trainers and other people who start where you are and progressively h Honey Almondmilk Cold Brew: workouts – to stay engaged. you see there (in the gym) every day are get stronger and improve balance and The nondairy beverage is made with Her New Year’s resolution is to con- a community and I missed that.” mobility.” Starbucks Cold Brew, combined with tinue to have a healthy relationship Kim Kenyon, the owner of Gold’s All Sport Health and Fitness in Fish- honey, then topped with almondmilk. with exercise and to do the type of ex- Gym in Poughkeepsie, New York, under- kill wants new members to feel comfort- h Earth Cake Pop: The chocolate ercise that she feels is fun and engag- stands that people may be anxious able and safe when they enter so the cake pop is dipped in a “blue chocolaty ing as opposed to an obligation. about returning to a fitness center set- new procedures they implemented be- icing and finished with green and “During the pandemic, my fitness ting while COVID-19 cases are still spik- cause of COVID-19 will remain relatively white sprinkles. classes have become treasured ‘me ing but says that it’s OK to come back. the same in 2021. h Red Velvet Loaf: The dessert time’, as a doctoral student and work- “According to New York State, we’re “When a new member comes in, they combines vanilla cake and classic red ing mother,” said Carnes. “It feels like a very low on the list of possible places of all come in for a different reason,” Sean velvet cake and topped with a white special indulgence in my day, particu- exposure, with only 0.06% of cases oc- Kammerer, general manager of All chocolate icing. larly because I’m doing something I curring in gyms,” she said. Sport, said. “Some want to lose weight, really enjoy. Also, I’m focusing on the A graphic shared by New York Gov. maintain mental balance, or work with New permanent menu items mind-body connection of exercise for Andrew Cuomo on Dec. 11, attests to that a personal trainer. We’re welcoming improved mental health during these number, indicating that gyms account- new members to stay active, stay phys- Starbucks announced these items strange times.” ed for 0.06% of COVID-19 exposure from ical, and stay positive.” would be on the permanent menu: Naomi Brooks canceled her rela- September to November where contact The gym’s director of operations, h Honey Almondmilk Flat White: tively new gym membership after tracers were able to determine the expo- Megan Wiley, added it’s not just about This flat white returns and pairs al- freezing it for a few months during the sure’s source. That is compared with the getting into shape. mondmilk and Starbucks Blonde pandemic. “I am in the more fragile 73.54% which were linked to household “People are willing to be socially dis- espresso with honey. group and am taking extra precautions social gatherings. tant and socialize while at the gym,” Wi- h Kale and Portabella Mushroom to stay safe,” said Brooks. “We’ve been readjusting our clubs for ley said. “We have some ladies who this Sous Vide Egg Bites: Chopped kale She made a New Year’s resolution to months now with plenty of new safety is their second home. As important as it and portabella mushrooms are folded increase how many steps she takes measures in place to keep everyone feel- is to run on a treadmill, it’s important for into cage-free eggs with Monterey each day, using the iPhone Health app ing comfortable and on track,” Kenyon people to have that social aspect as Jack cheese. to track her mileage. said. “We’re balancing out as much well.” We look back at the year’s Hairstylist to the stars Adkin forgettable moments in TV offers more than style tips LIFE Cancellations, disappointments and downright In her motivational memoir, she comes across as USA TODAY | WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2021 | SECTION B bad shows filled our screens. Page 6B down-to-earth and approachable. Page 8B

LIFELINE MOVIES

HOW WAS YOUR DAY? MEGHAN MCCAIN

“The View” co-host is giving us a look at little lady Liberty. In a post to Instagram On Monday, McCain, 36, shared a series of photos of her new- born daughter Liberty, who she shares with conservative pundit husband Ben Domenech. “Someone wanted to see me?” McCain cap- tioned the photos, which included a photo of Liberty wearing a “3 month” sign on her onesie as well as a photo of the infant and her mom in front of a Christmas tree. The photos may come as a pleasant surprise to fans, since McCain told fans not to expect to see any photos of baby Liberty anytime soon.

THEO WARGO/ GETTY IMAGES You just want to hang out with these “Monsters.” DISNEY/PIXAR We get to the ‘Soul’ of the Pixar catalog

Kelly Lawler and Patrick Ryan USA TODAY 23. ‘Cars 2’ (2011)

Oh, “Cars 2.” What to say about you? MORGAN LIEBERMAN/GETTY IMAGES Is there a single movie studio whose films elicit more of an emotional You were the movie that made us lose response than Pixar? Just seeing the name above an animated film is THEY SAID WHAT? confidence in Pixar, ever so briefly. We THE STARS’ BEST QUOTES enough to get fans’ hearts beating and emotions running. When you get why you exist, we do, but we’d prefer to pretend otherwise. see a Pixar film, you know you’re probably going to leave in tears, hap- Candace Cameron Bure’s social h 22. ‘Cars 3’ (2017) media break is officially over, py or sad. NEW Their playful and profound latest is “Soul” (stream- but it appears she’s already having ing now on Disney+), about a middle-school band teacher who goes on What the third installment in the some second thoughts following “so “Cars” franchise has going for it mostly many unkind comments.” The “Fuller an out-of-body adventure. The film is expected to be a major Oscar is that it’s not “Cars 2.” Despite adding House” star, 44, took to Facebook contender, but how does it stack up against the studio’s other ani- a laundry list of talent to the voice cast Saturday to call for more “respect” on h (Kerry Washington, Nathan Fillion, Ar- social media after her family’s holiday mated hits? We ranked all 23 Pixar movies, from worst to best. Feel mie Hammer and Chris Cooper), it’s photo faced harsh criticism on In- free to disagree, but then you’d be wrong. mostly just a slightly less disappoint- stagram. “I wished blessings upon ing “Cars” film. everyone as I shared it in the spirit of a happy new year, yet so many of you 21. ‘The Good Dinosaur’ (2015) came back with jokes about our ap- pearance and criticism of what you “The Good Dinosaur” doesn’t have a thought would have been a better lot in its story that you haven’t seen be- photo,” Bure wrote. “Shame on you.” fore. Once you get past the initial gim- mick – the meteor that took out the di- nosaurs whizzed right by and the dinos have evolved into a talking, farming, herding society – the plot is a pretty simplistic one. It doesn’t feel nearly so- phisticated enough for Pixar.

20. ‘Cars’ (2006)

The “Cars” sequels have unfortunately tarnished the memory of the

The “Cars” toys are great. The movies’ sequels tend to stall out. DISNEY/PIXAR See PIXAR, Page 7B IT’S YOUR BIRTHDAY WHO’S CELEBRATING TODAY

Norman Reedus is 52. Eddie Red- BOOK REVIEW mayne is 39. Kate McKinnon is 37. ‘Lie’ pierces the mystery of parenthood USA TODAY SNAPSHOTS© Mark Athitakis choice left them USA TODAY Best-sellers Special to USA TODAY with. Top selling titles for week ending Jan. Early on, 3. Full list in tomorrow’s USA TODAY. Peter Ho Davies’ third novel, “A Lie though, their son Someone Told You About Yourself” is enough to worry 1. A Promised Land (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 240 pp., about. After strug- Barack Obama eeeg), opens with a couple making gling to breathe at 2. Bridgertons: The Duke and I the agonizing decision to abort a fetus birth, he has devel- Julia Quinn that was likely to have serious medical opmental issues, 3. Bridgerton Collection Volume 1 issues if it came to term. “The list of and Davies is an Julia Quinn things the baby might have was four expert at showing 4. The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the pages long,” Davies writes. “Single- how much atten- Horse Charlie Mackesy spaced.” tion parents apply to every movement “Lie,” strictly speaking, isn’t about and comment from an authority figure. 5. Hush-Hush abortion. The bulk of this slim, gemlike “The boy’s preschool teacher has con- Stuart Woods novel is about the son that the parents cerns,” he writes. Later: “The boy’s kin- (all unnamed) do have, constructed dergarten teacher has concerns.” And from the brief scenes of joy, exaspera- then: “The first time they meet with his tion and fear that define parenthood. first grade teacher, she has concerns.” But the decision to terminate the preg- “Concerns,” Davies understands, is a nancy informs the entire novel as the USA TODAY parents process the feelings their Author Peter Ho Davies. LYNN RAUGHLEY See LIE, Page 7B 6B ❚ WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2021 ❚ USA TODAY LIFE

TELEVISION 2020 NEWS & VIEWS Lose the remote and these moments

Kelly Lawler Freeform’s “Love in the Time of Corona” USA TODAY or HBO’s “Coastal Elites”? The pandemic changed a lot of 2020 was a truly awful year, and tele- things, but it didn’t stop terrible TV vision didn’t escape the curse. shows. Although there were some wonderful TV shows, exciting live moments and The shows canceled too soon (or the arrival of two promising TV stream- again) ing services this year, there were plenty of stinkers in 2020: Seriously awful new Only in our weird new media era can series, a slew of bad calls on cancella- a show as wonderful and beloved as tions and a few sorry, sad months of “One Day at a Time” be canceled twice. Quibi, a word we might soon forget. The Netflix series, a remake of Nor- While we may never forget some of man Lear’s 1975-84 original, was picked the most tragic parts of 2020, here’s up by Pop TV for a fourth season that hoping these terrible TV shows and mo- aired earlier this spring but was uncere- ments will be erased from our memories moniously dropped from the cable net- (sorry, Steve Carell). work last month, as the ViacomCBS- The cast of “GLOW” were ready to keep fighting, but Netflix threw in the towel owned network dropped original pro- The horrifying substitutes for a on the Emmy-nominated show. NETFLIX gramming. live audience The year also introduced an unfortu- nate new trend: the “un-rewenal,” in The uncanny valley had a field day which series previously promised new with 2020. seasons were given an unwelcome ax, Sporting events, talk shows, awards ostensibly because of the challenges of ceremonies and other TV events depen- filming during the COVID-19 era. Among dent on a live audience shouting, clap- those series were two spectacular gems, ping and jumping for the cameras were Netflix’s Emmy-nominated “GLOW” forced to adjust as COVID-19 precau- and Showtime’s Kirsten Dunst dramedy tions kept the few in-person events as “On Becoming a God in Central Florida.” small as possible. For sports, it meant a That both of these series were created big visual and auditory change – no by and/or starred women, still all-too- more roar of the crowd for a touchdown, rare in Hollywood, only made their un- no audience taking to their feet for a 3- Steve Carell, missed the mark with the timely goodbyes worse. point shot. Netflix series “Space Force.” Attempts to recreate the experience Kaitlyn Dever stars in HBO’s AARON EPSTEIN/NETFLIX A quick bite of Quibi of live spectators included the amusing, pandemic-set “Coastal Elites.” HBO such as the cardboard cutouts and giant Quibi is dead. Long live something teddy bears at baseball games, as well from “Sex and the City” creator Darren else. as the downright terrifying,such as the Bad TV shows that should have Star; David Schwimmer’s Peacock com- The ill-advised but massively funded virtual audience via video chat at NBA been better edy “Intelligence”; Anna Kendrick’s enterprise, from former DreamWorks games. It was hard enough to adjust to a HBO Max series “Love Life”; and CBS All Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg and basketball season played in late sum- Steve Carell, reunited with “The Of- Access’s high-profile remake of Stephen former eBay CEO Meg Whitman, closed mer, but seeing the blue-screened hu- fice” co-creator Greg Daniels, should King’s “The Stand.” All these series had just six months after it launched. The mans in the “stands” of a Hornets game have made for a slam-dunk sitcom, strong talent behind them, but didn’t streaming app aimed to deliver “quick made the experience far too surreal. right? Unfortunately, Netflix’s “Space deliver. bites” of high-quality entertainment to And 2020 was surreal enough on its Force” was one big misfire last spring, the phones of busy viewers on the go. own. wasting the talents of Carell, Lisa Ku- Bad TV shows that were just bad But it was a resounding failure, as its Other bad substitutes: Archival foot- drow, John Malkovich and more. Crin- backers failed to understand what peo- age of earlier crowds for Fox’s “The geworthy dialogue, bad jokes and an Why bring back odious reality series ple actually want from short-form en- Masked Singer” that to an untrained eye identity crisis resulted in a failure to incuding “The Biggest Loser” (USA) or tertainment. Compounded by a pan- would constitute violations of state and launch. “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” demic that kept its potential audience local public health regulations. I also expected more from “Emily in (HGTV) in 2020? Why make too-soon homebound, Quibi was quickly shut- Paris,” Netflix’s love-it-or-hate-it series shows about the pandemic such as tered.

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EDITED Erik Agard By David L. Hoyt and Jeff Knurek 1/6 LAAOYI RJNRAJ BY Zhouqin Burnikel Find and Circle: XHWKHE SAEDNF Five movies with sequels ☑☐☐☐☐ CDCSHNMTUR I A IN ASPOT Four six-letter relatives ☐☐☐☐ Three U.S. presidents ☐☐☐ DOB TOT R S E D S T ACROSS Two neighboring countries ☐☐ 1 “The Americans” “Candle in the Wind” singer (first/last name) ☐☐ RQOTAAMJ L RUH agent Beeman Tuesday’s answer: SHUFFLE QUEEN KING JACK DECK DEAL / MOSS OM L B CN I XONO E 5 Extend across TOSS BOSS LOSS / BARLEY WHEAT RICE / GRAND CENTRAL / BUTTER

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123 Today’s theme ©WIGGLES 3D GAMES TXTPERT 1 2 3 DON’T QUOTE ME® 4 Fruit and veg T P N Across Down 4 Canadian social Rearrange the words to complete the quote. 1. 7425568 1. 769 R A M AMA Use the reformer Nellie APOLOGIZE DONE GET HOWL LET RETRACT THING 5. 727292 2. 5462 phone I P O M 56 keypad to 5 6 McClung offers 8. 2786 3. 6572 P LAYMATE decode the this advice. ______7 9. 64663652 4. 47273 NEVER , NEVER EXPLAIN, clues. L W 5. 732 For example: 8 7 8 ______6. 77863 2 could be A, E K ID I NEVER . THE 9 7. 75 8 6 B or C ... and T I A UNT ______5678 could AND THEM . 10 1/6 9 be LOST S ON D S 1/5 Tuesday’s Answer: “Children are innocent and love justice, while most © USA TODAY and Rich Coulter 1/6 Yesterday’ssolution adults are wicked and prefer mercy.” - Gilbert K. Chesterton LIFE USA TODAY ❚ WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2021 ❚ 7B Pixar

Continued from Page 5B original a little bit. While it isn’t bad, it just doesn’t bowl you over the way many Pixar films do. There’s a lot here that worked, from the voice performances to the sense of humor, but it was inevitably just fine.

19. ‘Onward’

We’ll forever refer to this as “the movie about the pants.” Despite a touching finish, this offbeat road movie about two elf brothers (Chris Pratt and Tom Holland) traveling with their dead dad’s sentient legs – and learning to say goodbye to him in the process – never quite gels with its uneven tone and drab animation. The Land of the Dead is eye-poppingly pretty in “Coco.” PIXAR VIA AP 18. ‘Monsters University’ (2013)

“Monsters, Inc.” has one of the best striking animation and a story designed endings of a Pixar film, so it was a good to make you cry. But what keeps the thing the studio didn’t try to give it a se- madcap adventure going are the voice quel. The prequel they gave it instead – performances from Amy Poehler and which seemed to be aimed squarely at Phyllis Smith (Phyllis from “The Office”) the kids who saw the original and were as Joy and Sadness, respectively. So maybe in college at this point, some- much of the movie rests on believing thing they did much more successfully these two characters are emotions who with “Toy Story 3” – was missing the also have emotions, and Poehler and sense of wonder and themes about Smith pull it off flawlessly. childhood that made the original so great. College is too impure for Pixar. 6. ‘Finding Nemo’ (2003)

17. ‘Brave’ (2012) The sea tale of an overprotective father searching for his lost son is one of “Brave” had so much potential and Pixar’s most overt stories meant for gave the studio its first female protago- both parents and kids, but it never lets nist, but it just couldn’t click. Maybe it the sentiment overpower the comedy. was the structure of the story (which literally featured our heroine moving back 5. ‘Toy Story’ (1995) and forth instead of moving forward), or the subpar humor, or the blatant but (Almost) nothing beats the original. failed attempts at feminism. (When Me- “Toy Story” was a revolutionary film in rida claims she’ll be shooting for her These toys have been with us for more than 25 years. DISNEY/PIXAR more ways that one, and more than 25 own hand at the archery ceremony, it years later, we’re still thinking about it. rings false.) But the lesson is that fairy The movie put Pixar on the map, it pio- tales are strictly Disney’s game. Leave Pair that with one of the studio’s best movie, about bugs. And it’s not trying to neered computer animation, and it fea- Pixar the inanimate objects with emo- characters, food critic Anton Ego be anything more than that. As Pixar tured all the ingredients we have come tions. (voiced by the inimitable Peter O’Toole), movies become increasingly convoluted to know and love in so many of the Pixar and this is a big-budget movie that and emotionally manipulative, this un- movies that followed: emotional story- 16. ‘Incredibles 2’ (2018) manages to feel as intimate as a Parisian derrated gem is refreshing in its simple telling, action sequences, insights on dinner. It’s a testament to how great premise, slapstick humor and endear- the human condition, all-star voice cast The sequel picks up mere seconds af- their other films have been that this is so ing cast of tenacious ants and quirky and protagonists you never would have ter the original finished, but arrived 14 far down the list. circus bugs. thought of yourself. It was hard to top, years after that movie blew audiences but eventually they did. away in theaters. Superhero cinema has 13. ‘Finding Dory’ (2016) 9. ‘Toy Story 4’ (2019) dominated the box office since then, 4. ‘The Incredibles’ (2004) and writer/director Brad Bird’s visual Another of Pixar’s sequels more than Despite ending the “Toy Story” fran- style and humor feel less novel. But it’s a decade after the original film, “Dory” chise on a perfect note in 2010 with “Toy “The Incredibles” is a movie about still an extremely entertaining ride that manages to recapture the themes of Story 3,” Pixar went back to Woody identities. Sure, it’s about a family of manages to re-create many of the famil- family and loneliness while spinning (Tom Hanks) and Buzz (Tim Allen) for a superheroes who happen to have secret ial themes that made the first one great. the story forward in a surprising way. fourth installment of the studio’s long- identities, but it’s also about a middle- The film takes Ellen DeGeneres’ forget- est running franchise. “Toy Story 4” is age couple trying to figure out who they ful fish Dory, who was a sweet pun- slighter and more adventure-driven are in their second act of life and about chline, and gives depth and context to than “3,” but it still delivers a poignant two kids trying to figure out what grow- her disability. sendoff to our favorite cowboy and ing up means. It’s also got some cool ac- space ranger. Plus, it gave us Forky, a be- tion sequences. 12. ‘Up’ (2009) wildered spork with a death wish who’s pure chaos and totally charming. 3. ‘Coco’ (2017) The haters may say that, minus the heartbreaking opener, there isn’t a 8. ‘Toy Story 3’ (2010) Musical, magical and visually splen- whole lot to this movie. And they’d be did, Pixar’s adventure in the Land of the right. But that’s exactly why this movie Perhaps the most millennial movie Dead was a sumptuous and emotional is so powerful. It’s made up of a lot of that Pixar has ever made, “Toy Story 3” experience that found a new way for the “Soul” gives us a sense of “Princess disparate pieces that shouldn’t fit to- finds Andy (John Morris) getting ready studio to examine loss and grief, its and the Frog” déjà vu. PIXAR gether, except for their emotion. Imag- for college, like so many of the kids who most common themes. We dare you not ine pitching this story: Who wants to see saw the original film in theaters. “Toy to weep whenever the heart-tugging, 15. ‘Soul’ a movie about an old man, an outcast Story 3” is about that life transition, but Oscar-winning “Remember Me” comes kid, a talking dog and another old man it also confronts the inevitability of on. Look, we appreciate the gorgeous who’s a villain? This movie shouldn’t death (yes, we’re talking about that animation and stirring reminder that have worked. But it did. scene where they hold hands, and, yes, 2. ‘Toy Story 2’ (1999) you are more than your career. But de- we’re outright sobbing right now), spite being Pixar’s first movie with a 11. ‘WALL-E’ (2008) heady stuff for a kids’ movie but it mi- All “Toy Story” films are about grow- Black co-director (Kemp Powers) and raculously works. It’s also the first kids’ ing up and growing apart, but none so Black lead (voiced by Jamie Foxx), the When you’re going to tell a story that movie to depict day care as a deranged mournfully as the second installment, film’s handling of race is misguided. Not is so harsh on humanity, it helps to have prison state. which introduces Jessie (Joan Cusack), only does jazz musician Joe (Foxx) a protagonist as innocent and (literally) a toy whose owner has grown up and spend most of the movie as a celestial wide-eyed as WALL-E, the trash-com- 7. ‘Inside Out’ (2015) moved on. It was able to keep the essen- blob and later a housecat, but – spoiler pacting robot left all alone on a de- tial theme of “Toy Story” but also ex- alert! – his body also is occupied by a stroyed planet Earth. In between how “Inside Out” has a lot going for it: pand on the universe in an appropriate jaded soul named 22 (Tina Fey) for cute he is watching “Hello, Dolly!” and way, which is what all sequels should much of the film’s second half. Having a putting bras on his eyes, there’s a devas- do. middle-aged white woman essentially tating critique on the world as we know voice a Black character is cringeworthy it, and yet it’s still a very enjoyable 1. ‘Monsters, Inc.’ (2001) (and easily avoidable) casting that dis- movie for children (and plenty of tracts from the movie’s otherwise adults). It’s easy to forget that “Monsters, thoughtful intentions. Inc.” is essentially a John Goodman/Bil- 10. ‘A Bug’s Life’ (1998) ly Crystal buddy comedy about two guys 14. ‘Ratatouille’ (2007) who work at a power plant. The fact that Really the only thing “A Bug’s Life” this same movie also is about childhood, “Ratatouille” is one of Pixar’s most has going against it is that it’s not one of loss of innocence, what we’re truly earnest films, turning something most those cross-generational movies that afraid of and the nature of good and evil people are scared of/disgusted by, a rat, appeals as much to parents as it does to We’re all still reeling from “Inside Out.” is what makes it Pixar’s most imagina- into a most charming and adorable hero. their kids. “Bug’s Life” is just a kids’ DISNEY/PIXAR tive and moving film yet.

on dad jokes. More directly, the father, a ages him to let it go: “Everyone has re- and declining father. Davies wants to Lie writer and teacher, sublimates his un- grets. You know who has regrets? Par- avoid noisy, cliched reckonings, but certainty by working as a volunteer at ents is who.” “Lie” moves to its conclusion at almost Continued from Page 5B an abortion clinic, escorting patients Davies’ overall position is resolutely too low a boil. past rows of pro-life protesters and ab- pro-choice: The “lie” of the title, which The heart of the novel, though, is a grenade people lob into the lives of par- sorbing their jibes. comes from a quotation by the writer piercing depiction of a marriage under ents, exploding the fleeting moments Maybe the experience will provide Anais Nin, is shame. But he also wants intense pressure – the fear for their they think they might be doing the right writing fodder, he thinks, or allow him to to show how the decision to have an child’s future, the struggle for intimacy, thing. make a karmic adjustment. But every abortion lingers, and how the weight a the “scorched whispers” the couple ar- Mom and dad develop all sorts of emotion is tricky now: “He will under- father carries, while different from the gues in. Resolution is important in nov- ironic riffs to handle this, which both stand that he’s not been at the clinic to mother’s, is weight all the same. The els, but it can be a cheat in novels about underscores their feelings and lightens do good, or even to gather material, so novel’s latter pages fall a little flat as Da- parenting. The anxiety might alleviate, the book’s mood. They bemoan their much as to find absolution.” Lacking vies strives to reconcile this hand- Davies knows, but it never quite goes toddler’s “Cheerio squalor” and stock up that, his supervisor at the clinic encour- wringing with the dad’s growing child away. 8B ❚ WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2021 ❚ USA TODAY LIFE

BOOKS Celebrity hairstylist Atkin’s ‘Top’ tip: Be fearless

Erin Jensen shortly after expressing appreciation to trous product launch. “We had a dry household and take care of children. It USA TODAY Jenner’s daughter, Kim Kardashian shampoo foam that I was so excited to just never felt like that was what I want- West, for teaching her “to not be f’ing get to market, and it was the first of its ed to do.” Talking with Jen Atkin feels like find- rude,” a reference to an iconic moment kind,” Atkin recalls. About a month lat- A chance encounter with Dave Mat- ing the missing piece of a group text, as from the family’s reality show, “Keeping er, consumers began tagging Atkin in thews in 1999 put her on a different path. if she’d know the per- Up With the Kardashians.” social media posts that showed the The singer encouraged Atkin to pursue fect time to drop a Kris Atkin is so grounded, it almost feels product “exploding in people’s bath- her desires of moving to a big city and Jenner “You’re doing as if the new author infiltrated the celeb rooms.” Her solution? A foam party on going after her dream job. With $300 to amazing, sweetie“ world by way of a Trojan horse whittled Los Angeles’ Sunset Boulevard to ac- her name, and her best friend by her GIF. The celebrity to resemble a stylist. But make no mis- knowledge the blunder and “laugh at it.” side, Atkin headed for Los Angeles. It hairstylist knows Jen- take, Atkin is a cut above the rest. Sales In “Blowing,” Atkin conveys her rest- was a risky move that serves her to this ner has gifted us with for her hair care company, Ouai, were lessness as a teen in Utah, the home of day. “so many good one- projected to surpass $20 million just her adoptive Mormon parents, where “I try to check in with myself period- liners”; the only dif- years after hitting the market in 2016. she “always felt like a fish out of water.” ically and make sure that I’m tapping ference is Atkin there are now 1,262 stores. “Constantly, in the back of my mind, I into that 19-year-old that was fearless, knows the business- Atkin, 40, partly feels so within reach was like, ‘I’d love to do something in that wasn’t afraid of what was on the savvy matriarch whom she praises in because she is incredibly modest. In her beauty or fashion,’ but I think the one other side,” she says. “And at the end of the acknowledgments of her debut book, out now, which is autobiographi- thing I really had a hard time with was the day, I had nothing to lose. I think book, “Blowing My Way to the Top: How cal as well as motivational, she de- just the restrictions that were given to that that’s something that’s kind of to Break the Rules, Find Your Purpose, scribes her notoriety as “being celeb- young women,” says Atkin. “I wasn’t stuck in the back of my mind as I’ve and Create the Life and Career You De- adjacent-ish,” though she has 3.6 mil- taught about what it would look like if I navigated through the salon world, and serve.” lion Instagram followers and climbing. didn’t get married and have kids at 19 through the fashion world, and through “I’m so grateful to have you as a men- She also is fully capable of laughing at and had a career. I was really taught a lot the editorial world, and now in the busi- tor, and to have your cell,” Atkin writes herself and her gaffes, including a disas- about home ec and about how to run a ness of beauty.”

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Fox News Tucker Carlson Tonight (N) Hannity (N) The Ingraham Angle (N) Fox News @ Night(N) Freeform The Breakfast Club Detention brings teens together. 13 Going on 30 A geeky teenage girl wakes up as a 30-year-old magazine executive. Jennifer Garner (2004) The 700 Club FX Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle Four students fight to survive after being whisked into a game’s jungle setting. Dwayne Johnson (2017) Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle Kids whisked into game’s jungle setting. (2017) FXX 300: Rise of an Empire Sullivan Stapleton (2014) Bob’s Burgers Bob’s Burgers Bob’s Burgers Bob’s Burgers Bob’s Burgers Bob’s Burgers GSN America Says Master Minds Family Feud Family Feud Family Feud Family Feud Family Feud Family Feud Hallmark A Royal Winter A new lawyer’s assignment takes her to Europe, where she meets a prince. 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(N) Marrying Millions Couples updates. (N) MotorTrend Bitchin’ Rides A 1951 Ford pickup truck is restored. Bitchin’ Rides “Muscle Machine of the Year” in Ohio. Full Custom Garage A lowrider build. Full Custom Garage Cartoon drawing. MSNBC All in with Chris Hayes (N) The Rachel Maddow Show (N) The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell (N) The 11th Hour with Brian Williams (N) MTV The Challenge A new partnership tests loyalty. (N) Ridiculousness Ridiculousness Ridiculousness Ridiculousness (N) Ridiculousness NatGeo Trafficked with Mariana van Zeller An all-time high. Trafficked with Mariana van Zeller (N) Narco Wars Escobar goes to war with Cali cartel. (N) Trafficked with Mariana van Zeller NatGeo Wild Love Wool Find a Way: More MOO! (N) The Incredible Dr. Pol Great Dane puppy. The Incredible Dr. Pol Dr. Pol cares for baby animals. Love Wool Find a Way: More MOO! Nick Ice Age: The Meltdown Ray Romano (2006) (7:00) Young Sheldon Young Sheldon Friends Friends Friends Thief for maid. Friends OWN 20/20 on OWN A husband is bludgeoned to death. 20/20 on OWN Shot to death. 20/20 on OWN A series of armored truck heists. 20/20 on OWN Girls stabbed their friend 19 times. Oxygen Snapped Massive manhunt through the Ozarks. (N) Snapped A family mysteriously becomes sick. Dateline: Secrets Uncovered Woman drowns in bathtub. Paramount Grown Ups 2 Friends prove glory days aren’t over. Wedding Crashers Two friends sneak into weddings to prey on romantically inspired women. (2005) Coming to America Eddie Murphy (1988) (11:20) Pop NCIS: New Orleans Brother accused. NCIS: New Orleans Baitfish’s message. NCIS: New Orleans Ports are breached. NCIS: New Orleans Militants attack a military convoy. Science BattleBots (N) BattleBots (N) Engineering Catastrophes Crane collapse. Sundance Criminal Minds BAU looks into ritualistic killing. Criminal Minds BAU investigates a copycat killer. Criminal Minds Reid’s girlfriend is kidnapped. Criminal Minds Reid struggles with a personal loss. Syfy The Goonies A group of kids finds buried treasure. Mortal Kombat Three martial arts masters are selected to fight in a mystical tournament. (1995) Mortal Kombat: Annihilation Robin Shou (1997) TBS Big Bang Theory Big Bang Theory Big Bang Theory Big Bang Theory Big Bang Theory Full Frontal Conan Full Frontal TCM Death on the Nile Supersleuth Hercule Poirot investigates a shipload of suspects in a murder. Peter Ustinov, Bette Davis (1978) Agatha Christie’s Poirot: Evil Under the Sun Peter Ustinov, Jane Birkin (1982) TLC My 600-Lb. Life A man winds up in the hospital due to his unhealthy eating habits. (N) 1000-lb Sisters After Amy’s surgery. Dr. Pimple Popper Man has large growths on head. TNT All Elite Wrestling: Dynamite Central Intelligence Geek-turned-CIA agent recruits an old classmate to help save satellite system. (2016) Travel Mysteries of the Unknown A horse risks her life to protect her fellow Marines. (N) True Paranormal: Fact or Faked UFO sighting. (N) True Paranormal: Fact or Faked Civil War cemetery. TruTV Impractical: Inside Jokes Impractical: Inside Jokes Impractical Jokers Impractical Jokers Impractical Jokers Impractical Jokers Top Secret Videos Impractical Jokers TV Land Loves Raymond Loves Raymond Everybody Loves Raymond Ray’s make-out car. Loves Raymond Loves Raymond The King of Queens The King of Queens USA WWE NXT (Live) Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen Evil robots seek artifact to be rulers. Shia LaBeouf (2009) (10:08) VH1 Creed The son of Apollo Creed convinces Rocky Balboa to become his boxing trainer. (2015) (7:00) The Karate Kid A boy is tormented by a bully until a wise man teaches him how to face his fear. (2010) Viceland Ice Road Truckers Dash & danger. Ice Road Truckers Lisa may help rival. Ice Road Truckers Heaviest haul. VICE News Tonight (N) It’s Always Sunny WE Law & Order Husband accused in plot to murder wife. Law & Order A caviar mogul is found dead. Law & Order Death linked to an adulterous website. Law & Order An Iraqi woman is accused of murder. Weather Highway Thru Hell Fleet to oil fields. Highway Thru Hell New driver crashes. Highway Thru Hell In truck in river. Highway Thru Hell On remote road, crews face death. WGN America NewsNation NewsNation NewsNation NewsNation MOVIE NETWORKS Cinemax This Means War Two CIA operatives discover that they are dating the same Punch-Drunk Love A man, averse to love due to seven henpecking sisters, finds Ready or Not A young bride must fight to survive in her woman. Reese Witherspoon, Chris Pine (2012) his soulmate. Adam Sandler, Emily Watson (2002) (9:40) husband’s family deadly game. (2019) (11:16) Encore American Gods Shadow discovers the ways of the American Gods Artifact is needed to fix Gungnir Blade: Trinity Two young allies in charge of a team of vampire slayers enter the fray when Blade is drawn dead; Laura meets a group of old friends. spear; Mr. Wednesday describes great warrior. into battle against a band of vampires seeking to resurrect Dracula. Wesley Snipes, Jessica Biel (2004) (9:55) FXM Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates Brothers Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates Two brothers post an ad online to find dates to their sister’s Hawaiian Alien: Covenant Colony spaceship encounters threat shocked by wedding dates. Zac Efron (2016) (7:10) wedding and choose two seemingly normal women, but things do not go as planned. Zac Efron (2016) (9:05) while exploring unknown planet. (2017) Hallmark Movies Ruby Herring Mysteries: Her Last Breath Ruby Herring and Detective Jake Killian investigate a suspicious Ruby Herring Mysteries: Prediction Murder When Ruby Herring receives clues to a murder that happened fatal car accident, then Ruby finds new evidence that casts doubt on their conclusion. Taylor Cole (2019) 5 years earlier involving a psychic, she joins forces with Detective Killian to help crack the case. (2020) HBO 30 Coins Elena examines a teen’s disappearance; Battleship During a Naval war games exercise, an international fleet of ships comes in contact with an alien Baby God Dr. Quincy Fortier’s children navigate his Marquess Roque gives Elena a job offer. armada, and an intense battle erupts between them. Taylor Kitsch, Alexander Skarsgård (2012) (9:05) misdeeds and their sense of identity. (2020) (11:20) Lifetime Movie Pretty Little Dead Girl Emma becomes the lucky recipient of a heart transplant and sets out to discover the Black Hearted Killer A couple decides to donate their daughter’s organs, but the situation becomes identity of the donor, but she learns it might have been a murder victim. (2017) complicated when one of the recipients wreaks havoc on their lives. Julie McNiven, Jon Abrahams (2020) Showtime Batman After witnessing the brutal murder of his parents as a young boy, a wealthy heir decides to battle Batman Returns An unscrupulous businessman, an abandoned penguin-like man and a mysterious cattish crime and corruption as a masked vigilante. Jack Nicholson, Michael Keaton (1989) woman plot to turn Gotham into a crime capitol and ruin Batman. Michael Keaton, Danny DeVito (1992) (10:05) Starz Monsters University When Mike and Sulley first met in Bring It On A spunky cheerleading captain prepares her team for an upcoming Total Recall After visiting a company that implants clients with fake memories, a college, they couldn’t stand each other. (2013) (7:13) competition. Kirsten Dunst, Eliza Dushku (2000) factory worker finds himself on the run after the procedure goes awry. (2012) TMC Countdown A young nurse decides to download an app that predicts when a Forsaken A man returns to his hometown only to learn that a local gang is Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves Warriors rise to fight person will die, but hers reveals that she only has three days left to live. (2019) terrorizing it, and he realizes that he may be the only one who can stop them. (2016) evil sheriff. Kevin Costner (1991) SPORTS NETWORKS ESPN NBA Basketball Boston Celtics at Miami Heat from AmericanAirlines Arena (Live) NBA Basketball Los Angeles Clippers at Golden State Warriors from Chase Center (Live) ESPN2 College Basketball Arkansas vs. Tennessee (Live) College Basketball Teams TBA (Live) SportsCenter FS1 College Basketball Georgetown vs. Butler (Live) College Basketball Seton Hail Pirates vs. Cerighton Bluejays (Live) College Basketball Air Force vs. Boise State (Live) Golf PGA Tour Golf 2020 Sentry Tournament of Champions - Final Round from Kapalua Plantation Course in Maui, Hawaii Golf Central MLB MLB Tonight The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! A detective saves the queen of England. (1988) MLB Tonight NBA NBA GameTime (Live) NBA Crunchtime (Live) NBA GameTime (Live) NBCSports Mecum Auto Auctions NFLN NFL Football NFL Total Access An inside look at all 32 teams.

MOVIES Eastern Time may vary in some cities (N) New episode. Baseball teams warned about Latest news, results, opinion training protocol violations 24/7 at sports.usatoday.com SPORTS MLB threatens harsh discipline for violating College football’s top individual honor was award- USA TODAY | WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2021 | SECTION C facility access protocols before camp. Page 3C ed Tuesday. See who won the Heisman Trophy.

Jarrett Bell Columnist USA TODAY Make or break time in playoffs

The NFL playoffs open Saturday with the first “Super Wild-Card Week- end,” as the league puts it – three games Saturday and three games Sun- day in a postseason expanded to 14 teams with only one bye per conference. The answers are coming. The questions are already here.

Can Tom Brady lead Bucs to Super Bowl as a wild-card entry?

TB12 has Tampa Bay in the playoffs for the first time in 13 years. Why stop with that? With a two-year, $50 million free agent contract, the Bucs bought Brady’s remarkable postseason expertise (a record six Super Bowl rings) to pair with a slew of other nota- ble acquisitions and a formidable defense in order to make a championship run. In recent weeks, Brady has been on fire, looking Super Bowl-ready and even striking gold in the deep passing game that was a sore spot for a large swath of the season. The past three games, he’s averaged 379 yards per contest, while firing 10 TD passes with just one pick. Brady and the Bucs haven’t been so buff against better competition, which is what they’ll face in the playoffs.

Will Ravens finally win playoff game with Lamar Jackson?

Maybe a change of venue will help. With Jackson having two of his most 76ers forward Tobias Harris dunks against the Hornets on Monday at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. underwhelming performances in Jan- BILL STREICHER/USA TODAY SPORTS uary, the Ravens were bounced on their own turf in their past two playoff See BELL, Page 5C NBA-best 6-1 Sixers taking care of business While the 6-1 Sixers seemed to have committed the third-most turnovers the potential to be a very good team, so (18.2) in the league. Thomas Moore many moving parts made it appear that “I think we’re getting great defensive Columnist Rivers’ squad would take time to figure confidence earlier than I thought we Bucks County Courier Times out how to play well as a group while would,” Rivers said. “We’ve taken care clubs that have been together longer, of business. I’m very happy with that.” such as the Heat and Lakers, would be Here’s what we learned from the Six- PHILADELPHIA – Given so many in a better position for immediate suc- ers’ fourth consecutive win, a 118-102 new players, coaches and having to cess. victory over the Hornets on Monday Tom Brady leads Tampa Bay into the implement Doc Rivers’ system follow- The Sixers jumped from No. 15 to 2 in night in which seven Philly players NFL playoffs. Can he do for the Bucs ing an abbreviated training camp and the nba.com power rankings heading scored in double figures: what he did so often for the Patriots? preseason, it’s a pleasant surprise that into this week, trailing only the defend- KIM KLEMENT/USA TODAY SPORTS the 76ers are off to the NBA’s best start. ing champion Lakers despite having See MOORE, Page 3C

CFP monitoring COVID-19 NHL divisions sponsored Jimmy Hascup USA TODAY teams have announced those sponsors. ahead of its title game According to Forbes, sales for tickets, First came the advertisements on suites, sponsorships, concessions and Erick Smith “We’re doing the same thing we’ve helmets. Now comes the sponsors at- parking account for more than 70% of USA TODAY done all year. We communicate every tached to division names in this re- total revenue usually. However, last sea- day with the Big Ten on where we are, aligned NHL season. son, the league played 15% of its regular The College Football Playoff champi- and they communicate with the CFP. The league announced Tuesday the season with fans, per Forbes, and all of onship game could be postponed with That’s where we are, so we’re good to official division names for the 2021 its playoffs. The league is starting with- Ohio State dealing with COVID-19 is- go unless an Illinois case occurs. We’re season, and each of them are joined by out fans this season. Forbes said the av- sues ahead of a matchup with Alabama. following the same protocols that a corporate sponsor for the first time. erage team value fell 2% (to $653 mil- The Buckeyes, who were missing key we’ve always had.” The divisions: Scotia NHL North Di- lion) and league revenue dropped 14% contributors in their Sugar Bowl defeat When pressed on the chances of the vision, Honda NHL West Division, (to $4.4 billion) during the 2019-20 cam- of Clemson in their national semifinal, game being played on time, Smith re- Discover NHL Central Division and paign. could be without a position group if the plied: “I can’t share that. Golly, this is MassMutual NHL East Division. h The Scotia NHL North Division is game is played as scheduled on Jan. 11, COVID, man. Who knows what tomor- According to ESPN, the selling of comprised of the Flames, Oilers, Cana- according to multiple reports. row is gonna bring?” naming rights to its divisions is diens, Senators, Maple Leafs, Canucks The playoff committee announced The Buckeyes played short-handed “viewed internally as a one-year-only and Jets. last week a Jan. 18 makeup date if the against Michigan State the following campaign.” h The Honda NHL West Division in- game in Miami Gardens, Florida, is un- week and had their game against As the league gets set for a Jan. 13 cludes the Ducks, Coyotes, Avalanche, able to be played on time. Michigan called off due to the Wolver- start to an abbreviated, 56-game reg- Kings, Wild, Sharks, Blues, Golden Ohio State has been dealing with co- ines being unable to play because of ular season, it has also realigned to Knights. ronavirus issues since November when COVID-19 issues. limit travel during the pandemic, espe- h The Discover NHL Central Division its game against Illinois was canceled In the Big Ten championship game, cially as Canada closed its border. Dur- consists of the Hurricanes, Blackhawks, after multiple positives within the pro- more than 20 players missed it due to ing this season, teams will only play Blue Jackets, Stars, Red Wings, Pan- gram, including coach Ryan Day. injury or COVID-19 protocols. others in the same division, often mul- thers, Predators, Lightning. Ohio State athletics director Gene Alabama also was impacted by the tiple times in a row. h The MassMutual NHL East Divi- Smith told The Columbus Dispatch that coronavirus. Its LSU and Arkansas The NHL also announced recently sion has the Bruins, Sabres, Devils, Is- the team is on schedule to play. “Our games were postponed, and Nick Sa- that it would allow advertisements on landers, Rangers, Flyers, Penguins, goal is to play January 11,” Smith said. ban missed a game due to a positive. player helmets. ESPN reported 13 Capitals. 2C ❚ WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2021 ❚ USA TODAY SPORTS Maine only one to ban racist mascots

Lorenzo Reyes ing Payment, who has lived in USA TODAY Castle Rock, Colorado, a suburb 30 miles south of Denver, for Editor’s note: Part of a series the last 16 years. A member of looking at the debate surround- the nonprofit organization Not ing some high school mascots Your Mascots, Payment is help- as Washington’s NFL team and ing to spread the work of the or- others have announced ganization and is using Maine’s changes in 2020. legislation as a model to pursue a similar tract in Colorado. Pride and honor; history, too. Payment said there are still Those are the reasons – flawed 12 schools in the state that use as they may be – people so of- Native American themed mas- ten threw in the face of Maulian cots. She continues to speak at Dana. school board meetings but has And whenever that hap- focused the majority of her ef- pened, she remembered some- forts on pursuing legislation in thing. the state. It was fall, shortly after Payment described the push 2005. A decades-long debate for legislation as being “in very had often grown combative, preliminary stages.” She add- but the board of Old Town High ed, however, that “many of us School in Old Town, Maine, were let down and felt misled” voted unanimously to elimi- by a 2016 study issued by then- nate the use of “Indians” as its Gov. John Hickenlooper that mascot. They later adopted recognized “local control” as “Coyotes.” the governing authority on Less than a mile away from In this Jan. 15, 2019 photo, Skowhegan Area High School cheerleaders stand beneath a mural of these issues, as opposed to the school sits Penobscot Indi- the school’s mascot on the gymnasium wall in Skowhegan, Maine. The last Maine high school to state direction. an Island Reservation, an islet use an “Indian” nickname has retired the mascot. MICHAEL G. SEAMANS/PORTLAND PRESS HERALD VIA AP What complicates this fur- hugged on all sides by the Pe- ther is that these discussions nobscot River. That’s where with lawmakers are often seen Dana has lived her entire life, acting similar legislation to “The Democratic Party isn’t Pennsylvania and Vermont, as a negotiation within the cat- alongside her family. Maine’s would eradicate this perfect. We need to speak out among others. alog of Native American policy Dana’s little brother was issue “in one-fell swoop” but more on these issues. We’re of- In early November, Dana issues, like land and water playing a football game against acknowledged there were other ten afraid of how this can im- had a Zoom coffee appoint- rights, the pursuit of equitable Old Town. It was close, but the ways to make progress. pact our elections. We need ev- ment with Raven Payment, a housing and health care and Coyotes eventually prevailed. The alternatives, mainly eryone, Democrats, Republi- native of Skowhegan and voting rights. Using Maine as Dana remembers the celebra- outreach and advocacy at the cans – elected officials need to alumna of Skowhegan Area an example, Payment said a tion, helmets tossed skyward, local school district level, step up and speak out. They High School. Before the Maine stalemate over water rights is- Gatorade coolers drained onto though take far longer to pro- can’t condone any of this. legislation passed, it was Pay- sues helped lead to the resolu- coaches, fans pouring onto the duce results. The time and ef- “And it needs to go way be- ment who put Dana in touch tion of the mascot bill in a field. fort required to identify and yond rules and laws. It needs to with tribal leaders as Dana search for compromise. Dana, watching in the visit local school boards is start with education. We need sought to generate awareness. “We’ve never had the carrot stands with her family, turned monumental. There’s also the to have these uncomfortable Part Mohawk and part to dangle to even get Colorado’s to them. fact that such efforts can trig- conversations. Ojibwe, Payment lived through elected officials to the negotiat- Look how proud they are to ger previous traumas for a peo- “White people are often the stigma of seeing her identi- ing table,” Payment said. “But be Coyotes. ple who have a lengthy history afraid to talk about racism and ty reduced to a caricature at to be clear, this threatens our “It’s important to reassure of them in America. prejudice because they can Skowhegan. While she was a sovereignty. these people that none of that Furthermore, local school sometimes feel guilty about it. student there, she appealed for “If we can’t be taken serious- pride in their town, in them- districts are often either un- But until we do, we won’t get the mascot to be changed, but ly over an issue like high school selves, in their kids, goes away,” willing to take on this issue or meaningful change.” she said her efforts never at- sports mascots, it’s really hard Dana, the Penobscot Nation view it as less important than Dana has identified several tracted serious consideration. when we’re facing larger issues Tribal Ambassador, told USA others facing public schools other states as potential targets “It was – how do I put this – dis- like the Dakota Access Pipeline TODAY Sports. “But by chang- across the country. to adopt similar legislation and gusting,” she said. “I don’t talk or getting relief for COVID that ing the mascots, they have a Legislation like Maine’s ef- has scheduled regular confer- to people I grew up with there isn’t body bags.” chance to have a new start fectively takes the decision out ences with tribal leaders and now because of that mascot.” Contributing: The Associat- without actually hurting any- of the hands of local school friends in Colorado, Kentucky, Now Dana is the one assisted Press body.” boards. To this day, the problem of “Historically, not only have Native American themed mas- politicians been shy or reluc- cots at schools across the coun- tant to champion Indian issues, try persists. The National Con- many of them have ridden into gress of American Indians office because they felt it was (NCAI) keeps a database that politically expedient to criticize NOTICE tracks them and, according to or belittle them,” Pevar told the list that was last updated USA TODAY Sports. “Still to- LEGAL NOTICE

Dec. 9, there are still 1,916 day, it’s not uncommon for pol- IN THE UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY COURT AND IN EACH CASE IN ITS CAPACITY AS SUCH: (A) EACH O THE DEBTORS; (B) THE schools in 1,025 school districts iticians to take advantage of FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF IRgINIA,RICHOND DIISION REORGANIED DEBTORS; (C) EACH O THE CONSENTING STAKEHOLDERS; (D) THE In re: ) Chapter 11 ABL AGENT; (E) THE ABL LENDERS; () TERM LOAN AGENT; (G) THE TERM LOAN that use such mascots. The and capitalize on anti-Indian RETAIL GROUP,INC.,et al.,1 ) Case No.20-33113 (KRH) LENDERS; (H) EACH O THE LENDERS AND ADMINISTRATIVE AGENTS UNDER THE Debtors ) (Jointly Administered) EXIT ACILITIES;(I)THE BACKSTOP PARTIES;(J)THE DIP ABL AGENT;(K)THE DIP ABL database lists five mascots as sentiment, so it takes a lot of NOTICE OF CONTINUED HEARINg TO CONSIDER LENDERS;(L)THEDIPTERMAGENT;(M)THEDIPTERMLENDERS;(N)ALLHOLDERSO CONFIRATION OF THE CHAPTER 11 PAN FIED BY THE IMPAIREDCLAIMSHOVOTEDTOACCEPTTHEPLAN;(O)ALLHOLDERSOIMPAIRED the most common: “Indians” courage for politicians to speak DEBTORS AND REATED OBECTION DEADINE CLAIMS HO ABSTAINED ROM VOTING ON THE PLAN OR VOTED TO REJECT THE PEASE TAKE NOTICE THAT PLAN BUT DID NOT TIMELY OPT OUT O OR OBJECT TO THE APPLICABLE RELEASE; (799), “Warriors” (417), out on these issues.” on September 11, 2020, the United States (P) ALL HOLDERS O UNIMPAIRED CLAIMS HO DID NOT TIMELY OPT OUT O OR “Braves” (208), “Chiefs” (181) Though the push to get the Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District ofVirginia (the“Court”) entered an order OBJECTTOTHE APPLICABLERELEASE;(Q)ALL HOLDERSO INTERESTS;(R)THE PLAN [Docket No. 592] (the “Disclosure Statement Order”): (a) authorizing Ascena ADMINISTRATOR; (S) EACH CURRENT AND ORMER AILIATE O EACH ENTITY IN and “Redskins” (95). Maine legislation signed into Retail Group,Inc.and its affiliated debtors and debtors in possession (collectively, OREGOING CLAUSE (A) THROUGH THE OLLOING CLAUSE (T);(T) EACH RELATED the “Debtors”), to solicit acceptances for the Amended Joint Chapter 11 Plan of PARTY O EACH ENTITY IN THE OREGOING CLAUSE (A) THROUGH THIS CLAUSE (T); Reorganization of Ascena Retail Group, Inc. and Its Debtor Affiliates (as modified, In Maine, this problem has law had been ongoing for years, 2 AND (U) THE CREDITORS’ COMMITTEE; PRvIDD THAT, IN EACH CASE, AN ENTITY amended, or supplemented from time to time, the “Plan”); (b) approving the SHALL NOT BE A RELEASING PARTY I IT: (X) ELECTS TO OPT OUT O THE RELEASES all but vanished. Skowhegan the timeframe from bill to law Disclosure Statement for the Amended Joint Chapter 11 Plan of Reorganization of CONTAINED IN THE PLAN; OR (Y) TIMELY OBJECTS TO THE RELEASES CONTAINED Ascena Retail Group, Inc. and Its Debtor Affiliates (the “Disclosure Statement”) as IN THE PLAN AND SUCH OBJECTION IS NOT RESOLVED BEORE CONIRMATION; Area High School was the last came about rather quickly, in containing “adequate information” pursuant to section 1125 of the Bankruptcy PRvIDD RR THAT ANY SUCH ENTITY SHALL NOT RECEIVE THE AVOIDANCE public school to use a Native large part because of a Demo- Code;(c) approving the solicitation materials and documents to be included in the ACTIONAIVER. solicitation packages (the“Solicitation Packages”); and (d) approving procedures AS A“RELEASING PARTY” UNDER THE PLAN,YOU ARE DEEMED TO PROVIDE THE American mascot before its cratic presence that aligned at for soliciting,receiving,and tabulating votes on the Plan and for filing objections RELEASESCONTAINEDINARTICLEVIII.OTHEPLAN,ASSETORTHABOVE.YOUMAY tothePlan. PEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE THAT CHECKTHEBOXBELOTOELECTNOTTOGRANTTHERELEASECONTAINEDINARTICLE board voted in March 2019 to the highest levels of state gov- the continued hearing at which the VIII. O THE PLAN ONLY I THE COURT DETERMINES THAT YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO Court will consider Confirmation of the Plan (the“Confirmation Hearing”) will now February 25, 2021, at 1:00 p.m. OPT OUT O THE RELEASES AND ONLY I YOU (A) SUBMIT THE BALLOT BUT ABSTAIN retire the “Indians” mascot. ernment. On Jan. 2, 2019, after commence on prevailing Eastern Time,before ROMVOTINGTO ACCEPT OR REJECTTHE PLAN OR (B)VOTETO REJECTTHE PLAN. IN the Honorable Kevin R.Huennekens,in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the THECASEOSUCHADETERMINATIONBYTHECOURTIYOUVOTETOREJECTTHEPLAN, Two months later, a law was eight years of a divided state Eastern District ofVirginia,located at 701 East Broad Street,Suite 5100,Richmond, YOU ILL AUTOMATICALLY BE CONSIDERED TO HAVE OPTED OUT O THE RELEASES, VA23219-1888. enacted that effectively government, Gov. Janet T. Mills PEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE REGARDLESS O HETHER YOU CHECK THE BOX BELO. I YOU SATISY THE ABOVE that the Confirmation Hearing is scheduled REQUIREMENTS AND CHECK THE BOX BELO (OR VOTE TO REJECT THE PLAN),YOUR banned the use of such mas- was sworn in as the first Demo- to be heard before the Court by remote video conference. You may register for the OPT-OUT ILL ONLY BE EECTIVE I SO ORDERED BY THE COURT.REGARDLESS O Confirmation Hearing through the following hyperlink: https://www.zoomgov. HETHER THE COURT DETERMINES THAT YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO OPT OUT O THE cots in public schools and col- cratic governor in Maine since com/meeting/register/vJItdeyqrz8jHkAKeQlUVJAGYv41No7M9M8. PEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE RELEASES, I YOU (A) VOTE TO ACCEPT THE PLAN, (B) AIL TO SUBMIT A BALLOT BY that parties who wish to attend the THE VOTING DEADLINE, OR (C) SUBMIT THE BALLOT AND ABSTAIN ROM VOTING leges. 2010. The Democrats also se- Confirmation Hearing but do not intend on participating in the Confirmation TO ACCEPT OR REJECT THE PLAN BUT AIL TO CHECK THE BOX BELO,YOU ILL BE Hearing (listen-only), are not required to register in advance and may attend the DEEMEDTOCONSENTTOTHERELEASESSETORTHINARTICLEVIII.OTHEPLAN. But Maine is one of 50, cured control over the state Confirmation Hearing by using the following dial-in numbers: Phone Number: CRITICAINFORATIONREgARDINgOBECTINgTOTHEPAN Security Code: 22521 1-866-590-5055, Access Code:4377075, ; Phone Number: Previously Filed Objections. To the extent any objections to confirmation prompting an obvious question Senate and House of Repre- 1-888-363-4734,AccessCode:3238664,SecurityCode:22521. PEASE BE ADISED: of the Plan that were previously filed with the Court remain outstanding and have for the other 49 states: Why sentatives. THE CONIRMATION HEARING MAY BE URTHER been neither resolved nor withdrawn as of the date hereof, such objections are CONTINUED ROM TIME TO TIME BY THE COURT OR THE DEBTORS wITHOUT FURTHER NOTICE expresslypreserved. hasn’t similarly aggressive leg- Dana understood she need- OTHER THAN BY SUCH ADJOURNMENT BEING ANNOUNCED IN Plan Objection Deadline. The deadline for filing new objections to the Plan OPENCOURTORBYANOTICEOADJOURNMENTILEDITHTHECOURTANDSERVED is February 4, 2021, at 5:00 p.m., prevailing Eastern Time (the“Plan Objection islation been passed to elimi- ed to act immediately. She ONALLPARTIESENTITLEDTONOTICE. REEASES, EXCUPATIONS, AND INUNCTIONS. Deadline”). All objections to the relief sought at the Confirmation Hearing must: ARTICLE VIII O THE (a) be in writing;(b) conform to the Bankruptcy Rules,the Local Bankruptcy Rules, nate this issue at public schools reached out to Rep. Benjamin PLAN CONTAINS RELEASE, EXCULPATION, AND INJUNCTION PROVISIONS, AND ARTICE III.F. CONTAINS A THIRD-PARTY REEASE and any orders of the Court; (c) state, with particularity, the legal and factual across the country? Collings, who has long been a .THUS,YOU ARE ADVISED basis for the objection and, if practicable, a proposed modification to the Plan TO REVIE AND CONSIDERTHE PLAN CAREULLY BECAUSEYOUR RIGHTS MIGHT BE (or related materials) that would resolve such objection;and (d) be filed with the Some other legislatures have champion of Indians-rights is- AECTEDTHEREUNDER. Court (contemporaneously with a proof of service) and served upon the following Third-Party Release: Effective as of the Effective Date, in each case except parties so as to be actually received on or before the Plan Objection Deadline:(i) implemented portions of a ban, sues, and Collings invited Dana for Claims arising under, or preserved by, the Plan, each Releasing Party Co-Counsel to the Debtors: Edward O. Sassower, P.C., Steven N. Serajeddini, P.C., (otherthantheDebtorsandtheReorganizedDebtors),ineachcaseonbehalf KIRKAND & EIS P, 601 Lexington Avenue,New York,New York 10022 -and- but Maine remains alone in in- to address the Democratic cau- of itself and its respective successors, assigns, and representatives, and any John R. Luze, KIRKAND & EIS P, 300 North LaSalle, Chicago, Illinois 60654 stituting a full one. For exam- cus. Dana called upon other and all other Entities who may purport to assert any claim, Cause of Action, -and- Cullen D.Speckhart,Olya Antle,COOEY P,1299 Pennsylvania Avenue,N directly or derivatively, by, through, for, or because of the foregoing entities, Suite 700, ashington, DC 20004-2400; (ii) U.S. Trustee: Kathryn Montgomery, ple, the Massachusetts legisla- trial members to speak to other isdeemedtohavereleasedanddischargedeachDebtor,ReorganizedDebtor, Office of the United StatesTrustee for the Eastern District ofVirginia,701 East Broad and each other Released Party from any and all Causes of Action, whether Street, Suite 4000, Richmond,VA 23219; (iii) Counsel to the ABL Administrative ture drafted a bill that would in- committee members. With the known or unknown, including any derivative claims, asserted or assertable Agent: Matthew . urlong, Julia rost-Davies, Christopher L. Carter, ORgAN on behalf of any of the Debtors, that such Entity would have been legally EwIS & BOCKIUS P, One ederal Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02110 -and- struct the state Board of Ele- help of Collings, the bill was entitled to assert (whether individually or collectively), based on or relating Tyler P.Brown,HUNTON ANDREwS KURTH P, Riverfront Plaza,East Tower,951 mentary and Secondary passed through the committee, to, or in any manner arising from, in whole or in part, the Debtors (including EastByrdStreet,Richmond,Virginia23219; (iv)CounseltotheAdHocGroup: Evan the management, ownership or operation thereof), the purchase, sale, or R.leck,IBANKP,55HudsonYards,NewYork,NewYork10001; and(v)Counsel Education to initiate regula- then through the House and rescission of any Security of the Debtors or the Reorganized Debtors, the totheOfficialCommitteeofUnsecuredCreditorsAppointedinTheseChapter subject matter of, or the transactions or events giving rise to, any Claim or 11 Cases: Robert einstein, Bradford Sandler, Shirley Cho, PACHUSKI STANg tions barring public schools then through the Senate. Interest that is treated in the Plan, the business or contractual arrangements ZIEH&ONESP,780ThirdAvenue,34th loor,NewYork,NewYork10017. between any Debtor and any Released Party, the Debtors’in- or out-of-court ADDITIONA INFORATION.If you should have any questions or if you would from using a mascot, team It landed on Mills’ desk and restructuring efforts, intercompany transactions, the ABL Credit Agreement, liketoobtainadditionalmaterials,pleasefeelfreetocontacttheDebtors’Noticeand the Term Loan Credit Agreement, the Chapter 11 Cases, the Restructuring Claims Agent, by: (a) calling the Debtors’restructuring hotline at (877) 930-4319 name or logo that refers to or on May 16, 2019, she signed it Support Agreement, the formulation, preparation, dissemination, (toll free) or (347) 899-4594 (international);(b) visiting the Debtors’restructuring represents Native Americans. into law, becoming the first and negotiation, entry into, or filing of, as applicable, the Restructuring Support website at: https://cases.primeclerk.com/ascena; (c) writing to Notice and Claims Agreement and related prepetition transactions, the Backstop Commitment Agent, Attn: Ascena Ballot Processing, c/o Prime Clerk LLC, One Grand Central That bill has yet to pass. only state to enact such aggres- Letter,theDisclosureStatement,theNewCorporateGovernanceDocuments, Place, 60 East 42nd Street, Suite 1440, New York, NY 10165; and/or (d) emailing the Plan, the Exit Facilities, the DIP Financing Order, or any Restructuring [email protected]. You may also obtain copies of any pleadings filed in The state of California sive legislation. Transaction, contract, instrument, release, or other agreement or document theChapter11CasesforafeeviaPACERat:http://www.vaeb.uscourts.gov. created or entered into in connection with the Restructuring Support BINDINgNATUREOFTHEPAN: IFCONFIRMED,THEPLANSHALLBINDALL passed legislation banning Dana said constant commu- Agreement, the Disclosure Statement, the New Corporate Governance HOLDERSOFCLAIMSANDINTERESTSTOTHEMAXIMUMEXTENTPERMITTED Documents, the Exit Facilities, the Plan (including, for the avoidance of BYAPPLICABLELAW,WHETHERORNOTSUCHHOLDERWILLRECEIVEOR public schools from using nication with elected officials, doubt, providing any legal opinion requested by any Entity regarding RETAINANYPROPERTYORINTERESTINPROPERTYUNDERTHEPLAN,HAS any transaction, contract, instrument, document, or other agreement FILEDAPROOFOFCLAIMINTHECHAPTER11CASES,ORFAILEDTOVOTETO “Redskins” as a team name. But identifying tribal leaders in contemplatedbythePlanorthereliancebyanyReleasedPartyonthePlanor ACCEPTORREJECTTHEPLANORVOTEDTOREJECTTHEPLAN. theConfirmationOrderinlieuof suchlegalopinion),thefilingoftheChapter like in other instances, in other each state and amplifying their 1 11 Cases, the pursuit of Confirmation, the pursuit of Consummation, the AcompletelistofeachoftheDebtorsinthesechapter11casesmaybeobtained states, the Racial Mascot Act voices are the recipe to similar administration and implementation of the Plan, including the issuance or onthewebsiteoftheDebtors’claimsandnoticingagentathttp://cases.primeclerk. distributionofSecuritiespursuanttothePlan,orthedistributionofproperty com/ascena.ThelocationofDebtorAscenaRetailGroup,Inc.’sprincipalplaceofbusi- includes several exceptions. legislation elsewhere. On the under the Plan or any other related agreement, or upon any other act, ness and the Debtors’ service address in these chapter 11 cases is 933 MacArthur omission, transaction, agreement, event, or other occurrence (in each case, Boulevard,Mahwah,NewJersey07430. Under the law that went into ef- other end, however, receptive relatedtoanyoftheforegoing)takingplaceonorbeforetheEffectiveDate. 2 Capitalizedtermsnototherwisedefinedhereinhavethesamemeaningsasset fect Jan. 1, 2017, schools could politicians are essential, even UNDER THE PLAN, “RELEASING PARTY” MEANS COLLECTIVELY, COLLECTIVELY, forthinthePlan. use uniforms bearing the name with this issue becoming a par- if they had been purchased be- tisan one. fore that date. “We need a lot more collabo- Place your advertisement in USA TODAY Marketplace! Stephen Pevar, a senior staff ration,” Collings, who spon- To advertise, call: 800-397-0070 counsel in the ACLU’s racial sored the bill and is a Demo- justice program, said states en- crat, told USA TODAY Sports.

c02_01_06_2021_1_ro.pdf 1 06-Jan-21 01:08:38 SPORTS USA TODAY ❚ WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2021 ❚ 3C MLB raises harsh protocol discipline

Bob Nightengale week was 121.8 per 100,000 people, USA TODAY nearly twice the national average of 64.7. There were 62,047 over the last PHOENIX – Major League Baseball seven days in Arizona, including more sent a detailed memo to its 30 teams than 17,000 on Sunday, the state’s new Monday restricting access to their facil- single-day record. ities and limiting voluntary workouts MLB will also require that each club before the start of spring training, ac- provides a list of players who request cording to a copy of the document ob- access to their facilities before the start tained by USA TODAY Sports. of spring training. Teams must also While Cleveland and several major maintain daily records of all players and league teams planned to open their staff members who enter the facility, in- spring training facilities this week to cluding arrival and departure times and their players and staff for voluntary temperature readings. workouts, MLB sent the memo to every There are mandatory temperature team’s front office with strict regula- checks and COVID-19 symptom screen- tions, threatening harsh disciplinary ings for anyone entering the facility, measures to any team violating the pro- with no one permitted with a temper- cedures. ature above 100.4 degrees or exhibits “We have been informed that some any COVID-19 symptoms. The clubs are clubs intend to increase the number of responsible for arranging for COVID-19 players at their Spring Training facilities Athletics pitcher Burch Smith runs the stairs during a workout at RingCentral PCR testing at its own cost. Face cover- in January and February prior to the Coliseum in Oakland, California, last July. KYLE TERADA/USA TODAY SPORTS ings must be worn at all times indoors commencement of spring training,” with only one staff member permitted to the memo reads. “As you are all aware, supervise any individual workout. And COVID-19 is surging in the United mence Feb. 17, with opening day April 1, ranging transportation and housing for all meals will be prohibited in the facility States, and conditions may worsen after but MLB has discussed delaying the players, organizing player workouts ex- until further notice. the holiday season. We have not yet re- season with the surge of COVID-19 cept with permission, or conducting There will be a limit of 10 players and ceived firm guidance from our medical cases. The Major League Baseball Play- large group workouts. 10 staff members permitted into the fa- experts on whether it is safe to conduct ers Association is adamant that the sea- Those in violation, the memo says, cility at the same time with only five organized workouts in Club facilities son start on time, with the players re- “will be subject to significant discipline people permitted in the clubhouse at under current conditions, and the pro- ceiving their full salaries after receiving by the Commissioner.” any one time. Until the 2021 health and tocols that would be required to conduct only 60 games of pay in 2020. “While we recognize that clubs desire safety protocols are completed, minor such workouts safely. MLB informed clubs in their memo to get their players ready for the season,” league players will be limited to using “We also have not yet negotiated with sent Monday that only three categories the memo reads, “we need to balance facilities that are not occupied by play- the Players Association over the health of players may access their facilities be- that objective with the very real health ers on the 40-man roster, including and safety protocols that will be appli- fore the start of spring training: and safety risks that gathering players clubhouses, batting cages, weight cable to 2021 Spring Training and the h Players who have a permanent resi- presents when the risk of COVID-19 rooms and cafeterias. 2021 season. Finally, the intensive CO- dence proximate to their facilities. transmission is high. Outbreaks of MLB is also asking that players and VID-19 testing protocol that we utilized h Players who require entry to the fa- COVID-19 at club facilities in January or staff members continue to stay at home in 2020, which is necessary when the cility to receive medical care. February prior to the time that spring as much as possible and avoid public or risk of community transmission is high, h Players who have been approved to training commences and without proto- crowded areas, including restaurants will not be available to clubs from cen- attend a club-organized minicamp un- cols agreed to by the Players Association and bars. tral baseball until the start of Spring der the terms of the basic agreement. in place may make it more difficult in “We intend to have specific protocols Training. The only players who will be provid- certain jurisdictions to obtain approval for 2021 addressing the conduct of play- “As a result, until the commencement ed transportation and housing are those for our protocols.” ers and staff when away from the stadi- of spring training … clubs may not di- who require medical care and have been Arizona, which hosts 15 major league um,” according to the memo. “Until rect, encourage, or request (even on a approved to attend a minicamp. No oth- teams during spring training, has the those protocols are agreed-upon with voluntary basis) that players travel from er program or camp may be conducted highest rate of COVID-19 cases in the the Players Association, the off-the- their present locations to the club’s prior to spring training, including pro- United States, according to data from field conduct of players and staff is the spring training site for the purpose of grams for minor league players. Clubs the Centers for Disease Control and Pre- most significant risk that clubs must utilizing club facilities.” are strictly prohibited from inviting vention. manage to maintain a COVID-free envi- Spring training is scheduled to com- players to participate in workouts, ar- Arizona’s rate of new cases the past ronment in their facilities.” Alabama adjusts its Moore offensive style to foe Continued from Page 1C On the move

Brett Hudson The Sixers went into Monday Tide Sports ranked second in the league in ball USA TODAY Network movement (375 passes per 24 minutes of possession), which is the biggest Alabama football entered its College improvement from last season, when Football Playoff semifinal fifth in the na- they were 14th with 333 passes per un- tion in yards per game and fourth in der Brett Brown. plays of 10 yards or more. The correla- Those numbers suggest the Sixers Doc Rivers: “I think we’re getting great tion is clear: By exploding for big gains are getting everybody involved on of- defensive confidence earlier than I as frequently as it does, the Crimson fense and not just running a lot of iso- thought.” ERIC HARTLINE/USA TODAY SPORTS Tide amass chunks of yards and points lation plays for star center Joel Embiid. at rates most other offenses can’t “I’ve always found it easier to shoot match. the ball when you’ve touched the ball,” Test coming Thursday Opponents have noticed, and in said Rivers, who enjoyed a 14-year NBA some drastic cases they’ve sold out to playing career. “I’ve always thought While the Sixers’ marquee victory so contain those explosive plays. It has it’s easier for the better player to attack far is a one-sided drubbing of the then- been enough to bring the production when the ball is moving than when the unbeaten Magic in Orlando, it’ll be in- back to reality but not enough to win. Alabama’s Najee Harris rushed for ball is in one spot. It’s something that teresting to see how they fare Thursday Notre Dame was the latest to try it in 125 yards on 15 carries against Notre we talk about every day (and) our guys evening against Kyrie Irving and the Friday’s Rose Bowl and did so with some Dame. KEVIN JAIRAJ/USA TODAY SPORTS are buying into it.” Nets in Brooklyn on TNT after hosting success, holding Alabama to five passes Having said that, Rivers realizes the Wizards on Wednesday night, of 20 yards or more, well below the sea- there is room for improvement and he though the Nets’ Kevin Durant won’t be son average of 14.2. Alabama found a Arkansas games are on the list of just plans to continue stressing the impor- available due to exposure to COVID-19. way to produce enough to win 31-14 and four games this season with fewer tance of ball movement throughout The Sixers’ wins have been against push on to the College Football Playoff than 300 passing yards. Saban does the 72-game regular season. teams with a combined record of 16-25 National Championship Game. not see that as a bad thing. “It stops at times and that’s proba- through Monday. “I think when people play us that “I think you have to be able to play bly when you see me sit up (and yell) The only loss was to the 4-3 Cavaliers way, you got to take what the defense every style,” Saban said. “I think that if with my mask off,” he said with a without Embiid. gives,” coach Nick Saban said. “(Quar- people get a bead on you in terms of laugh, “so that’s an area that you can’t “I don’t want to get too excited,” Em- terback) Mac (Jones) threw a couple what is successful against you, you stop doing it. You have to keep doing it biid said. “We’ve got a lot of stuff to work checkdowns tonight, which become don’t have answers for it, then every- through the season.” on and we haven’t really played against catch-and-run plays for you. They’re body’s going to do it and they’re going a contender.” not the big-time explosive plays we to take a lot of things away.” Getting the job done While the Nets only went into Tues- sometimes make, but they do keep the The one detriment in the most re- day with a 3-4 record, they are regarded chains moving.” cent instance was the reduced point It wasn’t a shock that forward Tobi- as a contender in the East, and, as such, Arkansas was the first to dedicate to total, with the 31 points breaking a 24- as Harris earned Eastern Conference a potential playoff opponent for the Six- this strategy, playing a soft zone that game streak of scoring at least 35 in ev- Player of the Week honors. The Sixers ers. sometimes dropped as many as eight ery game. Alabama is likely to need ev- went 3-0 last week and Harris aver- defenders in pass coverage. Alabama ery point it can get against Ohio State aged 23.3 points, 9.7 rebounds and Tightening the rotation still scored 52 points on the Razorbacks, in the College Football Playoff National 4 assists while shooting .571 from the but wide receiver DeVonta Smith was Championship Game, given the Buck- field (28 of 49) and .563 on 3-pointers With reserve power forward Mike limited to just three catches for 22 yards. eyes’ most recent performance – 49 (9 of 16). Scott sidelined for a second consecutive Alabama had to resort to other pass points against Clemson – and overall “Just great for him, great for the game because of a left knee contusion, catchers for its production. offensive excellence, entering its team and great for everyone,” Rivers Rivers again shortened his rotation Against Notre Dame, it was a similar semifinal in the top 10 nationally in said. “He really puts in the work.” from 10 to nine. story. Smith was a bigger part of the of- yards per play allowed. Harris has been more aggressive Starting guard Ben Simmons re- fense this time – seven catches for 130 In one aspect, Alabama looked at it- since going 3-for-13 in the season- ceived the backup “4” minutes that nor- yards and three touchdowns – but be- self as a limiting factor for its latest opening win over the Wizards. Rivers mally would have been Scott’s. tween Jahleel Billingsley and Miller For- scoring total and sees it as something wants him to attack and not hesitate ristall, Alabama turned to tight ends for easy to correct. while looking for his opportunities, Say it again seven catches for 70 yards and a touch- “I mean, we kind of protected the which he clearly has been doing. down. Running back Najee Harris was lead a little bit,” Jones said. “Obviously Harris added 22 points on 10-for-16 The Sixers also defeated the Hornets targeted with six passes, catching four we have to do a better job of just play- shooting Monday at Wells Fargo Cen- 127-112 on Saturday in Philadelphia, so of them for 30 yards. John Metchie III ing the plays, not look at the score- ter, giving him four 20-point games in Charlotte has the rare distinction of had three catches for 53 yards and Slade board. a row. dropping consecutive regular-season Bolden had two for 22. “But really that starts with me. Stay “One of the greatest things about road games to the same opponent. Facing defenses designed this way aggressive, do what the offensive co- putting in the work is seeing the re- Beating the Heat on Jan. 12 and 14 at has forced the Tide to adopt a different ordinator (Steve Sarkisian) tells us to sults,” Harris said. “It’s really satisfy- Wells Fargo Center figures to be a bit style of winning. The Notre Dame and do.” ing to me.” more difficult. 4C ❚ WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2021 ❚ USA TODAY SPORTS

FOR THE RECORD ODDS SPONSORED BY BETMGM.COM SUPER 25 IMG ACADEMY FINISHES NO. 1

All times ET Boston at Miami, 7:30 p.m. These are the final USA TODAY Sports Super 25 high school football rankings for the 2020 season. Charlotte at Atlanta, 7:30 p.m. Teams that were ranked in USA TODAY Sports’ Super 25 preseason poll that did not play football NFL Utah at New York, 7:30 p.m. this fall were excluded from the remainder of the fall rankings, including this final poll. IMG Detroit at Milwaukee, 8 p.m. Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) finishes the season in the top spot, followed by Duncanville (Texas), Oklahoma City at New Orleans, 8 p.m. North Shore (Galena Park, Texas), Grayson (Loganville, Ga.) and St. Joseph’s Prep (Philadelphia). Toronto at Phoenix, 9 p.m. Wild-card Playoffs Chicago at Sacramento, 10 p.m. 1. IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) Saturday’s Games L.A. Clippers at Golden State, 10 p.m. Record: 8-0; Last result: Season over. Indianapolis at Buffalo, 1:05 p.m. Thursday’s Games For the latest lines, picks and expert 2. Duncanville (Texas) Los Angeles Rams at Seattle, 4:40 p.m. Philadelphia at Brooklyn, 7:30 p.m. sportsbookwire.com Record: 10-1; Last result: def. DeSoto, 56-28. Tampa Bay at Washington, 8:15 p.m. Cleveland at Memphis, 8 p.m. analysis, go to 3. North Shore (Galena Park, Texas) Sunday’s Games Dallas at Denver, 10 p.m. Record: 14-0; Last result: def. Ridge Point (Fort Bend), 56-14. Baltimore at Tennessee, 1:05 p.m. Minnesota at Portland, 10 p.m. Chicago at New Orleans, 4:40 p.m. San Antonio at L.A. Lakers, 10 p.m. Visit BetMGM.com for a risk-free first bet up to $500. 4. Grayson (Loganville, Ga.) Cleveland at Pittsburgh, 8:15 p.m. Friday’s Games Record: 14-0; Last result: def. Collins Hill, 38-14; Georgia Class AAAAAAA state champions. Divisional Playoffs Phoenix at Detroit, 7 p.m. Use bonus code ROAR 5. St. Joseph’s Prep (Philadelphia) Saturday, Jan. 16 and Sunday, Charlotte at New Orleans, 7:30 p.m. Record: 6-0; Last result: Season over; Pennsylvania Class 6A state champions. Oklahoma City at New York, 7:30 p.m. 6. Chandler (Ariz.) Jan. 17 Washington at Boston, 7:30 p.m. Record: 10-0; Last result: Season over; Arizona Open Division state champions. lowest seed remaining at Green Bay Pregame.com Line LSU 10 Georgia Brooklyn at Memphis, 8 p.m. WOFFORD 2 Nc Greensboro 7. Thompson (Alabaster, Ala.) lowest seed remaining at Kansas City NBA 1 Orlando at Houston, 8 p.m. HOUSTON 11 ⁄2 Wichita St. Record: 14-0; Last result: Season over; Alabama 7A state champions. TBD vs. TBD Utah at Milwaukee, 8 p.m. Wednesday TBD vs. TBD XAVIER 7 St. Johns 8. St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) Chicago at L.A. Lakers, 10 p.m. Favorite Line O/U Underdog 1 Conference Championships DUKE 12 ⁄2 Boston College Record: 8-1; Last result: Season over; Florida Class 7A state champions. L.A. Clippers at Golden State, 10 p.m. INDIANA 2 227 Houston MICHIGAN 6 Minnesota 9. Austin (Texas) Westlake Sunday, Jan. 24 Toronto at Sacramento, 10 p.m. PHILADELPHIA 6 231 Washington 1 CREIGHTON 5 ⁄2 Seton Hall Record: 12-0; Last result: def. Steele (Cibolo), 34-0. AFC ORLANDO OFF OFF Cleveland BAYLOR 11 Oklahoma 10. Corner Canyon (Draper, Utah) TBD SOCCER MIAMI 2 218 Boston S. CAROLINA 4 Texas A&M NFC ATLANTA 6 231 Charlotte Record: 14-0; Last result: Season over; Utah Class 6A state champions. 1 MISSISSIPPI 6 Auburn TBD Utah 6 (214 ⁄2) NEW YORK 11. Center Grove (Greenwood, Ind.) 1 VIRGINIA 14 Wake Forest Record: 14-0; Last result: Season over; Indiana Class 6A state champions. Super Bowl English Premier League NEW ORLEANS 7 ⁄2 (213) Okla. City Utah St. 14 NEW MEXICO MILWAUKEE 13 226 Detroit 1 12. American Heritage (Plantation, Fla.) Sunday, Feb. 7 BOISE ST. 18 ⁄2 Air Force GP W D L GF GA Pts PHOENIX 3 217 Toronto Record: 11-2; Last result: Season over; Florida Class 5A state champions. At Tampa, Fla. Liverpool 17 9 6 2 37 21 33 13. Katy (Texas) TBD, 6:30 p.m. SACRAMENTO 7 231 Chicago College Football Man United 16 10 3 3 33 24 33 GOLDEN STATE OFF (OFF) LA Clippers Record: 11-1; Last result: def. Clear Falls (League City), 51-14. Leicester 17 10 2 5 31 21 32 Monday 14. Miami Columbus Tottenham 16 8 5 3 29 15 29 Favorite O T O/U Underdog NBA COLLEGE BASKETBALL 1 Record: 8-0; Last result: Season over. Tri-County Class 8A champions. Man City 15 8 5 2 24 13 29 Alabama 7 7 ⁄2 75 Ohio State Southampton 17 8 5 4 26 19 29 Wednesday 15. Trinity (Louisville, Ky.) Everton 16 9 2 5 26 20 29 Favorite Line Underdog NFL Record: 10-0; Last result: def. Male, 28-0; Kentucky Class 6A state champions. EASTERN CONFERENCE Aston Villa 15 8 2 5 29 16 26 ST. BNVNTURE 12 St. Josephs Saturday 16. Oakland (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) Atlantic Division Chelsea 17 7 5 5 32 21 26 S. FLORIDA PK Tulsa Favorite O T O/U Underdog Record: 15-0; Last result: Season over; Tennessee Division I Class 6A state champions. WL PctGB West Ham 17 7 5 5 24 21 26 SYRACUSE 10 Pittsburgh BUFFALO 6 6 51 Indianapolis 17. Dutch Fork (Irmo, S.C.) Philadelphia 6 1 .857 — Arsenal 17 7 2 8 20 19 23 1 UMASS 5 GEORGE WASH. SEATTLE 5 4 42 ⁄2 LA Rams Record: 10-0; Last result: Season over; South Carolina Class AAAAA state champions. Boston 5 3 .625 1½ Leeds 17 7 2 8 30 33 23 1 RICHMOND 5 Rhode Island Tampa Bay 7 8 ⁄2 45 WASHINGTON 18. Carthage (Texas) New York 4 3 .571 2 Wolverhampton 17 6 4 7 18 24 22 LOUISVILLE 4 Virginia Tech Record: 14-0; Last result: finished season as Class 4A DII state champions. Brooklyn 3 4 .429 3 Crystal Palace 17 6 4 7 22 29 22 OHIO STATE 5 Penn St. Sunday Toronto 1 5 .167 4½ Newcastle 16 5 4 7 18 26 19 19. Buford (Ga.) CHTTANOOGA 6 Samford Favorite O T O/U Underdog Record: 13-1; Last result: def. Lee County, 34-31 (OT); Georgia Class AAAAAA state champions. Burnley 15 4 4 7 9 20 16 1 Southeast Division Va Cmmnwlth 6 GRGE MASN Baltimore 4 ⁄2 3 55 TENNESSEE WL PctGB Brighton 17 2 8 7 21 28 14 20. Cherry Creek (Greenwood Village, Colo.) BUTLER 5 Georgetown NEW ORLEANS 8 10 47 Chicago Record: 9-0; Last result: Season over; Colorado Class 5A state champions. Orlando 5 2 .714 — Fulham 15 2 5 8 13 23 11 PITTSBURGH 4 6 47 Cleveland Atlanta 4 3 .571 1 West Brom 17 1 5 11 11 39 8 TENNESSEE 7 Arkansas 21. Bixby (Okla.) Miami 3 3 .500 1½ Sheffield Utd 17 0 2 15 8 29 2 Record: 11-0; Last result: Season over; Oklahoma Class 6A-II state champions. Charlotte 2 5 .286 3 Monday’s Game Odds are subject to change. BetMGM.com does not offer lines for New 22. Cathedral (Indianapolis) Washington 2 5 .286 3 Southampton 1, Liverpool 0 Jersey-based college sports teams. Gannett may earn revenue from Record: 13-1; Last result: Season over; Indiana Class 5A state champions. Central Division Tuesday, Jan. 12 audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of 23. Cardinal Gibbons (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) WL PctGB Sheffield United vs. Newcastle, 1 p.m. this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage. Record: 8-1; Last result: Season over. Florida Class 4A state champions. Indiana 5 2 .714 — Wolverhampton vs. Everton, 3:15 p.m. 24. Pine-Richland (Gibsonia, Pa.) Milwaukee 4 3 .571 1 Burnley vs. Man United, 3:15 p.m. Record: 11-0; Last result: Season over; Pennsylvania Class 5A state champions. Cleveland 4 3 .571 1 Chicago 3 4 .429 2 25. Bergen Catholic (Oradell, N.J.) Detroit 1 6 .143 4 COLLEGE BASKETBALL Record: 5-1; Last result: Season over. No. 20 Xavier (8-2), No. 20 Ohio State (8-3), 3. NC State 10-0 733 3 WESTERN CONFERENCE No. 22 Northwestern (6-3), No. 23 San Diego 4. South Carolina 7-1 694 4 Southwest Division Ferris Mowers Men’s State (6-2). Others receiving votes: North- 5. Connecticut 6-0 687 5 WL PctGB western (6-3) 64; Florida (5-1) 62; Michigan 6. Baylor 8-1 630 6 New Orleans 4 3 .571 — Basketball Coaches Poll State (7-3) 59; Ohio State (8-3) 58; Oklahoma 7. Texas A&M (1) 10-0 575 9 State (7-2) 50; UCLA (7-2) 42; Drake (12-0) 30; Dallas 3 4 .429 1 The Ferris Mowers Men’s Basketball Coaches 8. Kentucky 9-1 553 11 president of business operations. Acquired for the 2021 season. Houston 2 3 .400 1 Poll, powered by USA TODAY Sports, is con- San Diego State (6-2) 22; Arkansas (9-1) 13; 9. UCLA 6-2 509 12 Boise State (8-1) 11; Colorado (7-3) 11; NC OF Carl Chester from Tampa Bay to complete JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS — Waived P Dustin San Antonio 2 4 .333 1½ ducted weekly throughout the regular sea- 10. Arizona 8-1 506 8 a Dec. 8 trade. Colquitt. Activated OL Ben Bartch from the Memphis 2 4 .333 1½ son using a panel of head coaches at Division I State (6-1) 11; Connecticut (4-1) 10; Xavier 11. Oregon 8-1 484 7 (8-2) 10; Seton Hall (8-4) 6; Saint Mary’s (9-2) National League reserve/COVID-19 list. schools. The panel is chosen in consultation 12. Maryland 7-1 435 14 MINNESOTA VIKINGS — Placed TE Brandon Dil- Northwest Division with the National Association of Basketball 5; Oklahoma (6-2) 3; Alabama (7-3) 2; Colora- 13. Arkansas 10-2 420 10 NEW YORK METS — Named Luis Rojas man- WL PctGB do State (6-1) 2; Southern California (6-2) 2; ager, Dave Jauss bench coach, Tony Tarasco lon on reserve/future free agent signing list Utah 4 2 .667 — Coaches. The voters represent each of the 32 14. Michigan 7-0 365 17 from the practice squad. Division I conferences that receive an auto- Tulsa (6-3) 2; Southern Methodist (6-1) 1; Loy- 15. Mississippi State 6-2 357 13 first base/outfield and baserunning coach Portland 3 3 .500 1 ola-Chicago (7-2) 1. and Brian Schneider moves from quality con- SEATTLE SEAHAWKS — Activated OT Brandon Denver 2 4 .333 2 matic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Each 16. Ohio State 5-0 339 15 Shell from the reserve/COVID-19 list. Re- coach submits a Top 25 with a first-place vote The Ferris Mowers Board of Coaches is made 17. Texas 8-1 261 19 trol to major league field coordinating/catch- Minnesota 2 4 .333 2 up of 32 head coaches at Division I institu- ing coach. leased G Wyatt Miller from the practice Oklahoma City 2 4 .333 2 worth 25 points, second place 24, and so on 18. Indiana 5-3 191 18 squad. down to one point for 25th. tions. All are members of the National Associ- 19. South Florida 7-1 188 22 BASKETBALL Pacific Division ation of Basketball Coaches. TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS — Signed RB C.J. Pts W-L LW 20. Syracuse 5-1 186 20 NBA Prosise to the practice squad. Released CB WL PctGB 21. Gonzaga 9-2 145 23 ATLANTA HAWKS — Named vice president of L.A. Clippers 5 2 .714 — 1. Gonzaga (29) 10-0 797 1 Men’s scores Mazzi Wilkins from practice squad. 2. Baylor (3) 9-0 771 2 22. DePaul 5-3 136 21 public relations Amy Phuong chief operating Phoenix 5 2 .714 — EAST 23. Northwestern 4-2 95 16 officer for Saving Our Atlanta Region’s Resi- HOCKEY L.A. Lakers 5 2 .714 — 3. Villanova 8-1 726 3 Holy Cross 68, Boston U. 66 National Hockey League 4. Texas 8-1 694 9 24. Michigan State 8-0 77 NR dents. Golden State 4 3 .571 1 SOUTH 25. Missouri State 4-2 67 24 CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS — Waived C Zack Sacramento 3 4 .429 2 5. Creighton 8-2 587 10 FOOTBALL Smith. 6. Kansas 8-2 583 4 Gardner-Webb 85, Campbell 70 Dropped out: No. 25 South Dakota State (7-2). National Football League Monday’s Games Winthrop 78, Charleston Southern 76 Others receiving votes: South Dakota State COLORADO AVALANCHE — Announced LW 7. Iowa 9-2 575 11 ARIZONA CARDINALS — Signed TE Ian Bunt- Colin Wilson retired. Orlando 103, Cleveland 83 8. Tennessee 7-1 541 6 MIDWEST (7-2) 55; Georgia (9-1) 43; Iowa (7-1) 37; Flori- ing, DL Michael Dogbe, WRs Krishawn Hogan, Philadelphia 118, Charlotte 101 Toledo 84, Kent St. 82 da State (4-1) 31; Arizona State (7-3) 13; Flori- TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS — Waived RW Denis 9. Michigan 9-0 529 15 A.J. Richardson, JoJo Ward and Isaac Whit- Malgin. Miami 118, Oklahoma City 90 10. Wisconsin 9-2 524 7 da Gulf Coast (7-2) 9; Tennessee (6-1) 6; North ney, K Brett Maher, OL Koda Martin, S Chris New York 113, Atlanta 108 11. Houston 8-1 464 5 Women’s scores Carolina (7-2) 5; Central Florida (5-1) 5; IUPUI Miller, RB Khalfani Muhammad, LBs Terrance SOCCER Boston 126, Toronto 114 12. Illinois 8-3 435 16. EAST (8-1) 4; Clemson (8-2) 3; Dayton (3-1) 1. Smith, Reggie Walker and Evan Weaver and Major League Soccer Milwaukee 125, Detroit 115 13. Missouri 7-1 387 12 Boston U. 72, Holy Cross 56 CBs Jace Whittaker and Picasso Nelson to fu- AUSTIN — Acquired MF Diego Fagundez. Dallas 113, Houston 100 14. Rutgers 7-2 351 13 Delaware 68, Northeastern 61 DEALS ture contracts for the 2021 season. LA GALAXY — Named Greg Vanney head Indiana 118, New Orleans 116, OT 15. Oregon 8-1 320 17 SOUTH BALTIMORE RAVENS — Activated TE Sean Cul- coach. Golden State 137, Sacramento 106 16. West Virginia 8-3 314 8 Louisville 96, UT Martin 61 kin from the practice squad injured reserve. MINNESOTA UNITED — Signed MF Wil Trapp. Tuesday’s Games 17. Minnesota 10-2 289 24 Released LB James Crawford. NEW YORK RED BULLS — Announced D Aaron Utah at Brooklyn 18. Clemson 8-1 235 30 Women’s Coaches Poll BASEBALL CAROLINA PANTHERS — Signed K Joey Slye to Long has been called to a training camp by L.A. Lakers at Memphis 19. Texas Tech 8-3 197 14 The USA TODAY Sports Top 25 women’s bas- Major League Baseball a one-year extension. U.S. Men’s National Soccer team’s head coach Minnesota at Denver 20. Virginia Tech 8-1 151 26 ketball poll, with first-place votes received, CLEVELAND BROWNS — Placed G Joel Bitonio Gregg Berhalter. team’s records through Monday, total points American League ORANGE COUNTY — Signed F Ronaldo Damus. San Antonio at L.A. Clippers 21. Virginia 5-2 108 24 BALTIMORE ORIOLES — Named Tony Mansoli- and WR KhaDarel Hodge on the reserve/CO- Chicago at Portland 22. Florida State 5-2 104 19 based on 25 for first place through one point VID-19 list. Placed C Nick Harris and DE Olivier COLLEGE for 25th and ranking in last week’s poll: no third base coach, Darren Holmes assistant Wednesday’s Games 23. Saint Louis 7-1 87 32 pitching coach and Chris Holt pitching coach/ Vernon on injured reserve. TUSCULUM UNIVERSITY — Named Doug Page Cleveland at Orlando, 7 p.m. 24. Duke 3-2 85 27 W-L Pts LW director of pitching. DETROIT LIONS — Signed WRs Tom Kennedy, director of creative media and athletic mar- Houston at Indiana, 7 p.m. 25. Louisville 7-1 69 34. 1. Stanford (31) 9-0 799 1 TEXAS RANGERS — Named chief operating of- Victor Bolden, G Evan Brown, S Jalen Elliott keting. Washington at Philadelphia, 7 p.m. Dropped teams: No. 18 Michigan State (7-3), 2. Louisville (1) 7-0 756 2 ficer Neil Leibman to also assume the role of and LB Anthony Pittman to future contracts

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A puddle of moist air will T-storms Rain Snow Ice/mix

lead to more snow showers Seattle Olympia 50 from the Great Lakes to the Bangor 48 Spokane 32 Portland 41 Bismarck Duluth Marquette central Appalachians today. Helena Miles City Salem 52 44 36 28 31 Much of the rest of the eastern 51 42 Burlington Augusta Boise Fargo 30 34 Mpls-St. Paul Montpelier third of the nation will be dry. Bend 43 Billings 32 33 Boston 45 47 Rapid City Grand Buffalo 27 38 Farther west, as a storm Burns 43 Milwaukee Rapids 34 Albany 38 Pierre Sioux Falls 36 36 Detroit 33 Hartford Eureka Idaho Falls Jackson 36 36 37 Cleveland 38 drops southward and reorga- 55 29 Hole Casper Madison Des Moines Lansing 36 Pittsburgh New York TODAY Reno 33 North Platte nizes over the Plains, snow Sacramento Elko 26 37 31 41 52 43 34 35 52 39 Salt Lake City Chicago Philadelphia will extend from parts of the Cheyenne Omaha Columbus Harrisburg Carson City 39 35 42 43 42 37 Springfield 37 Dakotas and Minnesota to 50 Kansas City Washington Annapolis San Francisco 41 39 Indianapolis Cincinnati 56 St. George Denver 46 44 Nebraska Aspen Topeka 37 39 portions of and Las Vegas 46 Charleston Fresno 53 30 Richmond Iowa 43 Jefferson City St. Louis Louisville and later in parts of 57 59 Knoxville 39 47 Wichita 49 44 42 eastern Kansas and western Dodge City 44 45 Raleigh 47 Memphis 49 Los Angeles Santa Fe Charlotte Missouri Palm Springs Flagstaff 54 Nashville . 71 44 Oklahoma Tulsa 50 Columbia 74 47 City 50 Albuquerque 46 53 Rain is in store farther 47 THURSDAY San Diego 47 Little Rock Birmingham Atlanta Charleston Gulf Coast 66 Phoenix 54 EXTREMES south to the , where Alaska 71 Lubbock Dallas/Ft. Worth 48 56 56 55 57 Montgomery Savannah Note: For contiguous locally heavy thunderstorms 48 states through El Paso Midland- Shreveport Jackson 59 59 will rumble later in the day. 59 Odessa Austin 56 59 3 p.m. ET yesterday Fairbanks Hawaii 67 Mobile Jacksonville HOTTEST: Rockies 57 Tallahassee 61 Most areas from the -1 Juneau Baton Rouge 59 82° Honolulu San Antonio 61 California Anchorage 40 65 New Harlingen, Texas to Southern will be 23 82 69 Houston Orleans 70 66 Tampa dry. 68 Puerto Rico COLDEST: -2° Miami San Juan 73 Crane Lake, Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather Inc. ©2021 Brownsville 84 Minn. FRIDAY 78 Below 1010s 20s 30s 40s 50s 60s 70s 80s 90s 100s 110+

TOP TRAVEL CITIES Air quality index (AQI)

ATLANTABALTIMORE BOSTON CHARLOTTE CHICAGODALLAS/FT. WORTH DENVER DETROITHONOLULU HOUSTON LAS VEGAS LOS ANGELES Partly Mostly Mostly An A.M. Partly Partly WED Breezy Breezy Rain Sunny Breezy Rain WED sunny WED WED sunny WED cloudy WED WED WED flurry WED WED WED sunny WED sunny 45/29 38/29 57/39 46/25 82/72 70/44 54/37 50/31 35/30 37/29 59/40 71/51 Mostly Mainly Clouding Mostly Mostly Rain THU Sunny Cloudy Breezy Cloudy Breezy Cooler THU sunny THU THU cloudy THU THU THU up THU THU THU THU sunny THU sunny 50/40 41/26 36/31 54/37 35/26 82/68 60/39 45/26 50/33 48/24 61/41 70/52 Mostly Mostly Snow, Low Partly Partly Mostly Partly Partly Partly FRI Shower FRI FRI FRI FRI FRI FRI FRI FRI FRI Sunny FRI FRI cloudy sunny 1-2” clouds sunny sunny cloudy sunny sunny sunny 47/34 58/38 40/26 36/25 39/30 35/27 52/34 41/24 33/22 82/69 60/42 68/51 AQI Good AQI Good AQI Good AQI Moderate AQI Moderate AQI Good AQI Good AQI Moderate AQI Good AQI Good AQI Moderate AQI Good MIAMIMPLS-ST. PAUL NEW ORLEANS NEW YORKORLANDOPHILADELPHIA PHOENIX SALT LAKE CITYSAN DIEGO SAN FRANCISCO SEATTLE WASHINGTON Sunny, Mostly Partly Mostly Partly Mostly WED Cloudy Windy Breezy Breezy Shower Breezy WED nice WED WED WED sunny WED WED sunny WED sunny WED sunny WED WED cloudy WED 33/23 66/51 41/32 43/31 56/47 46/32 73/60 68/49 71/45 39/23 66/47 50/41 Some Low Partly Plenty of Mostly Mostly Partly Mostly Mostly THU Breezy Sunny Cloudy THU sun clouds THU THU THU sunny THU sun THU sunny THU THU sunny THU sunny THU cloudy THU sunny 59/41 43/29 38/24 76/64 31/20 74/55 44/28 71/44 67/48 58/51 50/42 46/32 Partly Partly Incr. Clouding Mostly Incr. Partly A.M. Mostly FRI FRI FRI Breezy FRI FRI Breezy FRI FRI FRI FRI FRI Clearing FRI FRI sunny sunny clouds up sunny clouds sunny sprinkles cloudy 53/38 67/43 58/43 76/54 29/19 40/28 40/27 71/43 37/27 66/49 48/38 43/31 AQIGood AQI Good AQIGood AQIGood AQIGood AQIGood AQIModerate AQIModerate AQIUnhealthy s/g AQI Moderate AQI Good AQI Good c Cloudy f Fog i Ice r Rain sf Snowflurries sn Snow w Windy dr Drizzle h Haze pc Partly cloudy s Sunny sh Showers t Thunderstorms TODAY THU TODAY THU TODAY THU TODAY THU U.S. CITIES TODAY THU WORLD CITIES Cincinnati 39/28c 38/28c Hartford, Conn. 38/25pc 41/20s Nags Head, N.C. 44/34s 42/36pc Sarasota, Fla. 70/52s 72/60c Akron, Ohio 36/30sf 35/26c Cleveland 36/31sf 35/28c Indianapolis 37/27c 36/28c Nashville, Tenn. 50/34pc 45/34r Savannah, Ga. 59/38s 62/48pc TODAY THU Albany, N.Y. 33/22c 32/17s Colorado Springs 46/24s 45/23c Islip, N.Y. 40/28pc 42/25s Newark, N.J. 42/30pc 43/27s Scottsdale, Ariz. 71/42pc 70/43s Beijing 12/-9w 18/2s Albuquerque 47/25s 50/26pc Columbia, S.C. 53/30s 53/38pc Jackson, Miss. 59/45pc 51/38r New Haven, Conn. 41/28pc 43/24s Shreveport, La. 56/40r 50/36pc Buenos Aires 82/66pc 85/70s Allentown, Pa. 39/28pc 40/22s Columbus, Ohio 37/29c 38/28c Jacksonville, Fla. 61/41s 69/47pc Norfolk, Va. 47/35s 45/34pc Sioux Falls, S.D. 36/26sn 35/17c Cancun, Mexico 80/66pc 82/63sh Amarillo, Texas 51/23s 49/24s Corpus Christi, Texas 75/44t 70/43s Jefferson City, Mo. 49/33r 38/29sn Oakland, Calif. 57/48c 58/50pc South Bend, Ind. 35/28c 35/26c Dubai, UAE 76/59s 75/57h Anaheim, Calif. 73/47pc 73/48s Dayton, Ohio 37/28c 36/28c Kansas City 41/33r 37/26c Oklahoma City 47/33c 44/29pc Spokane, Wash. 41/34c 38/28c Frankfurt 39/29sn 36/31sn Anchorage, Alaska 23/21sn 27/22sn Daytona Beach, Fla. 64/48s 72/52pc Key West, Fla. 68/64s 74/68pc Omaha, Neb. 37/29sn 35/22c Springfield, Mo. 43/34r 37/26sn Hong Kong 66/56pc 62/45pc Aspen, Colo. 30/10s 36/7pc Des Moines, Iowa 37/26sn 34/23pc Knoxville, Tenn. 45/28pc 45/30c Palm Springs, Calif. 74/50pc 75/51s Springfield, Ill. 39/27c 34/28c Istanbul 58/50c 60/50pc Atlantic City, N.J. 46/33s 49/32s Duluth, Minn. 28/21c 27/19c Laredo, Texas 75/42c 73/43s Pensacola, Fla. 60/50s 62/42r St. Louis 44/33c 38/30sf Jerusalem 62/48s 61/44s Augusta, Ga. 56/32s 57/44sh Durham, N.C. 48/30s 47/33s Lexington, Ky. 39/26c 39/27c Pierre, S.D. 36/25c 38/27pc St. Petersburg, Fla. 67/53s 71/59pc Johannesburg 79/57t 75/58t Austin, Texas 67/40r 63/34s El Paso, Texas 59/29s 60/32pc Lincoln, Neb. 37/29sn 38/20c Pittsburgh 35/28c 36/25c Syracuse, N.Y. 33/27c 30/24c London 40/31pc 37/31pc Bakersfield, Calif. 58/40f 60/42s Fairbanks, Alaska -1/-5pc 8/-1pc Little Rock, Ark. 48/36r 41/31r Portland, Maine 37/25pc 38/20pc Tallahassee, Fla. 61/39s 63/42r Mexico City 73/46pc 70/47pc Baton Rouge, La. 65/46w 56/39pc Flagstaff, Ariz. 47/17pc 51/20pc Long Beach, Calif. 70/46pc 68/47s Portland, Ore. 52/42r 52/42c Tampa, Fla. 68/51s 71/59pc Montreal 30/18c 29/14pc Billings, Mont. 47/32pc 43/28sn Fargo, N.D. 32/19c 29/23c Louisville, Ky. 42/30c 42/31c Providence, R.I. 40/27pc 43/23s Toledo, Ohio 38/30c 35/27c Moscow 20/18c 22/19sn Birmingham, Ala. 56/41pc 48/39r Fort Myers, Fla. 71/52s 74/61pc Lubbock, Texas 55/21s 55/25s Raleigh, N.C. 49/30s 48/34pc Topeka, Kan. 43/32r 42/25c Mumbai, India 86/74h 87/76h Bismarck, N.D. 36/22pc 38/25c Fort Smith, Ark. 44/36r 45/29sn Madison, Wis. 31/25c 33/23pc Rapid City, S.D. 43/20s 40/26pc Tucson, Ariz. 75/42pc 74/41pc Paris 38/31c 39/29pc Boise, Idaho 43/33c 42/31c Fort Wayne, Ind. 36/29c 34/27c Manchester, N.H. 38/27pc 38/22s Reno, Nev. 52/26pc 49/34s Tupelo, Miss. 55/39pc 47/38r Rio de Janeiro 87/77t 88/78t Buffalo, N.Y. 34/28c 33/24c Fresno, Calif. 57/40f 56/43pc Memphis, Tenn. 54/40pc 43/35r Richmond, Va. 47/30s 47/29pc Tulsa, Okla. 46/36r 45/31sh Rome 53/40r 51/39sh Burlington, Vt. 30/23c 28/19pc Grand Rapids, Mich. 36/27c 35/24c Milwaukee 36/32c 36/31c Rochester, N.Y. 33/29c 32/24c Virginia Beach, Va. 47/34s 48/32pc Seoul 29/3s 14/-1s Cedar Rapids, Iowa 32/24c 31/22pc Green Bay, Wis. 34/27c 33/24pc Mobile, Ala. 59/47pc 60/39r Sacramento, Calif. 52/42sh 55/43pc Wichita, Kan. 44/33r 44/27c Singapore 84/76t 81/76c Charleston, S.C. 56/36s 60/50pc Greensboro, N.C. 47/29s 47/34pc Modesto, Calif. 55/42f 55/44pc San Antonio 69/41sh 68/37s Wilmington, Del. 43/30s 44/27s Sydney 75/62t 72/58pc Charleston, W.Va. 39/28c 42/30pc Greenville, S.C. 51/30pc 49/35r Montgomery, Ala. 59/41pc 55/42r San Jose, Calif. 60/45pc 61/48pc Winston-Salem, N.C. 47/29s 47/34pc Toronto 34/25c 30/16pc Cheyenne, Wyo. 42/23s 46/24pc Harrisburg, Pa. 42/31pc 42/27pc Myrtle Beach, S.C. 51/36s 52/47s Santa Fe, N.M. 44/19s 48/20pc Worcester, Mass. 36/25pc 37/22s Tokyo 47/40c 53/34w SPORTS USA TODAY ❚ WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2021 ❚ 5C

Bell NFL POWER RANKINGS Rk., Team LW Comment by Nate Davis Continued from Page 1C They’re arguably the league’s best team ... even if reigning champs are inviting quite a “rest vs. rust” debate given so many 1. Chiefs 1 of their key performers will have had a three-week layoff when openers. Now comes the the divisional playoff round kicks off. chance for a revenge tour that They’re arguably the league’s best team ... and playing exclusive- ly at Lambeau Field in January – even if it’s not packed with fans opens (and perhaps closes) at 2. Packers 2 – should confer a legitimate home-field advantage given NFC’s Tennessee – which upset the other fair-weather powers. then-No. 1 seed in Baltimore They’re arguably the league’s best team ... and almost certainly last year. The reigning league 3. Bills 3 its hottest. Buffalo’s average margin of victory over the last six weeks nearly three touchdowns. MVP has been on a tear since If recent playoff history is an accurate harbinger, RB Alvin Kam- coming off the COVID-19 list. 4. Saints 4 ara (reserve/COVID-19 list) will miss the wild-card round, thus opening door for a fluky Chicago win. After long playoff drought, This team has run for nearly 6,400 yards over the past two years 5. Ravens 5 – simply insane. Now, can Baltimore get its first playoff win in six are Browns destined for years? short postseason stay? WR Mike Evans’ knee injury is worrisome ... but maybe not so much given how Antonio Brown (4 TDs in past 3 games) is 6. Buccaneers 6 surging. Could really hurt not having LB Devin White (reserve/ Let’s hear it for Cleveland, COVID-19 list) for playoff opener. back in the playoffs for the first This may be the rare Seattle team under Pete Carroll that peaked time since 2002. No, you can’t 7. Seahawks 7 way too early ... but at least they’re drawing a Rams squad in a similar predicament. blame Baker Mayfield, Myles A team that started 11-0 now looks iffy to survive wild-card 8. Steelers 8 Garrett, Nick Chubb or Jarvis round amid defensive dip and near-total inability to run the ball. Landry for the futility. They are DE Olivier Vernon had nine sacks over his past nine games. 9. Browns 10 new-generation Browns, as is Playing at Lambeau Field in Green Bay in January can be Losing him now to a blown Achilles is such typical Cleveland luck. Kevin Stefanski, though he will daunting depending on the weather. BENNY SIEU/USA TODAY SPORTS If RB Derrick Henry can push his overall rushing total for the 10. Titans 11 2020 season beyond 2,500 yards, this franchise just might finally miss the game because of CO- hoist its first Lombardi Trophy. VID-19 issues, along with two No matter how far they go – and it may be a short playoff stay given upcoming trip to Buffalo – the Philip Rivers/Carson Wentz/ players, including three-time Roethlisberger has owned the gion of Boom outfit, but Seat- 11. Colts 12 fill-in-the-blank QB conjecture will amplify as soon as Indianapo- Pro Bowl left guard Joel Bitonio. Browns, compiling a 24-2-1 tle, albeit ranked 31st against lis’ season concludes. If that is not enough of a con- mark and never losing at home the pass, has gradually im- Considering he’s a rookie, the speculation and criticism are cern, the Browns must win at to the AFC North foe. Throwing proved its defense over the probably overblown and unfair – but the fact remains that QB Tua Tagovailoa didn’t play well enough in December to make 12. Dolphins 9 Pittsburgh, where they have to a collection of talented re- second half of the season. As Miami a playoff team. With Ryan Fitzpatrick unsigned, it will be lost 17 in a row. ceivers against a Cleveland Wilson demonstrated against fascinating to see how 2021’s quarterback depth chart takes secondary viewed as the weak the 49ers on Sunday, he’s still shape. Emergency QB John Wolford is one of the season’s feel-good Does any coach adjust link is a good matchup for Pitts- lethal in crunchtime and al- 13. Rams 14 subplots. Now, can he outduel Russell Wilson after besting ... better than Sean Payton burgh. Now, the bad news: The ways game for a shootout. Yet Chris Streveler? for Saints? Steelers rank dead-last in the it’s no coincidence the surge Some pretty dubious play calling by Kliff Kingsbury with a 14. Cardinals 15 playoff berth at stake. Arizona got better in 2020, but team’s late NFL in rushing (84.4 yards per with Seattle’s defense con- fade likely won’t leave KK much margin for error in 2021. With Alvin Kamara and the game, 3.6 a carry). James Con- nects to the health of All-Pro Much has been made of the feel-good elements from this locker entire running backs room on ner’s injury issues are just part safety Jamal Adams, who 15. Washington 22 room – and an underrated one is LB Thomas Davis’ opportunity the COVID-19 list, the Saints of the reason the Steelers have missed four games this sea- to cap his remarkable career with a playoff squad. Pretty remarkable Matt Nagy got this team to eight wins and the still rushed for 156 yards at Car- tried to compensate by using son with a hamstring injury 16. Bears 13 postseason, but Chicago’s 1-6 record against teams with winning olina on Sunday as Payton short, quick-release passes as a and now nurses a shoulder in- records is probably playoff-predictive. tapped receiver Ty Montgome- substitute for running. Roeth- jury. Another factor has been QB Cam Newton’s best game for New England – he was involved 17. Patriots 19 in all four TDs in Sunday’s win – was very likely his last. Lots to fix ry (an ex-running back) for 105 lisberger ranks third in the NFL the midseason addition of here. yards and typically sprinkled in for passing attempts but 31st Carlos Dunlap, providing a Prospective head coaches should be beating a path to coach a 18. Chargers 20 hybrid weapon Taysom Hill. for average gain. At some point much-needed dose of a pass team with QB Justin Herbert and DE Joey Bosa as cornerstones. Like last season, the Saints in January a running game be- rush. They only won four games, but it seemed as if they were in 19. Falcons 16 almost all of them. Interesting blow-it-up or buff-it-up quandary kept winning despite losing comes a necessity. for next regime. quarterback Drew Brees for a Can Washington generate Despite another disappointing December, Silver and Black stretch. And the offense kept How much advantage do enough offense? 20. Raiders 21 continue to steadily improve under Jon Gruden ... well, on the churning without star wideout Packers possess as 1 seed? offensive side of the ball anyway. If Gary Kubiak retires, Mike Zimmer will go into 2021 with his 21. Vikings 17 Michael Thomas, who set the In navigating through the sixth different offensive coordinator over six seasons. NFL’s single-season record for Having the top seed is prob- muck and winning the NFC Give rookie coach Joe Judge a lot of credit for getting the most catches last season but missed ably more of an edge this sea- East with a 7-9 record, Wash- 22. Giants 27 from this roster ... and unfailingly telling it like it is from the podium. nine games this season due to son because just one team in ington’s second-ranked de- Another franchise tag for QB Dak Prescott is gonna run about injuries. That’s a testament to each conference gets a bye in fense proved that a young, tal- 23. Cowboys 23 $38 million, so Dallas better start taking a hard look at its salary Payton’s ability to creatively the expanded playoff field. ented D-line is plenty able to cap now. put out fires – and to the deep That week of rest matters. No disrupt the flow with myriad Kinda crazy to think Kyle Shanahan’s four-year record with Niners 24. 49ers 24 is 29-35, though it’s certainly not indicative of his coaching base of talent collected for ar- team that played on wild-card forms of harassment. Yet the abilities. guably the most balanced team weekend has advanced to the division crown was almost A little strange that John Elway vacates his GM role but leaves in the playoffs. Super Bowl in eight years, since lost with the sputtering of an 25. Broncos 28 his successor a coach who will immediately start 2021 on the hot Baltimore took the long route to injury-stung, 30th-ranked of- seat? The defense was OK. QB Teddy Bridgewater was OK. RB Christian What will Derrick Henry the XLVII crown. Add the win- fense. Alex Smith’s comeback McCaffrey was really never OK. It wasn’t a lost season for first- 26. Panthers 18 give Titans for encore? try elements of Lambeau Field from a career-threatening year coach Matt Rhule, but also hard to tell how much progress and the red-hot play of Aaron knee injury has been tremen- was made. Rare to see an unproven second-year coach get a vote of confi- With a career-best 250 rush- Rodgers to the mix, and the dous, coinciding with the grit dence after a 35-point loss in the regular-season finale. But Zac 27. Bengals 25 ing yards on Sunday, Henry be- equation is ideal for Green Bay. of a unit that is light on game- Taylor deserves one more year to turn this around with a healthy came the eighth player in NFL breaking playmakers. But the Joe Burrow. If you’re a Philly fan, maybe you’re applauding Doug Pederson for history to post a 2,000-yard Is there any playoff team grit needs to show up better improving the first-round pick by three positions to No. 6. If 28. Eagles 26 rushing season – providing a hotter than Bills? on the scoreboard. Washing- you’re anyone else, you won’t soon forget watching a team fresh reminder of his ability to ton has averaged 17.8 points tanking in prime time. They appear to be set long term at quarterback and left tackle 29. Texans 29 wear down a defense. Balti- Buffalo’s six-game winning over the past four games (2-2) and ... welp, that’s pretty much it. more knows. Tennessee rode streak matches Green Bay’s for and for the season was held They were burned for at least 41 points five times and surren- Henry’s back to the AFC title the longest heading into the under 21 points in 10 games. 30. Lions 31 dered at least 460 yards on a half-dozen occasions. Oh, and not game last year after he shred- playoffs, but what’s even more great on offense, either. For the most part, this mess isn’t of GM Joe Douglas’ making ... ded the Patriots for 182 yards, impressive is the manner of the Last chance for Colts QB but it’s now clearly his responsibility to clean it up – starting with 31. Jets 30 then stiff-armed the Ravens for victories. The Bills have won Philip Rivers to win big? the man he tabs to lead NYJ out of its long stay in the NFL 195 yards. And he ripped up their past three games with wilderness. Amazing to think this is an attractive job given 15-game losing Baltimore for 169 yards and a blowout margins of 30, 29 and The two other quarter- streak in which defense allowed at least 24 points per loss, tied 32. Jaguars 32 walk-off TD in overtime in No- 29 points. And before that, they backs drafted among the top for longest stretch in league history. Careful what’s on your wish vember. The Titans, with a di- won by 11, 10 and 10 points. 10 picks in 2004, Ben Roeth- (demands?) list, Urb ... vision title for the first time in That’s some serious momen- lisberger and Eli Manning, 12 years, have balance with tum for a unit that secured the each won two Super Bowls. Ryan Tannehill throwing to big- franchise’s first home playoff Rivers is chasing his first ring. play wideouts A.J. Brown and game and first division title in Time is running thin. The 39- Corey Davis. 25 years. The Bills have been year-old has reached the building for this moment, se- stage when questions persist What could stop Chiefs curing their third playoff berth about his plans. Rivers reunit- from repeating as champs? in four years under Sean ed with Colts coach Frank NOTICE McDermott. It stands to reason Reich this season on a one- LEGAL NOTICE Oddsmakers have stood firm that the playoff experience year contract. But despite re- in installing Kansas City as the gained helps young quarter- ports he could be headed to NOTICE OF PUBLIC UCC ARTICLE 9 FORECLOSURE – PUBLIC SALE of substantially all assets and personal property of favorite to become the league’s back Josh Allen, eager to prove the broadcast booth, he main- Encore Dermatology, Inc., a Delaware corporation first repeat champion since the that his team hasn’t peaked yet. tained that he wants to return PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that on January 21, 2021, at 1:00 p.m. (EST), a public sale (the “Public Sale”) shall be conducted of the assets and personal property of Encore Dermatolo- Patriots in February 2005. The to Indianapolis next season. gy, Inc. (the “Debtor”), as described on Schedule “A” below (the “Collateral”).The Public Sale will be conducted via video conference on: https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/287859949. top-seeded Chiefs produced Can Rams overcome their United States: +1 (571) 317-3122. Access Code: 287-859-949. PLEASE TAKE FURTHER the NFL’s best regular-season quarterback issues? Can Bears trust NOTICE that the Public Sale is being conducted by Rock Creek Advisors, as agent (the “Agent”) for PennRx Ventures, LLC (the “Secured Party”) to enforce the rights and remedies record (14-2) and triggered by Mitchell Trubisky? of Secured Party to sell the Collateral under applicable commercial law and the Venture Loan and Security Agreement and related Secured Promissory Notes and other loan doc- Patrick Mahomes can attack in Struggling starter Jared Goff uments (collectively, the “Loan Documents”), pursuant to which the Debtor is indebted to a variety of ways. And fast. No could return after a one-game From the half-full, half- the Secured Party in an amount of no less than $15,674,209. The Collateral will be sold to the highest qualified bidder for cash, or the credit against outstanding indebtedness heldby team flicks the switch quite like layoff following thumb surgery. empty department: After get- the Secured Party or for which the Secured Party is entitled by contract to bid. Please be Andy Reid’s bunch, which The other option seems better ting his job back, Trubisky advised that Secured Party, and any assignees of the Secured Party, reserve their right to credit bid, and may credit bid, at the public sale of the Collateral. There will be no warranty trailed by double digits in all than it was a few days ago as came off the bench and quar- made or provided relating to title, possession, quiet enjoyment or the like in connection with the disposition. To be a qualified bidder, a prospective bidder must, on or before 5:00p.m. three of its postseason games John Wofford settled down af- terbacked the Bears during a (EST) on January 19, 2020, both: (i) contact Agent at the e-mail address or phone number during last year’s Super Bowl ter a shaky start against the late-season rally that resulted below and provide the Agent with current contact information and such adequate assur- ances of bidder’s ability to perform as the Secured Party may reasonably request; and (ii) run. Yet here’s to nit-picking: Cardinals in his NFL debut. Ei- in a playoff berth. Then again, provide Agent with a refundable cash deposit of five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) to secure any bids that the bidder may submit at auction. The Secured Party shall not be re- The Chiefs have the worst- ther way, the Rams have gone Chicago (8-8) backed into the quired to post any such deposit in order to participate in the auction. All deposits of qualified ranked run defense (21st) of two games without scoring an playoffs as Trubisky laid an bidders, other than the successful bidder, will be refunded after the auction. Parties interest- ed in participating at the Public Sale as a “qualified bidder” for the Collateral should contact any team in the playoffs. The offensive touchdown. Sure, de- egg in a Sunday loss to the Agent by e-mail at [email protected] or by telephone at 917-842-2652 or tpeach@ bulk of the unit that held Der- fense wins championships and Packers. The Bears, who rockcreekfa.com or by telephone at 845-826-2526. Schedule A – Collateral. The “Collat- eral” shall include rights, titles, interests, claims and demands of Debtor in the following: (a) rick Henry to a mortal 69 yards LA’s top-ranked unit, which drafted Trubisky second contract rights and general intangibles, including goodwill, including all rights, title and interest in the branded dermatology products Impoyz®, Promiseb®, Sernivo® and Trianex®, in the AFC title game last year hasn’t allowed a 100-yard rush- overall in 2017 (ahead of Pat- and any formulations, reformulations or improvements of same (the “Products”), as well as remains intact. But it’s fair to er, is special with Aaron Donald rick Mahomes and Deshaun FDA new drug applications together with related registrations, licenses, authorizations, and approvals; (b) all intellectual property, including patents and patent rights, trademarks and wonder (again) whether a team bringing the heat while Jalen Watson) and traded for Nick trademark rights, trade secrets, licenses, methods, processes, and records; (c) all goods, that can control the clock with Ramsey patrols the back end. Foles last offseason, will have equipment, inventories, raw materials, work in process and finished products; (d) accounts, contract rights, royalties, license rights, documents, cash, deposit accounts, certificates of a ground attack that keeps Ma- But the Rams are so much bet- another decision to make deposit, instruments, accounts receivables; and (e) all other personal property of the Debt- homes on the sideline would ter protecting a lead (35-0 about Trubisky during the off- or, whether tangible or intangible, and proceeds thereof. stand the best chance of upset- when ahead at halftime under season. You’d think they ting the Chiefs. McVay). would know enough by now about whether to invest a Place your advertisement in Can Steelers make Will improved Seahawks’ long-term contract in him. If deep run with sorry defense ease pressure on not, the playoff opener at New USA TODAY Marketplace! running game? Russell Wilson? Orleans against one of the To advertise, call: 800-397-0070 best defenses could provide First, the good news: Ben It’s nowhere close to the Le- the final confirmation. 6C ❚ WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2021 ❚ USA TODAY SPORTS Fandom rooted in inspiration

Nathan Ulrich Browns star Nick Chubb loves Batman Inside the Batcave with Nick Chubb Akron Beacon Journal Favorite Batman: Christian Bale AKRON, Ohio – About a week after Favorite movie: “Probably ‘The Dark Nick Chubb’s left knee had been blown Knight Rises.’ ” out on Oct. 10, 2015, he watched scenes Favorite villain: “The Joker. He’s always from “The Dark Knight Rises” on his one step ahead. He’s super smart, smartphone during a break from reha- intelligent, and I just like him. He’s bilitating at the University of Georgia. tricky.” The star running back typed “Bat- man gets his back broken by Bane” into Thoughts on Robert Pattinson in “The the search field on YouTube. Batman” (2022): “Pattinson is skinny, Chubb felt a connection to the 2012 and Batman’s more on the bulky side. movie when supervillain Bane tells Bat- He might have to gain weight or man, “Victory has defeated you,” in the something, but I feel like it’ll be good.” early stages of their first battle. “I remember I was like on top of the world, coming off a good (freshman) lege, I was Batman for a Halloween par- season, feeling myself, doing good in ev- ty.” erything, and he said that, and I feel like The Browns, who are playoff bound he was talking to me,” Chubb said. this week with a wild-card game Sun- The encounter ends with Bane lifting day against the Pittsburgh Steelers, a beaten Batman and breaking the have had fun with this, too, mostly by superhero’s back over his right leg. following Chubb’s lead on social media. “I felt like my knee was broken in ev- After Chubb suffered a sprained me- ery piece, too,” Chubb said. dial collateral ligament in his right knee Then Bruce Wayne finds himself in on Oct. 4 against the Dallas Cowboys, he Bane’s prison known as The Pit. Wayne wrote on Instagram, “Thanks for all the spends months recovering and training, prayers and wishes. I’ll be back soon and after several failed escape attempts enough. To the bat cave until then.” he completes a treacherous climb, rising Don’t worry – he included a bat emoji at from the The Pit, so he can return to Go- the end of the message. tham City and his life as Batman. When the Browns designated Chubb “I felt like that wall was what I went to return from injured reserve on Nov. 9, through getting out of rehab,” Chubb the team tweeted an animated GIF of a said. “I had to get up the wall and get football player standing atop FirstEner- free and get back to myself. All that just gy Stadium as a Bat-Signal featuring was so relatable to me during that time. Chubb’s face shone in the night sky. “I kind of used that as motivation to Chubb’s favorite Batman quote is, keep me up and keep me going because “I’m whatever Gotham needs me to be.” of how he came back from that. That’s Last year, he tweaked the famous line how I attacked my rehab and my recov- from “The Dark Knight” and wrote on ery from my injury.” Instagram, “I’m whatever Cleveland Chubb had seen the film before, but Nick Chubb as Batman ILLUSTRATION BY BRIAN SHELLITO/FOR THE BEACON JOURNAL needs me to be.” The caption accompa- the iconic fight between Tom Hardy’s nied a photograph of Chubb in his Bane and Christian Bale’s Batman and Browns uniform. Wayne’s subsequent ascent didn’t be- “I was a Superman fan because hon- Hubbard has a Batman tattoo on one If Batman were to play football, come an obsession until the player em- estly I didn’t know any better,” he said. “I of his legs, and Chubb thinks it turned Chubb said he would be a running back barked on a comeback from the grue- just know what I saw. He was flashy. He out well. with a helluva stiff-arm. some injury he suffered as a sophomore could fly. He had super strength and all “But if I’m getting it,” Chubb said, “He would have everything,” Chubb against the University of Tennessee. that stuff. My friends were into it, too. “I’m getting it right on my chest, like him said. “Full-balanced running back.” “The next time I watched it after Growing up, we’d always argue Super- gliding down, big – everybody can see He probably would even resist the that,” Chubb said, “I was hanging on ev- man versus Batman, and I’d always it.” temptation to score a touchdown and ery word, really into it, listening to ev- have Superman’s side. But they brought All this raises the following question: instead run out of bounds at the 1-yard erything.” to my atten- Has Chubb ever dressed as Batman? line if it ensured he would save Gotham. With Batman inspiring Chubb, he re- tion why Bat- “Yeah, I have. Yeah, of course,” he “Yeah,” Chubb said without hesita- Chubb’s 2020 statistics bounded from three of the four liga- man was bet- said with a laugh. “My junior year of col- tion, “Batman doesn’t kill.” ments in his left knee shredding, all but Games: 12 ter, and I kind the anterior cruciate ligament, and the of flipped Carries: 190 surgery he needed as a result. He re- sides, joining turned to action in time for the 2016 Yards: 1,067 them.” opener, flourished in his final collegiate So why is Yards per carry: 5.6 season in 2017 and became a second- Batman the The year round draft pick (No. 35 overall) of the TDs: 12 best super- Browns in 2018. hero? we endured “He’s human just like us, and if you a pandemic, Chubb took on Gotham in 2020 were indestructible like Superman, would you fear anything? No, you In the buildup to the Browns playing wouldn’t. If you know you can’t die, you consecutive games against the New wouldn’t fear anything,” Chubb said. York Giants and New York Jets in Go- “But Batman, we can die, we’re mortal, tham – OK, East Rutherford, New Jer- and he still stands up and faces any sey, but play along here – Chubb spoke challenge. He’s just a man, but he has to the Beacon Journal by phone for 15 courage.” minutes on Dec. 17 about his Batman Chubb explained his allegiance to fandom. Batman “really took off” shortly after he Chubb rushed 15 times for 50 yards suffered the devastating knee injury five and a touchdown, his 10th of the season, years ago in Knoxville, Tennessee. in a 20-6 win over the Giants. When the “A lot of players have to deal with in- Browns returned to MetLife Stadium juries, but the fact that Nick was able to and faced the Jets on Dec. 27, Chubb’s come back from something so hard and 25th birthday, he was held to 28 yards to be able to use that as inspiration is on 11 carries but scored a TD. pretty cool,” Stanton said. “I’m sure When Browns communications co- movie creators would love to be able to ordinator Mike Annarella informed hear something like that.” felt more Chubb of a Batman-centric interview Chubb hasn’t dabbled much in Bat- divided, request and relayed a message about man movies and TV shows predating the Gotham angle, Chubb realized An- this century. “The Dark Knight Trilogy” narella didn’t know Gotham is a ficti- directed by Christopher Nolan and star- tious version of New York in the Batman ring Bale as Batman is Chubb’s bread universe. Waiting on deck for a Zoom and butter, though he also watches ani- session with local media, Chubb whis- mated films made in the past decade. pered an explanation to Annarella while As far as Batman memorabilia goes, quarterback Baker Mayfield fielded Chubb doesn’t own countless comic questions from reporters nearby. books and action figures.However , the and forged a Yes, Chubb is a man of few words, but contents of his wardrobe and garage he enjoys talking about Batman. aren’t coincidences. He wears a silver new normal. Right tackle Jack Conklin revealed a Batman symbol on a chain necklace, a few weeks ago he occasionally chats Christmas gift he received in his rookie with Chubb about Batman in an attempt season from his mother, Lavelle. He said to lure the two-time Pro Bowl selection he dons black clothing on a regular basis out of his shell. Chubb has also bonded and has matte black cars – a Mercedes with offensive lineman Chris Hubbard AMG and a Dodge Charger – with tinted and practice-squad fullback Johnny windows because of Batman. Stanton over their affinity for the Caped Chubb has even thought about buy- Crusader. ing a Batmobile one day. Chubb considers Stanton the locker room’s top Batman expert because he is ‘It would only be Batman’ well-versed in comic books. Stanton has given Chubb plenty of reading recom- “It would be either when I’m done mendations. with football or sometime in the offsea- “He gets excited,” Stanton said by son when I’m just feeling spontaneous,” phone. “He’s very curious about it.” he said. Chubb doesn’t have any tattoos, but As we traverse a new year with new challenges, Batman versus Superman if he gets one, you can guess what the USA TODAY will continue to serve as the nation’s theme would be. Chubb took a liking to DC Comics “If I ever got a tattoo,” he said, “it bridge to understandingg. superheroes in high school when he and would only be Batman – 100%. I’ve friends played the “Injustice” video thought about it, but I don’t know if it games on PlayStation 4. would be cool or corny. It would prob- At first, Batman wasn’t actually ably be in-between, so I don’t know if I’ll Chubb’s favorite character. get it.” Your one-stop portal for the news you need NATION’S HEALTH For all the latest developments, USA TODAY | WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2021 | SECTION D visit coronavirus.usatoday.com.

Polls show increasing trust in vaccine Growth in confidence slow, steady recently

Aleszu Bajak USA TODAY

Confidence in the COVID-19 vaccine is growing, a USA TODAY analysis of dozens of polls and scientific papers shows. Surveys in recent weeks show close to 60% of respondents saying they’d get the COVID-19 vaccine, up from a low of 1 in 2 Americans polled in Sep- tember. A Pew Research Center survey of 12,648 Americans in late November showed 60% said they’d get the vaccine if it were available today, up from 51% polled in September. The Kaiser Family Foundation noted a similar increase, with 71% of the 1,676 surveyed indicating they’d accept a COVID-19 vaccine, up from 63% in September. USA TODAY’s analysis drew on methods used by Duke University and Florida State University researchers and by the federal Advisory Committee Christian Arbelaez, a doctor at Lifespan Health Care, receives the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for COVID-19 on Dec. 14 in on Immunization Practices to summa- Providence, R.I. Health care workers are at the front of the vaccination line in most areas. ELISE AMENDOLA/AP rize vaccine polling. It’s unknown what percentage of the population needs to get the vaccine before COVID-19 can be wiped out. But the increased willingness to receive the Officials, experts argue vaccine marks a reversal of earlier trends and comes at a crucial time in the pandemic that has claimed more than 350,000 lives in the United States. The country is now being battered by a over vaccine dosing third wave of surging infections, while the administration of vaccines has Some suggest more time gone slower than planned in recent weeks. between doses, dilution Distrust of the COVID-19 vaccine has been visible in pockets across the Adrianna Rodriguez country, from nursing home workers in USA TODAY Ohio to Indigenous communities in Montana to college students in Texas. The U.S. Food and Drug Administra- From March through late fall, trust tion weighed in on a debate over when in the vaccine declined steadily, ac- the first and second doses of the CO- cording to dozens of surveys of Amer- VID-19 vaccine should be administered. icans asked whether they’d get the vac- The FDA said in a statement Monday cine when it became available. there is no adequate scientific evidence A running Morning Consult poll of that supports changing the authorized 2,200 adults found 72% of those sur- COVID-19 vaccine schedule or dosing. veyed in April would accept the vac- “Without appropriate data support- cine. As of Oct. 10, that number ing such changes in vaccine administra- dropped to about 48% willing to get tion, we run a significant risk of placing vaccinated. A CNN/SSRS poll found a public health at risk, undermining the similar trend – of the about 1,200 peo- historic vaccination efforts to protect ple polled, 66% said in May that they’d the population from COVID-19,” the FDA get the vaccine; by October, just 51% in- said in a statement. Nurse Sandra Lindsay receives the second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine dicated they’d get it. The agency said it has followed dis- Monday in New York City. POOL PHOTO FROM GETTY IMAGES A review published last week in the cussions and reports about reducing the journal Vaccines looked at 126 scientific number of doses, extending the length studies and surveys of popular opinion of time between doses, cutting the dos- Public Health, argued that changing cir- than hoped. Even more worrisome are about the COVID-19 vaccine and found age in half or mixing and matching vac- cumstances led experts to endorse a the distribution bottlenecks that are a decreasing trend in vaccine accep- cines to get more people vaccinated. new policy. making it difficult to vaccinate people tance since March. The researchers For maximum effectiveness, the Mo- “What changed?” wrote Jha and Rob- as quickly as possible.” found that overall confidence in the derna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines re- ert Wachter, chair of the department of The debate gained momentum vaccine fell, on average, from more quire a second dose a few weeks after medicine at the University of California- when Operation Warp Speed’s chief than 70% of people polled in March in- the first. Some experts have argued that San Francisco. “First, there’s simply a science adviser Moncef Slaoui told dicating they’d get a vaccine to just second doses should be deferred so supply constraint. We hoped that addi- CBS’ “Face the Nation” Sunday that 50% in October. more Americans can get one. tional vaccines would be available by data suggests two half-doses of the Cheryl Lin, an author of the review In a co-written opinion piece in Sun- now. But only the Pfizer and Moderna Moderna vaccine might work. and co-director of the Policy and Or- day’s Washington Post, Ashish Jha, vaccines have been authorized, and dean of Brown University’s School of they’re being produced more slowly See DOSES, Page 2D See TRUST, Page 2D

Colleges offer new ‘mini-mester’ over winter breaks

Jennifer Smola before returning to campus. For some The Columbus Dispatch schools, this means a nearly two-month USA TODAY NETWORK break between classes. And so the pandemic “mini-mester” COLUMBUS, Ohio – The coronavirus was born. pandemic meant college officials and In Westerville, Ohio, Otterbein Uni- their students suddenly found them- versity is offering an abbreviated “Car- selves with a lot of extra time on their dinal +” winter term for students to take well-sanitized hands between semes- online courses to catch up or get ahead. ters this winter. When university leaders adjusted the In many cases, colleges and universi- fall and spring semester calendars be- ties completed their fall terms at cause of the pandemic, they saw a six- Thanksgiving or finished what was left week gap and an opportunity, said Kate of them online, to avoid students trav- Lehman, assistant dean for student eling and returning to campus between success at Otterbein. the holiday and the end of the semester. “That’s a great opportunity both for Many are also starting their spring students who we knew might not be get- semesters later than usual, putting ting their normal seasonal jobs, might more distance between the holidays be home with not a whole lot to do,” she Otterbein University marketing professor Michael Levin designed a six-week and the start of classes, and in some management information systems course as a “mini-mester” offering. cases, requiring students to quarantine See MINI-MESTER, Page 3D DORAL CHENOWETH/USA TODAY NETWROK 2D ❚ WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2021 ❚ USA TODAY NEWS NATION’S HEALTH

FACT CHECK Wuhan lab, vaccine research not linked

Institute not owned by pharma firm GSK

Ella Lee USA TODAY

As COVID-19 vaccines begin to roll out, some have questioned their safety and efficacy. Going further, a post on social media claims that the vaccines can be tied to a suspicious lineup of invested parties. A Facebook post claims that the Wu- han Institute of Virology, a research center in the Chinese city where the coronavirus emerged, can be linked to a number of individuals and pharmaceutical companies involved in researching the COVID-19 vaccine. Conspiracy theorists have claimed, without evidence, that the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19 was manufactured there. The post, which has been shared over 1,100 times, claims that the lab in Wu- han is owned by pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline, which suppos- edly owns Pfizer, the first drug company to receive emergency authorization for a COVID-19 vaccine. The purported connections further spiral, eventually suggesting the involvement of billion- aires George Soros and Bill Gates. The post’s creator did not respond to USA TODAY’s request for comment. The claim starts to fall apart in its There is no evidence the coronavirus was manufactured at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China. AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES first sentence. The post alleges that the “Chinese biological laboratory in Wu- han,” likely the Wuhan Institute of Vi- central government,” the letter reads. consumer health care units to allow and Microsoft, which Bill Gates co- rology, is owned by GlaxoSmithKline. It each company to focus on prescription founded in 1975, are nefarious. Like So- then tumbles into a series of claims Claimed connections collapse medicines. But that venture doesn’t in- ros, Gates is also commonly pulled into about ownership and financing based volve merging or swapping ownership. unfounded conspiracy theories about on that original relationship — which Without the original tie linking the The post also brings investment firm the pandemic. doesn’t exist. Wuhan lab to Glaxo, the claim’s intend- BlackRock into the fold, claiming it It’s true that Vanguard holds shares The full name of the institute, which ed revelation is rendered meaningless. “manages” both Pfizer and the “Open in BlackRock, Pfizer and Microsoft. studies viral diseases, is Wuhan Insti- Still, there are a number of other mis- Foundation Company,” referring to, al- But two decades after Gates’ depar- tute of Virology, Chinese Academy of representations in the post worth not- beit misnaming, billionaire George So- ture from the company as its CEO, his Sciences, according to its website. It’s ing. ros’ Open Society Foundations. Soros ties to Microsoft are loose. Gates holds controlled by China’s State Council. Firstly, British pharmaceutical com- often plays the central role in baseless just 1.36% of shares in Microsoft, CNBC In a 2019 open letter to the science pany GlaxoSmithKline doesn’t own conspiracy theories, most recently sur- reported in March, shortly after Gates journal Nature, a CAS representative Pfizer. rounding the pandemic and vaccination left the company’s board. wrote that the academy has never Pfizer was incorporated in New Jer- against COVID-19. achieved financial independence from sey in 1900, originally dividing its A search of both Soros’ Open Society Our rating: False China. Half of its income comes directly $2 million of authorized capital into Foundation’s and BlackRock’s websites from the government, and the rest 20,000 shares as a privately held com- found no indication the two are tied. The primary claim that the Wuhan comes from “competitive funding or pany, its website says. But in 1942, the BlackRock does hold about 414.7 mil- Institute of Virology is owned by Glaxo- technology transfer,” according to the pharmaceutical company offered lion shares in Pfizer, reporting in Febru- SmithKline is false. That renders the fol- letter. 240,000 shares of new common stock ary that it held 7.7% ownership in the lowing purported connections mean- “CAS is not run independently of gov- to the public; now the company has pharmaceutical company. ingless, and many of them are false in- ernment ... The establishment and de- roughly 69% public ownership. The Vanguard Group, however, is dependently, as well. velopment of CAS have been entirely GSK and Pfizer embarked on a joint Pfizer’s largest shareholder, and the Our fact check work is supported in based on the wisdom and support of the venture in 2018, aiming to combine their post claims its ties to both BlackRock part by a grant from Facebook.

Doses Polls show increasing trust in COVID-19 vaccine after months of decline Continued from Page 1D Surveys in recent weeks show close to 60% of respondents saying they’d get the COVID-19 vaccine, up from a low of 1 in 2 Americans polled in early fall. Slaoui said a lower dose sparked a Dots sized by number of respondents. good immune reaction in people ages 18 to 55, referring to early-stage stud- Pew Research ies that explored doses in a very small Morning Consult 10,957 participants number of people. The FDA allowed 2,200 participants emergency use of Moderna’s vaccine 80% based on a 30,000-person study Baum et al that found two full doses 28 days apart 19,027 participants are about 95% protective against CO- VID-19. 70% Anthony Fauci, the nation’s leading infectious disease expert, advised against delaying the second dose in an 60% interview with CNN on Friday and again acceptance Vaccine Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “The issue of giving it to people and A pharmacist dilutes the not having a guarantee you’re going to Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. 50% get a second shot goes against the sci- Some experts have suggested lower ence,” he said. “We want to do it accord- doses of the available vaccines in April ’20 June ’20 Aug. ’20 Oct. ’20 Dec. ’20 ing to the science. You give a first dose. If order to stretch the supply and Based on methods used by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and Lin et al. you have a Pfizer, 21 days later, you get a vaccinate more people while the ALESZU BAJAK/USA TODAY boost. If you have the Moderna, 28 days rollout goes slower than planned. later, you get the boost.” BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES He argued stretching out the first dose would make sense only if the Unit- Trust ed States didn’t have enough vaccine, was designed to test such a gap be- “There’s an urgent need for a national which isn’t a problem. tween doses. Continued from Page 1D campaign ...” Officials said the pace of COVID-19 British officials said postponing Cheryl Lin vaccinations should pick up in the com- booster doses meant they could give ganizational Management Program at An author of the review and co-director of the Policy and Organizational Management Program ing weeks. They pointed to a host of rea- more people at least some protection Duke University, said the decline in program at Duke University sons for the lag, including vaccination with a first shot. They said unpub- vaccine acceptance as the coronavirus systems still gearing up, federal funding lished data from an AstraZeneca study spread was almost counterintuitive. cepting of the vaccine than Democrats. that hasn’t been disbursed to states and suggested waiting a little longer be- “Willingness to get vaccinated did And surveys published in the journals a requirement that states set aside vac- tween doses might be better in the long not increase with growing case num- Annals of Internal Medicine and Vaccine cine for long-term-care facilities. run, but they provided no details. bers or death total,” Lin said. “When have found that Black respondents were Add to that two holidays and three people first realized the seriousness of less likely to say they’d get the vaccine. major snowstorms, Operation Warp Contributing: Elizabeth Weise, USA the outbreak and personally experi- “Unfortunately, health disparities are Speed’s Gen. Gustave Perna said at a TODAY; G. Wayne Miller, The Provi- enced the pandemic, acceptance was likely to persist if we don’t make a strong briefing last Wednesday. dence Journal; The Associated Press high. Then, six months later, vaccine effort to target those groups with cus- Though the vaccine rollout has been Health and patient safety coverage acceptance dropped to below 50%.” tomized communication campaigns and challenging, he said, problems with the at USA TODAY is made possible in part Many of the surveys Lin studied more accessible vaccine delivery,” Lin system are being addressed. by a grant from the Masimo Founda- highlighted communities that are es- said. “There’s an urgent need for a na- Last week, British health officials de- tion for Ethics, Innovation and Com- pecially distrustful of the COVID-19 tional campaign, in addition to political cided it was OK to delay the second dose petition in Healthcare. The Masimo vaccine. Polls from Pew Research Cen- figures or celebrities getting the shot in as long as 12 weeks, surprising experts Foundation does not provide editorial ter, Gallup and Economist/YouGov front of the cameras, and really targeting as none of the COVID-19 vaccine studies input. have shown Republicans as less ac- specific groups.”

d02_01_06_2021_1_ro.pdf 1 06-Jan-21 01:07:57 NEWS USA TODAY ❚ WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2021 ❚ 3D

CORONAVIRUS NEWS BRIEFING Care is rationed in LA County as hospitals fill

Ambulance crews in Los Angeles County have been advised to cut back on oxygen use and to not bring patients who have virtually no chance of sur- vival to hospitals. Officials cited an “acute need to conserve oxygen” and told the Los Angeles Times that medical personnel need to focus on patients with a greater chance of surviving. Officials remain concerned that daily coronavirus infections, already at all-time highs that are overwhelming hospitals and health care workers, will surge more over the next week as people who were infected over the holidays become ill. “We’re likely to experience the worst conditions in January that we’ve faced the entire pandemic,” County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said. “That’s hard to imagine.” Masked customers wait to enter a Trader Joe’s store in Seattle on April 8. ELAINE THOMPSON/AP Forty-eight of the 100 hospitals across the nation with the highest proportion of COVID-19 patients are in California, according to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services data analyzed by USA TODAY for the final week of December. “What I see is devas- Mask protests plaguing tation,” said Annette Greenwood, chief nursing officer at Riverside Community Hospital in Southern California. Nationally, more than 20.8 million cases have businesses amid surge been confirmed, with more than 355,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data. Kelly Tyko USA TODAY Federal agents struggle to do jobs Anti-mask protests and videos of altercations over “I think that’s what we are seeing in mask requirements at businesses across the country Federal law enforcement agencies’ response to the continue to go viral even as coronavirus cases surge. these continued protests is that pandemic has been inconsistent, with employees On Saturday, “Burn the Mask” protesters blocked belief that was set in stone very early saying policies on masks and social distancing were the entrance of a Fresno, California, Trader Joe’s, not enforced, according to a survey by the Justice De- causing the grocer to close, the Fresno Bee reported. on in the course of the pandemic.” partment’s inspector general. In Los Angeles County, where nearly 1 in 5 people Mollyann Brodie The anonymous survey, which received responses are testing positive, a group of protesters stormed a Executive director of the foundation’s Public Opinion from more than 6,000 law enforcement employees, Ralphs grocery store Sunday, argued with customers and Survey Research Program found that 64% said COVID-19 affected their ability over masks with one protester calling a fellow shopper to do their jobs. While some employees said they a “mask Nazi,” according to the Los Angeles Times. On its website, the grocer says it requires “custom- were satisfied with their agency’s response to the Meanwhile, outside a Houston café, protesters ers wear a face covering that meets the standards of pandemic, one employee said management has waved American flags over the weekend after some applicable health authorities while shopping in our “downplayed” the threat. customers were upset over having to wear face masks. stores. Unless otherwise directed by local rule or law, “Although our leadership team instructed people Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner tweeted in response this does not apply to young children and those with to wear masks, it was not enforced, and at times, em- and support of the restaurant, saying he heard Miller’s medical conditions who are not able to wear face cov- ployees were shamed by coworkers for wearing Cafe has “pretty good burgers. I will patronize them erings.” masks,” an employee said. Monday and I hope you patronize them this week.” However, for California, during “current regional And at an H&M in Hanover, Maryland, on Friday, a stay home order,” Trader Joe’s says all customers are Wisconsin struggles to roll out vaccines shopper recorded another shopper refusing to put on required to “wear a face covering that meets the stan- her mask and their disagreement. An employee also dards of applicable health authorities while shop- Wisconsin lags nearly all of the Midwest in getting asked the unidentified shopper to wear a mask. ping in our stores, without exceptions.” health care workers and first responders vaccinated Mask compliance has sparked debates throughout and has received fewer doses than other states of its the pandemic after Americans received mixed mes- Mask wearing seen as a political issue size. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and sages from authorities early on over whether they Prevention ranks the state 10th out of 12 in the Mid- should wear face coverings in public places. Recent surveys show more consumers are com- west in getting a first dose to its residents on a per The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has plying with retailer and local mandates, but that it is capita basis. Wisconsin has administered roughly a said for months that wearing masks slows the spread often seen as a political issue. third of the doses it has received, the ninth lowest in of COVID-19, but meanwhile, some politicians, includ- The Kaiser Family Foundation found in a recent the Midwest, but a little better than the nationwide ing President Donald Trump, have been called out for poll that 87% of Democrats and 55% of Republicans average. not wearing one. As the nation edged further into the say they are wearing a mask every time they leave the “It’s chaos,” said Kalpana Kumar, a Pewaukee- stay-at-home era, videos of conflicts requirements at house and are around other people. based private practice medical doctor. “It’s like businesses have become common to see. A recent Ipsos poll had similar results with 74% of shouting into a well. It’s just one of those very bi- Often, law enforcement is called to help, but the Americans agreeing that masks are an effective tool zarre, disorganized efforts.” CDC has advised retailers to not argue with shoppers to prevent the spread of COVID-19 but that 90% of over masks. Democrats agree with the statement versus 61% of Other top headlines Republicans. Trader Joe’s closed Fresno store early Mollyann Brodie, executive director of the founda- h Almost 30% of working professionals say they tion’s Public Opinion and Survey Research Program, would quit their jobs if they couldn’t continue work- Trader Joe’s has been asking shoppers to wear said the difference is part of partisan beliefs about ing remotely, according to an online survey of 1,022 masks for months, and California started requiring whether masks are protective and necessary. professionals conducted by LiveCareer. masks or face coverings be worn inside businesses “I think that’s what we are seeing in these con- h The pharmacist suspected of intentionally statewide back on June 18. Several parts of the state tinued protests is that belief that was set in stone spoiling 500 doses of vaccine at a Wisconsin hospital required masks before then. very early on in the course of the pandemic,” Brodie was released from jail after a prosecutor indicated In late June, a woman without a mask at another said in an interview with USA TODAY. he’s not positive the vaccine was actually destroyed. California Trader Joe’s called employees and shoppers President-elect Joe Biden has said he plans to ask The pharmacist, Steven Brandenburg, 46, had con- “Democratic pigs” and screamed profanities because all Americans to wear masks during the first 100 days cerns the vaccines could change people’s DNA, a de- she said she felt threatened when a fellow customer of his administration. bunked claim. cursed her out for not wearing a mask. Biden said that where he has authority, he will is- h Not every country is struggling with its vaccine Regarding the incident at the Fresno store, Kenya sue an order mandating that masks be worn in places rollout: Israel has already provided first doses to over Friend-Daniel, Trader Joe’s national director of public like federal buildings, airplanes, and interstate trans- 14% of its 9 million people, according to Our World in relations, told USA TODAY that safety and well-being portation like buses. Data. The Times of Israel credits factors including a of its staff and customers “is, and always has been, our Brodie thinks the results of Biden’s plan could be “relatively small but densely-packed population and top priority.” mixed. highly-professional, community-integrated health “As such, since the pandemic was declared, Trader “Many people will be happy to see that type of services.” Less than 2% in the U.S. are vaccinated. Joe’s has prioritized creating a safe working and shop- leadership on taking public health precautions and h Half of the almost 2,300 Chicago public school ping environment every day, developing effective pro- trying to help limit the spread and certainly the surge teachers ordered to return to work Monday to pre- cedures that meet or exceed CDC guidelines, inclusive we’re seeing in the coronavirus,” Brodie said. “But pare for in-person instruction did not return, officials of mask requirements,” Friend-Daniel said in a state- some people and particularly those who are more said. The absentees will face “progressive discipline.” ment Monday, adding the company will “continue to likely to be Republicans will react negatively to such a Contributing: John Bacon, Jessica Flores, Kristine do the right thing ... with all of our decisions focused call.” Phillips, Molly Beck, Mary Spicuzza, Bob Dohr, Grace on putting their health and safety first.” Contributing: Savannah Behrmann, USA TODAY Hauck, and The Associated Press

and mini-courses on topics from immi- covered resume and cover letter tips, winter, she is taking a senior-year expe- Mini-mester gration and gun control to Texas Hold networking and question-and-answer rience course on social justice, respon- ‘Em and The Beatles. sessions with business recruiters. sibility and change. Continued from Page 1D The winter program is modeled after The internship search is a big part of “It’s a really, really fun, great argu- a similar accelerator program the uni- Keen’s junior year, he said. mentative class,” she said. “It helps give said. “We looked at it as a real opportu- versity offered over the summer, after “Why not take advantage of this time me a different perspective on this nity for those students to be able to many students suddenly found them- to get a little bit of extra motivation for world.” make progress and do something pro- selves without the internships they had my career search?” he said. The university is offering 10 courses, ductive with that time.” planned on because of the pandemic. The extra winter sessions have been and it chose classes that often fill up Other schools around the country “It was devastating for students, for a popular among many of Keen’s friends. during the regular semester or that have also introduced new winter term lot of reasons,” said Denison President “From my immediate circle at Deni- serve a variety of students, including options during the longer-than-normal Adam Weinberg. “They’ve worked so son, I’ve noticed a lot of us have taken business IT, introductory psychology break, including Indiana University, hard to line these internships up. … We advantage of these types of opportuni- and public speaking. Iowa State University, Emerson College really wanted to fill this need that kind ties,” he said. Otterbein is offering the courses at a in Boston and Jacksonville University in of emerged quickly for our students.” At Otterbein, junior biology major slight discount from its usual rate. Jack- Florida. In addition to working part-time as a Natianna Chhuom is hoping to graduate sonville University has also dropped East of Columbus, Denison Univer- customer service representative at U- early. With new hardships from the prices for its winter term, while at Indi- sity isn’t offering courses for credit this Haul over his long break, student Davis pandemic, she’s watched several of her ana University, winter courses are cov- winter, but it is using the long break to Keen recently completed one of Deni- close friends have to walk away from ered in the school’s spring semester flat offer “winter accelerator” options in- son’s virtual career boot camps specifi- their education. tuition rate. cluding virtual career boot camps, busi- cally for juniors. The new Cardinal + winter term is “Cardinal term to me is important ness consulting and startup workshops, The three days of online sessions helping her to get ahead, she said. This just to get ahead,” Chhuom said. 4D ❚ WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2021 ❚ USA TODAY NEWS TRAVEL

Delta CEO expects 2021 travel recovery Memo is optimistic about vaccine’s effect

ASSOCIATED PRESS

DETROIT – The leader of Delta Air Lines is telling workers that he expects some recovery from the coronavirus travel downturn by the spring. CEO Ed Bastian wrote in a New Year’s Day memo to employees that he expects 2021 to start with travel deeply depressed like it was last year. But as COVID-19 vaccines become more widely available, he expects a turning point, especially in business travel. He says Delta should generate positive New computed tomography checkpoint scanners at airports give TSA officers a 3D view of carry-on bags. TSA cash flow by the spring. Bastian wrote that there is uncer- tainty over what travel demand will look like once significant numbers of people are vaccinated and that Delta Aspects of airport visits must be nimble and ready for change. “Just as we’ve never experienced a global pandemic in our history, we’ve also never had to create and execute a plan for recovery from one,” Bastian could be contactless wrote. “Our success will depend on our collaboration, our willingness to be open to new ideas, our ability to adapt Harriet Baskas need for passengers to hand over pa- and our humility in recognizing that Special to USA TODAY per copies of COVID-19 test results. we won’t always know the answers.” Air travel is less than half of what it In addition to cleaning, sanitizing 3. The security checkpoint was in 2019, but it has recovered a bit and setting up COVID-19 testing sta- from a staggering 96% decline in mid- tions, airports are responding to the cor- The Transportation Security Ad- April of last year. onavirus pandemic by finding ways to ministration has reduced touchpoints It’s unclear just how quickly vac- make the journey through the terminal at many airport security checkpoints. cines will be distributed across the touch-free. Hundreds of Credential Authenti- U.S. Over the past few weeks, Trump Before the pandemic, contactless cation Technologyunits that reduce administration health officials had services would have been presented as the time needed to confirm a traveler’s talked about a goal of shipping enough convenient amenities for travelers. To- identity and that allow travelers to put vaccine by the end of the month to in- day, however, they have become an im- their own IDs into the scanner are now oculate 20 million Americans. Earlier portant part of the tool kit for keeping in use at 115 airports. And new comput- this week, the government said 14 mil- passengers safe, healthy and confident Many information desks are going ed tomography checkpoint scanners lion doses had been shipped, but only enough to travel. contactless. at 267 airports give TSA officers a 3D 2.8 million injections had been given. From touchless airport parking to LOS ANGELES INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT view of carry-on bags. This decreases On Tuesday, President-elect Joe Bi- check-in, bag drop and even robot food the need to open and touch bags and den said the Trump administration is delivery, here are some of the ways – reduces the contact time between “falling far behind” and vowed to ramp and places – your airport experience agents and passengers. up the pace once he takes office on might be different during your next trip. Jan. 20. In early December, Biden 4. Touchless food ordering pledged to distribute 100 million shots 1. Touchless airport parking and delivery in the first 100 days of his administration. Before the pandemic, some airports Before COVID-19, the Grab app let offered travelers the option to reserve hungry travelers skip lines and use and prepay for parking online. An as- their mobile devices to order meals for sured spot in the terminal garage during pick-up from a limited number of res- busy times was the attraction, but taurants in a limited number of air- Ryanair under sometimes perks such as close-in ports. spaces and discounted rates enticed Avoiding airport lines is more im- fire for ‘jab travelers to give the amenity a try. portant now. So, airports in Los Ange- Now, many more airports are pro- les, Denver, Minneapolis-St. Paul and moting and launching touch-free park- other cities have partnered with Grab & go’ ad amid ing systems that let travelers avoid hav- to create more accessible platforms ing to push a button to get a ticket on the that expand touch-free ordering op- UK lockdown way in and bypass the payment kiosk or tions and broaden the number of par- staffed booth on the way out. ticipating concessions. ASSOCIATED PRESS For example, at Raleigh-Durham In- In a growing number of airports, ternational Airport in North Carolina, Airports have partnered with Grab to runners for AtYourGate make in-ter- LONDON – Britain’s advertising customers who book parking online get expand touch-free ordering options. minal deliveries of meals and other watchdog has launched an investiga- a scannable QR code via email that LOS ANGELES INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT items ordered via mobile devices. tion into budget carrier Ryanair after opens the garage gate. A license plate The service, currently offered at La- receiving 1,600 complaints about an reader recognizes their vehicle when Guardia and JFK airports in New York; ad that suggested consumers should they exit. San Francisco International in Newark, New Jersey; Denver; Phila- “jab & go.” Airport’s new touchless online parking delphia; Ontario, Orange County, San The Advertising and Standards Au- system, rolled out right before Thanks- Diego and San Jose in California; Bos- thority said Monday that some con- giving, works with scanned QR codes, ton; Minneapolis-St. Paul; and Port- sumers objected to the ad, which fea- as well. land, Oregon, is about to get even more tured a syringe and a small bottle la- convenient and contactless with the beled “vaccine.” 2. Contactless check-in introduction of robots. Some argued that it was misleading and bag drop, biometric tech In partnership with Piaggio Fast to suggest the vaccine will be rolled out Forward, AtYourGate delivery teams at across the population by spring and Pre-pandemic, most passengers JFK, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Denver and that travel restrictions would be over. were familiar with, but didn’t always San Diego airports will soon be joined Others objected to what they saw as use, online check-in, digital boarding in their rounds by small Gita robots. the trivialization of the pandemic. passes and technology that let them Each follow-along robot has a bin that The ad promoted flights to sunny print their own luggage tags at home can carry up to 40 pounds and will be European destinations and offered and check in their own bags at the air- Multiple airlines are now testing a used for contactless delivery of meals seats for 19.99 euros ($27), telling cus- port. Now those no- or low-contact op- digital health passport. and retail items. tomers to “jab & go.” tions are all but mandatory. THE COMMONS PROJECT Britain ramped up its vaccination Airports and airlines are also piloting 5. Virtual information booths program Monday by becoming the first and fast-tracking a wide range of bio- nation to start using the shot devel- metric technology and other tools that Many airport information desks are oped by Oxford University and drug- make the airport journey a bit more also going contactless. At Louisville maker AstraZeneca. But it’s unclear touch-free. Muhammad Ali International Airport how quickly the nation can be vacci- Aviation technology company SITA in Kentucky, Los Angeles International nated, a huge endeavor with little pre- and Los Angeles International Airport Airport, plus in Denver, Baltimore and cedent. recently piloted a system that allows other airports, passengers now use a The budget carrier said the ads were passengers to use smartphones to oper- touch-free tablet, a kiosk or their own factually accurate, given that two ate check-in kiosks and avoid having to mobile device to connect with custom- vaccines have been approved for use touch the communal screens. SITA’s er service agents who answer ques- in the U.K. It also confirmed that Smart Path biometric touch-free board- tions live but from a distance. bookings could be changed without ing and exit gates are also operating at Airlines are jumping on this band- fees. Orlando International Airport. wagon, too. Last month, United Air- “Some critics wish to complain just And multiple airlines are now testing lines debuted its “Agent on Demand” for the sake of getting noticed when it a digital health passport, called Com- service, which lets customers in the is clear that vaccines will mean an end monPass, that will store health informa- A Gita robot has a bin that can be used airline’s hub airports use a mobile de- to Covid travel restrictions in tion needed for travel on a secure, easy- for contactless delivery of meals and vice to call, text or have a live video mid-2021,” the carrier said in a state- to-update app. This will eliminate the retail items. ATYOURGATE chat with a customer service agent. ment. NEWS USA TODAY ❚ WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2021 ❚ 5D

News from across the USA

ALABAMA Birmingham: The mayors HIGHLIGHT: GEORGIA PENNSYLVANIA Harrisburg: Demo- of Birmingham, Decatur and Auburn crats in the state House and Senate have been diagnosed with COVID-19 offered a solution Monday to a hous- as the illness spreads rapidly following problem they say affects hun- ing the holidays. There were a record dreds of thousands of residents, aim- 3,064 Alabamians in hospitals Mon- ing to pass an eviction and foreclo- day with COVID-19, according to the sure ban that would extend 60 days state Department of Public Health. after Gov. Tom Wolf’s third pandemic-related emergency declaration ALASKA Juneau: Attorneys for the expires in late February. state are asking a judge to strike down provisions of law dealing with RHODE ISLAND Providence: The government appointments amid a city’s schools announced Monday dispute between Gov. Mike Dunleavy that the winter high school sports and lawmakers who did not consider season will go on as planned with his picks for his Cabinet, boards and precautions in place to stop the coro- commissions. Amid COVID-19 con- navirus’ spread. Practice for basket- cerns last March, lawmakers passed a ball, track and field, swimming, and law allowing them to adjourn and gymnastics is set to start this week. take up confirmations later. Getting vaccinated “makes me feel wonderful,” Hank Aaron says. RON HARRIS/AP SOUTH CAROLINA Columbia: Frus- ARIZONA Phoenix: Agencies helping trated with what he said is a slow the homeless in Maricopa County say rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, Gov. the annual count of people living on Atlanta: Baseball Hall of Famer Hank Aaron, former U.N. Ambassador and civil Henry McMaster said Tuesday that the streets was canceled this year rights leader Andrew Young, and former U.S. Health and Human Services Secre- hospital and health workers have over concerns about the pandemic. tary Louis Sullivan got vaccinated against COVID-19 at the Morehouse School of until Jan. 15 to get a shot, or they will Medicine on Tuesday, hoping to send a message to Black Americans that the have to “move to the back of the line.” ARKANSAS Little Rock: The number shots are safe. They acknowledged a legacy of mistrust toward medical research of patients hospitalized because of SOUTH DAKOTA Sioux Falls: The stemming from the infamous Tuskegee experiment in which U.S. health workers the coronavirus in the state con- state’s farmers could see a successful left syphilis untreated in Black men, making them suffer needlessly. “I’ve been tinued surging Monday to a new rec- bottom line for 2020 thanks to CO- taking vaccines now for 88 years, and I haven’t been sick,” Young said. ord of nearly 1,300. VID-19. Direct government payments more than doubled in 2020, to a fore- CALIFORNIA Sacramento: Distribu- casted $46.5 billion, according to the tion hiccups and logistical challenges U.S. Department of Agriculture. have slowed the initial vaccine rollout Those subsidies make up nearly 40% in the state, setting a pace that’s “not KANSAS Topeka: Gov. Laura Kelly NEBRASKA Omaha: State officials of forecasted net farm income, with good enough,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday that she’s “very com- are warning people to watch out for by far the largest increase stemming said. The state is trying to execute fortable” with how Kansas is dis- scams related to the COVID-19 vac- from congressional COVID-19 relief. the massive immunization campaign tributing COVID-19 vaccines despite cine, which is being provided free. “with a sense of urgency that is re- U.S. government data showing its TENNESSEE Nashville: The Ten- NEVADA Las Vegas: COVID-19 vac- quired of this moment,” but so far inoculation rate is the lowest of any nessee Department of Education cinations for people 75 and older in only about 1% of California’s 40 mil- state. The Kansas Department of hopes a new literacy initiative will Clark County, including Las Vegas, lion residents have been vaccinated, Health and Environment has said help teachers and school districts could begin at pharmacies as soon the Democratic governor said. there’s a reporting lag affecting the reach struggling readers. Officials as next week, health officials say. federal numbers. plan to spend $100 million, including COLORADO Denver: Inmates in El NEW HAMPSHIRE Concord: A bi- federal COVID-19 relief, on “Reading Paso County’s jail will get daily tem- KENTUCKY Louisville: Following partisan state Senate bill would 360,” launched Monday across the perature checks, and those who test several days of an increasing coro- allow the governing bodies of towns state. Before the pandemic shuttered positive for the coronavirus will be navirus testing positivity rate, Gov. and school districts to postpone classrooms, only about 36% of Ten- regularly monitored by medical staff, Andy Beshear announced the rate their March elections to the second nessee’s third graders could read on under a temporary deal negotiated by escalated again Monday, hitting Tuesday of April, May, June or July, grade level, and educators anticipate lawyers for the American Civil Liber- 11.2% – more than 3 percentage as well as town meetings, if they are some have fallen further behind. ties Union and the sheriff and ap- points higher than a week prior. concerned about coronavirus. proved by a federal judge Monday. TEXAS Fort Worth: Republican U.S. LOUISIANA Baton Rouge: The state NEW JERSEY Trenton: Gov. Phil Rep. Kay Granger tested positive for CONNECTICUT Hartford: Lawmakers would broaden the mail-in balloting Murphy vetoed a bill that made the coronavirus upon returning to are returning to the Capitol – at least options for spring municipal elec- changes to the rules governing res- Washington for the new Congress physically for opening day – to kick tions and two upcoming special taurants, bars, distilleries and brew- and is quarantining, aides said Mon- off a new legislative session expected congressional elections because of eries that have been permitted to day. Granger received the first dose of to focus on the pandemic and budget the pandemic, under an emergency serve food and drinks outdoors the COVID-19 vaccine in December. challenges. Plans are in the works to elections plan that started advanc- during the pandemic, saying it by- have members of the General Assem- ing with lawmakers Tuesday. UTAH Salt Lake City: The Depart- passed health and safety rules. bly brave chilly weather and take the ment of Health is expanding the MAINE Portland: The City Council oath of office outside Wednesday. NEW MEXICO Las Cruces: Resi- number of free coronavirus testing has extended outdoor dining in dents and businesses are getting locations as doctors say the state’s DELAWARE Wilmington: Families public spaces into the spring in a free face masks from the city positivity rate is troublingly high. and school staff now have access to program to help local businesses through two new programs. Nearly two dozen new sites are open more detailed data on COVID-19 weather the pandemic. even to those without symptoms. cases in schools. The state launched NEW YORK New York: Mayor Bill de MARYLAND Annapolis: The state is a dashboard Tuesday showing the Blasio and Gov. Andrew Cuomo VERMONT Montpelier: The number now accepting claims for three fed- number of coronavirus cases by dis- offered competing strategies Tues- of new coronavirus cases is increas- eral unemployment programs that trict. The state isn’t reporting school- day for ramping up the city’s CO- ing, but it’s too soon to say if the Congress extended when it passed a level data, citing privacy concerns. VID-19 vaccination efforts, with de increase is due to people visiting over $900 billion stimulus package over Blasio saying vaccine eligibility the holidays, officials said Tuesday. DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Washing- a week ago. Gov. Larry Hogan said should be widened and Cuomo The number of people from out of ton: By the end of the month, the Maryland is one of the first states in countering that hospitals need to do state who visited Vermont was half district could begin vaccinating non- the U.S. to deploy the programs. a better job of vaccinating health what it was during last year’s holiday health care essential workers – those MASSACHUSETTS Boston: The vice care workers who are eligible now. period, but it was still the highest who work in grocery stores, public chairman of the Massachusetts volume of visitors to the state since safety officers, and teachers and child NORTH CAROLINA Raleigh: Gov. Republican Party, a former corona- the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. care workers, WUSA-TV reports. Roy Cooper announced Tuesday virus skeptic, has issued a mea that he’s calling in the North Caroli- VIRGINIA Charlottesville: Research- FLORIDA Fort Lauderdale: The push culpa after falling sick with COVID- na National Guard to help accelerate ers with the University of Virginia are to vaccinate people over age 65 is 19, likely from being infected at a COVID-19 vaccinations in a state monitoring sewage in the city in an drawing thousands of eager seniors White House Hannukah party last that’s been near the bottom of all effort to predict coronavirus surges. in uneven rollouts across various month. “I will survive this, in spite states in doses administered so far. counties, with some residents so set of my own obvious negligence, and WASHINGTON Longview: After near- on getting a shot that they’ve slept in arrogance, towards a virus that NORTH DAKOTA Bismarck: Gov. ly a month of serving customers in- their cars overnight. knows no bounds and shows no Doug Burgum said he plans to ease doors despite state rules against it, mercy,” Tom Mountain, 60, wrote in restrictions on the number of people Stuffy’s II Restaurant received official HAWAII Honolulu: Kauai is reopen- an opinion piece in the Boston Her- who gather in restaurants, bars and notice Monday of a temporary re- ing to tourists. The island had opted ald published Tuesday. event venues, citing a decrease in straining order and $126,000 fine. A out of a state program that allows active COVID-19 cases and hospital- “Stand for Stuffy’s” rally to protest trans-Pacific visitors to avoid quaran- MICHIGAN Gaylord: An event that izations due to the coronavirus. the order is planned one hour ahead tine if they produce a negative coro- draws snowmobile enthusiasts to of a court hearing Thursday. navirus test before arrival, but Kauai northern Michigan has been post- OHIO Columbus: In about two began its own entry program Tues- poned due to COVID-19 concerns. weeks, adults who are 65 or older, WEST VIRGINIA Charleston: Gov. Jim day. Travelers can avoid quarantine if The Michigan Snowmobile Festival school employees and people with Justice brushed off criticism that the they go to another island with the has been moved to February 2022, medical conditions that put them at posh resort he owns did not follow pre-arrival testing program and wait according to the Gaylord Area Con- high risk for complications should pandemic guidelines after video sur- three days before coming to Kauai. vention & Tourism Bureau. be able to obtain COVID-19 vac- faced of a New Year’s Eve gala show- cines, Gov. Mike DeWine said Tues- ing a tightly packed ballroom, with IDAHO Boise: A group assembled by MINNESOTA Maplewood: A man day. That group, labeled 1B in Ohio’s many not wearing masks. The Re- Gov. Brad Little to find ways to bol- accused of pointing a gun at a fit- vaccination plan, includes about publican governor, who didn’t attend, ster faltering salmon and steelhead ness club manager after complain- 2.2 million people. has advocated strict mask-wearing. populations has agreed to encourage ing that some members were exer- habitat restoration but avoided mak- cising without masks was charged OKLAHOMA Oklahoma City: WISCONSIN Madison: The state’s ing a decision about breaching dams. Monday with assault with a danger- Health officials announced Monday business community has come out in ous weapon. that they plan to release a mobile support of a GOP-authored corona- ILLINOIS Chicago: Some Chicago phone application as early as Thurs- virus response bill granting immunity Public Schools teachers who were MISSISSIPPI Jackson: State officials day that will allow Oklahomans to from COVID-19-related civil liability expected to report to the classroom announced a plan Monday to schedule an appointment to receive claims that is opposed by public ahead of preschool students’ antici- streamline access to COVID-19 vac- their vaccine and track when they health officials and Democrats. pated return next week stayed home cines for vulnerable populations in should get their second dose. The Monday over coronavirus concerns. the coming weeks. Gov. Tate Reeves WYOMING Casper: Last winter, a state has contracted with Microsoft said people over age 75 will have group of farmers, educators and eco- INDIANA Indianapolis: Lawmakers to develop the app, deputy health first access to the vaccine starting nomic development professionals opened their 2021 legislative session commissioner Keith Reed said. next week at private clinics and gathered at Casper College to discuss Monday, largely wearing masks and drive-thru sites. OREGON Salem: Gov. Kate Brown what it would take to develop a self- in greatly modified settings for coro- on Monday called for COVID-19 sustaining food network. Even before navirus precautions. MISSOURI O’Fallon: Two-fifths of vaccination improvements. State the COVID-19 pandemic, Wyoming all of Missouri’s COVID-19 deaths IOWA Des Moines: Gov. Kim Rey- officials have received nearly saw food insecurity rates in the dou- were reported in the last two nolds appears prepared to push 200,000 vaccine doses but have ble digits. About a year later, the months of 2020, according to the schools to return students to class- administered only about a quarter Wyoming Food Coalition is nearly state health department. rooms this month, reinforcing her of the total, a rate that places Ore- ready to go public with its efforts, the plans to prioritize in-person learning MONTANA Great Falls: The state gon among the slowest-performing Casper Star-Tribune reports. even when a local school board be- reached a grim milestone Tuesday, states nationwide, The Oregonian/ From USA TODAY Network and lieves it’s too risky. crossing the 1,000-death threshold. OregonLive reports. wire reports 6D ❚ WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2021 ❚ USA TODAY NEWS NATION’S HEALTH FACT CHECK Dancing to boost hospitals’ morale Meme is critical of UK trend, lacks context

Miriam Fauzia USA TODAY

With more than 20 million confirmed cases in the USA, more than 353,000 deaths and a strain newly emerged from the United Kingdom, coronavirus is no laughing matter. But according to one social media post, health care workers don’t seem to be taking the pandemic too seriously. A Facebook meme shared Dec. 30 by Texas radio show Walton and Johnson juxtaposes the Spanish flu of1918 against the COVID-19 pandemic. A black-and-white photo of occupied hospital beds manned by solemn doctors and nurses is a sedate contrast to two images of health care workers grinning and dancing during COVID-19. The meme suggests medical professionals are not taking the present pandemic seriously compared with their historical counterparts. The Spanish flu, caused by theH1N1 subtype of the influenza A virus, was first identified among military personnel in spring 1918 and caused about 675,000 deaths in the USA. On Facebook and Instagram, the meme is used to suggest the pandemic Not only do health care workers take the pandemic seriously, studies suggest working long hours in stressful conditions is is a hoax – a headline reads, “Bit differ- negatively impacting their mental health. MARIO TAMA/GETTY IMAGES ent this time around” – or to urge the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions and lockdowns since “hospitals being at ca- performed by the cardiology team of Springfield, Missouri, told ABC’s “Good Our ruling: Missing context pacity is the norm.” New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton, Morning America” in April. “Reopen America now and restore all England, and ward J19 of St. James’s “Obviously it’s just been a little bit The images in the meme are screen- constitutional rights,” one Facebook us- Hospital in Leeds, England. stressful around here. It was a good way shots of TikTok dances performed by er wrote, claiming the pandemic is a The TikTok dances were meant to just to step away from our work for a heath care workers in the United King- hoax. boost morale and encourage the public second and bring some joy to the people dom, a viral trend that began months It is unclear whether the meme was to follow stay-at-home orders, The around us and just to my co-workers into the pandemic. The videos were meant to be satirical. Guardian newspaper reported. that we could all get together and do made to boost morale and educate the USA TODAY was unable to reach The TikTok trend began a few something fun,” she said. public on the coronavirus, social dis- Walton and Johnson for comment. months into the pandemic as cases rose Studies have shown the challenges of tancing and proper hygiene. Not only and hospitals became increasingly working long hours in an exhausting en- do health care workers take the pan- Dancing to educate, boost morale overwhelmed. The videos combine vironment such as the COVID-19 pandemic seriously, studies suggest work- dancing and TikTok challenges with demic take a toll on mental health and ing long hours in stressful conditions is The images in the meme are real education on the coronavirus, social quality of life – 40% of health care work- negatively impacting their mental ones. The black-and-white photo from distancing and proper hygiene. ers reported serious psychiatric symp- health. 1918 depicts an emergency hospital at The TikTok videos have been helpful toms, according to a national survey in Camp Funston, Kansas, and the two for the health care workers themselves, April that was posted on Psychiatry On- Our fact check work is supported in contemporary shots are TikTok dances Kala Baker, a nurse at Mercy Hospital in line. part by a grant from Facebook.

Professor did not claim COVID-19 is a flu strain

McKenzie Sadeghi Oswald did not write statement USA TODAY Oswald works at the department of In attempts to push claims that the molecular medicine at Cornell Univer- coronavirus pandemic is a hoax, some sity‘s College of Veterinary Medicine social media users are sharing a lengthy and does not have a “PhD in virology,” as statement that purports to be written by claimed in posts. He has a doctorate in a professor at Cornell University. biochemistry, according to his faculty A viral post claims Robert Oswald, a page, where he has also issued a state- professor at Cornell University with a ment debunking the information circu- purported Ph.D. in virology and immu- lating online that is attributed to him. nology and clinical lab scientist, tested “COVID-19 is real. Any Facebook post 1,500 “supposed” COVID-19 samples in that suggests otherwise is a hoax and is Southern California and found “not a not true,” Oswald’s wrote. “Wear a single case of Covid” after testing them mask, practice social distancing, and through a scanning electron micro- get the vaccine when it becomes avail- scope; only Influenza A and Influenza B able.” were found in the samples. Oswald told USA TODAY via email The post then goes on to claim that that the entire post is false and that he Oswald said that the virus “is just an- had nothing to do with it. other flu strain like every year” and that He also noted to Snopes that his cre- COVID-19 “does not exist and is ficti- dentials are misstated in the post and he tious.” It adds that Cornell is allegedly is “horrified by the contents.” suing the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for fraud be- COVID-19 is not a flu strain cause it would not provide the university with a viable COVID-19 sample. Not only is the statement misattrib- Claims about COVID-19 that have already been debunked were wrongly Searches show that the content in uted, but claims that COVID-19 is a hoax attributed to a professor at Cornell University. GETTY IMAGES the statement has circulated on Face- or “just another flu strain” are false and book before being falsely attributed to have been debunked by USA TODAY. Oswald. SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes ciate professor of medicine at Johns sulted in 39 million to 56 million ill- The first version of the claim appears COVID-19, has been isolated by re- Hopkins, writes that doctors are still nesses and 24,000 to 62,000 deaths in to be on Dec. 7, when a user shared the searchers, USA TODAY has reported. working to estimate the mortality rate the U.S. By comparison, there have been statement to Facebook and wrote that And the novel coronavirus has affected of the coronavirus, but it is thought to be about 19.5 million reported COVID-19 he “pulled it from the comments at a more people globally in cases and possibly 10 times more than most flu cases since Jan. 21 and about 340,000 website” and did not attribute the infor- deaths than the average flu season, USA strains. deaths in the U.S. from the virus, ac- mation to Oswald. The user likely found TODAY reported. Virologists also note that more peo- cording to the CDC. the statement in the comment section COVID-19 is caused by a new corona- ple are susceptible to COVID-19 because There are also no reports or evidence of blog site wadeburleson.org. In a mes- virus, SARS-CoV-2, while the flu is there is little preexisting immunity to that Cornell University is suing the CDC sage to USA TODAY, the user said his caused by influenza A and B viruses. SARS-CoV-2, while a portion of the pop- for fraud. Oswald told USA TODAY that post is just “speculation” and “freedom The coronavirus is more contagious and ulation has some immunity to influen- he has never heard of such a lawsuit and of thought.” spreads more quickly than the flu, za, which limits yearly flu cases. that the post is a “total fabrication from The post gained some of its virality in causes a loss of taste or smell and symp- “First, little preexisting immunity to start to end.” a Dec. 28 post by the Facebook page toms generally appear two to 14 days af- SARS-CoV-2 means that virtually ev- USA TODAY reached out to Cornell Kirk’s Law Corner, which cites natural- ter exposure, according to the Mayo eryone is susceptible to infection,” An- University for further comment. news.com as its source. That is a Clinic. drew Stanley Pekosz, a professor of conspiracy and pseudoscience website Further, the hospitalization rate in Johns Hopkins’ Bloomberg School of Our rating: False that routinely publishes false informa- the U.S. for the 2019-2020 flu season Public Health, explained in October. tion, according to Media Bias/Fact was 69 hospitalizations per 100,000 “Second, we don’t have good treatments Oswald did not write the statement Check. people, and for COVID-19, the rate is or vaccines for SARS-CoV-2 like we have attributed to him, and claims that the Another viral version of the claim about 313 hospitalizatons per 100,000 for influenza. Third, COVID-19 causes coronavirus is just another flu strain shared on Dec. 28 includes a screenshot people as of Dec. 19, according to the more severe disease than influenza and that SARS-CoV-2 has not been iso- of Oswald’s faculty page. CDC. overall.” lated have been debunked. USA TODAY reached out to the Face- Lisa Lockerd Maragakis, a senior di- The CDC estimates that between Our fact check work is supported in book page and users for comment. rector of infection prevention and asso- Oct. 1, 2019, and April 4, 2020, the flu re- part by a grant from Facebook.